RESIGNATION OF MR BALLANCE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5422, 1 July 1879, Page 2

RESIGNATION OF MR BALLANCE.

; I (FEOM OJCTB OWN OOBOTBPbMDBWTJi.^ ' ' ; : • • ' Weliington, June 30. , Mr Ballance to r day tendered His ■ resignation pf his seat in the Cabinet. • 3 . This has, since Friday, been regarded as . inevitable, but Mr Ballance did not wish to. take such a step without reflection or on impulse. .".It has been notorious jfoipsome, time that the betweJßh > himself ; , and the. Premier have freenjfarfrqm. cordial, and ever sinee 'Sir ,G«T° r g<»" retired from' Auckland 1 the' Drea'oti'^'aWY been widening. Since that sparpely^Miy IJ ■ regular <Cabinet .meetings ii'aye^een^lLel*. -,% ' The Premier has been sending fpp ( j]tu|f ! ;. colleagues individually, tellhig ' them ' what he. has decided and thinks should ' be done, and insisting on their oarryinfeif out his views, but giving them no opportunity of collectively discussing the subjects. Mr Ballance and others have remonstrated warmly, but without effect, Since^Mr Stout's resignation, and on the question of supplying l his place, tilings have got worse. On : Friday afternoon-' * while engeged with Mr Gavin, s UnxierU* , Seoretaryof the Treasury, Mr Ballance received a message that the Premier wished to. see Kirn". Asking Mr Gavin to wait; Mr Ballance wont to the Premier^ ■ room. "After about a quarter of an hour-Sir-George G.rey.rushed out of his, room in. a most'exoited state, crossed the room and entered Mr' Fox's room opposite, slamming both doors' after him; ! • 'J^-feyr seconds after.Mr Ballance 'emerged from the room trembling' with suppressed excitement, and apparently restrained^byl Mr Sheehany .whose hand was "on" hiti. shoulder^. Mr Sheehan went and Mr" Ballance went into myn , room. . It has since tfaja-' spired ; that what took place ui'rae room was' this— Sir George Grey . hacl ;l before him I; the, Treasury depart'iiie#ai l> !draft estimates, as prepared by Mr

_^ ■ i ,^Tr '••".-■ ' ; - •'■ "• ''- Ballance. ' Heretofore^. < ■ : : J " VogeTs|tim.e, the salary .*• .. ,; ; ; lias been charged to th . ■ „- i confidential Secretary tc v , ■•>.;..-. but as| a matter of f a< V : long oeftsed to have any either the Treasurer; or \^k£ being 1 tejcmfldential seci jIH Cabinet arid the Premier. " 7T " r his departmental estimate . '■■'• struck Mr Fox out of the put him down at the i Secretary to the Cabinet , ■ Ballanqe came into the 1 Mr Shbehan, being also , :. (jteor gel pointing to the ttf . saidtpfMr Ballanoe, "H thing; is to' be done Is} Treasury into' iriy own : ■: Ballancfe attempted to exj>li_^ ,uoi TOOU^, but Sir George fefuse'3'to listen, arid told Mr Ballance he was not to talk to' him, but to do as he was told. Mr Ballance replied that he understood it to be the duty of every Minister to prepare his own departmental estimates for submission to the Cabinet, and' it was for the Cabinet to revise them, adding that if the Cabinet chose to charge Mr Fox's salary to a department with which Mr Fox had no connection, he (Mr Ballance) of course could' not object. Sir Aafak George Grey declared that this was an to him as Premier ; that he would ■^M&ot be talked to j and after some further r^^HUKQCgl^condemrjatory language addressed l^j^Wo Mr Ballance, the Premier said " Leave ' the room, sir." Mr Ballance, although excited, was calm, and said he certainly would'SotTeWeTthe" room. - Be' had been Sent for, and as long as he was a member Jpf the Ministry he would certainly claim tjie right of free; discussion with' a)l his; oollegues, from the* Premier downwards. Mr Sheehan interfered,... and tried to throw oil on the troubled waters, but wlthoukeffj|et.' a SJcfiteOrge'Grey declared that it Mr Sallaflce did not leave the room he would sen r d:forla messenger and have him forcibly ejected. Mr Ballance declined to move if all Ihe messengers' in the buildings were summoned. . Whereupon Sir George Gxef 5 rose -and.^said he would not stay in any room, with Mr Ballance, SnU^e^rushed out as already 1 dVfatilecL Since Friday the other Ministers X lia¥s been trying to make up matter, and.it is. understood that the ■Premier was* witting' '"to" make a Sort of to Mr Ballance; but the latter i^Heelipg it was impossible to remain iid the r *^ Ministry after what had occurred, put all —% his papers in order this morning, and k "■ then sent in hja resignation,. It is thought; Jf' reiy prob'ab'le'that other Sfinisters will follow his example. 'Mr Macandrew is . belieyedrto'UttVe'rode^out to the Huttthis : evening to consult With Sir William Fitzherbert as to the course he should take, and if he determines to resign, as is most probable, Mr Sheehan and Mr Fisher will also follow.*" It is stated that Sir George has declared he"! cadres 'not if "they all resign ; that he can find plenty of men to form a Ministry which'; will carry oufc his principles.^ ..j,,, iy-a j ;r :■:. :;•..■ ..;;.-,•.-'* 'x- -. There is considerable, excitement in the city dn the. subject. , JBpst, , writing of the <Mlt&/ip-iu^ ' fc&en no secret J for ! a ldng time J past that serious dissotisions. existed in the Cabinet, and^feiiV-^cfoiriplete rupture among Ministers 'mace^tb.an onoe, has been only, narrowly averte^^Matterg:, at . length appear to have come to-a^crisis, resulting, we uiiderstand, in the resignation of. the Gplpnial Mr Ballance. < It . - -has been notorious • that , the dissensions to whioh^weihaye "alluded were not confined, r to mere difference .of opinion onH;. public questions, but often took the form, of sharp. personal altercations between 4^ the Premier 'ahd one" or " other of his ► colleagues on * trifling points of detail. Notwithstanding all "the earnest protests on the.;part;.of the Ministerial organs that P* the was "' quite a model ' happys family,' <and the Strenuous efforts _made to conceal- from the public gaze all ""signs of/ the : Ministerial disagreements, ► sufficient "intelligence has leaked out from time to time -to show that the felatiqnstr of^y/ Ministers; with, one; another %ere'.; of spY critical a ■ nature that a split in the . Cabinet might be looked for any iday.' It has been understood that the system of government i..' mider the present Ministry was simply J^Mjof personal autocracy, the Premier - : — i^^Jrently regarding his colleagues as merely the instruments to register his absolute decrees. Whether Sir George Grey 'or'iihe 'other Ministers "were in the right 'on? the precise .questions as to which they ; 'differed is not now to the point, the real, issue .being ; whether the colony should be "'governed" constitutionally by the Ministry, or unconstitutionally by the single will of3the sPrime> Minister. It is said that no Cabinet meetings, properly so called, have been held for many ■^ months ;;'that Ministers have met npminaUy^ijif'Cabinet not to discuss what shoiud^be'-^bncr'iffi'reference to Various pubHc 'questibnsi';but to receive from the «ps ofp^'GeovgQGief'moTiiniom^on r > as he ; inigbi ypuchsafe to.furnishi of what ** he nad;i either:. ' done .; qi 'tf. decided to ; do.' "Siich" asystem obviously contained.the seeds .-. qi fits., own dissolution, , ; ancL latterly matters J have* gone 'from bad .'to worse !j in' fi ., Ministerial;;' relations, ; the : Premier^it'ia 'alleged, itr'eating 'certain- of his colleagues with discourtesy so marked ; as to ma^e. it ,a^p^t.iinj[osßible ,forr them wittt'any regard for thei£^vm seif-respect to maintain personal 'communication with , hims ; <'The impression^'th'us has ; 'gained' ground daily that Sir '"George Grey's : object. „ was 5. t0. get , rid pof.. his ■, present. ■ associates' ., inT ■the' J Governmeht n with; the ; view of surrounding^him^elf with coUeagueV , ; dispositions' more congenial cto.hia' -of ; supreme power. ■„ This: i being a matter, of public notoriety and • comment, the 'recent' symptons of commencing disintegration created no surprise, . ? the being that a I Cabinet ' r '6bmpdsdd, . x pf r :^.sdcK , f 4issonarit t^j elements had held' j together so long. Mr StoutVs-reßignation of the which is the break. ■Hj^fj the .Ministry, was' received "with but not aatoniahment, It has beep B^^^Ejl^known that the.. Premier .and his P^Q|^Jle>gues j entertained . widely different f; views as to filling rup the "vacancy thus created,,.as.well: as on the native question.. |; ■ and;. several ..other, .important subjects. I Not on any of these, however, has the I difficulty arisen "wrhidh to-day appears to I have brought matters to a crisis. It is JH asserted th&t LsincevMr Stout's resiguaW- tion Sir.MG-.'iiGfey has taken several ock-• casions to offer IMr Ballance personal g slights of a marked 1 riaibre in regard to m- numerous .^poijrts ,pf /petpy' detail coming H within 1 ' 'the* special department of the ||; Colonial Treasurers line of conduct P culminated on "afternoon last in p so direct 1 a 'personal affront that no man ■jr with7&ny\selfrreapect" cb^ld possibly sub - ■fc™j^t-.tb:it.tamejy',; or willingly expose himla,.repetitioni1 a,.repetitioni „-The, consequence is ■I as we ; hav,e already mentioned, Mr X; Ballance has come; to the determination • to resign his seat in the Cabinet, and his BP resignation, we belieyej was placed in the H Premier's hands Tthis^ afternoon. It is »i^ rumored that some other members of the ■£ Goyeriiment, 'feeling that at present, || while they 1 -are" compelled to share the mt.- respbhsibility;of',the section of the GoX: verfam6nt r they are whbliy "powerless to i|, affect it, contemplate following Mr BalX;; lanceyexamiile.";?. ■...,..' . , ■I " 2.30 p.my-^Since the above was in K type ; the -t Colonial Treasurer's resignation m* nas^een^ormSlly 'placed in the hands of ■P. 'V,^,^"' ' '' H| ■* |B"he. Chronicle narrates the facts of the Ml :^-,eWpute 'substantially as I have given Ws% them, , and. saysr". The Hon. John BalB||' ; lance : .t6 ! -'day' 'sent in his resignation 'of W^kl his; pbsitibn"' as" Colonial Treasurer and HH: Minister of Education. 1 Coming soon [H' v after the 1 resignation of the Att»rney■l'- General and Minister of Lands, the reK tiretoent^of;;M> (< Ballance at the present Kj! mofiiep-tary, jj crisis'; 'is a matter of. the gravest conse^i(6nbe, 'nQt only to the

Liberal party, but to the whole people of New Zealand* All who know Mr Balla^§e .axe aware that he is the reverse of anjiimpetuous mail, and that he would not have decided to take this step but ; fdf#hi YeryjWeig^jSest-^asons. That he ■had iisuohy reasons "all unprejudiced (1 jterflens. .will admit after reading the ■* plain" unvarnished tale of the facts. The .Colonial Treasurer reviewed the whole. ; qitfjition, and having plaoed it in all its.;aspects, he says tWt he could not, ;'as_an; honorable gentleman meet Sir Gepr^GTey M the Cabinet. Therefore he could riot prepare his financial statement, for if ; he laid it before the House rit must be as his own private statement, 1 and not as that of the Government. Not , only on personal grounds, but in the interests pf.the country, he. felt that ..he^, must resign. He took ampie time to consider the matter fully, and having arrived at the only possible conclusion he sent itt bis resignation, as Colonial Treasurer, Minister of Education, and member of the Exeutive Council this morning. Though Mr Ballaancc has left the MinistrX^he will still remain a stauuch champie* of the Liberal party. Half an hour before he was sdnt for by Sir George Grey he received a telegram from Colonel Whitmore, who was in Auckland, stating thatone of the Auckland papers had just published an extra containing sensational news about a disruption of the Cabinet. Mr Ballance telegraphed back to Colonel Whitmore telling him to £[ive an unqualified denial, as there had been no disagreement in the Cabinet;- This shows that Sir Geo. Grey's .insulting conduct to Mr Ballance waspre-arraged, and that he had given intimation of what was going to happen. Sir George Grey had moreover been in the ' habit of '" receiving anonymous letters from rail parts of. the country .complaining of the action of Jhis colleagues. This is Wholly Uncpristitu- 1 tional and unprecedented^ We understand the Minister.f or .Public W^orkj and the Native Minister have bbth threatened to resign."