THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS,

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 55, 20 June 1846, Page 3

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS,

[From the Watchman, Dec. 17.3 The Queen held a Court and Privy Council on Wednesday, at Osborne-house, Isle of Wight The council wasattended by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, the Duke of Buccleuch, lord privy s«alj the Duke of Wellington, commander-in-chief; Sir Robert Peel, first lord of the treasury, Sir James Graham, secretary of state for the Lome department } the Earl of Aberdeen, secretary of state for foreign affaiis; Lord Stanley, Sec. of state for the colonies } the Right Honorable H. Goulburn, chancellor of the exchepuer; the Earl of Lincoln, chief commissioner of the woods and forests $ and the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, secretary at war. Parliament was ordered to be further prorogued from Tuesday, the loth of December, unto Tuesday the 39th of December. A special train was engaged for the conveyance of Ministers, who took up the Duke of Wellington at Basingstoke, and left him at that place in returning.

RESIGNATION OF THE MINISTRY. At the council above-mentioned, Ministers resigned tbeir offices, owing to the differences that had arisen on the question of the corn-laws. The important event was thus announced, on Thursday morning, by the Morning Herald'. — "Sir Itobei-t Peel's Govesnment is at an end. All the Members of the Cabinet yesterday tendered their resignation, which her Majesty was pleased to accept. — It will be easily believed that we regret this determination of her Majesty's advisers ; but we should much more regret their unanimous determination to sacrifice ihe industiy of the country by stripping it of all protection. — The importaut fact now announced proves how completely wrong the Times was when it stated that the Government had decided upon proposing to Parliament, as a Cabinet measure, the repeal of the corn laws." (Fiom the Time» of Friday.) Sir Robert Peel has resigned, and Lord John Russell has been invited to form a new administration. Such is the sudden and strange event which has taken by a surprise the whole political world j and such the verification, if not ,the ful-

filment, of the intelligence which yesterday week astonished our readars. At that time another conclusion of the controversies which had evidently long harassed the Cabinet vras confidently and justly expected. Sir Robert Peel had then gained over to a total repeal of the corn-laws all his colleagues except three or four, with whose co-operation, if repoit speaks true, he might very well have dispensed. He had just won the j i eluctant assent of the Duke of Wellington, and his promise to propose the measure in the Lords. It had also been settled to summon Parliament early in January for this purpose. Our readers then possessed an exact and literal transcript of the ministerial state and intentions. * *. * . * withdrew his assent, and jfoined the minority. The Premier then felt that it was not his place, or perhaps in his power, to carry the measure. On Saturday, accordingly, Sir R. Peel informed the Queen of the difficulties in which he found himself, and tendered his resignation. Her Majesty, it is said, was pleased to express a great desire to retain his services, if it could possibly be so ai ranged. Sir Robert Peel could suggest no alternative, and the Queen summoned Lord John Russell to her councils. On Wednesday the whole ministry resigned, and is now only holding office till Lord John Russell has selected a government to supply its place.

(From the Times of Monday.) Nothing, we believe, has yet been settled respecting the ne iv Ministry. Lord JohnHussell had another interview with her Majesty at Windsor on Saturday, whither he was accompa nied by the Marquis of Lansdowne, and conferences have since taken place between the heads of the Whig paity now in town, but up to a late hour last night it would be rash to assert that his Lordship had taken any decisive steps towards forming a new Administration. With the example of Sir Robert Peel's short accession to power in 1835, before their eyes, the leaders of the Opposition may well deliberate before they rush into places which the course of events may force them to vacate in the lapse of a few weeks. As matters stand at present, Lord John Russell, may expect to meet an adverse majority in each House if he does not receive the support, not only of Sir 11. Peel, but of a large portion of the party who have hitherto voted with him, audit is not unreasonable, therefore, that he should m ish to measure the amount of support he will receive before entering upon the great task his predecessor has bequeathed to him.

(From the Heiuid of Tuesday.) The members of the late Melbourne Cabinet have nearly all arrived in town, and they are to meet this morning at the house of Lord John Russell, in Chesham-place. It is not difficult to understand that the purpose of the meeting is to ascertatn the possibility of forming an Administration in time for Lord John to give his answer to her Majesty in the course of the day. It has been mentioned that Losd John llu»sell has had several confidential communications with Sir J. Graham since his Lordship's return from the Isle of Wight. It may be that such communications have taken place, though we know nothing certain upon the point; but if they have, they must have related to some routine aflaus connected with the carrying on of the ad interim government, for we can assert most positively that neither Sir James Graham, nor any other member of Sir Robert Peel's Cabinet, has for one moment contemplated either coalition or concert with the projected Whig Radical Administration.

(From the Watchman, Dec. 21.) The general impression on Thursday morning was. that Lord John Russell would not attempt the construction of a Cabinet, This impression was fortified by a brief paragraph in The Chronicle distinctly stating the fact, that the noble loid had not yet undertaken the task confided to him by her Majesty. In the evening the impression was reversed by intimations in The Globe and Sun, that Loid John had decided on the construction of a new Cabinet. Second and third editions of both these journals confirmed this impiession by stating m positive terms that Lord John bad undertaken the formation of a Government. On Friday an announcement of the same fact was made in all the morning papeis. The following appeared in the Chronicle of that day : — "We are at length enabled to announce tha Lord John Russell has undertaken the task of forming a Government. After the interview wilh his friends yesterday, Lord John Russell went down to Windsor to communicate the. result to her Majesty. Two or three *lisia» of the new Ministry were handed about last might. It is enough for us to sayi that the Cabinet has not yet been formed. There are some of the appointments which may of couise be anticipated wilh sufficient confidence. There can, we infer, be no doubt that Lord Cottenham will be chancellor-, Sir Thomas Wilde, attorney-general ; that Mr. Pigott and Mr.Hutherfurd will re-occupy their respective {positions in Ireland and Scotland/ that Lord Palmerston will be foreign secretary. Rumour assigns the Colonial Office to Eatl Grey, and the Home Office to Lord Morpeth 5 but none of the appointments referred to have yet, we believe, been actually made, while only some of them can be considered certain." The circumstance of there being a prospect of a settled state of things operated favourably on the funds Consuls having risen fully one half per cent. Various guesses were made at the names and offices of the new Cabinet, but the appointments were merely conjectural. On Saturday the metropolitan public was startled by a double-leaded article in The Times and also one in The Chronicle, announcing that Lord John Russell, alter all, found greater difficulties than be had anticipated in the formation of a Ministry, and that it was doubtful whether he would not be obliged to relinquish the task. A third edition of The Times, published at half past thiee o'clock, contained the intelligence of Lord John Russell's abandonment of the attempt to form a Ministry, and of Sir Robert Peel having been sent for to Windsor Castle by her Majesty. The following is the announcement :— - "Ourannouncment of this morning will have in some measure prep died the public to expect that Lord John Russell would not be unable to overcome the difficulties which the disunion of his colleagues presented, and would be compelled to inform her Mujesty that he had failed in his en-

dearour to form an Administration. Our anticipations hare just been justified by the event. The<object of his Lordship's visit to Windsor this morning' Was to resign iuto her Majesty s hands the tnist!he<had accepted, and to explain that in the present state of parties he had been unable to secure such an amount of support among the leaders of his.party as would enable him to complete a ministry. The result of his Lordship's interview is, that her Majesty ha« sent for Sir Robert Peel to form a'Government. His Lordship returned from Windsor-at three o'clock this afternoon."

(From rhe Observor of Monday.) Causes ok Difference between ' Lord J. Russell and his Friends. — Much anxiety is naturally felt to ascertain the real causes of the failure of.Lurd John Russell to form a Government. It is stated by The Morning Chronicle, that the political .friends whom his.lordshiu had temporal ily called to his council, were unanimous in their opinion that the total i and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws was necessary ' for the country ; but a large majority of these statesmen, looking- to the difficulties which at present stood in the way of carrying such a measure, were indisposed to enter upon the struggle. In fact, they shrunk from that course of agitation and political conflicts with the House of Lords, by which alone they could hope for ultimate succes*. The other cause of dissention among the friends of Lord John Russell had reference to Mr. Cobden. Earl Grey and others thought that this gentleman ought to have some place in the Government, and the Vice-Presi-dentship of the Board of Trade was suggested as an office strictly appropriate for him. This proposition met with strenuous opposition from others of the friends of Lord John Russell, and the differences became irreconcileable. Another difference is said to be of a personal rather than of a political character. Earl Grey is reported to have objected to the return of Lord Palmerston to the foreign department, on the grouud that his lordship's former administiation of Foreign affairs had not impressed him with confidence. Amidst all this disunion, Lord John Russell felt that he could not form a strong and united Cabinet, and accordingly resigned the task. (From the Herald of Monday.) Her Majesty desired Sir Robert Peel to wait upon her on Saturday, for the purpose of finally taking leave of her Majesty. Sir Robert Peel repaired accordingly to Windsor, and on his arrival was infor- | mcd by her Majesty that Lord John Russell, after having undertaken to form a Government, had failed in accomplishing that task : and that her Majesty must therefore express her desire that Sir Robert Peel would not abandou her service. Sir Robert Peel informed her Majesty that just previously to his quitting London, he had received the intelligence of Lord John Russell's failure ; and that having reason to believe that those of his colleagues who had differed from him were not prepared to form a Government, and considering that Lord John Russell was unable to form one, he had resolved, without a moment s hesitation, to withdraw his tender of resignation, to resume office, and to propose to Parliament those measures which the exigencies of the public service might require. Retikement of Lord Stanley.— We are assured ! that Sir Robert Peel will be enabled to retain the cooperation ot all his former colleagues, with the exception of Lord Stanley. Lord Stanley, we^gretto learn, feels himselt compelled ro withdraw from her Majesty's service. His lordship acted throughout the late painful aud protracted discussions with perfect fairness and openness. All the other colleagues of Sir Robert Peel will remain in office. They are influenced, no doubt, by the same motives by which Sir Robert Peel was influenced, when he 'informed her Majesty, on Saturday la*t, that he required no time for consultation or deliberation ; that ou the instant he should- resume the functions ' and responsibilities of Prime Minister. The quest:* > to be decided at the Council summoned at short notice on Saturday night was, simply this — shall the Queen and the country be left at such a crisis without a Minister and without a Government ? The decision of the Duke of Wellington. and of those of his col leagues who had in the rirst instance, dissented from the views of Sir Robert Peel, was not to leave him to pursue his arduous and patriotic course alone, but to share the burthen with him, and give him all the aid which their high station, their known ability, and disinterested integrity so well enabled them to afford. The position of Lord Stauley was peculiar ; and ac1 ting on strong conviction and on his sense of public duty, he r resolved on retireing. Sirß. Peel therefore resumes his course, aud a new era begins for the country, after all its late apprehensions and vicissitudes, under auspices similar to those which raised its manufacturing population from the depth of misery and suffering of 1840-41, to the present full enjoyment in 1845, of employment and abundance, under which the errors or a waspish, impracticable oreign policy were corrected of abandoned, and the name aud dignity of England secured throughout the globe, while her influeuce is used to maintain the continuance of peace, and diffuse the blessings of civilization. The changes in the constitution of the ministry, which its recent return to power will occasion, will he few, and not of any very great importance. Mr Gladstone has succeeded Lord Stanley in the Colonial office, Lord Dalhousie will be called to occupy a seat i in the Cabinet, Lord St. Germains will be appointed Postmaster* General, also probably with a seat in the Cabinet and for the present at least, there is little probability of further change. The following were to be the members of the Russell Cabinet : — Lord John Russell, First JLord of the Treasury; Lord Cottenham, Lord Chancellor; Lord Morpeth, Home >ecretary ; Lord Palmerston, Foreign Secretary Lord Grey, Colonial Secretary : Lord Auckland, First Lord of the Admiralty; Mr. C. Wood, Secretary at War ; Mr. Macaulay, Duchy of Lancaster ; Mr. Laboucliere, President of the Board of Tr.ide ; Mr. C. Buller, Secretary for Ireland ; Sir T. Wilde, Attorney General; 'Vice- Admiral Sir C. Adam Warren, Rear Admiral /Elliott Deans Dundas, Commodore Sir C. Napier, and Mr. Tuffnell, Lords of the Admiralty ; Mr. Pigott and Mr Rutherford, re-occupying their respective positions in Ireland.

General Obituary.— Sir John Chetwode, Bart., M.P., for Buckingham, expired on Wednesday last, at his marine residence, at Bog 1 nor, Sussex, at an advanced age.— On the 29th ult. f near Florence, after only one days illness, the |Hon, Colonel Hughes brother to Lord Dinorben. This gallant officer distinguished himself during the Peninsular War, in which he served in the 18th Hussars.— On the 17th inst , at Miti e-court Buildings, Temple, of consumption, John William Smith, Esq., of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-Law, in his 3Sth year. — Vice Admiral of the Blue James Katon died at Gosport, on Sunday week.

NAVAL ASD MILITARYMajor W. A. M'Claverty, of the 48th Foot, ha» been gazetted as Deputy Quartermaster-General to the forces in New Zealand, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army. The whole of the 65th regiment is held in readiness to be embarked for New Zealand as soon as tonnage can be provided. It is generally supposed the 24th regiment will be ordered to Chatham to furnish the convict guard. Not only have orders been given completely to fortify the naval arsenals, 'but guns are to be sent to all the colonies which are exposed to attacks, and batteries and fortifications are to ba forthwith erected in them all. Militia regiments are to be called aud drilled twenty-eight days in the year—the English regiments in Ireland, and the Irish in England. — Adjutants, principally full-pay captains are'being appointed. A.ine\v-Bvstein of drill is about to be issued ;to the Army. General the Hon. Sir Edward Paget, G. C. B. Governor of-Chelsea College, and Colonel of the 28th Regiment, is dangerously ill. General Hodgson, Colonel of the 4th Foot, is also in a bad stale of health. ■ The experimental Squadron will not be paid off. The Vauguard^Bo,'C-dpt. Willies, will be stationed at Cove,* taking' the flag of Rear Admiral 1 Sir H. Pigot, iK.'-C.iH., the Commander-in-Chief. Thus she will be available for any >ein~ mergency, .ia such an advanced position.