BY MR MASSEY.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14289, 27 February 1912, Page 8

BY MR MASSEY.

A MANLY RETRACTION

(special to "the press" 1.

WELLINGTON, February 26.

After prayers had been said and the formal business of the House had been disposed of in a few minutes this evening; Mr Massey rose in his place and said: —"Sir, may I crave the indulgence of the House to make a statoment that will not occupy more than two or three minutes, before the Orders of the Day are called upon."' 3ir Isitt, at this point rose, and called attention - to the noise that was going on outside the windows from a queue that was lined up. outside the building, and could not find room ; n----side to hear the debate. He said if the noise continued it would be impossible to hear what was going on, in tho House. .Mr Speaker, having demanded order, Mr Massey proceeded as follows: — "Sir, on Friday evening, in giving an account of a conversation between the member for Grey Lynn and myself, at the request of the former, I quoted an extract from a letter that I had read to the member mentioned. Tn doing so I committed a gravo error. •The terms of tho extract suggested that a member of this House was subjected to corrupt influences. Some- cf my own words may have been capab'o of tho samo construction —though 1 did not so intend them —by some honourable members. The words I used with reference to the Primo Minister and the member for 2s T apier, appeared to have been understood as ■suggesting that the members I haro mentioned employed some improper influence. I feel it my duty to the House, to the Prime Minister, to the member for Napier, and the member for Grey Lynn to express by regret, not only for. reading th? extract. but for the words I myself used; further, it is due to them that I should at the earliest possible moment unreservedly withdraw all imputations against those hon. members. I do not believe, that a bribe has been accepted by any member of the House, or that any member of the House has offered another a bribe. My statement is made without previous consultation with my Party, and I have only been guided by my sense of what is due by one iran to another, and by a member of this House to the House."

As Mr Massey resumed his seat, he was greeted witb a round of applause, in which many members of the Government side of 'the Houso heartily joined. Such a frank, manly and altogether unfeserved. statement could scarcely have failed to make the excellent impression it did The Hon. T. Minister of Agriculture, on rising to continue the no-confidence debate, said he was sorry the hon. member wbo had just spoken had not included in his statement Ministers as such, as well as members of the House in their capacity as members, and had not declared his belief that Ministers had not received bribes, " because," continued the Minister, "it is generally circulated in Auckland and in the Auckland provincial district that it is impossible to get business tbrough tho Executive of this country unless you leave a £5 note or a £10 note or a £100 note on a Minister's table or under it (Oh I Oh!—dissent). It is all very well to disclaim such things in this House, but these scandalous insinuations are being made, and I regret to say that they ar© believed by some people. Tho Government may not be free from faults—no Government and no individual ever was free from faults—but I have never sat at a table with men who were more earnest to find out tho right thing to do, and "more determined to carry it out, and then to think that such things should be said. I don't say they emanate from the Opposition but they ar© said."