The Hastings Standard Published Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1896. NO-CONFIDENCE.

Hastings Standard, Issue 81, 30 July 1896, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily.

THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1896. NO-CONFIDENCE.

For the cause that lacks assistance* For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance. And the good that we can do.

We cannot say that we are surprised at the tactics of the Opposition ; on the contrary we should have credited Captain Russell and his party with an amount of stupidity which is foreign to them if they had not acted as they have done. The No-confience motion is the natural outcome of the inglorious and sudden collapse of the debate on the financial statement, a collapse which prevented many members from addressing the House. By the Standing Orders the financial debate would have restricted the members to half hour terms, but the No-confidence debate will enable them to speak for an hour. The No-confidence motion is really not a motion of want of confidence, for the issue is beyond doubt. The Government will have as they have had all through, an overwhelming majority. The motion is intended merely to afford members an opportunity of delivering the speeches which would in all probability have formed the staple of the Financial Statement debate. It is niore than likely that Mr Seddon is pleased at the tabling of the motion, as it will demonstrate his strength to the country, and this on the eve of a general election is no small matter. The present debate may terminate as did the debate on the Financial Statement unless the whips have made better arrangements. It is to be hoped no such castastrophe will eventuate, and that members will be afforded plenty of time for " blowing off the froth." A good debate with a division to follow would Ae the best for the Government, and this will be kept steadily in view. The turn of events must place the "Left "Wing" in a delicate position. While it may be very interesting to bait the Government and "attitudinise" before the electors on unimportant matters, a want of confidence motion cannot be treated with levity. The Left Wing must stick to pledges and vote with the Government or break pledges and vote against the Government. A middle coarse is impossible, and the members of the Left Wing will find themselves in a tight place. When the numbers are tip we are inclined to believe that the Left Wing will have merged its identity in the Liberal Party, and if the No-con-fidence debate brings about such a result the Government will have no

cause for complaint. Taken on the whole the debate will be in the interest of the Government, and yet we fail to see how the Leader of the Opposition could have done otherwise than table his No-confidence motion after the ignominious collapse of the Financial debate.