OBITUARY.

THE HON. W. REEVES, M.L.C,

I It Is only a short while since we bad to record the death of one who had served tin the ranks of journalism, and whosej career had been one giving great promise for the future. To-day it is our melancholy duly to chronicle the passing away of one who for over thirty years has been: [actively engaged in Journalistic pursuits,; 'and who during the greater portion of that period has guided tbe career of aj [paper which has risen to "be one of thej leading journals of the colony, The Hou. j fWm. Reeves, whose death took place on j Saturday evening, has filled no mean place j in journalism, in «ocial life, aud iv poli-i jtics. The "best of his years, aud the ful-| jnesa ol his energies and abilities, have] been devoted to work in the colony, and a glance st the record given below will show, [that in the discharge ot life's duties he has ibeeu no laggard or idler. j

I Mr Beeves tvus torn in 183 oat Clapbura.| j Hia commercial life began as a clerk In af j banking !_st ahlu>hmanc, and from thencef be went on the Stock Exchange. In 186t>§ he arrived In Canterbury, and took up landl [at Fera&ide in conjunction with Mr Ilajuil-g ton Ward, a brothar of the gentleman » [with whom he afterwards entered intojl (Partnership iv what proved to be hia life'sf j work. After a few years of farming Mr| ; Reeves camo to Christchurch, and taking |' jthe house formerly' occupied by —rp jTownsend at Ferry Mead, started a carry-|j ing business. The great bulk of the goods X then brought into Christchurch camel-; round over Sumner Bar from Lyttelton, f. and were landed at Ferry Mead. From y thence they were carted along the Ferryj? road to Christchurch. About I—l Mr| 'Reeves joined Mr Crosbie Ward iv the2 'proprietorship of the Lyttelton Tims, [firm was known as Ward and Reeves, and« i between the t~opartnera there existed v, ! £ | strong personal attachment. On thch •death of Mr Crosbie Ward, iv 18-7,|j Mr Reeves first entered polUloal life. |j He was elected* msmbor for Avon in tbe General Assembly, ft pd eat j through the session of ISOi, when ho ',_ resigned. In 1871 he again entered the *- political arena. Ha became a candidate »■ for the Belwyn seat lv the General & Assembly in the Protection Interest. His opponent was Mr E. Q. J, t>tevenß and. 3 Mr. Reeves was elected by a majority of \ one vote. During the Parliament he s gave a strong support %o the Fox-Vogel I Ministry, On the creation by the Govern- \ ment of a Minister for the Middle ißland I in 1871, Mr Reeves was offered and j aeeeptfid-the post, and held it iin'tlj the ( defeat of the Government by Mr \ Stafford in 1872. The new Government * held office for a very short time, and \ Mr Vogel again returned <o power, but "j Mr Reeves did not again accept office. Mr | Yogel. ,aiibseaueutly offered the (Phftir- \ mahship of Committee- to Mr Reeves, I but he declined to accept It. He was an | ardent Provinqialist, and when Mr Vogel 1 proposed his scheme for the abolition of | the. provinces he strongly opposed his \ former chief. In the general election of \ 1576 Mr Reeves was defeated by MnFltzroy \ by a narrow majority in the , contest for wyn seat, the question at Issue \ being abolition. This cloaed hia record of ] active political life until 1884. In this ha W.aa <— th> ITppep by the &.ta»t-Vogel Government,

f| In business and social matters the deic^ased; took a inteffjp. T . I His commercial training made hia advice land assistance in connection* with the | fortner h,ij#ily valued and aqi*fght ,'af&}j. IHe was'one of the original promoters of ■the New Zealand Shipping ■Oompany and If/jr ibipe, years a director,' 5eV occujaied of Chairman— the Company |m 187p/ In 1882, in cohjunetion w(fch tho T. ,J?eacockY he ! lea&hjd idivefl|oMhippn the question ot tha intro--1 due—ml of aS-part of Hbs -policy of] |P?: tjb>. : OtftUßany. -tf i IftrpW'Wdimfcor, .an'4 T uj;jfeparday^fi |his death & a— mb_p at ..tha _oard of iDlrecbars ! of JJ the f ' foirfuranqe, a, whi<4.\'B|uppj liSa :foundatiofr__slalway3 paid? adivl-, spend. As an, Instance of the Vaiae set; jupon Wvea%| |t^m%v}^d^,oantejfbaiw»-4im^irbe,notod ; ' § that whensthi> Mut_al Ziifei Association i Sof Attstraiasfa started ipjr 'Canterbury r ipve 'years ago £e^wae : |aiked too .accept , -he position, of gone of the 'local' Directors, afco* *__ld' |Ms#*. M 3 eai % pjf J?re,s I 'th^ r jQ,usnftl-! iis tic knowledge and experience of Mr iK(ee/veg, parked/him _fi fc tf9 s&s<&fs of,the &*wA |ciation, which position he continued k>| Ildup'tJohlsdeathv He was a memWJ $#. $$$:& : i!-at i .iadsl— ;otark •„i education; 'Str tar u s-J— the present year President df B-Ohrislehurch- in Q? afthef i tjߧigat.he gave excellent and sound mile „v* the subject of the fqrmafci&n' df aft __r ;|?ee?e3," waa ft keea b*v»» for elf. (He was »ver> good judge of horses, to l#^\_i«^^cis?fftf«f .«i«fc «c • was •many yearn < a stew_rd ol the vejy' M terjs£ ffl*sta& l/jili-'-. _Waonsection with> gouJtfaM—lib ©anperiod ot thirly fem*sMwin&iii&» eater portion of -thit «„e' he ' ha's ynjjfed the p'osltiori "qi the j&fteitqn ftimti-.'' jQp 3 formation of the-Lyttelton Times Cornpant occupied ihe po^f I)lrecto"r n ''ahd dhairman ~otXM&- &OJMRI« Under Times has won Its way to the front rank of colonial journals* .-.'Ms! i&e_s 4»s»esaad in an eminent degree thai-spirit of enterprise whlehfc-_s}(gg^eesenMai the.ftuocess of m J. 0i ; Slides this he peraoßally interested Mm—U In. _c welfare of hi* 1 e|ttWc^r|i^''a|i'd%ph J himself, joi-no-t loyalty and devotion on the part Sof the* "flpr* private life peeves at'ft Mo»- The' friendships be made* hovr e~eri; —%r« remarkable for- their depth f and character, hia wijll [iba and fiacerejy -uonrned by many f— i—m iriends who had iearned %o apprefciate his sterlh qtfalities. i; The f state of Mr Beeves* health recently neces- | JTlj|s *{&&*■ | formed on Monday last, by Drs. Ovenden I and Young (of Inver_rgtll) in the presence [of Drs Prins-_»d-X*oa_az Smith. The owxfUm&M&HM®J and up [to Frjday nigh> no lelt. That kwpuig, fipw^fr,: [coJ—paa fu_d night, .. ........ .•'-.--