THE DIVISION ON MR. FOX'S MOTION.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 362, 28 September 1868, Page 2

THE DIVISION ON MR. FOX'S MOTION.

The following description of the finish of the lato important debate on the " No Confidence Motion," is taken from the " Examiner's " Wellington correspondent. At a quarter past nine, the debate terminated in a most unexpected and extraordinary manner. Mr Gallagher was the last to speak, and, as no°one seemed inclined to follow him, the question was deliberately put three times, and elicited a few languidlyuttered ayes and one solitary no. The Chairman therefore pronounced that it had passed in the affirmative. A dead silence ensued; gradually it seemed to dawn on the minds of members that there was something not quite right in allowing a discussion of such imporbance, which had lasted for ten days, to conclude without a division ; a general sence of bewilderment prevailed, no one appearing to understand the state of matters, until at last one member coming to his senses more quickly than the rest, jumped up, and asked the Chairman if he would be good enough to explain what was the real state of affairs.

The reply of course was, that the resolution was carried ; and then there burst forth from the Government side of the House a tremendous cheer, in the midst of which Mr Stafford and Mr Pox, who had both been absent, walked into the House, and, to their utter amazement, were informed what it was that had called forth that cheer. Every one seemed perfectly thunderstruck; members, lookers-on, reporters, messengers, all were in a complete haze everyone looking at his neighbour in a most pitiful state of bewilderment and surprise, until at last one of the members was struck with the happy thought that an adjournment of twentyminutea would be the most desirable proceeding. This was proposedandeagerly agreed to. A meeting of the Opposition was at once held in an adjoining room, which however did certainly not result in any organized or combined action afterwards

On the committee resuming, a long discussion took place aa to how they were to get out of this rediculous position. A whole host of members had a say in the matter, the Opposition saying that the Q-overnment were to blame, and the Government the Opposition, though nobody seemed to know exactly how ; at last it was agreed that the Chairman should report progress and the first resolution affirming the principle of a dissolution of partnership accounts, be put to the House by the speaker, Mr Stafford withdrawing the others involving the adjustment, and reserving to himself the right of producing them in an altered form. At the same time that Mr Fox was to move, as an amendment, that all the words after " That " be left out, for the purpose of inserting the words " this House has no confidence in the Government." This was done; question put that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the question. Division called for; bell rung ; ayes to the right ; noes to the left • five minutes elapsed ; the fists are duly scrutinized and handed to the Speaker, whose sonorous voice is heard amid breathless silence, "Ayes 37 ; Noes, 30. The ayes have it." Then arose such a cheering and clapping of hands as those walls had never heard before ; the laughing countenances of the winning side forming a strong contrast to the saddned, depressed faces of the Opposition, who were certainly taken by surprise at the large majority against them.