TEE AGENT-GENERALSHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9047, 7 May 1888, Page 5

TEE AGENT-GENERALSHIP.

BY TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Saturday.

There was a report some time since that the Government had offered a renewal of his

rm of office to Sir Dillon Bell Singularly

enough this rumour obtained publicity in a quarter which had previously entered tho mind, of Sir Harry Atkinson and discovered that he was going to London as AgentGeneral after the session of Parliament. The rumour has been revived in a modified form. It is now stated that the Promier has offered a new but restricted term of

Bee to Sir D. Bell which the latter has re-

fused to accept. This rumour appears so tenaciously to haunt the mind of some people that I asked a Cabinet Minister yesterday whether he knew anything of the matter. He replied that as a membor of the cabinet he knew nothing of it. Ho was good enough to say that ho would ascertain from tho Premier himself whether there was any truth in the rumour. This morning I was informed upon this excellent authority that there was no truth whatever in the rumour that any negotiations whatever had been entered upon in respect of tho Agent-Generalship. There was no official correspondence begun or in progress oil the subject. I believe, however, that the question has been put to Sir D. Bell in a private and informal manner -whether he would be willing to hold his office for a term after the present term should have expired. No answer, I understand, has boen received to this query, but there has been no official correspondence whatever, as already stated on ! the authority of a member of the cabinet.