SKETCH OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3110, 21 March 1883, Page 2

SKETCH OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.

The late Mr E. C. Grenville writes: — The head of the house of Stanley was a surly, ill-conditioned lad, with a furtive look, who early made his mark in society by a method unusual. Tbe mode he selected for distinguishing himself was that of levying benevolences ; and it became absolutely necessary to speed him from the most lord-loving school in the world. The headmaster waited on his father (who damned him heartily for his impudence), and humbly protested there was no help for it. He even shed tears, so great was his reverence for the peerage. But the thing had got wind. Derby(who was then Lord Stanley) hand been too generous with bis school-fellows pocket money, and the total amount of the involuntary contributions he had drawn from them exceeded £IOO. The thing had therefore gone too far to be hushed up ; but it is an interesting example of our national lord-worship that many of the hopeful young gentlemen (as they loved to be called) knew that Stanley put communistic theories into practice, but let him go on because they were in the same set, and it seemed as if they knew him at home. Even these little Briton’s were prepared to pay for a lord’s acquaintance; and the headmaster, who was held responsible for Stanley’s adrnpt departure, received threatening and furious letters from all parts of the country. Several of them were shown to this writer, and certainly their language was strong. One correspondent dating from Cumberland, compared him to Richard 111. ; another, probably a lady, from the handwriting, called him an “ ogre, which she spelt, possibly by a lapsus calami, “ oger.” However it does not hurt anybody to be called names, and it does hurt a company of boys to have a “ squire of tbe knight’s body]’ among them, so the headmaster’s decision took effect. Of course, another high-class school was eager to the youthful misdemeanant; for his father had a great deal of Church and miscellaneous patronage. The boy, also, had good abilities of a certain sort ; and being of a shy, surly disposition, he spent most of his time with books. As his father, however, was a Chancellor of Oxford University, it was not thought prudent to enter him there; and be was sent to New College, where, being aided by the deference to rank which is so praiseworthy a characteristic of our college dons, bo took a first class in classics. It was not considered expedient to bring forward Lord Stanley very early. A strange ill-luck seemed to haunt them. The Duchess of lost a bracelet when dining in his company ; Lady- ——, who had a tongue, lost her jewel case when staying at the ancestral seat of the Stanleys, and had to be comforted with hard cash. At last there was a burglary in his own father’s house, and a then famous detective was summoned, upon which Lord Stanley started upon his travels. He went to America, where an odd adventure befell him. Meeting one day with a west-country man, who was very curious, the following conversation took place between them ; American [loquitur') How do you get your living now ? You don’t look up to much, you don’t; thar now. Lord Stanley (with some hauteur)—l have an allowance from my father, the Earl of Derby. American—And who’s he ? Lord S. (with still more hauteur)— An English peer. American (with a keen look) —Ah, but suppose he was to bust up, what would you do then ?