THE COMING SESSION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2890, 22 January 1891, Page 2

THE COMING SESSION.

-UK PI-JEM IKK RESIGNS lIIS SEAT. MEETING OF (jOYEKNMENT SUPPORT KRS. THE SPEAKERSII IPS. (BY TKLEOK.WII— I'IiKHS ASSOCIATION). Wki,un<; ton, Last Night. Ynotiihii Cabinet Meeting was held this nomine, when the final determination of .he; Government was arrive'i at-. Though t lias nut been ottichdlv announced, UK-rii * no doubt that the result i- that tlm 'abinet resigns before th«: llouru md if tho (iovernor a-ks th.-ir advice, ivhich is optional with hi in, tlicy will •ecmnmend him to send for Mr Halhmcc. It Is also understood that Sir 11. Atkinson will assume tho Speakership of t he. l.ppe.r llouse, there being no c institutional dilliculty iu the way an was supposed. The Premier resigned his seat, in tho House of Representatives to day, and will ho appointed Speaker of the Legislative Council on Friday. The process by which the difficulty of cdling Sir H. Atkinson to tho Lppur House without re-constriictim» the Ministry lias been surmounted, is as follows: -The Premier sent in his resignation of his sent in the House to-day but lie is still Premier, and tho Ministry consequently are not obliged to resign. On Friday the Piemicr resigns his position as head of tho Government which entails the rest of the Cabinet following suit, and the (iovernor will immediately appoint Sir Harry Atkinson, no loneer Premier or M.H.R., as Speaker of the Legislative Council. The following are the gentlemen the Government have determined to call to the Upper House: —Messrs Ormond, Fulton. Bowen, Whyte, Stewart and Johnstone, of Wullington. Tho ieasou given for tiie secrecy which has been observed up to the lust moment over these appointments is that they are only made on certain conditions and it was necessary to ascertain whether tho nominees would accept tho conditions first. It is pretty certain that Mr Rnlleston will be nominated for the Speakership. A meeting of the Government pirty was held to-day, chiefly to consider this question. Those present were Sir H. Atkinson (in the nhair), Messrs Bryce, Buchanan, D-ithie, Fergus, Luwry, McArthur, Scobie McKenz.ie, Meredith, Mitchelson, Rhodes, Richardson, Rolleston, Russell, Swan, Taiptia. J. W. Thompson, R. Thompson, Valentine, and Wright. Several others were acaonnted for. Sir J. Hall and Mr Hamlin were not present. It is understood that the Premier made a statement explaining the courso the Government had adopted, and the eonise lie thought the party should adopt in future. Ho informed the meeting that his health prevented his retaining the position of leader of the party any longer, and he mentioned his appointment as a member of the Legislative Council, and to speakership of that Chamber. He referred to the appointments to the Council, and justified them on the grounds that they were necessary for the reform of that body, explaining that those who had been appointed were pledged to support such reform. Two or three of those present spoke strongly against the Government making the appointments, lint Sir Harry's appointment to the Speakership of the Council mot with the hearty approval of the meeting. A desultory conversation on the question of the Government nominee for the Speakership of the Lower House took place, Mi O'Connor announcing ho could not support Mr Rolleston, as lie was pledged foi Mr W. J. Stewart, and shortly after he left the mooting. At five o'clock the meeting broke up without any decwon being arrived at, and another meeting will bv held on Friday forou.ion when it will bt finally decided whether Mr Rolleston will be nominated. The commissioners who are to open Par liament are Sir F. Whitaker, and the Hons, 10. C. J. Stevens and W. H. Bailey, M.L, C.'s and a fourth to be appointed. It is understood that a meeting of the Oppo-itiou members will be held to-morrow

morning.