HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 7, Issue 435, 7 November 1863, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, October 28.

RESIGNATION OP THE MINISTRY. Mr. Domett said that before the business of the day was proceeded with, he had a short statement to make to the House. He had to announce that, in consequence of difficulties that had arisen in connection with the arrangements the Government had endeavoured to make to find a fitting person to represent it in the Legislative Council, the Ministers had fouud it necessary to tender their resignations to his Excellency,-who had accepted those resignations; and they now only held office till their successors were appointed, Mr, Fox : Perhaps the House would permit me to offer a few words of explanation also. I bad the honor, yesterday evening, to receive a message from his Excellency, requesting my attendance at Government House. On my repairing thither, his Excellency informed me of the resignation of the Ministry ; and also told me that they had not made any specific recommendation to him in reference to the party whom be should seud for to advise him in regard to the constitution of a new Ministry. He therefore considered himself strongly justified in exercising his own discretion in the matter; and had sent for me to request me to undertake the task of finding his advisers for the present time. His Excellency was pleased to say that at the time when I retired from office, he was not aware of any difference, or shadow of a difference in, opinion between himself and myself with regard to the policy to be adopted in this crisis of the country; that his own opinions had not once changed; and that he believed the opinions of the retiring Ministry were identically the same as those which his Excellency and himself had then held in common ; that under these circumstances, be found himself bound in honor to impose upon me, if I was willing to undertake it, the task of forming a new ministry : but he did so, his Excellency said, Dot from any private motive or feeling, but because he considered it was the right course at tlie moment to adopt in reference to the necessities of the country. I informed his Excellency, in reply, that the proposal took me entirely by surprise,—that I had come to Auckland not intending to take any active part—beyond that of a private and independent member—in the business of the country at this moment ; that my private arrangements had been made to return to Europe at the end of the session; that I was entirely ignorant of what might be the feeling of the House, in which there were a large number of new members, of whose opinions I knew nothing, that it was impossible for me on the moment to say whether there was the smallest possibility of my being able to perform the task which he wished me to undertake. However, after some further conversation, I felt ——his Excellency pressing me with many arguments—that if it were in my power in any way to assist his Excellency in disentangling the complicated questions connected with the present condition of affairs in this country, or in aiding in the development of those great resources which exist in the Middle Island, it was my duty not to shrink from the task h 6 requested me to undertake. I therefore intimated to him my gratitude for the offer he had been pleased to make, and the flattering terms in . which it was made, and promised to use my best endeavours to construct a Ministry to advise him in the present crisis, with reference to the carrying on of the business of the country for the future. The difficulties to which I alluded in the conversation between his Excellency and myself will, I trust, weigh with the House as a sufficient reason for my asking what I think it will permit under the circumstances of the case—my arrival only yesterday in Auckland, and my previous long residence in the country and out of political circles —an adjournment to a week from this day, in order that I may be enabled to make the necessary arrangements. I move, therefore, that this

House do at its rising adjourn to this day week. Several members here objected, to adjournment for so long a period as a week, on the ground of the very general feeling that the session should be a short one, and that no time should be unnecessarily lost, —Mr. Atkinson ultimate]}' moving as an amendment “ that the House do adjourn until Friday.” Mr. Fox said he was exceedingly sorry for the inconvenience caused to hon. members who came so far from their homes; but he felt perfectly satisfied that he should not be able to present this House and his Excellency with a ministry complete by Friday next. It was not as if therehad been a vote of want of confidence at the conclusion of a long debate, by which he might have been informed of the views of every hon. member, and matured his own on many points (for he had not yet had time to read the papers which had been laid before them). Under such circumstances, much less time than a week would have been sufficient; but having been unfortunately prevented, by the alteration of steam arrangements, from being present, as he meant to have been, at the opening of the session, and not having since had any opportunity of reading the documents, and being also totally ignorant of the feeling of a lurge section of the House, he did feel there was very little chance of his being able to conduct the necessary negotiations to a successful termination in much less than a week. He could not, therefore, accept the amendment of the hon. member for Grey and Bell on the precise terms with which it was accompanied; but he would consent to an adjournment till Friday, on the understanding that if he were unable to form a ministry by then he should he at liberty to ask for further time.

The amendment was then put and agreed to, The House adjourned until Friday.

The Speaker took the chair on Friday the 30th, at 12 o'clock. FORMATION OF MINISTRY. Upon the Speaker proceeding to call on the business of the day,— Mr. Fox rose and said, Sir, with the permission of the House, I would take this opportunity of stating that since the last sitting-day I have been engaged in the attempt to perform the undertaking which his Excellency was pleased to entrust to me—the formation of a Ministry ; ’ and I am happy to inform the House that I have been successful in so doing. The names of the gentlemen who have consented to become his Excellency's advisers are, Mr. Whitaker, who will be AttorneyGeneral and Premier ; Mr. Reader Wool, Colonial Treasurer and Commissioner of Customs; Mr. Gillies, Postmaster-General—to reside for the present in the Middle Island ; myself to hold the Colonial-Secretaryship, : including the administration of native affairs— the office of Native Miuister being sunk into it—and the leadership of this House. The office of Minister for Colonial Defence is at this moment not filled up. The gentleman who has so ably filled that office since his appointment to it, Mr. Russell, has absolutely refused to hold it permanently ; but I still hope to be able to induce him to continue to hold it during the present critical position of the colony. (Hear, hear.) Aud I trust to be able on the next sitting-day to announce that I have succeeded in inducing him to do so. lam not yet in a position to enter upon tlie question of ministerial policy; but I trust to be able to do so on next sitting day (Hear, hear) ; and unless hon.members have any business to bring before the House now, I will move the adjournment. I move that the House at its rising, adjourn to next sitting-day. Seconded by Major Richardson, and agreed to.

Messrs. Stafford, Featherstou, Cracroft Wilson, Dillon Bell, and Fitzgerald, all took occasion to speak upon the question of change of ministry. Each expressed satisfaction at the personnel of the new cabinet, and expressed a strong desire that Mr. Bussell should continue in office, at least so long as the present troubles should last. Mr. Stafford said :—“ I believe that there is not at this moment in Auckland, one man so thoroughly acquainted with the whole disposition of the Forces at present necessarily in arms for the assertion of Her Majesty's sovereignty, and the protection of lives and property of the people in large numbers around us, as the gentleman who has hitherto temporarily filled the post of Minister for Colonial defence. I cannot but regret with great anxiety and alarm that, at a moment when hourly despatches may be expected from the General requiring (as within the last few hours have been required) fresh dispositions of the troops, the strengthening of certain positions, the co-operation of bodies of armed men, —that those despatches should arrive (as they may at any instant) and find no Minister there conversant with the details of the positions of those troops and posts, and able successfully to co-operate with the General in his plans.” And, again, “ I should not have considered I was fulfilling my duty as a Representative of New Zealand if I had omitted in the strongest language I could command, to express a hope that that gentleman who has hitherto acted as Colonial Defence Minister will really be indueed by a consideration of the circumstances to which I have alluded, td continue, at least temporarily, to give his advice and assistance to the Government which has now been formed.”

Mr. Bussell : Sir, I feel that after "the very complimentary allusions which have been made to myself, I cannot do otherwise than thank the hon. members who have bo spoken, and say I do feel that this is a time when all personal and party feeling should be sunk, and even private Interest, and as far as lies in my power* I shall be most happy to continue to discharge the duties of the office which I have hitherto discharged. I must say that a great deal of the success which has attended’the administration of that department has been owing to the willing co-operation of the people of every class, with the Government.