NEW ZEALAND'S PREMIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8138, 21 June 1906, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND'S PREMIERS.

Commenting on the death of Mr Seddon, the Lyttelton " Times " points out tliat he was the fifteenth of the colony's I'remiers since the establishment of responsible Government in ISSK, niul his Ministry was the twentysevonth. The colony's first Premier, of course, watf James Edward Fitzgerald, who resigned over a difference with the Acting-Governor, General Wyn yard. Mr Fitzgerald subsequently served the colony lons and usefully as Auditor and Comptroller-General. Henry Sewell's name has the honor of standing at the head of the list of Premiers under responsible Government. Like Fitzgerald, he was intimately connected with the early days of Canterbury. Sewell was succeeded, after his brief term of ollice, by William Fox, the leader of the so-called Philo-Maori Party. He was ousted by Edward Stafford, who carried on until 18(51. Both these leaders, who wore eventually to be knighted, held ollice on subsequent occasions, Stafford scrv-

nig in all for about nine years. Mr Sewell died in England in 1879, Si" William l f ox in Auckland in 1893, nf- I ter a long and useful life, and Sir Jidward Stafford, retiring from politics in • his fifty-eighth year, sought rest in the J Old Country, where lie died. Dom- , ett's excursion into politics lias been t regarded as only an incident in n career that was realiy literary, but it extended over many years, and involved much hard and uiicongeiii:il work. He died at Home 111 18S7. Sir Fredrick Whitaker, who succeeded him, . remained in harness until within a 3 year of His death. He went out of s ollice Willi Sir Harry Atkinson in January, 1801-, and died m December. Sir - Harry himself entered the House of r Representatives in 18(>3, the year when Sir Frederick Whitaker firs' to:>'.£ ollice, and died, practically :.i [ harness, in 1892. Another prominent 1 figure among the Premiers of the seveni ties was, of course, Sir Julius Vogel, c whose a had features of brilliance and sensationalism entirely 1 its own. His Premiership lasted less ' Jiaa three years, although ho was i u

office us Minister for a very much longer period. To this decade belong also Ml- Waterliouse, who had been Premier of South Australia before he came to New Zealand ; Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, who subsequently held various appointments under the Colonial Office ; and Dr. Pollen, whoso Premiership was a brief incident m a 10113 Ministerial career. Sir George Grey ruled for a ccuple ot years at the end of the seventies, aud Sir John Hull, happily still with us, was called to the bridge 111 1871). Sir Robert Stout, also, is still serviug the colony in a distinguished olliee. Mr Ballance, who was, of course, Mr Seddon's chief and predecessor, completes the ta'e of past Premiers.