The Bank and the Ministry.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 478, 10 July 1890, Page 3

The Bank and the Ministry.

MR HUTCHISON'S CHARGES. A telegram of Monday night states: —The member for Waitotara on Wednesday last made a series of charges against the Ministry, strongly censuring them for their connection with the Bank of New Zealand, and accusing them of instructing the Agent General to bolster up the position of the bank in London. These charges were formulated in the Evening Press of Friday under the heading of “ Mr Hutchison’s indictment against the Ministry,” and they created no little sensation amongst members. The Press to-night contains the following letter from the Premier to Mr Hutchison :—“Sir, —l enclose extracts from the Evening Press of yesterday. I have delayed taking any steps in reference to the subject of them till I should be in possession of an authentic version cf the statements you did make. It appears to me that the extracts supply what I require, but in order to avoid any mistake, I take the precaution of asking you to be so good as to inform me whether you are correctly represented by the statement that the extracts contain ‘ the essence and substance of • the charges made by the member for Waitotara in his speech on Wednesday last, which he is prepared to support before a committee of the House.’—lam, sir, your obedient servant, H, A. Atkinson.” Mr Hutchison replied to the Premier’s letter as follows “ Sir,—ln answer to your letter, received this afternoon, I beg to state that the extract you enclose headed *Mr Hutchison’s Wednesday’s indictment against the Ministry,’ does correctly express what I stated in the House. I hope by Monday afternoon to forward you a proof of the Hansard report, so that you may be able to consider the charges in detail.—Yours truly, G. Hutchison.” ACTION BY GOVERMNENT. The H.B. Herald’s Wellington correspordent telegraphs:—Tha Government have determined to take vigorous measures with regard to the charges made by Mr Hutchison with reference to the alleged action of Ministers in connection with the Bank of New Zealand and its difficulties. They are only waiting for the Hansard proof of Mr Hutchison’s speech to take prompt action. Had the proof cf the speech been ready as was expected to-night the Premier would have given notice directly the House met to-morrow of a motion for a select committee to investigate the charges. By his correspondence with Mr Hutchison, Sir Harry Atkinson has pinned the member for Waitotara down to certain specific issues, and the investigation will deal with these. Tho Government will not agree to meet any more “ spread eagle ” collection of vague general charges, but will insist on the various counts of the indictment being explicitly specified, and on the evidence being relevant to those counts. I understand that Mr Hutchison's accusation will mostly be shown to be due to pure blunders, on his part, owing to misconception or ignorance of the figures with which he deals so glibly, but inaotnnitelyi