I.—6b

6

the self-reliant non-borrowing policy has affected our public works expenditure during the last few years, I give the following figures, which represent the total expenditure under the Public Works Fund during each of the years mentioned, and which bear eloquent testimony to the self-sacrificing spirit exhibited by our colonists in accepting with thorough good will the decreased expenditure which that policy has entailed, and which also afford the fullest evidence of the resources and capabilities of the colony, seeing that, notwithstanding this enormous diminution in our loan expenditure, the country is becoming year by year more prosperous, and its financial position steadily improving. The figures showing the loan expenditure during the several years are as follows—namely: 1885-86 £1,475,386 ; 1886-87, £1,333,484 ; 1887-88, £966,159; 1888-89 £613,939; 1889-90,482,464; 1890-91,334,756; 1891-92,295,978." (The correct expenditure for 1891-92 was £391,511.) " 4. A reference to the small table printed at page 2 of the Public Works Statement would have shown that the statement on page 14 was inaccurate. On page 2 the total expenditure is put down as £491,612, but a note is added that in this amount there was included £100,000 which had been paid off the floating debt. Deducting this sum from the £491,612 it will be seen that the expenditure on public works was £391,612. The small credit of £111 had not been brought forward when this table was constructed. " 5. A reference also to Table C of the Public Works Statement would have shown that the amount given on page 14 of the Statement was inaccurate; it there appeared as £391,612. " 6. The Statement as altered by Mr. Blow was circulated as follows—viz.: To the Eeader of the House twenty-five copies, on the 3rd October, and twelve copies on the 6th; none to the Council, and three hundred and sixty-three to departments of the Government. "7. The Hansard report of the Public Works Statement was corrected, so that the correct amount of the expenditure appears in it. "8. The Public Works Statement was discussed on the motion for going into Committee of Supply on the sth October. In this debate reference was made to the error in the text of the Statement by the Hon. Mr. Mitchelson and the Hon. Mr. Eichardson: and the error was not contradicted or explained. The debate did not conclude until after 4 a.m., and Mr. Seddon lost his right of reply, he having been asleep when the Speaker put the motion. "9. The next time that the Public Works Statement came up for reference in the House was on the debate on the Public Works Appropriation Act, on the 10th October, the day before the prorogation ; but neither then nor on any other day was any reference made by Mr. Seddon to the error, and Parliament was prorogued on the 11th October. " 10. It will be seen from the above statement of facts that Mr. Seddon did not alter the Public Works Statement; and it is clear to the Committee that he was not informed of the alteration until the sth October, during the debate on the motion to go into Supply. He then asked Mr. Blow for an explanation of the error which had been discovered by the Hon. Mr. Mitchelson and the Hon. Mr. Eichardson, and was then informed by Mr. Blow that it was an error, and that he had corrected it. " 11, The fact that Mr. Seddon was asleep when the Speaker put the motion to go into Committee of Supply probably led to his not replying to the comments made in the House about the mistake. "12. It is in evidence that corrections in tables attached to the Public Works and Financial Statements have been made not infrequently after they have been delivered, but that on only one occasion has any alteration been made in the text. This was in a Financial Statement delivered by Sir Julis Vogel; in this instance the alteration was made known to the House, and a corrected Statement was issued to honourable members. " 13. The Committee are of opinion that, in altering the text of a Ministerial Statement after it had been laid before Parliament, and without even informing the Minister of what he had done, Mr. Blow committed a grave indiscretion. They consider that no alteration of any parliamentary paper, after it had been laid on the table of the House, should be made without the sanction of the House." Besolved, on the motion of the Hon. Sir B. Stout, That the draft report be taken paragraph by paragraph. Mr. Guinness moved, That in the preamble, after the figures " 1892," to insert the words " and the charges made by the Hon. Mr. Bolleston that the Hon. the Premier had made a silent, secret, surreptitious alteration of the Public Works Statement." Upon the question being put, "That the words proposed to be inserted be so inserted," a division was called for, and the names' were taken down as follow:— Ayes, 3: Mr. Guinness, Mr. Tanner, Hon. Mr. Ward. Noes, 7: Hon. Sir J. Hall, Mr. G. Hutchison, Mr. J. Mills, Dr. Newman, Mr. Saunders, Hon. Sir B. Stout, Mr. Wright. Motion lost. Words not inserted. Mr Tanner proposed, after the figures "1892," in the said second line, to insert the words " and the charge made thereon." Upon the question being put, a division was called for, and the names were taken down as follow :— Ayes, 6 : Mr. Guinness, Mr. J. Mills, Dr. Newman, Mr. Saunders, Mr. Tanner, Hon. Mr. Ward. Noes 4 : Hon. Sir J. Hall, Mr. G. Hutchison, Hon. Sir B. Stout, Mr. Wright. Motion agreed to. Words inserted. Preamble, as amended, agreed to. Mr. Guinness moved to strike out all the words after the word " House " in line 2 down to the figures " 295 " inclusive in line 4. Upon the question being put, it was passed in the negative.