POLITICAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1368, 21 July 1885, Page 2

POLITICAL.

The Wellington correspondent of the Press, telegraphing on Saturday, says “ All day long there baa been rumors of dissension in the Cabinet. It may be that this is only a revival of the old rumors, but from what I can gather things are tending towards a change. I do not think that any differences there may be are on any special measure, 1 fancy Messrs Stout and Ballance have got the idea that Sir Julius Vogel is slowly, perhaps 1 might say rapidly, becoming a source of weakness rather than of strength, and that the time is coming when they can afford to throw him over. Their notion is that Messrs Montgomery, Scobie, McKenzie, Barron, Pyke, and a number of others who have been driven away from them might be again incorporated with the party. They think, 100, that if Sir Julias Vogtd gets his petition money he would himself gladly’ retire from New Zealand politics, for he can hardly help recognising that he has failed in the main

3—l —* points on which he hue raised the ex* pectations of the country. Messrs Stout and Ballance would then try and stand by themselves (they believe they can), and if they failed they would let Major Atkinson have his trial, believing that at present he could not stand lot a week, when, with Messrs Macandrew and Montgomery, they would come in again. Their chief difficulty is with the Canterbury Vogelites, who do not so much care for Sir Julius Vogel as they dislike Mr Stout and others. Probably a portfolio would be offered to Mr Leonard Harper or some other Canterbury member of the party. A change of some radical kind is now considered almost certain before the end of the session ; but Mr Stout will certainly try to keep office under any circumstances. There is now not the slightest necessity to take account of Sir George Grey. His opposition is considered better than his support, and his influence has not only died away in the House, but is thought to be waning in the country, oven in the North.