THE LATE DR. FEATHERSTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4786, 25 July 1876, Page 3

THE LATE DR. FEATHERSTON.

PUBLIC MEETING. Pursuant to advertisement, a meeting was held in the Provincial Hall yesterday afternoon at three o’clock, for the purpose of considering the most suitable manner in which to perpetuate the memory of the late Dr. Eeatherston. There was ■ au influential attendance. On the motion of Mr. Dransfield, Mr. Hutchison, Mayor of the city, was elected Chairman. The Chairman said ;—Gentlemen,' —l thank you for asking me to preside over this meeting, which I have called in terras of a requisition addressed to me by a number of gentlemen, most of whom I see present. These gentlemen, recognising the worth and the high position which the late Dr. Featherston occupied in colonial administration, are naturally desirous that some suitable steps should be taken to preserve the memory of one so distinguished, and they will now be prepared to submit for your consideration certain. resolutions embodying their views on the subject. Beyond expressing my concurrence with the general object of the meeting, it is not for me to trouble you with any lengthened remarks ; I will only say that I feel a melancholy satisfaction in having the opportunity of bearing my testimony to the zeal, energy, and disinterestedness of Dr. Featherston —a testimony, if you will permit me to say so, possessing all the more weight inasmuch as it comes from one who had what some of you perhaps may consider the misfortune of differing from Dr. Featherston’s provincial policy. For my own part, I never consider it a misfortune to belong to a genuine honorable minority. And I see no reason why we should not respect the motives and honor the worthy achievements of those who differ from us. As I take it, gentlemen, you are not here te-day to praise a faultless individual, but to indicate your heartfelt respect for one who, with faults and failings like the rest of us, yet did his work as that of a valiant human soul, sometimes mistakenly, but always conscientiously and persistently, and did it so as to leave his mark behind him ; a man, moreover, whose name is now inseparably associated with the city and province, up and down which, in many a home won from the wilderness, as I happen to know, that name calls up the warmest recollections of tender help, as that of a woman by the bedside of the sick; and of bravery and endurance, as that of a hero in the bush and on the hill-side. Lcthorare eat orare would seem, to have been part of Dr. Featherston’s creed ; early and late he toiled at his public duty, even when his life was wearing fitfully but rapidly away. Now he is gone ; the tall spare figure, whose poi trait looks down upon this meeting, will be seen by us no more ; but he sleeps well, regretted by all and deeply mourned by many— A fiery soul, which, working out its way. Fretted the pigmy body to decay. And o'er informed the tenement of clay. I will now call upon his Honor the Superintendent to propose the first resolution. The Hon. Mr. Fitzhkrbert said: Mr. Mayor and gentlemen,—A resolution hasbeenplaced in my hands which I will read. It is as follows; — “ That this meeting desires to express its regret that by the lamented death of Dr. Featherston this province has lost one of its most able, useful, and disinterested public men. Identified as he was with the early foundation of this settlement, as well as with the growth of every portion of the province —its trusted chief and the fearless and eloquent advocate of its requirements—this meeting further considers that in addition to thus feebly paying a verbal tribute to bis memory, it is also its duty to strive to perpetuate a recollection of his eminent and thoroughly unselfish services in some enduring, public, and appropriate form ; and in such manner that all the settlers throughout the province of Wellington may be invited to contribute thereto.” You will see from the terms of this resolution that it is proposed to confine the tribute to the memory of the late Dr. Featherston to this province. We all have our individual opinions. Things strike us individually—one in one way and another in another way. Speaking therefore my individual opinion on this subject, I confess I should have preferred to have seen a proposal for a testimonial from the whole of che people of the colony. My own opinion is that our object should be to contribute towards the erection of some testimonial in memory of a great and distinguished man, who has gone from us after having devoted his life to the service of the country, and therefore the greatest honor is that which is conferred by the greatest number of the people for whom he worked so well. This, it must be recollected, is a very different thing from a private tribute to a private man who has departed from this world. If this proceeding has any meaning—and far be it from mo to say otherwise, for I believe every word uttered here is born of genuine feeling—l think the testimony should be of a general character. There cannot be a man in this province who will not bear testimony to the absolute earnestness, zeal, and unselfishness of Dr. Featherston’s career so far as the province of Wellington was concerned ; but he had a much larger sphere of usefultess. Numbers of us can remember the many years he untiringly gave to New Zealand, endeavoring to procure a constitutional form of government for this colony ; and I say that, for singleness of purpose, for accurate judgment in a work of years, that was a work not confined to this or that particular province —on the contrary, it was for the benefit of the whole colony. Then, again, when we recollect that he, in respect to native affairs, at the time of greatest peril to the colony, fearlessly acted at the risk of life, and certainly at the exercise of a degree of ability and devotion beyond all praise, to which many of us can bear absolute testimony—l say that what ho did then was not for this province only, it was for the whole of New Zealand —not for the North Island only, but for the South Island as well. Any one who remembers the perils of the country at that time will admit that his work was indeed a colonial work. During the latter part of hia life also he was engaged in important matters on behalf of tho colony as a whole. Gentlemen, I thought it right to say so much ; at the same time, I shall be ready most heartily to assist so far as I can in anything tho people may think proper to advise as a tribute to the memory of Dr. Featherston, although I do regret that the effort should not he more of a general character. Our object should ha to give the greatest tribute.- I would rather take

1000 or 2000 halfpence from so many people than two or throe thousand pounds from a few it my memory were concerned. The peculiar quality of the late Dr. Featherston was that he possessed the most manly attributes man can glory in, namely, those of courage, devotion, and untiring energy in his work; and if his memory live in the affections of the people of this province, they will take some appropriate way of testifying it. But it is by the hearty manner in which the call upon them for this purpose will be responded to, rather than the amount of the contributions, that his memory will be respected. As it frequently happens, it is our duty to acquiesce in the views and desires of those who have originated this movement; and we should be ungrateful indeed if we did not bestow some tribute to the memory of a man so great as he was, and one who has done so much for the colony. - Taking it even from a selfish point of view, depend upon it that the character of public men is a possession of the people of the country ; and I think very little of the character of any country which will allow its public men, who have done it good service, to sink into obscurity after their earthly career is ended, without making some effort to resuscitate their memory, so that they may be pointed out by those who come after us—the youth of the country, and their children after them—as as an example and a lesson. It is in that way, as it seems to me, you are very likely to rear up a number ef men who will devote themselves to public services rather than their own personal advancement in life. I will conclude by proposing the resolution I have already read. (Applause.) Mr. Ddkcan, in seconding the resolution, said ; The last thing in the world I anticipated was to be called upon to take part in the speaking at this meeting. lam very much delighted to see so good an attendance, considering the unfavorable weather 1 , but still I cannot help thinking it might have been better, when we think of the object we have in view, namely, the consideration of some means whereby we may fitly recognise the services of Dr. Featherston. With reference to the remarks of his Honor the Superintendent regarding the duty which the colony as a whole owed to so eminent a public man, I think no one will dispute that duty. I, for one, do not feel at all disposed to do so. But this I must say : I think it is a most appropriate thing on the part of the settlers of Wellington, where he lived so long, and for whom his best services were given, that they ought at any rate to initiate something of this nature. If the rest of the colonists wish to join in the movement let us invite them to do so by all means, but I must say it would be hardly fair for a small meeting like this to assume to itself the representation of the rest of the colony. Some of the settlers of Wellington have known Dr. Featherston for fully thirty-five years, ([some of us more, and I think it would be a sad thing to allow so distinguished, able, and good a man in all the relations of life to pass away without our making an effort to show that the settlers of Wellington feel for him a grateful remembrance. I could say a vast deal with regard to the services which Dr. Featherston rendered this the first settlement of New Zealand —how he fought for the rights of the people on every occasion; how he sought to obtain for us a constitutional government ; and how, when it was obtained, he saw that it was properly administered; and he never acted in any party spirit, but for the benefit of the colony generally. However, I desire studiously to avoid entering upon past party affairs, as well as touching upon the present aspect of things. I think we should be doing wrong if we did not agree heartily in the terms of this resolution.

The resolution was unanimously adopted. Mr. Brandon, M.H.E. (who spoke with visible feeling), proposed the next resolution, and said ; I find, sir, I cannot trust myself to say much towards this resolution. So much has been said about Dr. Featherston that I shall content myself with simply moving the resolution. I knew Dr. Featherston since the year 1811 —from the very beginning of 1811 —and have always looked upon him as one of the sincerest friends I ever possessed. Mr. Brandon then handed the resolution to the Chairman. It read as follows :—‘‘That whilst mourning the heavy loss the colony at large, but Wellington more particularly, has sustained—whether regard be had to his private position, as one who was always held in the highest esteem since the formation of the colony, or the satisfaction and pride felt with reference to his public career—this meeting respectfully tenders its sincere sympathy to his bereaved family, and assures them that tho honored name of Isaac Earl Featherston will be ever held in grateful remembrance by the settlers of Wellington.” Mr. George Hunter, M.H.K., said : I have been requested to second the resolution proposed by Mr. Brandon, which has just been read, and with which I heartily concur. We must all deplore the loss we have sustained in the death of Dr. Featherston, who as a public man has held a prominent place in New Zealand from first to last. lam one of those who happened in the early days of the colony sometimes to differ from him on certain points of policy ; but I never failed to recognise his sincerity of purpose, nobleness of character, and earnest desire to benefit those connected not only with this province, but the whole of New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) I know of no public man whose career has been marked by more singlemindedness, honesty, and straightforwardness than was that of Dr, Featherston. As I said before we differed ; we all differ occasionally, and must necessarily do so as long as the world is constituted as it ‘ is. We have our respective duties to perform as public men, and must perform those duties in accordance with the views we hold, and to the best of our belief and ability ; and if any man ever did this with singleness and steadfastness of purpose, that man was the late Dr. Featherston. I hope and believe that the result of this meeting will be more satisfactory than the attendance would seem to warrant; but there are reasons why the attendance should not be so numerous as might under different circumstances he confidently looked for. Meetings called for this hour of the day are seldom a success so far as attendance is concerned. I am pleased to see, however, so many influential men of Wellington identifying themselves with the movement ; and I hope some substantial recognition of ■ the services of the great man not long since departed from this life wiljl result from our meeting here to-day. I think it more particularly devolves upon the people of Wellington to take the initiative in this matter; at the same time, however, I should heartily* like to see other provinces ask to do something towards that which I regard as the legitimate object of Wellington to carry out. No doubt the people of Wellington would be glad to receive assistance from other provinces, and no doubt a great many persons outside of the province would heartily co-operate in carrying out something which should be a lasting remembrance of the gentleman whose memory we desire to perpetuate ; but I do not think an appeal should be made in that way out of Wellington. I take the liberty of expressing my opinions on this point. I know that different opinions are held by some, and should bo very glad if their view could bo adopted ; but I do not think it proper for us to put it forward as coming from the province of Wellington. It should be left to the spontaneous action of tbo other provinces. As to the resolution before the mooting, it has my hearty concurrence, as I am sure it will have throughout the length and breadth of this province. (Applause.) Mr. Duncan said, before that resolution was put, he thought it necessary to state that Sir George Grey had called upon him that morning and stated that in the first place ho had felt a delicacy about attending the meeting, as it was confined to tho settlers of Wellington, and that in the second place he was quite prevented from attending owing to important business—a meeting of Parliamentary members. At the same time, he desired to state, and have it known, that if ho could have done so without being guilty of intrusion, he should have liked to bo present to hear testimony to the greatness of Dr. Featherston, who had no greater admirer than ho (Sir George Grey) was, although they had been at one time in political life in Now Zealand very much opposed to one another.

The resolution was then put and carried. Mr. Gisborne said : Mr. Maypr and gentlemen, —Having passed unanimously the first and second resolutions, you will be no doubt prepared'for that which has been placed in my hands, and which I will read. It is as follows ;—“ That in order to carry out the preceding resolution a committee be appointed, who are hereby authorised to open subscription lists, and to place themselves in communication with settlers throughout the province, and that another meeting of subscribers be called together this day month, to decide upon the most appropriate manner in which to expend the money. Such committee to consist of the following persons, with power to add to their number ; —Messrs. Dransfield, Duncan, Woodward, Duller, L. Levy, G. Hunter, Geo. Allen, E. W. Mills, Levin, Seed, Brandon, and Buckley.” You will see that it is proposed only to commit those present to the resolution, that some tribute should be given to the memory of Dr. Feathers ton, and that a committee should be formed to communicate with the settlers of the province, the manner in which the subscriptions are to be expended to be decided afterwards. I would take this opportunity—although in no way of course wishing to dictate as to the shape which the tribute should take—to state the views which I personally entertain upon this subject. I have not much belief in inanimate monuments to great men. I believe that in giving a worthy tribute to a great man, we should as far as possible consult what we believe would have been the wishes of those men were they alive. Now, sir, from what X know of Dr. Featheraton, I do not think he would care to have himself reproduced in marble or in bronze, sitting astride some impossible horse, or standing on a pedestal pointing to vacancy in some inhuman attitude. I believe, sir, he would rather a testimonial in respect to his name should take form and substance in the shape of some beneficent institution which would do good for all time, and which would in that way be appropriate as' coupling his name with a lasting benefit to the community. I believe if we could fix upon some small amount in the way of subscription, which every man, woman, and child in the province of Wellington could contribute, as I believe they would, we should be able to raise a considerable sum, which would enable us to found an industrial school—an institution much required in this province. You and X have seen the usefulness of such institutions else where, and it would certainly be invaluable here in the reclamation of idleness and vice to a spirit of industry and virtue. I believe if we could get such a sum we should, with the aid of the Provincial Government and the City Council, be enabled to found a creditable institution, and give it the name of Dr. Feathers ton, thus paying him a tribute worthy of ourselves, and worthy also of his revered memory. I make these remarks in order that the subject may be properly considered, not only by the committee who are to be appointed, but also by the settlers whom we shall ask to subscribe towards the object we have in view. Whatever the tribute may be, at least I hope it will be worthy of Dr. Featherston and the province of Wellington. Mr. Levin said : Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen, —I feel myself specially privileged by being called upon to raise my voice at such a meeting as this. The gentlemen who preceded me have spoken eloquently as to the life and character of Dr. Featherston, and one of those gentlemen I believe from the earliest days labored and fought with him shoulder to shoulder for many years, I represent another class in the community, but one that the proposed memorial perhaps specially affects. I feel myself representing young New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) Many of my contemporaries, who have been brought up almost under the eye of Dr. Featheraton, have looked upon him during his life as a noble specimen of a man, as a character the memory of whom it is moat desirable to hold up before all persons who are mailing this country their home, and are entering on the fight of life; for he was a patriot. (Applause.) Without" going into the question as to what shape the memorial we proposed to erect shall take, I feel sure that by erecting a suitable one we shall be doing a duty to the dead and a service to the living, for we shall be able to point to it as a recognition by the inhabitants of this province of a man who for single-mindedness, nobleness, and a high sense of duty both in public and social life, will certainly never be excelled. I beg, sir, to second the resolution, Mr. Woodward : Before that resolution is put I venture to suggest that it is somewhat premature. The terms of it, to my mind, in a certain degree defeat the object we have in view. I most thoroughly agree with what has been expressed by Mr. Gisborne as to the desirableness of putting this memorial in the shape of some public institution, whether an industrial school or some other would naturally be a matter for after consideration ; but it appears to me that the subscriptions will to a certain extent depend upon the nature of the memorial you intend to erect. If we are going to erect a senseless statue, for instance, I think the subscriptions will be very small—indeed, I could even hope they might be so, but if we determine to establish a valuable and useful institution such as that mentioned, there is not a man in the province who would not feel proud to contribute towards it. I think also that this should be essentially a people’s testimonial, and that therefore a fixed subscription should be named. Those who wished to give more could easily do so. We have all members of our families whose names we could put down supposing we desired to add to the amount. I would suggest that the committee named should meet and consider the matter thoroughly, after which they could call another meeting to propose the kind of memorial they might think proper to adopt. I look upon it as a mistake to ask the settlers for subscriptions for an indefinite object. Ido not like to appear to be'moving an amendment to the resolution, but I venture to suggest that a meeting should be held in the evening, say a fortnight hence, and that the subject of what shape the memorial should take might be discussed then with greater advantage. The canvass for subscriptions could afterwards be commenced.

The Mayor thought it would he a pity to have anything in the way of an amendment proposed, and suggested that the canvass might proceed now, a meeting to bo held a month hence, at which the questions of the memorial could be fully discussed. Mr. Hunter thought great weight was to be attached to Mr. Woodward's argument. Any committee would feel themselves very much at a loss how to proceed without some definite idea of the course to be pursued. Were the memorial to take one form, 10s. might be subscribed, and for another form persons in the same position financially might be induced to give a guinea. Therefore it was desirable that something should be definitely decided on, and that something should be the most generally acceptable. With regard to the industrial school, he acknowledged the want was pressing, but it was one of those things he hoped to see brought about in another way. (Hear, hear.) He had heard it suggested that an asylum for the aged shonld be established, and he thought that idea would meet with a larger amount of decided sympathy than the other. They must look at the subject in a practical point of view. They must consider the amount required to be given for a certain purpose, how much they could raise, and how best to expend the money when they had it.

The Hon. Mr. Fitzherbem agreed with Mr. Woodward. He thought they were beginning at the wrong end. Unless they decided upon some definite object, the committee would, as it were, bo getting subscriptions in the dark. He thought, moreover, that they were wrong in not extending the movement beyond tho province of Wellington. Their purpose was to perpetuate the memory of Dr. Featheraton, and it was not by the amount of money they would moat effectually achieve that object, but by the number of those who contributed. Mr. Gisbohnb said as mover of the resolution ho cordially agreed with what had fallen from the last speaker, save in that ho was of opinion tho subscriptions should bo limited to thisi province. Mr. Smd said no one could possibly disagree

with the observations made by Mr. Woodward on this subject, and suggested that other names should be added to the committee. The Hon. Dr. Grace said he was sorry to obtrude himself upon the meeting, but he must take this opportunity of expressing the feeling that actuated him when he first heard of the movement. His first thought was that the establishment of a benevolent institution or industrial school would form a fitting memorial, but he had since thought that the most suitable means of perpetuating the memory of a man who had lived so noble a life, and who had died full of the highest honors his country could bestow upon him, would be to erect a statue in commemoration of him —to erect it as a living exemplar o' our esteem of his great merits. And when it was remembered how critical was the condition of our colony at the present time, nothing could be more important than the encouragement of high character and permanent unselfishness in our public men. He was well aware that practical beneficence afforded in itself a living exemplar of the sentiments which the public entertained; but at the same time, while he acknowledged the desirableness of erecting some institution to bear Dr. Featherston’s name, he thought they should nevertheless perpetuate his memory by the erection of such a monument as might be an object of admiration, and a work of art in the colony. Mr. Charles O’Neill, C.E., objected to the resolution being worded so as to confine the movement to the province of Wellington. Mr. Dransfield would strongly oppose the proposal to go out of the province for subscriptions if it was determined to establish a charitable institution, because it would be obtaining money to benefit Wellington under the pretence of erecting a memorial to Dr. Featherston. They should confine themselves, with singleness of purpose, to one object, namely, that of paying a tribute to Dr. Featherston alone. The Chairman stated that the form of the memorial would be a subject for the consideration of the committee, and in the meantime it could do no harm to pass the resolution. Mr. Gisborne submitted the following amendment on the body of his resolution, to meet the views of those gentlemen who had taken exception to the wording in certain places;—“That a committee he appointed to consider in what way a worthy memorial to Dr. Featherston should be established, and the best means for collecting subscriptions for that purpose ; and that a meeting be held not later than this day fortnight, at the Odd Fellows’ Hall, at 8 p.m., to consider the report of the committee and to decide on the whole question.” Mr. Duller moved, and Mr. Levin seconded, —That the name of Dr. Grace be added to the committee.—Carried. The Hon. Dr. Grace moved, and Mr. Boller seconded, —That the name of the Mayor be added to the committee.—Carried. The motion as amended was then put and carried.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings.