MR. BALLANCE ON THE WANTOF-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 470, 31 October 1877, Page 2

MR. BALLANCE ON THE WANT-OF-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

v— The lion, member for Rangitikei followed Mr. Fox in the debate, and so completely dealt with the whole question at i-.sue that his remarks may be viewed us c mtaining the most substantial arguments in opposition to the late Ministry and in defence of the pr sent. lie exhibited no craven spirit by beating about the bush, but hit out in manly styie by repeating the grave accusations wh ell h ive from time to time be 'ii made against certain important members of the late .Ministry. Wo would draw especial attention to hi* remarks with re erenee to Mr. Whitaker, who, we presume, after endeavoir.ini to purge himself of the stigma 'lu.tsueh statements uncontradicted would bring upon his private character and political lvpuration—for surely he will do this—will come out of the Im-iness without a stain. Iso on-; doubts this for one ni'Kiient, and.it now being Mr. W Intake's turn to speak, we are anxiously awaiting that moment when, his dt f me being perfect, he shall a pear before the Colony as a gentleman of unexampled honesty and truthfulness :

Mr. Pal'ancc said it was quite worthy of Mr. Fox io conclude by ridiculing a libe:al I.l'kl law. It was In cause l'ro\ iiuialism wa< dead, and because tliey felt >ir Georg.i Grey's principles, or which liis Provincial alvoeaey was only an accident, were t h o e \vh eh shouid rule the country, ihat he and < thers followed >ir George Grey. Those principles were not to be upset hy mere ridicule, which seemed the worst \v. apon that could be used against them. Ha I not Mr. F"X for years been setting class against class? Thjre were some who thought croeily land sharks a more dangerous ela*s than the publicans, for whom as a class lie waged war. He denied that .Sir George Gr>-y endeavoured to set class rgainst clas<. If the Laud Ui'l was liberal, all its H ;iT,ility had been introduced in the Waste Lands Committee, as, when the late Government brought it down, it was a mere consolidation of existing laws, but raising the price. He was not at all frightened about the repudiation cry, mill the miserable local squabbles in Hawke'a Bay should excrciso no influence on the general policy. He accused Mr. Fox of great inconsistency in what he had said about Provincialism, as it was only in 1574 that he ceased to be an earnest Provincialist. Sir George Grey might have been autocratic to those who had tried to over-reach him ; hut he was never autocratic to the people, who well knew he was their friend, it.was because of his broad and liberal views that the people believed in Sir George Grey. If a Public Works Policy was simply to aggrandize largo land owners, and enable laud shirks ami speculator to acquire vast estates, then certainly a Public Works Policy was not an unmixed good. It was not fair of Major Atkinson to be constantly nagging at the Government since they came into power, and reiusing them the time which had In c:i allowed Mr. GilJi s in ISl'2, and which Major Atkinson himself t<H>k last session. to bring down his Financial statement Mr. GilLe3 took twenty days and Major Atkinson thirty-five days, and yet, even now, Mr. 1 arnach had only been sixteen days in office. It was to the financial Statement that the House and country looked to find the complete policy of the Government. Major Atkinson actually refused to give

sixteen days to liim to proparo thin. It wan msst unjust to refuse Ministers tho opportunity of bringing ilown their policy, and this opportunity was refused to satibfy a craving for another coalition Ministry. Ho quoted precedents in tho Imperial Parliament, and showed how unconstitutional tho conduct of Major Atkinson was in bringing down such a motion undor such circumstances. Even if thu volo was carried' could tho other side carry on the (Government ? They would not have a working majority, and there was but one tribunal to appeal to. and that w.is the elo tors by means of a dissolution. Could Major Atkinson, if he got in now, expect any consideration from the Opposition ? unfairncsß would beget irritation, and if turned out unfairly his side of the House would not show any consideration. He had himself supported Major Atkinson till tho unholy alliance with Mr. Whitakcr took place. 110 then reviewed tie policy of the late (government in regard to iS'a ivj la.ids and other matters. He also referred to numerous transactions, and stated that since lank October Mr. Whitaher had obtained IS 000 acres out of a block of 200,000 ucrou at os. an acre, but which was well worth JJ. Mr. Whitakcr had taken ad vat) tag.) of being in office to obtain, under pretences of exchanging some laud to which he was entitled, a block of land which had cost the Colony L 17.001). The 18,001) amn were tho only valuable part of the 200.0U0 acres, and Mr. Whitaker's proper course, il he had any claim for compensation, would have been to have conic to the House for it, instead of settling with himself in land. He thought the Colony should keep clear of land ring* and the banks, yet at pre-cut the colony owed the banks a million and a half on short dated debentures. This gave tlico institutions a dangerous power, and injured our credit abroad. Ho condemned the linanee of the late Ministry in proposing to borrow money to make up the land fund to betaken from Otago as most unsound. The whole linancc of the late Covernment was anything but a far-seving one. It proposed generally to borrow enough for immediate wants, but to get this tiny would probably haveto piomise not to borrow any more for a certain time. How, then, were they to carry on ? He hoped t at if the pr. sent Ministry were defeated their constitutional right to a dissolution would be recognised, and tlia', a dissolution would be given to th in. He quoted authorities to show that this right existed, and that Sir Ceorg.i (irey was entitle I to an unconditional dissolution. The history of the Lite political crisis in New South Wales showed this. Ho looked forward with confidence to the future, whatever Mas the result of the present motion.