New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1875.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4341, 17 February 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1875.

The, telegram we /.published yesterday; raorning,;as .to ~the. state, of the health of ‘Mr,- John Williamson, the Superintendent of ;the Province of Auckland; left .but little room for . hope .‘that the issue would be other than it has proved to be. Early in the forenoon the wires conveyed the information that he had not survived the some,what sudden'•'and: severe 1 attack of illness .which. had ‘ seized him at the Tliariies, of\iminedi!i,tely. on his return to Auckland * from,, his yisit to 'that district, and that a kindly soul: had gone to its rest. ; . . .. ~ Without pretending' tp''write a biography of the deceased,, we feel,that there is enough in the colonial history of , the late'member for Auckland, City \Yest to justify more than - a passing'notice. He was one of ' the earliest arrivals in the province' of Auckland,; with which his name has ever since been identified. A printer by profession—a member of that ancient order which had some pretensions to call itself the fourth, estate, had the right to claim the title of esquire, and the members of which were by law entitled to wear a sword —he early became the publisher/ arid proprietor of the New Zealander , which Was for many years the leading newspaper in Auckland—and in -New Zealand. In the management of that journal he displayed at once great originality and spirit; and, as time passed on, an independence that “ led on to fortune,” but at last led beyond it. His social position naturally brought the proprietor of the New Zealander to the front ; and as Mr. Williamson was not indisposed to accept the responsibilities which that, high position threw upon him; and as on many of the more momentous occasions that have cropped up in the history of the colony he was unable to agree with the powers of the day, and took an independent course, it is scarcely surprising:—in the circumstances of the times —-that he suffered by his devotion to what he believed to be his duty to the Maori as well as the white public, and that, the New Zealander, after a long, career of success, at last succumbed. ;■ ■

Mr. Williamson,, however, had many opportunities as a journalist to serve the colony in other ways, on which there could be no diversity of opinion, and he did so most successfully. He was one of the promoters of the Bank of New Zealand, which in its initiation owed not a little to his efforts. He was also one of the founders of a scarcely less successful association/the New Zealand. Insurance Company, with which he retained his connection to the last. / .It may be said of the deceased that he thoroughly identified himself with the province with which he first became connected. There was never a public company projected : there with which he was not more or less connected ; and though, unfortunately, it cannot be said that he was always successful, there is mot the least doubt that his influence and example did a very great deal towards the development of : the 'resources of the province. ■ . ' : ■ For many years past the deceased was, directly interested in" the .Government of the province of Auckland. We shall not speak historically of his elections to the Superintendoncy of the province, but we may allude to the last contest for that' office, in which he fought a very brave fight, i and in 1 which .'his popularity was tested by the large number of voters who polled for him, in despite of a very strong opposition; In' Parliament his, views .were opposed to those of the ■ Government, especially on the Anti-Pro-vincial question. , , On . the proposition of those resolutions introduced by Mr. Vogel, and. especially in reply to a sug'seethed to' be directly intended for the Superintendent of Auckland—he made a speech, in opposition which was characterised by great power, and, so far as the-matter had. a personal aspect, by great , dignity and feeling. It was felt, however,- that the appeal was one from a political warrior who had lost, and who was gathering his mantle around hini’for a graceful fall. ’ Mt.WILLIAMSONhad seen orapproached his. sixtieth year, and the .incidents’'.of a colonial life had told _ severely upqn him. He was older than his, years had marked him. It was evident, during his attendance at the, last: Parliament, that : the bow-was becoming, unstrung. - The,exertion of the previous contest, for, the Superintendency, in the courae of which ho -had visited the remotest districts of the province, had, told heavily 'upon him. *-- Since the session’ closed, the ’telegraph and tho journals of Auckland have made us, aware that the Superintendent: of tlie province was not content to lie in a!- bed of down. Perhaps .the proposal that the Superintendent and, the

Provincial .Secretary should together’visit England,- at the expense of the province, hAdfits originin a:;feeling-that such ao ichange as a visit to mothjeij country ihrings about was necessary tortile ; rehaj)|l& (tation of his sysceuo-. If so, it is greatly io'be regretted that it was not carried out. It is traclthat Mr. Williamson jtas thoroughly devoted to tho maintenaneg of the prelerit/ provincial seberhe.'" He expressed himself fearlessly in'Parliament':on the subject;he has been the. medium, of communication' between Sir George GREY'arid'the public 'in the' matter ■" ''and' he 'was “an active agent in the proposal that the Knight of Kawau should enter Par--liainent as the . champion of Provincialism. 1 But the loss of the Provincial party in his death will not be greater than that of the public at large; for it is admitted on all sides that ,/ 1 honest John” xyas incorruptible ; that he was a thorough patriot; and ’that whether he might be right or wrong on any question of the day, his opinion was at-least ; sincere,' 'and his great desire the prosperity of New Zealand.