SIR GEORGE GREY ON THE EMPIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9582, 6 August 1894, Page 6

SIR GEORGE GREY ON THE EMPIRE.

Sir George Grey, the venerable colonial statesman, was entertained at luncheon, in London, on June 19, by the members of the National Liberal Club. The Marquis of Ripon presided, and among others present were t the Earl of Stamford, Lord Carrington, Mr. Hugh CI. Childers, Sir H. Gilzean Reid, Mr. Andrew Carnegie, Mr. John Hamer, Mr. C. E. Shaw, M.P., Mr. Richard Eve, Mr. B. T. L. Thomson, Mr. J. H. Levy; Mr. Alexander Ritchie, Mr. J. Macdonald, the Rev. J. Lucas; Mr. D. Naoroji, M.P., Sir Andrew Clarke, Mr. W. Saunders, M.P., Mr. F. Smith, Mr. E. J. C. Morton, M.P., Dr. J. T. Gabriel, Mr. F. Schnadhorst, Mr. John Alexander, Mr. L. Makower, Mr. J. A. Fox, Mr. J. Kepp elHopkins, Mr. G. S. Salmon, Mr. John Hutchinson, Mr. H. R. Fox Bourne, Mr. C. R. Carter, Mr. S. Cosgrove, Mr. P. Valera, Mr. L. Parsons, Mr. B. Shaul, Mr. F. Heys Jones, Mr. C.'s M. Peacock, Mr, H. S. VVaugb, Mr. D. W. Mclnnes, Mr. J. R. Cox, Mr. E. P. Nesbit, Q.C., Mr. Mark Mayhew, and Mr. Donald Murray (secretary). Lord Rosebery, who had intended to preside, but was prevented from doing so, made bis appearance while luncheon was in progress, and shook hands very heartily with Sir George Grey. The Chairman, in proposing "The Health of our Guest," said their presence on that occasion was a sufficient proof of how highly they appreciated the public services of Sir Geo. Grey during his long and honoured life. In his career they could see something of the real secret of that unity of the British Empire to the importance and value of which to this country we were in these days more and more awakening.- Sir George Grey was a remarkable example of that interchange of ability which existed at the present time in the British Empire, and which was the true principle of the real unity of the Empire; because they saw men who had distinguished themselves at home going out to the colonies and doing good service there, and they saw men who had distinguished themselves in the colonies coming home and doing good service here. But the members of the National Liberal

Club had not only given Sir George Grey a hearty and sincere welcome because he was a great Englishman, but also because he was a great Liberal. The toast was very cordially received. Sir George Grey, on rising to respond, was loudly cheered. He said he thanked the Minister for Colonial Affairs for the manner in which he had proposed the toasts, and brought his services to their notice. He had served long and to the best of bis ability ; but he claimed nothing more than to have acted as he believed any English officer would have acted in similar circumstances. No peculiar merit belonged to himself in this respect. Surrounded as he had been by able men, and assisted by them in every respect, he owed to them the honours now conferred upon him. He would like to say a few words upon the experience he bad had in reference to the government of the colonies, and to the effect of that government upon the world at large. He believed that we had in some way been peculiarly favoured by Providence, and enabled to perform great tasks and duties to all mankind in almost every part of the world ; and now this pretty orb was absolutely girdled by British possessions. But then came the question : How was this mighty Empire to be governed for the future—how were we to govern and rule the great Empire we bad created and called into existence? Most of it had been done during the reign of our most excellent Sovereign ; to her hands they had brought this mighty Empire, and yet the finishing stroke had to be made. In what manner was this Empire to be retained and governed, and rendered a blessing to all mankind That was the great question of the moment, and to his mind nothing could be more glorious, nothing greater, than for this Sovereign, who had collected the Empire together, to devise, and carry out, before parting froja us, a form of government which might assure the happiness of the people of every part of those dominions which we possessed, 'hat could be readily done ; and he maintained that the hour had come, and the opportunity had offered itself.. They had able and active Ministers ; and the question he asked was, Would they lead them on in a triumphant march which would secure great and lasting institutions? The task was easy. Let them leave in the main to every portion of the Empire the power of self-government, and let the whole body be bound in one great agreement to stand together for all common objects, to endeavour to instil nothing but lofty thoughts into their officers who governed in different parts of the world, and to educate mankind at the presenttime to fulfil the duties which must be performed. In the twentieth, century new and difficult tasks would arise, but they were duties which must be carried out, and they might be rendered advantageous to us in every respect That could be done by local self government. Why not let men broken up into comparatively small communities have ample powers of self-government upon every question except thoso which concerned the interests of the whole ? That was easily given. He would turn now to the condition that England was in. He contended that

there was great difficulty in getting employment, especially for highly-educated men, and there was great room for improvement in our commerce. In the case of Great Britain, by breaking up into proper divisions the land of the country, and constituting States here and there with the powers of self-government which were necessary for their existence, they would pour new life and new energy into every part of the British dominions; employment and occupation would be found for men who now could find nothing to do ; commerce would revive, and a beneficial impulse would be given to the British dominions. . Edinburgh would wake to life again;" more great men would reside in Edinburgh. In the same- way Ireland would- have a Parliament, 'exercising that influence which was absolutely necessary for the ' existence of a nation.". They required some great men to live in the nation in which they were born, to direct its Government, to assist in its elevation. Then life would become different, and it would hold out attractions .-which it did not now to men to exert themselves

and to exalt their dispositions by endeavouring to seize opportunities to raise those portions of the country Which were committed to their hands to the highest pitch of greatness to which they could attain. What necessity was there to unite several states in Ireland' into one body ? Why not let Ulster govern itself as Ulster ? Why not let ib, in generous conflict as ib were, try to give an example to the other States in Ireland as to what might be done, and let the other States try to discover something which might possibly surpass Ulster? It seemed to him that to give these powers to different parts of the country had become necessary now that the old state of things had evidently become worn out and required to be replaced „by something new, something more fitting to the present times than many of our institutions now were. He held these views

thirty years ago, but no one would listen to him. Now he found more willingness to consider the question thoroughly. If they found out everything that was worth preserving, and dropped everything that was bad, then the nation would enter upon a more triumphanb career than it had ever done before, and its career would be one for the settlement of the world

and not for the disturbance of mankind. His motto through life had been to keep the old world ' out of the new. The old world had become one mass of standing camps, in which millions of men were supported by the rest of the population, and their pay and their food found them, and little done really for the advancement of the people. That was the present state of i the Old World, and it was in that respect that he had striven to the utmost to keep the Old World out of the New. If foreign nations were allowed to establish naval arsenals and military posts in every part of the earth, they became a perfect menace to the colonies, because whenever war occurred

among the old European nations injuries would be inflicted upon the New World, which had not sinned against the Old World. He believed that in adherence to their policy of determination to hold to the course that they were pursuing in that respect, they would perfectly tranquillise all the Englishspeaking portion of the world for generations to come ; and if they had : this opportunity of developing their commerce in peace, and devoting themselves to the trade which they had created in Africa and other parts of the world, they would come triumphantly out of the -% difficultieß , which

1 now seemed to beset them. There was nob i a heart in the New World that did nob feel that England's conduct to : her colonies had throughout been noble and good, and that England had always" sought to benefit her colonies and bring them to the highest state of perfection, and render them all that advantage to the Empire which they really ought to be. : "'■:...-', /-; *i'"• % - Mr. Richard Ere proposed the health of the Chairman, who. in reply expressed the hope that they would all see the realisation of the dream which Sir George 'Jreyf had dreamed. Lord Carrington said he hoped they would live to see Ireland take ; its proper place among the nations. , >