BANK OF NEW ZEALAND CORRUPTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2085, 14 August 1890, Page 4

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND CORRUPTION.

A TERRIBLE INDICTMENT,

Mr A, Saunders in bis speech id Parliament said;—“l say that no man ought to have any right to sit on those benches, or to administer the govern* ment of this country, and undertake to deal on our behalf with thq of Bank of New Zealand, unless b 9 was entirely free from all restraint and all obligations to that bank. I think I can show you, sir, and this House that I have the best reasons for saying chat the Bank of New Zealand is not aboye using its influence whsu it is in a position to do so. It is about II years ago that I thought myself a| wealthy; affluent man one day, and the next day I had not a farthing left in the world. Fortunately I was inj no one’s debt, and I owed nothing to the bank. But unfortunately one ofj my sons was in some degree connected; with the bank, and in some degreej under its thumb. I think it was on 1 some occasion in this House when a: question came before it in connection! with the purchase of some of our dis-; trict railways. Mr Driver was in the ; House at the time, and was supposed; to represent the Bank of New Zealand.! He came to me, knowing my eireum-j stances haw. deep my sympathies; were for my son, and how much that; son was just then at the mercy of the bank —and teld me that the bank wished me to vote in a certain direction. I said to him that if I had to vote in the direction the bank wished I would resign my seat to-morrow, as I would never betray a constituency by my pretending to represent it when really I only represented the Bank of New Zealand. The next day I saw about 20 notes come into this chamber. One was handed to me, and the rest were handed round the House. I opened mine, and found it was to the same effect —that the bank wished me to vote in a certain direction, and I never felt so much humiliated. I sat down to consider whether I ought to resign my seat or not; but I never considered for a moment whether I ought to obey that note or not. This shows in the most practical manner that the bank is not above using its influence. If it was worth their while to stoop so low for my insignificant vote, is it likely that they would bring no influence to bear on Ministers which should put hundreds of thousands of our money into their hands ? How unlikely than it is that the Government, the majority of whom seem to have been under some obligation to the bank, were the members to act an the part of the country in the same independent manner as they should have done. I want t® know nothing more. I believe that three members of the Government either are or have been in the hands of the bank, and if they are not in its hands now, they are out of its hands simply throng obligation to the bank, and they are not in a position to sit on those benches.”

Dunedin - , August 11

Mr Driver writes to the Press that Mr Saunders’ insinuation that he attempted to influence his vote in regard to district railways purchase in the interests of the Bank of New Zealand is absolutely false, and without justification by facts or circumstances. He intends to bring an action.