SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1894. SIR GEORGE GREY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4705, 28 April 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1894. SIR GEORGE GREY.

We remember Sir George Grey wbe he was Governor of New Zealam and were impressed by him as bein a little orotchely, and a little insincen a little quarrelsome, and a littl autocratic but withal a distinguishe personage wbo w.nß entitled torespeol We also remember Sir George Gre when he was Premier of New Zealant when he brought the Colony int serious financial embarrassments when be neglected bis department! duties and spent Lis time potten'n about the country delivering mild in flamraatory speeches and [iratemißin, with Tom, Dick, and Harry. It wa at fhaf period of bis career (list h came to Master top apd (jreytop ani said mnDy nicu things about loci residents and many more to them. I was then that he promised to inleres himsell in local undertakings like tli Waiohine River encroachment. Whil he was amongst us we were of cours proud and pleased, but when be hai (tone on his way we realized that bi fine, speeches and his aimiabla pro raises were bo much" bunkum," am that we in the Wairarapa hai been blarneyed in much tbesami way as other communities in tb Colony. Sir George was not liki the preaent Premier. If Mr Seddoi says-a thing is |o be dope, ijii done j but when Sir Gegrge inti mated that something was to be accoru pjisbed, it was a moral certainty tha it would not come to pass. His grea point with us was that he was affable but then bin affability buttered m parspips. Then again bis sffabilitj seemed tobo a part of that pride which japes humility, and he treated hii Ministerial oolleaguas like lackeys We have ourselves seen some of then standing by the hour out in the cole at Greytown, whjle Sir Qeorgf) wai paesiog his time chatting with Tom, Dick and Harry, and perfectly wel 1 aware that they were waiting for hire in the street. As Premier, be surrounded himself with penniless camp followers wbo toadied him, flattered him, and lived upon him, for the sake of his wealth as well as his power When we first knew Sir. George W£ thought bim a great man, but «b he became more familiar to us he Bank in our estimation, We cannot see that tho Sociajistip doctrines, which he has preachpd pf late years, haye been beneficial (othe community, His influence,-in'Auckland tans been paramount, and yet there has been more poverty and. degradation in that portion of the colony than, jn anv other. We cannot see that in any way be has olevated the obaracter or improved the condition of the people amongst wbom be baa lived. Still, he is, perhaps,, the only historically great living, man wbo belongs to-New Zealand, unless wo except that more modest and genuine lrero, Mr Bryce, 'and fur this reason the honour, which has been paid to bim, is in some sort an honour conferred on the colony. We dp pot dispute §ir Gjeprge Grey's intellectual eminence,' Had he been a member, of-the English House of Commons he'would haye been in the first flight of its distinguished public men, btit'to üb|b woujd never have bten a |)ero, He is a bprn. aptpr, arid ho. js 'f Only natural »hep he is' acting,'' and we can paly sarmisa what the trpe man Is, We' have tp,aj feeling abouf, him whioh. Carlyle. expressed. when |}e wrote:" If a great speaker, an orator, is not speaking tho truth, what more j buhl object is there in creation?"]

That Sir George Grey in bis pubiio addresses has allowed himself con. fiidetable latitude of idsaa ana of admitted. He does not perhaps open ha month to deceive the public) but lie doea allow bis arnstto and imaginative faculties o colour his utterances. He is vain to a fault, and the applause of the pit is meat and drink to him. We do not deny that hi is a God amonget men in New Zealand, but to our mind he i 8 a »ai«e bod, to whom«we cannot render homage. We can admire his ability and wonder at his intellectual achiepe. ments, but we do find in him that true ring whioh distinguishes the real gold from the counterfeit,.