WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7862, 3 February 1887, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

BY TKLSGRAI'H. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Wednesday. THE GREAT BARRIER, TRAGEDY. I info 11MKD you last night that Ministers were occupied the whole of yesterday in reading the report of Mr. Justice Ward and the accompanying papers. This morning I was informed by the Hon. the Premier that Ministers had forwarded their report to His Excellency at Dimedin, and the final decision would be arrived at by a meeting of the Executive sitting there. I may hero state that each of the Ministers in Wellington forwarded a separate report, stating the effect of the evidence. As the three Ministers now in Wellington (the Premier, Minister of Justice, and Colonial Secretary) are lawyers of standing and reputation, these reports will have the greatest weight. They are also the Ministers whose official position attaches the largest responsibility for the maintenance of the Queen's peace. Of course I cannot say whether they are unanimous in their judgment upon the case. I believe that absent Ministers have also forwarded their opinions through the Executive Council held here yesterday evening. It is hardly necessary to state that Ministers observe a striot silence in regard to what passed in the Council, and I was reminded of a reason which would make the publication of any knowledge of it very improper. It is considered desirable that the condemned convicts, Callrey and Penn, should be relieved of suspense as to their fate as soon as possible. When reports of Ministers shall have reached the hands of His Excellency the Governor he will summon a meeting of the Executive. Two members, with the Governor, are sufficient to form a quorum. I Tne Hon. Mr. Reynolds and the Hon. Mr. | Larnach are at present in Dunedin, so that a decision may be known before the end of | the present, or certainly upon the first day of the next week. At this meeting of the Executive, if the decision should be adverse to the condemned, the date of their execution will be fixed. SIR ROBERT STOUT AND MAJOR ATKINSON. The presence of the leader of the Opposition in Wellington to day ha 3 created a larger amount of political curiosity and interest than 1 had previously observed duriug my residence in Wellington. Wherever you went the question was, " What is the meaning of it ; in he going home ? " When you asked the questioner to explain that, he sometimes referred to Sir Robert Stout. Towards the afternoon the " man in the street'' had it that they were both going home to the Imperial Conference. I referred last night to the mutual decapitation of parties that would be the consequence of the simultaneous disappearance of these distinguished politicians from the opening of next Parliament. Now there are well-informed people who believe this. • In my inquiries as to any local reasons for Major Atkinson's prcsencc in Wellington just now, the reasons given by those who know him best are conflicting. Can it be possible that the surmise I forwarded last night had anything in it, viz., that the deliberation of the Opposition leaders was really upon the subject of Major Atkinson goin;; home with Sir Kobeit Stout? Here everybody is asking just now can it be true that Sir R. Stoat is going home with Major Atkinson. The Post, which, as the Government organ, might be supposed to know something, Knows nothing about it. One consequence of the conflicting rumours that are current is the suggestion of several candidate! for the honour of representing New Zealand at the Conference. The Post puts forward sir William Fitzherbert aa the Nestor of New Zealand politics, and who has seen generation after generation of politicians come and go. His official position is a high one, and his knowledge of the colony and its people unrivalled. Placed high above all party issues he would be a faithful and able exponent of the consensus of public opinion upon all the questions of the day, There is, psrhaps, no man in New Zealand more couversant with the opinions of all its public men upon all subjects than ho is, and his mature judgment would enable him to avail himself to the utmost of this knowledge. Sir William Fitzherbert is also well known, not only throughout the colonies, but by leading statesmen at home, at the Colonial Office, and in financial circles. It should not be forgotten how well he represented New Zealand when he was sent home to endeavour ta induce the Imperial Government to abandon its clsimn of some three-quarters of a million against this colony for military services, a mission iu which he was wholly and entirely successful. Neither should the consummate tact and ability which he afterwards displayed in negotiating the conversion of the provincial loans be lost sight of. I have already told you that I had heard. the name of Sir G. Grey mentioned several times in connection with this matter. But there are objections which these eminent persons might themselves raise, whatever their best friends may think or say. 1 have some reason now for thinking that my surmise of yesterday had this much in it, viz., that the member for Egmont had something before him to suggest that the question might be put to him whether ho would go to represent the colony at the Imperial Conference. I thought it then possible that Hr Dillon Bell might directly represent the Government, and that Major Atkinson, who is a strong supporter of federation, might be selected for the reason that his opinions on this subject are largely shared by influential colonists. The Government hold different opinions on that subject, which are also largely shared by influential colonists in this country, but everyone says here that the visit of Sir Robert Stout and Major Atkinson to England is quite on the cards. Thero is no denying the known opinions of Sir Robert Stout and Major Atkinson on colonial federation, and the group of questions connected with it would give the representation of the colony the greatest weight. Major Atkinson had an interview with Sir Robert this morning. I have not the faintest idea what the nature of it was. Some say that the dissolution of partnership of the firm of Stout aud Sievwright is a sure indication that the Premier is going to England. Others say there are business combinations that will absolutely preclude the possibility of his leaving the colony. Some say he must remain in the colony to fight the Representation Bill through its Parliamentary ordeal ; others say there need be no light about, it, as the Boundary Commissioners provided for in the Bill will settle the most important debatable issues. There is no end to the conjectures. Yesterday the matter was put a* a "step"from the sublime to the ridiculous; to-day it is vice versa. THE TIMARU POISONING CASES. The impression produced by the announcement that Thomas Hall wan found guilty of the murder of Captain Cain, was of the most painful description. I heard from a legal gentleman to-day that the question reserved for the Court of Appeal is so clear that it is scarcely arguable. The learned judge who presided at the trial had very little doubt upon the subject. People talk as if the credit cf the colony was more or less affected by these two black crimes. The point reserved will come before the next sitting of the Court of Appeal, will be argued, decided upon, and then—

BURGLARY. There has been an outbreak of burglary in the city. The Princess Hotel, the house of Judge (Jill, and other private houses have b«en broken into. There is a good story afloat at the expense of the police. They .stopped a buggy containing some ("porting characters on the Uiltt Road. They had noticed a big lump of woollen rugs in the buggy. Did it contain a burglar? Hence they summoned the party to puil up. They seized the huge envelope of woollen drapery. The gentlemen said they were going to the races. The police opened the rug, and found therein a poor little jockey in process of diaphoretic reduction, so as to be ready for his mount.