The Romance of a Pro-Consul: Being the Personal Life and Memoirs of the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, K.C.B.Milne, James
History
The Romance of a Pro-Consul: Being the Personal Life and Memoirs of the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, K.C.B.
Milne, James
Grey, George, Sir, 1812-1898
'Dean Stanley wanted to show me everything, to explain the whole place.
He told me of a theory of his that the Commons, while sitting there in
the circular room, probably had no parties, so called. They were grouped
in a ring, not confronting each other sharply, antagonistically, and
everything went on with quietness. But when they moved across to St.
Stephen's, they found themselves set opposite-wise, which fact may have
tended to create the party system. That was the idea put to me by the
Dean, though how far he applied it, I do not recollect.
'Anyhow, he was anxious that I should study the Chapter House under him,
but it was too late to do it that evening. "Never mind," he said, "let us
wait until things are more complete and we shall go in together." "Oh," I
answered, "I really need not trouble you. I can look in myself one
afternoon." "No, no," he insisted, with much good nature, "I want to be
your guide. You must promise that you will not go there without me."
"Very well, then," I assured him, "I shall wait until you take me."
'The Dean and myself did not, as it happened, meet again at that period,
nor were we, by the decree of Providence, ever to meet. Thus, I shall not
see the earliest home of the House of Commons, as it has been restored,
for I promised.'
There swam in Sir George's recollection, a little story touching the
evolution of the body politic, during his own time. It was like Maui of
Maori legend, and Arthur 'by wild Dundagil on the Cornish sea,' in that
he scarce knew whence it came. He inclined to link it, a whiff of airy
gossip, with two of the most strenous middle Victorians, but would hold
no names certain.
'At all events,' he said, 'the Cabinet was formerly a smaller body than
it now is, and less formal in its proceedings. The members would drop in,
with the newspapers in their hands, and take a chair, here or there, as
the case might be. A quite large Cabinet being created, the Prime
Minister suggested, "Gentlemen, had we not better sit round the table?"
The suggestion met with approval, and the Premier made to take his place
at the head of the table. Thereupon, a colleague caught up a chair, put
it beside that of the Premier, and sat down with the remark, "There is no
such thing as a President of the Cabinet."'
For a good while, Sir George Grey spoke of himself as being in England,
only to bid England farewell. Some fine morning he would pack his trunks,
and sail south to those who knew him best. Every step in New Zealand was
a greeting; in London a mile was bare. Once he did pack his trunks, but
the fine morning never arrived.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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