NEWS OF THE WOULD

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 June 1921, Page 2

NEWS OF THE WOULD

CAB I NET FAREWELLS. The pathetic story of Mr. Wilson’s last Cabinet will have recalled to mail) minds that of Mr. Gladstone, when he met his colleagues in Downing Street for the last. time. It was a scene which moved John Morlec to an unusual touch of sentiment. Mi. Gladstone sat composed and still as marble, and the emotion of the Cabinet did not pain him for an instant. He followed the words of acknowledgement and farewell in a- little speech of four or five minutes, his voice unbroken and serene, the tone low, grave and steady. .. • Then, hardly above a breath, but every accent heard, he said : ‘God bless you all.’ He rose slowly and went out of one door, while his colleagues, with minds oppressed, filed out of the other.” In his diary there is the entry—‘‘A really moving scene.” Less well known, but not less pathetic, was what may be calle< the “farewell Cabinet” of CampbellBannerman, a Cabinet of two, hansel and his successor. The Archbishoi of Canterbury, who had been at Camp-bell-Bannerman’s bedside, had * speaking of the Licensing Bill, and C. 8.” remarked: “Asquith it is joui. Bill after all, not mine. All the L, one must take what credit one can from these things.” And them still smiling perhaps o\ei s joke , he announced Ins W-m retiring. As a line, are not mournful occasions. It generally thought good form al least to affect a joy of release.