Part 17 (1/2)
”Distrust all informants who have been long away; things change rapidly in those parts. And remember that the enriched colonist who comes back with 10,000 a year to live in England does not in the least represent the country in which his money was made.”
Again he says that the Governor--
”Must spend his whole salary and something over. But it is a mistake to suppose that mere outlay and splendid festivities will conciliate goodwill--though they go a long way towards it. What the colonists really wish and like is that the Governor should appreciate them, mix in their amus.e.m.e.nts and apparently like to be among them.”
Fortunately Jersey always liked to be among his fellow-men and understood them, and the Australians soon found that out, and never forgot it. Also Lord Derby truly said:
”The less a Governor interferes directly, the better; if his ministers come to think that he desires so to do, they will tell him nothing; if relieved from this fear, they will be glad enough to profit by his experience and impartiality.”
Many of Lord Derby's further comments are much to the point, but I only cite one which is somewhat of a forecast:
”Schemes of imperial federation are not treated seriously by anybody, but intercolonial federation is a growing idea, and likely to be worked out, though still much opposed.”
During our absence Lord Derby was an excellent correspondent and I may refer to his letters later on.
[Sidenote: VOYAGE ON THE ”ARCADIA”]
We sailed in the _Arcadia_, the same s.h.i.+p which had taken us to India, with the same Captain Andrewes. The usual incidents of a long voyage were not wanting--the natural effect on young men and women was exemplified in the growing attachment of a very clever Australian Professor to our English governess--an attachment which ultimately ripened to a wedding in Australia, when Miss Mason became Mrs. Harry Allen. She is now Lady Allen, and when the Prince of Wales visited Australia she sat at a banquet between H.R.H. and the Governor-General, so our Australian experiences were quite successful as far as she was concerned.
I do not recollect much of the other events on board s.h.i.+p, for I was still not very strong and lived mostly with my children, in a nice large cabin which the P. and O. had arranged for me. There was, however, one couple who excited considerable interest--a youth who always appeared in spotless white and a coloured sash, and a girl who wore white frocks, displaying varied ribbons to match her admirer's. When we reached Ceylon pa.s.sengers were forbidden to send any was.h.i.+ng ash.o.r.e, as there was small-pox in Colombo, and the young man went nearly frantic at being unable to refresh his wardrobe. His fellow-pa.s.sengers cruelly ragged him, and he was reported to have run up and down in front of his cabin with a drawn sword.
I suppose the small-pox was only in the native quarters, for we were allowed to land, to our great joy, had a delightful drive to Mount Lavinia, where we saw the mango trick--not very impressive--had dinner at the Colombo Hotel, and re-embarked for the longest and dullest part of our voyage. The monotony of the nine days between Ceylon and Australia was relieved in a manner more stirring than pleasant. We were met by a cyclone, and had to go considerably out of our course to avoid its full fury, but what we did encounter was quite bad enough and we were very thankful when we sighted Australia.
We were fortunate during our sojourn in having the old friends whom I previously mentioned, and their wives, as colleagues. Lady Hopetoun and Lady Kintore were away when we landed, having been on a trip home; but Lord Kintore met us at Adelaide and took us up for the day to his beautiful house in the Mountains--Marble Hill--while Lord Hopetoun looked after us with equal hospitality at Melbourne. We only stayed a few hours at each place, as our great object was to reach our destination, which was primarily the Governor's little country house, Hill View, situated in the hills. Here I spent about a fortnight to rest and revive before going down for the a.s.sembling of the Federation Convention at Sydney.
This was a very stirring introduction to Colonial life. (The words ”Colony” and ”Colonial” are now taboo, but before Federation the present Australian States were called ”Colonies,” and ”Colonial” was freely used by everyone!)
[Sidenote: THE FEDERATION CONVENTION]
Delegates from all the States were a.s.sembled in Sydney and most of them had brought wives, so it was somewhat confusing to a new-comer to be at once introduced to a number of people, however kindly disposed towards her, whom she had never seen before, in totally novel surroundings. As far as I recollect the initial banquet took place on the evening of my arrival, March 1st, 1891. It was given in the Town Hall, a really fine building in which we afterwards attended endless functions of all descriptions. It was arranged that Lady Innes, wife of Sir George Innes, a judge, should dine alone with me and accompany me to the Gallery to hear the speeches after the banquet. All the guests courteously rose on my arrival; my cousin Harry Cholmondeley escorted me, very magnificent in his A.D.C.'s uniform. As the Cholmondeleys had been in the habit of acting with us at Middleton, I felt very much as if I were taking part in private theatricals.
The princ.i.p.al speeches were made by Jersey and the New South Wales Premier, Sir Henry Parkes, who was the main promotor of Federation. Sir Henry was a remarkable character in his way. He was the son of a small farmer on my grandmother's property at Stoneleigh, where he attended the village school, and his first pair of breeches was made by the village tailor (the same parish clerk who made me find his places in church).
Henry Parkes emigrated to Australia, and a lady there told me how he kept a sort of toy-shop and ”fancy repository” where she could take her umbrella to be mended. He became a Member of Parliament and almost an autocrat. He had a fine head, like a s.h.a.ggy lion, and was a good speaker, though I fear that the education given him in Stoneleigh School had not altogether overcome a certain difficulty with his ”h's,” and in the transaction of business he was somewhat slow in thought. He was, however, undoubtedly able and tenacious, and did a great deal for his growing country. He was a trifle like the German Kaiser in his desire for his city's progress in art, and had filled the National Park and the Botanic Gardens with statues and busts more notable for quant.i.ty than quality--but the intention was good, though the expenditure was large. I believe that he had originated the motto of the Federation: ”One People, One Destiny.”
Jersey's speech was extremely well received, though his reference to the Union of the Saxon Heptarchy as precursor to that of the Australian States enabled one of the papers to indulge next day in witticisms. It declared that it had greatly perplexed the audience, some thinking that ”Heptarchy”
was the name of one of His Excellency's ancestors who had fought at Crecy--others that it was a kind of cake!
[Sidenote: THE DELEGATES]
Next day began the serious work of the Convention. Delegates were present from the six Australian Colonies; there were also three New Zealanders, including the celebrated Sir George Grey, who held a ”watching brief” to see what the Australians were doing, though New Zealand had no intention of federating with the others. She was quite right, for although in those days people were apt to think of New Zealand as part of ”Australasia,” she is too far off and too different in origin and natural conditions to form a portion of what is a very distinct continent.
No doubt the most intellectual and probably efficient member of the Convention was the President, Sir Samuel Griffith, Chief Justice of Queensland and afterwards Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. It is not for me to attempt a summary of the debates and of all the questions to which they gave rise, naturally the most difficult being the relations between the States. No doubt the result ultimately achieved did credit to the statesmans.h.i.+p of many who took part. Probably the weakest point was leaving to the separate States every power not expressly transferred to the Commonwealth; in Canada everything not expressly reserved to the Provinces went to the Dominion, which certainly tends to closer union.
However, this is looking a good deal ahead.
One of the points which seemed to add interest, perhaps dignity, to the convention was the great size of the delegates. They averaged over six feet in height, and I really forget how many pounds avoirdupois in weight--but something quite remarkable. Australian legislators were undoubtedly of st.u.r.dy growth, and whatever else they favoured had a great predilection for tea. I sometimes attended debates in New South Wales Parliament. My husband was precluded from doing so, but members seemed to think it rather a compliment that I should be present. However exciting the discussion, and whoever the orator, as sure as six o'clock struck a cry of ”Tea, tea, tea!” arose from all sides of the house, and out rushed everybody to refresh himself before returning to duty.
The great antagonist to Sir Henry Parkes was Mr., afterwards Sir George, Dibbs. He was an immense man, who had had a varied career, but was generally esteemed for his direct and downright honesty. When in his turn he became head of the Government he was noted as the first Australian-born Premier. When we first arrived in the Colony he was supposed to have Republican tendencies, but these seemed gradually, indeed rapidly, to evaporate. While we were in Australia he paid his first visit to England, where many prominent people, including our family and friends, paid him much attention. The final touch was put by the Prince of Wales (afterwards King Edward), who had discovered his liking for a big cigar, and with unfailing tact he gave him one to smoke. Dibbs said, ”No, he should keep it,” whereupon the Prince replied that he was to smoke that, and he would give him another. Of course this got into the Sydney papers, and when the traveller returned the street boys used to shout out, ”Geordie, where's the cigar the Prince of Wales gave you?”
The papers afforded us endless amus.e.m.e.nt during his trip. They used to come out with heavy headlines. ”Dibbs meets one King--several Princes,”