Responsible government in the Dominions: Responsible government in the Dominions

Responsible government in the Dominions (Vol. 1)

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Multivolume work

Identifikator:: 1896933912

Document type:: Multivolume work

Author:: Keith, Arthur Berriedale http://d-nb.info/gnd/119086794

Title:: Responsible government in the Dominions

Place of publication:: Oxford

Publisher:: Clarendon Press

Year of publication:: 1912-

Collection:: Economics Books

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Volume

Identifikator:: 1896934455

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-236504

Document type:: Volume

Author:: Keith, Arthur Berriedale http://d-nb.info/gnd/119086794

Title:: Responsible government in the Dominions

Volume count:: Vol. 1

Place of publication:: Oxford

Publisher:: Clarendon Pr.

Year of publication:: 1912

Scope:: LI, 568 Seiten

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Multivolume work

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Part II. The executive Government

Collection:: Economics Books

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

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