iBl TST.HQRAPH.J [TKOK OXm OOaMSPONDBKT.] WELLINGTON, January 8. Mr G. F. Richardson, the Minister for Lands, will not be able to return to town is time for the pending Cabinet meetings, as he has still to visit at remote parts of the Northern district, and does not expect to reach Wellington for ten days or a fort night. The business which the Cabinet hare to consider will, with hi 3 consent, be proceeded with in his abaenoe. Mr E. C J. Stevens, M.L.C., Minister without portfolio, will arrive from Nelson to morrow to be present at the Cabinet deliberations. It is understood that the Cabinet will assemble at noon to-morrow, when all members of the Ministry, ex cepting Mr Bichardson, will be present (Sir ILslop having returned from Sangi tdkei), and a large arooanfc of important business will at once be taken in hand. The question of the -'ndgeship will in ail probability be one of the first things dealt with, and it is expected that the appoint ment will be made either to-morrow or next day. As stated before, there is strong reason for belief that the Judgeship will not be conferred on Mr Ward. Both the present Attorney-General and Mr Conolly, who was Attorney General in the former Atkinson Ministry, are persistently spoken of as likely to be appointed to the Judgeship, and the rumor this evening even went further, and na ed Sir Robert Stout as Sir F. Whitaker's successor in the Attorney-Generalship and in the Legisla tive Council. I hear, however, on what I am justified in regarding as excellent authority, that there is not the slightest foundation for any of these reports—that neither Sir F. Whitaket nor Mr Conolly will be appointed. It has been felt on the one hand that inasmuch as the Government in conferring the Judgeship on an Attor ney-General or an ex-Attorney-General, would be strictly following out the es tablished precedents, on the other hand, the advanced years of both gentlemen would be a drawback, as they might fairly oVim retirement at their present age were they already Judges, and there is a strong feeling among that a much younger man in his full prime of strength and capacity for work should be appointed, as most of the present Judges are rapidly approaching a period at which, their retirement on pension may be looked for. 