THE SECOND BALLOT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1263, 19 October 1911, Page 4

THE SECOND BALLOT.

PROPOSED REPEAL BY CABINET. GOVERNMENT PARTY DISAGREES. Tho Government is evidently finding that the cecond ballot' is a ltind of political boomerang that is likely io hit th-fl thrower before it comes to t'lio end of i(s flight. Tho possible combination of (lie liciorm parl'v and the Labour party nl. the coming second ballots hns no doubt emphasised tho dangerous nature oi tho weapon, lint whatever the reason thcro is no doubt that tho Government in afraid of the result. At a meeting of the parly held on Friday-ostensibly to have a cup of ten with Mr. Dillon und :.'iv good-bye io him on tho eve of hifl ri'iiroincnt from Parliament—the question was brought up, tho repeal of the ,Second Hit Hot Act suggested, and tho putting in its place of a system of preferential voting. Tho suggestion was that voters should exercise a preference—first and second—for candidates at the first ballot, Tho question was discussed at dome length and as (here to be a considerable difl'crcnco oi' opinion in tlio parly il' was decided Io adjourn the meeting till Monday when it eould bo further discussed. When the Monday's caucus had assembled, however, (he party was not' called upon to decide tho .issue. A member who was present at the caucus states that an intimation was mnde that in 'the interval Cabinet had met and had decided to do nothing. It; is further stilted that there was some dissatisfaction in. t'lio party at the action of Cabinet in stepping "in to over-rule, the caucus aflor tho question had been submitted to it.