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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5822, 26 November 1879, Page 2

The abortive no-confidence motion brought forward by Mr. Macandkbw on Monday night was apparently conceived in haste and delivered prematurely. If anything could make the leaders of the Opposition appear absolutely contemptible in the eyes of their supporters, it would be the course which they have pursued in regard to this matter. A long night was entirely wasted in a useless debate, in which but little that was new was urged against the present Government, and still less that was strictly true. The very fact of a division on a noconfidence motion being taken for which only six men could be found who were prepared to vote, is in itself a sufficient proof of the ill-considered nature of the effort made. It is significant, in that it shows how completely the glory of the late Government has departed, and that at last their true character has been thoroughly recognised. Every member of the House was accounted for, as there were 32 pairs and 23 votes recorded, the Government having secured a clear majority of 11. These facts speak for themselves, and it is quite unnecessary to waste comment upon them. The decision has done good, inasmuch as it has convinced the obstructionists that they must be content to shiver in the cold shades of opposition for soma time to come, and that for the present they cannot hope to rally the disorganised and demoralised remnants of the Opposition, so as to be able to offer a pitched battle to their opponents. This was the last shot of the Opposition, and it has turned out that they had no more bullets, and so made up their minds to fire a round of blank cartridge. They probably wished to see whether any of the new recruits of the Government would run away or desert their colors. Bat the device proved a complete failure. No-confidence motions are certainly played out, when they caa only secure six forlorn supporters.