The Weekly Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1868. THE RESOLUTION OF CONFIDENCE.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 78, 29 June 1868, Page 157

The Weekly Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1868. THE RESOLUTION OF CONFIDENCE.

Below will bo found a, condensed fe* port of the proceedings fn Council on Tuesday ~ evening last. It will be remembered ‘ that after the Financial Statement by. Mr Ormond, a financial committee was appointed by the Council, with the view of making anj fur ther reductions possible in the expeu dit'ure. -The Government opposed the motion, and were consequently left in a minority. It does not seem that anything like an expression of want of confidence was intended by the mover of the motion for a committee, or that it was at that time so" considered bv the Government. Certain it is that the majority of members who voted for it had no such-intention. But the Government profess to'have discovered that this was implied, if hot expressed, in the motion, and came down and asked the house, to assure them of its confidence—not, as the reader may be inclined to suppose, by rescinding the resolution appointing the finance committee, but by a direct vote of confidence,—the committee, slightly modified, being allowed to proceed with its work.’ Now, this action of the Government placed the “independent members ” - of the Council in an embarrassing position. , They had no’, intended any expression of want of confidence in the Government, how ever they might have felt in the matter ; but to be called on to express confidence in it, was quite another affair;-arid we cannot wonder that some difficulty was felt about it, and that members who . found themselves in such a position spoke of voting under protest. A distinction drawn by Mr Buchanan 'between the Superintendent and the Government had nearly the effect of turning the tables on the Government, for, if his amendment had been put it must have passed, as Government supporters would of course express their' confidence in the Superintendent, while the members of the Executive; being omitted from the vote, would; iby implication, be under the‘censure of the Council. As it is, the Government has obtained the .“‘confidence ” vote, while the opposition; have their non-confidence committee to sit in judgment on the finance of the Government; —this committed also having, by the very action of the Government, obtained a significance and importance, which it had not be fore, and would not have possessed but for what we must consider, the ill-advised action of the Executive Government.. •