CHAP. 1V] THE GOVERNOR AS HEAD 197 
was dissatisfaction with the reconstruction of the Cabinet. 
A recent division, however, seemed to show that apart from 
the Labour representatives, there were only three members 
vesides Mr. Murray who had been opposed to reconstruction ; 
and several constituencies had expressed their opinion on it 
since it had taken place. 
Within a few weeks before the vote of no confidence, four 
members joining the Ministry had appealed for re-election ; 
one of these, a member of the Legislative Council, was 
returned unopposed ; while of those belonging to the Legisla- 
tive Assembly, two received majorities larger than they had 
at the last general election, and the remaining one, though his 
majority (789) was less than that which he had at the 
general election (852), could not be fairly said to have lost 
the confidence of his constituents. 
The debate on the vote of no confidence had made me think 
that possibly the House as a whole desired a change of 
Premier rather than a change in the professed policy of the 
Government. If, therefore, general consensus of opinion 
among those who had been in the habit of supporting the 
Government had pointed to any leader as acceptable, I should 
have felt bound to consider whether I ought not to ask him 
to try to form a Government ; but in spite of the fact that 
recent changes in the Cabinet must have directed public 
attention to those who develop the policy of the State, 
nothing seemed to indicate that there was any such leader. 
To sum up, the evidence before me led me to believe that 
even if the constituencies, in spite of the recent by-elections 
which were the only clear indications of opinion, and which 
were in favour of the Government, did desire a change of 
Ministry, there was no proof that they wished for either 
Mr. Murray or Mr. Prendergast as Premier—that as there 
was no apparent probability of either of those gentlemen 
being able at that moment to form a stable Government, 
and as I knew of nothing entitling me to invite any one else 
bo try to do so, I had no reasonable grounds for differing 
from the Premier’s view that dissolution was inevitable ; 
that a dissolution at Christmas time would not increase the 
popularity of the Government, and that, therefore, I should 
not give the Premier any unfair advantage if, in the absence 
of clear indications of desire in the country for any other 
definite leader, or for a policy other than that which his 
Government professed, I allowed him to appeal to the electors. 
It was my duty to act in local matters on the advice of the 
Ministry, as expressed by the Premier, unless I was prepared