THE NEW SECRETARY FOR THE COLONIES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3043, 27 April 1867, Page 6

THE NEW SECRETARY FOR THE COLONIES.

The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, whom the dissension, in Lord Derby's Cabinet have placed ab the knead of the Colonial office, w the only son of the late Duke, by the lister of the last Marquis of Breadalbaue, and is now in his forty filth year. Belonging to that faTOured class who seem generally to be placed beyond the reach of ordinary misfortune, the duke was destined to discover, before he had reached his twenty-fifth year, that fate had reserved for him an experience of life very different from that of most dukes' eldest sons. In 1848, but a> short time after the Queen's visit to Stowe, when all the country rang with the report of her magnificent reception, the late duke's difficulties culminated. The princely home of the Grenvilles, the resort for nearly a century of all most renowned in intellect and art, and the seat of accumulated treasures of every description, became for many days the scene of an auctioneer's triumphs ; and the glorious chambers in which Chatham and Temple had held converse, and sought repose from the cares of state, were filled with. Jew dealers, brokers, and a motley group, whose like it may be safely asserted the walls of those grand old apartments have never loomed upon before or since, whilst they echoed to the ham* mer of the great George Kobins. The sale at Stow* wjs second to none— not even to that of Mr. Beokford, at Fonthill — in the intersst it excited and the quality of the property disposed of. The catalogues were sold at a guinea apiece. Great sympathy was at the time felt and expressed for Lord Chandoa, the mure so that: a painful impression prevailed, to which the Times newspaper gave further force iv a memorable article, to the effect that the late duke had, in his difficulties, taken an unfair advantage of his son in reference to the alienation of certain property. But whatever might have been the shortcoming* of the father, the son is a man universally esteemed and respected, and bhe manner in which, when he learnt his real position, he put his shoulder to the wheel and resolved to show men that, although the eldest son of a duke, with the noblest blood iv England running in his veins, he could and would earn his bread, won the hearts of Englishmen. Stow* was, after being completely gutted of its treasures, for many years entirely abandoned ; but it will gratify the many who take an interest in the annals of an historic houte so intimately connected with the politics of the last century, to learn that the duke, who succeeded to a property of many thousands a-year on the death of his maternal uncle the Marquis of Breadalbane, is now, so far |as house and park are concerned, (> enjoying his own again." But Stowe is of course no longer the Stowe of yore, now its treasures and magnificent library are scattered to the four winds. 'Ihe whereabouts of many of the objects of art are still well known, and it is possible may be gradually recovered. The grand lanthorn — made expressly for the Queen's visit — emblazoned with the arms of the barons and numerous noble families with whom the Greenvilles have been connected — not omitting the conspicuous quartering of the family arms with those of royalty itself, on which account ill-natured critics declared that it had been made, and prominently introduced to the illustrious visitor's attention — now adorns the hall of the famous Calverley Hotel, a favourite resort in former days of Lord and Lady Palmerston, at Tnnbridge Wells. Even now, half the curiosity and verta dealers in England derive the pedigree of a surprising number of their wares from Stowe, and, indeed, although that house is very large, it had need have been as big as Versailles tj have accommodated all the articles which ingenious Hebrews and other dealers in " bigotry and virtue " assert to have once occupied a niche within its walls. The Dukedom' of Buckingham again becomes extinct on the death of the present duke, who has no male heir ; but his eldest daughter will, by a special limitation in the,original patent, become, on her father's death, Countess Temple in her own right. It is not a little remarkable that the Duke.* dom of Buckingham has been enjoyed by four dis« tinct families — the StafFords, Yillierses, Sheffield*, and Grenvilles. Buckingham Palace was originally the town-house of Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham, and sold by his heirs to the Crown. The old town-house of the present creation stands in Pall Mall, and is now a part of the War Office. The arms carved in stone still remain. The duke's grandmother was daughter and sole heiress of the last Duke of (Jhandos, and we believe that he now occupies, Chandos House, long known as the residence of the Austrian Embassy, so that, both iv town and in country, his Grace has in middle life returned to the home of hja fathers. The duke, as Marquis of Chandos, was for Borne years chairman of th,e London and North- Western Railway Company, and discharged his responsible office to the general satisfaction of the shareholders and the general public. He sat in the House of Commons for the borough of Buckingham. Without, probably, possessing Lord Carnarvon extensive and accurate knowledge of colonial subjects, we believe that bis Grace will be found to administer.the duties of his office with prudence, moderation, and good sense.