THE WANT-OF-CONFIDENCE VOTE.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 118, 5 September 1885, Page 5

THE WANT-OF-CONFIDENCE VOTE.

«r>rf '{fu onrfnomi niiiiif »n r rr I.^h^c* lr £jkw'QW6teWQ\il il m' rib*- dototftiimed^to JBT3P^9fiS - ".MSoW^JWWrft o|, the. coutitty, andtthia{(Rlo]diday),riighfc/will boiftiweh fjpio pVeinmeWbilW. i(J .' The : Obi biliM.] should ithoir'>opp6rtJatiityi in lf this'does'tiot qocut isidered, I iau\ determined 5 re'sistattco i.vilL J b6 •6#ete2r ! te "t^ -Btot if^ •We^ 1 Co'dkfc railway ' 'tifepbe^W 11 "6ri thbtr -mdi i ifcs/ t ' l tls Jc^liriiater 'for^'WoVp 'Witig ilr'^dy t] etlrtea *°£b«£t ' n €hi%-' 'be tVMe'd l^ '^"'Goverttmoh't .qdfea'tidn.' ;\ glance at Friday fight's, divisibn f -;lisfc ! c o^rly [ shoWs' r that! 'tfte .<3oye'rriniont n 's6pporii avus •tfj'ainl^ 5 6btainV«fl frbih Nelson 1 ; Ctoter bii'tW 1 aria r WbstilapdV \VHile ! ttie Maoris g^Ve th'eW d 1d 1 blofek Tfote.' 1 J ?TB pbpo'rtilnifcy 'A' lo^t T 6'f ' pii^tin^ bgfb'fe' Mhorthi'e^bersthe'dvilUha^' wbYj'ld' result' t^? 'tihe natives frotn ; ,thd return to ,Mr, Bryce's administration. " Of tjhio 95' lnembdr^ of the'^ouße, Mr.Costor is inEb'c' ! land,'irfSir O'Borke, 1 as gpbakbr, % p^e'clrided'^ffoto 'v.otihg; 1 Thi^'Wafefe 93' possible ( fv ( otek.. anld'the division-list' show's' that' 1 with piiirs 00 TOt'es^ero'ro'corde'd. This leaved l( three unaddounted ' I for, viz , Messrs Scobie McKe'rizie, Doj\vhid Stewart, 1 ' and! ' "Rold^strangoly Otpgo men. The two' former 'practipally paired, -though tlicir , ria'nieß were" not received by the whips, Mr forj the Go'vornmentand Mr Stow'a'rd against. Sdih'6 explanation of the former's position ;i isj de*mandod. It is an ppen socret, thai ha«£ bis health p6rmi^ted his being W his place,' he wbuld have both spoken and voted agjjipst the Government (as I advised you), ; but having been Returned 'as a su^poVtor oft Sir Jxilius ' Vbgel, and Wo opportunity haying been afforded him of explaining his reason for deserting that , now ' unpopular statesman, lie felt as a party man that he cduld not vote according to his convictions. The correspondence whjch passed 1 between 'the member for Moiitit' Ida and tho Proihicr (and a portion of which I wired you) bears out these conclusions. As to' iMr Stewart, it is understood that ho paired against the Government in 1 order to sequro a block vofo on the East and West Coast railway. Tho action of Mi- Reid in abstaining from voting, this being hia- first big division sinco his election, has given rise to all sorts of unfavourable comment. 110 had promised the Opposition to yoto with them, and the Government whips had ticked him dfl: adversely. When the division boll was rung, however, he was wanting. Yon. will thus see that tho numbers were very close, and I repeat that bub for Mr McKenzies enforced absence a "head" victory one way or the other would have been Mr Speaker's decision. Appended is an analysis of the voting :--

Should the secret < history of the events of the late want •of - confidence motion come to be written ; it will tell a story of political chicanery that vvould make the electors of many constituencies blush for their representative. Many, stories are in circulation regarding the tactics adopted by both parties to ob--taiii, support, .some of which are false, some partly true, and others wholly rumours, rumour that wua freely circulated ,, on Saturday, was that an attempt , bad beon made to "ioqusp" Mr Locke,, an Opposition supporter. This was told with such consistency that I considered it my duty to isoe Mr Locke, and get his account of the, affair. The member for East Coast related tho .incident ,which gave rise to the rumour, and I givo ifc as nearly as possible in hfs own words. On Friday night, or rather Saturday morning, lie was walking, about the lobbies waiting for the devision on the no-confidence motion, .when ho, was invited to goto arooin .upstairs to converse with the , Colonial Secretaiy. Be did so; Mr G. S. Cooper, Under-Secretary, was also present. Mr Buck ley good-naturedly chaffed Mr Xocko, saying he should be in the Upper House and tako a seat in ,tho, Cabinet. Presently Mr, Locke, who js rathor deaf, heard the bell ,rung, and as he was , about to proceed to the House, ho was assured that it was only, the mpseonger's bell. JEte, however, .thought it better to see for himself, and ,> just managed to get into the, House, two seconds • before £lie jdoors were closed for the no-confidence" division. Mr Locke does not accuse .Mr Buckley of, any ovil intention ; but I, cannot .refrain .frpna comment that .Cabinet Ministers should avoid any appearance of evil. „,,,,. , „ ,•}„,. , . '•

Mr Hamlin and tho Native Members. It will be remembered thatduring.thenoconfidence debate Te Ao accused Mr Hamlin of unduly attempting to influence bis ivote 1 . -This MiSHamlin indignantly 1 denies, ■ and, should) remarks used by Te Ao appear- ihi *f Hansard," he will publicly contradict the 'calumny.! Mr, Hamlin < informs me > that a messagd was brought' to him promising th<e supporfc of the native memberd for the Oppdsition if- a; contain undertaking would be. giVen relaUvO'to the 'Nati vo. Lands -Dispoßi- 1 tion Bilb He' doolined to make any promises regarding'the<matter om behalf of hisparty^. He<:does not deny (that, he {.informed,, the natives that if they Voted in a' blo<Jk they would endanger the chancoof'the Housb renewing the special native representation, which iexpiresih) 1887. <f ru • > .. ' ,U •.'! oi, ' i ,[ ) " ' fin ' (i w' ' > t ' i.M -, , {

, Govern- Oppcni- Absent Tbtal mont tion Auckland .. ..I 11 0 ,18 Taranakl .... 1 2 0 3 Hawkc'aßay ..1 2 0 3 Wellington.. ..2 9 0 11 Nelson .. ' .. 5 0 0 i 5 Marlboro .... 1 2 0 3 Canterbury.. ..15 & 0 19 Westland .... 3 0 0 3 Otago 11 10 3 '' 21 Maori 4.0 0 1 Totals .. ..'d7 A3 3 ;93