OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 880, 28 July 1910, Page 2

OBITUARY.

HON- HENRY SCOTLAND. AN INDEPENDENT LEGISLATOR. REFERENCES IN PARLIAMENT. The death of the lion. Henry Scotland, which occurred yesterday afternoon from heart failure, removes one who was, with a single exception, tho oldest member of tho Legislative Council. Mr. Scotland was a member of the Upper House for forty-two years, a period exceeded only by the Hon. W. D. H. Baillie, who has been a member for 40 years. His death leaves only seven surviving life members of = the Council—the Hons. Sir Charles Bowen, Sir Henry Miller, J, D. Ormond, C. J. Johnston, E. C. J. Stevens, Sir G. M'Lean, and "\V. D. H. Baillie. But tho career of the late Mr. Scotland was

remarkable not only for the lon;,' period of public servico winch he gave to this country, but also for the strong independence of character and of judgment, the culture and knowledge, as of an earlier day, and the straightforward integrity which he carried with him into public life. Though his opinions upon many subjects were considered too conservative and old-fashioned for a majority of the younger members round him, none could help admiring the inflexible resolution witn which ne held to whatever courso appeared to him to be right, and the vigour and directness with which he would express bis views, notwithstanding how unpopular they might be. llr. Scotland was in his Oath year, but lie appeared to be quite in his usual health till yesterday. Ho was in his place in thu Council on Friday afternoon, but did not attend when members met again at 11 p.m. to receive the Imprest -Supply Biil from the House of He did not get up yesterday morning, and about 10 o'clock I)r. Collins, a fellow-member of the .Council, saw hiin at his hotel. Apparently there was then 'nothing in his case to cause 'anxiety, but about 1.10 p.m. ha expired suddenly from heart faiiutc. Standing Alone. The late Mr. Scotland was botn near London on' July 11, 1821, and was the .son of Mr. George Scotland, C.8., Chief Justice ol Trinidad. H6 was educated ;at the Merchant Taylors School, and at St. John's College, Oxford, and was called to. the liar in 184!). lie. arrived in flew. Zealand in 1850, and was called /to the Legislative Conncil iu 18118, »a a representative, for Taranaki. . Of late years ho hud beeu living at Pain, Auckland. Mr. Scotland was often heard to commend the life period. of appoint-' rnent to the Council as against the shorter term, "stating ■ that a life member could' fay freely. what he liked, without having the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. His sturdy' independence of opinion and action. ' was strikingly displayed on the' : motion to send a contingent to South Africa to take' part in the Boer War, when Mr. Scotland was the sole opponent in the Council ,of the motion, which was carried by 3G votes to one. The amount of courage required to take this stand can only be realised when one considers'! tile excitement of the occasion, which caused members .of the Council, after they had passed the resolution, to rise and sing the National Anthem and give cheers for' Queen Victoria. "I will not vote for this motion," said Mr. Scotland. "1. would not vote for any motion of tho kind unless I were convinced in tho first place of its clear justice, and in tho ■ next place of. its absolute necessity." If the Mother Country had been in danger he would have voted at once to send troops, but he could not see that it was in danger, and ho believed also that England was bound "by treaty to respect the self-government of the Boers.. .More recently, when the question of the con- ■ iirmation of the "Dreadnought" ' offer ' was before the Couiieil, Mr. Scotland seconded, the. amendment of the Hon. J.j Itigg disapproving of the offer, the amendment being lost by 26 votes to- 2.

' ; ' '""A Touching Prescience Speaking .only, a, few weoks ago in the Upper House, Mr; 'Scotland.concluded' his remarks by expressing what may he recalled now as a, touching,. prescience of the short span remaining to him. "His speech," ho said, '"might be called the opinions of an 'old fogey'—(No, no)— but he could not help being old, and old ago had its advantages as well as its disadvantages."' ■ Ho then quoted in their full significance the imaginative words of Campbell, which are so often only partially quoted and misapplied " 'Tis the sunset of life gives me mystical, lore, And coming events cast their shadows before." It Jiad been stated for some time that Mi'. Scotland intended to retire soon from the Council. Ho leaves a widow, who is at present in Wellington, and two sons, of whom one is in Auckland and one in Rotorua. The . funeral will tako place in' Auckland on Saturday next. •

References in the House. Tho Prime Minister announced tho death of the late Mr. Scotland in the House yesterday afternoon. He stated that Mr. Scotland had been 42 years in tho Legislative Council, and died in his flOth year. He was, therefore, one of thoN very old identities, ,who were now a fastdiminishing number. Sir Joseph Ward recounted tho chief points in the career, of the late Councillor, and said he was sure-that -those— members of the - House' who had known Mr. Scotland would deeply-regret his .removal from-the LegisIttture, where lie had been a conspicuous figure for so many years, 'and lie was .sure the House would join in conveying their deepest sympathy to his widow and sons in the great loss they had sustained. The Prime Minister then moved a motion expressing the House's high sense of the faithful services rendered by the late Mr. Scotland, and tendering to his widow its assurance of sincere sympathy in her bereavement.

Mr. Massey, in seconding the motion, said that the late Mr. Scotland had been connected with tho public life of the colony from its earliest years. During .his long career ha had boon looked upon as a straight-going, out-spoken, conscientious man, a man who had the courage of his opinions, and who was , respected greatly by his fellow-colonists.. Ho had gone to his rest full of years. He believed that, he had died in harness just as a man of his strong character would have desired.

Mr. Jennings, member for Tauma#unui, said that as one who had had some associations with the late Mr. Scotland, he could only join in the views expressed by tho Prime Minister and Mr. Massey. Mr. Scotland was not tho oldest member of the Legislative Conncil, that distinction being claimed by tho Hon. "W. D. H. Baillie. He was a man of very remarkable literary and other attainments, he had been a member of the Provincial Council of Taranaki, and an aspirant for tho position of superintendent of that province. He was absolutely independent in his judgments, .and when he felt that he was right, there was no hesitation on his part in standing up against the "vox populi."

_ Mr. Russell (Avon) referred to the sincerity and independence of Mr. Scotland's character. Men like Jlr. Scotland left a mark upon public life which they could ill afford to spare.

The motion was carried unanimously, and the House adjourned.until the evening, out of respect to the memory of Mr. Scotland.