BENT GOVERNMENT DEFEATED

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 292, 4 December 1908, Page 2

BENT GOVERNMENT DEFEATED

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION CARRIED. Melbourne, December 3. Mr. Murray, a member of the Country party iu the Victorian Parliament, moved a direct vote of want-of-cotmd-ence in the Bent Government. The .Country Party decided not to support Mr. Cameron's motion, but to take separate action. The leader of the Labor Party intimates that Mr. Murray's motion has his assent.

CHARGE AGAINST VICTORIAN PREMIER. Received 3, 10.55 jp.m. Melbourne, Last Night, 'Mr. Murray moved a vote of no-con-. fidence. His charge against the Government was that it had done nothing according to fixed principles. Ever since Sir Thomas Bent's advent the Government had become more and more a oneman Government. Sir Thomas Bent he described as weak, vacillating, and extravagant, and as having outlived his usefulness as a leader of the Government.

Mr. Watt cliarged Sir Thomas Bent with making a false statement in denying that he bad purchased land along the St. Kilda tramway. He misled Parliament by stating that he had no land along the route. He then secured the passage of a Bill which placed a thousand poumU in his (Bent's) pockets. Sir Thomas Bent characterised Mr. Watt's statement as untrue. The route he proposed for the line was not adopted, the present route taking its place. A syndicate of ten, including himself, had purelmsed land at auction. He bought it because it was not on the route. He made no secret of the purchase.

THE MOTION CARRIED. Received 0.45 a.m. Melbourne, Last Night. Mr. Murray's censure motion was carried by 87 to 25.