The New Agent-General.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 6, Issue 562, 20 November 1891, Page 3

The New Agent-General.

The appointment of Mr Westby l'erreval to the Agent-Generalship of N< w Zealand (writes a London correspondent! recalls a curious passage m modem English histoiy. Mr Perceval u die grandson of Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister, who was sliot m die House of Commons nearly NO years ago. It was in die old House, long ago destroyed by die fire, ttiat the Premier was hastening to bis seat on die Treasury Bench, when tbe Russian merchant, Bellingham, driven mad Inr losses which he laid at the door tn die Government of die day, fired die fatal shot. But though we Lave now a new palace at West minister, a portion of it stands ou the site of die old one. and preserves its memory. St Stephen's Hall, which lta<is from Westminster llall into the lobby of the Hou«e of Commons, i almost exardy covers die sue of the j «*1 House in which l“ll'. and Pox

fought across the table. St. Stephen 's Hall is Hanked on oidier side by statue* of old Parliament men. Pitt and Fox are both there, and not far off stand Bnrkc. Grattan, Chatham, and Robert Walpole. Just by Burke's statue is a door leading towards the House of Lords. It was mere. pistol in baud, that Bellingham waited on 11th of May, 1812, till the unsuspecting Premier passed by. At that tunc New Zealand, though recognised as a British possesion, did not contain a single white setder. Two years later die first settlement of Europeans was made in pursuance of missionary enterprise. To-day. when Perceval's grandson assumes the office of AgentGeneral, New Zealand is so far civilised that it has a public debt of nearly 40 millions sterling.