THE HON W. FOX ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 319, 8 May 1878, Page 4

THE HON W. FOX ON SIR GEORGE GREY.

We extract the following from the Chronicle report of the speech delivered by Mr Fox at'Wanganui: When he contrasted Sir George Grey’s present utterances with his past career, he (Mr Fox) was much nuzzled to understand him, and on reading his gospel of democracy, as Sir William Fitzherbert called it, a sort of qualm came over him. . He had himself all his life been an advocate of what 'were called liberal opinions, of equal rights for all men, so far as consistent with public safety, and an equal share of the public burdens in proportion ► to the share of protection which each-man received from the law. The first part of Sir George Grey’s career was in the army, a training not generally conducive to very liberal opinions. For many of the subsequent years of his life he was a servant of the Colonial Office, at that time, ho

might say, a department the most arbitrary and opposed to the extension of political liberty. In that capacity, as he recordfiluraself, he had to obey the behests of his master, the Minister of the day, whether he agreed with him or not, and even to conceal from the colonists that he was acting under such instructions in antagonism to their rights and wishes. And now, when Hir George Grey came forward as the Angel ol Democracy, he could not help calling to mind a, long course of years dming which himself and all his fellow colonists in every part of New Zealand combined m constitutional associations, and led by each men as Fcatherstou, Fitzlicrbort, Godly, Clifford, and Weld, were engaged in a death struggle with Sir George Grey, because he stood between them and representative institutions. It seemed strange now to road his Gospel of Democracy, and remember the Governor of New ■Zealand of 184-0 to 1850. He* could not help remarking, also, on the strange hallucinations of Sir George Grey’s present mind. Ho was labouring under impressions that the people of New Zealand were divided into two great classes —a mushroom aristocracy and down-trodden serfs, — and that his mission was to liberate the latter Irom the heel of the former, which now pressed upon them. He could only account for these delusions by the fact that Sir George had never been a colonist. Most of our public men, and all our previous Prime Ministers, bad been colonists. They had come here to light the battle of life, to throw in their lot with the other founders of the colony, and work out their destiny on the same conditions as all the rest. Mr Stafford had worked his way to the position he now hold. Sir Julius Vogel did the same. Major Atkinson had been twitted by one of the most foul-mouthed of Sir George's followers with having driven bullocks. Mr Dornctt, Dr Pollen, and ho himself, bad ail undergone the experiences of colonists, and stood on an equal platform - with their fellow men. Put Sir. George had never done anything of this sort, and ho never understood or felt by experience what the life of a struggling colonist was. And now lie had got some recollection of the condition of society in Ireland and in the rural districts ot England fifty years ago, with mushroom aristocrats,.and down-trodde.i serfs,and ho was going about trying to set class against class, to persuade the working man of New Zealand that he was a poor, oppressed creature, deprived ot the rights of humanity, and suffering the greatest conceivable hardships. He (Mr Fox) was not surprised that with such vam dreams fermenting in his brain bis colleagues did not allow him to travel alone, but always one or more accompanied him on Ins tours. He was the only Prime Minister he remembered who had not been allowed to go about without a keeper. Mr Stafford used to go at large.' Bird alius Vogel did the same, and ho himself find never been under surveillance, nor any other Minister he remembered, Hut when he remembered Sir George’s speeches he was not surprised that he was not allowed to go alone. His colleagues wore evident!ly prudent men. It greatly raised tnem in his estimation, and ho hoped it was an indication that Mr Bryce’s hope would bo fuiliiled, and tiiat his colleagues would be able to make 'him modily his opinions. After thanking the meeting for their patient attention, Mr Fox sat down amidst loud and long protracted cheers.