MR. LUSK, M.H.R., ON POLITICAL MORALITY IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 223, 10 August 1877, Page 15

MR. LUSK, M.H.R., ON POLITICAL MORALITY IN NEW ZEALAND.

The press of this Colony and of England generally are often severe in their censure of the barefaced political rascality of our American cousins ; but corrupt as the American Government may be, it must be purity itself compared with ours if the following statement of Mr. Lusk, a member of the H.R., be true. If it be untrue, what is to be thought of Mr. Lusk himself ?—"? — " Well, gentlemen, I opposed the Counties Bill as strenuously as I could. It passed the House, it has come to be law, and it has proved to be a complete failure. It has broken down utterly. Nothing could be more contemptible 1 than the result of tbis experiment in constitution mongering. Throughout the whole Colony it has been rejected by almost every large and intelligent body of electors. It has been, indeed, accepted in two or three places — principally gold-fields, where there are exceptional advantages held out to induce the people of such localities to accept it, and the bribes of a political character which I may affirm it holds out to them. Such bribes were open to acceptance in a great many other places, but 1 am glad to say tliey were rejected. I could, however, mention one place in this where this matter came under my notice, and wfiere a bribe i equivalent to something like was offered if tite people there toould only work the Act as it toas called. The people fell into a trap. They said, ' Yes, we will work the Act,' and they did bring it into full operation and said, ' Noio, give us the money' ( Laughter ) But they have never got the monei/, and what is more, I believe they never will get it. (Laughter and cheers.)." I think Mr. Lusk better consulted his own safety than the public interest and his own credit when he made such an assertion in the way he did without giving names, dates, and places Will he have the pluck to repeat it in his place in the House ? We shall see. True, the people "in a great many places," it is said, rejected the offered bribes, and so showed their honesty and their prudence. But what idea must the Government have had of them when they insulted them by such an offer ? A Government which will try to corrupt the people by bribes in this way deserves to be impeached as criminals. If Mr. Lusk have made a false statement in so grave a matter what does he deserve P At least expulsion from the House with ignominy, I should say. In my opinion we ought to treat the character of the Government with as much tenderness and justice as we treat the reputation of private persons. Mr. Lusk made this damaging statement against the Government at a meeting of his constituents in the important agricultural district of Franklin. You will notice his charge was received amid cheers and laughter. In my opinion that showed a tioinewhat low state of political morality in the Franklin district.

It was surely no matter either for mirth or exult ition to hear so grave an imputation on the Government of the country. Had the statement been met with groans and hisses it would have been more to the credit of those concerned. Some one might have asked the speaker in common fairness to give names and particulars, if he wished his story to be credited. Laic. Auckland;