N.Z. PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 243, 13 October 1936, Page 9

N.Z. PARLIAMENT.

HISTORY REVIEWED.

SESSIONS IN AUCKLAND,

PREMIERS OF THE SIXTIES. (Fifth Article of Series.) The third meeting of the third New Zealand Parliament was opened in Auckland on Monday, October 19, 1803. Alfred Domett, the previous Premier, from August 6, 1802 to October 30, 18G3, was followed by Frederick Whitaker. According to Mr. William Gisborne's very interesting "Rulers and Statesmen," Mr. Whitaker was the most remarkable public man in New Zealand at the time, not because he had been most in the foreground, but rather because in the background he had exercised great influence upon the "political affairs of the Colony as it then stood. For 40 years, from the time when he was a member of the Legislative Council during the administration of Governor Fitzroy until the date of his retirement from the Premiership in 1883, he was a factor in the history of New Zealand. He had often held office, colonial and provincial, but he never had been prominent in. the popular sense, even when he was Prime Minister, though in reality he always was a power whether in office or out of office, before the throne and behind the throne. A singular characteristic throughout his long public career in New Zealand was that he always did more as an adviser of others than as a performer in his own person. He worked well unseen, but he had no taste for; public performances. He sat in seclusion and wove the "warp" and the "woof" of public service. In February, 1884, the Order of the K.C.M.G. was conferred upon him by Her Majesty the Queen, and in December, 1891, he passed away with an active life concluded. Frederick Aloysius Weld, the successor to Frederick Whitaker as Prime Minister, held a high position in public esteem. He was a man of ability, culture and fine feeling, and there was a

straightforwardness with him which inspired confidence. Thoroughly genuine, with an attractive manner, lie was frank and outspoken, almost to a fault. He had a good general knowledge oi New Zeuland politics and was also experienced as a settler in both islands, North and South. He was the soul of honour, and he had a chivalrous sense of duty. His political views on the whole, were moderate, and his administrative capacity was considerable as it stood. His failing as a statesman, if such is to be mentioned, was that he was apt to be over hasty in his conclusions, was wanting in tact, and did not sufficiently discriminate when it was best, in view of his ultimate object, to be firm and when to give way. His colleagues in 1804 were Mr. Sewell. Sir William Fitzlierbert, Major Richardson and Major Albert Atkinson. Major Richardson was an Indian military officer and was an able, conscientious man without fear or reproach, and in 1866 became a member of the second Stafford Ministry and remained with it for some years. The career of Major Albert Atkinson, five times Prime Minister, will not be overlooked. The Stafford Ministry, its second, lasted from October 16, 1865, to June 28, 1869, The Ministers were able men and, had it not been for their collective war policy, the Ministry probably would have lasted much longer that it did. Two cardinal mistakes, noticed by Mr. William Gisborne. attracted general attention. In the first place the Ministry was not frank and explicit on the subject of the retention of the Imperial troops. Stafford was never a thorough convert to the doctrines of the total withdrawal of the Imperial troops from New "Zealand. The Prime Minister would not obstruct, but he certainly would not facilitate the withdrawal of the Imperial soldiers. At the same time the attitude of the Home Government towards New Zealand was offensive, unpatriotic and unjust. The tone of the dispatches was more that of an angry schoolmaster than that of a great statesman. The Governor, Sir George Grey, was treated with studied discourtesy and deliberate injustice, and the Colony was looked upon as so much rubbish of which the Colonial Office wished to rid itself. Fortunately these signs of the times were the vagaries of irritated officialdom and never represented the" great heart of England which, as Imperial statesmen

soon found out, would have been deeply stirred with anger at any serious policy tending to the disruption of the British Empire. Second Mistake. The second cardinal mistake of the Stafford Ministry of 1866-1809, was the view which it took of the native war. Instead of trying, as a leading feature of policy, forbearance and conciliation, the main feature was a determination to push on the policy of force to the bitter end until the disaffected tribes were thoroughly humbled and subjugated. The consequence of this fatal error was the gradual spread of insurrection, the exasperation of the feelings of both races towards each other, and the exhaustion of the life-blood of colonisation. Many columns of the history of William Fox would be required to cover a tenth of the activity and service of this earnest and capable member of the House of Representatives during his services to the promotion of the progress of the Dominion and its people. "No colleague," said his companion, ''ever had reason to doubt his loyalty or to fear that he would be anything but sincere and true in any relation he accepted. In the course of 50 years I have known liim, I have sometimes agreed with him, and at other times I have felt it my duty to differ from, and to oppose him as strongly as I could, but he made me love and admire him quite much when I opposed him as when I was working with him." (To be continued.)