ALLEGED BRIBERY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 192, 8 May 1908, Page 7

ALLEGED BRIBERY.

SCENE IN FEDERAL HOUSE. A MINISTER'S WILD STATEMENTS. ULTIMATE WITHDRAWAL. TELEGRAPH —MUSS ASSOCIATION —COriMGHT (Rcc. May 8, 0.58 a.m.) . Melbourne, May 7. A stormy scene occurred in tho House of Representatives during tbo discussion oi tho keroseno duties. . . Tho Federal Treasurer (Sir Wm. Lyne) interjected:—"l am told that there is no use going on, bccauso tho Standard Oil Company have members in their-bag.", Mr.. 6. H. Reid (Leader 'of tho Opposition), rising to a point of order, characterised tho remark as a slanderous statement, and a scandalous thing to say. II was giving currency' to infamous slanders uttered outside, that a member could bt bought in connection with tho tariff. It was most abominablo that tho greatest slander over cast on members should como froir a Minister of the Crown. Sir Wm. Lyno_ interjected" I say deliberately that a message has been brought tc me." He added, , amidst a storm of dis sent, that tho Company had been to overj member, and had tried to got a promise Tho Company had got a list of member: who promised' them support. i "So much has been said about this out side," continued Sir Wm. Lyne, " that J turned tho representative of the Cpmpani out of my office. , It is a scandal that mei shpuld bo sent from America to force; th< matter through.". Ho cast no imputatior on members, but "we ha:d quite enough a: this from, America." ' Asked how members wore influenced, Sii Wm. Lyne said done by persuasion Ho did not know that a member was bribed A noisy scene continued for a considerable time, members, hotly attacking ' Sir Wm Lyne, and denying, being approached by till Standard Oil .Company. . , . ; Eventually Sir Wm. Lyno withdrew the charge unreservedly. When pressed to give tho name of his informant,"' ho stated that the information came from ono of his (Solleagues CHARGE AGAINST "TORIES." A statement was recently published, in Syd noy wliicli was held to mean that "two Tories' in the Federal Parliament had received <£200( for changing their views oil the necessity foi taxing the .produce of the Standard Oil Com pany; and that two others were also bought ii other, ways.. A Melbourno Pregs Associatioi message of April 3 stated: ",In tho Federa House strong action was urged in the directioi of dealing with the charges'of corruption inadi against certain members. It .is I alleged tha' some votes were bought while-tho'oil dutiei were under consideration. The sum; of on< thousand pounds is mentioned as being paid "bj the Standard Oil Company.' Anotiier assertioi is that money was paid for lobbying purposes Mr. Deakin, Primo Minister,, in: explaining thaa Select Cominitteo, would be .-'appointed to, dea with the matter, said he would recommend i simpler method of dealing with offences; of thi' character.Ho\ declared that he was satisfiec there was no foundation for tho charges." -