Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1896. No Confidence.

Manawatu Herald, 1 August 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1896. No Confidence.

The debate just commenced in the House cannot come exactly as a surprise to the Premier. The Leader of the Opposition has always made it clear that he had no confidence in the present Government, and his following have backed him up. This however ia only in the nature of things, but during the session a great mauy of the supposed supporters of the Government have also been saying tho same thing. The Premier has the grand quality of " sticking " to his friends in good times and bad, and though one connot but admire such a trait in a man's character, it is '• not business,' especially in a leader of a Party. The Premier has, either from lack of suitable colleagues or from greed of power, taken a great deal' too much, work upon himself, which keeps him at high pressure, speed and prevents him irom takings the necessary time to calmly review'his position. If he had not been so. worked, he would no*; have been so worried, and would most likely have been able to get at the true object of this J. G. Ward business, and thus have been enabled to have met the right demands of some , of the best men of his own Party in a proper spirit. All the reports of the discussions on the Banking Committee and in the House go to show that were the Premier and the Minister for Lands absent from it, the committee would be able to secure the enquiry taking that course which the House desires, and confidence must be shaken in any Government when an inquiry into the conduct of that Government is burked by two Ministers whose position is practically questioned. As the election is so close most probably the need of Government assistance will be counted of more consequence to some members than the truth about the Banking legislation, and when the division is called for at the close of the present debate I they will be found still voting for the retention of the present Minis* ters. This is only what can be expected from candidates who hand in written pledgas of support to the Premier in return for his assistance at the polls. It is well that such an exhibition should be made so that electors can appreciate the absurd position parliamentary representation has been brought to by a Liberal Ministry. It may be also worth while to remember that the Premier, the other day, to a deputation of

brewers and hotelkeepers, admitted he had lost both their confidence as well as that of the Temperance Party, in fact, foreshadowed the motion now being debated. The result of the debate is a foregone conclusion, but the Leader of the Opposition is to be congratulated on forcing the hands of those who talk contrarily to the way they vote.