THE CHANGE OF MINISTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6819, 25 September 1883, Page 5

THE CHANGE OF MINISTRY.

[BV TELEGRAPH. —OWK OOBRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Monlay. Mr. Whitaker's resignation came rather as a surprise owing to the remarkable suddenness and secresy with which it was brought about at the last, but of course ever since his very plain declaration in the Legislative Council last session everybody knew it would not long be delayed. I believe, however, it was the desire of the Government to keep the whole affair quiet, if possible, until the new Ministry had been re-constructed, sworn in and actually gazetted, in order to avoid th:i idle speculations and unbecoming inflnen ;es while the arrangement was being carried ouv. Probably this secre3y might have been: practicable had all men been bachelors! but as it was, the secret was whispered to certain friends who were not invariably discreet, and. the consequence was the news got abroad yesterday. Those who had learned it confidentially from official sources , were, of conrse, bound in honour to remain.silent. The circumstances - connected with Mr. Whitaker's resignation are exceedingly simple, and straightforward, and purely non-sensa-tional in character. No doubt, there will be the customary trite and inane canards as to alleged " differences in the Cabinet," etc., . but_ there is not the slightest foundation in fact for auy such report. The simple trntlf is, that Mr. Whitaker has long been remaining in office at considerable personal loss, owing to the unvoidable clashing between his ofhVal position and important private buainess. Certain matters in which he is personally concerned have lately further strained the relations between his public and private positions, and he felt it imperative that he should abandon the cares of State, and devote himself fully to his own concerns. He hadi/long been desirous to retire, but retained? office at the urgeut request of bis colleagues. ,1 c may not be generally known, but it is nevertheless a fact, that, on Sir John Hall's resignation last year, Mr. Whitaker was strongly in favour of Major Atkinson assuming the Premiership, bnt the latter,'for reasons which he. deemed good and suffiuent, as strongly objected, and urged Mr. Whitaker to consent. This ho ultimately did, but only at firat on condition that he should be allowed to retire after the session. He was pcruaded, nevertheless, to remain in office another year, but it will be remembered he stated in the Council that he meant to retire as soon as possible. He considered the time had now come when he ought not to be expected to longer sacrifice his private interests to publicaffairs, butmight fairly claim release after .thirty-seven years of public life. His ..colleagues reluctantly acceded, and accordingly his resignation was placed in the Governor's hands, with a recommendation that. Major Atkinson be sent for.

Mr. Whitaker's lo3s will bo much felt by his colleagues. He had such extraordinary capacity for hard work, and such love for it, as well as special faculty for seeing the bearings of a case instantly, that he was invaluable as a member of the Cabinet, while his geniality of dißpositioa and invariable equality of temper had a valuable effect in smoothing over any little temporary acerbities such as will always arise_ among half-a-dozen men constantly associated together. He has been described a 8 the cement of the Ministry, and not inaccurately. ' However, he has gone, and probably for ever, from the Ministerial stage, for he is in his 72nd year, although his intellect is as keen and his mental vigour as marked as ever. Major Atkinson has .received His Excellency's command to form a new Ministry, and has undertaken the task. It is understood that they will be. sworn at noon tomorrow and gazetted immediately afterwards. No authoritative information is accessible as yet regarding the personnel of the new Government, but I havo reason to believe it will be as lam about to forecast. An idea has been afloat that an " outsider " will be ! included, and possibly two in the event (also I very confidently predicted) if Mr. Walter John- ' ston deciding to retire from ofneenow instead of waiting till April/when ho purposes leaving for Eogland. lam convinced this anticipation will prove entirely illusory. My own impression is that no new appointment at all ' will be made outside the members of tho late I (Whitaker) Ministry, but that all those members will take office under Major Atkinson, Mr. Johnston included. I believe Mr. Oliver, who has long been a member of the Cabinet without a portfolio will again become a salaried Minister, and take one of ■ two departments hitherto held by his colleagues. I fansy it will most likely be the Post Office and Telegraphs, but mightbe JusticeorMines or Education. Not being a lawycr.'he cannot take over Mr. Whitaker's portfolio of Attorney-General, which in all probability will be assigned to Mr. Con oily. So far as I cau ju<lge, as at present advised, I doubt the likelihood of other Cabinet changes yet awhile, but it is not impossible a readjustment may be effected later. This necessarily will be the case when Mr. Johnston goes. It will also be necessary to t appoint another Minister in the Legislative Council without portfolio to assist Mr. Oliver in putting the Government business through, the workbeing too heavy for one man, even when that" man was so Bkilful and experienced a veteran as Mr. Whitaker hi mself. It is uncertain as yet who will be off red this position." Thepolicy of the new Ministry will cootinue the same as that of the Whitaker'Government. There is nothing further to be said tonight relative to this sudden change of Ministry. lam not aware that anything more remains to be told to-morrow excepting the authoritative announcement of the names and portfolios. To sum up, I expect tho list fr> be as follows :—Major Atkinson, Premier and Treasurer ; Mr. Dick, Colonial Secretary and Education ; Mr. Kolleaton, Lands and Mines ; Mr. Conolly, Attorney - General ; Mr. Johnston, Works ; Mr. Bryce, Native and Defense ; Mr. Oliver, Postmaster-Gene-ral or Justice.