HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 293, 17 June 1896, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30. Mr Guiness was in the chair in the absence of Sir M. O'Rorke through illness. Mr Seddon rose and said be had a most important Ministerial statement to make, viz., that circumstances had arisen that had rendered it necessary for his colleague (Mr Ward) to tender his resignation as a Minister of the Crown. Some days ago be had received a communication from Mr Ward, in which he stated he intended to resign from the Treasury Benches no matter which way judgment went in the case being decided in Danedin. He (Mr Seddon) had waited on His Excellency the Governor at midday, and he had tendered him Mr Ward's resignation, whicli His Excellency had accepted. Mr Seddon went on to say j that lie deeply regretted the colony j should have lost tho services of Mr Ward. All must admit that misfortune had overtaken his colleague, and that his j private affairs had suffered through his attention to public business. Mr Seddon moved to set np a select committee to enquire into the affairs of the Bank of New Zealand and tbe Colonial Bank prior to the passing of the Banking Legislation. [The debate on Mr Ward's affairs appears in another column.! A large number of Bills were intro- ; duced and read a first time. The House rose at 11 p.m.