THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10388, 28 June 1899, Page 4

THE WANT OF CONFIDENCE MOTION.

I The amendment movce* by the leader of the' Opposition to the AddreEs-in-Reply ex-' presses, we think, tha proper constitutional attitude which the House ought to take up | in regard to the proposed appointment by i the Government of a Royal Commission to enquire into what is known as the marine scandal. The amendment "set out that " inasmuch as no Royal Commission can constitutionally enquire into the conduct of Ministers in relation to their departments, and whereas Ministers have on a former and similar occasion pleaded their constitutional privilege to exempt them from giving evidence before a Royal Commission, the House affirms its undoubted right to fully enquire into the connection of Ministers with the issue of a master's certificate to Captain Jones, of the Duco, independently of any enquiry by the Royal Commission." The whole matter lies in a nutshell. Wbether rightly or wrongly Ministers lie under suspicion in connection with the issue of this certificate. For their own sakes, as well as for the satisfaction of the public, their conduct ought to be examined by some competent tribunal.' Parliament i 3 the only Court before which the matter can be properly gone into. What the Government' propose is to set up a tribunal composed of men whom they themselves select to try issues which they themselves frame. Furthermore, it has to be borne in mind that when they set up a cimilar Royal Commission on a previous occasion, ahd it was sought to enquire into their conduct, they successfully pleaded that Ministers could not constitutionally be impeached before a Royal Commirslon, and they refused to give evidence befcra it- on that groupd. It is exactly as if a man who is charged with some breach of trust were to insist on appointing the Judges befcro whom he was to be tried, was to insist on framing th- indictment himself, and finally persisted'in setting up a,

■■ ; "* ' '.';,'"'.".'.;, ' v 7 ■ r«_g_->stp; particular kind of tribunal which it decided had no power to try. him such offence. Tested iri/thi* tray, we || at once see the absurdity, not to say J»|"'{J* j$ pudeace, of the attitude, which Minirtj^-rlf have assumed,, , The Parliament.of Kwl- ".| | Zealand in late years has surrendered lioaijjy7; ]j? of its privileges, and shown but scanty coifed'"■£_ s& certt for the preservation of the Tights 7,4' p the people. We hope, however, that it vri\\l V 1"- * f not tamely concede the principle that whin.;. 1 '"?, f ever any charges are brought against .'tho "■' ■*?■¥ Ministry of the day, the Jatter have {jj_ty ''',3 J to go through the form k oi, appointing'" a y.-ri' Royal Commission, and Parliament Lg|at _£ | once debarred from further enquiry |hto;the <> _" | subject, and even from venturing ttf discus | the question. ' ' V ' ~'"s t i - j_ . ,' 1!