SLANDER, INTRIGUE, AND DISHONOR.

Evening Star, Issue 14963, 24 August 1912, Page 11

SLANDER, INTRIGUE, AND DISHONOR.

A DISSENTER'S PROTEST. SUMMING UP THE POSITION. [Fno.M Ot'n Paw-iamentary. Reporteh.], WELLINGTON. Angust 24. ~ Tn the course of his .speech on the Budget in the House yesterday afternoon. The member for Kaipara took strong exception to the utterance.'? of the member for Christohurch North earlier m the week that the Massey Government were "begotten bv Blander, shapen m intrigue, and born in dishonor." Discussing that rather unpleasant inference, Mr Coates declared that ho, among others, had boon responsible for actions ami words which reflected the gravest reproach, upon ins political honor. First, he denied outright that slander had. anything to do with his election. " As a matter ol faet, 1 am in great sympathy with a. lot measures brought forward by the VUrd Adniinistration, but I think the Liberal party ean account for their loss at the last election by the fact that they went to the polls with the worst policy -ever brought forward bv them," he declared, adding : " I give the Liberal party all credit for everything they have done. ._ As to the .second term. " shapen in intrigue." ho went on : " 1 have had notning to do with intrigue at any time. I ■ h « re had nothing to do with either of the whips' rooms : I think I have been twice in each room." With regard to number three, " born in dishonor," the member contended that so far from breaking election pledges by voting with the party whj at present occupy tho Treasury Rent-nXs, it was absolutely necessary'for members placed aa ho was to vote 'as thev did in order to carrv out their pledges to their constituents. Proceeding, the member for

Kaipara quoted newspaper articles to show that his attitude during the election had been that of an Independent. It had been assorted, in the House that he was going to support the Liberal party for 12 months. He wanted to correct that statement, tie bad. never said he, would support the Wand Administration for 12 months. That, was what tho papers made out. No one eoukl reply to everything that appeared in the papers. Producing a. copy of a pamphlet issued by an opponent, he pointed out that it also contained the same assertion. He had never said he would support the Liberal party. What he had said was eet forth in his own platform manifesto, which he proceeded to quote at length, ami in' which he pledged himself to vote against tho then Govern- I ment on a want-of-confidence motion on certain subjects, reserving to himself the ! right to do what ho saw fit on all other j matters. That, he declared, freed him to j do what he thought fit, and ho woukl tell the Hou.se why he voted against the "Mackenzie Administration. The first plank in : his platform, he reiterated, was the Krie- 1 hold, and. when one remembered that in the last Administration thero were no less than six Leaseholders (accepting Dr Te ■. Rangihiroa. as a Leaseholder), how, as a Freeholder, would ho (V.r Coales) have looked in tho eyes of his constituents had he voted for such a Ministry? lie was not saying anything against these men, for he recognised this was a ques- ; tion that would always divide the country. ] Xo gentleman representing the Mackenzie | Government, he went on to say, had asked . him what he was going to do. That, he 1 thought, was quite right, and ho did not ' think it nocewary to tell them. At the j same time no gentleman representing tha j present Government had apronch.ed him, j and therefore no one could .say, as far a.-. ( ho was concerned, that there had been i any intrigue. Ho thought it necessary to make these few remarks. Mr Isitt, in personal explanation, assured the member for Ka.ipara. that h:'hud never in 'any way meant, to ivficc, . upon him by his remarks. "Personally. I i do not think tho member for Kaipara was I Jxmnd by any pledge whatever,"' de- ' olared Mr Isitt.