THE TELEGRAPHIC ENQUIRY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3361, 2 December 1871, Page 3

THE TELEGRAPHIC ENQUIRY.

(From the Colonist, November 21.) "Whether is it better, when matter-of-fact is at stake, and deliberately misstated, to quietly censure the error by a mild periphrase, to the effect that certain assertions are the result of " insufficient consideration ;" or, in plain frank Saxon, to say, with reference to a matter noticed below, that the " Nelson Examiner," or its "staff" of amateur writers, or both, are guilty of wilful and perverse untruth ? Perchance, in preference to making the latter statement, which even though perfectly true, might sound harshly, it would be better first to examine what has been affirmed by such reckless, or worse writers, and then compare these assertions with facts now indubitably certain. For months the " intelligent gentlemen" who disport their rotund and occasionally turgid periods in the columns of that unhappy paper, denounced the Government as stealevs of telegrams specially sent to one paper or association, and as giving them to a Ministerial journal in Wellington ; as keeping back other telegrams from an Opposition paper in the same town, in order that the Independent should have an unjust priority of publication. These and similar charges formed stock articles for the " Examiner," and suudry other papers ; and the chief calumniator of the Ministry, Mr G. B. Barton, who at one time edited the " Otago Daily Times" until the proprietors gave him his conge, raved on the subject in print until he induced many to accept his figments as true, although important facts, which were wilfully kept back by him, were more than once published, and completely refuted the accusations. Unfortunately, it seems, among that peculiar class of writers who constitute the contributors to the Opposition journals, that their idea of partizanship consists in inventing disgraceful charges against Ministers, and reiterating them without attempting to examine the facts. Forgetting that prime fundamental rule which every real journalist acts on — the ascertainment of his facts, and the working out of these from evidence, — these people, particularly in this case, havegoneonheapingupimaginary occurrences without examining the probabilities of the other side. We take leave to say that the reason why any accusations against public men which have appeared in our columns have been fully borne out, and have stood the brunt of Opposition writing, and legal and legislative enquiry, was simply that we traced out main points in the chain of evidence before we preferred the charges. Mr Stafford and Sir David Monro, will bear witness to this ; and it exhibits some degree of temerity in a paper partly supported by these gentlemen, to continue the practice of false accusation. Nothing ever underwent more complete demolition than the extensive fabric of false accusations which led to the appointment of the telegraph enquiry. That enquiry was heralded, both before and after the sitting of parliament, as something that would turn Ministers out, and expose a rottenness of administration beyond parallel. Out of the accusers' own mouths came the vindication of the Ministers, and their own thorough condemnation. Opposition energy brought Mr Stafford, like a second Balaam on the Pisgah of the Opposition benches, to curse and confound the Ministry, and behold in his report he " blessed them altogether." Instead of the " Independent" receiving the " Daily Times'" telegrams, or any portion of them, from the Government or the Telegraph Department, it appeared from the evidence that, on that particular occasion, the Independent had two sets of telegrams, both of which were paid for as usual. Acting after its customary fashion, it does not suit the " Examiner" to narrate these facts or any others which exhibit the total falsity of the charges in which it has so long revelled. It prefers to re open other accusations to the effect that Mr Fox influenced the elections, and, as usual, it invents further calumnies, thus : — "All Llio Ministers, with the exception of Mr Fox, appears to have recognised tlio indecency of using Mio telegraph free {or party purposes. But Mr Fox had no such scruples. At Motneka his policy was challenged openly by a formidable opponent. Tbat opponent was to ho defeated if possible. The wires were accordingly put in requisition, and the newspnper which^rt^.'ports tho great South Sea bubble derived its inspiration from tho Prime Minister of the colony. By that gentleman's own showing, £10 worth of telegrams at least passed backwards and forwards on tho subject of the Motueka election. But who shall tell what the rmturo of those telegrams was, or what; wero the hopes, tho fears, and the promises contained in all this correspondence between tho liberal Premier and tho gentlemen in Neleon to whom ho thought proper to accord the use of tho wires —with nothing to pay ? " We cannot but. express our regret that the Committee did not direct their attention to the subject of the interft rence of the Executive Government at elections. Wo know nothing more contemptible than the £10 view , of the matter. But there is a different aspect

of the question. Ifc is an affair of roomy only in the second degree. We don't care what the telegraphing of the executive costs : comparatively, that is with tho other principle at stake. It may net cost the country ono farthing. But wo have a great regard for tho freedom and independence of election, and when Ministers as Ministers interfere in elections, we maintain that freedom of election and public spirit are compromised, and the representation of the people becomes a mere sham to cloak and cover corruption." It is fitting and proper that the word " corruption" should be coupled by the " Examiner" with the Molueka election. None knows better than that journal bow that corruption flowed and the fountain whence it sprang, from the bribing of the Germans, the subornation of personation, the canvassing of the returning officer, down to the victorious casting vote which proved a costly victory, and the forerunner of a greater defeat. It is totally untrue that this journal drew its inspiration as to its action in tho Motueka election from the Prime Minister. The course this journal took on that occasion wa3 one it always had taken ever since the election for Picton in IS6I, and what followed that occurrence. Wo have no desire to open old wounds, hut as tho " Examiner" insists on this, a few fact 9 may he stated. After our first article on Sir David Monro's clockwork performance an article appeared in tho " Examiner" denying the allegation, and bringing the Speaker's watch and some purely imaginary error of the clock into play. We believe that article was inspired if not actually written by Sir David Monro, and when Sir David filed his affidavit in the action against the " Colonist," that belief appeared to be confirmed. Our in formation as to the clock was gained from Nelson members years ago, and from the Blue Books of the Houso. We had no communication with Mr Fox on the subject until the '"Examiner" denied that Mr Fox had moved in the House a resolution implying censure of Sir David Monro's proceedings. A telegram \va9 sent to Mr Fox setting forth this denial, staling a belief that Sir David Monro was its author, pointing out our authority in the Blue Book, and asking for information ; because, if Sir David Monro, or tho "Examiner" were right, we and the Blue Book were wrong; and if wrong we should have withdrawn the accusation. Enquiry confirmed the facts which we had stated and commented on. That telegram and others were paid for by us. Some subsequent ones were franked, but these were after the elections were over, and after Sir David Monro had laid his information against us, in that curious affidavit which does not agree with the Blue Book of the period. No one will say that there was anything culpable in applying for and obtaining notes of evidence to rebut a quasi criminal charge from one who, had the case gone on, would necessarily have been the chief witness. The whole question as to the telegraphing of Ministers resolves itself into the payment of a few telegrams. There was no ministerial influence ; we required no assistance, no inspiration to discuss Sir David Monro and his politics and political history, with which some reading, a good deal of listening to Council and electioneering eloquence, and a little ordinary observation made us fully acquainted. As for the " fears." the " hopes," and the " promises," so sweetly insinuated, these, unhappily for the earnest enquirer of the " Examiner," were markedly absent. No promises could be violated, none being made. Fears and hopes we certainly had ; but these we judicially kept to ourselves. There were strong hopes springing from the strict justice of the cause we advocated, ! and some fears lest that justice should miscarry, through possible influence, and what in America is termed political " engineering." Fortunately that influence and that engineering were both frustrated ; the right prevailed ; just a3 it has done over those miserable partizans and politicians whose unscrupulous conduct has been shown by this j enquiry, and has covered them with confusion. We cannot close these remarks better than by quoting part of the Hon John Hall's speech, when the telegraph enquiry committee was moved for : — " Ho felt certain, from what he know of tho officer at tho head of that department, that even if a Minister had desired to violate tho secrecy of the telegraph — although he did not suppose that Ministers would bo guilty of anything of tho kind — tbat officer would have prevented their doing so, and would rather sacrifice his position than permit it to be done. Ho was glad, thei'eforo that the committee had been agreed to, and ho felt quite sure that the result would give an authoritative contradiction to tho impression ho had referred to. He could not sit down without saying that, in his opinion, a very heary responsibility as well as great blame attached to the persons who had not scrupled to spread throughout the colony such injurious and infamous impressions ; he did not care who they were, or to what party they bo'onged. Having been connected with tho department, and knowing most of the officers, ne ho did, ho felt that the circulation of such reports was one of tho most scandalous and libellous proceedings that any person could be guilty of. Tho telegraph department was ono which, from its very character as a medium to tho public of confidential communication, should bo above all suspicion, and it was for that; reason that he was glad that this investigation had been agreed to." These words were prophetic as well as retrospective, and the scandalous fabric wh'ch the persons referred to attempted to raise, has crumbled like dust before the force of their own evidence.