HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 129, 9 July 1881, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Thursday, July 7. dr. pollen's pension.

The report of the Public Accounts Committee on Dr. Pollen's pension was considered. Mr. Speight moved, That the House agrees with the report, and is of opinion that no further payments should be made to Dr. Pollen until the House, by special enactment, has determined what amount, if any, was fairly payable as pension to Dr. Pollen. He reviewed the whole circumstances under which the pension wa3 granted, and concluded that Dr. Pollen was not entitled to count his Ministerial service, or his salary as Imperial paymaster, in calculating his pension. Mr. Saunders thought the motion and report did not go far enough. He considered this pension had been improperly obtained. Civil s rvants were very kind and considerate to each other in estimating claims to pensions, as was shown in this case, Sir W. Fitzherbert's, and Mr. Gisborne's. All these pensions should be inquired into. He moved as an amendment, That it is undesirable that any decision should be come to in this case until the circumstances under which the pensions granted to Sir William Fitzherbert and Mr. Gisborne have been also considered and reported upon by the Public Accounts Committee.

The House continued the debate on Dr. Pollen's pension. Mr. Speight opposed the amendment, which he said was meant to burke the whole matter.

Mr. Johnston contended that the Government had acted in a perfectly legal manner, and wished all these pension questions probed to the bottom. Mr. Ballance admitted that Dr. Pollen had large equitable claims, but his legal ones should be decided first. This had not been done.

Mr. Levistan thought the whole question of pensions should be looked into, as well as other illegal payments, such as that of L3OO to Mr. Rees.

Mr. Kelly thought the question of Dr. Pollen's legal claims should be referred to the Judges of the Court of Appeal.

The House divided on Mr. Speight's original motion, which was negatived by 38 to 81.

Mr. J. B. Fisher then moved an addition to Mr. Saunders' amendment, to the effect that uutil the committee reported on the other cases no further payment be made to Dr. Pollen.

Mr. Swanson suggested that this should apply to the pensions of Messrs. Fitzherbert, Gisborne, and Domett.

Messrs. Fisher and Hall agreed to this, and Mr. Saunders' motion as thus amended, was agreed to. The Committee to report in three weeks. The House rose at 12.40.