THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Evening Star, Issue 3006, 7 October 1872, Page 4

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[By Electric Telegraph.]

(From the New Zealand Press Association.) October 4.

The No Confidence Resolution was moved by Mr Vogel in a speech of a little over two hours. He commenced by explaining why he,'instead of Mr Fox, moved the resolution, Mr Fox, although not intending to retire from public life, did not desire again to occupy a seat in the Ministry. He expressed great regret at this determination. He brought the motion forward upon three grounds First, that Ministers obtained their seats on false pretences. Second, because of the personnel of the Ministry. Third, because of the consequences sure to follow if they retained office. The present Ministers’ only idea of policy seemed to be to grope in the footsteps of their predecessors. Instead of one Superintendent, there were three now in the Ministry, and an exProvincial Secretary, who had very properly been dismissed from that office. The old Ministry was blamed tor its anti-Pro-vincial policy ; the new one showed its affection for the Provinces by taking away the > tamp Duties and Road Board grant. '1 he laf:e Ministry had been blamed with regard to the Brogden contracts, and for not accepting Proudfoot’s tender. Mr Reid’s statement never mentioned either matter, although the letter was quite as open to him as to his predecessors. It was good for the members of the late Government that they had been turned out, as their successors the hollowness of the pretences on which they hiid been turned out. The Budget was not an extraordinary production. It was evidently compiled with an intention to make things as bad as possible, and it proved the correctness of the late Government that their state ment was worse than their opponents could make out. He then criticised the Financial Statement at great length. He deeply regret ed the proposal to abandon the Road Board grant, which had been most valuable' The late Government had intended to meet Mr Reynolds’s resolutions, not by the previous question, but by a distinct amendment that such a change was impracticable and inadvisable. He believed that sooner or later tbe Provinces in the two Islands would be consolidated ; but Separation was impracticable, as the Imperial Government would never allow it. He could not countenance any removal of the seat of Government, although such had been imminent owing to Messrs Fitzherbert and Bunny’s action. He then criticised the in r dividual members of Mr Stafford's Ministry at length. With regard to Mr Stafford hj msdf, he said he would be sorry if the vote should result in the country losing his services. He believed the Ministers ■would carry out the Colonisation policy with the view.of making it a failure, so as to justify their own predictions. He was altogether opposed to reconsidering the railways already authorised. He thought the proposed bridle-track to Kaikoura was in no way a work of Colonial importance, as it was only for the benefit of a few stationholders. Thousands of places had a greater claim. He declared that the condition of the West Coast must be dealt with this session, and if be returned to office he would deal with the matter He denied that it was possible for Mr Stafford to carry out Mr M ‘Lean’s Is’ative policy. He believed that Ministers were also hostile to the Government Assurance Scheme. In the Legislative Council they had struck out the clause in tbe Bill r quiring assurance companies to deposit a security. The San Francisco Service could never become a success under their management. The results of the present administration would be that Native affairs would be put into disorder, the Road Boards crushed out of existence, West Coast interests sacrificed to those of a clique, a a number of detached and unfinished railways, and the country in the state of depres : sion which it was formerly in under Mr Stafford. He condemned the proposal to abandon the confiscated lands, but admitted that the Colony was now pledged to carry out what the Ministry, whatever its tenure of office, had promised.