PARLIAMENTARY

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIV, Issue 10705, 15 July 1895, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY

[Per Pbb?s Association.] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ' Saturday, July 13. After the telegraph office closed op Saturday morning, Messrs Massey' and George Hutchison supported Captain Russell’s amendment to' refer the Agent-General’s circular to the Public'Accounts Committee. On a division the amendment was rejected by 87 to 16. At 2.20 a.m. The Hon J. Q. Waed rose to reply, ' on the motion that the circular belaid op the table. Ha said' that they had had a very remarkable debate, and before he had finished' his reply' he would be able to, put a different complexion on the truthfulness of those who had impugned the veracity of himself, his colleagues and the Agent-Genera,!. Long before he . reached London, deep and bitter, animadversions had been published regarding the colony and his administration. He read an extract from one Home paper to show what kind of statements had been sent from New Zealand. They were twisted and determinedly inverted statements, meant to prejudicially affect the people of the colony. Some of these statements were made in London by Mr Duthie, a member for Wellington. Mr Duthie : That is untrue. The Speaker-called on the hop member to withdraw that remark. '’ Mr Duthie said he could not do so. He had said nothing derogatory to the colony. The SpbakbbV Then you disobey the ehair. Mr Duthie : Well, I will substitute that the statement is contrary to fact. The Hon J. G. Ward continuing, repeatedfhat when the Land tax was cbllected i twice in one year, the Government had not £600,000 in cash in London to pay interest. That was essentially true, hut he had never said that if the' tax were not collected, then the colony wbuld have to make default. No such thing, as the Government could easily have borrowed the money required. He deprecated the way in which the Opposition had twisted and distorted his remarks on the subject, and complained of the manner in which Mr Duthie had attempted to belittle him in London, and misrepresent his words and actions at Home. He thought it was a sorry spectacle to see a number of members get up, one after the other, and try tr, asperse the Agent-General and himself. Some of them did not know even what they were talking about, especially when dealing with figures. Mr Ward went on to reply to the financial criticism of Mr George Hutchison, and showed where his figures were at fault. As to the securities in London, they were hot under the control pf the trustees, and the honorable members knew very well that he could not use them except in case of a grave crisis. Although he had not had a hand in compiling the circular in London, he was prepared to take the responsibility for it on behalf of the Government. He would hot allow the integrity of the Agent-Goheral to be called into quesHe bad po desire to indulge in personalities, but if the Opposition persisted in this line of conduct, ha would haye to adopt similar tactics for bis own preservation. He was glad that, with the assistance of the Agent-General, he had been successful in refuting some of the false statements circulated in London regarding the colony. The ‘criticisms of the Opposition were actuated by feelings of jealousy for the success of his mission. He had hot misrepresented the position in London, and what he ha# done had been for the best. The mbtjop was agreed to on the voices. The House rose at 2.60 a.m.