PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1886.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 7116, 14 July 1886, Page 2

PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1886.

The Committee appointed by the House of Representatives to enquire into and report why any Member of tho Legislature negotiated for or claimed any commission for promoting the passage of the District Railway Purchasing Act of last year through the House have brought up their report, and in it thero are serious charges against three members of Parliament. It appears that some weeks ago this Committeo had determined to exonerate Major Steward completely on the charge ol receiving commissions on the Bale of the Bofcorua Railway debentures, but it seems after weighing the matter further it was considered that tho member in question had acted contrary to the spirit of the Disqualification Aot, and the Committee reported accordingly. The report is rather a severe one, and censures not only Mr. Steward, but likewise Sir J. Yogel and Mr. Peacock, member for Newton. The Committee state that while the evidence adduced doos not warrant them in reporting that Mr. Steward was directly influenced by any pecuniary consideration in his efforts to secure the passing of the District Railways Purchasing Bill through the House, they are, nevertheless, unable

to conolade otherwise than that he considered that, in all probability, he would be able to bring about a sale to Government or the T nsuranoe Association, of the Waimate, and possibly of the Duntroon and Hakateramea Railway debentures, and thus secure the receipt by him of a large commission on the transaction. And further that Mr. Steward, in conducting tho negotiations, presumably attached importanoe to his influence as a member of Parliament, as in his letter to the Hon. E.Campbell.of date September 28,1885, 1 soliciting that gontleraau's assistance in obtaining authority to sell the Duntuoon and Hakateramaa Eailway debentures, he says : ' I haveinfluerce in two different quarters, which will enable me, I think, to get a better price than anyone else would.' With regard to Mr. Peacock, the Committee state " That it is manifest, from the evidence that as he was a member of j the House of Kepresentativos and a Director of the Eotorua Eailway Company, the Board appreciated the position and consequent influence of Mr. | Steward as a member of Parliament in dealing with Government for the sale ! of the Company's debentures, and that the payment of commision was apparently a secondary consideration to that of securing his services in the conduct of negotiations for the sale. The Committee then go on to state that they are of opinion- Mr. Steward has avoided any technical breach of the Disqualification Aot. They unanimously regard the transaction referred to as calculated seriously to reflect upon and impugn the integrity of any member of Parliament engaged therein, and to give rise (as has been the case in this instance) to a public scandal. The Committee also say it may be fairly assumed that had the Government dealt directly with the Companies, the amount of commission might have been saved to the colony ; and it is greatly to be regretted that neither Mr. Steward nor Sir J. Yogel, as appears by their respective evidence, recognisesjany impropriety in a member of Parliament acting as a paid agent in making a sale to Government." On the report being read to the House Mr. Steward asked that the matter might be adjourned in order to give him time to study the report, saying that the statements appeared to him to be self-contradictory, and to' his knowledge contrary to the eyidence. The charge is rather a serious one, but it seems that the Committee were unanimous in their decision, and that the statements in the report, it is. said, are fully borne out by the evidence. The importation of Mr. Peacock's name into the report seems to have surprised that gentleman, and when it was mentioned by the Premier, he got up and asked Sir Eobert Stout if he really referred to him. The reply was that he had certainly done so, for although he did not for a moment assert that everything in the report was correct, the Committee certainly charged the member for Newton with I making arrangements, as a director of the Roturoa Eailway, through a member of Parliament, liiereiy because ho was a member of Parliament, in order that ho might get a better price for his railway. We scarcely think the Committee intended to have this construction put on the sentence in this report, and as we learn they have since exonerated Mr. Peacock from the charge imputed to him, we expect the sentence not being clear on this point was liable to be construed as the Premier had read it. The matter will come on in the House again to-day, when no doubt both Sir Julius Yogel and Mr. Steward will put quite a different complexion on the whole affair. Anyhow the matter has the aspect of a "job" about it; and there f ore it is desirable it should be cleared up.

The s.s. Rotorua (Capt. Neville), from Manukau, arrived alongside the breakwater at 7 o'clock this morning, and having landed passengers and cargo, continued the voyage for Nelson at 9.30 a.m. Previous to leaving for Wellington last week, To Wetert> had been supplied .with Eome plans of a road which it is proposed to make up the Tongaporutu river to tho Central Railway, and as this route passes through land belonging to To Wetere, his presence in Wellington was required in tho matter. It would seem that tho facilLioa for obtaining books from tho public library for home reading are greater than generally known. During a discussion in the Borough Council on Monday on the question of granting tho use of the Council Chambers to chess and draught players, one councillor urged that tho use oE tho room be restricted to subscribing members of the library ; but in order, ho said, to encourage people to become subscribing members he would move that a quarterly term of 3s. be accepted as well ns the yearly term of 10s. Tho Town Clerk explained that the acceptanco of quarterly subscribers on those terms had already been decided upon. On Friday last tho Central School Cadets paraded for ioapection before Colonel Stapp. Having been put through a number of movements by Sergt, Castles, tho company was drawn up in open order, when tho Colonel, accompanied by Captain Dempsey, passed round tha ranks, giving special attention to tho appearance and bearing of the cadets. When the inspection was coraploted, the Colonel expressed his satisfaction at the progress tnatlo since the formation of tho company, and hoped soon to Bee the boys with uniforms and carbines. He strongly impressed on them the desirability of making the most of the opportunity they had of cultivating a manly bearing and pleasing deportment, not only as a great aid in promoting health and energy, b».t also aa a means of gaining tho respect and confidence of those utnoug whom they mixed. The idea of raising v revenue from tho leasing of streets within tho borough for grazing purposes smacks somewhut of tho notion^ of gathering Lay from the same localities, but thia idea actually was broached in the Borough Council on Moaday, by a councillor who said that no less than 10 or 12 acres of streets wero now enclosed for the sako of the grass that grew upon them. It was urged that the borough might as well participate in tho profits of the pasturage, and charge a rental. It was however pointed out that the council oould not give authority tor tho closing of the streets, and that a i'ence placed across thani could be removed by anybody. The matter was ultimately referred to the Finance Committee and Mr. Small for contide/ation and report. " Why do you publish so many records o£ crime V asked a gentleman of the late lloraco Greeley. "Because they aro the sin news of the paper," was the reply.