THE CHARGES AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8326, 5 August 1890, Page 5

THE CHARGES AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL REPORTER.] Wellington, Monday. The Hutchison charges and their committee continue the burning question of the hour, but nobody seems to have anything new to say on the subject. Ministers when interrogated as to their intentions reply with the utmost simplicity that they haven't gob any. If further pressed they elaborate their reply in this wise : —The whole matter has been referred to a select committee, until that committee shall have decided its course of action no one else can do anything. Ib would bo highly improper, Ministers consider, for them to announce any ulterior intentions until the report of the committee shall be in the hands of the House. If the committee should declare itself powerless to act, it will then be for the Government to determine what the next proceeding shall be. I hoar that the four Opposition members of the committee adhere to their resolution nob to continue acting on the committee, and that Mr. Withy has intimated his intention of resigning the chairmanship, and the Ministerial members say that nothing more can bo done by the committee in view of the attitude taken up by the other side. It is understood that at to-morrow's meeting a resolution will be passed in favour of reporting to the House that the committee is unable to pursue its investigation, and asking to bo formally discharged. This is deemed certain to bring on another very bitter and protracted debate. The position taken up by tho Ministerial members was put to me very clearly to-day by one of them. Ho said the Opposition members persisted in urging that Mr. Hutchison ought to be a lowed to conduct his case in his own way. To this they replied that it was nob his case at all. He had uttered the alleged false charges, and it was the Government who were taking the proceedings, who were in fact intending taking Parliamentary proceedings against him for libel. They held that ib was for him first to show that there had been improper dealing" -.vich the pubiic accounts in the interests of the Bank of New Zealand, before ho could claim to prove tho motives which actuated such dealings. Ib was quite out of place and idle for him to prove motives unless he had first shown that these had led to improper actions. The Government had offered him every access to all .accounts which could show what had been done, but he declined this, and insisted on first overhauling the Minister's privato affairs, in the hope of being able to find something to lay hold of as giving colour to his contention that the motive existed for improperly favouring the Bank. This,was manifestly a total reversal of all fair and ordinary procedure, and could nob be tolerated. Again, if the Bank-books had been produced there was no guarantee °gainst an improper use being made of them. The chairman had admitted his inability to protect tho Bank books and witnesses from improper pryings into irrelevant private affairs, and one Opposition member had boasted of his right and intention to ask any question he chose. In these circumstances the committee could not with any decency order the production of books and evidence that might be thus treated without any justification on the score of relevant testimony being known to be extractable therefrom.

Opinions among members generally are divided as to the course the Government should take. Some are in favour of letting matters alone on the ground that the Government have afforded every opportunity for investigation which the other side have avoided, but the preponderating view seems to be that means should be found for reference of tho whole matter to two judges as indicated in my telegram of yesterday.