THE NO CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume I, Issue 23, 8 June 1867, Page 3

THE NO CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

Mr Halcombe, formerly Prov. Secretary moved in the Provincial Council on Tuesday evening, a motion to the effect that the Council had no confidence in the present Executive. He said, and said most truly that ever since the beginning of the session the Government had avoided every question of policy, or of principle. The out-districts had been starved this year, and they would be starved next. He was m favor of a loan which could easily be repaid. The Phovixcial Solicitor said that the present government had been fully occupied in trying to get rid of the difficulties caused by their predecessors.

Mr Phaeazyn, in supporting the motion said, that the Government had been defeated on every stand they had taken during the session.

Mr. W. Milne was in favor of the vote of want of confidence, and in doing so he must say that'he had been tremendously disappointed in the Government, and did not think them the right men in the right place. The Government never gave the House any idea of the necessities of the country, they were ignorant even of what was wanted for the Estimates. They had gone in on a false pretence, they stopped in on a false pretence, and as honest men they ought to go out without the trouble of being kicked out. The Provincial Secretary said that the present motion was utterly without a precedent in responsible Governments. He would not have been surprised if the motion had been brought forward early in the session. The hon. member for I’angitikei was the last who should have brought this forward. He had accused the present Government of having turned out the former one. They had never done so, for they had themselves thrown up their appointments. When the present Government took office they found that the Bank account was overdrawn by £15,000, and £4,670 of the money for the Wanganui Bridge debentures had been merged, and lost in the general revenue. He did claim a desire to remain in office, but he took credit to himself for having paid away all this debt, which his predecessors never had, and never could do. Mr. Masters said that he had the highest respect for the members of the Government as private members of society, but politically he respected no one. He had helped to put those gentlemen on the Executive seats, bnt, as he found they had done nothing, he would do his share to put them out. There had been sundry sums of money voted in the part of the country that he came from, none of which had been spent. The country was dissatisfied, and complained that they were deprived of their rights by a Town Board. They said the Executive should come and see the urgency of their wants before they refused to attend to them. Mr. Bunny said that they had expected that that, the lion, the Provincial Solicitor would have carried out the views he promised when in opposition, namely, the repeal of the Executive Act, and the granting of lands to volunteers. The hon. gentleman said that they had been atttending to the busines of the country. Now he would say that the present Government had displayed the most complete and utter ignorance and neglect of the country. For an instance, he would quote that to repair twentyfive miles of a main road for twelve months, the sum of £4O 11s. 3d. was put down. If the Government thought they could carry out the public works of the Province on its present revenue, they made a mistake, as it could only be done by loan. He would oppose the next and every Government that did not attend to present crying wants of the Province. They had thousands and thousands of acres that would bring in an immediate revenue, if the country was opened up by roads. What was the use of the wharf if there was no country to supply produce? Even if the motion of the hon. member for Kangitikei

were not carried, he hoped the Government would take this lesson, and see that the crying evil was remedied of the country districts being drained, ahd nothing laid out in return. He would oppose this and every other 1 Government that followed in their steps. Mr. Wallace considered that, the motion had been brought down at a rather awkward time.

Mr Pearce, ably opposed the motion. Mr Ludlam would support it though he regretted it had been brought forward at the end of a session. Mr Hutchinson said that, no Government that suceeded it, could be worse than the present one. Mr Andrew had no faith in the '' present Executive, and did not approve of the course they had taken with tegard to the Kennard contracts.

Mr Renall argued that the reason of Mr. Brandon’s opposition was that he did not agree with the mover of this resolution. The hon. members would see that there was a great stumbling block in the way of forming a Government -without repealing the Executive Act, which provided that the Provincial Solicitor must be a lawyer, and a member of the Council. His own opinion was, that they would never get a thoroughly efficient Government until the Act was repealed. He would move as an amendment;—“ That this. Council is of opinion that the present ‘ Executive' Act does not meet the requirements of the Council and that it should be repealed forthwith; and for the belter Government of the Province, the Executive Government should in itself; more fully represent the outlying districts.” In that way they could have members in the Executive representing all parts of the Province, and get their law outside the Council. At the request of a number ot hon members Mr. Renall withdrew his amendment. Mr. Smith had no confidence in the Government but would oppose the motion. The Council divided on the question with the following result

Against the Government —12 :—Messrs. W. S. Milne, Hutchison, Bunny, Pharazyn, Masters, Andrew, J. Taylor, Galloway, Halcoinbe, IV. Milne, Ludlam, and Fagan. For the Government 14:—Messrs. Burt, Reading, Smith, Wallace, Dransfleld, Hunter, Pearce, Johnston, Borlase, Crawford, Watt, Hickson, McDowell, and Renall. The motion was therefore negatived.