THE CRISIS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1570, 28 May 1887, Page 3

THE CRISIS.

THOUGH it is quite possible that the debate on the want of confidence motion may have closed during the small hours of the morning, and that shortly after this publication is m the hands of our readers the result may be known, the probability yesterday afternoon appeared to be that the stream would go on for another day or two. At the latest the issue will be decided before Wednesday, for we presume there will be a Monday sitting, and at present it seems about an even thing as to which way the balance will incline. According to the most recent advices the Opposition were confident of a small majority, while, on the other hand, the Ministerial whips were said to reckon at the worst on a tie and, possibly, a majority of one or two. Should the calculations of the former be .verified by the event, an appeal to the country is certain, while, should Ministers pull through, it may be anticipated, that they will succeed m 11 reaching Chicago "—-that, is to say, m prolonging their existence as a Government until the new Parliament meets m May of next year. In order to do this, however — as they will m any case have escaped defeat by the skin of their teeth— they will have to take counsel with their supporters and agree to a modification of their proposals. Some of the proposed increases of duty will have to be dropped, such as those which would fall with undue weight upon articles of general consumption, which cannot be produced within the colony ; and, to counterbalance the loss of revenue which this would involve, a more radical economy under various heads of expenditure must be resorted to. There is, indeed, ample room for this, and if the action of the Opposition results m bringing it about, they will have deserved well of the country. We sincerely hope this will be the outcome of the crisis, for an Opposition victory resulting m a dissolution and a consequent second , session would £>c a result very much to be deplored, for not only would the cost of another session this year go far to nullify any savings that can be effected m other directions, but it is not by any means lesirable that the continuous Ministry, with Sir John IJall at its head, should be restored to power. To judge from the speeches made on that side of the House, their policy would be that of raising an additional revenue acquired by repealing the exemption under the Property Tax, thus transferring the burden proposed to be laid by the present Government on the shoulders of the wealthy on those of the lower and middle classes, Again, to oust Sir Robert Stout and Mr Ballance, and replace them by Sir John Hall and Mr Rolleston, is to abandon a liberal land policy, and to place m power the very men who are most lively to favor th,e extension of the privileges of the big block holders. We nave not forgotten the extension of the Canterbury run holders' leases m 1879, and we do not torget that m little more than two years' lime these extended leases will again fall m. We hold it to be of the most vital interest to the cause of settlement that when that happens a liberal Ministry should be m power, and that reason alone, were there none other, induces us to hope that the present Government will mm more weather the 6tort».