The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1893. THE LATE SIR CHARLES CLIFFORD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2911, 1 March 1893, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 1893. THE LATE SIR CHARLES CLIFFORD.

Another of the pioneers of New Zealand and men who made tho colony has passed away. A cable message from London announces the death of Sir Charles Clifford, Bart, K.C.M.G., one of the first settlers that arrived iD the colony under the auspices of the old New Zealand Company, and one of the little band, now sadly diminished in numbers, th*t agitated for representative institutions before the Constitution Act, granting self-government to New Zealand, was passed by the Imperial Parliament. Mr Clifford was a member of an old Roman Catholic family in England, and came to New Zealand in 1843, takiug up, shortly afterwards, depasturing licenses in the Marlborough district, on land which includes what are now known as the Flaxbburne and Stonyhurst estates — the names being giveu after those of the great Roman Catholic seminaries which Mr Clifford attended in his school days. In 1850 Mr Clifford went Home, and his seven years' residence in the Colony having qualified him to speak with authority of its political wants and aspirations he gave valuable service during the discussions in the imperial Parliament on New Zealand matters, which at that period were of great moment. Mr Clifford gave substantial support at Home to the representations of Mr E. Gibbon Waketield, the leader in the agitation for constitutional Government. The constitution having been granted to New Zealand, Mr Clifford returned to the Colony in time to be elected to the first Parliament of JNew Zealand, of which he was elected Speaker, a position which he held until 1860. H« was knighted in 1858, arid made a baronet—of Flaxbourne, province of Marlborough—in 1887. Sir Charles Clifford has for many years resided in England, leaving ths management of his valuable estates in New Zealand to his sor> Mr G. H. Ciiftord, the popular and straight-forward racehorse owner. The estates are among those which it has bepn suggested the Government should purchase and intersect, along with Cheviot, by a railway from Canterbury to Blenheim. Sir Charles Ciiftord has for a long time taken no part in public affairs, and we cannot say whether his death may have any effect whatever, such as that of Mr Robinson has had in New Zealand, beyond the feeling of regret at the loss of one of the makers d£ the colony.