DEFENCE OF HONOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20364, 19 September 1929, Page 11

DEFENCE OF HONOUR.

MEMBER'S RESIGNATION.

NEW SOUTH WALES ASSEMBLY.

MAJOR JARVIE'S CASE.

SYDNEY, Sept. 18.

The resignation of Major M. L. T. Jarvie, Nationalist member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Ashfield, after an impassioned address in defence of his honour, which occupied two hours, caused a sensation in the House last evening. Subsequently ■ lie announced his intention of standing for re-election. He will bo opposed by a Labour candidate, Mr. E. McTiernan, formerly Attorney-General. Major Jarvio was concerned in the alleged attempt to bribe the late Mr. A, Bruntnell, Chief Secretary, in respect of a bus service. Craving leave of the House he opened his address in dramatic -fashion by declaring that the findings against him were based on deliberately perjured evidence. Mr. Justice Davidson, he asserted, had been deliberately misled.

" I have been the victim of a cleverly concocted conspiracy," said Major Jarvie, "and I say before you and before my God that I am absolutely innocent of the charge of conspiracy." - There was general uproar when the member formally tendered his resignation and left the Chamber.

The Premier of New. South Wales, Mr. T. It. Bavin, issued the following statement on August 25 relating to th® Parliamentary seat of Major Jarvie: — " As soon as practicable after my return from abroad I saw Major Jarvie, the member for Ashfield, and informed him that, in view of the finding of the recent Royal Commission my colleagues and I regarded it as imperative that ho should resign his seat immediately and give the electors of Ashfield an opportunity of saying whether they wished him to remain their representative.

" Major, Jarvie, after consideration, has declined to follow'this course with-, out an assurance from me that, in the event of his being selected again as the official candidate by the local National branches, the executive of the National Association would endorse his selection. Such an assurance I was, of course, unable to give. The Government will therefore, as soon as possible, ask Parliament to declare Major Jarvie's seat vacant. " I need hardly say that we take this action with great regret. But the dignity and reputation of Parliament are above any party or personal considerations, and my colleagues and I feel that after such a report as that of Mr. Justice Davidson, the pnly possible course for the member affected by it is to give his electors the opportunity of saying whether they wish to continue to be represented by him or not. As Major Jarvie has declined to give this opportunity voluntarily the Government has no alternative but to take the course I have indicated."

Major Jarvie subsequently stated his determination to face the House, on the ground that he was innocent, and had the support of his electors. " I am con- | fident," he sdid, "if Mr. Bavin seeks to carry out his high-handed proposal by attempting to declare my scat vacant it will certainly meet the fate it deserves. " I told the Premier yesterday that I was primarily responsible to my electors, who had been consulted through their properly constituted branches of the National Association, and that they had unanimously expressed their confidence ir. me, and their united opposition to my resignation. I also informed Mr. Bavin that I was only prepared to accede to his request if I had his undertaking'that my rc-selection by the Ashfield Electoral Conference as Nationalist candidate for Ashfield would be endorsed by the Nationalist Executivn Council. This undertaking Mr. Bavin would not give, and hence my decision not to resign.

"My conscience has been clear throughout, and because ail innocent manfbas been falsely accused, as has now /been clearly demonstrated, I do not see-why I should be persecuted by the leader of my own party, to whom I should look for protection. I have lived through eight months of nightmare, and after the whole affair has been satisfactorily cleared up by the summing up of the learned Judge, and the verdict of the jury who exonerated me from any complicity in the whole affair, I fail to see why Mr. Bavin should assume his 'holier than thou' attitude, and persecute mo still further.

" To ignore the verdict of the is indefensible and undemocratic. With regard to the* Royal Commission, my legal advisers tell mo that its finding was patently iucprrect and illogical. I might add that if the goodwill, and friendship of the vdst majority of tlie. occupants of the Government benches is any indication, then the Premier's attitude certainly does not reflect that feeling."