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BANKING COMMITTEE.

[From Odr Parliamentary Rkiorter.]

WELLINGTON. July 13.

The House section of the Banking Committee held their first meeting this morning, there being present Messrs Montgomery, M'Gowan, Guinness, Graham, Steward, Tanner, G. Hutchison, Maslin, and the Hons. Seddon and M'Kenzie.

Mr Kane (the clerk) having read the Order of Reference, The Premier proposed that Mr John Graham be chairman of the Committee. Ip would be necessary, he said, to have iheir own chairman independently of the Joint Committee. He believed that Mr Graham had every qualification—to wit, firmness and tact —and was well up in finance. The motion having been carried unanimously, Mr Graham expressed his thanks for the honor conferred on him so unexpectedly. He would endeavor to carry out the duties in a proper manner, to which end he would require the co-operation of every member of the Committee. He promised to act firmly and without bias.

The Premier took it that the first duty of the Committee was to ask tbai the Committee selected by the Council should meet them. He accordingly moved that the chairman communicate with the Council with that object. Mr Tanner seconded. Mr Hutchison said that it was known that the Council’s Order of Reference was not identical with that of the Rouse. He moved as an amendment that in view of the fact that five out of the ten members of the Committee appointed by the Legislative Council were members of the Committee of the Legislative Council that last session sat with a committee of the House of Representatives as a joint select committee, who reported in favor of the legislation passed last session, and which is part of the subject matter now to be inquired into, this Committee refrain from meeting or conferring with such Committee appointed by the Council. Mr Maslin seconded the amendment.

The Premier urged that the amendment -.vas premature at the present sta e. The House had set up the Committee with power to confer with the Committee from the Council. The amendment was calculated to irritate the other Chamber. The holding of separate commitues was a spectacle which should not be brought about until every means was exhausted by the House’s Committee for joint meetings. The only point of difference was as to paragraph 2. If they found the difficulties in the way of sitting together insurmountable they should then go back to the House and say that they found it impracticable to sit jointly, and wished to proceed as a separate Committee. But that step should not be taken till every means of sitting conjointly had been exhausted. Mr Maslin asked what would be the position if the Council agreed to exclude the Press. The Premier replied that in accordance with the resolution of the House the Conference must be open to the Press. If the Council decided not to admit the Press then the House’s Committee must sit separately. The Hon. Mr M'Kenzie appealed to Mr Hutchison to withdraw his amendment, and so avert an unnecessary conflict with the Council. The result of passing the amendment would be to get up the backs of the Council and prevent the two branches ofthe Legislature from sitting jointly to consider this matter. Let them first exhaust everv means for having joint meetings. Mr Hutchison said that his objection went to the root of the whole matter. It was fibsurd to sit with a committee half of whom had sac on the Committee on banking matters last session. The feeling of the House was that no members of the last Committee, with the exception of the two Ministers, should sit on this year’s Committee, as the legislation on which their report was based was to be one of the matters to be reviewed.

’ Steward thought that it would be a great mistake to press tne amendment at the present stage. Let them meet the Council’s Committee in the first instance and see whether the two committees could not sit jointly. Mr Tanner concurred.

Mr Seddon po’ntecl out that only seven o| last year’s Committee were included in the twenty on the present Joint Committee. Mr Hutchison: Two are bad enough; you don’t want any more. The amendment was supported only by Messrs Hutchison and Muslin, and the Premier’s motiun was then put and carried.

Mr Seddon thought it advisable to appoint a sub-committee to draft the matters for consideration in relation to the Order, so as to expedite the Committee’s work. He had given the matter some attention, and was satisfied that with the largo Order of Reference which they had there must be some confusion unless some such procedure were adopted. He moved that a subcommittee consisting of Messrs Graham, Hutchison, Montgomery, Tanner, Guinness, and the mover be appointed to frame the issues.

This was seconded by Mr Tanner, and carried unanimously. Mr Seddon then raised the status of counsel before the Committee. He thought that counsel should be permitted tobe present, but not to put questions except through the chairman, nor to address the Committee. He recollected that last session counsel were employed in the stores contract dispute before the Public Accounts Committee, and their presence caused the inquiry to be unduly prolonged. Mr Guinness thought that the banking institutions ought to be represented by counsel who should bo at liberty to crossexamine witnesses in the usual manner, but not to address the Committee. That was the only curtailment of counsel’s privileges he would be a party to. Mr Montgomery asked whether the Government wouid be represented by counsel.

Mr Seddon : The Government, I may say, are not parties to the inquiry at all. Mr Montgomery urged that the Government were acting on behalf of the colony in the matter, in which a colonial institution was concerned, and to that extent he thought that the inquiry should be conducted by counsel. Mr Seddon : As I take it, the Government are not parties to the inquiry. The Government are not on their trial. The only interest which the Government have in the matter is to see that the inquiry is gone into fully, completely, and exhaustively. After further conversational discussion, Mr M'Gowan moved—“ That institutions or individuals, if they wish, may be represented by counsel, but that counsel’s addresses be dispensed with.” Mr Seddon thought the motion premature, and calculated to irritate the other Chamber. The question should be raised in the first instance before the Joint Committee.

Major Steward took a similar view. He moved the previous ((uestion, which was carried, so that the status of counsel before the Committee remains in abeyance for the present. Before the Committee dispersed,

Mr Hutchison wished them to meet on the following day and proceed with the taking of evidence, as delay was dangerous, but

Mr Seddon urged that the convenience of the Upper House must be considered. Eventually the Committee adjourned till 11.30 on Wednesday, when it is understood that the two committees will meet jointly.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18960713.2.27

Bibliographic details

Evening Star, Issue 10056, 13 July 1896, Page 2

Word Count
1,160

BANKING COMMITTEE. Evening Star, Issue 10056, 13 July 1896, Page 2

BANKING COMMITTEE. Evening Star, Issue 10056, 13 July 1896, Page 2

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