SIR GEORGE GREY.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 232, 10 January 1860, Page 3

SIR GEORGE GREY.

The iniquitous recall of Sir George Grey, the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, raised a storm of indignation amongst the colonists by whom Sir George was very favourably regarded, and he steamed out of the harbour amidst domonstiaiions of gratitude and i*egret. The causes which led to his recall are thus concisely »tat,ed by a contemporary: —

Sir George Grey, it is well known, is an enthusiastic advocate of federation as the grand secret of success for the government and consolidation of the British colonies. Whilst Governor of New Zealand he promote i t» the utmost of his power this great idea, und uot, we believe, without effecting a vast am uut of good and laying the foundation of the future prosperity of that island. On being translated to the Cape, he spared uo effort in promulgating his opinions and attempting to secure the adoption of them in that colony, confident in the support, of Xh-s Home Government. So sanguine was he iv that support that he went beyond, perhaps, what he was absolutely warranted in doing, an;', wl-en tin Derby Administration came info power ih y at oucd disavowed his p -licy, and, much to the regret and disappointment of the cjlonists. Sir George hud to retract. However, as he was couviuced of the real beiiftits of ttye plap, he promised the pe< p!« o' the Cape to use. h.is best efforts, at hotne ; and many and strong were the remonstrances which he sent to Downing-str<-et. His obstinacy—we may also *ay his by dues?, for he a. ted in a very independent; manner in the whole attain', irritated the Colonial Secretary, and a corresponding coolness sprang up between them. Biit the national interests and Lord Derby's views'of colonial poijcy 1 vvould nos iuve dethroned Sir George, had not a little private and personal matter arisen of so scanialous and fltgraut a character that, even "at 'ti;e risk of losing his place, he determined to resist it. It appears that on the death of the Auditor-G-'neiai Major Hope, Sir George Grey app inted, provisionally, a gentleman highly competent to fill the .-.office and discharge satisfaut<>r;ly its. reapppsibje"duties. No sqorier, hawe^er, did L<h^l-Derby hear of the vacancy, than,'following ih the footsteps of his Lord Chancellor^, he nominated a Mr, Cole, a uear relative of his own, of whose merits or demerits no one k tew anything, who was a perfect stranger to the inhabitants, and who would naturally take so i c. time to learn the duties imposed upon ra. But wjth Lqrd Dey.by aptitude for an office is the least recommendation. The only test applied by him" seems 'to be tne deg.ee of conBanguinity or relationship. 'When the iijtel'^gence of Mr. ffole's appointment reached the. colony, Sir George Grey, in the independent disinterested exercise of his public duty, declined to'act on his instructions, and' forwarded i' dignified r<?monsti:ance t'fi the Qovgrnn^ut. To that appeal the only reply was an authoritative conjmand to gazette Mr. Co}e. The Qolonial Pai]iam§iit was sitting £^t the time, and boldly ili;seu.ss,ed tjje conduct qf the IJoine Min^try, apd W4 r»?l'y 'WJilttH'M c Cu«ree ftdopted by S}r Ggorge' Qrey, loijdly expressing iheir discontent at the unseemly nepotism of the Tory Premier. A few weeks after the recall of their Governor wa3 announced, and, uaturally, the indignation of the population rose in propor tion.

The noble Eirl had but one charge to bring against the ex-Governor. It w«| not, howeVW, a charge of inability^n the 'performance tofrhia onlciai duties J it' was met: at charge of sacrificing tbe hatoi.of the.QrowOf or qegUeUng the iv-

t<>r>st9 of the colony \ it Was not a charge of embezzling the public fund's,.or haughtily insisting on the prerogatives of a Colonial Goyernor.;, it was not a charge of corruption, or favouritism. It was simply because Sir George Grey would not condescend to be the agent of one of the grossest-acts of nepotism ever attempted, even in the days when Old Sarum was a political birouglh and a Walpole could purchase the Housi of Commons.

Sir George Grey had not.arrived many days before he was reinstated in his post by Loid P..lmerston—an act on the noble Lord's p»it which will give great satisfaction to the public boih at home and abroad. We have letters now lying before us, written by residents in the Cape, which speak in terms of indignation at the step taken by Lord Derby, and their gratitude to Lord Paluierston will be correspondingly gnat when they hear of his re-ap-pointmeut. It is of the utmost importance to the interests of the Colony as well as of the Mother Country that a man of such forethought and ability should occupy the position of Go-vernor-General. The abuses which pressed upon the government <f ihe, Cape and which burthened its prosperity m»st heavily, were probed and removed by Sir George Grey; and the tranquillity which pievails, in connexion with the flourishing condition of the Colony, shows the large amount of success which he achieved. One letter received by the last mail says, "I hope your anticipations of the fall-of the Derby Ministry may prove correct. We in this country have to thank them for the recall of Sir George Grey—they could not even wait until,his term was up, which would have been in about six weeks; but because be took an independent, manly position with regard to the appointment of Auditor-General and would not appoint the man who now holds the office until he was obliged, he is unceremoniously dismissed. From one end of the Colony to the other there is but one feeling about, tht Governor's recall, and that is that we are losing the best friend th« country has hud. We see all manner of evils looming in the future." The news which the next mail will convey to the Cape will be received with heartfelt rejoicings, and many thauks will be bestowed upon Lord Palmersiou for the manly and politic course which he adopted in reinstating a man who, so long as he was capable ol discharging his duties satisfactorily, ought never to have been recalled. It was an act on the part of Lord Derby that will long be remembered by the Colonists, who would regard the .noble Earl's restoration to office as one of the worst calamities that could befall them.