THE HINE CHARGES

Evening Star, Issue 14529, 3 December 1910, Page 13

THE HINE CHARGES

HON. T. K. MACDONALD’S CASE. DR FINDLAY’S DENUNCIATION OF OPPOSITION METHODS. In the Legislative Council on Thursday afternoon the Hon. Dr Findlay, AttorneyGeneral moved that tho report of the Select Committee of the Council on the charges made by Mr Hine against the Hon. T. K. Macdonald should be agreed to.

Dr Findlay prefaced his remarks by a denunciation of the practice and system of public detraction in this country, of which this imputation was but an illustration. An impartial visitor to New Zealand might well conclude that its politics of laic years had been organised not to study ami promote social progress, hut to foster and promote contention. The time, energy, and money which might so serviceably he devoted to clamant humanitarian movements were wasted in ignoble strife, and the real duties of Parliament were ignored or poorly regarded. ” Time was,” continued Dr Findlay, “ when you met an opponent in politics by attacking Lis policy. Now it seems you meet him by attacking his character, ignoring his measures, and endeavoring to throw suspicion on his honesty and reputation. ‘ Hitch your waggon to a .star’ was tho motto of one of the wotid’s greatest reformers. ’Hitch your waggon to a lie’ is the method of .some politicians,” Proceeding to apply these remarks to the Kino charges, the Attorney-General went on to vindicate Mr .Macdonald in regard to his connection with the land Dansactions which formed the basis of the charges against him, and pointed to tho fact that Moline’s counsel repudiated, on lichalf of Mr fiino, any imputation against any member of the J-Jovc-rnmcnt in office at the time, or any officer of the Government, while Mr .Macdonald admitted all the facts alleged against him. Under the circumstances the;,.- was no necessity for a long inquiry, unless (and tins wa.s important) .Mr Dine hoped hy a prying and searching investigation to discover and disclose something discreditable ujoii tho part of some .Minister, or could at least by the line of examination followed leave a nasty taste, in tho mouth of Iho public over the whole affair. Dr Findlay contended that this wa.s plainly Mr Hineks purpose. His long sciies of questions were aimed at the late Mr Sedtion’r, character. The whole investigation was an attempt to throw discredit upon the only .Minister who had anything whatever to do with the purchase. Air Macdonald was only an incident in this political inquisition. What significance hail a Wellington agent’s commission in Mr llinc’s eyes unless he could make it a means of discrediting and dishonoring a great name in the cause of Liberalism ! But Mi' Hine stood convicted of hypocrisy, not only hy his conduct, hut by his words. He began the inquiry by disavowing imputations against Air Sedclon, and then, through his lawyer, proceeded to east as much suspicion on Mr fvddon’s memory as ho indirectly could. The ehaige iu conned ion with the Nai Nai purchase was a Jelibciatc charge against the laic Air Sed(lon, for that purchase was years old. The whole spirit and. method of these charges were a hint on public lilc, and since'Mr Hine hud throughout the suppoit 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. Concluding, lie said it was a question whether members of Parliament should he forbidden to act as commission agents. In these circumstances probably they should. Lately in the .Municipal Corpoiatioms, Harbor Boards, and Hospitals and Charitable Aid Boards Bills there had been made very stringent provision against the chance, however remote, of a man's private profit am) his puidie dulv coming into contest, and he ..as disposed to think that consistency, if nothing else, demanded similar stringentprovisions with regal(.l to the Legislature. Idle Hon. J. Bigg asked what steps the Attorney-General pioposed to lake in regard to* the breach of privilege which the Council decided had been committed. He suggested a joint conference of both Houses lo consider the matter. The Hon. J. B. C’ailan said he was of opinion that preventive legislation wa.s very desirable in order to prevent even the suspicion of impropriety. Tim Hon. it. A. Loughnan urged that members should he given some further protection against the class of criticism of which so much had lately been heard. The Hon. J. E. Jenkinson suggested the u isdom ol having the evidence in the inquiry printed. The Attorney-General said that later on he would bring down some definite proposal as to legislation, and also on the question ol pnvihge. It would ho belter, however, to defer act ion ior a little. Ji;e report was adopted.