The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning News and The Echo. SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1882.

Auckland Star, Volume XV, Issue 3757, 26 August 1882, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, The Morning News and The Echo.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1882.

For the causa that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistAnct For tho future in the distance, And tho good that ws can do.

Rumours continue to reach us from Wellington of impending Ministerial changes, "lhe most important of these is the reported resumption of the Premiership by Sir John Hall at the close of the session. The resignation of that office by Mr Whitaker would, of course, involve an entire re ■ construction of the Cabinet, but Ministers might safely venture upon the step with an assurance that Acting-Governor Frcndergast will not fol* low Sir A. Gordon's example and place his advisers in a fever of anxiety, by sending for the leader of the Opposition, In the rumour that Sir John Hall will take office, we can trace the cause of the report that Mr Bryce will retire. The dust scattered freely about by Ministeis and their newspapers, at the time of Sir. John Hall's resignation, never blinded the public to the fact that a trained relations with Mr Bryce, culminating in a quarrel.had a great deal more to do with it than Mr Hall's health. The canard-makers, therefore, proceed in this wise: Hall joins, then Bryce retires. Sat try it the other way—Bryce was supported before by the whole of his colleagues against Hall; his native policy has been pleaded as a strong reason why the present Ministry should remain in office; he has already promised to meet Tawhiao after the Houses rises-ergo, the probabilities favour Bryce remaining in and Ha/1 out. Wherefore, the canard-mongers are calculating badly ia taking Sir John Hall's recent aid to Ministers as an evidence that he is going to rejoin them. When »ir George Grey helped the Cabinet ont with the Peace Preservation Bill, early this session, rumours were circulated, and obtained some credence, that the member for Auckland East was about to find a resting place on- the bosom of Major Atkinson. Reports of this kind I are always to be distrusted, and al-1 though Mr Bryce is an exceedingly unpleasant and unworkable colleague, we think it unlikely that he means to retire from the Ministry at this time. The statement that Mr VVkifcakur desires to get rid of the Premiership is probable enough. Mr Whitakcr's strong diataato for a residence at Wellington is well known, and he has reached an age when some consideration for his tastes and comfort is reasonable. The head of the Cabinet must spend the greater part of his time at the seat of Government, and a change in the Premiership may therefore lie at hand ; but whether by a return to the arrangement once before existing, under which Major Atkinson took the office of Premier while Mr Whitaker retained precedence at the mimic Gubernatorial Court, or whether by tlio actual return of Sir John Hall to his old place, is mere. guess work. A reconciliation.with Mr Bryce may have prepared the way for the latter stej.. If so, the only vacant portfolio will be filled up, and the Ministerial ranks closed against further additions. There still remains the reported retirement of the Hon. Mr Johnston, for the purpose of visiting England. Of the likelihood of this we have neither evidence for nor against; but ahonld It come about, Mr Wright's chances are the best for succession. He is a practical engineer, and hat long aspired ,to. the Works portfolio. The work of .Cabinet-making-en papercan just as well be done in Auckland a* in Wellington, with the aid of a roll of the Legislature and a piece of pencil, and with about an eqnal chance of guessing correctly. The snbject, however, is not without a practical interest for us. What we really want to see and know is this—when is Auckland to get the promised second member, and the portfolio of Public Works ? Otsgo, Canterbury, and Welling.

ton have successively controlled the loan expenditure; when is Auckland to have a turn 1