CASE OF THE HON. T. K. MACDONALD.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 989, 2 December 1910, Page 6

CASE OF THE HON. T. K. MACDONALD.

i;^::f ;*(piscussroNjin-. the;council U1.;:.-; ••£: SPEECH B J pB.'.FINDLAY. ■ ' • . iv■;■. /■" : ;;TBe .charges made by Mr.' J." B. Hine, J;:-.-.-;-.:.'' MjP... against the Hon.' T. K.Macdonald ;-:. .•.;■-:wire, .revived-in;:the Legislative. Council [.->■.■;;.• ■;y«sterday-afterndon,..Tvhen,the report .of. }■'.■:..■;■ 'the, Select Committee was 6et down for r/ : ; - consideration. . ';.;... , v '.... . ; '[:,?}'-i'^ '■ -'f ,lO - Attorney-General mbved,;that tho ;.--.-:.-. jieport of- the'com'mittce- be agreed to. ■ [■;•■'.-"V ■$** fading,the findings of- the coiiS*- , !:..,;;, ; .- jnittee/Dr.Pindlay.said hodesire'd to'say I:'' / a.word regarding the: practice, and system K;r; ;.:,oi^; public;.detractwn ;in this 'country, ■ of f'vV. \wluch;this:imputation was but.an iliustjf,;,-,-. tnmpn.:-'; An impartial visitor to New he said,- : might well conclude' so-';•; .-tasit our politics of late.years were organf' ■■; ■■•■:' .'■ised'.not to. study and promote social pror:-, 'V' gr(!Ss.and general well-being, but to foster £::.;■ V \ani promote coateatioa animosities, and p.; •; ,: : BCa,ndal-hunting.The mournful-truth was l'^../•,...that.'time,.energy : and money which might j-V;:. ;:-«c serjneeably bo .devoted to clamant ',•' ...'humanitarian -movements were wasted [■■':.•. :inVjsnqble strife,, The real .duties of f .■;',, Parliament wero. ignored or poorly re[/■■.V:; yarded—lost.sight of, amid tho-wrang, }:V : y..s..linss-'and animosities of party recriminate ),...:., tions/- The , truo aims and scientific methf Y ';. V'.-odsi'of.government, were, embarrassed— ipffi eonietimcs.arrested by endless and often i!;;'''":■"'■■■ 'despicable, strife. And this .was a growf.: ..', ing. evil. . It' had introduced now and s:»V:. '■ : : nii!!orable methods 'into our public life. iV;;., - In;this'coiiiitry. tho old chivalry in poli';'J: - -V ticsi'was. almost.gone'.' (Hear, hear.). The '?'"■'':•:. old,-spirit of .honourable - rivalry appear- %;•<:''.'■.' edjo given-place to a spirit of'ranv- *V'■ wur; and of. 6'ystematic' and- avowed sus:.;rpclpll,' - : :. ; : -.-.:'..>.'." '■'.'. '■ :':', : " .' . '.-. ' '•■•'■'''i's y- '.Macdohald Charges. ■ ■ ■ ■'.-.■■"Vi'Jiat was the charge made against Mr. >■•'. :'■;'' jlsc'dbn'ald ?■ 'asked Dr. Findlay. -Jt was 'i : ":':;thai acting for a. .vendor-- as a commis- :.'. :. ■: ei6n ! -agent , and ;in his; usual and' regular. ■■'.' ? calling- he;.ncgotiate'd a;, sale of land' .'■'.'thiougtf the land Purchase Board, of-tho -.'.■■ -'NaifNai Estate to the,Crcwn,' that he .received and'that'he did ■■' .-':'•.'■■'■ ':'■ ■ . ; ;..-■' '' : -..., v;-. ; ">--:l'--'-- -..i'C.---;! : .• r .. ■'"■ ■•''■'•;'■.'■•■. : i^''•)■"'■

this while, he was a memuer of tho Council. These facts were not denied. •When the. inquiry, before tho Legislative Council's' Committee' began; Mr. "Rine's counsel expressly repudiated on Mr. Hine's behnlf any charge or imputation against any member of the Government in office nt the time, or any officer of tho. Government. .Mr.'Macdonald admitted ' the. facts alleged against him.' He (Dr. Findla'y)' therefore suggested to the committee that that being so tho inquiry need proceed no further and that all that was left was the question of the propriety of Mr. Macdonald's admitted action. Now; surely, if Mr. Hine, as ho avowed, made no imputation and wished to , inako no imputation of any kind auy Minister, or. Government official and if Mr. Macdonald admitted all tho facts alleged against him there could be no possible_ reason for proceeding, with. a long inquiry unless—and' this unless is ' im-' portant—unless Mr. Hine hoped by a prying. and searching investigation of books, papers, and witnesses, to discover and disclose something discreditable on the part, of somo Minister or could at least,-by- tho questions asked and the' line of examination followed,, leave a nasty taste in'the mouth-of the public over tho whole affair. .-' . ■■•:'• The Hon. Mr. Loughnan: It was a fishing expedition. "That this was his purpose is' plain beyond 'all. question," continued • Dr. Pindlay. But Mr. Hine stands convicted of hypocrisy not only by his conduct, .but' by his words. . Mr. Jenkinson raised a point of order as to whether it was wise or proper that the Council should reflect on a member of another place. The Attorney-General said he was making no reflection. He .recognised the rule and ,would not deflect from it. This'charge.was expressly made throughout the public press as a proof of. Tammanyism, and of Tammanyism against the Government of the dny. . The wholo spirit and method of these charges were a blot on; our public lifearid since. Mr. Hine had' throughout the supno'rt'and approval;'of the Opposition party—that party along'with himself had committed themselves to/methods of political warfare -which surely must make every fair-minded man sorry if not indignant.t Whether we should forbid-mem-bers ■of .Parliament, acting as commission agents iii'these circumstances is ■ouite -another, matter. . Probably we should. Lately'in niunicinal corporations, harbour .boards, and hospitals and charitable aid boards we have increased very ; greatly, the : - stringent provisions against the chance;.however'remote of a man's private .profit and his public duty coming'into contest, and he was'disposed to think -thnt consistency, if.nothing else, demanded that the same or simil.ir stringent nrovisinns should with regard to tho legislature.: ■■. . The Question of Privileges. ' Th> 'Hon! -.J.- Hi"? (Wellington) ivouVl like, tho Attorney-General to have stated what he intended to do'in regard to the .breach of. nrivilere com-mitted bv the member, for".Stretford.-:; It.wos. he believed, understood that tho auestion. was not to' bn■•allowed to stand there. Mr. Ricg fiaid he thought-the Council should ■ask the. Hons» to -meet thpm in conference in.'re.»ard to ihe nuesticn of privilege, and decide what the proDer. course' to be taken under the circiimstonces. was. As a member:of Parliament. Mr. Hire could be summoned to' the,:bar of -the Council, but .he rnieht.not, come. If ho clairpprl -his■ privilesn /as • a•■ member of the House, 'he wotild make the .Council look ridiculous. ■.. The' result of the inquiries that had taken" place would have a pood effect* on members of Parliament, nnd' would, have « good general' effect for the fnturfv They would show that .Parliament, wtiuld not tolerate such in the futnre. 'It would also brini; home to constituencies that bad suffered in the past that -members had no right to receive reward or emolument for services rendered ( as members of Parliament. Views of'the. Hon. Mr., Callan. :. . The Hon. J. B. Callan (Otago), who was. chairman of the Select Committee which inquired into the charge, said there, had been some complaint that tho report did not suggest legislation to prevent members from' acting as agents in tho sale, of property to the The position was that the. committee found that, all negotiations in this particular case';;"were' perfectly 1 legal,' no' law or statute having been infringed. Reference had been made to a case which occurred in. 1886. in which a committeo of the other House was appointed to inquire into the .conduct .of a member for taking, a commission, for selling debentures. In that case, said Mr. Cnllau, the member bargained directly with the Treasurer of tho period, and the case was. not on all fours with the present one. Mr. Macdonald had ''aVsted" with ■ tire -Land .Purchase Board, which consisted of several permanent officers and - Civil Servants. This to his mind constituted a great difference between the two cases. It seemed to him that if the committee had tagged ■on'a-clause to its'-report ; io say members of Parliament ehould not act in the : manner as suggested it would havo been in one breath- exonerating Mr. Macdonald, and in another condemning him. The great bulk of the community would have come to the. the committee believed 1 ' that Mr. Macdonald had done something wrong, and were trying to get out of it the best way they could. This influenced tho committee in restricting th« report to the order of reference and nothing else. At the same time if a Bill were brought in to-morrow to place members on the same plane as directors of companies hq would vote for it.' He believed that it would be a wise thing if such an Act were passed. Other Speeches. The Hon. R. A. Loughnan (Wellington) said nothing whatever had been disclosed .of a dishonourable nature. Hβ said he , was perfectly willing to subscribe to any 'white-washing.. added, Mr. Loughnan, "was not the word he should have used. No-white-washing was. needed." The major and unexpressed charge., said Mr. Loughnan, was not the charge against Mr. Macdonald; butone of corruption, against the Government. The Hon. J. ,E.. Jenkinspn (Wellington) thought that it would.'be' wise to order that the. evidence should be printed, so as to prevent any false construction in the future. ' '■-. ■ .'". "■ ' The' Attorney-General: 'It has been partly printed, and will be completed. Continuing, Mr. JpnkinEon said he thought some ' restriction should be placed on intending membtrs of Parliament, such as'was now. done in regard to members of local bodies. He thought the Hon. Mr. Macdonald should be tho best-pleased man in the Council. There had, been suspicion cast, on him, and the investigation proved that there was nothing wrong or. improper. ■ The Attorney-General said he hoped at a later stage to bring up a motion in. resard to the suggestion madeby the Hon. Mr. Itigg. The report was agreed to. The Attorney-General said he could not riove to have tho evidence' printed until jV was laid on the--table-'of-the House. This would probably bo tho next day. ' We have received a copy of Messrs. Harcourt and Co.'s "Begisteiv dud Property, Investors! .Guide" ~for. Lpecember, and congratulate the firm upon the completion of their twenty-first.... year of publication.. The Register as usual, conan excellent list of properties, both city, suburban,; and farm, placed in tho firm's hands for sale,-and a study of its columns will well renay those in search of properties. . . ■ ; "Did you marry your'ideal?" asked a now. acquaintance of a bright matron. "Mercy, no!. I married my husband." Bibbs—"That was a remarkable escape of Boreleigli's. It is a wonder ho is alive to tell the tale." Gibbs—"Yes; and such a pity, too!". . Customer—"Are those eggs any good?" Grocer—"Can't beat 'em, sir."' Customer—"My gracious! are' they as far gone as that?"'.'"'' "Mrs. Esquimaux—"Does your husband stay at the club late at night?" Her neighbour—"Well, rather. Last night he didn't get home'till half-past February." ' "Who.-gave the bride away?" "Her little brother/ Ho stood up right in tho middle of the ceremony and yelled— 'Hurrah,, Mary/ you've got hi mat last!'" She—"You puckered up your lips so, then, that. I ''.thought you were; going to I' got somo. grit in'.my mouth.";' She—"Well, for goodness sake," swallov/ it!. : You need it in your: , system.", •-.- . , ~../,,.>..' '■".■: : ■ v:v.^V;' : ''%^.■; / ;''i-''■'■ ; ■ ; ■'■vV':^",i:; :: ■.v■.""■■'■'.-■" ■ '■'•■.'• .-•-'■" ■ ' '-■: '': • ■['.•.'■'■■'■'-■'■:'"■:■'■ -f.' ■ ■'• , .