MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 668, 31 August 1876, Page 2

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

Upon thj House meeting at.730 p m on 'I'ue-day evening. The Premier said in reference to (he promise he made on Friday it wai Tory well known to all hou number, that ever since theappoiutmontof an .gent General, his nanu hid been connected with it ova way or ano hoi. The Premier then maio a p-r«o.ial expl.ma io.i, t,h it while at homo I lie w.is so til as to make any speed? ietnrn to the colony inadvisable, and tliui while I hero oertam inducements of a pecuniary until! e had b.>ea held out to hin to romiin, bit though hh health was such aa to make a lengthy Blay in England advisable, yet, feeling that hu retiirn to Now Zealand would be lookod lor, he came back as soon aa his health permi ted, and, on hisroburn, he informed bis colleague* that h> f,i*red the state of his health would preclude hm remainins long in the polony (and bis experience -this sc^ian had not ch»nged tho opinion) and would probably prevent him taking p*rt in public hfo any more. He had drecovered, too, that public life was inconsistent with attention to one's uffiiir*. Considering hi hud bee-i 17 years in public hfj in K'\y Z->»land, he tliouaht the we. fore of his family hal elaiuu upon huu tliat he was not justified in ignoiing. lie hoped tint, u. der thine c'irciitnttatiL'es, hu would not bo accused of di'Borting his post. Upon his i return to the colony, and when his coleij»ues were kind enough to request him to n sunie tho Promi nhip, hu told them he could not retiinofficj long, an! thit as soon us they could relieve him he would bo pleased. At that time it wa« not known that any vacancy would occur *y in tlie Agent-G-enerals ip. When he ha J <^m been asked ou two occasions what win JR to be done rogirdiag tho Agent-Q^en°r.il-•hip the tnattiu* had uo' be*n referred to in tho Oabinot, but wifhin the latt eight or teu days they had di^cussei ths matter, and his oo lie agues being aware that h« mu not going t> leuiiin m the co'om, they suggested his acct>j)tance of the ofll«* of Agent-Geuei'dl In return, he told them that, in any cue, h« could not pi-iMfcise to perform th* duties of the office !t>r longei ill iv 12 or 18 months It was manifestly \m possible that bo could ap- "^j

remained still o|>t v n. Undor tho en cum•tancts thi ouly lourso opjn to him w.'S to plucu Ins resignation in the h inrti of hi->" lCxce leney, which be did, advising him tj send for W ijor Atkinson, who In I been sent, for, and who w.itetl upjn thi> Governor at 5 30. Toe Premoi'lhon wmt on to »nj that New Z aUnd wis t\u linri whom he had f>»mi d his demvst, ties, and the land to win h hd owed what, reputation or dulinction he possessed aud he oulj hoped some future dl 7 10 b» able to take pirs in in the nffair* of the countrj. It w>s not witbjut sorrow and regret that, lie was pursuing this C-iurne, though hi fo!t he was doiujj whvt wai feign u Major Atk mon informed the Honte tbc.t hu Km.vilol.cy had honouied him by asking h.in to form a Gorernnidnr, and that tie had requested % day or two to o.nauit with his friends, lie thought it was reasonable, thernfore, that he nhonld Mk th^Uoa^* to adjiiurn till half-past 7 on TburoUy. Mr It ii'e-uon naid fhat thesitaation was . 010 ot iin iiuprecodwnted character. A ' Miuutry which had «xutod longer than Any other in this country, had, because of a vacanrj in a subordinate office in the j O.iverumaat;, •ud.ieuly broken up. The Premier now ft'kod the opiaiou of the House oa this subject, and h« felt he should uot be fulQluog his duty if he did not eip hhs his opinion that the ooontrjr had not had that confidence placed in 10 which ou^ht to have been. The Premier b»i done hu colleagues a wrong. It was new to him tbac the Premier owed his exist-noo to his colleagues. There were many men who had saenfiood their htaith and their all in the wvrrice of tbe country, but it tthould not b« pleaded aa a justification that th» Premier was reuquiog offije on tba ground of ill health. The precedent »a» a most dangerous one, and he hopsd an opportunity would be offered lor di«oujsing the question. Mr Andrew said that it was unusual to speak to questions of this kiud, but it wan very atraugo that in the middle of a sesnon, with a growing maj >rtty, and whilst great constitutional quest 0 « were l>> i'ig disoAHsed, the leader of the Government should resign in order to take a pettj ofihe in London. He regretted that the state of the Premier's health should comptl him to forfeit the public •e'teem. Mr Stout thought thst neither of the p'enous speakers hid adopted the constitutional eoursi m bringing ou a discussion Oi a question of adjournment wh j n the Ministry had resigaed. He dsclined to go into tbe dis^uimon, and hoped the House would consent to the adjournment. Ins Home adj turned accordingly.