Making the N.Z Constitution.

Manawatu Herald, 25 August 1892, Page 3

Making the N.Z Constitution.

During Sir George Grey's speech on Monday evening he thus, according to the full report in the N.Z. Time-, told the story how he considered and* wrote the Constitution New Zealand now enjoys ; —Well, he had to speak of himself. He would tell thera how tbat despatch was written. He was determined, having been oharged to draw np the despatoh, he felt that he had; as it was, a sacred dufcy to New Zealand of the most portentous kind, and he resolved that, uninfluenced by any views, undisturbed by the press, undisturbed by his fellow men, he would go oufc into the native wilderness fearlessly, and try fco pufc into the despatch language thafc might indue, a giv. afc nation fco adopt a measure such as he had described. He set off to Wanganui, and accompanied by six or seven natives, went up the river and went to the foot of Mount Ruapehu, and spent some time alone, and there, amidst some ofthe grandest scenery of nature, his mind utterly undisturbed by worldly thoughts, living in, a little bit of a tent, with very little food, he wrote the document which went Home and which secured that law for New Zealand. (Applause.) He proposed to go to Auckland, but thi'ough some objections by the Natives, he returned to Wellington, and it was from this town thafc the despatoh was sent; That was the histoyy of that despatch. He did know why, now he was 80 years of age, he need be ashamed thafc he had taken those pains, undergone solitude, lived alone with nature and bis Maker, free from all worldly thoughts as to what the effect would be in preparing that despatch. The despatch was sent Home, and was adopted without diffioulty by Parliament with one ohange, that relating to th© Legislative Counoil.