THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1302, 30 July 1886, Page 3

THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

[From the Mail.}

The debate on the Loan Bill has resulted, as was all along anticipated, in a substantial majority for the Government, and it is to be hoped that after a week spent in party discussion, the House will now proceed with the business of the country. The members of the Government have, however, shown themselves very poor tacticians throughout the whole business. They could have easilybroughtthe debate to a termination by refusing to adjourn on Friday night last, instead of themselves ill-advisably asking for the adjournment, and had they taken this obviously prudent course they would not, in all probability, have been encountered by any amendments at all; but, having given every opportunity to their opponents to frame a means of attack, they have only themselves to blame for the waste of time that has resulted. The amendment of the hon. member for Mataura was very sk'lfully conceived, and was doubtless the outcome of a party consultation, its evident aim being to detach votes from the Government side by apparently opening up possibilities of larger expenditure upon the Helensvllle, Napier, Palmerston, and Otago Central lines. A glance at the division list will show that this was to some extent successful, two or three members who usually vote in the Ministerial lobby voting or pairing in favor of the amendment, obviously because they could not see their way to oppose the proposed larger expenditure upon line? in which their constituents are specially interested. But it was only very few members who were moved by such a consideration, it being clear that even had the amendment been carried there was by no means a certainty of the votes for these particular lines being increased. Unless increases were proposed by the Government itself it was impossible that they could be made, as it is not competent to any private member to move an increase of a proposed appropriation. We do not suppose for a moment that the Opposition was sanguine enough to think that there was any chance of the amendment being carried, but it gave an opportunity, evidently ardently desired, of traversing the whole policy of the Government, and getting rid of a vast accumulation of political bile. There was some excellent hard hitting on both sides and plenty of indication of the determined struggle that will be made at the next election by the Atkinson-Rolleston party to return to place and power. The leaders of that party, regarding themselves as having a prescriptive right to office, are consumed with disappointment and anger at the steady increase in prestige and influence of the Government, and the overflow of wrath which has marked the past week evidences the earnestness of their determination to endeavor to destroy that prestige, in the hope that their own waning influence may be the sooner restored. Doubtless if they will have patience the wheel of time will bring them back to the positions they so longingly covet, but patience is a virtue of which they appear to possess an unusually small share. Fret and fume as they may though, they must wait a little longer, whether patiently or not, for with a solid mai jority of thirteen for Ministers, it is j evident that their time has not yet I come.