THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 1882. SIR G. GREY ON NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2609, 17 August 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 1882. SIR G. GREY ON NEW ZEALAND.

Sib Geoegb Geet a few days back delivered what is termed “an interesting lecture ” to a select audience in Wellington. Every seat in the room was filled, and Archdeacon Thorpe occupied the chair. It is needless to say that Sir George was in his glory on the occasion, being at perfect liberty to give free vein to his exuberant fancy. He “ fetched ” the numerous auditors completely, drawing forth numberless rounds of cheers. And no wonder he did so, for he so tickled their sense of their own importanoe that they would have been extremely ungrateful if they had not shouted till they were hoarse. The speaker judiciously placed himself on good terms with tile audience by telling them that they were the finest fellows he had ever read or heard of. The original settlers he declared had performed wonders in the face of enormous drawbacks. They came out hero severely handicapped. They had been “ accustomed to a State Church, an hereditary aristocracy, and a resident Queen; they had no common platform or bond of union between themselves and the members of the different nationalities with whom they were mostly, for the first time, brought into contact; and they were troubled with difficulties with the Natives; so that a long time necessarily elapsed before they could find out, and avail themselves of, their new privileges and rights,” The touching picture of the debased state of the early immigrants was artistically blackened to bring out more prominently the high lights afterwards thrown in. These miserable people had landed on the shores of the promised land, bowed down with the weight of an Established Church. They had fled from the grinding oppression of bishops and a Church paraphernalia, They had succeeded after many perils in escaping from the barons and earls who had hitherto kept them in bondage, and, above all, they had eluded the vigilance of the resident Queen, who from her den in Windsor Castle had mightily harried her lieges. They had mingled with men of other nations, who were also escaping from the tyranny of their own particular countries, only to find themselves surrounded by hostile native tribes embned with cannibalistic tendencies. It will be agreed that Sir George’s opening was prettily and forcibly colored. But these men had risen to the occasion. What did they do directly they landed P Why this. They commenced by “ constructing an excellent system of road communication, and had in many respects furnished the coming generation with the tools by which they could, and he (Sir George) believed, would, achieve unrivalled greatness for their country.” (Tremendous applause). These tools were not road tools, but intellectual tools, which hardly tallies with the previous statement that a long time had elapsed before they managed to discover their new privileges and rights. Sir George then dismissed these early struggles to pass to the present time. Ho pointed to the “splendid system of free education established all over the colony as the one thing which would enable the future generation to make the very utmost of the advantages by which they were surrounded.” “ The difference,” he continued, “between the universities and colleges of Great Britain and New Zealand was this, that whereas in the former they were erected for the most part by private munificence, and in reality benefited only the wealthy classes, in the latter they were paid for out of the pockets of the people, and were the common property of all.” But here, unfortunately. Sir George destroys with one hand the pleasant picture he had drawn with the other, for ho declares that, owing to the high fees at present exacted by the New Zealand educational establishments—especially by the agricultural colleges the poor were virtually excluded from enjoying what of right belonged to them. So that how future generations are to arrive at the pitch of excellence predicted remains a mystery which is conveniently passed over, for the speaker hastens to contend “ that the cultivation of the intellect of a whole nation, as was being done here” (notwithstanding the fees charged), “must necessarily result in a very much greater number distinguishing themselves in various paths of life.

and consequently in the attainment by the nation of far more advantages than

we at present possess.” Indeed we are told that “ New.! Zealand would be the first country to'have tried each an experimeat since the days of Ancient Greece, and- if the experiment had proved so brilliantly successful in Athens, why might they not expect similar results here ?” Why not, indeed ? But we venture to suggest that New Zealand is not singular in possessing a graduated system of natiocal education. However, Sir George is full of hepe, for he asserts that “ for his own part he believes we shall produce some of the greatest intellects which have ever adorned the world.” Bravo, Sir George! No wonder that the audience broke into a tnmnlt of applause. This millenium, however, has not yet arrived, because the Knight of Kawau observes that the present people “ are not sufficiently interested in the efforts of our statemen to improve the condition of the country.” In other words, they hardly believe in Sir George. “ But the | coming generation would be educated to understand and take an interest in the political problems which were being worked out in their midst, and our future statesmen would have behind them an irresistible force, enabling them to achieve objects which under existing circumstances it would be impossible even to contemplate.” In other words, that in the happy by-and-by Sir George’s memery will stand out as a pillar of strength, and that it will be recognized that be is a giant born before his proper time.

Anybody who wishes to know what New Zealand really is will do well to study Sir George’s peroration. It hasone of the finest climates in the world, ranging from almost tropical heat to Scottish cold. The fertility of the soil is immense It is enormously strong in a military point of view, for it has rivers and mountains which no enemy can penetrate, and it is peopled with a hardy and intellectual race. (More cheers.) “ The nations of the East,” said Sic George to his audience, “ will watch your progress with interest, and will see for the first time with their own eyes how European nations govern themselves, and how they develop their resources and make the utmost of the advantages they possess.” Again the hearers shouted joyfully, not caring to enquire why the East should suddenly awaken to a desire to solve a problem that they have had before them for centuries. Indeed, we have heard a good deal of colonial tall talk, but we do not think we ever came across a taller address than that delivered by Sir George Grey on the occasion to which wo are referring. It is of course gratifying to know that wo are all very fine fellows, but when a leading statesman remarks that in a few years there will be focused here all the genius, patriotism, heroism, and enlightenment worth having in the world, we begin to open our eyes and to wish that some of it would turn up as soon as possible, more particularly in the House of Representatives, where at the present juncture Athens is not eclipsed, and which does not swarm, to any remarkable extent, with Pitts, Chathams, and Peels.