New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-27
THE PRIVATE SECRETARY.
WHAT HE IS AND DOES AND MR.. f. W.
HAMILTON AS MR. GLADSTONE'S CHIEF
OF STAFF.

ner given at BrOokss by Mr.. +. w. Hanil'on "
the Prince of Wales. The source OF 'nis IT,
markable anecdote is not speclhed puo 'ne n'"''
lean public is invited to believe thao 'o'e %
censure was passed by the committee "" "
Hamilton because he had asked the Prince 10
dine in violation of some rule or oS-a" VI VIC
Climb II cannot matter much TO the American
,uhl;c or % Mr. Hamilton. but there is no other
foundation for the story than the fact tha' 'he
Prince of Wales did dine with Mr.. Hamilton al
prookss No rule was violated, and not since
Landau climbs first began to exist has any com
,nit,ee been known 10 pass vote OF censnre Oh
an offending member. If club law be lniringed
and the matter be thought worth notice, a e'er is
written, or explanation may be asked 1or III d
very bad case the erring member might oe asNco
TO resign: in extreme cases he is eNpehe" VI ''i
attempt to expcl him is made which sometimes
succeeds and sometimes fails; the courts OF la"
intervening But none of these processes mas
been adopted with reference either TO MI. Haiuii-
ton or the Prince of Wales for the reason above
given that no statute was broken IL mign' DC
said in general way that narratives pio'es','s
to describe what occurs in London ciups OF ciu'
committees are as rule, open 10 susP'cioh
The one other fact correctly stated was the
fart that Mr. F. w Hamilton was formerly Mr.
Gladstone's Private Secretary. lie held that re-
England knows accurately and fully the INSIDE
history of one of the most important periods OF
recent political history in England, it IS MI
Hamilton A Prime Minister'S Private secretary
is kind of Deputy Prime Minister. lie KNOWS
everything and does a great deal; Is sor' Vi
First Lieutenant to the Ship Of State, ana 'r'iiS
acts no small part Of that business when Is uone
in the name of the commanding olcer. iio
stands between the Prime Minister and the ou'-
side world-yes, and also some OF 'he "oii"
which is not outside. Prime Ministers wi'no"'
Private Secretaries would be like General wl'n-
ont staff. Mr.. Hamilton was Chief of the Stan.
IL would be difficult in England TO CONCEIVE ..
matters rs working smoothly without the AID OF
these useful functonaries. Yet In Ucrmans' vi
at any rate in Prussia, there was for a long time
hut a single Minister TO whom Prusslan thrlit
allowed so much as single Private Secretary.
An English Cnder-Secretary who had not fri-
vate Secretary to himself would think himself
hardly used The Chancellor of the Excheqncr mas
four Yet there is a well-known definition, perhaps
diplomatic in its origin and not depar'meh'ai'
which describes Private Secretary as one WIN
has somebody to write his letters for MN ln"'
was hardly true of Mr.. Hamilton in the days
when Mr. Gladstone used to receive 5o,ooV cV-
tiers year. Of which the Prime Minister 81"
certain proportion, read certain other ana icsSei
proportion. and answered in person a numpel
smaller still.
II would require essay TO set 10Y al 'lio
duties of this Office; like many others IN Eng
land. burdened with obligations and response
bities far in excess of those implied by the mere
name of it, In all countries there are, imagine
priyate secretaries: probably in no country so
many as in England and nowhere else intrusted
with SO much of the actual work OF the once
held by their chiefs, or brought so much into
contact with the official and general world Such
man must have tact. social gifts. power oil CON
tinuous work. of getting up subjects. ana OF dohg
rapidly, vet with precision, what he has 10 do'
entire familiarity with official business and with
the world of men by whom II is done, and with
the larger world which looks on while 1t Is done
II is no light thing to determine who among the
MANY visitors of each day shall see the Minister
and who may properly be content TO have brleI
interview with the secretary 1t does not answer to
make mistakes, whether In personal matters or
the writing of letters. There are letters which
may be written by a secretary; others which must
come from the Minister letters which may Dc
in the third person and letters which must be
in the first; letters which may be in the hand
writing of a secretary and signed by his chief
others which must be penned from beginning 10
end by the chief The variations are endless.
and the art of saying the right thing In the night
way is an art by itself: and an art none TOO
common The structure of sentence, the turn
of phrase the happy use Of n single word, the
tone of a letter as a whole-what mighty issues
NAV not turn on these niceties which so many
neonle think il safe 10 neglect? The private
secretary. at any rate, cannot neglect them.
Mr.. Hamilton was with Mr.. Gladstone, think,
during the whole Of his lss0-'s5 administration
During the first two years of this period Mr. God
t1o tfr
Hamilton stood nearest 10 the Minister; whose
high opinion Of his services is known. Nevcrthe-
less. the Prime Minister left office in 1ss5 with
out appointing him to that office which is tradi-
tionally the reward Of such services He had a
scrple-some departmental rule custom stool
in the way of his giving his friend what he
thought due him The Tories came n and
promptly cut the red tape an act much 10 their
credit. when you consider that they did 1t for
an opponent, and great compliment 10 MI
Hamilton, who thus returned TO the Treasury his
proper official home, where he had been a clerk
before Mr. Gladstone chose him TO help govern
the Empire Not, however. 10 his old berth.
lie was promoted and decorated. and is now a
C.. B. and one Of those Principal and Permanent
Clerks who carry the financial business OF this
country, with some casual and changing help
from their Parliamentary chiefs. lie still helps
govern the Empire. The Treasury is, in fact.
the Department which governs all other Depart
ments: controls their expenditure and so con-
trolls their policy He was. l think Mr.. Goschen's
riQht-hand man in that gigantic and most sue
cessful enterprise known as the Conversion of the
Public Debt; he has written history Of il
which is lucid and authoritative, and as interest
inc as any history of any financial matter can
we'll be- lie had much to do with the preparation
of the Budget in other words, OF the financial
scheme of the year, which the Chancellor of the
Excheouer will present and expound 10 Paria-
ment some day this month. So high is his repu-
tation in his own Department that further pro-
motion is no doubt in store for him. The Civil
Service Of this country being Service and not q
Temporary Hospital for invalid Politicians the