THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF WELLINGTON.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 16, 6 May 1867, Page 105

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF WELLINGTON.

DEFEAT OF THE BORLASE MINISTRY. ; (N. Z. Advertiser, Ist May.) The session of the Council has opened well. The defeat of the Executive on the. first day of meeting to transact business, and on the very first motion brought forward by the Government is riot an ordinary occurrence. Neither is. it usual that a Ministry should stand in a minority of six—four being themselves—to twenty, on a question/ involving no broad principle of policy. Yet this has taken place, and to-day the province will hear that the Borlase ministry has resigned, and “some one” has been sent for. The question which brought about this marked defeat was the demand for the appropriation of £32,000 to cover the expenses of the Government until the end of June. It has been customary to ask for a credit loan for a round sum at the commencement of each session to cover expenses until the annual appropriations have taken place, but under the Provincial Audit Act each item of expenditure should be distinctly stated before appropriation takes place, and the Treasurer omitted to supply these distinct items. The difficulty was more a technical one than anything else, and might easily have been got over had the executive possessed the confidence of a majority of the Council, and the vote of last night proves most clearly that they did not possess that confidence. There was no time for organising an opposition, and it is evident that every member of the maj rity had come prepared to turn the Executive out on the first opportunity. Why this should be the case it is difficult to 3a y* country has been grumbling that during the last year it has not received a fair share of the expenditure because the ministry was a city one ; but we cannot look for a solution there. It was not a country against a city vote that turned Mr Borlase and his colleagues out. The Governmentthat they succeeded did not, and we are convinced do not, possess the support oi the Counc 1, and we cannot attribute to any action of theirs the signal defeat of last night. There were amongst the Opposition almost every member of the Council that put the Borlase Government into office in June last, and who have now turned upon them. May we not then look for the solution in the acts of the Government'themselves ? They went in on certain principles, and it has been alleged that they did not adhere to those principles, but yielded to the stronger will of the Superintendent, and have been, as other agents before them, merely the agents of that will. Here is, perhaps, the most probable solution ; but here, too, there are strong objections to urge. The Borlase-Ministry have had no opportunity of declaring a policy or explaining their acts. The Council has judged them uuheard, and sent them back into opposition without knowing why they are unworthy of confidence. No thought has been given to the great difficulties which lay in their way when they took office in the place of Miniswho for years bad been mere tools in in the hands of the Superintendent. No consideration has beeu given to the troublesome task they had before them of accommodating the differences' that had existed betweeu themselves and the Superintendent when before in opposition. In fact the Council seems to have rushed to a conclusion with little grounds to go on, and will put another Ministry into office to-day or to morow to put them out again on the following day, we can judge no otherwise when we find a legislative body that elects men to’office at the close of one session, turning the same out again on a technical question the first day of meeting in the following session. And who are to be their successors ? Who will stop the gap with such a prospect before them ? Rumor will no doubt mention many names in the course of the day, but nothing has transpired up to the hour of writing. Surely it will not be Mr Ludlam, who took the lead in opposition last night, or Mr Brandon, who followed on the same side, or Mr Halcombe, or any of the gentlemen, who then spoke, not onepf whom,. we believe,. could - command a dozen votes in the House? The Session has only commenced and there is work to be done, and whoever does' go in cannot come down to' the, Council and plead tfiat they shall be treated with leniency on account of the:

difficulties before them. /We shall await the result, believing that the Council has taken a step, the conseof which it has not taken proper time to consider, and that it will find itself in a worse position than ever, with a weak Government and a strong opposition, . Another scene in the farce of provincialism has been played out.