CABLE NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2365, 4 December 1908, Page 5

CABLE NEWS

COMMONWEALTH POLITICS THE VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT. DIRECT WANT OF CONFIDENCE MOTION. United Press Association. Copyright MELBOURNE; Dec. 3. Mr Murray, a member of the Country Party, moved a direct want of confidence in the Government. The party decided not to support Mr Cameron’s motion, but to take separate action. Tho leader of the Labor Party intimates that Mr. Murray’s motion has his assent.

MR. MURRAY’S SPEECH

THE MOTION CARRIED.'

(Received Dec. 3, 10 p.m.)

MELBOURNE, Dec. 3

Mr. Murray, in moving his want-of-confidence motion, said that his charge against the Government- was that it had done nothing according to fixed principles. Ever since Sir Thongs Bent’s advent it had become more and more a one-man Government. Sir Thomas Bent was weak, vacillating, and extravagant, and had outlived his usefulness as leader of the Government.

Mr. Watt charged Sir Thomas Bent with making a false statement in denying the purchase of land along the St. Kilda tramway. He had misled Parliament by stating that he had no land along the route and then secured tho pa&s&igo of the Bill which placed thousands of pounds in his own pockets.

Sir Thomas Bent characterised Mr. Watt’s statement as untrue, and said that tho route lie had proposed for the line had not been adopted, tho present rente taking its place.*" A syndicate of ten, including himself, purchased the land at auction. He bought that because it was on the route, and made no secret of the purchase.

DEFEAT OF BENT GOVERNMENT

(Received Dec. 4, 12.45 a.m.)

MELBOURNE, Dec. 4. Mr. Murray’s want-of-confidence motion was carried by 37 to 25.

THE QUEENSLAND BUDGET. A SATISFACTORY STATEMENT (Received Dec. 3, 11.35 p.m.)

BRISBANE, Dec. 3. The AdcTress-in-Reply was carried by 32 to 26. •

The Treasurer delivered his Budget. The revenue last year was £4,488,00(1. The year closed’ with a surplus' ol £'115,200. Loan expenditure was. £1,034,000, whereof £885,000 was spent on railways. The loan expenditure for the coming year was estimated at £1,596,000. Deposits in the Government savings bank had increased in four years by £1,180,000. The deposits in the Government banks equal nearly £SO per family, a gratifying index of tlie general prosperity of the State. He estimated the revenue for the current year at £4,595,700, and the expenditure at. £4,590,500. Ho urged the need of keeping a close rein on expenditure in order to prevent additional taxation.