Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 653, 18 March 1879, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1879.

On a Sunday morning, which fell on the 9th instant, there died at Ashburton, near Christchurch, m a charitable asylum, known as " The Old Man's Refuge," one whose life and actions would have filled many pages m the history of New Zealand, but for the one great failing -^bich has wrecked so many brilliant intellects. This one was Edward Jerninghain Wakefield ; a very old colonist, a man of great ability^ of enlarged views, thoroughly well read m the history of European countries of the last,, three- centures; a jgjlidly T inan, full of genei-ous instincts injhis sober hours ; but when maddened or stupified with liquor, quite intolerable to bear. The unhappy deceased arrived jn Wellington m 1839 ffl' the Surveying ship Tory, commanded by Captain. .Chaffers. : Mr. Wakefield came, to the colony as one of- the New Zealand Company's settlers. His; uncle, Colonel Wakefiekl, was the managing agent for the company, and his father was the .deservedly famous Edward Gibbon Wakefield, once a leading Wellington colonist. The deceased, Mr. E. J. Wakefield, took an active part m Wellington politics m the early days. He was elected as a member of the Provincial Council, and at once was made leader of the Opposition, the provincial Government then consistirfg of Dr. Featherston as Superintendent, and Mr. Fox and Mr. Fitzherbert as his executive. Mr. Wakefield oi-gariised his party, carried a vote of "no confieence " against the 'Provincial Government and drov.e them out.of of office. For some nine months, held office as Provincial Secretary ; but ultimately the 6tW party defeated him. Of the othei' ; features of Mr. Wakefield 's psteevj we need not say much m cletafl: He : explored a large portion of the North Island, and the record of his journeyings is to be found m an interesting book entitled " Adventures m New Zealand." After remaining a number, of years m Wellington, he went to Canterbury, and took up land there. In that province, he became a patron: of the turf, •; and took an active part m racing. Originally possessed of large means, an extravagant — not to say — riotous

system of living, m the course of time brought his fortune to a low ebb. Then the vice of intemperance, to which he was addicted, gradually grew upon him, and the once brilliant writer and 'speaker — the dashing sporting man — the bon vivant, and proverbially good fellow — was transformed into a mere wreck, the shadow of his former self. Curiously enough, when things were at their worst with Mr. "Wakefild, the working men of Christchurch city elected, him as their representative m the General Assembly m 1870. It was then hoped that Mr. iWakefielcl would take a .'fresh, departure j; .but alas? lie did not do so". He gradually fell lower and lower ; he did not venture to stand at the next general election, and now, poor felldw, he has died m an alms-house m Canterbury. Such is the work of drink — the destroyer. Mr. "Wakefield was a man .of high ability — he was a brilliant speaker, an excellent newspaper writer, and an exceedingly well-read .man. We believe that he' leaves a "widow and several children, but for many yeai-s he has been separated from his family. "We think that the State, and, indeed, the people of New Zealand as a whole, ought to do something for the children of the clever, the brilliant, the accomplished — andthe utterly lost Edward Jerningham Wakefield.