MR. KYNNERSLEY AND EARL GRANVILLE.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 638, 29 March 1870, Page 2

MR. KYNNERSLEY AND EARL GRANVILLE.

By letters from England it was known that Mr Kynnersley, while at home, waited upon the chief of the Colonial Office, and urged the interests of this Colony in a manner which afterwards amazed himself as much as it may have amazed or amused Earl Granville. The following passage in Earl Granville's remarks to a deputation which afterwards waited upon him seems to have reference to Mr Kynnorsley's visit: — Sir George Grey, who has taken an active part in this matter, and whom I regret not to see hero to-day, is reported to have asked whether it was tolerable that a minister sitting quietly in his room at the Colonial-office should tell the colonies that they were at liberty to separate from England. I presume this statement was based on an extract from a letter read by Mr Wilson at a meeting in which his correspondent, after describing a conversation with me, stated that I had in effect said that separation was a matter more for the consideration of the Colony than for that of England, and that if the Colony thought it was for their cood they had better go. The writer of the letter in question called upon me some weeks ago with a note

of introduction. He was gentlemanlike, intelligent, aud pleasing in manner, but had probably not been much used to reporting business discussions, lie repeated to me one by one most of the criticisms which havo been circulated on me and the New Zealand policy of her Majesty's Government. I answered each point as best I could, and may add that, I seldom met with a rejoinder. At last he threatened me with separation and annexation to the United Slates. I replied by declining even to discuss such a matter, adding, however, somewhat inconsistently, that I was curious to know what was the practical object of any colonist who entertained such an idea. Did he expect the States would send an army to conquer the Maoris for him? He answered, no; they would not send an army, but would send a baud of Filibusters and cut-throats, who would be ten times worse than the Maoris. I could not resist observing that the practical object then would be to obtain a substitute ten times worse than the only grievance of which New Zealand had to complain. Ido not remember saying one word more on this question of separation. What I did say does not appear to be disrespectful to the great colony of New Zealand, uncivil to the colonist who volunteered privately to catechize me, or intolerable even from a minister sitting quietly in his office room.