Sir George Grey.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3454, 20 January 1880, Page 2

Sir George Grey.

Past, Present, and Future,

Sir George Grey is announced as about

to proceed on a lecturing tour, no doubt with the intention of recovering his lost political position as leader of the Opposition. Sir George has never taken kindly to bis deposition, and at various times last session was seen angling for it, with haste and want of discretion, which placed it still further from liis reach. The one weakness of Mr Macandrew was his desire to let his former leader down easily, in many instances thereby compromising himself. It was said that the main object Oi the young New Zealand party was to restore Sir George Grey to the leadership, though we know that the idea was very far from being favorably entertained-by several of its members. It is said that immediately after the defection of the Aucklaud Rats, Sir George, at a meeting of the • Committee of Management,' insultingly twitted the party with the reason assigned for the change of leadership, that a number of Otago members would come over; and that he imperiously demanded that the meeting should be adjourned until the promise was realised-^meaniug that if the promisecould not be fulfilled, he should be restored to his position. He was replied i.o vigorously by a gentlemen present and caved in. Mr Swanson himself has stated over and orer again that one^ of the reasons which induced him to leave his party, was a conversation with Sir George, George, when he thought he found encouragement to take the step he did; and it was very generally rumoured, that the ex-leader of the Liberals was at the bottom of the plot. Our own interpretation, however, is that the in* trigue was simply to get back the leadership. This desire ' will explain many things and it is not a far-fetched notion that Sir George Grey would rather see the Conservatives in power, than the Liberals without himself at their head. The strength of the Hall Ministry is in the disunion of: their opponents, and they will probably find their best friend, in Sir George Grey. la illustration of thia view of the position, - let us take three periods, before office, in office, after office. In the early part of 1877, Sir George Grey could hardly be said to lead a party at all. He had a few partizans in Auckland, but he was recognised as in no sense formidable to the Ministry. The Middle party was formed, and in consequence of a distinct promise that Sir George should have no. part in the formation of a new Ministry, a number of gentlemen, wearied with the shuffling of the Coalition or Continuous Ministry, came over and turned the scale. Mr Larnach called a meeting, and Mr Montgomery, the leader of the Middle party, was asked to undertake the task of forming a Government. His duty was from his position to undertake at once the responsibility ; but his natural timidity caused him to shrink, and his indecision made his friends turn from him with despair. Then negotiations were opened with Sir George Grey, and he was elected at a caucus. For a time he held office with a majority, and then came the recess and the session of 1878. He had managed before the close of 1877 to give a rude shock .to confidence by his conduct over the Land Bill. In the following session he irretrievably damaged his Governmeut by acts which indicated that he drew a distinction between his colleagues and himself —that damage to them did not imply any injury to himself, that while he could appropriate their successes, he was in no way implicated in their failures. He jauntily announced the withdrawal of the Beer Bill, notwithstanding the stand taken up by two of his colleagues, and in the opinion of not a few seemed triumphant in defeat. He destroyed the work of his Government in the Electoral Bill, by persistently clinging to a provision introduced during the passage of the measure. The next recess came, when a series of petty intrigues and disputes, and a neglect of great responsibilities, showed the great pro-Consul .in his true colors. His Govern, ment, acid we have seen him again trying to direct the mind of a party, though not.3^ nominally its leader. We have seen de^B moralisatiou and collapse ensue upon the finest Don Quixotism of modern times.

An illustration will suffice to show the

want of true patriotism and of regard for the advance of liberal principles. He wanted to burk the Land Bill of last session for no other apparent reasons'than that the Legislative Council had struck out the ballot provision, leaving-the law as it stood in this respect. The measure was a great advance on previous legislation ; it contained provisions for village settlements, both of which Sii George Grey had promised a deputation as necessary to the peace of one part of the country, and the successful settlement of every part. He had never opened his mouth for the ballot sys'em before, in fact knew nothing about its working, but because he had heard that the Council had

made an amendment ho was prepared to destroy the Bill. We say he may lecture to doomsday, but he will never again possess the confidence of the men whose

support alone could restore Jjim to power. He may still remain powwfulJlFmischief —hemay remain a bit ofytnuiconoclast, but he will never again, occupy theposition of leading a great party. He may assist to pull down, but his chance for building up is gone. His Liberalism

consists in grasping at every popular cry, false or true, but Greyism is not Liberal-

ism, as freedom and equality are not built

upon a spirit of autocracy and a jealousy of equals."—Wangaimi Herald.