MR. SAUNDERS, M.H.R., AND THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8330, 9 August 1890, Page 5

MR. SAUNDERS, M.H.R., AND THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

—-«i— r IiV ') , K;.Kr.'R/'piI. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] j Wellington, Friday. The following ,;s a verbatim report of the passage ii: ; Mr. (Saunders' speech of Saturday mol'iilng last containing his charges against ilia Bank of New Zealand, which pave excited solrauch interest and talk in ihe lobbies (1 hear that a complete reply j.vill l*ef|>r\hcoimng) :—" I say that no man iuigh; ti have i any right to sit on those benches; gt to Administer the Government -■if this > country, and undertake to deal ;hi our s behalf; with the Bank of New Zealand; unlesk ho was entirely free jrom all; restraint, and all obligation ;o that Bonk. il know it has been said tonight, and 1 regretted to hear it said, that the |sank 01! Now Zealand would not use its intluenct; Improperly with any member of the Govi»ri:imen4. I think that when once ,i man is pi.ased'in such a position as some i.f the '.ii-anbets of this Government are ■fdmilted to be placed in with regard to the Bank, and beco-ne under a deep obligation i':!i their !,r;in.«ac<ior.3 with that Bank, wo can lieally hardly I,'now how far thoy are influenced by feelings of dependence or gratitude,l no; <ian they ever be sure themselves that t'ucli feelings have no influence on their i«linir;tcr;ia\ duties. However, it is a very painfid pcjd&ior/, and I may illustrate what it mean;by a Circumstance that I think hears very' strongly upon this case, and which i j.hink! will show you, sir, and tints eloijis*', thnt I have the best reasons fpr saying bhe blank of New Zealand is not above- uihfig its influence when it is in a position ; do sit. It is about eleven years tfgo thai. ; I thought myself a wealthy affluent m;m one day, and the next day I bad not a:h.rt!i-ing left in the world. Fortunately I. was;in no ono's debt, and I owed nothing jo the Bank ; bub unfortunately iofto of <ny sons was in some degree connected ;with : the Bank, and in some tijegreo untijer its thumb. I think it was on some octiaiiion in this House when a question came 'before it in connection with tho purchase c-,f some of our district railways ; Mr. Driver! was: in the House at the time, who was supposed to represent the Bank of I'ew Zealand. jHe came to mo knowing Eiy circi'.n|stantes, how deep my sympathies were if or my son, and how much that son wis i-uijt tliOii at the mercy of tho Bank, and told: i',ic- that the Bank wished mo to vote in a cbrtaiij. direction. I said to him that if .1 ; lad to vote in the direction fur Bank i wished, I would resign my .-■ -.-at to-ir,,ni!row, as I would never betray a mstitiH.ii(;y by pretending to represent it v.-hen rea'll;; I only represented the Bank of KewZeaiajid. The next day I saw about t.venty nat.is come into this chamber. One was hindetf to me, and the rest were handed round titer Home. I opened mine, and found that; it vas a message to the same eject, that the Bank wished me to vote in a certain dlrt-ctiun, and I never felt so much hamillatwl; I si-.t down to consider whether I ought itij resign my seat or not, but.l n ;ver colis|dere'l for a moment whether I ovight to tint note or not. This shows it, the most practical manner that the Bank is not aboviji tisiiig its influence. If it was worth their while to stoop so low for ir.y iii«igii' ; vote, is it likely that they woi.ih:! bri ig no influence to bear on Minbit-ejrf, who could put hundreds of thovisa:id:s of ciur money into their hands. How unlbccjly them is it that a Government, the majo*;it!y of whom seem to have been under some- obligation to the Bank, would a<t on thd par; of the country in tho s«me nidiijhtdei't manner as they should hilve clonti ''.■ I w:mt to know nothing more. I believe i>hiit throe members of tho Governmijnt -)itl are, or have been in tho hands oh the B.it] ; <, and if they are not in its builds now,;bhey are out of its hands simply thorough obygatiijn to the Bank, and they ari) not, in ap)sition to sit on those benches.