A TRIBUTE TO HIS MEMORY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11504, 10 February 1903, Page 5

A TRIBUTE TO HIS MEMORY.

By Chables Lewis, M.H.B. Asked to write some tribute to the memory of Mr Rolleeton, my task is one of the utmost difficulty. Hie death has come upon u«> deadening blow, bjit no one who knew him can recall that association without a genuine glow of pleasure, and 1 would fain seek solace from his death in recalling the man as I knew him, preferring to remember that he lived, rather than to dwell upon the fact that he ifl dead. Nor can I write of him save in the spirit which his companionship engendered. Into that spirit nothing resembling gloom can enter. „ I write, of counse, as one of the younger generation of politicians, upon whom hie low will fall perhaps most heavily. 1

.i.T-.-:w,--. : 'W:^^.i<»-;: : t^,j;..j.,:;Vp^j:! i -^. :^^ei^l»S*^;:S; often m«ui»gly ; be preserved be' ..ttn ."• '%bi^wifil^/''»^^^i^' i -^;:. : youth. ■ For the hoar mem .ne«*. ■»■ ls*"*' : ;P the subject was never to wotnteresUng, ti»e . individual w*. never *o iteJgtriflomfc, butfo :* ' tiiaf »• young member lesion a »ady and attentive listener.'^?,J j»y listener advisedly, for that ; .wa* bJ* '£•.' method. He never attempted"to teach; ! or, ' ■ rather, one nevtr knew , that lie vas doirijj ■ bo; least of all at the time. His methods ~ were assuredly the most artful, the moat ineidione, end beyond all question the moat likely to be effective. "Ah! here you arej* ! . he. would say, "you axe just the man. I. - want. Thisquestion of so-and-so ia coming op to-night. Of course it is out of my line, but I know yon have it it yoor fingers' «nds. Now, come along, *•* m i Bit down somewhere, and you ahall tell me aU about it." Then would the tyro, flushed with importance, and stimulated ' murmurs of encouragement, unfold the entire aituation, and develop » plan of campaign. "Ahl Thank you. I see. Thank ■ you very much. Oi course it is my ignorance of the whole thing/ I aar really troubling you too mud), but, before you ; go, there ia just one point I am afraid I don't seem quite dear about. What would happen if " And it would toe-■ - gin to dawn upon the beginner that there was at least one aspect of the question which hod escaped his consideration. Others would follow, and finally that old . Parliamentary hand, who of course had not been teaching, but merely groping after light, would hurry away full of thanks, but leaving the chastened neophyte to tnt • contemplation of his own unfathomable ignorance. A few daye later the process , would be repeated, for there wae no resulting it. The questions were airways asked with such, humility, the answers were ' always received with such gratitude, and the rally educational incidents were so cunningly interwoven with oonvereationa upon ... subjects about which the learner realty did know a Kittle, tihat w> escape was v postdate; I have yet to kwrn that it er«r we* attempted. Who could recall such. , memories a* these "w*& gloom? ' I prefer, aa I have said, to draw upon their inexhaustible stores m dUevfeition of, our grief. / Ear he, assuredly, would have k so. . ; : lib » most curious to refleafc that many - people, I euppoee I might tto majority, (regarded Mr RoHeaton ac :&* , apostle'of gloom and deerpondeooy. No ; greater fallacy could well be imagined. two essential points of vieiw I know; '; tim impression to be entirely erroneous. . I ■;;. neverkacnr b> man with a more abiding be-1 j? lk< in the future greatness of his race. He - r held no commnn&» wi*h tieoe* who *wr the Empire tottering to it* WL' : Thi*? wide of race which came to hfca through tfie v<rfne of etawdy Britishyeoman -eases-. £ try rejected aqy eawunration derocutory to - the suprflmfticy of hie Irin. OX .Slew land's ultimate deaWny toe w«M " tqii»l£sis:ft terms es glowing an those 'of taie»jnoet et;. ■; alted optumtoU True, the passing pbsuw-: v , ' of poBWoiJ. life b* with die&mir/ v apprehension if yon will; but <Qmr ; effeote z;■ he 'only' looked, upon, m fn«» >■ ptssing clouds upon a. gforwus f ■ommer »ky, and even now it mak«« y 'o.nei't :, ' : .' • pulses .quicken to reoaU th* ia vi widen h. Wovid peiait N«w Zeeiead , . nlti- : mate futare. -: cilaled w> dcwbti^he knew tha* eaods were nuu^fc , oet; but ; Iks; wiTW r*liaqo«Jed the feeling thai ' OH e«« ba* rrt W* Jioacmr aad hii t«l: :. D««lii «lorn all; but »oa>elfcine *re tfa*'4od-4;k BoBU'-vodc rf noble art* sa*y y»V b*-,***-AnA at ti» ! ;|::;f,:|i|§ Uacto w«Jc by tim*-wid l«t», but .rfirei>ir;i»:-;S To elan, to ««ek, to fiad, ■ >o4\not : , toVyWf'srf ' To -' *nnmbm'-a*x*& HtMbely c*4&ne £ott»ittgr, reserr*,'but the hwrriem once lw»ken he- wajs"; ;■ a moefc delightful : :E* : i>ot^£ } id ed tie k«e»eet aapwciatioo of ow, and tf hk wfc bd c«nj»wd ■ to , s lew : tamoar, tb which ■ Kβ oharaotwrktio eivottf. In his ♦ttbute the late M. J. S. Mactoode. be dwelt ; with loriog Appreciation- ■ which ecobie leift toour cotivenw Pariiaiaeiitary dlnow never knew of •olf mpplied, or wii«* * ootaplefce foß<b*m wae to Scobie. To w who encounter between the Vo it wae «' flashing blade of ing upon* took hmt/but tbe ringing (he flu& th*t foliowed were not to W gotten. - That,- a*: I man.; regarded by many; as' a: gloemy; mist. ■-■' ■'■- : '■ :,, '■ ■v■ ■ ■''/■'■s't'^j^yv¥i%fiisssss's&ss : ;' I have written of 'ton' in-Wellington ;aniid;the later-life., Of Koci«tion with Canterimry, c*h«ctr» doubt.p wlll':tre«t. : of my own gwaeratJon. 5 oflXif* i» aosedj for. Mi&?simm!m remain. . inemoiy ■ by ehpwntt' Ui*tfwe / the tenons which ffiey contain; in ttan '. : ..> ; . ':&&£ C : ■ . '• linage*/ Ts»t shall netTSie,- «ad;o*tmot;>»;dee4iefW ( |fe