THE HINE CHARGES

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIII, Issue 14363, 1 December 1910, Page 5

THE HINE CHARGES

COMMITTEE'S REPORT. DISCUSSED IN THE HOUSE. MR MA.-Si'.V'S CRI IICTSM. | Per Press Association. 'j WELLINGTON", Nov. 30. The debate on the report of the ,| Mine Committee was resumed. "! ?t!r Mas.-ey protested against pro■eeeoing with the debate at such an ; hour ill'.:Jn a.m). Proceeding. he said that at the time Mr lline formulated his charges mauv people consi.h red the Member lor "Stratford iiladvis.'d. These people must now see that Mr Mine was tuliv justilicd. The recommendatii.i! of tin* Committee j„ favour of legislation preventing Members taking payment for services rendered in connection with their Parliamentary duties -bowed that there had 1 n wrong doing. Tho proposed legislation was more neocssarv iu t.he Dominion than in liritaiY.. whore a j Member's duty v.as a purely legislative j cue. but in the Di.miuioa. many iuterj ests occupic I tie attention of mer.i- . hers oM'aiham.uit. Tho findings t.i the Ccmn-.'ttce were. !to i'.is mim!, not satisfactory. The most extraordinary one -,vns tii.it in reference to the letter of Mr Svmts to Mr M-Ch-gage. The Committee Junta! that ti.e aha.gc nf t h.-oaloniitg was net established. Mr Mas-, y read the letter, and contended that :>. people out of "i I it) would roacl'.'.de therefrom that Mr Symes desired the directors of tho paper to understand that unless they supported him at the election he would use his influence in preventing the paper from receiving Government advt rtiscments. The letter constituted a threat, and Mr Svmes would probably have been punished ior generositv of his oup.aicnt s. The statement that The letter was confidential was ;-.s near an untruth a- it wa.s poster v.-as not marked private or confidential. The n port of the Committee on this partvtdar charge was too silly for words. Turning to the charge against, the 1 Ge\ eminent, in regard to l-'hixbourne. ; Mr Mas-ey' said there v. as a strong ■ eo.'ifiirt of evidence between Grifiin and i Wil-on. with regard to the length of It hue occupied by the hitter during his vi-it to i-'hixbourno. lie aniumd'vert!ed on the work of the Land Purchase ' Board, and iii.-t.mcod the acotiisitioii ; of the Nai Nai block, which had not ! been used for the purpose for which it j haul been acquired. Referring to the iTe Akat! blech. Mr Massev traced the history of Cue land and the dispute for its ownership between the Tainui and Ngntihangi tribes. which iinaily rosulted in the latter being adiud-'od The „,,,,...,-s. He reviewed the evidence relating to Mr Kaihan's share in the sale of the i:l.('(in acres to t!ie ; Crown. The whole of Hie transac- '!■"!-'■ !:e said, made one of tb.e most ; dishonest iu. id-aits in tile public life : of New Zealand. ;JTHE PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. i Sir Jr.sepii Ward ,- :i i,l the origin of , ti.r- time charges_ was an alienation of : co!— ufiiioi! and Tamiiimiyism oji tho . pr.rt ol ;:.o Coveriiincnt. lie had c-Mne . to ;"-e c.neiusi.iii that Mr >iii:e laid re- : luseti to divulge tie names bees use ■' present Go\-e;-?.:!vi.t v R.':iteciions hr.d i;st-:tion. Not' o:ie of' tho* charges | ' anything ,\ r. ag laid been found in " ; sion :.*!;-' Upon" 'the Admin'istrat'ioV. eoucerued._ That was the constitu- ' : tiou.'.i position. ■ j Mr Ma-scy : Tlu.t's a new doctrine. '■ .•-:!- .Joseph Ward: It is uot a new > doctrine. " C.-ntiiiuing. the Prime Minister referred To the fact that although the order of reference had allowed Mr iliac to bring any charges against the ; ; present (iovenmient. all those preferred concerned the Soddou AdministraIti.m. lie read a te'eeraia from Mr R. ' : P. tJr.-ville. district surveyor, contra- ' .dieting Mr Crifliifs evidence in regard ' Ito Mr Wilson's survey of the r'ie.M----1 .bourne property, also a" letter from Ivir l |{. McCaiium. of lili-:iheini. confirming 1 . AYilsou's statement as to tile hitter's 1 : visit to h'laxbcui-ne. ' ; Kei.lving to a:i iiiierleclion bv Mr 1 ! Massev. who -aid that Sir .Joseph ' ; Ward was shoUorine. himse:f behind a •;ile:;.l man. Sir .10-epii Ward referred .' if';'''i"" U '''.r, :;S - r '"; ay '}}y -! !;ui c.mtcmp--j he said tilis'w'as a" coui.dei't'h',l* one'. Ti'le lid -a 'being 'thaf"'iT could 'ee 'shewn' to 1 ! the directors and the i-.iitor „f the > ! •■Stratfoi-,1 Cost.'-' There was no

; <;ii''.--i.i'>i! that the lilta' was private ; u-.id €--u:i-iK-iiii-ii. j lv.-ffi-i-iini ;,; the fnuiin.-s or tli.> : Cemiaittor. Si:- .losroh WV.nl dorlared thai. Ill;- ..iilv ...iv v-.hi.-h Mr Massesi i;:ii'?. *-; is of valor had horn moved liv I Wiiisolf (Sir .!.,<,•.,ii Ward). Thiol,oh-|.->ut the vkl-.h!.- ].....-. no of'h-rrs Jul the GnvoriimoiiL il. -partim-nts lia;l | given cviucnor uiilmnr I>«-ti■ ij; examined ! by him as to ui,other thev know .it" allv i impropriety nil ilu. part of the loiI vrroinent. and in everv insiam.-o these ! men. «!..-, v.,--.- on oath, had replied in | ill.- 11.-alive. The s.lmle of tin- esjl::l-- :u-.|i!iri-ii eonmnlsorilv had heen pii.-oha.--.-i at '."■-.'i-J.il'".-.> thai, had I I;, -0., demanded hs- -he owner*. Sir .105e.,!, se.,!, W'a'-.l mioted from ilio evidence to ! s!--.,v thai, ill- Myers liad said the I tin- C0ver....0-t oi" the ilav. " The I Prime Mini.-t.-r vi.-ni on to ,!o.a! with the purchase of _ tin- To A.kon l-lcck, and said tho evidence she.', ed that the j Government svas noi. guilty of impropriety in oormo.iion therewith, nor cenld "it ho hold re-pon-aldo for tho action nf r. private 11:"r-.\■ • ■ ■ i-. In j-i----gnrd to th- Fiaxhn-.irne estate Mr S.dI (lon ,!i.-i<i Mt.-0.-oded ip c--f-c-:r.i; th.- ;s----trio'for .ClSl.unO. as ncninst oh.t.norl by i!;c owners. Vie would as!.; . tho House to pass a ros-.l'itieti do.ti- | in-.' with Mr Kailisn's a -otitr.inc o : i I pavmoiit for tho presentation of petij iio-is tr> th.e Hottso. tho honour and ! (li 'niiv of which must ho maintained. {The clmr-" o r Tainn-.a!v,-i--'ii had i.oi ho.-n proved, nor did <- t .-i-:-.::-i ion ,-,f I]-,.. J kind exist in tin- Doir-em-: that Mas 1 to he found in other cmuirics. MOVKT). J Mr Alien ir.oved a- an amendment, I that the, report o: the C nnmiir.ee be I agreed to. except so i'lii- as it referred ! to the To Aka-.t and J-'iaxbourno osi tatcs and the loiter from Mr Symos to i Mr MoChiggago. Mr Allen held that; the letter constituted a threat and contended that there vrn.s tmqucstional'lo evidence hat M"r Ivaihau had taken .tiOOO for conducting the rale to the Crown, £OOO of whieh went to p.-.y the costs of counsel. In his (Mr Allen's) opinion, the To Aknti' sale j-as not a clean transaction. Tn the Kiaxbnnrno case there wo- in '"' ■'"»■'' in show that the Thai. '!'. ! _-'. '.■■iVniaM | '''Th-": lo'ii'. Mr' Millar 'aid that some I ,o" -.:■:. (li !-,•<■'-;;.i-i memhei--- bad got in- ; to t'-.e li. it. -■■ by tae-in.. , I" the- mirbiiurd ! a- !-e o.n'i'id remember : '-i znihiie life '■ |. v.-a- ad-nitted hy Mr lline's e..iu:sol '■ tiraf there was no eharee .-orainst the | present Government and the evidence^

showed that its Administration was tin-j tainted by Tammanyism. lie replied ! ■ t i Mr Allen's remarks re Air Kaihau. j ■ The latter had worked for his tribe iu j various Courts, and it was for that he a received payment. Mr Mine could not I get a, complete verdict from, either the H House or the country. ! Mr Taylor deprecated the idea that ; a dead man's name should not he men- ■ . tinned, lie accused Mr Massev of ; I .-hindering tho House hy saying" that ! members were becoming lax in their, ideas of Parliamentary duty. As to i Mr Symes, he had no doubt ho was I prepared to do a corrupt action., but could not get tho necessary partner. Mr Kaihau should he called on to resign. Ho asked if some member of the executive had not benefited by the ! To Akau transaction. The net result 1 of the charges was to show that no I legislative assembly was cleaner tLan I ours. Mr'Taylur also alluded iu strong' terms to a pamphlet published about • the Premier. || Mr Massev replied to Mr Taylor, '} claiming that seven out of the ten (■barges had been proved, and had the i Committee based its finding on the evi- ■• deuce, all ten would have been proved. :! JJo denied that any member of the f Opposition was responsible for the | pamphlet referred to. He asked Mr j Taylor if his hands were clean. Mr Taylor: "Absolutely." Mr Massev said that he was glad he had nothing to do with the TaylorSeddon Jawnsit, but if he was free to say he knew he would make Mr Taylor very sorry. Mr Tr.vler said he could say what he liked. Mr Massr-y rejoined that others were r-oacerned, and went on to criticise the Ho-. Miliar's speech and challenge the aee;i'-:icy of the figures in the values of the estates taken by the Government. At 4.7 a.m. the debate! was adjourned till -_'.:>o p.:;.. The discussion was continued when the House met at 2.30 p.m. Mr TTerdman contended that the evidence- showed that Tammanyism did exist. AMENDMENT LOST. Mr Adieu's, amendments that the report lie adopted with the exception of puruuufl reiemug to the Te Akau block, the l-'laxbuurue estate, and the letter iron; Mr Symes to Mr KcCiuggage, was then put, and rejected by ! 40 voted to 2U votes. lu the House this evening the debate was resumed. Mr llernes gave an unqualified denial to the statement that he had ciraulaicd the pamphlet on Sir J. G. Ward's lite. He hoped ho stoud high enough, iu the estimation of tho House to bo credited with being above that, kind of thing. He did not believe in digging U p the faults of fellow members, but he considered it necessary to make some remarks on the Te Akau block purchase. He tmve a detailed history of this case from the beginning. He had always looked upon the Te Akau transaction as a peculiar one, and disccrditable to the Government. Mr Kaihau said lie had heard that persons had been paid to say he had received money for work done by him as a Member. He had nothing to do with the Horomona Watar-inihi petition until it was thrown out hy the House. There was something behind these charges which did uot appear on the surface. Kahau Huatare paid him ! £'lo for work done outside Parliament [ only. He maintained that the coni- : j mittee had been unable to find him i j guilty on any charge brought against . t h;m. If other members of the House . \ eouUl attend to their own. duties outf side the Hitise. why should he not at- ■ j tend to his in similar manner? He , j d>! nor. know now what he was guilty ■ i of. Tho Te Akau matter was simply i between Maoris and Maoris. . He knew \ the charges not really levelled j against him, and the House ought to . | uphold tho name of the Premier of I tilts or any other country. ■ | Mr P.angihiroa said the charge afj feeted the Maori race., as it was levelled !' against one of their four representatives. The Maori could not he expected, to understand pakeha ways. , The Maori system ox ethics and the I European system were totally different. - [ Mr Kaihau had broken no law- in the ' I statute book, and there was no law to i condemn him. Mr Massev had receiv- ' ed a presentation from his constituents - of a thousand pounds, and to the Maori m:uu this was quite the same thing. ■ | as happened in Mr Kaihau's case. : Mr Hir.e said, with reference to Mr ! j T. E. Taylor's remarks that he (Mr " ' Hiiio) had mixed more with cattle \ i than with men, that if all men were : j like Mr Taylor he would sooner mix ; j with cattle. No one in the House or tho whole countrv had anvthitig ' i toi do with the chartrVs he had laid. ! M :tli reference to "tho dead man," 1 j the thought of Mr Seddon had never entered his mind. His charges wero lev'ded at the Administration, and lie " believed that thev wore true. Mr ■ Myer- said that Mr Hi no had signally faded to prove Irs charges against the Government. There was nothing in } the evidence to show that the Government was implicated in the cases. The : Committee could have come to no , other conclusion than it did. The debate was continued by Messrs , McLaren. Malcolm, Fisher and LaurenI son. A REPRIMAND. After a .statement by Mr Ha nan : defending his actions as chairman, I Sir .Joseph Ward moved a resolution I to the effect that Mr Kaihau had been found guiliy of impropriety in accepting payment for services connected with Parliament, i The motion was carried, and Mr Kai- - ban was then .summoned before the l ll.'U-o to receive a reprimand. ! - The House rose at ti.3o a.m. - -