WELLINGTON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1120, 24 July 1865, Page 5

WELLINGTON.

RUMOURED RESIGNATION OF

THE MINISTRY:

(fbom ocb own correspondent.) 19th July. On Saturday, news came in from Wan.ganui that the rebels occupying the Wareroa Pa were once more prepared to surrender ; this time to the Native contingent and Governor combined. Sundry flags have been given over to the Contingent, but the actual surrender was awaiting the arrival of the Governor, then hourly expected. Whether the Governor r-eally had any intention of going up it is hard to say ; but at any rate, the fact of the reported willingness of the rebels to surrender to, or rather make terms with the Governor only, was too high a card to be thrown away ; and Sir George resolved on starting for Wanganni directly. The Lady Bird was taken up, and late on Saturday night, His Excellency left Wellington, arriving at Wanganui the next day. We have no further news, except that the Ngatiruanui, higher up the coast, are desirous of coming to some understanding as to the future, or, as the official phrase goes, "of making their submission." A very extraordinary rumour was current on Monday afternoon, nothing less than that the Weld Ministry bad resigned. It was fouud impossible to trace it to its source, and although the Indepciu'.c.tt of Tuesday contradicted it as the result of enquiries made in the proper quarter, people are by no means disposed to believe that there is really nothing about which D;»tne Rumor may not have been justified in busying her- ! self. The despatches that have been made public from time to time, and especially the one published in the Blue Book received by the last English mail, show how tenaciously the Home Government are sticking to the refund of the expense fixed as the colonial proportion for troops employed in New Zealand and Australia. The burden of every despatch is "Mind you must pay us L4O a-year for each infantry soldier and L 55 for each artillery man;" and the alternative of sending away all those that the colony dots not choose to pay for, is assumed to be in the colony's hands; but nothing is more false than the assumption that the alternative is in the colony's hando. It is doubtful in whose hands it actually is. It ia said that the Governor felt snubbed at

its being placed in those of General Cameron; and that General Cameron would not take upon himself any lesponsibility without the Governor phared in it. Meanwhile, the Ministry are anxious for the removal to be begun, but are utterly powerless to direct it. The feeling that by the last mail appears to have become general in England that the Ministry are not carrying out, and do not intend to carry out, their removal policy—coupled with some further despatches that. I have been received—is said to have convinced Ministers of the anomalous position in which they are placed, and induced them to resolve that they will resign, either before the Assembly meets or the moment it doe 3 so. This is the pith of the gossip which emanates from those who believe in. the rumoured resignation, as either a present or an immedi- j ately prospective one, and they endeavour to impress their belief on others by anking what the Sindfly was directed to proceed to Wanganui for ou Monday evening, if not to carry the decision of Ministers to hia Excellency. As to the (act of the denhl given in the "proper quarter," that they say they look upon with indifference; as though a Bank Manager, for instance, if pressed for information as to whether his doors would be closed next week, would be at all likely to send away the inquirer with full particulars of the exact position in which matters stood. The hope is, that the resignation has not been resolved on ; but the general impression certainly is, that it matters have not proceeded quite so far, yet there has been sufficient to warrant Ministers in gravely talking until near midnight as to whether resignation ought not to be the course for them to pursue. I do not know whether any opinion of mine might not injudiciously turn the scale as to your readers' view of the correctness or incorrectness of the general belief here ; but looking to the nearness of the Assembly and the absence of the Governor, I scarcely think the public is likely to be fully informed until the delivery of the speech. Referring to the terms under which Mr Weld took office, I can easily understand that the Ministry may feel bound to advise the Governor to inform the Assembly that they have felt it their I duty to resign ; but Ido not believe that they will, under rmy circumstances, resign and advise the Governor to form another Cibinet before the Assembly is opened. Personally, I have so high an opinion of the Weld Ministry, and shall regard it as such a public calamity if they have found it necessary to resolve on retiring-, that I would have preferred leaving this rumor unnoticed, if it had not acquired a currency which places it beyond the category of those which we term idle. And yet the mere talk of resignation is so damaging to a Ministry, that I think I should have alluded to this matter in as few words as possible, if I did not believe that there was some ground for supposing that the question of resignation, in one shape or another, as a whole or in soiae individual case, has been on the carpet. The open-: ing of the Assembly takes place on Monday, the steamers from both north and south arriving with the members on the 23rd. The Sandfly alluded to above as having been under orders for Wanganui on Monday evening, did not, however, leave until last night, very much to the disarranging of the beach-gossips' surmises in the meanwhile. She has gone with the view of placing a ateamer at the Governor's disposal for his return to Wellington, whenever he finds himself at liberty to do so; the Lady Bird having only been taken up for his conveyance thither, and not to remain in attendance until his return. Mr Pharazyn, jun., has been returned for Rangitikei, in Mr Fox's place, without opposition. Both Mr Pearce and Mr Bunny have issued their addresses for Mr •STUART STREET JETfY,

Carter's seat at toe Wairarapa. The appearance of a notice appointing a polling place in town, has caused much dissatisfaction . The Act of 185 8 gives the Governor power to appoint a polling place outsiile a district, if it will accommodate thirty electors; bat hitherto the doings in this Province have been strongly opposed, from the feeling that the residents ought to elect their members, or that at least non-resi-dents should poll in the district for which the member is to sit. The press strongly urge that the notice should be cancelled, but this is scarcely likely to be done. This attempt to prevent Mr Bunny getting in will probably help him considerably, but as to whether he or Mr Pearce will be successful, it is impossible to say —both are supporters of the Weld polioy. The sounding of Cooks Straits for the electric telegraph has been completed by Capt. Kennedy. He reports the best route to be from Port Underwood in Cloudy Bay to Worsei'd Bay in the narrows of Wellington harbour. Sand and small shell is the characteristic of nearly the whole length— very little rock throughout it. The length lof cable required will be about forty-five miles, and the greatest depth is about 130 fathoms. The Provincial Council has been sitting for a fortnight, and as it is hoped that business may be got through with in two or three weeks more, it is now intended to complete the session, rather than adjourn it when the Asse.mbly meets, until ofter the Assembly has closed. The Kangitira, due on the 17th, from Auckland and Napier, has not yet arrived. If she does not arrive before four the Lit! v Bird will possibly be despatched in her stead.

Four o'clock, Wedne?da3 r afternoon. I open this letter to say that what is in all likelihood a solution of the " resignation rumor" has just baen made public. I hear that Mr Mantcll has resigned his seat in the Executive, and the Ministership of Native Affairs. If the Ministry had determined to resign as a whole, it i:i scarcely likely that one of their number would resign separately.