ST. GEORGE'S DAY IN LONDON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1163, 15 June 1894, Page 21

ST. GEORGE'S DAY IN LONDON.

- --©- THE BANQUET AT THE MANSION HOUSE. From Oar Special Correspondent. London, April 27. The St. George's Day banquet at the Mansion House to the representatives of tho colonies and India was shorn of its chief attraction by tho absence of Sir George Grey, who fell a victim to tho violent change of climate and east wind on Friday last, and was laid up at tho Metropole with a sharp attack of bronchitis. It was a most unlucky contretemps as another equally appropriate opportunity for the Grand Old Man of the South to make an effective public appearance may be some timo in coming.

The gathering proved even more brilliant and picturesque than these city feasts usually are. There were many guests, and " full dress" being tho order on tho invitation cards, military, diplomatic and Windsor uniforms were the rule rather than tho exception. Your correspondent, with Mr C. O. Montrose and tho representatives of the Argus and Age, were the only AngloColonial journalists who received invitations. We arrived rather late, and there was such a crush in the reception-room that moving about was out of tho question. After hearing my name announced (or rather mispronounced) in stentorian tones by a gorgeous gilt-bound groom-of-the-chambers, I bowed to our bland Chief Magistrate, and subsided, painfully conscious of tho insignificance of mere evening dress, as far into tho background as possible.

Tho only persons I spoke to before dinner —1 beg pardon, I should say before the bauqnet—-were Mr Hogan, M.P., and Lord Stamford. The former came like myself, a sweetly simple study in black and white, but his lordship looked very dapper and trim in Court dress. He explained to us tho nature of the indisposition of his illustrious relative Sir George Grey, and seemed I thought a little anxious about Sir George. At 82 even bronchitis is not an ailment to bo trifled with.

The doors at the back of the reception-room flew suddenly open, and Lord Mayor Tyler and his retinue, accompanied by ° the guests of the evening," ami followed by the general company, moved into the banqueting chamber. When we had settled into our places I noticed that Lord Knutsford, Lord Reay, tho American Ambassador, and Cardinal Vauphan occupied the places of honour on tho right and left of the Lord Mayor, the " representatives of the Colonies and India," in whoso honour tho banquet was nominally given, having to put up with much less exalted positions. Here are a few of the Australasian contingent present:—Lord Stamford, Lord Jersey, Lord Stanmore, Mr Childers, Sir Geo. Bowen, Bishop Selwyn, Bishop Barry, Sir Robert Meade, Sir Daniel Cooper, Sir F. Abel, Sir Andrew Clarke, Sir W. F. D. Jervois, all the Agents-General barring of course Sir John Bray, Hon. J. Inglis, Hon. William McCullough, Sir Robert Hamilton, Mr Pritchard Morgan, M.P., Mr Henniker Heaton, M.P., Mr T. Curran, M.P., Mr Hogan, M.P., and Mr A. J. R. Trendell. Amongst those who received cards, but were unable to attend, I happen to know of the Agent-General for South Australia, Sir Julius Vogel and Major George. A question very generally asked in the intervals between eating and drinking was "How doe 3 the American Ambassador como to be at this Colonial-Indian function on St. George's Day ?" Apparently tho Lord Mayor himself seemed to consider the matter required some explanation, and

tried later to give one. He was told, he said, our cousins in the United Stales looked upon St. George's Day with great regard, and that St. Georgo's societies flourished in the States and did a useful w#rk of fraternal benevolence.

Mr Bayard, the present American Ambassador (instead of Minister as heretofore), is not nearly as eloquent a man as Mr Phelps, whoso farewell speech at the Mansion House I shall never forget. Mr Bayard has a clear but very deliberate delivery. For ten minutes manner and matter were delightful. Then—well, we wished His Excellency would sit down. Mr Bayard frankly admitted there was something, he wouldn't say unusual, but memorable in his presence at such a gathering of the clans in the Mansion House on St. George's Day. There was a tradition, which it would not be wise to repeat too loudly, that the mischievous boy was generally the favourite of the household. His mother might confess it openly, his father secretly ; but the rest of the family said nothing about it. Now there was a mischievous boy who broke away from home something more than a century ago; but let them not suppose that because ho left the home he or his descendants could ever come back home without a strong feeling that it was the homo. (Loud cheors.) It was a question whether it was not unworthy to turn occasions like that into mere merry making, when everyone felt that close to his heart there lay a sense of responsibility that they should continue to make it possible for their children and their children's children to meet in tho same safety, honour, and self-respect as they themselves did. (Cheors.) Ho never met a body of representative Englishmen, British men, speaking the same language as ho did—tho language that contained tho most articulato expressions of that liberty which was their life and soul—without a sense of grave joy and pleasure, the sense that they were his brethren in a great cause, and that ho joined with them, ho and his people, in sustaining the best hopes of the world's civilzation, of its progress, of its better elements, of the best hopes and aspirations of mankind. (Cheers.) As a branch broken from them 120 years ago he drank to the health of the great root that sustained both branches, and asked them to join in tho health of the Empire of Great Britain and tho principles of tho civil and religious liberty which that Government was intended to maintain and perpetuate. (Loud cheers.) Sir Charles Tuppor also, at very unnecessary length, proposed "Tho Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces." Sir Evelyn Wood responded, not forgetting to drag in the inevitable reference to New South Wales Contingent and the Soudan. Lord Knutsford responded to the toast of the evening, which was, of course, " The of tho Colonies and India." Ho said Lord Bipon had expressed his great regret that he was not ablo to be present on that great occasion. But as they could not have a real Secretary of State they must bo content to hear a few words from a gentleman whom Lord Ripon wittily described as an unsalaried j)olitician who was outsido the confidence of his countrymen. (Cheers and laughter.) Ono sometimes heard of our colonial empire. That was a term to which he objected, for tho Empire was built up of the Mother Country, the colonies, and our great dependencies, acquired partly by settlement, partly by capture, • and partly by other means. (Laughter.) Ho was not ono of those who viewed with great alarm a certain extension of the Empire. (Cheers.) There were circumstances in which it was absolutely necessary to face the responsibility of an extension of the Empire. He spoke in the presence of many distinguished colonists and he could say with sincerity that he had never yet found a colonist who was not ready to take his share of the responsibilities of the Empire at large. 'From this point His Lordship's speech consisted of the baldest platitudes. For example, after complimenting the AgentsGeneral, tho late Colonial Secretary said he was glad that tho Agents-General had invariably been men who had held high positions in tho colonies which they represented, and ho hoped that men of like distinction would always be chosen to discharge the important duties which fell upon Agents-General. Such men would help to draw closer the ties which united the Mother Country and the colonies and would make easier common action with regard to such important questions as Imperial defence and Imperial taxation. He was sure they all desired that the ties between tho Mother Country and the colonies should be strengthened, ties which, in the noble language of Burke, though light as air, wore as strong as links of iron. (Cheers.) Lord lieay spoke for India, and Cardinal Vaughan proposed the Lord Mayor's health. Then the company broke up.