PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 469, 30 October 1877, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

♦ WIJLLINUTON, Oct. 30. The debate on the no-confideuce motion was resumed yesterday by Mr. Shrimski, who said he saw nothing in Major Atkin- | son's speech beyond a desire to get back to office. The policy of the last Government was " give us a loan and iet us alone." They had introduced an Education Bill, but they sadly needed education themselves in political honesty and morality. Mr. Curtis said that had Sir George Grey moved the vote whicH Mr. Larnach did, it would not have been carried, for his views, especially on Separation, were well known. Every member of the Government held similar views. After the last no-confidence motion had been carried and Sir George Grey placed in office, he and others of the Middle Party refused to follow him any longer. Mr. J. E. Brown wished to know how many of those who, like Mr. Curtis, had deserted the Middle Party, expected to be i in the new Ministry. Humour said at least ! four. Major Atkinson presented a pitiable j spectacle in seeking to return to office by j the votes of those who, a fortnight before, |

had declared him unfit to hold office, and turned him out. He declared the late Government showed the maximum of political profligacy and the minimum of administrative ability. Mr. Sutton thought it quite fair to judge Ministers by their past utterances and conduct, without waiting for them to develop anv new policy.

Mr. Thomson ascribed the desire of Major Atkinson to get back to office as something akin to a cat's instinct of locality. He urged it was only fair to give the present Government a trial, to see whether they could not do better than their predecessors. He believed the country was proud of having Sir George Grey in his present position. Mr. Fox thought there was no need to wait for the financial or any other statement. They knew enough to judge of Sir George Grey's policy. It was impossible that *irGoerge Grey and Mr. Shcehan could reconcile their previous] declarations with their present positions. He accused Sir George Grey of always preferring the tortuous path to the straight one, and [always throwing dust in the people's eyes. The real liberal party were those who introduced the public works policy and abolished the provinces. Sir George Grey wanted two provinces under a miserable federation. He ridiculed Sir George Grey's promises of retrenchment, and accused Mr. Larnach of having broken his pledge to support Major Atkinson's Ministry, and attributed it to their liberal land bill that Sir George Grey was attempting to climb into an autocrat's power by delusive promises. Mr. Ballance warmly supported Sir George Grey because he believed in his liberal principles ; what liberality there was in the Land Bill had been introduced in Committee. He said the conduct of the Opposition in bringing forward such a motion was alike unfair and unconstitutional. He quoted precedents to show that Sir George Grey was entitled to obtain a dissolution in the case of an adverse vote being carried. He accused Mr. Whitaker of improperly using bis position to obtain 18,000 acres of valuable land. Mr. Travers said he would have voted for Sir George Grey had he given an assurance that he would preserve the unity of the Colony. A few other members having spoken, the adjournment of the debate was moved by Mr. Macaudrew.