DEATH OF SIR FREDERICK WHITAKER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2290, 8 December 1891, Page 3

DEATH OF SIR FREDERICK WHITAKER.

Auckland, Dec. 4. This afternoon Sir Frederick Whitaker was seized with a fatal illness at his office. Mr Buddie andi Mr Mason had occasion to go to Sir Frederick’s room about 3 o’clock, when they found him sitting in his chair unconscious. Dr Haines was called, and ordered his immediate removal to his home in Symonds street, but Sir Frederick Whitaker died shortly after he reached his residence. The cause of his death was paralysis. He had a severe shock of that kind in June last and was in failing health since that time. The attack which caused his death was a sudden one, as Sir Frederick appeared in excellent health in the morning, and transacted his business as usual. The Hon. Sir Frederick Whitaker, C.M.G., was born in 1812, at Bampton, Oxfordshire, England. He studied for the law and was admitted to practice in 1839. He left in the following year for Sydney, but shortly after arriving there came on to New Zealand, landing at Kororareka, then the seat of Government. He removed to Auckland in 1841, and has resided there ever since. His first appointment in 1843 was to the position of county judge. He served in the New Zealand Militia, holding the commission of major, when the northern insurrection broke out, and did garrison duty in Auckland when that city was threatened. He was elected member of the first Auckland Provincial Council, held office as Provincial Solicitor and also as Superintendent. He was nominated to the Legislative Council by Governor Fitzroy. When the Domett k Ministry was defeated in 1863, Sir W. Fox was sent for, and he formed a Ministry, of which Mr Whitaker was Premier. The Ministry and Sir George Grey did not get on very well together, and the frequent memoranda between tjiem led Mr Fitzgerald to declare that the colony was living under a Meraorandumiad, The Fox-Whitaker Ministry gave way to the Weld Ministry and their self-reliant policy. In 1876 ho joined the Atkinson Ministry as Attorney-General after voting with Sir George Grey on the separation resolutions, and he has been associated with Sir H. Atkinson up to last year. Sir Robert Stput ? who presided at Mr Pinkerton’s meeting, said the meeting would notice by the papers that evening that New Zealand had, lost one of her oldest settlers and one of her ablest men. He alluded to the death of Sir Frederick Whitaker. Although he was not always on the Liberal side, hg was a many sided man, and a man of even Radical ideas, and whether one agreed with him or pot one could not help being pleased to meet him. He was a man of great kindliness, and there was this to be said about him: that although he might differ from one there’ was nothing rancorous ip his difference. He was also a man of great ability—of far greater ability than he appeared to the general public, and it was only fit that he should say these few words of tribute to his memory that night.