POSITION OF MINISTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18298, 15 January 1923, Page 8

POSITION OF MINISTRY.

ENTITLED TO OFFICE. SIR J. FINDLAY'S VIEWS. ' '' _!__-< ■-■' ■-•' i REFORMERS AND LIBERALS. ( In an interview at/Timaru^:; Sir John ■'Findlay discussed the political situation as resulting from; ..election;; /He said it would;' be; impossible'; to avoid/another., election unless there;; was either; an' alliance between the Reform and Liberal .Parties or a -..reinforcement of the former. 'by (as many members; of the latter .as /would give Mr.' Massey a- working •'bra- j jority. The latter had by far the largest j party' in the present House, and the add'"/ tion of five members to Iris ranks would J give liirn the numerical strength required ; for Stable government/-. The policies of ; the two 'parties had .steadily.; converged | ~upon, -each, other—there was now .really ! little that materially , separates - them—^i iand some kind of .concordat between: them j seemed 'the- best, solution of the present i ,-impasse.'.; .- , / ' 'v -Asked -concerning.-, the position of the i Prime Minister in retaining: office for the. I •present without 'a majority 'in the House, J Sir John said the position was/ stated in Halsbury's , '-Laws; of Englalh'd," 'Volume .7, page 34 -and following, 'pages. Here' the position would be; found summarised* as follows: "It is recognised that the continuance of a Ministry in office ; is .ultimately dependent upon the sujppork of the j 'electorates/ and: where these declare/ a .majority against .the, . Government, it is usual for the Ministry either to resign j 'immediately or /to waif;'; until : the .House j meets and an adverse rote has beep/ car- \ ried. Instances of the course followed' an Administration."lias;-suffered Vi a defeat at the polls are as follows: In 1868 the resignations of "the third Derby ; and first 'Disraeli /Administrations were: 'handed in upon ah adverse verdict at the ! polls before the meeting of : Parliament. ' .Of subsequent Ministries, three—-the "first \ Gladstone Ministry in / 1874, .the second j »Disraeli Ministry in 1880, andthe; third j Gladstone Ministry .-; in . letired ; im-, J mediately upon an adverse verdict at the polls, 1 while ,in three 'cases, namely, the. j first and second Salisbury Ministries in 1886, and 1892, -and the lastguiding precedent, the: Balfour Ministry in 1905,; the '! Ministers, though retnrned in a minority,: waited a ; vote of waht-of-conrldence in the : House before resigning.." ■; ;.:. Continuing, Sir. John: Findlay, said /it would be : seeri/ifrorn this that there was .'ho ' uniform, constitutional rule On the point, and that ! Mr. Massey ..was therefore : ; entitled to retain : office until the meeting of the House,, although the general " electionSleft his party without a, majority., It: should be remembered, Sir John x added, that Ministers were/appointed by the King, and were not tho servants of' the House, .although ultimately their continuance in office ;/was dependent upon the goodwill of' the: House. There were several in; England where Ministers, "though de-1 ■feated af: the polls/ continued ih office/ for some..; considerable time 1 afterwards, I -On : one occasion Mr. Gladstone had done .so for several months. .'