PARLIAMENT EXCITED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 197, 14 May 1908, Page 4

PARLIAMENT EXCITED.

THE SCENE,IN-THE FEDERAL HOUSE. . SLR WILLIAM LYNE'S ALLEGATIONS. • ■ (FEOil OUR 6rECIAL CORRESPONDENT) Sydney, May 9. Tho other day a committco was . appointed .. ' . :; >7 tho Federal Parliamont to investigate v./ sertain charges alleging, though not ill so . ... Many. .iv;ords,. that, members had accepted bribes. „ Now comes a chargo from Sir Wil- ■ ban Lyno, ..which bears a similar interpretation, and it' led to,an unprecedented and .. .■ .sensational, ecoho :n the House on Thursday night. The statement used by tho Trea- ; • suror has certainly a sinister significance, though ho.aftcnvards stated that ho made ■/ . n(> imputation against, the honour of mem...bers, and that all ho had intended to con.i\. • vey, .was that tho company had.obtained pro- ' i.. vi »>.«*.• from ■-members- to vote in 'ascertain ;..;v ./ way on tho tariff proposals. ; Thero is littlo . wonder .that.tthe-allegation provoked a scone' • _ of uproar in the House. Vl '■/<lt was tho kerosene duties wore being discussed that Sir William Lvne 111torjected, ,'I am.told that there is nO' use ... v going on, because, the Standard Oil Comv v , pany havo the numbers ut their bag " - / : This, statement, .of. course, was at once . : taken objection, to., ■ Tho:• Melbourne repre-: ;.5 ;V;'; ':seiitative of the. Sydney ''Daily. .Telegfaijh' 1 , . .describes what occurred:• — ° ■ . .. Rgkl (rising} . That, is >a . slanderous •■si'V'-'Y--' ®t?,t em cnt, ;*' (Cheers.)"lt is' a ''scandalous thing to say.' . - ' . ■ -S'r. William. Lyne :.. Never , you mind, it is true.' •.■ • ;; Mrfßcid. rose 'to/a 'point- of order. Ho ivi;'-?; !?"' the Minister, at.'the tablo li2djust said', 'hat no is..informed tho Standurd Oil Com- , .pany/has a.majority in the £ag,' 'and that-it' is.no use going on.- . Tins is giving l currency i'.-v JP- tho .infamous slanders outside that mem- • bers. of this Parliament -aro men who can bo ...... • .bought..with, money, in connection with this '. .'tariff. .■ I, don't know liow to'deal easily "j. : anonymous slanders, but when a Minister of the, Crown utters a slandor of that -Kind I ask you, Mr. Chairman, as a matter of order, whothor lie should not'-with- ;«.• most • abominable .tiling; that tho greatest slander that has ever, been ' : . 5» st on members comes from a Minister of the Crown (Choers) v■; ®| r /William _lyne: I .say deliberately., that .toat.messago.has been brought to me ;Chorus- ot Members :■ Who vbrought it" - , ' --Sir ;;,I say it is- a , . .scandal to, see thojepresentative ofrtho <&m----pany hero. (Upro.ir.) , • " ', Mr Page (Q) (shoutmg above tho din) ' -.Who said it V''' r • : ... , . William'Lyne : I.don't cast any iinputa- . -. ' tion on.hon.. : menib6rs.',..;r..;c. . : Mr Johnson (N.S.W.)You stated that wo 1 . • nave been bought • Sir WilLam Lyne: I say that they havo I been to every member and tried to /jet a i promise. < \ - ' ! ■ . Mr., Johnson: They. havo inevcr como i mo j * this time members had been roused ' to a pitch of great excitement. Practically , . Jill tho members wero, shouting at 'once, ahel 1 .interjections resolved theVnselves into a pro-' " longed roar. " '

c 'feV- ng ? th ..difficulty above the noise, bir William Lyno shouted: "Tlioy havo got •« '. a who have promised to sup-' , So much has been said abouti - • Putsido that I turned the representative-' ' ot tho Company out /of my office." i Sir John Forrest He nas not on the right ~, Bide or .yqii".would' not have done it . (Dis-J order) " > , Sir William Lyno (excitedly) • It is a scan-] . ; aal; that .men should be* sent .-from- America: to force this matter through- I cast no vv - imputation upon .members, but wo have had 1 • . quite onough of this from America. • v ■ -• Sir John Forrest How do they influence membersP - w.. ■ -■- 1 William Lyno. By persuasion. (Much. : laughter and disorder.) - , mil 5011 T lP '^' t"°? bnber y. though ' ' Tlr TO-r m Pm 10 ' i not sa y bribery, c? « ?°?r T ,en what do y° u mean by :/ /c sa yi n S that they initheir bag? l - - • ®i\r^i" laln ..'Lyne.!l don't know that was bribed, or any member, but I say that it is true that, tliey ..have .promised,— Mr Johnson (N.S W). It is a he. (Up- ■ • roar.) .••. v.: •.,• v 1 j ■ > 'r Lyno: I say -tho company has; promised. ■ I pay it Bhould not bo so ■ -i TIIE CHAIRMAN SPEAKS The Chairman, rising to rule on tho point' / ® f 0T ™sed by Mr Reid, said I must similar -to that- made .by the Treasurer "It seems to me that it is not m keeping with" . tho dignity of-a Minister to make these state* 1 order; ;•., . inm to withdraw them,\ or say their are uni' parliamentary, I can. only, express my own personal opinion I know ot no power to , make him withdraw . ... : : ■g. f ■.... Mr. -Reid: ■ lie tsays > that' a ''private*' has memberof;this'HouWiutkeii* ' -h/' 1 - 6 '-"firman: I realise the seriousness of'- ">■ ■;' J that the Treasurer lias made," but i have 110 power to make him'withdraw- ■ ' he.. : tas>-jMt. heard sthat* the Standard Oil Company, has the members. ; >n their bag. I think it, was ,not, a right nofoondticivbr to tho dignity of,this House that such statements should bo nuido. .Mr. Batchdor, (S.A.) made a personal ex- . planatiqn. ■Ho.sfei(£,ho i .Jiad,,siinitiat«l:the' . opposition ■ to-:the,;/;Gove'rrimeh%!s : X'proposals but. until after big " ad "°/'?^ v iw .or , ;cwnatev{ff : !! nor had- ho ' nTn 7 tt; r^^^^e^f ;^^ n( Jdra' Persistently; button-holed last .wefelffiby /representatives-.'of; several, compaoiesT-the British 1 linpeml v a : nd ; '■ vhoXommonwealth Companies:-*; Mr;'Reid: Tho Minister-has said that' he had a statement communicated • to : him. that ? v-i-'* 8 .,? ""tain .foreign trust-.company has ; a majority: of members; invits-liagj iand'he?has iur- • r i• since • that ,s6in4.:pifflpn'^repjresßhtr ing.that company, in'Austi-alia has b6en in- ' me ?^ rs - - wish.Vin .reference to both, these statements, as a matter of per-sonal-explanation, to say that no such per(son.ra Australia representing the Standard Oil Company has ever approached'me. : . Several .-Members: Nor .mo./ "V • \ (S'AJ: ; Noi*any of usV : ' in the course of further;_aiigry discussion''' tho postponement; of the item was moved M order that the allegation of tho Trea- ■; r surer should be inquired into.

THE MINISTER . • •> Wflliani... -Lyne•• said lie . unresetvfedlv 1 •withdrew.his. remark, if members.thought' ifc was a reflection upon, their ,character. < Ho , had only intended, lie' said, .to' point out that- the canvassing had 'ben so great that lists had been made out showing that tho Government could not win. .Mr. /Page: -There is nothing -wrong in that. 1. - v Sir. William Lyi'ie: I think there is. Mem•bers should b? allowed . to exercise their judgment. '. . ' - - ■ Various', members urged .the postponement of the item in order that tho matter should be investigated, and, Mr. .'Bruce Smith and others held that it was tho duty of tho , Minister 1 ;to! giv6 ;tho' name of the • porson ivho had made tho > statement to him. r Mr. Pago /observed that an imputation , would rest .upon: every man who voted for frco kerosonc. .. .The matter ought to bo, cleared up. Sir -WUliain Lyne should dis-, closo the name of his 'mformant. ' , Sir William .Lyne": ; Well, if you: want to know, it was' my colleague, Mr.Chapmaii.'' This, of course, brought up Mr.'Chapman, who' explained that the statement- ho hadmade to the Treasurer—and he ' made it again—was : ''It ,is ' useless''.proloriging- 'this, debate,. The: members are .against: yoii; farid' tho Standard Oil-Companywill win/! 'Everyone knew what this meant. . They know.-that, a controversy was taking place ais'regarded oil, and that ovcryono of tho companies concerned was actively lobbying ami trying- to forward its own interests.; lie 'admitted that Sir William Lyne had used an unfortunate _ expression, but he had in a manly way withdrawn it. It was all very well for the Loader of the Opposition to talk about postponing the item until they could Hake an inquiry, but this was only a political move op hiq nariv