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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7404, 12 August 1885, Page 4

Tub Government furnished another striking proof of their weakness last night while their Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill was being discussed in committee of the House. In dealing with the clause which, in conjunction with the schedule sets out the several divisions into which for the purposes of the Act it was proposed to divide the colony, some of the members seemed all of a sudden to be seized with a desire to have the districts represented by them recognised as separate hospital districts. This, as was stated by several speakers will largely interfere with the working of the Act, but Sir Julius Vogel declared it to be the intention of Government to gratify the wishes of members in the direction indicated. A» the result of this announcement the Bay of Island.* and Mangonui, Coromandel, Waikato, Waipa and Raglan, Tauranga and Wlukatane were eliminated from the Auckland division ; and the same thing was done in other parts of the colony. The singular thing, however, was that in the voting that took place on these propoaed dismemberments the Ministry did

not all find their way into the same lobby. 1 'la a rule Sir Julias Vogel voted for tbem, while his colleagues voted on ,the other side. Such action in regard to a ■ strictly Government measure seemed so i unusual that the whole proceedings were , declared by Mr. Rolleston to be a farce, while Mr. Ormond denounced the Ministry for having, in the very first contribution of their local Government scheme, departed from the principle on which it was based. Uhe ob ject of such elasticity was patent enough. According to certain clauses of the Bill the Colonial Troasuser may grant special subsidies to any Hospital Board in difficulties from want of funds. As this is sure to be the chronic condition of country > district hospitals, the stated disbursement of a certain amount of Government mouey in connection with them, in addition to the ordinary grants, may be relied on. It is natural that members should wish to gratify their constituencies by securing them this supposed boon, and it is quite in keeping with Sir Julius Voxel's tactics to conciliate membats by acceding to their wishes. In fact this may be with him simply a humane way of purchasing political support. View it, indeed, in what light we may, the proceeding is far from being creditable to the House, and shows in a very suggestive way the straits to which the Government are reduced. It is, therefore, not to be wondered at that reports are again afloat of a combination being 011 foot to oust the Ministry. Rumours of this nature have been frequent during the session, but as nothing came of them it began to look as if the Government would be allowed to retain their seats. Their prospects begin now, however, to get seriously overclouded ; and, should an organised effort be made to unseat them, it will to no small extent be due t;-> the vacillation of purpose, absence of unity, and lack of good faith with which they have on recent occasions made themselves chargeable, and of which the proceedings of last night supplied another instance.