The Colonial Secretary.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 258, 30 November 1903, Page 4

The Colonial Secretary.

A CHARACTER SKETCH. Mr T. P. O'Connor by no means shares the accepted opinion of the new Colonial Secretary. Mr Lyttelton, he tells us, is tall and thin, and walks with the enormously flluiek stride of the athlete in perfect condition. He has a dark complexion, darv hair, rather inclined to be curly, and dark eyes, and altogether is of the Celtic or Spanish rather than the Saxon type of man- He has, like all his brothers and cousins, Bfi air of distinction, and of a certain unworldliness. There is about him a certain look of elevation and abstraction, such as one would expect in a man who had eithier a very devotional or a very poetic nature, Jn any case his face is that "of a man with a fine mind and a sweet nature," and it is no wonder that he is a universally popular man. Mr O'Connor thinks that personal friendship between Mr Balfour and the new Colonial Secretary accounts for Mr Lyttelton's promotion. Mr Balfour is not a friendly man ; at any rate he makes few friendships outside the family circle, and his political alliances have rarely a personal flavour. Mr Alfred Lyttelton, indeed, is said to be the only man in politics at present for Whom Mr Balfour entertains a warm personal regard and affection. Thrown back upon himself, Mr Balfour was compelled to seek the assistance of itipn whom he could personally trust, Mr O'Connor protests strongly against the tone of the newspaper references to the Colonial Secretary, which have been almost invariably hostile. Even the extreme Ministerial journals could not bring themselves to view the appointment If Mr Lyttclton in succession to Mr Chamlyerlain with feelings of satisfaction. "T.P." however, has quite a high opinion of the new Minister. "lie has spoken a great deaj more in the House of Commons than some of the 'papers represent." says the journalist. "Perhaps the reason his speeches have not attracted much attention outside the House of Commons is that they have nearly always been very brief, but they have always been to the point ; they have been very sensible and very unprejudiced, and they have been delivered with a graceful and striking distinction of manner." "T.P." goes so far as to say that Mr Lyttelton's manner and ability remind him of the accounts of Gladstone's younger days, and as T.P." is a shrewd judge, there should be hope for the new Colonial Secretary.