The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1884.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4027, 18 June 1884, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1884.

With Sir George Grey circumstances alter cases ; what would be the proper and constitutional course to follow on the defeat of a Ministry of which he was the head would Ibe a highly unconstitutional and dangerous procedure if pursued when he is leader of the Opposition. Thus in 1870 Sir George Grey was in the position in which Major Atkinson finds himself to-day. But there was this difference in the circumstances surrounding the political crisis, that every day in which the Grey Ministry remained :in office added to the confusion of public affairs, and menaced the peaceful relations subsisting between the colonists and the natives. In the present case no grave reasons can possibly be advanced to show that there need be any hurry to get one Ministry out to put another in. Yet Sir George Grey solemnly assured the House yesterday that it would be downright dangerous to leave the administration of affairs in the hands of the present Government. Now, let uso see what Sir George did when ho stood as the leader of a defeated Ministry in 1879. On that occasion the Government were defeated by a majority of fourteen on a direct vote of want of confidence after a debate lasting a whole week. Sir George Grey thereupon asked for and obtained a dissolution. The day following the defeat Sir George made the following statement to the House: -"I waited upon His Excellency the Governor, and related what had transpired in the Houso last night, and then I tendered to the Governor ad\ice on my own behalf, and that of my other colleagues, that he should grant a dissolution of Parliament in order that an appeal might be made to the constituencies. Sir, the Governor was pleased to accept my advice, at the same time stating , that he was anxious the decision at which he arrived should be convoyed to Parliament in his own words. I, i therefore, Sir, move, with the permission of the House, for leave to read the reply which His Excellency gave to me in writing. His Excellency's reply is to this effect: — "I have carefully considered the position in which Ministers are placed by the defeat which they have sustained in the House of Representatives upon a no-confidence motion, and I am clearly of opinion that they have a fair constitutional claim to a dissolution. No doubt a general election would be inconvenient at the present moment; but, having regard to the financial depression, and in the circumstances, of the colony generally, and especially to the native difficulty on the West Coast, I presume that Ministers have carefully considered the consequences of such a stop before tendering me the advice, and I am therefore prepared to accept their recommendation, leaving with them the entire responsibility of such a proceeding. At the same time I think it right to stipulate that the well recognised constitutional principles which govern cases like the present should be strictly adhered to. Ministers have lost the confidence of the representatives of the people, and are about to appeal from them to the country. A majority of the House of Representatives has declared that Ministers have so neglected and mismanaged the administrative business of the country that they no longer possess the confidence of Parliament. It is indispcnsible, under such circumstances, if Ministers do notat once resign, that Parliament should be dissolved with the least possible delay, and that meanwhile no measure shall be proposed that may not be imperatively required, nor any contested motion whatever brought forward. It is necessary, also, and in accordance with a published constitutional precedent, that a new Parliament shall be called together at the earliest possible moment at which writs are returnable. If Ministers accept a dissolution upon this understanding, I beg that any cxplonation which the Premier may make to Parliament of the answer which l"have given upon his tendered advice may be read in my own words.—Hekcules Robinson." Sir George Grey did accept the dissolution on those terms, but coolly informed the House that ho wonld have the dissolution whether supplies were or were not granted. Constitutional procedure is very elastic when Sir George has the stretching of it, but it is as rigid as a bar of steel, according to his opinion, when anybody else has hold of it. Ho told the House that tho Governor would not allow the Opposition to refuse supplies ; lie dared them to refuse supplies, and told them unhesitatingly that a dissolution should take placp, Now that the boot is on ;he other leg . Sir George G-rGy shifts round md abuses Ministers for doing what he rimself did as. the personal right of a Premier.