OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

Patea Mail, Volume XII, Issue 53, 31 May 1899, Page 2

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

(From Our Correspondent.) Messrs Sedbox axd the two J ones’. The Great Marixe Scandal. A Government Supporter’s Opinion About it. The Opposition can hardly be blamed for emphasising this disgraceful scandal, when a thick and thin supporter of tho Government like Mr John Hutcheson, M.H.R. for Wellington, has no good word to say regarding the persons connected with the conscienceless conspiracy under notice. Speaking the other evening to the electors of AVellington, Mr Hutcheson declared in this connection that, “In order to cover the faults and misdeeds of ministers, civil servants were menaced and impeached.” “But,” coxtinned Mr Hutcheson, “ notwithstanding the attempt of the responsible minister to brazen the affair out, it came right homo to him and not to tho prominent officials whose duty it is to safeguard the public interests in those matters.”

Mr Hutcheson proceeded to show that tho Premier had been told by his responsible advisers that Jones of the “ Duco ” was not entitled to a sea service certificate. There can be no doubt that Mr Seddon knew perfectly well that Duco Jones wanted a certificate and that Duco Jones was not entitled to sudi certificate, and yet he, Premier of the Colony, brought at least indirect if not direct pressure to bear upon the officials whose duty it is to protect tho country and tho lives of those who go down to tho sea in ships. Mr Glasgow, the only constituted authority on tho subject, had declared and tho Premier knew he had declared, that Duco Jones had not the required service entitling him to sit for a certificate, and yet, as Mr Hutcheson pointed out, the Premier showed his willingness to violate the law, which he, of all men in the colony should reverence, by remarking to a deputation, “If you will make a positive statement or affidavit that the service you allege had been performed by “ Captain ” Duco Jones, it will be a question for mo to consider whether I will order the certificate of service, in dependent of the responsible advisers of the Government.” In other words the Premier tolls this parcel of well meaning nobodies that if they will only make an affidavit on a subject which they really could know nothing about, ho would make an attempt to over-rule the law of the land. It is only fair to tho deputation to say that they “ funked ” making the required affidavit. There caix be no possible doubt that the Premier acted wrougly and Jcnevr it. He then attempted, as lie always does, to whitewash himself, but soiling another can never make the sinner clean ! Air Hutcheson referred to the whitewashing telegram from Mr HallJones, which was road by tho Premier at Lawrence as “disingenuous and dishonest.” The speaker asked “ What did it matter if there was no ‘ conversation,’ if tho same end were served by telegram.” Another statement made by the Pre mier, Mr Hutcheson bluntly denied. “ There was no evidence ” lie declared, “ that Captain Allman over said Duco Jones was highly qualified, yet the Premier, in his now notorious telegram to the other Jones affirmed that Captain Allman did say so.

Tlie facts notwithstanding- that they have been most artfully confused by some Ministers are extremely simple. Duco Jones though not having a sea service, intitling him to a master’s certificate was nevertheless permitted to sit, and, far worse, was passed as master on bogus examination papers, while ministerial inllucuce was used, at least to persuade the responsible officials that this illegal course had ministerial sanction. Had the fraud succeeded the probabilities are that the lives of many people might have been sacrificed to the want of technical knowledge on the part of Duco Jones. livciy honest elector should propound to himself the following propositions :

1. Had liuco Jones sufficient service to entitle him to a service certilicato ? (Air Glasgow, the sole New Zealand authority on such matters, says ho had not!) 2. Did the Premier know Huco Jones was not entitled to a service certificate ? 3. If Air Seddon know, did ho, in spite of his knowledge, attempt to influence certain responsible public officials to break the law? -1. Is there a reign of terror among the public officials of the Government generally and of Air Seddon in particular ? 5. If so, and if the law was broken by certain public officials wore not the instigator of the “ terror ” morally, if not legally responsible for the infraction of the law which ensued and all consequences, including the bogus and fraudulent examination passed by “Huco” Jones? G. Premier Seddon either knew or did not know that a fraud upon the public, one likely to lead to loss of life, was contemplated. 7. If lie did not know, ho was ignorant of the responsibilities of his position as head of the Government. If ho knew, what words are sufficiently strong to characterise the action of the Premier who, for paltry political ends, connives at deliberate law-break-

mg. The intelligent Maoriiauders will answer these questions for themselves at the next general election. We have, so to speak hanged the men who connived at the fraudulent examination of “ Duco ” Jones for a master’s certificate, what fate then should be meted out to the official who granted the fradulent sea service certificate permitting him to sit for that fradulent examination and, moreover, what should bo done to the responsible politician who brought such pressure to bear upon the person who issued the fraudulent certificate in order to enable “ Duco ” Jones to pass the Captain’s examination,

Exit Mr Jellicoe. Mr Jellicoe, solicitor and barrister, and ‘ commissioner ’ for Straits Settlements’, has temporarily gone where solicitor ceases from troubling and wre barrister is at rest. The foregoing statement must be accepted as allegorical only, because Mr Jellicoe has not retired altogether from this sub?" lunary scene in his la}’ capacity, but has been suspended from the Aactice of tire law (and the profits) of three moons. In other words, owing to his conduct of a now notorious case and his attacks upon a Judge, the Law Society and the Judges have sat heavily upon the head of the small, but excessively pertinaceous legal luminary, and condemned him to three months’ suspension from practice in the Courts. Apparently Mr Jellicoe has sympathisers. His defence such as it was, appeared, to the dispassionate lay eye, as aggravation of his original offence; nevertheless he, or it, was applauded by some of the frequenters of the court, who extended their ovation when the little gentlemen arrived outside. The bulk of our community, however, appear to think that the sentence which Mr Jellicoe signified his intention of appealing against to the Privy Council, was not commensurate with his deserts. Mr Jellicoe has ever appeared in Court as the defender of the fatherless childE|a and widow, of the afflicted and pelfse - cuted. Whether he has been the public benefactor —lie seems to suppose he has been—had better perhaps be left to his clients to decide. He has certainly not succeeded in bringing the administration, or, possibly, the practice of the law into higher repute.

“With You oxce Agaix.” “lam with you once again” declared tlie Premier, speaking at Napier the other evening. The Napier Daily Telegraph commenting, says “ Instead of quoting from 1 William Tell ’ he should have fallen back on Wells, and have shouted the oldfamiliar line 1 Here we are again I’ ”

This is rather unkind of the Telegraph, but surely it was a work of supererogation for Mr Seddon to declare his presence. Like the poor, he is always with us, but whether his presence is beneficial or not, is an altogether different question. “I am with you once again” was jirobably the remark which the “ Old Man of the Sea ” whispered to “ Sinbad, the Sailor,” and indeed between that old man, the incubus of Sinbad, and Mr Seddon, the incubus of Maoriland, there appears to be remarkable affinity. Seddon has ridden the shoulders of this tired country too long, and the time, it is to be hoped, will shortly arrive when he will be thrown off into the agency-general, or elsewhere.