Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1873. THE MINISTERIAL DEFEAT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1448, 7 October 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jur are in verba magistri. MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1873. THE MINISTERIAL DEFEAT.

The exultation indulged in by Mr Vogel's party in this Pi evince on the defeat of the Stafford Ministry appears to us to be rather premature j and considering the unworthy means adopted by the Opposition to bring it about, |t is anything hut a fit subject for gratulation, It is premature to rejoice over it, as the probabilities are; greatly in favor of a dissolution, because, should the Opposition regain office, the very first- discussion might and probably would ,*ee them again defeated. Moreover, the Ministry so recently formed, and defeated by so narrow a majority t —not to mention the means by which that majority was obtained—are constitutionally entitled to appeal to the Colony : and such an appeal, we believe, would confirm the former well-considered and mature decision of the which ■was ariived at after a long debate on the merits of the question; and rever.se the decision of Friday, which was taken prematurely, and we believe unexpectedly by the House. Bql Mr Stafford, it may be asserted, -was himself to blame for taking up the question so promptly, and bringing on the division without discussion. This, however, was altogether to. his credit, and his doing so contrasts most favorably with the action of the late Ministry ■when placed under similar circumstances. Each occasion of the introduction of the want of confidence motion has been mar-keel by the absence of a supporter pf the party in nov/ei \ but vyhilo the

late Ministry prolonged the debate until the arrival of the absent man, the present Government submitted to the risk of defeat rather than further delay the public business—which had already suffered undue hindrance from the tactics of their opponents. The Colony is greatly indebted to. the new Ministry, if only for its exposures of the utter recklessness of the one which they replaced, and the fallacy of its deliberate conclusions. But for their financial statement and report of public works, the Colony would have been led to believe that the past financial year had left a balance of the good round sum of £ 10,500 of revenue in excess of expenditure, instead of the truth, which shows an actual deficiency of ,£33,000. Jt would also have been misled into the belief that Mr Vogel's recklessness could be continued with the prospect of continued prosperity and increased balance*, while the fact was that interest of borrowed money and sinking fund were being provided for out of the loan, certain liabilities were not taken into account, and the past year's deficiency must have been greatly increased. For all this knowledge relative to the true financial position of the Colony we are indebted to the new Ministry, and it is consolatory to knov that even if the Vogel party be reinstated in power their oxlrava gance will have received a check, and the true posiiion of the finances of the Colony being shown them, they will perforce be brought to adopt the more cautious policy indicated by the Stafford Ministry.