WESTLAND

West Coast Times, Issue 377, 7 December 1866, Page 2

WEST LAND

in tuj; PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Thursday, November 29, 1866. THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

[The following is a brief report of the Ministerial explanations offered, wliich we extract from the Christchurch " Press." Our readers of course already understand that " reporting" proceedings in Council, is not an art cultivated by our eastern contemporaries.]

On the first notice on the order paper being called for,

Mr Jollie rose, and said he wished to make a few remarks before the business of the day was proceeded with, and for that purpose won l ft ask leave of the hon. member for Papanui (Mr Stewart) to take up the motion on the notice paper which stood in his name, and ask the House to go into committee of supply, so that he (Mr Jollie) might be able to make a full statement of what had taken place since last meeting of the Council, and also to place before the House a statement of the financial condition of the province. Mr Stewart said that the request had come upon him unawares, and he hardly knew how to answer it, as he really did not know in what position he was placed, "whether as a private member or as an official holding office under the present Government. In consequence of the late Government having laid their resignations before his Honor, he could not sec how it could be said that that Government still existed. He had no wish in any way to retard the business of the province, but until he could more clearly sec how lie could in any way enable the business to be carried on he must bo considered as a private member. After some further remarks from Mr Jollie j in explanation,

Mr Stewart remarked thai as a matter of courtesy he hoped he should not be wanting in anything, hut he could not give the leave asked for as Secretary for Public Works, which he was not.

Mr Jollie said that under these circumstances he should claim the indulgence of the House while he made an explanation of what had transpired recently. At the last meeting of the House he showed that he had done all he could to bring the late Government back to office again. Since his first attempt to do so they had endeavored to obtain the assistance of his hon. friend the late Provincial Secretary, and he wished to say that they delayed coming to any decision to increase tlie number on the Government bench until they should receive an answer from the hon. gentlemen. Yesterday they waited upon his hon. friend, and requested him either to join the present Ministry or to join him (Mr Jollie) alone in attempting to form a new Ministry. Tho conditions they laid before him would prove to the Houso that they were sincere in their desire to do all in their power to have the hou. gentleman back to office. (Hear, hear.) They were drawn up in a memorandum as follows : — Either that Mr Stewart should take office as Proviucial Secretary or Provincial Treasurer, with Mr Jollie as Secretary forPublic Works ; or that Mr Stowart and Mr Jollie shoidd form a Ministry, and that they should not be considered as in any degree bound to give Messrs Montgomery and Williams a seat in the Executive Codiicil. The above conditions were signed by the three members then on the Govemnient'bcnch, and were he thought as fair and honorable a compromise as could be expected from any public men (hear, hear, from several members), and showed that his hon. colleagues did not seek office for mere emolument alone. (Hear, hear.) An hour ago he received the following reply from his hon. friend :—": — " My dear Sir, I have considered very seriously the proposal made to me yesterday with an earnest desire to put an end to the present state of political affairs, as far as lam concerned. I fear, however, that my joining with you would do you no good, while it might affect to a great degree my title to the consideration of members as a consistent man. I thank you for your kind expressions and good will." (Hear, hear.) There was also another point on which he wished to make explanation, namely, with reference to tho question put to him the other evening, regarding the policy of the Government. His Honor had also requested a written statement to the same effect, and they had drawn up a memorandum of what the policy of the Government would be. (Mr Jc-llie then read this statement to the House, with his Honor's reply. We print them entire in another column.) They had endeavored as far as possible to meet the views of all parties, perhaps too much so, and they would endeavor to cany on the business of the country to the best of tlieir ability. (Heav, hear.) The main difference between the policy of the two Governments was this, that certain large sums which had been put down on the estimates the present Government proposed should be expunged — which sums; if they had been passed, would have acted prejudicially to the interests of the Municipalities and Road Boards. For years these boards had been treated in the same manner. Sums of money voted for them were devoted to the carrying on of public works which had been initiated without due regard to economy. (Hear, hear.) He waa aware that hu would be charged with having been a party to this treatment of the Road Boards, but at the time the Government of which he waa a member was in office hon. gentlemen must rcqollect that an entirely new state of things came into existence. A* large expenditure had to be incurred on the West Coast to open up the country and develop its resources. The Government were prepared lo go on with the business on the order paper, and when the motion for going into committee of supply on the West Coast estimates came on, he should be prepared to make a further statement regarding the financial state of the province.

Mr Stewart wished to make a few personal explanations. His hon. friend had correctly stated what passed the previous day between them. His hon. friends on the Government bench were good enough to state to him in terms which he could not easily forget the sentiments they entertained for him, and offered him tho Provincial Secretaryship. He told (hem that as those hon. gentlemen who were associated with him in the Government were aho concerned, lie must apply to them in the emergency before he could take any action in the matter. On consulting with them he found that they entirely agreed with him that a coalition between himself and his hon. friend on the Government bench was utterly useless. There were certain differences of opinion in political matters which existed which could not be arranged in such a manner as to enable them to conduct the public busineas together. The first motion on the notice paper was again called for, when

Mr Beswick rose to a point of order. He askod whether they were to receive from the hon. gentleman on the Government bench a statement of their policy, as he considered that it was the duty of the Government, before the Houso proceeded to business, to give an explanation of tho policy they intended carrying out. He did not know even what offices those gentlemen held.

Mr WI'EDE considered that it would be impossiblo to go on with the business until they Know whether any Government existed, as they had not, us the Exccutivo was at present formed, the nutnbor required by iaw. Mr J. S. Williams said that the explanation formerly given was a sufficient reason why the offices woro not all filled up. The delay occurred by waiting for Mr Stewart's reply. He thought tho hon. member who last spoke was in error. His Honor had accepted their services as his advisers, and as one of tho late Executive (Mr Wilkin) had not resigned, there was the full number in the Executive required by law. No appointment to any office of emolument had as yet been made in ord»r to avoid having to reiign their teats,

and tlnib cause dolay. In the nicantimo they intended advising his Honor to appoint two • persons who were not members to fill tlie offices of Provincial Secretary and Provincial Solicitor, while lie and his lion, colleague (Mr Jollie) would act us such respectively, and be responsible to the Council. The promise the Government had given tho previous evening was fulfilled. An outline of their policy had been given, and he thought it would be rather too much at t lint early stage to be obliged to give a much fuller statement. If the House | agreed to the proposition he made, the Government would be prepai'ed on Tuesday next to conduct the business of the House. Mr Stewabt said that the resignation" of MrWilkin in that gentleman's absence was laid before his Honor, along with that of the other members of the Executive. I The Speaker said, when the motion on the ) order of the day came on, the House could ] then decide whether the business ought under the circumstances to go on or not. {