RESIGNATION of the MINISTRY.

Patea Mail, 11 April 1882, Page 3

RESIGNATION of the MINISTRY.

Serious Illness of Mr Hall.

SIR GEORGE GREY SUMMONED.

DOUBTFUL MAJORITY

Telegrams from Wellington announce that the whole of the Ministry, have resigned. The Governor has sent for Sir George Grey as leader of the Opposition, and the veteran politian has left Kawau, and reached Auckland last night, to consult with political associates as to the formation of a new Ministry. . Mr Hall’s illness, is'; the immediate cause of this startling change in the political Dr Grace, medical adviser to Mr Hall, sent (he following, note to Major Atkinson ;

’ April 4. - My dear Atkinson, -r-I write to urge that you should relieve Mr Hall from all responsibility in regard to, public business at the earliest date -possible.r YoU know that I have been prognosticating for more than twelve months that he must infallibly brealc' down' and now that the crash has come, I am anxious, in the interest of Mrs-Hall and children, to conserve his '’remaining ‘elasticity for purposes of cotfstiintjonal repair.—Yours faithfully,': Morgan S. Grace. ;;

: A meeting of the Cabinet,; -hastily summoned, was held on Thursday, morning, at Mr Hall’s residence in Wellington ; and though the particulars are not divtilged, it is now kpown that the. Premier submitted to his colleagues the urgent necessity .of withdrawing from Ministerial duties. The written opinion was also laid before his colleagues, as indicated above. Major Atkinscm ap-‘ pears to have been entrusted, as next in command, with the responsibility of carrying on the Government in the meantime; and he appears to have called the Cabinet together, Mr Hall being; too. ill- to- transact public,business. A telegram sent by the Press Assertion last night says -The Ministry have forwarded their resignations to his Excellency, and; they have been accepted. The members of the present Ministry will hold office until their successors are appointed. • Nothing further is likely to transpire until the arrival of his Excellency.; - ■■■•: ! iV 'later telegram this morning says Sir George Grey has been sent for.

CONSTITUTIONAL USAGE. It was expected that the Governor would have first invited ;Major Atkinson to reconstitute the present Ministry. He appears not to have done so. There must be reasons Jor preferring Sir George Grey, and those reasons appear to be that Sir George Grey’s Native policy suits the Governor better than the firmer and bolder policy of the retiring Ministry. The Governor is known to have' been rather slighted and pushed aside by Mr Bryce and those who were determined to settle the Parihaka difficulty. The Governor has now got his opportunity, and is using it 1 by virtually dismissing from . his .''.confidence .those, who have supported Mr Bryce. ■: I Constitutional usage requires that when a Prime Minister resigns, all his colleagues 'shall resign with him; A Premier’s colleagues are bis nominees/ and in a sense his servants, for he can dismiss any colleague at will. Mr Hall’s health compels him to resign; therefore all .the members of his Ministry nfiust resign with him. That clears the way for a new Ministry. It is the Governor's prerogative, as representing the Sovereign powers of t he Queen, to summon any leading statesman, and request (that is comrnand) him to form a new Ministry. The theory is that these, when . formed,:,are her Majesty’s Ministers for carrying on hCr Government.; and the Governor stands to the Ministry in all respects as the Sovereign at Home stands to Mr Gladstone and his colleagues.. The Governor has exercised his prerogative by. “summoning” Sir George Grey to form a|Ministry. It is usual for the retiring Premier at Home to recommend to the Sovereign a suitable successor, and it

may be presumed that Mr Hall would in tliis case recommend a leader of bis own party, and that leader is probably Major Atkinson. But the Governor appears not to follow the well-established usage in these .matters. His action in sending for an jOpposition leader, and especially one who is not well trusted by the Liberal jparty, is a strong confirmation of the frequent rumors of disagreement between the present Governor and the'retiring Ministry.

A DOUBTFUL MAJORITY.

Suppose ia, nevy Ministry berformbd by Sir George Grey, is it likely to command a working majority imthd House ? The conditions are h;6t favorable to his success. ’The; feeling.of the new House remains to be tested by debate and. division on party issues: until thatds donej tbe actual strength of parties must be doubtful. Many members who rank bn the 'Opposition side are notoriously opposed to Sir George Grey as a leader, and trust him less than a moderate and Safe man like 'hlr'Hall or Major .Atkinson.

LATEST POLITICAL REPORTS. ; Auckland, x this day. sir .b-corge prey having been sent -for by the Governor,’ arrived ih Auckland at a late hour last proceeded to .Wjellington by the Wanaka to-day-at one o’clock. ' 1

The Rose Casey left, yesterday morning for Waiwera with a number of excursionists, and after landing them proceeded ;on to Kawau with Mr: Furby, officer in charge, of : the Auckland telegraph 'department, who was ; in charge Of important messages; for Sir George Grey. Immediately ;on receipt . ,of these, Sir George -embarked in, ; the steamer for Auckland, and arrived at ten o’clock' last night. ‘ He appears to be in good health. Endeavors- were* made by "the telegraph department 'to charter a steamer on Sunday to proceed to Kawau, but "astute skippers Sniffing important Government business “on band,” raised their terms to such an, extent that negotiation fell through! Mr Furby therefore availed, himself 'of the excursion trip of the Rose Casey ,to Waiwera to accomplish his missioii.

Sir George Qrey has beeri sent for by his Exellency, who asks him to pro-' ceed to Wellington. Beyond; that, Sir George is not aware of anything’wbicli ‘ the public does not know. Mr Hall', .in., sending in his resignation, did- not ac-~ company it with any advice ; and the horii Mr Johriston, who was the bearer '; of the communication, could not offer any on behalf of the Premier, s