HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6290, 22 September 1898, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

Wednesday, Sept. 21. AFTERNOON SITTING. The House met at 2.30 p.m. SIR GEORGE GREY. After formal business had teen transacted, the Premier said that throughout the ilinpire that day there* would b«* great Borrow and general mourning. Australasia . and Cape Colony would ever' remember the everlasting and beneficial tservice rendered by Sir George Grey. None ■would feel the parting so much, and none would remet him more than the people of New Zealand, to whom .he had rendered such great services. He (Mr Seddonj felt that he »vas echoing 1 the mind of the colony when he said that the greatest man that had ever been in the colony, and than whom no greater,, in his opinion, would evor be seen in "the colony again, had passed away and been called to liis long home. Last year had been a year of rejoicing, and none felt more rejoiced than Sir George Grey that he had lived to see the Queen's Jubilee ; but the year IS9B had been a year of mourning. Great Britain had to mourn Gladstone and Germaay Bismarck, and now those in Australasia mourned the loss of tbe greatest man and greatest statesman there had ever been or probably ever would be in these latitudes. Sir George Grey had huen the founder of Liberalism in Australasia, and liia work was a lasting monument to iiis memory. The Premier briefly referred to the more important eveuts in the life of Sir George Grey, aud inferring to his action m connection with the Maori war, said that the difficulty had t>een removed by Sir George's firmnes?, determination and kindness. At an early period he had a thorough command of the Native race, and the love then created between the Natives and S.r George Grey • ensured as long as he lived. After referring to Sir George Grey's labours with respect to drawing- up the Constitution of the colony, he pointed out that he had ever been sincere in. helping the struggling and weak against the. strong. In many instances throughout hia long and distinguished . career, he had. been the champion, of the rights and- privileges ~of the. people Speaking of the period when Sir George / Grey was Premier of the "colony, Mr Seudon said that ~ it _was questionable whether. they would ever again have such aPremieror ■ Uliuister. He referred at considerable length to the services. '* Tendered.- to the Empire by the dead statesman, and referring to his Qwn relations with; Sir •George, he said that since they had' first met the greatest friendship had existed between them. He moved — " That this House places on record its high appreciation of the beneficent and ever-enduring services rendered to the colony and Empire by the late Bight Hon Sir. George Grey, X.C.8., and respectively tenders to his . relatives its sympathy with them in their irreparable 1053." Captain EusselL in seconding the motion, said that when he looked back on his early life, his memory dung to the year 1846, when, as a child in the neighbourhood of Wellington, he had had the honour and pleasure df making the acquaintance and enjoying the friendship of Sir George Grey. One most pathetic thing in connection with the late statesman was that, with all his love for children, no child of his remained behind him; but his great name would live in the memory of the people of the colony. For fifty yeais Sir George Grey had been inseparably associated with New Zealand, and yesterday they had lost a great New Zealander ; the Empire had lost a great son, for whom the "world would mourn. Sir George Grey's had been a remarkable life. -Born in the days when autocracy was rampant throughout Europe, he lived to Bee the powers of monarchy limited, democracy triumphant, and the privileges of the classes destroyed to a great extent. They in New Zealand claimed that the freedom of the people j was attributed to his efforts. Though Sir ' George Grey was autocratic by nature he yet devoted himself to the services of the people. He had desired power in order to exercise it for the good of the people, and had been a veritable Cjesar, wishing to base his power on the votes of the people, in order to use that power in the interests of the people themselves. It would be difficult for his contemporaries to estimate Sir George Grey's character. A future historian would be better able to depict him ; but, no matter how people might differ politically, they could not help admiring him. Mr Scobie Mackenzie, in a brief appreciative speech, referred to Sir George Grey a3 the greatest figure that had filled the eye and imagination of New Zealanders. Mr Holland referred to the services rendered by Sir George Grey to Auckland, and said that his name would ever remain green in the memory of the people of Auckland and their children. ■ ' The Hon J. Carroll referred to the high esteem in which Sir George Grey was held by the Native race, who looked upon him in the light x>f a father. The motion was agreed to unanimously, and the House adjourned at 3.30 till 7.30.