Our Supplement

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 39, 22 December 1894, Page 11

Our Supplement

SIR GEORGE GREY, K.C.li

j Comparatively few in number are the men of whom it can be said that their “ deeds crowd History’s pages and Time’s great volume make.” None will dispute the right to inclusion in that select company of the subject of our sketch, Sir George, or Governor Grey, as many of the older colonists prefer to call him. His father, Colonel Gi’ey, fell in the storming of Badajoz, early in 1812, and his son was born at Lisbon a few days later. Colonel Grey lost his life for his country, and his distinguished son has devoted his to the service of Queen and State. Born amidst war’s rude alarms, his career has been in keeping, marked as it has been by varied experiences and stirring incidents. Space will not permit of more than a glance at the salient features of Sir Geo. Grey’s long record. Destined for military service, he was educated at the College of Sandhurst, and in 1830, when he attained his eighteenth year, was gazetted ensign of the 83rd Regiment of Foot, and served with it at Glasgow and afterwards at Dublin. He spent four years in Ireland, and then volunteered for exploring work in North-Western Australia. His offer was accepted by the Royal Geographical Society ; and early in 1837, having obtained two years leave of absence, he sailed from Plymouth in

H.M.S. Beagle, a few days after Queen Victoria had ascended the throne. While with his regiment in Britain the young soldier saw many scenes of misery, an outbreak of cholera increasing the distress due to agrarian and political disturbances. Those scenes' were indelibly impressed on his youthful mind, and fifty years later he reverted to them in language that gave the key to many of his actions. ‘ I saw enough,’ he said, ‘ to give a bias to my mind for ever as to the necessity for change and reform. It was realty from a desire to find relief from that that I went to Australia. In all my walks on deck, on my first voyage, my mind was filled with the thought of what misery there was in the world, the hope there was in the new lands, and the greatness of the work of attempting to do something for the hopeless poor. The efforts to get laud, made by single individuals, seemed to me a wrong to humanity. To prevent such a monopoly in the new countries has been my task ever since.” Leaving the Beagle at Cape Town, the young explorer and his companions voyaged to Australia in a schooner, called the

Lynher, and in due course were landed on the shores of the new land. Exploring* work was undertaken, and in 1838 the party returned to Perth. Not long after Grey, notwithstanding that he had been severely wounded in an attack by the natives, carried out a second expedition. In 1839 he was appointed Resident at King George’s Sound. Returning to England, he was appointed Governor of South Australia, the affairs of which colony (according to the authors of “ Life and Times of Sir G. Grey ”) were then in a desperate condition. Depression overclouded everything, and then, as now, the cry of the unemployed was heard in the land. The new administrator disbursed £4OO out of his own income for charitable purposes during his first year of office, and set himself vigorously to work to bring about a change for the better. He established legislative institutions, effected retrenchment in public administration, and had got everything on a, good footing when, in 1845, ere his term had expired, he was called upon to preside over the destinies of New Zealand, where war was raging between the colonists and the Maoris. Reaching Auckland in November, he adjusted financial matters, stopped the sale of arms to the Maories (in the face of bitter opposition), prohibited" private dealing in native lands, and directed the military operations with such vigour that the power of the redoubtable Hone Heke

was broken within five weeks of his (Grey’s) arrival. The new ruler quickly displayed a sympathetic insight into the needs and aspirations of the fine but fading race opposed to the Europeans, and before long they had learned to love him as a father. A Constitution for the colony was passed by the Imperial Parliament in 1846, but as it involved a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi, Sir George Grey suspended the operation of the Act, and wrote to the Home authorities, with the result that he was given power to formulate such a Constitution as he deemed best in the interests of the Mother Country and of both races in Hew Zealand. He acted on the power thus given, and drafted a Constitution which, with some slight modifications, was adopted in 1852. At the end of 1853, when the colony was in the enjoyment of peace and the possession of a Constitution “ unsurpassed for freedom and elasticity,” he returned to England. A year later he was made Governor of Cape Colony, and held office till 1859. During that time his qualities as a ruler and statesman were brought into bold relief, and his term of office was remarkable, among other things, for the splendid service which he rendered the Empire in her hour of need in India. Three days after he learned of the terrible outbreak there he had a man-of-war and several transports with men and supplies on their way to India, and not content with this he diverted to Calcutta a

number of troops who were sent out for service in China, relieving their commander of all responsibility for their sudden change of destination. Those were the troops which enabled Sir Colin Campbell to relieve Havelock at Lucknow, and, in the words of Lord Malmesbury, probably saved India. During the height of the excitement several Maori chiefs wrote to Sir Geo. Grey, and offered to raise 1 or 2 regiments for service in India. Their old friend favoured the proposal, but it was declined by the authorities, and so the chiefs lost the chance of anticipating the Soudan Contingent of later years. Sir G. Grey held strong views about the confederation of the South African provinces, and the friction that ensued led to his recall. On his way Home a change of Government took place ; the recall was recalled, and to the delight of the colonists he returned to them in 1860, with the promise that at the end of his term he

would receive the Governor-General-ship of Canada. In 1861, however, trouble again arose in Hew Zealand, and Sir G. Grey, setting’ aside peisonal considerations, undertook, for a second time, the Governorship of that colony in her time of peril. In 1868 he was succeeded by Sir George Bowen, and after a brief sojourn at Kaivau, the beautiful island so intimately associated with Sir George, he once move returned to Britain. Then came the news of Te Kooti and his terrible raid. The Home Government consulted the ex-Governor as to the advisableness of appointing a military dictator over Hew Zealand, the name of the late General Gordon being suggested. Sir George Grey recognised that this wmuld be intensely repugnant to a people enjoying free institutions, and, advising accordingly, the idea was abandoned. While in England at this time Sir George published a pamphlet devoted to the unfolding of a scheme for the self-government of Ireland. In 1870 he was a candidate for Hewark, in the Liberal interest, but there were divisions among the leaders, and he withdrew to prevent the almost certain victory of the Conservatives with one candidate against two on the other side. The same year found him in Hew Zealand again. It also saw the inception of the great Public Works policy of Sir Julius 'Vogel, involving further borrowing and the destruction of the provincial system of government. The people appealed to Sir George, and not in vain. He might well have pleaded length of service and the need of rest, but forth he came in defence of the Constitution he had done so much to secure for the colony. He was elected Superintendent of Auckland, and in 1877 became

Premier of the colony, but his struggle against the new order of things, gallantly waged though it was, proved futile. He remained in harness, however, and in later years succeeded in carrying a number of the reforms he had at heart. In 1890 he represented the colony at the Federal Convention in Sydney, and was in a minority of three on the question of having an elective Governor- General forthe federated colonies. He subsequently made what may be truly described as a triumphal progress through Australia, revisited the scenes of his former labours and addressed great meetings of the electors, who listened with delight to the “ old man eloquent ” as he discoursed on the social and political reforms that he holds are essential to the happiness of mankind. A few months ago he returned to England, and there he is at present. He has passed his eighty-second year, but has evidently resolved that it is better to wear out than to rust out, and though troubled by an old wound, the veteran pro-consul, according to the latest reports, has decided, in the event of an election taking place next year, to be a candidate for a seat in the Imperial Parliament. Nothing has been said here of Sir George Grey’s works in the field of philanthropy, science, and literature, but there is, after all, little need for this —they speak for themselves in hospitals, colleges, libraries, and other scarcely less tangible forms.