NOTABLE NEW ZEALANDERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 2

NOTABLE NEW ZEALANDERS

GREAT FIGURES IN HISTORY By Guy H. Scitolefield, 0.8. E., D.Se, F.R.Hist.S. lI.—SIR FREDERICK WHITAKER (1812-01). (Copyright.) No figure was more prominent in the political world of Now Zealand tbrougnout the greater part of the nineteenth century than that of Sir Frederick Whitaker, Ho came to New Zealand almost before British sovereignty, and stayed the course of public life right up to the day of his death in 1891. Whitaker was born in Oxfordshire in 1812, of an old county family. His father, Frederick Whitaker, was deputy lieutenant of the county. Whitaker had a legal education in London, and in 1929 was admitted to practice. At the md of that year he sailed for Australia, landing in Sydney in 1840. With little delay ho crossed to New Zealand and commenced practice at Kororareka. He followed the Government when it moved to Auckland in 1841. In the following year he was appointed a judge of the County Court, but when this was abolished in 1844 he returned to practice

as the leading counsel in the little community. He was one of the three first non-official members appointed to the Legislative Council by Pitzroy (June, 1844), and he resigned with DonneJy and. Heale early in the following year to make way for reforms of the Council. During the fighting in the north (1845-6) Whitaker served in the militia with the rank of major, and he was on garrison duty in Auckland when the Natives came down as far as the Whau portage and threatened the city. About this time ne •was interested in partnership' with Heale in an attempt to develop copper mining at Kawau and the Great Barrier, but without much financial success. He paid a visit to England in 1846, and returned to the colony in 1848.

Throughout these years the question of a Constitution for the colony was under discussion and Whitaker took his part in the controversy. When the elections for the Legislative Council of Few Ulster were held in September, 1852, he was returned as one of the three members, for Auckland City. The Council was not convened owing to the promulgation within a few months of the new Constitution. Wbeh the various legislative bodies were constituted under this Act Whitaker played a very prominent part. In May, 1853, he was nominated a member of the Legislative Council, In March, 1854, be was appointed by Wynyard to the executive of th„- province of Auckland, and be served In that capacity until January, 1855. He was not actually a member of the Provincial Council until October, 1854, when he was elected for the Suburbs of Auckland. Within a few months several political opportunities presented themselves to his acceptance. In March, 1855. the Superintendeney of the province fell vacant owing to the resignation of Wynyard, and Whitaker coo tested it against William Brown. Brown himself retired before the end of the year. Again, Whitaker was in the lists (and again without success) against Logan Campbell. Thus for the time he severed his connection with provincial politics. Meanwhile he attended the first session of the General Assembly (May August, 1854) and took bis part in the constitutional controversy. In the session of 1855 Swainson relinquished the speakership of the Council and Whitaker was nominated in his place. He took a strong attitude on the question of responsible government, and when this was brought into force in May, 1856, he became Attorneyrgeneral in Sewell’s shqrt-lived first Ministry. This, of course, involved his resignation from the Speakership. Within a fortnight he was back on the Treasury benches as Attorney-general in Stafford’s- Ministry, which held office for the next five years. Meanwhile Whitaker’s legal reputation advanced apace. For 30 years he was the only alternative Attorney-general. When the Government was defeated on its Native policy in 1861, he entered into partnership with Thomas Russell, and they quickly built up a flourishing legal practice. In 1863 he was again called in by Domett as Attorney-general, but not in a Ministerial capacity. In October, however, Domett was defeated and Whitaker was summoned to form a Cabinet in coalition with Fox. His partner, Thomas Russell, was a colleague. This w’as a stormy period in New Zca land history. The colony was in financial difficulties owing to the extravagances of the provinces, and was faced with a Maori war. of which none could foresee the limits. Whitaker drafted far-reaching measures for dealing with the Native question. The Ministry fell in November, 1804, owing to a difference of opinion with Grey as to the conduct of the war. Whitaker was now a private member for 12 years. But he had his hands full in his own province. In October, 1865, he was elected unopposed as Superintendent of Auckland. The fight between the provinces and the central Government was steadily becoming more intense, and Auckland was losing the scat of government. Whitaker seized the opportunity in February. 1860, of entering the House of Representatives as member for Parnell. His private interests suffered by bis devotion to public affairs. He had invested heavily in sundry land and mining enterprises which wore embarrassed. He had onerous duties to carry out as director of the New Zealand Sugar Company, the. Bank of New Zealand, the New Zealand and River Plato Mortgage Company, and the Equitable Life Assurance Company of New York and as chairman (from the beginning) of the Auckland Gas Company. Early in 1867 he retired from the Superintendeney of Auckland ami from the House to give his attention to his own affairs. When, at last, in 1876, he was able to think of re-entering polities he was returned unopposed for the Waikato scat. Towards the end of the year Atkinson came into office and appointed Whitaker his Attorney-general. On the reconstruction of the Ministry a week or two later Whitaker was designated as the Minister with precedence, was given charge of the Post and Telegraphs, and allowed to reside in Auckland. The Ministry went out ol office in 1877. At

the general election of 1879 Whitaker abandoned Waikato and offered himself at Mount Eden, but was defeated by Tole. When Hall took office in succession to Grey (1870) he wanted Whitaker as Attorney-general and accordingly had him called again to the Legislative Council, where he acted as b arter for the remainder of Hall’s term. Once more Native legislation got the Government into trouble. When Hall resigned Whitaker was called upon to reconstruct the Ministry, and he held office as Premier until the end of 1882, when he resigned to devote himself once more to his private affairs. This withdrawal from the leadership, which appeared to be final, was marked by the honour of K.C.M.G., conferred upon the veteran politician in February, 1884. Three years later, however, Atkinson again called on him as Attorney-general and leader of the Upper House. The end of that Parliament found him in failing health and he resigned the leadership of the Council (December, 1890). He died on December 4, 1891. Whitaker was not a man of high culture, but he was shrewd, cautious, farsighted, watchful and very industrious. He always did the lion’s share of the work of a Ministry. He was expert at drawing bills, was a sound and practical speaker without any particular grace of style. Gisborne considers that he was probable the most remarkable man in New Zealand, not because he was most in the foreground, but because in the background be exercised great influence on the political affairs of the country. “ He has been the rudder more than the figurehead of the State vessel. He has no taste for public performances. He sits in seclusion and invisibly weaves the warp and the woof for public use.” For 40 years he was an appreciable factor in the history of New Zealand, yet he was never popular. In the Whitaker-Fox combination his superior mind dominated that of Fox, especially in regard to the Native question. Whitaker was at one time president of the Auckland Law Society and a member of the council of Auckland University College. He married a daughter of Alexander Shepherd. One son, Frederick Alexander Whitaker, who pre-deceased him, was member .for Waipa 1879-84.