Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THUKSDAY, JUNE 28, 1883.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 10236, 28 June 1883, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THUKSDAY, JUNE 28, 1883.

The first great effort of the Opposition to turn out the.G-overnment was made., on, Friday night, and resulted in a 7 majority- of fourteen for Ministers in a Houee of seventy-two. Mr Montgomery cannot be complimented on the judgment he displayed ih choosing his, battlefield. He had not the slightest chance of succeeding with his motion, which- was one of direct cenßure on the Colonial Treasurer. ■- The occasion for the trial of strength, arose in this manner.. Although the ordinary financial year erids on the 31st 'March, Parliament, during the ' session of 1882, made provision for carrying on the services till the end of May last. On the 30th of that Month Mr Dick, acting for the Colonial Treasurer, who was then' absent from "Wellington, sent, in accordance with "The Public Revenues Act, 1878," a requisition to the Controller, requiring him to issue from the Public Account, as imprest to the Paymaster-General, the sum of £192,150, which represented the balances then in hand for the votes up to the end of May. Thejreq.uißition of course set out the votes under which the money was payable. The Controller signed the requisition, but sent back with it a memorandum protesting against the action of the Colonial Treasurer as an evasion of the law. The Controller says : — < ( -The ninth : section of "The Public Revenues Act, 1882," provides for the expenditure of two months after the end of the financial year, authorising the Colonial Treasurer "to issue and pay moneys during such two months, but no longer," subject to certain conditions. The effect of the present requisition, No. 88, is to draw out on the 31st May, the last day on which I can, consistently with the law, issue any money till Parliament meets, the sum of £192,000 from the Public Account, and place it as an imprest in the hands of the Paymaster-General, so as to carry on the expenditure until the meeting of Parliament." In a postscript the Controller says : "P.S.— I should also point out that, when the Paymaster submits his Touchers for credit, and it appears by- the receipts that payments have been made before the meeting of Parliament, it may be the duty of the Audit Office to refuse to recognise such payments, or to relieve the Paymaster - General, without the express sanction of Parliament, on the ground that the law expressly forbids, not only the issue, but also the payment, of moneys after the 31st May." This memorandum, and the fact that it had not been laid before Parliament until after the Adress in Reply was disposed of, formed the basis of Mr Montgomery's attack on the Government. The reply of the. Colonial Treasurer may be summarised thus: That Ministers had taken the advice of the Crown law officers, and had acted strictly in accordance with the law ; that the Controller, by 'signing the requisition, admitted that, in his opinion, the action of the Colonial Treasurer was legal; that even; with regard to payments made after the 31st May out of this imprest to the PaymasterGeneral, would be legal; that although the course which had been adopted •was unusual, the circumstances were exceptional, and the course 1 did not trespass beyond the discretion with •which Parliament had invested Ministers ; that on account of the noucompletion of the buildings, the House could not have met earlier; and that it would have been highly inconvenient if all payments from the Treasury had coased absolutely oa the 31st May, not to be resumed -: l the meeting: of Parliament — in 'anca in the middle of Juno. 1 Treasurer also contended ■ 'I'r-r had a complaint "iko it directly to v ho is, and

not to the Government. We shall not attempt to say which view of the law is correct, that of the controller and the Opposition, or that oi the Crown law officers. But we cannot but think that the House acted with fairness and sound judgment in declining to censure the Colonial Treasurer for a course of action for which he had very high authority; a course which was adopted solely for the convenience of the public, and by which not one farthing of the public money was diverted from the purposes to which it had been- devoted by Parliament. We are informed that not a few of the Opposition openly expressed the opinion, before the- ■ motion was brought for-; ward, that Mr Montgomery had much; better leave the matter alone, or at all events that he had better only ; draw attention to what appeared an unusual course, and not venture on a ' i motion of censure. We notice that ' on this occasion three of the Nelson members, who have hitherto been re- : lied on by the Opposition, voted with ; the Government ; and that Mr M. W. Green, though he voted with the Opposition, distinctly declared in the ; course of the debate that he had severed his paTty connection with them and was prepared to give the Government a general assistance. i