The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY JANUARY 13, 1891.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 8980, 13 January 1891, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY JANUARY 13, 1891.

Sir William -Fitzherbert on Friday ' last forwarded his resignation of the Speakorship of the Legislative Council to His Excellency the Governor, being compelled to adopt this course in consequence of his increasing deafness, which would render it impossible for him to perform hjs duties in the chair in an efficient manner. Sjr William Fitzherbert is one of our earliest settlers-, and belongs to a class of colonial politicans " $hq are becoming very scarce now. He arrived in Wellington in 1842, in a vessel owned by him ? and laden with his Own merctjandjse,. Jn J. 8,43 he was amongst the first to whom "Qp.yo,rnp,r Hobson offered a seat in the Legislative Council, .but which he declined. When a representative Constitution was granted to New Zealand Slv- Wfjlfam. was ..elected as a member of the Wellington Provincial Council, and as a repregerita'ive of the City of Wellington fin ' the General Assembly. In the former he in turns held the offices of Provincial Secretary and Provincial Treasurer, and in the latter he was Colonial Treasurer in the Weld « Ministry in - 1864. It jyas during the lime he held the latter ,ofijtee tbajt ne tgqk an active part in getting the seat ' of Government removed * from Auckland to Wellington. In K 1866, as Colonial Treasurer, he was entrusted with $ gpeoiaj mission to England as agent with .regard to the cjaim Ji'ajsed, by, the. Imperial Government against the colony iqjr the employment of British troops in the suppression of the native rebellion, amounting to some £750,000 ; and, after many interviews with the English' Cabinet, succeeded in obtaining a remission of the who^e amount. He then followed up his success Tjy gelling the General and Provincial Governmontß'debts/ftfriOuntmgto about £7,000,00$" consolidated 'on f v6ry"'ad-' yantageous termsj and by ( the aid of' an Imperial guarantee. On ins return to the colony he .was handsomely rewarded for ; his service^ and ? ' after various pqliticuj vjcisßf^deij, was cjfjpsen " Speaker 1 of the 'Houw of |JepFjß^fj|t^y,es fn 18^76 ? retiring in 1879, whon fte Vw"?vte4 liP-'^-Legislative Council and appointed fa the Speakership in that Chamber. About uix years ago he was selected by the House, to attend the Colonial Conference, which was b^ld f n London: ' For, many years he was drown ijiand /3flmmjsBioner of Wellington, and, retired ftt'ifye B^99^ sijty on a pension Sir William ]Pit»herbe4 fee eighty yeaia of age oh July 15th next, anq ? WMp ' from bit increasing deaf ne»», is in a fairly

career Sir William could never be regarded ns n silent man ; but Mb words often concealed liis thoughts,- and even His deeds we're not always an index of his actions. A great speech from him was an intellectual treat. During an exciting and critical debate, whilst his opponents were violently attacking him, he would sit immovable, his eyes shut, and every muscle in his face as rigid as if it were cut in marble, apparently asleep. Bat when he rose to reply the whole scene was changed. Without a note, and trusting to his memory, which never failed him, he would answer point by point, every speech of his opponents, covering them with ridicule and discredit, and apparently routing them. His debating power was wonderful, and he delighted in oral vivisection. His sarcasm was at times biting. The faults in his speeches were that he was too wordy, too slow, and too digressive, but ho was on the whole, logical and incisive, and his phrases wellchosen and expressive. Who is to be the Speaker of tho Legislative Council now that Sir William Fitzherbert has resigned ? The salary is not a large one, nor are the duties very heavy or onerous. The position, however, : is a high one, and the holder of it should be one who has attained eminence in the past for his services in the Lower House, and has retired, as it were, from an active life. We notice that Sir Harry Atkinson is mentioned, and if he would, accept the post we do not suppose there would be a voice raised against his being elevated to the Upper Chamber, nor to his being elected Speaker of it when there. But we do not think even that would suit Sir Harry's complaint. Change of scene and quietude, we should imagine, are absolutely necessary to restore him to his former state of health. A trip to England, or a tour through Europe, would probably do him good. There is another thing which makes us think it doubtful that Sir Harry Atkinson will accept the position of the Speakership, and that is Sir Maurice O'Rorke's defeat at tho last election. The Press throughout the colony almost unanimously expressed regret at his not being returned to the House of Representatives, and suggested he be called to the Legislative Council, with a view of succeeding to the Speakership on Sir W. Fitzherbert resigning. It would be a graceful act of the Ministry to get the Governor to make tti'e call, which even the most violent of the Opposition party, we feel sure, would not oppose. Sir Maurice O'Rorke without a break had been returned for the saino constituency for nearly thirty years, aDd it was only when the district he had so long represented was absorbed by a large one that he was defeated. Ho was elected Speakor of tho House in 1882, and again in 1884, and those who had the opportunity, and .were competent to pass an opinion, state that he was the ablest who had occupied the chair since the days of Sir Charles Clifford. There may be amongst the members of the Legislative Council some who consider they are entitled to the dignity ; but we cannot name them. Certainly it is none of that batch who were' '♦ pitchforked "up there by the Stout Ministry ; and the others, we darosay, would be glad to welcome Sir Maurice amongst them. How • ever, the matter will have to be arranged very quickly, for Parliament will be in sossion in the course of a few days. With all these changes in the Upper and Lower Houses it would seem 8 s if we were starting on a new career. The old aro passing away, and. new " men aro taking their places. Whether the change is for the better time alone will reveal; in the meanwhile the colony is progressing, and if our population would also increase in tho same proportion, a more prosperous country would not be found on the face of the 'Globe.