THE BOGUS BANKING ENQUIRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 3

THE BOGUS BANKING ENQUIRY.

Eoyal Commission is the obviously •proper instrument, a parliamentary committee an obviously improper one, — and in this case what a committee ! ' The, Premier seriously proposed that matters involving the credit of the- Government should be investigated by two of the implicated Ministers, five of their political adherents, and (just to keep up appearances) four members of the Opposition. The thing is absolutely and no speaker during the debate; either on Friday or on j Tuesday, made any real attempt to ; defend it. Under the circumstances Captain Eussell, Mr Buchanan, and , Mr Lang have very properly refused , to represent the Opposition on the com- ' mittee. Mr Houston and Mr Collins have also declined the doubtful honour, and " the Hon. Mr Seddon then stated that the names of those wjio would remain on the committee were Messr J. M'KENZife, Graham, Montgomery, M'GfowAN, and the mover." A pretty I nucleus, in sooth J So far as regards 'Mr J.M'Kenzie' 'and " the mover," we say that it will be a public scandal for these two Ministers to take part in the investigation, — but Mr Seddon, who is shocked at the idea of including Mr DtraniE, cannot or will not recognise the impropriety. It is almost a wonder that -he does not propose Mr' Ward's name. As matters stand, however, he has given notice to The setting-up of a committee oi m °ve that the names of Messrs George Ministers and°Ministerialists to investi- Hutchison, Tanner, Maslin, Guingate matters largely affecting the WESS ? Steward be added to credit of the Government is a most the/five who remain. We shall be disgraceful business. It is difficult to surprised if Mr George Hutohibelieve that even the "Liberal " party SON does not follow Captain Eusiu the country will allow itself to be SBLL ' S lead an<l leave the Minishoodwinked by a dodge which has not terialists to their own devices,— and even the questionable merit of being anyhow the committee will be a fearful artful. Ministers profess that they. and . wonderful thing. Mr Pirani wish these banking matters to be summed up the situation with neat properly investigated ; they wish the ironyi ronv wncn ne suggested that the names truth to be made known and the vari- of Messrs Mills, Harris, Mackintosh, ous burdens of responsibility to be allo- Willis, and Carnell be added. Percated. They have always been good ha P 8 the simplest plan would be at professionsr-bad at performance ; for the • inquiry to be carried out at and this last feat does not belie a Ministerial caucus, " the mover " in their reputation. Had they' really the chair. "Wo suppose, by the way, desired to make the investigation that # the Minister for Public Works is anything but a farce, surely the prepared to. trust. this, latest banking means were at their hands. A"Eoyai committee. ■ Last- year (as a private Commission, composed of a judge of member) he observed scornfully, «We the Supreme Court and two competent are as^ e^ to trust the committee, non- political persons — what better • • • M ucn as la m in sympathy tribunal could bo suggested ? And ■ with tne P ai ' fcv to wnich * belong, lam could sanity suggest anything worse— confident that the electors will ultianything more likely to be utterly mately look upon this measure as one futile and discreditable in result— than of the greatest curses ever inflicted a parliamentary committee of a partisan u P° n the colony ; ; and he said that he character, composed, to a considerable sh ould call for a division on the third extent, of men~whose political credit is reading of the BUI (Bank of New at stake,— men, in fact, who will be at Zealand and Banking) «♦ so as to once jurors and implicated parties? ha ™ the names of those members It is not too much to say that of > the House who vote for this most the House of Eepresentatives does iniquitous proposal recorded." We do not contain the necessary material not suggest that Mr Hall - Jones tor a suitable committee upon this adopted a wise attitude last year: we question. Members are so closely .quote his words in order tc .show how interested in the matter -or the quickly and entirely he has shaken off a Government is so closely interested, somewhat notable independence Morewhich comes to the same thing, -that °™> * the Government acted man the character of the investigations and [' iniquitous fashion last year, the the report must inevitably be coloured iniquity may be brought to light m the by political and party feeling. We toawoming inquiry -and what then Saf pack snarled-" If the Govern- But he may rest his soul m peace » Mr Shfd proposed a Eoyal Commission SHDDO^^^e wiU bring no sm the Opposition would probably have /of Mr Seddon sto light, advocated a Parliamentary committee." It is not necessary to say much more That, doubtless, is the sort of principle about the terms of reference. The upon' which Mr Seddon and his hench- committee being bad per se, the referxnen would act if they were in ' ence is a secondary matter. It matters Opposition, and Mr Flatman makes little what you set such a committee the common mistake of attributing discussing. Still there is a special • to others the unworthy motives which i impropriety— a sin of supererogation, are natural to himself. We say that a[as it were— in directing these partisans

to meddle with the private accounts of people doing business with the Bank of New Zealand. We think it only too likely that serious injury will be done to the bank by the adoption of this course, which has probably been recommended by Messrs Seddon and M'Kenzie in the malicious hope of exposing political opponents who have passed away. The Premier, finding himself in a parlous way, modified his proposed terms of reference to a certain extent, but he retained this most objectionable clause, and the House carried it by the somewhat narrow majority of five. It was a bad night's work that was done on Tuesday, but the smallness of this particular majerity may be regarded with satisfaction, — and the independent Radicals are to be congratulated on their firmness and patriotism. The truth of the whole matter was well enough expressed by Mr G. W. Russell (whom no one will suspect. of " Tory" sympathies) : " Could anyone suppose that the report of .the committee asked for by the Premier, containing several of the strongest supporters of the Ministry, would satisfy the country? He thought not, and the report would be* worth very little." Something" it will be worth — as a curiosity, in the shape of a verdict returned by men who are at once jurors and parties to the case.