PARLIAMENTARY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 910, 2 October 1879, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

[By Telegraph.]

Wellington, This Day. Considerable excitement was occasioned yesterday by a rumour that Sir George Grey had agreed to retire, and that Macandrew was to reconstruct a Ministry with Ballance as Treasurer. There is at present no truth in the rumor ; but if the Government could manage to escape the defeat on Hall's amendment, that arrangement would be a likely sequence. Another rumour bruited about is that if the Government are defeated, Sir George Grey will not resign, but would replace Fisher, Thomson, and Gisborne, by new men, and would then tell the House that although it had no confidence in the Ministry as at present constituted it ought to h ave confidence in a new Ministry. It is said, however, that if Sir George Grey attempted to do this that the Governor would dismiss him. To that the Premier's admirers say " Let "him ; that's all we want, and he will be the last Governor New Zealand will ever see." All the members except Mr. Lundon- ! are now here. Mr. Pyke arrived ' yesterday afternoon, and had a lot of members on each side who went down to meet him. He left the steamer with Mr. Ballance, Both sides confidently claim him. The fact is he fully recognises the advantages of the situation he practically occupies, as having the balance of power in his hands, and he declines to declare which side he will vote. The Opposition have bid highly for him with the portfolio of mines. Honare Tomoana is said to be shaky on the Opposition. An immense pressure is being put on Mr. Masters, who will probably not vote at all, in which case there seems every probability of a tie and then of coarse the speaker will give his vote for Ministers. Both sides say they will try to divide to-morrow ; but there is plenty of talk to come, and it is by no means improbable thrt the debate will extend to the middle of next week.