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Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1522, 6 April 1882, Page 2

The Sfetr's special correspondent at Wellington telegraphs :—": — " TJie version of Ministerial crisis, telegraphed yesterday is absolutely correct. It has been given out that the sole cause of the Premier's threatened resignation is ill-health, and that there has not been any dissension in the Cabinet. Do not pay any heed to these reports. There is nothing in Mr Hall's indisposition to prevent his continuance at the head of the Government. The cause of disagreement arises, as I said, out of the Native administration. The members of the Cabinet have been doing their utmost to get Mr Hall to reconsider his decision, and other powerful influences has been brought to bear, but the result is not yet known. The reconstruction of the Cabinet at an early date or an early meeting of Parliament are both possible. Some think Mr Hall 1 is desirous of bringing the change about owing to the unsatisfactory result of the last election, and the certainty of a terribly uphill fight in the new Parliament, a struggle in which he could receive only a very indifferent aid from his colleagues, especially when out of sympathy with them on an important question. The loss of Fox, Wakeneld, George, McLean, and others from the House of Representatives is felt to be a serious misfortune. These, however, are mere conjectures, and must not be confounded with the main fact that a very serious disagreement within the Cabinet has arisen, in consequence of which the Premier may tender his resignation to His Excellency at any moment. What would follow such a course it is impossible to predict. His Excellency might call upon Major Atkinson to reconstruct, or might send for one of the leaders of the Oj)position, or might require Mr Hall to keep in office and summon Parliament at once, leaving the matter in the hands of the House. The Post says : — ' So far as we are aware, the only cause of the Premier's threatened resignation is the fact that Mr Hall's health, never very robust, lias suffered so greatly from the constant strain of overwork.' The PeWs version you can treat as the Ministerial blind. The captain of the Hinemoa telegraphs that he has been obliged to put into Nelson through stress of weather. Major Atkinson will not be able to reach Wellington till this evening, and until his arrival of course the matter will have to remain in its present unsettled state."