The Dominion. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1911. THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1314, 18 December 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1911. THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION.

Wβ have shown in previous articles on the political situation after tho elections tho impossibility 'of: the Ward Administration surviving a no-confidonee motion. On Saturday we annlysed tho strength of parties and made it clear that tho best the Government could hone for on a noconfidence motion was to be in a minority of three. In arriving at that conclusion we gave the Government every doubtful vote, including three Native votes. Already, however, there are further signs of disruption in the ranks of the Ministerial following. Mih G. \V. HijSsell has intimated to his constituents tliat lie recognises that he received tbe support of a number of Oppositionists and that he will vote on public measures from a non-party standpoint. Mn. Kaiiiau, who has previously supported the Waud Administration, and whose chances for the Western, Maori electorate arc most favoured, is also said to have intimated that ho will lend his assistance to Mt.. Massey. In fact the position of the Government is very -much weaker than wo have stated it to be. It is interesting iii the circumstances to recall what happened in 1891 "after the defeat of the Atkinson Government at the polls, more especially to recall the attitude then adopted by the Leader of the Continuous Ministry which has just met a deserved fate at the hands of the electors. It will bo recalled that after the elections which took place early in December. 1890, the Atkinson Government were left in a minority and Parliament was summoned to meet on January 2lj, ISfll. The' election of a Sneaker was made a test, question, and the Government were defeated by 7 voles. linmrdi•ately after the division, Mi:. Mrrcmr,i,soN, 011 behalf of the Government, announced that the. Premier had tendered his resignation and the resignation of the Government and that Ministers were merely occupying their present position until their successors had been appointed. The Atkinson Government thus went out of office a few weeks after the elections. . The point of particular interest just now is tho attitude which Mi:. Bauaxce and his colleagues took up respecting the delay which had' occurred on the part, of the Atkinson Government in resigning office. On January 28, in reply to a remark by Dr.. Newman, who had urged the Atkinson Government that if they were in a minority they should immediately resign, Mi;. Baixance said : 1 hold that the linn, gentleman was perfectly rifjht, and if (hoy had taken Ins advice no doubt that party would shmd 111 ii better position than it doe.s. and HlO country would Invo been saved considerable expense, through their persisting in retaining office when they must have known, that they hiul not 'a niajorify. This was the view of Mn. Bai.lance, and in it he was supported by his party. The Hon , . W. P. Reeves, speaking on the Addrcss-in-Roply, laid down the position as follows: The late Ministry had a plain constitutional duty to perform, and that wa.s to resign, seeing that a majority of members opposed to them had distinctly been returned. What is the rudimentary constitutional principlo in such discs'? That when thero is a majority in tho House, of Parliament opposed to tho Government, mid who have no confidence iu that Government, tho Government resign and the Leader of tho Opposition is sent lor. Aow there was si majority of tkoso members opposed to the Lite Government nml who had no eonlidpnoc in them, thereupon they should at oneo have resigned and tho Leader of tho Opposition .should hare been sent for. We do not suppose that the Pimm Minister, will venture fo question the soundness of this reasoning nor can we see how he can possibly profess to believe that there is 'not a majority in the new Parliament opposed to him. But if he really has any doubts on the subject and refuses to resign until those doubts are removed, there is only one course open to him; that is to afford Parliament an immediate opportunity of expressing its opinion. This means a session early in the Xuw Year, and if Sir. Joseph Waisd has any consideration for his own reputation and that of his party he will faco tho situation fairly and recognise his obvious dutj.