The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-22 00:00:00

Mr. Spring Rice.

It is a curious subject for reflection to consider by whom
the daily intellectual work of the world is mainly done.
Probably it would surprise most people to realise by how
few persons, whether in politics, in law, in literature, or in.
science, this intellectual work is day by day carried on. Iu
the present case, what we are thinking of is, by how few
the intellectual work of government in our great empire is
conducted, and who are the men that do it. It was meant
as a sneer at that distinguished public servant, Sir James
Stephen, that he was called "Mr. Mother Country." But
it gave by no means a bad description of the position ho
held in public life. Our present administration has
lasted a long time, according to the average lives of ad-
ministrations. Moreover, most of the members of
the Cabinet are men of great experience in public
life, and considerable aptitude for the conduct of busi-
ness. This, however, is not always the case ; and wo
may oven now be entering upon a period when there
may be frequent and rapid changes of administrations.
Upon whom in such times does the government of the na-
tion mainly depend ? Upon the permanent high officers of
Government—under-secretaries of State, assistant-secre-
taries, commissioners, chief clerks, and the heads of depart-
ments in the various offices ? Perhaps each of them might,
somewhat ironically, but not inaptly, be called "Mr. Go-
vernment," in imitation of the name given to the late la-
mented Sir James Stephen. They are generally men who
have made but an indifferent bargain in life as regards
their own individual interests. Very poorly paid; earning
a renown for the most part only within the walls of their
own offices, enduring an amount of constant work
which can only be compared with that of a country sur-
geon toiling amid the scattered people of an extensive
district ; they are, nevertheless, the men to whom
perhaps this country is most indebted for carry-
ing on its business with supreme fidelity, integrity, and
self-devotion. We are reminded of this subject by the
lamented death of one who was a most devoted public ser-
vant, but whole devotion to his work and whose great abi-
lities were probably but little known beyond—the depart-
ment in which ho served. We allude to the death of Mr.
Spring Rico, the eldest son of Lord Monteagle, who was
for many years a Commissioner of Customs, and afterwards
Vice-Chairman of that Board. He was a model of what a
permanent servant of the State should be. While ably
seconding his chiefs in the higher branches of their fiscal
duties he was equally distinguished for attending carefully
to all matters of routine. No man, even if he had risen
from the ranks, could have been more industrious, more
resolved to make himself master of every detail in his de-
partment, and more careful to insure that promotion should
proceed upon the strictest regard to the merits of the
officer to bo promoted. Laborious days and nights were
spent by him in toiling over the business of that impor-
tant and well-conducted department. It was to him a
labour of love ; and, forsaking or ignoring what might bo
considered higher aspirations, he, during the best years of
his life, gave the whole of his high talents and extraordi-
nary energy to making perfect the action of that depart-
ment. We should doubt whether there ever lived a public
servant who was more watchful and scrupulous in weigh-
ing the merits of his subordinates ; and promotion earned
under him was a sure testimony of ability and good cha-
racter. As a writer ho might have earned a high place in.
literature ; but during his tenure of office his skill in writing
was entirely given to the draughting of reports, minutes, and
correspondence, which had reference to the work of his de-
partment. In private life he was greatly loved. Ho was ono
of those persons who have a genius for friendship. As a
man cannot be equally large in all directions, it must be
owned he did not seem to understand acquaintanceship.
If you knew him well, •he either tried to make you a
firm friend, or you were, comparatively, nothing to him.
The number of his friends was extraordinary; and few mon
of our time will have died whose loss will be more widely
and deeply deplored than that of Mr. Spring Rico. mg
health had for several years been very precirious, and he
died on board the vessel that was bringing him home from
the south of Europe, where his numerous friends had fondly
hoped that ho had acquired a fresh stock of health to sup-
port his failing powers of body through another year in
our own clime, and amongst those who so much loved him.
Mr. Spring Rice commenced his official career as a private
secretary to his father, who was then Chancellor of the
Exchequer, at a time when, under the pressure of the Re-
form Bill, the duties of the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer were probably more arduous than they have
been at any subsequent period; and we have heard
that ho then gave promise of that ability which he
afterwards showed in a more extended sphere. On
his retirement from the Customs, his active mind found
employment that was very welcome to him in his duties
as a country gentleman and a magistrate. At the time of
the Irish famine, Mr. Spring Rico took a leading part in
promoting the collection of funds, and organising, in con-
nection with the Treasury, the system of relief which was
adopted in that almost unparalleled emergency. Through-
out this work he was greatly aided by his intimate friend
Mr. Prescott, the banker, whose loss also we have lately
had to deplore. Mr. Spring Rico was well versed in poli-
tical economy, in all matters of finance, and in several
of the more serious departments of literature ; and upon
various questions of the present day ho entertained very
decided and carefully-formed opinions. Wo do not yet
know whether he has left anything which would suffi-
ciently illustrate his powers as a thinker and
a writer ; but wo feel that a man has been
removed prematurely from among us from whom'
wo might have expected great results had he been per-
mitted to attain that position which, according to the laws
of nature, he might have been expected to fill, and to
which he would have brought the great experience which
lie had gained in administering
°n° important branch of
the public service.—Pall ;LW Gazette.