as early as possible about the ordinary time, not later than April, 1891. That was agreed to at the conference, and the three months’ supplies allowed after the end of the financial year were cut off. Mr. Ballance, while the conference was being held, raised the question of the possibility of the Ministry being defeated at the polls, and Mr. Bryce and he drew up a clause, couched in plain words, providing that if the Ministry was defeated it should resign at once, without calling Parliament together.
When a Cabinet meeting was held to consider the proposal, Mr. E. C. J. Stevens, a member of the Government, objected to the wording of the clause, as he thought that it indicated a foregone conclusion that the Conservative Party would be defeated. Other phraseology was suggested, and it was embodied in a memorandum. This memorandum, which bears the initials of the Conservative Premier, “H. A. A.,” is as follows:—
“It is fully recognised that the constitutional practice requires that the result of the general election should, if clearly apparent, regulate the conduct of Ministers in retaining office or tendering their resignations.”
It was discussed by Mr. Ballance and his friends, who understood that if Ministers were defeated at the polls, they would resign at once, and that the next session would be the ordinary one towards the middle of the year. The Liberals did not place any great importance on the document, which they regarded as merely the embodiment of the recognised constitutional practice in cases where a Government has forfeited the confidence of the people. They held that if the Government was defeated either in Parliament or at the polls, it no longer had a right to administer the country’s affairs, and, in accordance with constitutional practice, should resign.
When the time came, Sir Harry denied that he had given any pledge to resign. He said that he had only promised that if the elections went against him he would “act in the constitutional way.” “A perfectly constitutional way,” he added, “was to call Parliament together as soon as possible.” In this attitude, which was taken up unexpectedly, the Liberal leaders saw a possible attempt by the Government to gain to its side some of the votes that constituted the Liberal majority.
