Mr Fisher's Mistake.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12925, 2 August 1905, Page 3

Mr Fisher's Mistake.

DOCUMENTS BEFORE. THE HOUSR THE MATTER DISC US SRI).

Per Press Association. ■ .Wellington, Angus-. t I. Mr Sodden laid on the table of theHouse last- evening, -a large amount of correspondence relating to <he Fisher and .q.ther' incidents ' connected with Friday night's debate on (he lmprest Supply' Bill. THE DOCtiMENTS. The Under- Secretary for DpfiMico cor- | tih'es .that no .payment fyf travelling! allowance* or travelling ex-pomrs was made to Captain Srddon from Sth to 23rd December, ISML vV lvilst absent from Wellington and iii Christ-vhureh. The same, official also rortiue* that no travelling allowance or expcnsis were paid to Captain Sfddnn from 13 th March to 3rd Ma>\ 1905, while he was oh leave in Australia. The Chief Post master at ("hristehnreh wired that thero had never been at any time payments io X'aptain S«ddon, and "that lie. had never been in his office. The As •istant-Seeretaiy to the Treasury states th a % no t- raf-<v can Ik; fou n d of any payment out of public moneys to Captain Seddon for ins;.efion of defence stores or services other ' than j salary, travelling allowances, or for j services in South Africa. i The dofcuments produced relating to the 'Wreath sent by Ministers for.-, the late Hon. W. C. Walker's funeral' show that the cost was not iive't-onfr of .pub- j lie moneys, the Postmastnr-'fj}encra-l .' certifying to that effect. The account for the wreath was paid by the Premier's ■••'private secretary, who was reimbursed out of- the Premici'^^priyate account. An item of ;C1 l(>s fid for a wreath lor the Hon. Hfr Walker's funeral appears in the lOdueation Department's contingency vote for 1904. This wreath was considered to be an official: wreath -from the Education Bejfartinent, and the- Audit Department appears to have seen nothing unreasonable in the payment. It was not ordered by . :any Minister, and the Spc-: rotary of the lVparlmrnt has no '".rf*a-; son to believe that any Minister, ,\va« aware of its having b^en 6btiiin»Kl. noi; was any Ministerial authority obtain«l for the payment in qufsi'ion. ' Mr Mark . Cohen, of the Tmnedin Star, stated that the message i-e the Premier's Wellington birthday spercli I was paid for in the usual course, and Mr Albert Cohen dt^lares tfiat- no demand was made upon him for payment of the message in question. The Premier laid on the tjible a photographic roproduction c'n a.voucher for ;C7fi 4s 9.d paid at ChristcJiurch. on 9th June, 1001. to Tiuhnrd Sneddon, , authorised agent or Andersons (Lldi), and which, sum- was al Served by ' Mr Fisher to have been paid to Captain Seddon at Christehnrch. Tho original voucher was al so produced, but it was explained that it must bo returned to the Treasury Department, and ihe Clerk of thot Hor.s:* certified that the document laid On the table was a true, photographic cojiy of the original vouelur retiimexito Ihn Treasury. On Saturday the Premier wrote . to Mr Fisher, informing him that -it was his intention on Tuesday to /bring before the House importanti documentary evidence in reference to his charge against -Ca]>tain Seddon, of. having ieceivotl- a given sum vi nioneiy by voucher, the number and date of which Mr Fifher had approximately stated in the House. "In "lhi» interwt:. of that which is righty nOn^jt, and fair," wrote the Premier, ''it »s well that yon shonkl be present." This letter, the Premier st al ed , .ujijiaieii tly crossed the following letter from Mr Fisher to him : "Ri"jMV>ins: 1q my statement in the ".lions' 1 Ij.st ('veiling re a voucher made out in f-xvour of Captain Seddon, I stated- T-hat. 1.-^was-quoting from memory. ' I m<:v% txsk for the produciion <>f voucher number?*;} JSSI9, and I add again, as T \lid last night, that if you can furnish a complete and satisfactory explanation I .shall be the first to acknowl'dgrt it, and accept it 'in.! .good faith.' 1 At 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, Mr Fisher sent a long reply saying :—" Two liours ago I received- from, your privaio secretary a copy of your letleivof even date, the original-having been deliver- : ', td at my private residence. '•' He wen I on to say that he had said ";£7G 4s

9d was drawn by Captain Soddon in Christchurch last year," and ho said he now -wanted to know if this was a proper payment why it did not. appear in tho proper way, why \\ was not mado in "Wellington, what was the purpose of the payment, what wqr the real meaning of "reorganising the defence stores" in Wellington, whether $his sum was in addition to Captain Seddon's ordinary salary, and, if bo, how many morp sunilar charge had beon \nm\c against tho Opfonrp Tei'mvtment. As to the request tiiaL ho should be in his place in ihc House

on Tuesday afternoon, ho said tin* Premier ,\vas a ware.' that this was .not possible. Tie 'had .booked to leave for. Mho South that evening-, and. had ayI rang«l to speak at lu'vorcar^il!. Dun-, 'odin, and Chrixtchureh. It \va.s not I li!:cly, therefore, that the Premier could expect him ( o cancel these public engagements on the. riioro ] :roin inc.. of a "refutation,, a promisfv jianclcd to him wnthin live and a half . liours of the sleamrr leavinp-. All lie could say '.was-; that, if the Prenvirr inUrnded to r6fiit« his -alleoati<»ns?, why did not he (the Premier) notify him carlior ; and, second, ii llk> rnfiitaiion -viis satisfactory to the House, then Hu'.Pre-. mio: 1 could i-ff^t ass.r-d l.hat it would be perff'Ctly safcisfaetory lohim • (Mr Kisher). He would take the (ir^t opportunity on his return of .itxpvoßsinjj himself- upon the (luesUon. , n aekjiowledp-ing" receipt of this eominunication, the Prtvnier. stated thai -he had eoniniunieated with Mr. Fisher at th'.^ioarliest po.^iblW motnont after investigation had (joen made, and then went on. to say: ''•Whether, you romain to attend \]\\i House on ■T u esc 1 ay ; pv. not is a mat t er for y our •discretion. Your veracity and honour ought to ..•dictate that wlicrea public dffitier had berii wronged \by .y.pu;j reparatio'ii should be made, at the earli-' est possible opportumity, and you should be ia'Vour place in the House to.nvakG : it."- ..; .. : :\ : ■ ;'.;'! ;' .■■■;■■ V .■ In reply ; to Mr Duthic, Mr Seddoii

said ho -had no intention of taking an unfair advantage of Air Fisher during his absence from Wellington. He did not hesitate to 1 say, however, that Mr Fisher knew of the existence*' of the voucher to Mr Sncddon (not Seddon) before he left Wellington, and ho should, uud<'r the circumstances, have boon in his place in th-e House that afternoon. liven if he did not know the true facts? of the case before fie left Wellington, the press telegrams in Monday morning's newspapers would have enlightened kirn, and he could have caught yesterday's steamer from Lyttleton. He (Mr Seddon) wanted to keep clear of feeling an this matter, and as Leader of the House, dealing with a member of the House, ho mimt take the greatest care to bo just. He did not propose to move any motion on the- subjt*-Mhat. *af tern oon : hd hi-* tended to allow the matter to remain where 'it was until after Mr Fisher's return .to the House, them he (Mr, Fisher) would no doubt— at least he' (Mr Seddon) hoped so— take the earliest opportunity of doing justice to himself, to his constitu tents, and to those who had been injured by his statements. Mr Duthie said ho -believed the course proposed to be taken by the Premiur was a very proper one. Mr Soddon drew attention to the clearness of the signature (Richard Sncddon) on the original voucher, and said it should have been absolutely apparent to any one who was not blinded by passion or prejudice, .or who had not glanced at it in a great hurry. hi I'he course ■ of further discussion, Mr Reddon said the seriousness of the. position. was the possibility ami probability that to dispute the positive proof that a grave nri-'taVe hal been committed and a gro.-ss injury done to a public officer, Mr Fisher would nirain go into the charge, on the ground that he -had not sren the original, voucher and the other proofs that had been submitted to the Tlr>use. that afternoon. There had been a complete refutation of the charge, and it wa* for Mie invrnV ii'r concerned to take the earliest opportunity of saying so. When Mr Fisher made his statement it would be for tihe House to say what action should be. takwn. Mr Massey considered tlv Premier Imd adopted the right, course in laying those papers on the table, and in determining to give Mr Fisher an opportunity of making a statement. A.s far as Mr TAfshcw was concern^!, he. (Mr Massey) was not. responsible, as Mr Fisher did not "belong to the Opposition Party. ■It should be home in mind, however, that he was tho youngest member in the House, that practical! v his political experience e-xtomlwl only over a period of five weeks, and that he scarcely know the responsibility attaching, to his position. On these grounds he considered Mr Fisher was entitled to .consideration, but if he knew Mr. Fiphor at all he believed that if lie wa*? in the wrong he would mako a full, frank, and honest admission of his mistake.

Mr Soddon observed that tho attack was a very deliberate one, and miu»h would depend upon the way in wnit.h he made reparation. The Premier's motion that tho documents produced We laid on the table and be printed, waH thon agreed to on tbo voices.