A RICH STORY.

Kumara Times, Issue 796, 19 April 1879, Page 4

A RICH STORY.

(LYTTELTON TIMES.)

A delicious story has come leisurely done from Wellington, from which we learn that if there are Ministries actual, there are also Ministries prospective. It is now plain that if anything untoward should happen to the present holders of power, there is a set of men ready and willing to take their places. There are some provident patriots in the country who, fearing a few week ago that the Ministry of Sir George Grey was about to collapse, determined that the Queen’s Government must be carried on at all hwzirds, and that they were the proper persons to do so. Lack of time—the case was urgent-prevented them from meeting after the fashion of the respectable gentlemen of Tooley street. Personal com munication being out of the question, they fell back upon the less safe medium of conspiracy afforded by the telegraph. The chief conspirator in Wellington, Mr Waterhouse, telegraphed to Mr Hall, the chief conspirator in Canterbury, and he of Canterbury telegraphed in turn to him of Wellington. The northern gentleman formed a ministry, but the southern gentleman did not approve. He telegraphed the names of his team, and sundry items of interesting information concerning the members ; but, alas ! his telegram fell into file wrong hands. While the conspirator in Wellington was wondering when he was going to hear from his Canterbury friend, and waiting for the event that would inspire the Governor to send for him to save the country, the Cabinet was assembled in Council regardless of conspiracies. Colonel Whitmore was present of course, and was during the proceeding astonished to receive a telegram convoying important information. It began thus :—“ Ministry proposed won’t do. This better. Hall, Atkinson, Ormond. Stevens, Wakefield, Waterhouse. Stevens concurs. Confidential.” It was the telegram of the Canterbury conspirator, for which he of Wellington was at that moment so anxiously on the look out. By some blunder “ Waterhouse” had come through the telegraph as “ Whitmore,” to the amazed amusement of that gentleman, who speedily made his colleagues aware of the pleasant arrangements going on. They had the satisfaction of reading the names of their successors, and the additional pleasure of learning some other things connected with their plans.