THE MAN.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19985, 21 July 1930, Page 11

THE MAN.

[By the Hon. V!. H. Tawus, M.L.C.J

AN APPRECIATION. (■JEOULMT TOITTEH *O3l TSB * M SS.)

Kn «Vr« °«ii a n h t \ t i 8 * d8 p ; i ;; eo I '^ 1 ,», «««

These words from the lament of King David over the death of Abnor, are at on» brou sht to the mind by the news of the passing of Sir Robert Stout. New Zealand haa been exceptionally fortunate in her public men, but for mental capacity, uprightness of character, and all-round distinction, Sir Robert Stout will always stand high in tho illustrious sad-roll. History represents another striking example of the opportunities for advancement which ew Zealand offers to those Wave the talent, industry, and determination to take advantaga of t cm. Starting with a primary school and tho trainin g of a pupil teacher, he lived to be Premier of Now Zealand, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Acting-Governor of the iJominion, one of his Majesty's Privy Councillors, admitted to sit oh the Judicial Committee, Chancellor of the University of Now Zealand, Hon. O.C.L. of Oxford, and Hon. LL.D. of Edinburgh and Manchester.

t The late Sir Robert Stout was born in Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, a ? as educated in the parish school, of which he became a pupil teacher. He arrived in Zealand at the age of nineteen, with the determination to "get on" in the new land to which his spirit or adventure had led him. A ticottisii parish sehool education, reinforced by the Scottish virtues of frugality, industry, and determination, is no bad preparation for life, as numerous examples testify. Sir Robert Stout, who was deeply attached to the Shotland Islands, was fond of quoting the many Shctlanders who had distinguished themselves in various walks of Jife. He was equally proud of the fact that every man in Lerwick, of military age, volunteered for active service in the Great War. He must have learned much in hi# island heme, beyond what he was taught at school. Hq has often told me what a well-read, thoughtful class the Shetlanders wore. He attributed it largely to the long winters, with their brief span of daylight, and long winter nights, when the inhabitants were forced to remain indoors, and spent mueh time iji reading because there was nothing else for Ihem to do, He often spoke of his nncle James as one of the best-read, most well-informed men he had ever known, He recalled his excellent library, and the interesting discissions around his table and fireside, the future Chief Justice, wo may be sure, taking it all in, and, if not breaking into the discussion with an opinion of his pwn, longing to do so. In the South of EJngland, in my young days, th? adage, "Children should be seen Add pot heart}," was very firmly held by the grown-ups. The Shetland Islandelders may have been more tolerant, and—shall I sayP—wiser. But the young people of to-day have no cause to complain. lam told that it is they who do all the talking, and the elders who have to keep silcnco, Proud of bis Norm Ancestry.

Sir Robert's love for the place of his birth, and his pride in his Norse ancestry, were very noticeable, His family, it is said, came from Norway five hundred years ago, in a raid of the Vikings, Thorp is certainly an Olaf Stout mentioned in the Saga, anu it is said he was the leader in the invasion of the Shetlanda. There was a good deal of the Viking in Sir Robert Stout. In the prime of his manhood he was a man of noble presence, at least six feet high, and well-proportioned. With his white beard, which he used to wear very long, and handsome face, he was a striking figure in any gathering at which he was present, and on tho Bench he was particularly impressive, tlio more go because his dignified presence was combined with a Sflave and urbane manner. At the J3ar, and in the Parliamentary arena, tho fighting strain of the Viking came out. On occasion he was trenchant and aggressive, but ha fcnaw tho v»!u« of persuasiveness and an appeal to reason, and acted accord-, iligly, Ho especially shone in address, ing a jury, and was probnbly the beßt advocate we have ever had in the Now Zealand Courts. I have 1 personal reason to ho grateful to him for his powers in this respect. Many years ago. whep I was editing tho Christehurch Paaas, a telegram oam© to hand from our Wellington correspondent, alleging that a Minister of the Clown had boon using his position to persecute a policeman, because the Inttor refused to supwrt him in election campaign. T knew that if the facts were not as stated, the telegrnm was libellous; hut if it was true, the Minister's conduct, 1 thought, in the public interest, ou?ht to he espqsed. i had tho fu'lest confidence in my correspondent, the lata Mr Malcolm Poss, and published the telegram. The editor of another journal who also re. eeived the telegram, evidently felt the snmo as T did about it, but. more cautious than 1, toned it down before sending it to the printer, We were ie?y promptly each served with a writ, without apy suggestion of an anolonry or explanation, and we each retained Sir Robert Stout for the defence, As luck would have it. the ease against the other paper came on first, and the j ry found a verdict a?ninst it for £151) damages, which of course carried eosts. Qur enso was to follow immediately, and Sir. TJobert ask'nn if ho should settle with the p'aintiff on fho *ame terms as the verdict in the other case. T replied thnt aa we went into tho matter with our eyes open. IW>evin<? the publication to be in the public interest, T thought we should fiaht nn, Sir Robert fullv agreed, linpdierl the pace and 10 : mrre c scd the jury (a flifferent nnel thnt they found for the defendant newspaper, and the Judge gave us co?ts. An Exciting Session.

I first saw Sir Robert over fifty years ago, when he was AttomeyrGeneral and Minister for Lands in S<r George Grey's Ministry, but had no personal acquaintance with him. I saw more of him In the memorable Parliamentary session of 1884, which witnessed bia entrv into the Premiership- It was Brobtibly the most exciting session in in) history of our far)lament. Ao fewer than ' three Ministries wero formed in rapid succession- The first was formed by Sir Julius vogel, who had been brought back to New Zealand to see if he eonld lift the countr; oi*t of the depression which then ex-j Everyone admitted his ability, hut a good many thought his schemes a little too venturesome and bis Ministry lasted only from August loth to August 38th, whon it fell, and Major Atkinson was again gent for, lhat lasted only a week, and after futile negotiations for a coalition batmen Atftinson and Vogel, a Ministry was formed, and lasted from Sontem'tor Srd, 18S4> to October Bth, 1887. It was a curious arrangement. Stout was to be the PromioTj 'and Vagal Colonial Treasurer (Finance Minister), "with precedence, It was antly as "Vogej with the brake op." Stout, tahis speeches could bo as idealist^-shall I say as Utopian and dreamy P—as Sir Grey. But, when it came to ndminfs, tiation and framing legislation. Stouts sound knowledge of political economy and native caution and eommonsense pQuld bo trusted to keep the ibip of

State on a safe course. Que of the debts of gratitude thut New Zealand owes to that Ministry is the fact that both Sir Julius Vogel and Sir Robert Stout fully realised the importance of the Pacific in the shaping of world politics. Sir Robert had visited feamoa on some legal business and was very favourably impressed both with the islands and the people, of whom fie always spoke very highly. Both he arid Sir Julius Vogel were greatly concerned on account of tl)e menacing advance of Germany in the Pacific, and repeatedly expressed their fears to the Home Government. At that time the Sainoans wero very anxious to come under British protection, and had, in fact, expressed a desire to be annexed to New Zealand. When the Germans took possession of a great part of New Guinea the Stout-Vogel Government became more than ever alarmed. They made an urgent appeal to the English Government to accedo to the petition of the Samoans, and they actually commissioned the s.s. Hinemoa and kept her, with steam up, for several days in readiness to send her down to the Samoan Group to hoist the British flag on getting authority from Home. But the Homo Government at that time was desperately anxious not to offend Prince Bismarck, and not only resolutely refused to agrqe to the Colonial Government's request, but showed a nervous anxiety lest the latter, by any unauthorised action of their own, should bring about an international crisis. Subsequently, as is well known, they came to an agreement with the Germans, by which the latter, in return for recognising the independence of Tonga and making certain concessions in Africa, were allowed to take possession of Western Samoa.

A Powerful Debater. I have said that in Parliament Sir Robert Stout was a most poworful debater. He had a habit, when an opnonent was speaking, of emitting a most scornful laugh, which most of tuose opposed to him found very disconcerting. It is no socret that he was 1 greatly disappointed when, on the death of Mr Ballance, Mr Soddon was chosen leader of the Liberal Party, especially as Mr Ballance had himself expressed a wish that his first lieutenant should be his successor. What followed is accurately stated by Mr Gisborne in his "Rulers of New Zealand":—"For tho next three years (aftej- Mr Seddop elected Premier) there was the strange spectacle of Sir Robert Stout, with a few personal followers, holding himself aloof from his former Party and gradually drifting into Opposition." At that time, with Sir Francis Bell and Mr John Duthie, he represented Wellington City. At the General Election of 1806 he was returned classed with the Oppo3'tion. In 1899 Mr Seddon appointed him Chief Justice, in succession to Sir James Prendergast, who had resigned. In doing so he undoubtedly ""'octer l the best man available, and so did credit to himself as well as acting 0 • (.■ st interests of the country. 1 know, however, from a pretty intimate knowledge of what was taking place, that at the next General Election Sir Robert would have been the leader of a united Opposition, and there was great confidence that he would oust.the Government and regain the Premiership. Everyone who came into close contact with Sir Robert Stout must have been impressed with his immense capaoity for work. Even when he was at his busiest, administering the affairs of tho country as Premier, or sitting on the Bench of the Supreme Court, he managed to get through an immense amount of reading. His favourite study was philosophy, and he sqepied to take in, almost at a glance, the most abstruse works of Haldane or Balfour. He' was greatly interested in "The Golden Bough" and other works of Sir James Frazer. I do not think ho took sufficient interest in the classics to make their study part of his daily life, in the way that S*r Charles Bowen and Mr Rolleston did, or as another eminent statesman, happily still with us, is believed to do. When he was in the House the practice of introducing a Latin tag into a speech had not quite died out, but Sir Robert always kept to the vernacular, which he was able to use with such telling effect. Being askod to contribute a "Foreword" to a magazine issued by the young students of Victoria College, he started off by quoting" from "the Latin poet that old men love" the lines: "Tempus abire tlhi est, nq Rideat et pulset lasciva decentius aetas.''

In this he did himself scant justice, and 1 fancy Horace himself would have been puzzled at such an application of his scathing lines. Sir Robert read a good deal of French, chieflv reviews, and current works on philosophy. But bo was, ahove all, an omnivorous readers of piagaeineg and reviews, American as well as English. He was as indefatigable / with his ?>en a& hj" was in devouring the writings of others. So was a freouent and mo>t valued contributor to the Christchurch Pai?e ; in my time, and the articles he wrote for that paper would in themselves fill a substantial volume. It was ama?in? to see the rapidity and ease with wbiob he could turn out an article —sometimes dictating it to a shorthand writer, but often writing it with his own hand. It is. I hope,, no disreapeet to say tjiat the compositors preferred the former. He wrote namnhlets innumerable and contributed largelv to English and American magazines and reviews.

Moral and Religious Questions. Sir Robert's enthusiasm in the cause of Prohibition and his antipathy to tobaocorsmoking are well known, and need not be further referred to here. This notice would not be complete, however, without some reference to bis attitude towards religion, m re* gard t» which he was often misjudgedThose who knew Sir Robert intimately knew that he had every essential of a Christian gentleman, 'n private |ifo be was Uin'iliness itself, and so unassuming that the poorest apd humblest at once felt at home with him. He was animated by the highest ideals, and his life was pure and beyond reproach, But lie could not bring himself to accept the miraculous element in religion He took the greatest interest in the study of religions and his knowledge of theologicnl works astonished his clerical friends, of whom he had many. Many a young Nonconformist minister was indebted to the departed Chief Justice for encou 171 <2:o^ont in his studies, and for the loan of books from Sir Robert's library. On several occasion* he delivered ethical addresses from the pulpits of Noncomformist churches. In 1897 he went to England, and, more suo, he wrote a little book giving some of his impressions. There is a chapter headqd ''Churches," which is interesting as showing the broad spirit in which Sir Robert viewed the various forms Of religious worship, and the pains he took to investigate things for himself, On that tour he visited Buddhist and Hindoo temples and a mosque In Ceylon, At Port Said he went to the Greek chureh on Easter Sunday, and to another mosque. In Franc'e he went to many Catholie cathedrals and churches. Of Notre Dame, the Rfadejeine, and the Church of the Saered Heart at Montmartre, he tells us, "I was in these churches at various hours, and on various days—weekdays and Sundays—'and at early Mass between 7 and 8 a.m. In England he attended man) churches, Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian, Congregational, Unitarian, etc. _He describes these churches and services, and gives his impressions of the various forms of worship in a detached kind of way, much as an enquiring spirit from Mars might be expected to do. In another chapter, he added, "Prophets," he tells us of the different preachers to whom he listened, and tne impregsion each mad* on him. JEh# lia| includes

the Rev. R. J, Campbell, then at the City Temple, the Rev. Dr. Clifford at Wcstbourne Chapel, the Rev. Dr. Estlin Carpenter, the leading Unitarian minis' t.er in England, the Hov. J. Ross, in the Presbyterian Church at Cambridge, the Rev. Dr. Strong, Presbyterian at Glasgow, Dr. Stanton Coit, in the Ethical Church at Bayswator, and Mr Claude Montefiore, Leader of the Reform movement among the Jows. Of all thes;Dr. Clifford seems to have made the most lasting impression on his mind. Doubt less, this was largely due to his subject, which was George Meredith, the novelist. Speaking of that writer's boliefs. the preacher said:— "But you will tell me that George Meredith was an agnostic. He was. He looked at the universe, and reverently said, 'I do not know' And perhaps that attitude was as reverential as ours." Later on he said:— "I call George Meredith a thoroughly religious man, and quo whose memory we should over revere." Sir Robert was not only pleased, but astounded. "And I heard this," he exclaims, "in a Baptist church, and on a Sunday evening! What prophet fifty years ago, and this is within my memory, could have predicted that a Sunday evening, in a Baptist church, would have been spent in dealing with tho life of an agnostic novelist, and that the prcachor would have givfen this 'infidel' credit for sincerity, and for deep religious feeling. Truly, our race has marched onward in the path of religious liberty!" One is reminded of the words of Tennyson:—

Yet I doubt cot through th* age* on* increasing purpose iuna— And the thoughts of men are widened with the process of the suns. The same poet has said:— There lives more faith in honefet doubt, Believe jne, than in half the creeds. Many will grieve that the groat man who haa departed was not vouchsafed a clearer vision of the verities in which they believe, but they will all admit that his life was beyond reproach, and that he has left a record of beneficent achievement, and a noble example for others to follow. And so, I feoJ that I cannot better conclude than in the moving words with which Izaak Walton ended his tribute to Sir Henry Wotton, whom he spoke of as "dying, worthy of his name and family, worthy of the love and favour of bo many princes and persons of eminent wisdom and learning, worthy of the trust committed unto him for the serviee of his prince and country." I would also say, with the contemplative fisherman, "And all readers are requested to believe that he was worthy of a more worthy pen to have preserved his memory and committed his merits to the imitation of posterity."

LONG RECORD OP SERVICE. GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S HIGH PRAISE. (FMS S ASBOCUTJO* TJILEQJUU; WELLINGTON, July SO. A Vice-Regal tribute to the memory of Sir Robert Stout was paid at the Orphans' Club oq Satui'uay night. Lord Bledisloe also remarked that four notable figures in New Zealand political life mid died since he had been in New Zealand. Of these—Sir Joseph Ward, Sir- Thomas .tick n i "■ Robert Stout, and Sir Maui Pomare — ti rce had been Prime Ministers. "It is four months ajy> to-day since I arrived in your delightful country," said the Governor-Gc.i rai, an in that time no less than three or four of your distinguished public servants have passed to their rest. Notable amongst them is the one who died in t'>e earlv hours of this morning. Sir Robert Stout has served his country for an exceptionally long period. He was a man qf profound know'edge of peerless ideals, and of the highest integrity. He hold for 26 years the highest position which a lawyer could oeeupy " Rib Excellency drew attention to the fact that Sir Robert Stout had ceased his active political career three years before Sii Joseph Ward entered Parliament. MANY TRIBUTES. (?BISS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, July 19. Glowing tributes to Sir Robert Stout's long career in the service of the State are paid by both Mr Forbes and Mr Coates. Mr Forbes remarks that a great deal of the history of New Zealand is associated with his life. Mr Coates says thjit runpipg through his life there was a broad strain of humanity, his inclinations leaning always towards helping those unfortunately placed. "A link has been severed with the earliest history of politics and pioneering in New ZeaThe Leader of the Labour Party, Mr H, E. Holland, expresses the regret of himself and the Labour Party. He refers to Sir Robert Stout's political services and service as Chief Justice, and adds that his work in connexion with the founding of the educational system will be a monument tg his grgatness.