THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8470, 22 January 1891, Page 5

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS

MEETING OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER.

THE MINISTRY TO RESIGN.

SIR H. ATKINSON TO BE SPEAKER

OF THE COUNCIL.

THE NEW APPOINTMENTS. [by telegraph.— own correspondent.] Wellington, Wednesday. Though all the members of the Government party have not yet arrived in Wellington, it was decided this evening to hold a preliminary caucus, for the purpose of having a general introductory discussion on various matters to be brought before a full meeting of one party on Friday. The caucus took place at four o'clock this afternoon at the General Government Buildings, when there were present in all 24 members, namely. Sir H. Atkinson (presiding), Messrs. Bryce, Buchanan, Duthie, Fergus, Lawry, McArthur, W. J. S. Mackenzie, Meredith, Mitchelson, Moore, Newman, O'Conor, Rhodes, Richardson, Rolloston, Russell, Swan, Taipua, J. W. Thomson, R. Thompson, T. Thompson, Valentine, and Wright.

Sir Harry Atkinson introduced the business of the meeting by stating that his medical advisers had informed him that he was unable to lead the Government and the House, aud the Government had therefore decided to resign. The Government and his friends considered that he (Sir Harry) should obtain an appointment in the Upper House and be made Speaker of that body. He did not at first like the idea, as personally he was opposed to anything that looked like self-appointment.

The evident feeling of the .caucus was as expressed by several members that the appointment was a very proper one, and that Sir Harry Atkinson was eminently qualified for the position, and that he had fully merited it by a long course of valuable and disinterested services rendered to the country. This statement of opinion by members was received by the caucus with applause.

Sir H. Atkinson explained that before going out of office he would lay on the table a statement showing the satisfactory state of the finances of the country, which he had every reason to believe would show a surplus at the end of the financial year of about £130,000, in addition to a sum suffi cient to cover the deficit in the land fund of last year.

The next question considered was that of the election of Speaker for the Lower House. This matter was discussed at. considerable length, but no definite conclusion was arrived at, and it was decided to adjourn the question for further consideration at a meeting to be held next Friday at twelve o'clock. Iso names were mentioned, but it was tacitly understood that the Government would run Mr. Rollesbon for the position.

The question of appointments to the Upper House was next dealt with. The Premier announced that Government had decided to call six gentlemen to the Legislative Council. He alluded to the fact that the Government had attempted to reform the Council, but ineffectually. Sir George Whit more, a strong member of the Opposition in the Council, had introduced a Bill, which was revised and amended by Sir Frederick Whitaker with a view of securing the necessary reforms. This Biil had the entire support of the Government, but was rejected by the Council.

The gentlemen to be appointed to the Upper House are : — J. B. Whyte (Auckland) J. D. Ormond (Hawke's Bay) C. J. Johnston (Wellington) C. C. Bowen (Canterbury) W. Downie Stewart (Otago) James Fulton (Otago).

It was intimated, in reply to questions, that they had signified, in writing, their determination to support a measure for

limiting appointments to the Upper House to a term of seven years, inclusive of their own appointments. It is understood that Messrs. O'Conor, T. Thompson, and some other Auckland members objected to any appointments being made to the Upper House, although they recognised the necessity of the reforms indicated in the statement made by the Premier.

Some of the speakers declared that there was no guarantee that Mr, Ballance would not appoint a number of members to the Upper House equally opposed to reform, thereby neutralising any efforts that might be made by the six newly-appointed members of the Council just mentioned.

The Premier had to admit the possibility of such a contingency arising, although he believed popular opinion would be a check upon such a course of action on the part of any Government. Some Southern members said that they recognised that public opinion in their district was opposed to any additional appointments, but after hearing the statement of the Premier and looking up the

records in the library of the Assembly, they saw that the Government were in a hopeless minority in the Council as shown by

recent divisions, and under the circumstances they believed the appointments to have been thoroughly justified. One Southern member

Mr. J. W. Thomson took the same objection to the appointments as the Auckland members had done.

On the whole the meeting was of a harmonious character, and so far as the election Speaker was concerned the opinion of the meeting was that the best man should ba selected, and that if possible party consideration should be left entirely out of the contest.

The process by which the difficulty of calling Sir H. Atkinson to the Upper House without reconstructing the Ministry has been surmounted was, according to the Press Association, as follows : —The Pre mier sent in his resignation of his seat .n the House to-day. He is still, however, Premier, and the Ministry consequently is not obliged to resign. On Friday the Premier resigns his position us head of the Government, which entails the rest of the Cabinet following suit, and the Governor will immediately appoint Sir Harry Atkinson, no longer Premier or M.H. Speaker of the Legislative Council. JOTTINGS. * Members are arriving hourly from the North and South. The Takapuna arrived this morning with several of the Auckland members of both Houses. Most of the

Southern members came by the Rotorua later in the day. Everything is turning -out as I had anticipated. There will be no intermediate or interim Ministry, as some thought. On Friday morning the Premier and the Government will resign. . The Governor is expected to arrive here early on Friday. When the House shall have been assembled and duly constituted, they will announce the fact of their resignation to the House, and lay upon the table papers relating to the public business. The Government party and the Opposition party are not as yet fully represented here. Messrs. _ Goldie and Buckland have not yet put in an appearance, and some members of the Opposition are absent. Every vote is likely to be wanted for the election of Speaker. Mr. Allen, of Te Aroha, will not be here. This, of course, would reduce the votes for the Government candidate to the Speakership so as to make a tie with those of the Opposition, consequently an effort will be made to elect) Major Steward, the

candidate of tho Opposition, and it is suggested that the Opposition will make an effort to secure both events, that is to say, the _ election of the Speaker and of the Chairman of Committees.

There was a paragraph in this morning's paper stating that there was a hitch in the intended proceedings, and that there was a disagreement among the Minister?. lam assured on the best authority that there is no truth in the statement. I mentioned yesterday, and some time ago, that the ground alleged for the appointment of the new Legislative Councillors whs for the purpose of restoring the balance of legislative power between the two Houses. i learn that for the past 14 years Sir Harry Atkinson as Premier appointed very few members to the Counoil, and that the appointments made by other Governments were numerous. It is said that His Excellency acquiesced in the reasons urged for making the appointment. The Commissioners who open Parliament are Sir P. Whitaker, Hon. E. C. J. Stevens, and W. H. Baillie, M.L.C., and a fourth to be appointed. It is understood that a meeting of the Opposition members is to be held to-mor-row morning. An informal meeting of some of the Opposition members, principally Auckland, was held to-day, when it was decided to draw up a memorial to the Governor pointing out that the present Government had agreed with the House not to make any more appointments to the Upper House until the number of members in that chamber had been reduced to 35, and requesting the Governor not to make any fresh appointments until the House has had an opportunity of considering the reconsitutiou of the Legislative Council. The memorialists are however rather late as the appointments are already made. A meeting of the Opposition party is called for half-past seven to-morrow night.