A PIONEER SETTLER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 423, 20 March 1880, Page 20

A PIONEER SETTLER.

John Wallace, who has departed this life at the ripe age of 92, at his residence, Boulcottutreet, in this city, was born 14th December, 1788, and came out to New Plymouth with Captain Dawson in the Amelia Thompson, ■Captain King, R.N., in 1841. The Messrs. Halse and ethers of the New Plymouth settlers were fellow passengers with Mr. Wallace. Prom New Plymouth he went to Nelson, after the death of S. S. Whyte, his son-in-law, a merchant, and one of the Nelson pioneer settlers.

After about two years' residence in Nelson Mr. Wallace came on to Wellington, where his family was concentrated. Previous to leaving the old country to settle in New Zealand he had led a very active literary life, and was a frequent contributor to the scientific journals of the day. His works of art also are at home in the private galleries of several noblemen and leading men of the old country, with whom he was associated. When a Constitution was granted to New Zealand, Mr. Wallace was elected one of the members for the city of Wellington in the first Provincial Council, and acted with Gibbon Wakefield (the founder of the colony), Charles (now Sir Charles) Clifford. Dr. Featherston, Dillon (now Sir Dillon) Bell, William (now Sir Wm.) Fitzherbert, William (now Sir Wm.) Fox, S. Revans, A. de B. Brandon, Dr. Dorset, and others in passing our first provincial laws. At the opening session of the Provincial Council, on October 28, 1853, the Superintendent, Dr. Featherston, said, " I cannot forbear congratulating you upon being, after a long and arduous struggle, at length assembled under representative institution?, and upon the honorable part which you are called upon to perform in working and carrying out the most complete system of constitutional government that has ever been granted to any dependency of the British Empire, since the foundation of the early settlements in America." The " Jong and arduous struggle " that Dr. Featherston alluded to in his opening speech, all the" early settlers are familiar with. The Constitutional Association of which Mr. Wallace was an active member, had done its work when the Superintendent commenced his address to the first Council. The friendship existing between Dr. Featherston and Mr. Wallace resulted in the latter being placed in charge of the Provincial Treasury, and ultimately for his long services the Council granted him a pension which he enjoyed for several years. His second son, Howard Wallace, who is still one of our active citizens, was one of the pioneer settlers,

having arrived in the colony with the fir.-t batch of colonists, January 22, 1840. The late James Smith, also one of our earliest and most enterprising settlers, was a son-in-law of the late Mr. Wallace, having married Mr. Whyte's widow. Mr. Wallace has left a tolerably large family of children, grandchildren, and great-grand-children.