THE JOYCE PLEDGE EXPOSURE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXIII, Issue 269, 27 November 1899, Page 2

THE JOYCE PLEDGE EXPOSURE.

IS MR. GRA.HAM ALSO BOUND ? To the Editob op "Thb Evbkihq Maii,.' : ®r, —The Laurenson-Joyce correspondence which yon have recently published in your columns shoald be of great interest to the ek.tora of Nelson. It has often been suspected that Mr Seddon requires from bis nominees a written pledge to the effect that they will support him on every party question. Thia suspicion has at last been changed into absolute certainity beyond all question or doubt. Now, it will be remembered that shortly after Mr Graham was first elected to Parliament he wss accused of having given jnat such a written pledge to the Premier. At a speech del vered in tbe Provincial H»U, he made what was apparently a denial, bnc one or two noted at the time that his seeming denial was no denial at all. Wriling from memory, I think his wor.s were sjmewhat aa follows:—! "Gentlemen, since I have had the honour of beiag your representative, I have written many, letters to tha Premier, b in no one of theta have I ever given su a pledge. **• This statement seemed satisfy, the audience. Bat you will ob-° serve that his words, if close ly examined only assert that he had not given a pledge subseqxcent to his election, Bnt if he gay» a pledge at all, he would of course have given it prior to his election, in order to secure the Premier's Bupport The suspicions of the electors are again aronsed. Let Mr Graham tell ns plainly whether he has ever ai am/ time given a pledge to the- Premier similar to the one disclosed by the Laurenson-Joyce correspondeaoe. I am, eto., INQUISITIVE.