THE CAREER OF THE LATE DR FEATHERSTON.

Southland Times, Issue 2482, 22 July 1876, Page 3

THE CAREER OF THE LATE DR FEATHERSTON.

The 'Wellington Evening Post furnishes the following biography of the late Dr Peatherstbn froui the pen of Mb friend, Dr Buller :— Dr Isaac Earl Featherston, the fourth son of Mr Thomas Featherston, of Blackdean, Weardale, and Cotfield-house, in the V county of Durham, was born on the 21st March, 1813. He received bis early education at the private school at Tamwortb, and subsequently in Italy. He afterwards studied at the Edinburgh University, where he graduated M.D. in 1836. In 1839 he married the daughter of Mr A. Scott, of iMnburgh ; and in the following year, on account of ill-health, he emigrated to New Zealand. He settled at Wellington, and immediately took a leading part in the politics of the country, especially in advocating the immediate introduction of represetatative government. He was presented in 1851 with a service of plate by the purchasers of land under the New Zealand Company, "in testimony of his strenuous exertions in advocating their claims and bringing them to a successful issue ." ( )n the inauguration , in 1853, of the New Zealand Constitution Act, he waa elected first Superintendent of'the Province of Wellington, and he held that office continuously for eighteen years, having been elected six times during that period, fie was elected member of the House .of Representatives for the district of Wanganui on the first meeting of Parliament in 1853 ; subsequently represented the city of Welling ton, and held a seat in the House up to the time of his departure from the colony in 1871. He has been a member of two Ministries, in one of which he held office for a short period, as Colonial Secretary ; and he has been specially employed by the Government of the country on various important missions. He succeeded in establishing steam communication between Melbourne and Wellington; and he afterwards negotiated a contract between the Governments of New South WsJes and New Zealand and the P.N.Z. and A.R.M. Company for the establishment of a .mail service between New South Wales, New Zealand, and Panama. In 1869 he proceeded to Australia at the request of the Government and Parliament of New Zealand for the purpose of urging General Sir Trevor Chute, then commanding H.M. Forces in Melbourne, to take upon himself the responsibility of retaining the troops in New Zealand pending further reference to the Imperial Government— a responsibility which the General, much to his credit, readily under- j took. Immediately on his return to the Colony he was appointed special commissioner, with Sir Francis Dillon Bell as his colleague, to proceed to England for the purpose of urging on the Imperial Government the retention of the troops in New Zealand, in which object the comrnisgioners failed, although they succeeded in inducing E-M. Ministers to guarantee a loan of a million for opening up inland communication within the Colony, and thereby giving employment to the native tribes and rendering the removal of the troops less hazardous. Upon returning, j on the day of bis arrival in New Zealand, he was offered the appointment of AgentGeneral for New Zealand, which he retained up to the time of his death. On his departure from Wellington his fellowcolonists presented him with a service of plate, of the value of 300 guineas. Dur ing his Superintendency, rebellion among the native tribes was raging for many years, and it was acknowledged that the peace of the Province of Wellington was maintained mainly through Dr Featherston's personal influence with the leading chiefs, which was often exercised at the peril of his own life. When General Chute contemplated a campaign on the West coast, it was only through Dr Featherston 's influence that a contingent of native tribes— whose co-operation was deemed essential— could be induced to take the field, and after fighting had commenced they insisted on being led into action by Dr himself. To show the value of these services, it is sufficient to quote the following extract from General (Sir Trevor Chute's despatch to hit Excellency the Governor, under date 12th February, 1866 :— " It is hardly possible for me to convey to your Excellency how much I feel indebted to Dr Featherston, Superintendent of this province, for his able advice on all subjects connected with the Maoris. He accompanied me throughout the campaign, iharing all our dangers and privations, and rras present at each engagement and assault. I am particularly obliged to him for the zeal with which he has at all times labored to obtain information of the movements and positions of the rebels, which it would have been almost impossible for me to acquire without his assistance." It may be further stated that General Sir Trevor Chute, when recommending Dr Featherston for the New Zealand Cross, sanctioned by her Majesty for personal valor before the enemy and intrepid devotion to the public service, j made use of the following words :— " I venture to bring more particularly under j the notice of your Excel) ency and Go- j Ternment the intrepid devotion of this officer to the public service on the occasion of the assault and capture of that almost impregnable stronghold, the Otapawa Pa, the occupants of which were ! under the delusion that it could not be taken. The conspicuous gallantry dis- i played by this officer at the storming of that pa, in leading the native contingent into action, almost at the sacrifice of his i own life, not only elicited my warmest j approbation but the admiration of the ■whole force present on that memorable occasion, As I have already acknowledged in my despatches the eminent services rendered to me by Dr i eatherston throughout the campaign, I now consider it my imperative duty to recommend this ofifcer in the strongest terms for the distinctive decoration of the New Zealand Cross; in recognition of his meritorious and intrepid services during the period referred to and more particularly at the storming and capture of that formidable pa, Otapawa, where I must in truth say Dr Featherston so exposed himself in the ■ervice of his Queen and Country as to become, as it were, a target for the enemy's fire— thus by his noble example stimulating the courage of the native allies." The paper containing many fine points '^ppperefpio!?,