A SEDDON MEMORIAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 68, 22 March 1910, Page 8

A SEDDON MEMORIAL.

IN ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL. LARGE GATHERING OF NEW ZEAL-ANDERS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON. 11th February. One of the largest and most iepi-esen. talive gatherings of Now Zealand in London was that in the crypt of St. Paul'n yesterday morning to witness tho unveiling of the memorial to the late Right Hon. R. J. Seddon. The memorial, which was fully described in these columns some weeks ago. is by Sir George Frampton, the celebrated sculptor, and has been piesent'-d to Ist. Paul's by the Government oi* New Zealand. The portrait of Mi. Seddon, a white marble ba*-relief, is. on the whole, a satisfactory one, but not one of the artists i>nd sculptors who have attempted to portray tho faco of the late Premier has been nearly so successful as Mr. Nelson Illingworth, the Australian, whose fine bust is admitted by most of those who knew Mr. Seddon to be strikingly true to life. Each ot (he sculptors— Sir George Frnmpton, Mr. Illingworth, and Mr. Poole (who is executing the figure for the monument on Observatory Hill) — worked from photographs, without tho advantage of knowing the man as he was. The memorial stands appropriately almost op posite the small bust of' Sir George Grey, with the bearded face, and on the same wall up the memorial of Sir Bartlo Frete. The religious service, which was conducted by tho Yen. Archdeacon Sinclair, assisted by the Rev. Canon Alexander, was extremely shoit and simple It opened with the hymn "For Ever with the Lord." after which Aichdeacon Sinclair asked his Giace the Duke of Argyll (0 unveil (he memorial. THE DUKE'S SPEECH. The Duke of Argyll said two cable messages had been received from New Zealand. The first was from tho Prime Minister, andvnn : — "My thoughts arc with you to-day." The other, sent from Wellington, was worded : "Revere deeply national honour to-day. — Janie Seddon." Then the Duke of Argyll pronounced the following short eulogy on the life nnd work ot the lele Mr. R. J. Seddon :—"ln: — "In unveiling thin work of art to-day, representing our friend and English fellow-countryman, Richard John Seddon, we desir* to mark our affection for tho man and our respect for the statesman of the islands which have been called the Britain of the Southern HemispVi-e. We placo this monument here, ami record thereby a very happy life. Mr. Bfddou was like one of the heroic knightrs of Northern story who sailed fortH for conquest n.nd adventuie on tho track of the Rising Sun. Away fur down to tho .south nnd cart there must still be lands where gcod strokes might yet be struck for all noble aims — for manly endeavour* to mould na'tionß in better shape than in possible in the Old World, great as many of its founders have been. And to, leaving his Lancastrian borne, ho urouqht a great work in the Southern Sen*, where a young community possessing v glorious land was free to try anew hew its growth might be shaped* to worthy ends, and the- blemishes and failures known by their fathers, be only remembeicd thnt their cauws might be avoided, and more men have more equal rhnnces of ndvance. And ne did imuh lo realise LiR ideal, and to couse New Zenland to be seen as n prnciom hostess wolconrnij the v.'rnry nnd the soivow-lnden, and Riving to all Hope and Confidence and Strenglh. Having done nil man could, he died, while the vision he had created shone forth — benignant and majestic ! In Australia he had said, when leaving for his island, 'I go fo God's Own Country. 1 His words had a higher meaning than ne knew ! Yes. his was undoubtedly a happy life, and a happy death. With ever brightn hope of yet more success, he was suddenly taken — without pain — loved for himself and respected for his public achievements. He wished for no praise for himself that was not praise for his adopted country. We know that his belief in its future will be justified under God's blessing, for the progress made has been commensurate with the highest hope. Where we find that tho native raws of a country is of line Rlnlnrr. hold, and able, llvro we may know that our own people will keep their ancient irputa-

tion for muscular and mental power. This it was that made the first great loader of the young New Zealand nation, Sir George Grey, tell Britain that in the islands (hey had so fortunately annexed, the Old Country had founded a people who would in time be the masters of the Southern Sea^. The names of Grey and of Seddon will ever be jointly associated with their eaily history. GRKY'S MKSSAGK TO SEDDON. "It was to Seddon that (hoy paired on tho sceptic in the young nation's affection*. \Vhen consulted by Seddon on the acceptance of the tack of forming a Ministry, Grey wrote to him : "lon are acting in a gieat ariais t>uch at- make-* a hero. Act, with your Maker, for the good of Hi* creature*. What anyone may nay or do is nothing to you. 'I'he millions of your fellowmcn and their Maker — let these be your thoughts Ho brave, unselfif-h, gentle, but resolute for good. Reflect well before acting, gain time ior thought, the good among men will *oon gather round you.' He followed bravely this brave advice, and be came the most trusted leader in all Australasia. He gave no uncertain voice when the call came to prove the Union of the Empire. 'Loyalty,' he said, 'is but kinship written Urge, and every man and woman of tho colony is proud of the crimson thread which makes th? people of New Zealand loyal sons and daughters of tho British Empire. Whatever be the sacrifice, we cheerfully take our stand beside tho Mother Country for the maintenance ot her honour and the integrity of the Empire.' And nobly New Zealand responded to the call, sending ono after the other t<?n Contingent to South Africa. Our dear friend's bpirifi still guides her council*". Sh« is foremost in her desire to be represented in our fleet h. And now in the Imperial Capital's Cathedral — in the centre of the Empire ho nerved, we honour his memory in the land that gave him birth — as they honour it in tho land that gave him fame. "We gratefully record hh services for King and Country. We revive his example, and we deplore his loss." 'lho Duke then formally unveiled the memorial by pulling aMde the Union Jack which had been placed over the tablet. GIFT TO THE CATHEDRAL. The choir now sang Psalm XXIV. ''The Earth is the Lord's and all that therein is," after which the memorial was committed to the care of the Dean and Chapter. On behalf of the oo\ ernment and people of New Zealand, Mr. Hall-Jones handed over the memorial "lo the safe keeping of the Venerable Dean nnd Chapter ot St. Paul's." As all who had been present at the service were leaving the Cathedral a large photographic group was (taken, on the steps*. Mrh. Moricc was prevented with the two flogs— on© a Union Jack and Ihe other a New Zealand Ensign — which draped tho memorial. She will keep ore an memento, and Mr?. Seddon the othei. The amonnt paid by the Government to Sir George Frampton for the work i.« About £650.