FROM THE PRESS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5093, 29 August 1884, Page 3

FROM THE PRESS.

WHAT WAS SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE, IS NOT SAUCE FOR THE GANDER. While wo contend that the House was perfectly justified in condemning the Stout Government if members felt that the combination was not worthy of confidence, we hold that they ought to be able to make up their minds on the subject of what they do want. Members totally misconceive what their duties are if they think they are justified in amusing themselves by bowling over Ministry after Ministry the moment they make their appearance. Members must surely have some common object in view. At any rate, if they havo not, the public look to them to have a common object, and if they steadily refuse to co-

operate in order to enable the business of the country to be carried on, there is only one solution of the difficulty. They must be sent back to their constituencies for the purpose of ascertaining whether the ordeal of another general election will produce a Ministry that can command the confidence of a majority of the House of Representatives. This, it appears to us, is the only way out of tho difficulty should Mr Stout's Want of Confidence motion be carried, of which he gave intimation last evening. Such a course may appear an exceedingly inconvenient and expensive method of arriving at what is wanted ; but if every section into which the House is now split up insist on having their own way, we are at a loss to see how it is possible to do otherwise. If there is any other rational way out of the difficulty it will no doubt be tried. The Premier last evening stated that he would, most probably on Tuesday next, make a statement of the policy of his Government in sufficient detail to permit of the House coming to a decision as to whether it could approve of it or not. But Mr Stout and his followers are eager for the fray, and cannot even wait till that date before attacking the new occupants of the Treasury Benches.