"NOTHING IS LOST SAVE HONOUR."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 4

"NOTHING IS LOST SAVE HONOUR."

Twice in the course of yesterdaj afternoon the Government was defeated on motions for the reduction of votes upon.the Estimates. This is no now thing, of -course, but the frequency with which Sin Joseph Ward is boing subjected to this indignity and the smallness of the impression that it makes upon his determination to cling to office at any cost_ will excuse a little general discussion of the position of the Government. In Great Britain, no Government would hesitate for a moment about resigning in the event of a hostile motion Toeing carried against it on the Estimates. That any British Government could be ' defeated again and again in this way is as unthinkable to British people as that .a cricketer could go on batting: after being clean-bowled. There are several interesting questions arising out of the Ward Administration-'? readiness to swallow any indignity that is offered to it. The first of course, is:- What would the Government accept as an intimation that it ought to get out ? We are not sufficiently jn the Prime Minister's confidence to answer the ' question with any positiyeness,but on the evidence of its defeats we. should be inclined to think that even if a formal motion of want of confidence fere carried against him, he would refuse to hand over, the conduct of affairs to somebody else. ' In that case the House would refuse Supply, and the Governor would.ultimately be required 1 to take steps on his own behalf, : and in : the' final" result' we. should probably have to rely upon a Supreme Court injunction -and".. a; posse of police toeject the Ministry from the premises.: This may seem a little fanciful,-but who.will say that it is not a fair deduction from the facts?.- . ■■■'.'-;. ;>-■••■'-'

'- The. second question [that, suggests itself, to us is:; Whaj; do'the. real friends of the Government think of it? The Government/itself ; perhaps does not realise that its position is an ignominious one, but we cannot believe that its supporters outside the House aro lost; to. the ''.decency, of things. Are.they,, we w.pnr der, proud, to support, a'Ministry; whose lust for the. sweets of: office, is.such.that it accepts without turn-v ing a hair a seriesjbf.snubs and de? feats .'any one of, which would ] e acl a Government with a particle of ■spirit and \with\any regard for; its political honour to hand ifi its resignation ?■'.'Are'.'they"heartened and uplifted by,these repeated .proofs, that their leaders prefer to ('take the cash and ;let > the'.credit'go," holding that the hanpy politician; is he who can eay that nothing: is'lost,:.save honour i. 'The ' Government can . say, of course, that these' '.defeats mean; nothing, sinco at the very ; ;beginninF-" of the session-its majority affirmed thatthe reduction ;of ; .a: vote;;on the Estimates need not' be accepted as :; a direction from the House. : But those members who laid down that rule are probably--.veryvsorry, .for.'themselves by now. ; They -would doubtless'; be glad if they, could recall their ; vojfces,,' and they would .assuredly vote, difr terently if the; chance .were"' offered; them, but this will not avail them, at the polls,rwhen; the electors' will not be allowed to forget their/action. We. really ...do ~npt know, which '.'cuts the sorrier figure—the'Goyerhjnent pr ; its complaisant party. .:_-; ;;• i: .: : ■;'