AN EXTRAORDIARY SPEECH

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 988, 1 December 1910, Page 6

AN EXTRAORDIARY SPEECH

x mr. hike's gharges debated. PREiIER CLAIIB DIVINE SUPPORT. ft "HlGta HAND" SCATTERS HIS ENEMIES. ■YSTERiOUS" PAMPHLET. HEATED'DEBATE '

debate in the House of Reprc- .. feentatives .en the report of tjjo Hine -(Committee was not concluded yesterday morning..".. After The Dominion went to press, there were (it will be seen) numer,bus heated passages.. Particularly was this the ..case between Mr. Massey, Leader of thel Opposition, and Mr. T. E. Taylor,. ' M.P. for ChristchuTch clashed Tather heavily. There was a running fire-of interjections during the speeches, despite frequent warnings by Mr. Speaker that ho. would have to consider the propriety, of .naming the offenders if they did ;iiot. desist. ' A', notable, feature of the debate; was' the' extraordinary statement .liy. the' Prime Minister, that if ,he (Mr.. Masseyjj had brought down the resolution (indicating the need for certain legislation . jwhich.. her (Sir Joseph) had moved, 'it Would' not' have been carried. Undoubtedly the discussion was the most fiery that has .taken place this session. At I.'IO. a.m.' the 'debate was adjourned .till yesterday, afternoon. - :■

■;The discussion lasted all yesterday and ohtil one o'clock this morning, when the report of the;committee was adopted. Subsequently a resolution was passed stating that Mr. Kaihau had, in the opinion '«f;the House, been guilty of an improipri.ety in'the discharge of his duty as a taember of Parliament. : .

. .Continuing' his remarks, the- Hon. J. !A: Millar,, referring, to the resolution "which had been passed by the committee, said . that if a land agent, also .-' a.^member : of- Parliament, was- . to -Ibo- prevented : selling an estate to the : :.: Government he did not know where it ■was going to end. To extend this prin- ■• ciplo logically, a newspaDer proprietor - who was also a member shoufd bo prevented .from taking Government advertisements. ."'■'Mi. Allen's object.'in'moving thea'mend- ' meht was .to . obtain a complete'" verdict v for Mr. Hine. Ho could obtain it neither '■Iro'in. the House nor. the country. v( : MR..T. E. TAYLOR'S VIEWS. ".'"' ON THE OPPOSITION :-jv.j.,. ..;■,,: PRESS.. ; . '. / '. :Mr." T.-\E. •Taylo'r r (Christcn.urch-Nofth) . Baid.the-.rhanner in which .tho.debate was ; being',, conducted .rendered it almost futile. -He did hot.agree with the Prime ■i. Minister's /dictum that the. name, of a dead;'mah should, not bo made' use of. x -A conclusion. could, however, be arrived ... at ; that, would, bo satisfactory to, the ;, 'Premier from .'his.- standpoint.. He was goingr.to' argue' that .there were some 'aspects .of the issue, that were: more im- ; (portant than the' facts elicited. CriticiS' ' HasseyV speech, Mr. Taylor said ... it appeared to. him to be'the speech of a. man .physically tired, as was notnto . !be ■ wondered at, considering how weary- ' ing: the session-had been. : Mr. Massey: had declared that many members of Par- ', iiainent were becoming lax in their idea of ' their Parliamentary duties. Mr. .".-Massey was prepared to slander-, half ■.-:■ the; members of .the' House for party ...purposes. ■'■■,- ■ -' : .•.■-'...■•■'•' .-•' ~•■;._'-' ::Mr.' Speaker: "Slander"- must be withi 'drawn. . ■•■ ~ ■" Mr. Taylor: I will say libel. . .'.. Mr. 'Speaker :'No,• that won't do. . Mr. ■ Taylor: Well, I withdraw. Continuing, Mr. Taylor said he had ■ ;. no doubt-that Mr. Syraes, by iirs letter, designed to commit a corrupt act. The • charges against Mr. Major lapsed. Mr. • ■■. Syrnes did everything that was wrong, .hut'; his constituents dealt .with him. As '.. Regards' ; Mr.v. v Kaihau,' ha believed he should ' be, called upon to resign. His ': conviction was that Mr. Hine was not '•' after", .evil, so much as ho was ;.:afte'rV. the .Executive of -. the. r day. [He', believed 1 Mr. Hine should apolowgise to the. Ministry and Parliament '•• for.his aspersions. In. return Parliament might'-thank Mr. Hine for. on. attempt to improve the public life. Thero was ';' probably not a cleaner Assembly in .the : world ; than the New Zealand Parliament; '''A Most Disgraceful Piece of Printed ';' . Matter." ' Mr..Hine-had known few men and many cattle.'. Ho ought; to learn from this ex- • '.perionce. that there were other honest imen besides himself and the party to .-" -which he. belonged. In his' opinion the Opposition had made their biggest blunder of the last five years; There was lately a spirit', of malignant hostility in' the.Conservative press against the Liberal party.' To-day in New Zealand there iras circulating a most disgraceful piece of printed matter. It was intended : to 'harm the Prime Minister, and was the greatest scandal thnt had ever occurred. Whether the Opposition members ariprov- . cd of it lie did not know; ("No's.") _ He . knew, however, that it had been received with gleeful approval by thousands of, ■ people who supported the Opposition. '.-. Mr. Hcrdraau: You have no right to Bay that. '•' ■ '. .' ■ "' Mr.',Taylor went on,to.say that there were. certain Conservative newspapers' ■which placed.: no. restrictions at all upon ... the hostility'' they ■ display towards , any ---..political opponent. .-■'...,'- -..-■'-. 'A member: Name one?,. ■ ■: Attack on ,"Tho Dominion." . 'Mr. .Taylor: The Conservative newspaper ITins. Dominion. .■-...; ■Mr.'Herdman: Do you say that.it: is.'Connected with that pamphlet? Mr;'Taylor: In its leading article columns there has-not been, anything but ... ■, the most unadulterated poison with re- .'. igard to political views. ■ : , A member: That is your view. Mr. went on-to say that the . spirit of the Opposition press encouraged : (pamphlets 'of the kind. . Mr.';Anderson: It is a lie!- . ,-V" Mr. Herdman: Stick to what you said; ; - -. There was then a period of disorder. Mr.; Taylor accused Mr. Anderson with paying said :"It is a lie." . .Mr. Anderson said tho remarks that were being made by the "• member for ■-. Christchurch North wero so far from tho .truthMr. Speaker: Tou must withdraw that. Mr.,\ Anderson: They aro very incor- '" rect. : . Mr. T.-E. Taylor: The member for . : ; Mata"ura .said in reply-to some state- 1 ment I made: "It is a lie." . . The Speaker said ho had not heard '.'. these'words, but if they wero used they :.".' must he withdrawn. :,.'■' Mr.VAndersbn withdrew. ,;. Mr;-Taylor, continuing, said tho spirit ■oi ;the : Opposition press encouraged the .--. publication of the pamphlet. Tho malign"ityono discovered in the Opposition nows-:-papers .was the'development of tho last year, or two, . mr. massey replies. :l ■ .SEVERE CRITICISM. Mt. Massey said Mr. Taylor was a good hand at using the knife when he- got ' behind-the person he wanted to attack. ■: : His -speech that, night was an apology for- the Government, a weak, hopeless, demented apology for the Government 1 He was. delighted that-the public would never again associate the member for. Christchurch North jwith the .men on whose benches ho presumed to eit. no had been a'curse to any party to, which he had."been, attached. He was glad Mr. Taylor would in futuro be associated

"with tho party, on tho other side of tho Hojise. One .thing that damaged tho Opposition five years ago was tho fact that they were supposed to be associated with', the hori.;'gentleman in the attacks he made against Mr. Scddon. He (Mr. Massey) remembered the mean tactics used in the attack against Mr. Seddon— attacks with which he had not tho slightest sympathy.. He had said so then, and M said so now. Mr. Taylor had tried to associato the Opposition with a wretched, pamphlet. He denied that absolutely. If anyono said that anyono on the -"Opposition . sido of the House was responsible for tho pamphlet, his statement'sras absolutely false. No man had* had anything to. do with it, and 'to .state he\had was one of'the meanest things that could be done. .& voice: The pamphlet is worthy of him; • ' vCTj A'- , ■ Mr. Massey. Tes, it is worthy of him. Mr. Massey-'went on to say that the pamphlet in ouestion was apparently produced Were . Mr. . Taylor's hands clean?,' He (Mr. " Massey) was behind the scehe'sxin-regard to a certain lawsuit at.Christchjlrch.which Mr. Taylor knew of. "If it evir- happened to he his lot to tell what tiajt occurred, he would bo sorry for 'him. "\ '"

A Challenge. Mr. Taylor: I challenge you to say i anything you know about it. Mr. Massey Said if he l could get leave ho would, ;i nse.-; the -information on tho platform iri;Christ-church; and then there would be an end to Mr. Taylor's political career. ""'-. :'"-.' . .-■ ■■- i Mr. Taylor: You would'ihavo done it long, ago -if you could.; . ; Proceeding,; Mr. Massey referred to tho remark by Mr. Millar ; that : tho Synies letter was- purloined by supporters of the Opposition party. .If any. member would say that outside.he felt sure he would be immediately served with a. writ. By whom was, the name of-Mr. Seddon introducod into;the.'.inquiry? The chairman placed Mr.-Seddon's. name in it timo after tune. He (Mr.-Massey) believed that .thero .was no" moro contemptible action than to attack a dead man. Did the Prime Minister agree with him' Sir Joseph iiWardt'aos. . ' ...Mr:-; •Massey.; then preferred to certain statements ■■tf > hjch.>Sir'.: Joseph Ward had P la^ n " then deceased .politicians iu 1896. MVho made those,remarks? ho asked. Tho Pnmo Minister, who was -now-accusing-members, of the Opposition of attacking a dead man. ■ S> J IOSCP\l OSC P\ Ward: The only difference is that what I said was true.

"Heartily-Ashamed." Mr Massey: I am sorry, to-hear you say that.- If ypu aro not ashamed, some ot your friends" are' heartily ashamed , r Co 2 tl ' l l uin S,'. Mr, -Massey said he fought Mr. Seddon openly and straightforwardly. Could Mr. Taylor say that? • ■ , In tho course,of,some disorder at this stage Mr. Taylor used tho' word "un.manhness,. -but-ho ,ha i d..to. i withdraw it. Mr. Massey said" that tho Government had not cleared -themselves 'Z 01 ? ) h ?, stat ™e°t that Mr. Kaihau conducted tho sale' of the Te Akau Block to the Government. Ho was glad that the Prime Minister had brought down at tho •inquiry the resolution which stood in his nam , e ; , If -te had not, ho (Mr. Massey) would havo done so. ' Sir Joseph Ward: But you would not have carried it. ; , Mr. Allen: What 'an extraordinary statement. Mr. Massey: Who will now say. that it'was sot a partisan committee? Mr. T..E. Taylor rose to a personal explanation. He supposed Mr. Massey had referred to the case with Captain Seddon. Mr. Massey: Yes. Mr. Taylor: He' sngeested that if ho wero free ho could tell tho House and tho . country of certain things in that caso that would -he to my discredit. I wish to give him the most absolute freedom. It was a case of vain boasting. I neither did nor said anything in that enso that was not absolutely in accord , with the rules of all games and absolutely above-board. It was a stiff fight and ' I fon'ght.it almost entirely alone. 1 1 rive him a free hand and the proof I will-be that ho cannot do what he said ho would do.

"NICETIES OF POLITICAL HONOUR." REMARKS BY ME. G. W. RUSSELL. Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon) said the leader of the Opposition had not improved his position or that of his party by his. second speech that, night. If the facts were known this inquiry was not Mr. .Hine's, but tho Opposition's. He was the monkey who had been used to draw tho chestnuts out of the fire and when tho cheriues .for the heavy legal expenses had to be met it would not fall on Mr. Hine's banking, account' alone. No one could expect Mr. Kaihau to display the same niceties of political honour as, say,,_ Mr- Hemes.-- (At this stage Mr. Heme's, was in-'chargo" of the Opposition.) ■ Mr. Herries: I think he knows as .much as I do. (Laughter.)

Continuing, Mr. Russell said that when he was on a visit to another colony he heard a man say that\ Mr. Seddon died worth a lot of money. He said his authority was a leading business man'in Wellington. . In reply he had told him that he was sure the Seddon family would.give him a .fair _allowance if he could'find it-for-'them.. : If the members of' tho Opposition wished to find an instance .of Tammanyism, let them turn to the Journals for 1693'. and. they would find a supporter of tho party which had previously been in power had been found gnilty of regularly, and illegally using his position through the assistance of Ministers of tho Crown for financial ends.

At this stage Mr. Eli moved'the adjournment of tho debate.