RUMOR.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1981, 19 October 1875, Page 3

RUMOR.

The New Zealand Times, of Saturday states : —The Wairarapa News, an enterprising upcountry newspaper, mu«t have astonished its subscribers on Tuesday last. On that day it published as an extra, with the attractive headings—" Ministry Defeated," and" .New Ministry Eorined," the following remarkable intelligence from its own correspondent in Wellington:—'"There was a Ministerial crisis last night. Stafford's amendment was carried. The new. . Ministry^.' has taken oflSce. Stafford, Premier ;~ Atkinson, Tresurer; Eichardson, Minister of Public "Works; Reid, Customs and Telegraphs ; Pollen, Colonial Secretary; Jackson, Iramigration; Orniond, Native affairs." This seems clear enough, but is complicated by. the next sentence —"At the last moment the Opposition declined overtures • and the scheme was frustrated," That is what makes the affair seem somewhat'inexplicable; .but that it must be quite clear to those who understand it is evidenced by what follows "The above was withheld from our columns this morning as we had some dbubfr of its authenticacy ; but we arenow in possession of another "telegram assuring us that it is quite correct." . WhatJa. quite correct ? That the-Ministry was defeated and a new one formed, or that it was the intention of Mr Stafford to have defeated the Ministry and to form a new one, but that at the last moment, finding himself unable to command a majority on his Postal Service amendment motion, he withdrew it, and his scheme did not come off? T|ho can tell? That there was some smoke to produce this fire is, however evidenced by a special telegram in the Lyttelton Times, the tenor of which is that Mr Stafford's amendment waa designed to procure a rote adverse to the Ministry, .who would then resign, after which Major Atkinson and Mr Bo wen would throw over their colleagues, and join the member for Timaru, -learing Sir Donald M'Lean out in the cold. All-this is very singular to people who live in Wellington, and heard nothing about it, and we cannot bring ourselves to believe it. Are not all parties concerned honorable men ? Are not their places amongst the Dii Majores? Tantane animis coelestibus irae? The thing is impossible. The only puzzle that'remains is how it got to be telegraphed. [A' similar rumor reached our ears, so the supposed Ministerial changes reached Nelson as well as the Wairarapa.] A German correspondent of the Guardian notes that the Czar has a black dog which is popularly supposed to have a keen scent for would-be atsassinsi "A friend of mine, doing the ' cure' here (Ems) had taken his usual morning bath, and was passing along •the corridor of the bath establishment, when the Emperor and his satelite appeared at the other end. ' My friend drew back, to let the Emperor pass, and the act seems to have aroused the dog's suspicion, for he made a grab at him, which took effect at the rear of hia ' continuations,' and the animal bounded off joyfully with a sample of British cloth in his possession. The Emperor.came up. and examined the rent, and Btniled and departed. He offered no syllable of apology." ExTRAORDINABY ' EICH QIJABTZ. — A Sydney telegram dated October 2nd, states: —At Hill. Knd the crushing,'from Fischer and Beard's claim returned one thousand one hundred and fifty nine ounces gold from i one hundred and fifty one tons of stone.