THE TRANSITION TO RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT 59 



from office the existing heads of departments forming the Executive 

 and next day reappointing them as Eesponsible Ministers was en- 

 tirely uncalled for on constitutional grounds. But Mr. Stawell had 

 advised otherwise, and the Governor was always loyal to the opinion 

 of his Attorney-General. 



On the 27th of November the Legislative Council, on reassem- 

 bling, was informed by Captain Pasley, a minor official in the Execu- 

 tive, that Messrs. Haines, Childers, Stawell and Captain Clarke had 

 resigned their respective offices, and pending further developments, 

 he moved the adjournment of the House. The astonished members, 

 confronted unexpectedly with such an announcement on their first 

 meeting after the proclamation, were uneasy and suspicious. They 

 declined to adjourn until they had passed a resolution asking to be 

 furnished with the fullest information as to the alleged resignations, 

 or " dismissals " as the address insinuated. 



On the next day, before the Governor officially replied to this 

 resolution, an announcement was made to the House, in correction 

 of Pasley's statement, that the four " resigned " officials had really 

 been relieved from office on political grounds. And before members 

 could realise the subtle importance of the distinction, they were 

 informed that the Governor had been pleased to appoint those gentle- 

 men, with the same official status which they formerly held, to 

 the vacated seats in the Council, pending the signification of Her 

 Majesty's pleasure. To them he added Mr. Sladen as Treasurer, 

 in lieu of Captain Lonsdale, resigned ; Mr. Eobert Molesworth as 

 Solicitor-General, in place of Mr. Croke, gone to England ; and 

 Captain Pasley to take charge of the newly created department of 

 Public Works. The Governor thus completed his first Ministerial 

 Cabinet, called responsible, but not yet chosen of the people. 



When this dramatic surprise was sprung upon the Council there 

 were murmurings and disapproval of what appeared to be high- 

 handed proceedings on the part of the Governor. But when, shortly 

 afterwards, the clerk proceeded to read a document conveying the 

 information asked for by the Council on the previous day, the mur- 

 murings grew into denunciation, and the disapproval into wrathful 

 indignation. For the Governor at least suppressed nothing. The 

 negotiations were laid bare in which the four gentlemen had re- 



