THE NEW SECRETARY FOR THE COLONIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 356, 29 March 1856, Page 5

THE NEW SECRETARY FOR THE COLONIES.

The following particulars relative to the personal history of the gentleman on whom the honor and responsibility of governing the British colonial empire has just fallen, will be read with interest. We find them extracted from the ' Scotsman'_ in the ' Times ' of Nov. 26. It will be noticed that in spite of the ' Scotsman's ' deprecatory remarks, Mr. Labouchere belongs strictly to the inner circle of the aristocratic clique ; and it is quite obvious that it is to that fact, much more than to his abilities (which, no doubt are very respectable), is owing his selection by Lord Palmerston, when the " Dukes " and sons of ex-Premiers had all been tried and failed : —

In s>nticipitation of the possible revival of the cry about •" aristocrat lie monopoly," ami *' family cliques," it may be stated that, though on one point appearances may be against him, Mr. Labouchere has not become nor long been an influential public man by virtue of lineage or connexion. It is true that, a year or two ago, as we perceive, he incurved whatever blame is attachable to marrying n sister of Lord Carlisle and of the Duchess of Sutherland ; but, in mitigation, he may, we believe, plead that lie himselihas nothing offensively ''aristocratic 1' in his derivation and claims. His lineage is similar to that of Sir Samuel Romilly> being derived from one of the French families expelled from their own country by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Mr. Luhouehere's father, in truth, was not even an Englishman by birth, though ultimately becoming one of our met-

chant princes. In tlie last volume, just issued, of M. Thiers' ' Historic dv. Conmlat et dl I'Empire,' there are some interesting facts regarding the history of the new Minister's father. He had settled as a banker in Holland, and had there married a sister of the late Lord Ashhurton ; and when in that position he was pitched upon by the French and Dutch Governments to proceed (in 1810) on a secret mediatory mission to the British Cabinet. He is described by M. Thiers as "M. de Labouchere, chef respectable de la premiere maison, debanquede Hollande, associe et gendre de M. Baring, gui etait de son cote chef de la premiere maisou de Banque d'Angleterre." In other documents of the time we find the emissary called Mynheer Peter Caesar Labouchere. M. Laboucheje, who was aided by his father-in-law, Mr. Baring, obtained a distinguished reception from theDMarquis of Wellesley and other chief members of the British cabinet, and is acknowledged to have performed his mission with great ability and integrity—acting, in truth, the part of a mediator in the interests of peace and commerce. At some subsequent period, Monsieur or Mynheer Labouchere settled in London as a merchant and banker, where he attained, and his firm or family still retain, great wealth and commercial eminence, and where the new Colonial Secretary was born in 1798. Perhaps these things are worth a passing mention, at a time when there is a ludicrous aptitude to raise a clamour against any man who happens to count kin or connexion with any of the families of the aristocracy, and especially, strange to say, with any of those families which have most distinguished themselves by an advocacy of popular rights. It is almost 30 years since Mr. Labouchere entered Parliament, and 20 since he became a Privy Councillor. After gaining distinguished honours at Oxford, he became M.P. for the now extinct borough of St. Michael's in 1826, retaining that seat till 1830, since .vhieb he has sat uninterruptedly for the borough of Taunton. In 1832 he was made a Lord of the Admiralty, continuing in thut position till the commencement of the short Peel- Wellington Administration of 1834-5. On the return of ihe Liberals to office, be was made Vice-President of the Board of Trade and Masier of the Mint, and was in August, 1839, transferred to the UnderSecreturyship of the department of which he is now the head. Holding that office for only a short period, he became President of the Board of Trade until the fall of the Melbourne Ministry in 1841. On the formation of the Bussell Ministry he became Chief Secretary for Ireland* the duties of which office he performed with great ability during the trying period of " the famine." He subsequently became again President of the Board of Tr.uie, which he retained till the advent of the Derby Government. In all these positions Mr. Labouuhere maintained the character of an able administrator ; and, besides being increasingly popular with his constituents, has remained one of the must influential and must thoroughly trusted men in the House of Commons. As :s» illustration of the character of the new Minister iv a more personal sense, we may recall a fact pretty well remembered in the mercantile world. Having come by inheritance to <i landed property, his predecessor in which bad driven 100 hard a bargain with a railway company, be, unasked and unexpectedly, and merely from a chivalroussense of justice, returned tbe whole sum,. £15,000, which bad been exacted. The man of whose private dealings such tilings are truly told may well be trusted not to be found wanting in integrity and nmu-naniuiity in bis place iv his public life.— Melbourne Age.