GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2085, 14 August 1890, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, The Bible Beading in Schools Bill was read a first time.

the Bog Registration Amendment Bill was read a third time. The debate on the motion for the second reading of the Employment of Females and Others Bill was adjourned to Tuesday next. ~

HOH3B OF REPRESENTATIVES.

On Tuesday, Mr T. Thompson brought up the report of the . Public Petitions Committee on the petition of David Mahoney, an architect,' which had been referred back to the Committee for reconsideration. The report was to the effect that the sum of £325 be awarded to Mr Mahoney, less the amount of law costs. The debate was adjourned. THE : HUTCHISON CHARGES.

Mr Hislop moved .that the manuscript of the report and the proofs of the speech of the ' member for Waitotara, made on the 2nd July last, containing accusations against the Government be referred to the Repprting Debates Committee for comparison with the Hansard report. HC wid Sir George Grey adopted a .similar course in 1877 with regard to a speech delivered by Mr Ormond on the Hawke’s Bay land transactions; - Mr Ballanee pointed out that the Government never questioned the accuracy of the Hansard report when they submitted the charges to tktf Select Committee. The Government, were wasting time and insulting the House by side motions which they were proposing on this question. Why did: they not give Mr Hutchison an opportunity e£ proving his charges f The motion would lead to nothing, and the charges against the Government would rest precisely where they now were. *

Mr Fisher, Mr Terrell, Mr Seddon, Mr Izard, and Mr Taylor opposed the motion.

Sir George Grey considered that Mr Hutchison had. been very unfairly treated, as he had not been allowed an opportunity to prove his case. There was no analogy, he contended, between the present’ motion and the motion which he (Sir George Grey) had moved in 1877, when he had been attacked by Mr Ormond, the member for Napier. He referred to the enormous power possessed: by the Bank of New Zealand, and said that there was hardly anyone in the colony who was not more or less connected

with that institution. In conclusion; he moved—“ That before the House decide as to whether the manuscript report and proofs of the speech, made' by Mr Hutchison on the 2nd July be referred to the Committee for com-., parison, a Select Committee be appointed to report whether members, who may be under such obligations to financial 1 institutions doing Govern* ment business as may embarrass their, independence, should occupy the Ministerial benches.”

Mr Scobie Mackenzie twitted Sir George drey with proposing such anamendment at the present stage. If . S»ir George Grey knew that the Bank' 1 of New Zealand bad during so many years been wielding so-much power in the consolidation of provincial loans, how was it that he had not made that public before ? Was. an hon. gentleman like Mr Hutchison afraid to make his charges outside the , House ? II was very easy for any member to make charges against ether members, and be saying that if he were allowed to ransack private memoranda and accounts be would be able to prove his charges, for that was all it amounted to. The real reason why Mr Hutchison bad not proved his charges before the Committee was that, after he had made them some wiser financial heads than bis own • informed him that the tables he bad quoted from were absolutely incorrect, that the statement that the Government had created an abnormal finance , to assist the bank was absolutely disproved by the Minister for Education, and the statement as to deficiency bills . was also proved to be wrong. It was ~ evident that the Government were going to probe the charges to the bottem. If they failed in getting Mr Hutchison out in the open they could establish a Royal Commission which could not he obstructed by the Opposition in any way. He challenged Mr Hutchison to forego his privilege and come out befere the public and formulate his charges. Mr Reeves (St. Alban’s) said Mr Mackenzie's speech was the speech ol ; a strong partisan, who was absolutely blinded by personal feelings. The Opposition did not appeal to the Government majority in this matter, as all arguments were lost before them. They would appeal to the people of the colony, and he felt sure that the appeal would not be in vain. . They all knew that Mr Hutchison’s speech had been altered, but it was well known that every member altered his speeches, and this being so what was the use of referring the matter to the Committee. It should be referred, together with the whole case, to the judicial tribunal : which the Government proposed to set up. Mr Saunders, Mr Reeves (Inangahua), and Mr Moss spoke against the motion.

Mr Hutchison said that for obvious he should not now refer to the speeches

made by Mr Scobie Mackenzie and other members during the debate^

He again wished to say that he had no desire to shirk any investigation as to whether or not he altered his speech, bat any alterations he had made were absolutely necessary. He should now make an offer to the Government to withdraw the present motion, and he would be willing to allow the question Its to whether or not the speech be made in the House was substancially the eame as that appearing in Hansard to go to the Reporting Debates Committee for their decision, As to the oft-repeated challenge to him to abandon his privilege, he promised the .Government that in future they would cot have reason to complain of want of publicity of any charges he had to make against them. He refused, however, to be forced into any position, nnd he did not mean to be set up as a target for a Minister or a bank. He was going to choose his own time, and the Government would have no cause to complain. They would find him fearlessly dealing with these charges. After further discussion Sir George Grey withdrew his amendment, Mr Hislop’s motion was put and carried by 23 to 20. POU BEGISTBATIOK BILL . The Dog Registration Bill, amended by the Legislative Council, was receiyed/and the amendments agreed to by 34 to 19. The House rose at 1.45 a.m.