LORD ISLINGTON.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1602, 20 November 1912, Page 8

LORD ISLINGTON.

FAREWELLED BY N.Z. CLUB. POLITICAL LEADERS AT HOME. DEPARTING GOVERNORS REMINISCENCES. Members of the Now Zealand Club assembled yesterday at luncheon to hid farewell to his Excellency the Governor, Lord Islington. Tho large dining hall in the Y.M.C.A. building was crowded to the dcors. The Hon. C. M. Luke presided, ! and said in tho course of a brief speech that in an experience extending over forty years ho had not known a Governor who had implanted himself so thoroughlv in the affections of tlio people of flio* Dominion as had Lord Islington. For a long timo the name of tho departing Governor would bo dear to tho hearts of the people of New Zealand. (Applause.) , Prolonged applause greeted Lord Islington when he rose to speak in reply. He asked his auditors to regard his presence in the lig'h.t of an opportunity to* bid them farewell rather than in the light of a visit paid far tho purpose of delivering a well-thought-out and well-prepared address. Instead of attempting to deliver such an address ho would detail a few recollections of Parliamentary life in the Old Country. This country had patterned its Parliament to a great extent on the Mother of Parliaments, and his reminiscences of Parliamentary lifo at. Home might hero and there be of interest to his hearers. .From Both Sides. "My Parliamentary career began at the ago of 25, in, the year 1592," said Lord Islington, "when I entered the House of Commons as an orthodox Conservative, and terminated in 190t), when I retired, from the, House as what some people have called a'very unorthodox Liberal.' At any rate I have had 17 years' experience of the British Parliament, and with it that superior advantage—not a singular one—of having been abio to obsorve it from both sides. During that period of 17 years I saw four Ministries come, and go, and- I sat under six Prime_ Ministers. I remember that when I joined in 1892, Mr, Gladstone was Prime Minister and Leader of the House. Perhaps tho first thing that impressed itself upon my mind was the first speech delivered in that Parliament by tho present Prime .Minister (Mr. AsQifitli), in ( moving . the resolution which turned the Government out of office. Mr. Gladstone had an unerring eyo for detecting talent among tho younger men of -his own party. In the case of Mr. , -Asquith, he did not require that perspicacity that he displayed in other instances, because Mr. Asquith came to Parliament from Oxford with an almost unprecedented reoord and reputation!'" Mr. Asquith'.s speech on this occasion, Lord Islington continued, not only resulted in turning the Government out of office, but hiarlced tho turning point in his own career. Within threo days of delivering the speech ho was" promoted by. his chief to the. position of Homo. Secretary. In that ofneo ho was' looked upon as .ono of tho strongest and most reforming Homo Secretaries that Parliament had ever produced. Memories of Mr, Gladstone. Lord Islington wont on to remark that'lie still looked back.to his early days in Parliament with a very deep reverence for the men who held prominent positions at that time. Ho did not suppose that these statesmen were greatly superior to those wlty occupicd similarly prominent positions at the prcssnt day, but his recollec-tion-of the earlier leaders was coloured by tho ingenuous and susceptible traits incident to early youth. Saying this, ho must except Mr. Gladstone, who stood out as ono of tho great giants of history —a giant in intellect and a giant iu character. No ono who had ever heard Mr. Gladstone in debate or on the platform could over entirely efface the deep impression that he uia4e on his audiences. Outstanding features in. Mr. Gladstone's oratorywere :.tho. peculiar firo and- elo-' quenco lie was able to introduce into every utterance, even at the advanced, ago of B'J,-and the univorsal and overwhelm? in. effect'that his speeches had upon tho whole House of Commons. ' Lord Islington said that ha remembered well tho picture ' that tho House presented when Mr. Gladstone, delivered his speech on tho introduction of tho second Home llulo Bill. The House had never been so crammcd to its utmost limits, either before probably or since. On that occasion a rule was broken in an unprecedented way, and chairs were placed right up the floor of tho House so that moro members might get in. Many members who weje unaolp to get into the House eat for two or three hours in tho cellars underneath, gathering what they could of the speech through the perforated floor; A Master of Debate. The man.who stood nextrto' Mr. Gladstone in. thoso-early .days, Lord Islington went on to remark, was Mr. Chamberluin, the greatest figure in thp Liberal Unionist party of that day. There was no one of the past Parliamentary'generation- who could express in such simple, direct,'' and stimulating language the sontiments which were most closely Allied to the party to which he belonged, and no one. could put into such exasperating tenna tho weak points of his oponents. "I have seen Mr. Chamberlain's jibes to tho Irish party and to his own quondam colleagues positively raise these groups of peoplo to a stato almost of frenzy," said Lord Islington. Othor Leaders. v A man of a very different typo, ho continued, was Mr. Balfour,' a man whose qualities presented a curious contrast to those of Mr. Chamberlain. Otet Mr.; Balfour's ability as a Parliamentarian was just as forceful in its way as Mr. Chamberlain's. As a dialectical of what he regarded as false principles," false promises, or false conclusions, Mr. Balfour stood nnequalkd in Parliamentary history. Lord -Islington said that h« looked back to tho speeches made by one of the Irish leadors, Mr. Healy, as certainly impressing themselves in his I mind as-much na anything ho had over listened tb in tho , Hons* of Commons. Mr. Healy had a sift for vitriotie satirs, clothed in the most polished language and metaphor. He was quite sure that Mr. Hwly for w)i«m ho bad .a very coiisidcrabld regard—would be tho very first to admit .the soft impeachment. A man who stood out for tho period durincr I which lie (Lord Islington) sat in thoHouse of Commons—as a great Parliamen. tarian was Sir..Wm. Harcourt. Unpopular in his youth Sir Wm. Harcourt attained popularity in his later years. In addition to the great store of public experience and knowledge of every department with which he was possessed from his, long career, he would always stand out m history as ono who—almost one« eyed partisan as ho was in many respects —was a great upholder and maintainer of the dignity and prestige of the Housa of .Commons. Remarking that he would havo been glad had timo permitted to speak of snch mon as Goschen, Morley, Hicks-Beach, and Sexton, Lord Islington went on to say that the present leader of the Opposition (.Mr. Bonar law) and tho present Prime Ministor (Mr. Asquith), each gained their first notice and promotion by a single speech. Men of To-Day. Tho tiro mon who filled tho book most m the Hon so of Commons at nresent were Mr.-Lloyd-George and Mr. Winston Churchill. Mr. Lloyd-Georgo was a man ot. singular power in debate and a angular power of forceful exposition or. v-hen ■necessary, denunciation. In many" resnecus Mr. Lloyd-George differed from Mr. Winston Churchill. The latter also was. a most forceful speaker, but hnd not the same jpwer of extemporary speech as Mr Lloyd-George. Gifted, however, with vonderful mdustlr, Mr. Churchill was able, by careful' preparation, to pw duce classical, speeches which few of hi 9 contemporaries could equal. After describing somo of the conditions under which members of the House of Cnm-' mens work, Lord Islington brought hi? address to a conclusion bv assuring hip hearers that he was deeply .grateful for his reception that day. 'Tho chfiirman had said that he (Lord Islington) had associated himself with many of the various interests of New Zealand. The rejdv response made to his efforts had na'de his tales a very easy ono. It, had been a groat; pleasure to work in. association with -:o many rood, loyal subjects of the Crown as he knew, thi'i'o were in .this city and in tliis Dominion. Allli iugh lie would be engaged in other worl: in another part of the Empire, his sympathies, regard, and warm roco] 1 nc!i'on , > would oyer-remain with New Zealand

and its people. He was 1 sure that the experience ho had gained hero would be of use to him, but whatove'r the valuo of this experience might be, what would ever remain fresh in. his memory and would ever lie a plcasuro to him to recollect would bo the kindness, courtesy, mid co-operation that ho had received at all hands, and from all corners of tlio Dominion ever since ho had been its Governor. (Loud applause.) It was agreed that Lord Islington should be made a life-member of tho New' Zealand Club. Before ho departed his Excellency was loudly and heartily cheer-