Abstract
[...] To my mind the most interesting aspect of history is the clash between two strong characters. One of the classic examples in New Zealand history of such a clash is between Sir George Grey and the Marquis of Normanby. In this essay I deal only with the conflict over the Abolition of the Provinces, that is from November 1874 to November 1876. With this I couple Sir George Gre’s despatches to the Colonial Office concerning the Abolition of the Provinces, and this ties in a third point that I touch on briefly, namely the question of whether Sir George Grey really wished Provincialism to continue for Provincialism’s sake, or whether he was merely motivated by personal ends in trying to save his 1852 Constitution. [...] [Extract from Prefatory Note]