THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7983, 29 September 1887, Page 2

THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

PROBABLE COURSE OF PROCEDURE.

|PBR PBBSS ASSOCIATION.] Tee Press Association is in a position to Bupply the following information regarding the political crisis: —

AH the Ministers except Mr. Richardson will be in Wellington to-morrow (Friday), and the latter will arrire on Saturday. As Sir R. Stout has announced his intention to retire from public life for the present, there is no doubt he will give in his resignation to the Governor. This resignation carries with it that of the whole of the Government. The Governor will then ask him to hold office until the successors to the Government are proposed to be sworn in, and His Excellency will probably at once send for someone to form a new Government.

In 1884 Major Atkinson delayed giving in his resignation until Parliament met, the reason being that in the absence of the members from Wellington there was a difficulty in making the necepsary arrangements and holding the usual conferences. There ib, however, nothing in this point, for after the resignation is given it rests with the Governor whom he will send for. If the Governor sends for Major Atkinson, and he undertakes the task, Atkinson will ask for the time necessary to make his arrangements. The probabilities peint to the Government immediately tendering their resignation and holding office at the request of the Governor until a new Government is formed.

There is another point about which there is general misconception. A retiring Minister does not volunteer advice, he only gives it if requested to do so. In 1884 the Governor did not ask -Major Atkinson for advice, and probably he will follow the same course on the present occasion.