GEMS FROM ‘HANSARD.’

Evening Star, Issue 4294, 30 November 1876, Page 4

GEMS FROM ‘HANSARD.’

SIR GEORtIE GREY’S “EARNESTNESS” AND “ ELOQUENCE.” The lounger in the gallery of the House of Representatives during the past session had to listen to much strong language, abundant vehemence, and too frequent bad temper. There was great glibness of speech ; but the thoughts were usually flimsy, and the glibness was of the debating club order. Sir George Grey alone approached eloquence. His lieutenant, Mr Rees, was rarely able to shake off the style of the small legal advocate, who believes that he has before him a not very intelligent jury, and who therefore permits himself reiteration ad nauseam. So Mr Rees’s fluency, passion, never suggested that he was capable of being eloquent. Sir George was a puzzle. His reputation has been high ; his style of speaking is good ; he has a fine presence. He certainly did not appear to be able to think rightly; but he thought clearly though wrongly, and he clothed his thought in fit words. An outsider listening to him would not doubt his earnestness; those who did doubt it had no doubt ot the skilful seeming of earnestness he could assume. To the outsider, it was a mystery why Sir George should strive to impress his hearers with the belief that he believed the many wild things he said ; but most of his speeches had an effect in the House far greater than will be attributed to them by any student of ‘ Hansard.’ That this was so is a tribute to his ability as a speaker. The look, the voice, the well-compacted sentences, the ring of earnestness mellowed by sadness or made sonorous by indignation, combined to impress others besides loungers, and caused- much to be said and to be written about the eloquence of the hon. gentleman’s utterances. Those wh® did not believe in the reality of the earnestness, or the sorrow, or the indignation, could not deny the skill or the power of the speaker ; and not a few of the sceptics had feelings of regret, which were really earnest, that such a man was either fighting shadows or seemingly intent on working mischief. Sir George started with a fine estimate of the House. Did he really believe all the nonsense he talked about the Piako Swamp 1 He cleverly hit the feelings of the young members by his “ catch” motion for suspending the standing orders, so that he might make a motion upon that question ; and when he had succeeded, note how skilfully he played upon those whom he had not unnaturally roused : “ Why, sir, those gentlemen assembled from all parts of New Zealand ; who had come fresh from their constituencies ; the moment I raised the cry that a public wrong had been perpetrated, in one instant they assumed their privilege of first considering grievances, and show-ed truly that they were representatives of the people of this country. It was with wonder and delight that I saw that a great and noble instrument of right had struggled through the throes of birth into a healthful existence, and showed a determination that right should be I

done. It was with pleasure I saw that the moment a hand was laid on this new instrument, it vibrated with emotions and feelings, that right should be done, that justice should run its coarse. I felt in ray own mind that which the Premier felt not when he made that speech. I said to myself, ‘ Thank heaven, at last the hour and the men are met together.’ I felt that I was surrounded by men equal to the greatness of the task they had to achieve. It is with such a House I wish to set myself right.”

He had to admit later in the session that he could not “ sound what stop ” he pleased upon the representative instrument ; he had to deny that it was such an instrument; but when he was pleased to “ Thank Heaven ” that “ the hour and the men are met together,” he hoped to see Abolition prevented, and with a master hand he strove to tune the instrument to sound the knell of that detested measure. Even when he saw that he was not to triumph on the Piako Swamp question, he still strove on. Never before were men promised such an “ eternal blazon ” of fame for doing so little and doing that little upon impulse, as were those who voted for the suspension of standing orders : “I tell you that what this Parliament did at the commencement of this session will form a great example in the constitutional history of New Zealand. I tell you that that act will secure an imperishable and undying fame; that in every book hereafter written on the constitutional history of New Zealand it will be recorded in terms of glowing eulogy, and that every historian will inquire into the circumstances which led to that proceeding on the part of this Parliament; and that each historian will have brought under his notice the act which 1 hold to be so wrongful, and will record the names of those who voted. Upon the one hand there will be undying fame, upon the other I believe undying obliquy will rest, and both will .go down to posterity together.” “Venus rising from the sea” becomes a dowdy, when one thinks j of “ Mataura’s member risen from the 1 swamp ;” lapped in “ imperishable and ' undying fame,” but ever poised to | swoop and smear his name !