LORD PALMERSTON AND SIR JOHN ROBERTSON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8610, 4 July 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

LORD PALMERSTON AND SIR JOHN ROBERTSON.

ROMANCE IN HIGH LIFE. Makv people learning the fact that Lord Palmerston received the late Sir John Robertson, then a youth, with great courtesy and kindness on his visiting London, have never been able to learn how it was thab so exalted an English statesman should take so much notice of a poor colonial lad. The explanation reveais a ro-

mance the particulars of which have never till now been published. The facts were related to the writer by Sir John Robertson himself. In the early days Sir John's father, who was engaged in pastoral pursuits on the Hunter, had in his employ an assigned convict servant, a young man named Sinclair. The Robertsons treated this man very kindly, and he frequently wrote to his friends in England to that effect. Being desirous of seeing life, and having some taste for the sea, young John Robertson took a trip to England. He was then about 18 years of age, and after arriving in London he called at the Colonial Office to deliver some letters. He had

occasion to call a second time, when the gentleman in charge, with a wholly changed, affable demeanour, informed him that Lord Palmei'ston wished urgently to see him. This intelligence staggered young Robertson, who could not imagine why His Majesty's Secretary for Foreign Affairs should so particularly wish to see him. Accordingly he went to Lord Palmerston's office, ana was received with marked attention. Palmerston inquired about the colonies and the colonists in an informal sort of way, and then came down to what was evidently his real business. " You have working with your father in Australia a young man named Sinclair, who got into trouble and was transported. His mother is a respectable person, and ho lias been writing home from Sydney how kind your father and family have been to him. He has in fact written telling of your coming to England. Now, I want you to stay a week ab my country home, and you may find it a pleasant change." The bowifdered youth tried to get out of the invitation, but the noble lord would hear of no excuse, and so young Robertson wont down to the country. Here again he was received by Lord PalnursUm with great attention and kindness. Two days after his arrival Lord Palmerston asked his guest to go for a ride. The rest had better be told Iβ Sir John's own words. " Well, we went out for a ride, and got away from the house about seven miles, when wo arrived at a nice picturesque cottage, situated by itself off the road. Going inside, Lord Palmerston introduced me to a, fine-looking woman, who, immediately she know who I was, threw her arms around mo and kissed mo many times. Well, I was a greenhorn at that time; but you may guess I wasn't there five minutes before I put two and two together. The fact was, young Sinclair the convict was this lady's son, and Lord Palmerston was his father. Queer romance ! Tho natural son of the tirsb man in England a convict in Australia !" When younp Robertson was returning to Australia Lord Palmerston wanted to give him special letters to tho Govornor of New South Wales, with the view to benefit tho Roberteon family; bub with that pride which characterised his whole life, tho future land legislator declined thorn, and hinted that perhaps they would be of vaJuo to tho Governor himself, at which Lord i'tilmorstoti "laughed cgnsuiaodly,"