ANOTHER PARLIAMENTARY SCANDAL IN MELBOURNE.

West Coast Times, Issue 579, 2 August 1867, Page 6

ANOTHER PARLIAMENTARY SCANDAL IN MELBOURNE.

Considerable interest was taken last night iv the proceedings of t h e Huuse, jo^ie-'-' Argus" of the 18th| with regard to the charges of corruption preferred against certain members of the Assembly in connection with the claim of Mr Hargrcaves, (the gold discoverer.) Mr Syme, the proprietor of the "Age," and' Mr. Hargreaves were both examined at the bar of the Assembly, andn&ther succeeded in impressing the Assembly with any exalted idea of their candour or straightforwardness. Mr Syme, after naming Mr Hargreaves as his authority, and stating that he had applied to several persons for corroboration of the charges made by that gentleman, insinuating that he had seen several members on the subject, retraced his steps, and said Mr Hargreaves was his only authority. He also first stated thai Mr Hargreaves had first named a person not a member of the House as the author of the infamous proposal for wholesale bribery, and subsequently said that no person at all was named. 4 Mr Hargreaves denied that he had over stated that any member of Parliament was implicated in any attempt at bribery, but said that the proposition fora payment of ten per cent, and the purchase of six members of Parliament at LSO each was made by Mr Butters to him, and that his negotiations with that gentlman extended Over a period of five years. Mr G. P. Smith, on Mr Butters's -behalf, denied that any such proposition had been made by that gentleman. On the contrary, he had lent Hargeavcs money, but on his discovering that according to Hargreaves's own statement he was using the money to fee membors of Parliament, he refused his application for a third cheque. Ultimately the matter was referred to a s elect committee, which is to meet this day, at eleven o'clock. It is matter for regret that the House was not so claim and dignified iv dealing with this matter as it should have been. The turbulent element was first aroused by Mr M'Kean, who succeeded in making himself a perfect bore ; -whilst tho irrepressible Messrs G. P. Smith and M'Lellan both acted in. an extraordinary and altogether uncalled for mauuer. It would be likewise well for Mr J. Edwards if he paid more attention to tho ruling of the Speaker, instead of attempting, in the most unjustifiable way — as he "too frequently does— to insinuate that that functionary is guilty of partiality and unfair conduct.