SIR WILLIAM FOX.

Otago Witness, Issue 2181, 19 December 1895, Page 10

SIR WILLIAM FOX.

fIR WILLIAM FOX was born in Durham in June, 1812. Taking his arts degree of M.A. at Oxford in 1839, he was called to the bar in 1842. At this time the New Zealand Company had fairly launched on its scheme of New Zealand colonization, and in the early part of 1842 Mr. Fox published a small pamphlet of twenty-four pages, entitled " Colonization and New Zealand," in which he gives a short history of the movement, defends its principles, and recommends immigration. As an appointee of the Company he sailed in the barque George Fyfe in June, 1842, arriving at Wellington after a five months' voyage. Amongst his fellow passengers were Messrs. Vavasour and Charles Clifford. In 1843 he was appointed the Company's resident agent at the settlement of Nelson in place of the

lamented Captain Arthur Wakefield, who was one of the victims of the terrible Wairau massacre. This position he filled with great energy, courage, and success, surrounded as he was by the difficulties of a trying time — native threats, the complaints of disappointed settlers, and the demands of the working labouring class, who, even so early posed as the unemployed. In 184S Colonel Wakefield, the Company's principal agent, died suddenly at Wellington, and Mr. Fox was appointed to succeed him. As before he discharged the onerous duties well. Unlike his predecessor he was a remarkably quick dispatch writer. About this time the great question of self-government exercised men's minds. Into it, and as a warm supporter, Mr. Fox threw himself with

characteristic energy. At the request of the Wellington settlers he visited the Home Country in ISSO as an exponent of these views, and in furtherance of them, and at the request of the Duke of Newcastle he published his " Six Colonies of New Zealand.'* After the gift of Responsible Government in 1853 until his virtual retirement in 1886 Mr. Fox was actively engaged in party warfare, either as Premier, Colonial Treasurer, or Leader of the Opposition. He was an ardent Provincialist, yet curiously was one who aided Sir J.Vogel in 1875 in giving the system its death blow. In the Maori War — 1860-65 he took a \ery declared part, affirming strongly that the collision between the two races was caused by no act of the colonists, between whom and the Natives there existed the best of feeling, but through the interference and injudicious action of the Governor, who, as Imperial representative, had the special control of Native affairs, including the purchase of lands. These views he developes in unmistakeable language in his " War in New Zealand,'' 1866. He was knighted in 1579. His conjoint report with Sir F. D. Bell on Native Titles and confiscated lands commenced in 1880 was complete, and was accepted by both Natives and Europeans as a satisfactory settlement of a difficult question. For some years prior to his death he took no active part in politics, his great interest centering in the temperance question. To this he devoted himself with so much of his old energy that many characterised his work as a craze. He was wont to say that holding temperance views so strongly as he did debarred him from success with any New Zealand constituency whatever. How great a change in this respect have a few years wrought ! Sir William was quick of pen and speech, and possessed of much mother wit. His opinions, if not alwa} r s deeply founded, were at least enforced with warmth, vigour, and honest belief. He died at Auckland on June 23, 1893, a year after his wife's death.