SIR C. G. DUFFY ON HIMSELF.

Evening Star, Issue 3160, 5 April 1873, Page 3

SIR C. G. DUFFY ON HIMSELF.

Speaking at a dinner of the Melbourne St. Patrick’s Society, on St. Patrick’s Day, Sir C. G. Duffy is reported to have said It had been stated by the same well-informed journals that he was going home as Minister for Ireland. This was rather a strange mission for a ghost [the Argus , had said he was politically dead], but if the Irish Minister was' to be responsible to an Irish Parliament . (Loud cheers ) The latest new« given by the same well-informed journals had been that he was about to change his name. As this was not quite so much of a fiction as some of the other statements, he felt it was only due to his friends to let them know how the metamorphosis had come about. It was well known that in June last he resigned office as Chief Secretary of the Colony, and in the following October Viscount Canterbury wrote to him to ask if he would accept the position of a companion of the Order of St Michael and St. George. .As regarded \ iscount Canterbury, ho desired to say that he had treated him with great kindness and courtesy during the time he had been in office, and for which he would always be his debtor; but he certainly declined to grant him a dissolution of Parliament when he thought he had a right to such a course. The offer of a companionship of St. Michael and St. George was, however, made about the time when the Secretary of State for the Colonies should have received the whole statement of the facts connected with the defeat of his Administration, and the application for the dissolution, and it therefore appeared as if Lord Kimberley considered that he (Sir Charles Duffy) had not received the support from the Governor that he was entitled to. He therefore declined the proposed honor. Shortly after this Lord Kimberley sent him a letter, asking whether he would accept the honor of knighthood. When this was known, two feelings were experienced by his friends. By one party it was considered that this was only a fitting recognition of the manner in which he had four times filled the office of Minister of the Crown, and that he should therefore accept the position offered. On the other hand, there were some of his English and Scottish friends who advised him differently, and he ultimately considered that he was bound to accept the offer, as a permanent testimony that he had performed the duties he had undertaken with integrity and discretion. Since then ho had proudly received from all classes of the community letters of congratulation, which had given him great satisfaction.