The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1893. POLITICAL RUMORS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXIX, Issue 205, 21 August 1893, Page 2

The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1893. POLITICAL RUMORS.

Romors as to a probable change m the leadership of the Government party continue to be as plentiful m Wellington %s the " leaves m Yallambroea." The latest is to the effect that Sir Robert Stout ia to succeed Mr Seddon as Premier, aad that the Member for Westland will go home to London to take up the Agent- Generalship which Mr Perceval will resign. Whether thi3 particular statement be true or not, it is certainly the opinion of many well-informed people m the Empire city that Mr Seddon will not be at the head of the Liberal party after the next elections. The Wellington correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald has the following m a recent telegram to hi 3 paper : — " According to lobby gossip, a section of the Miniaterial party are seriously considering whether they will allow tho present Premier to go to tho country aa the exponent of the views of the Libsral party. I cannot vouch for tho correctness ot thia rumor, but it i? openly stated here that whether Ministers are victorious at the elections or not, the Government as at present constituted cannot possibly oarry on, and that a change of some kind is an absolute certainty. It appears to be also generally felt that Sir Robert Stout will make a hostile move against Ministers oa the first opportunity that arises for taking definite aotion. It has indeed been apparent for some little time past that the relations between the Premier and the Knight of Inangab ua are decidedly strained." Whilst on the subject of rumours that refer to tha Premier wa may as well mention another, whioh is to the e'ffeot that after the general aleotion Mr Seddon will be placed m the Speaker's Chair, and this will afford a wished for opportunity for Sir Robert Stout to assume the reins of office and leadership. We give tha story for what it ia worth, bat we may venture our opinion that Mr Seddon m the Speaker's Chair is hardly likely to be a great success. He is far too impulsive, far too much of a party man, to bold such a position as that of Speaker with credit to himself and advantage to the Hous°. Major Steward is notoriously a weak and altogether inefficient | substitute for Sir Maurice O'Rorke, but we doubt whether Mr Seddon would give any more satisfaction than the present oocupant of the Chair.