THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 186, 12 January 1912, Page 4

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

THE HRECEDENT OF 1891,

THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROCEDURE.

In advising Lis Excellency the G»ternor to summon Parliament to meet on Eebruary 15, Ihe Prime Minister is following the precedent of 1891. although there are important differences. The result of the elections held in December, 1890, was the. substantial defeat ctf the Government, which came back from the constituencies with a declared following of twenty-six. The Opposition had a certain strength of forty-two, and there were six doubtfulg. There was thus no shadow of doubt that the Government could not possibly carry on, while there was also no shadow of doubt that Mr. Ballance would be able to form a strong Government which would command the permanent support of a majority ctf the House of Representatives. Moreover, Sir Harry Atkinson had virtually bound himself to resign in the event of the elections going against him, and.it was confidently expected that his Ministry would go out of office without.putting the country to the expense of an extra session of Parliament. However, U is understood tha ; t there were constitutional—or to a change of Government without Parliament meeting, and Parliament was summoned to meet on January 23. The resignation of the Government was announced the same day. The division m the election of the Speaker, although it did. not follow party lines at all closely, made it clear at once that the retiring Government was- iaV hopeless minority, because* even although several of. the declared follqwers of Mr. Ballance voted for Mr. Rolleston, the nominee of the Conservatives, the motion was defeated by thirty-six votes to twenty-nine. Subsequently an amendment to the Address-m-Reply moved by Mr. Rolleston, wa* rejected by thirty-five votes to twenty-

_ During .the debate on. the Address-in-Reply there was some discussion on the question whether Parliament should have been called together, and Sir John Hall explained the view of the late Government, and indicated what he believed to be the constitutional procedure. Jt is true that both Mr. Gladstone and Mr. .Disraeli resigned, wh/en distinctly m n, °. fc . the P 011 '" he ••"'J ,(bl 't "when Mr Gladstone was beaten there was a distinct majority of votes for his leading political opponent; there was no doubt whatever as to who should take his place or what party should supplant the Liberal Party. But did the new Government remain in office without consulting Parliament, as we are asked to allow this Government to do? Not a bit of it. Parliament was called toge™*r almost immediately; the Ministry never dreamt of remaining four months m office without taking the judgment of ' the representatives of the -people on themselves and their, policy. In the same way Mr. Disraeli acted'in 1866. Mr, Disraeli resigned, and Parliament was called almost immediately. The practice followed on these two occasions, therefore, is no justification whatever ,for the contention ttiat the hon. member " ■for Wanganui should have been left in possession, together with any Ministers whom he chose to call to his aid for . four months without committing themselves to the judgment of the people of ,11 Col^ ny - •• • The fact is that, although, at the election a majority of the successful candidates may not have expressed themselves in favor of Sir Harry Atkinson, certainly the majority did not,express themselves afi supporters of the hon. member for Wanganui. Under these circumstances, I submit that it stands to reason that the only satisfactory course was to call Parliament together as soon as possible.