Death of an Old New Zealand Journalist

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 851, 7 January 1893, Page 2

Death of an Old New Zealand Journalist

» _ ■ ( Bichard Halkett Lord, many year* ago well known as a journalist in New Zealand, and who- was subsequently on/tfae staff off the London Punch, reoently^lied at Tayistock Hotel, London. " [The late Mr Lord was, in 1869, connected with the Napier' Telegraph, and in 1872 joined the staff of the, Wellington Post, then under the editorial control of the late Francis Giffard, an exceedingly able and powerful writer. The late Mr Mr Lord wielded a witty and trenchant pen, and his political "is&its". commanded wide attention and < general ■ admiration. Mr E. Stafford, Mr W& Fox, arid" Mr J. Yogel were the, political giants, in those days, and during the turmoil' of a great struggle for office on the par,t of two of the statesmen we have nacned, and votes were being whipped up 'for, we think, a no-confidence division, the Post published a paragraph from Mr Lord's pen, which caused a tremendous rumpus, and nearly led to the then proprietor being called before the bar of the House." The paragraph in question referred to the active part taken by a lady relative of one of the statesmen already named in the struggle, and the number of votes her influence obtained, and the writer went on to institute a comparison with this lady's tactics and those of the celebrated beauty, Khe Duchess of Devonshire, ' wHo gave a butcher a kiss- for' his vote. in the" good old election days in -England. • -Parliament became mightily indignant, and the Premier (Mr Stafford we think it was) talked of visiting the publisher with aU sorts of pains and penalties. Subsequently Mr Giffard, the Post's editor, in a powerful article, while defending the rights and liberties of the press, made the amend honorable concerning the writer's motives, and thus Parliament was placated, and the matter ended. The incident was an extraordinary one, and caused at the time great ana general interest. Mr Lord subsequently left the staff of our old contemporary and went to England, where he joined the staff of the famous London Punch, but latterly he resided in America. | '