Hawke's Bay Herald MONDAY, JULY 21, 1879. THE NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5439, 21 July 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald MONDAY, JULY 21, 1879. THE NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE.

Sin William Fox is nothing if not scurrilous, and his attack on the Ministry, of "which a summary appeared in our issue of Saturday, will for unhesitating mis-statement and low recrimination compare favorably -with the worst of the many intemperate harangues the '• Apostle of Temperance" has inflicted on the Mouse. The first portion of his speech is not, considering the speaker, in such very bad taste, though it bristles with misresentations, and the truth is handled in a liberal manner characteristic of the hon. member for Wanganui. • As, howcvei'j the Ilouse always allows a j Very large discount from Sir William's statements, it was perhaps necessary for him to over-state facts, in order that his hearers might arrive at the truth. Unfortunately, however, Sir William Fox's failings in this respect are not known at Home, and if he had possessed one iota of regard for the colony, he would surely have exercised sufficient self-control to prevent himself from painting in such false and dark colors the aspect of thenativodilliculty. A few hours aflcr Sir William Fox spoke, his strong language was published throughout the length and breadth of the colony in tho daily newspapers. The English mail left, the same day, and thousands of these newspapers were forwarded to ICngland. The consequences to the colony may be most serious. We wore, Sir William declared, " on the eve of a native war." He went further, saying " AV'o have not drifted into this nuw ; the Ministry have literally rushed us into if." "This war !" as if we were already fighting with tho natives ! Sir William Fox knew when he spoke that the slight danger of a native revolt which existed a month ago had boon absolutely removed by the very action of the men he declared guilty of " rushing the country into Avar." He know that there is now less danger of a Maori war than for years past, which was conclusively show by the passive manner in which the one-time turbulent and fiery warriors of Tito Kowaru allowed themselves to bo arrested and marched oil' to gaol for a breach of our laws. J t was not to be expected that Sir William would be favorable or oven just to ; but it \va,s to l<c expected of a man who seeks to l.c Premier of the colony that he would refrain from deliberately and wantonly saying that which, when it is read at Home, may prove a most serious check to the progress of Now Zealand, in preventing immigration to our shores, and closing the purse-strings of the English capitalist when wo go to him, as we

must do soon, for a lai'ge loan with J which to pl'osecuto public works. This part of his speech alone pro V&s conclusively what these who knew him AVell never doubted— the utter unfitness of Sir William Fox for the position of premier. If anything could possibly secure tho Ministry against defeat it Would bo such wanton and untruthful attacks as these' from the nieii wild Aye" striving io gain the Treasury benches. As Sir William Eox proceeds he passes from misrepresentation to scurrility. His attack on Mi* Sheehap.'a privatti 'chilrAcW'* 1 is 6\\q. bf those 1 disgraceful episodes ' in our political history which makes ono regret that Hansard exists to preset ye them from that black oblivion to which all right-thinking men must wish them consigned. That under tile friendly cloak of the Raiu/itiJiei AxUcraVc lib should make tU _.<*_' disgraceful charges was not surprising to anyone who knows the depths of rheancss of which Sir William Fox is capable ; bdt eveii his bitterest eneniies doitld hardly have deemed him capable of repeating such wanton insinuations on the floor of tho House. This is not the first exhibition of malignity uncontrolled by good taste which has been witnessed in the House of llcpvesentatiyps, but it surpasses any thing before Uttered in that chamber. Surely, Avhj_ii Sit* William Fox read his speech in the calmness of the morning succeeding the storm of debate, he must, if he be capable of one grain of gentlemanly feeling, have regretted the lengths to which his ungovernable temper led him on Friday night. Turning to Sir'Gedrge Grey's reply what do we find? Vague allegations of land-rings who had robbed the people of untold millions of money ; an eloquent defiance of these shadowy land-rings • a pitiful appeal for the rights of the people ; a weak defence of his own conduct ; a side attack on his late colleague, Mrßallance, and an implied sneer at Mr Stout • extravagant praise of his new Ministers; a reciprocal attack on Sir William Fox, more un- | gentlemanly, but almost equally illnatured ; and a mass of words, words, words, without any tangible or definite meaning. This is all. Sir George Grey was not speaking to the House, but to the gallery. Every word was uttered with a view to an early appeal to the country. He cared not what effect his words had on hon. members, if lie could but reach over their heads to " the people."

Looking froni dno to the other, the colony helplessly asks, what is to be the outcome of the situation 1 It is difficult to say. Sir George Grey practically admitted that he was in a minority, and on all sides it is agreed that unless something unexpected intervenes the Ministry must be defeated. But this is only the beginning • what is to follow? Does anyone imagine that a Ministry formed out of th o existing Opposition could control the House for a single week 1 Sir George Grey is far from a perfect Premier, but with all his faults and failings he is ten times more capable than Sir William Fox, and possesses that self-control the lack of which is so evident in almost every speech of the member for Wanganui. Then who is Sir William Fox to gather around him ? Mr Ormond, tlie eniuiciatoi* of the new Retrogressive policy ? If so, the member for Clive would have to act totally at variance with his expressed convictions, or he would inaugurate a policy which would effectually damn the Ministry in three days. Mr Wakefield, Mr Stevens, and Mr Macfarlane 1 Does anyone imagine that they could ever originate a policy or even carry one out to the satisfaction of the country? There are a few men in the ranks of the Opposition, such as Mr Richardson, who might temporarily prop up a weak Ministry if they could be induced to accept office, which is most improbable, but even then it would bo but a momentary tiding-over of a difficulty, and as soon as parties began to consolidate the Ministry would find themselves m a minority.

It is clear that no Ministry could be selected from either side who would enjoy the confidence of the House. There is but one remedy for this unsatisfactory state of tilings, and that is a dissolution. It would be unfortunate if the country were appealed to before the Electoral Bill and Redistribution of Representation Bill were passed ; but it is above all things necessary that the people should have an opportunity of indicating their desires, and wishes with reference to the future policy of the colony. The Ministry excuse themselves for their shortcomings in the past by alleging that they have never yet had a real majority sufficient to enable them to carry their measures. A general election would either give them a large majority or show them that their policy does not meet with the approval of the country. If they returned with a working majority at their back they could no longer excuse their half-hearted measures on tho ground of insufficient power, and a failure to carry out their promises would infallibly lead to the loss of their seals.