THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 634, 11 August 1882, Page 3

THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE MOTION.

The great want of confidence debate commenced at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. The galleriee were crowded when Major Atkinson opened the attack by moving the Boeond reading of the North Island Trunk Railway Loan Bill. His speech is described ac rather labored, even by his frieflde, but was very elaborate, clear, and cogent. Of Mr Montgomery's speech, whiclj followed as a matter of course, thts times' correspondent fiave:—"He then v/eot m In a Much more vigorous etyfe thiri ie usual with him, which dfetir ftfrtfr warm applause from his party, to attack the loan proposals of the Government* The trunk railway in the North Island afforded him a chance of hitting the Government hard. That the aforesaid railway will be made where it will command most votes is an assertion that is made on all sides. With a swing of hie hand, Mr Montgomery dubbed it a kind of pendulum, the fixed point of which rested at Te Awamutu, and the free end was still swinging about, every one Rβ yet uncertain whether it would stop in Hawke's Bay, Rangitikei, or Taranaki. At this there was great laughter, which increased, when he asked if that was the sort of plan to lay before a House full of sensible men. The Blenheim line he also attacked, averring that the proposal to take the railway by the coast was most■ iniqaitoue; it would simply mean enrich- [ ing three or four large runholders to the' extent of half a million of money. The . conclusion of his speech was marked by ' just aa mach confidence in the favorable ; issue of the debate as was the Treasurer's, ; As an. effort of oratory, it was, perhaps, the best that Mr Montgomery has yet delivered." ; Of tlie other speeches made, Mr Dela- j tour's and Sir John Hall's were much the best. There seems to be no hope of a speedy division, as members will insist on speaking to their constituencies. Both sides «ay they are confident of victory. The Ptass correspondent 6ays :—" The Ministerial whips count on a Government majority of at least six. The Opposition reckon that each side has fort3 - -four votes certain, and that the other six are *• .lonbt fa I," but tiie Ministerialists claim all these alleged " doubtfuls, J, and I fancy it will turn out that they are not very fur wrong, although personally I do not put the •' safe " majority for Government at more than four ; but on the otter hand it is exceedingly likely that besides all the i v doubtf tils " they will get one, if not two, who are fully relied on by the Opposition, in which case their majority would be proportionately swelled. To-night some of the more enthusiastic Opposition boast j that they are almost certain of a tie. and that all will turn on a single doubtful vote ; but iigainat this the similarly sanguine ultra Ministerialists proclaim that they expect to have ten or twelve to the good."