THE LATE MR SEDDON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8160, 14 June 1906, Page 5

THE LATE MR SEDDON.

MESSAGES FROM AUSTRALIA. Received June 13, 9.58 a.m. SYDNEY, Juoe 13. Telegrams and resolutions of sympathy continue to come to the Premier from various institutions in the oountry for transmission to New Zealand. Tbe Sydney City Counoil, on the motion of the Lord Mayor, carried in silence, a resolution expressive of Mr Seddon's splendid services to New Zealand, Australia and the Empire. Mrs Seddon, through the Hon. J. H. Carruthers, Premier, conveyed her grateful appreciation of the sym pathy reoeived from all quarters.

MR SEDDON'S SUCCESSOR. Received Juuo 13, 9.58 a.m. SYDNEY, Jane 13. The Morning-Herald, in an article, eays:—"Hon. W. Hall-Jones(Acting-Premier) forms a stop-gap, but S'r Joseph Ward is the inevitable successor of Mr Seddon. His long association with the late Prime Minister must count for much, but if the Hon. W. P. Reeves would return to polities be might be a formidable competitor. The question naturally arises whether Sir Joseph Ward can carry the burden laid down to the limit which seemed to have been set only by Mr Seddon's continued willingness to bear it,4iad he lived. It may be tnat his death will hasten the appearance of a new force, the organised Labour party. Sir Joseph Ward will find himself, sooner or later, face to face with the three-party system." Received June 13, 9.35 p.m. LONDON, June 13. Sir Charles Dilke, presiding at a gathering representing nearly all sections of the. House of Commons, in moviag a motion of oondolenoe, eulogised Mr Seddon's services. Mr Cathcart-Wason seconded the motion, which was carried unaniwopsly* Sir Joseph Ward replied on behalf of the bereaved family and the people of New Zealand.

"A GREAT ADMINISTRATOR."

Received Jane 13, 11.5. p.m. LONDON* June 13. Mr J. Chamberlain, in a letter to the Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, stated: "The Empire has lost one of its noblest citizens and the oo'ony a great administrator."

NATIVE SYMPATHY.

WANGANUI, June 13. On the Native Liand Court assembling this morning, several prominent Natives requested Judge Jones to |adjourn the proceedings out of respect to the memory of tlje deceased Premier. The Natives feelingly referred to Mr Seddon as their father and parent, saying their grief was great. They had suffered irreparable loss, which not only the nation but the whole world, would feel. "A shining star had set for ever." His Honor, in adjourning the Court, said he appreciated the desire of the Natives to honour the dead. No man had done more than the deceased statesman to blend the two raoes and save t the Maoris from extinotion.

A MESSAGE*FROM THE NATIVE MINISTER. The following telegram was sent by the Native Minister (Hon. J. Carroll) to Mr A. L. D. Fraser, M.H.K.:— "My friend. Our parent has responded to the final call. He has gone, falling at the hands of the sole arbiter and vanquisher. Go, you the guide of the oanoe of destiny (Haere to Kaihautu o to Waka), the anchorage ground of tribal welfare; go by the paths trodden by history, worn by the illustrious dead. To us alone is the valley of sorrow. Enough, friend. We bow to death. Yet in thia we flad la, weaving influence' (tatau a tuitui), an influence that binds and bids us to be strong. Differences and divergences of yore should pass away, and in their place here should arise a monument to our

dead, the lessoo from whioh should be a new horizon—the horizon of great workß to do. This work done, no more sacred shrine oould be ereoted to apeak of him who sowed the seed."

THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION,

WELLINGTON June 13,

The Hon. W. Hall-Jones has handed the following statoment to the press for publication:—"The constitutional position has been carefully considered, and there is no doubt aB to the course whioh should ■be followed. A Prime Minister mast be appointed, and meet Parliament. His Exoellenoy has done me the honour to request me to take the position, and iu the circumstances 1 considered it my duty to accept. Though quite unfettered aa to tny action, I have informed His Exoellenoy as to the course whioh 1 feel myself in honour bound to follow. Sir Joseph Ward, wno in the ordinary course would ([have been sent for, is out of the colony, in his absenoe there must be a Premier. I believe the people of New Zealand have confidence in my desire and resolve to do that which is in accordance with their wishes and the dictates of my own honour." NEWSPAPER COMMENTS.

"We do not doubt," say? the'Lyttelton 'limos, editorially, "that Mr Hall-Jones will be loyal to the party, aud that any arrangement of portfolios that may be made now will be ouly tentative, pendiug the return of Sir Joseph Ward. -Whether the country oan carry on constitutionally without a regular Ministry for six or seven weeks is a question upon which the authorities seem to have no clear opinion, Cut there is really no difficulty to be met, because the Governor has culy to ask the Act-ing-Premier to form a Ministry and the thing will be done, the present Ministers remaining in office. We see no reason, ourselves, why the Governor should nut communicate with Sir Joseph Ward and seek his advice, but constitutional usage is a terribly oppressive master, and the oulony might cease to exist if the Premiership were not offered to a man who could actually speak to the Governoi face to face. Whatever the temporary arrangement may be, however, the party will have to be consulted as to the permanent appointments. " "Mr Seddon's death deems to give Mr Hall-Jones the chance of a lifetime if he has the ambition and the ability to become Premier of the colony," comments the Timaru Herald. "If Sir Joseph Ward had not been called away by the Postal Conference at Rome, ho would, of course, have been Acting Premier, and he would unquestionably have suooeeded Mr Seddon in the leadership of the party. But it seems evident from the opinions and statements we publish this morning, that Parliament must meet before Sir Joseph can possiblj return to New Zealand, and also that his Excellency must at once commission somebody to form a Ministry for the administration of the oountry's affairs. The authorities we have, consulted appear to take it for granted that the absent PostmasterGeneral is in be the next Premier, and that Mr Hall Jones will keep the position warm for him until his return. Very probably that is what will occur, but Mr Hall-Jones has an exiellent opportunity for a coup d'etat if he feels disposed to use it. If be possesses the qualities of leadership there is no reason why he should not accept the Governor's commission to form's Ministry, aud stick to offloe until a stronger party turns him out. it is just possible that he could command as strong a following among the Government members as Sir Joseph himself can do, and that he might be able to force thn latter- to remain a subordinate member of the Cabinet. We do not suppose Mr Hall-Jones will act in this way, but there is the opportunity, for a strong man, and the member for Timaru would not be the first politician who has seized his' opportunity for grasping the reins of power." "If Sir Joseph Ward were in the colony it would be to him, it is perfectly clear, that Lord Plunket would turn in the present emergency," J-uns the editorial opinion of the Otago Daily Times. "It is suggested in one or two interviews that Mr Hall-Jones will merely hold the Premiership temporarily—ao Sir William Fox did for a mouth in£lß73, pending the arrival of Sir Julius Vogel from the did Country—and that, on the return of Sir Joseph Ward to the colony, he will tender his resignation of the Government and recommend that Sir Joseph be sent for with a view to the formation of a new Cabinet. That is certainly what most people mnst regard ob the probable course of events." The journal then submits that the reconstruction of the Cabinet, which is held to be urgently needed, will be left for Sir Joseph Ward to tackle. "There ia some authority," it is added, for "the statement that, when Parliament meets this month, an adjournment will be asked for by the Government, after necessary supplies have been granted, and in the speoial conditions that have arisen it is hardly to be apprehended that serious objection can be raised to an application of this kind." The Times contends that the adjournment will be really for the purpose of enabling "Sir Joseph to return and to assume the position of Premier, in which, in our judgment, he is entitled, by virtue of bis great ability as well as of the services he has rendered to his party, to be placed."

MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY. WELLINGTON, June 13. The , Anting - Premier forwards ooplea of the following telegrams which among others have been sent direct to Mrs Seddon: - "My deepest sympathy with you."—John Wood, Mayor of Wigau, Lancashire. "Our sympathy."—J. P. Lube, Penzance. "Profound sympathy from St. Helens."—Martin, Mayor of St. Helens, Lancashire. "Deepest sympathy from North of England Association," Kimberley, South Africa. "The Borough Oouu-

oil and people of Kimberley offer sincere sympathy to yourself and family on decease of your husband, whose death 1 regard as a national loss" Mayor of Kimberley. "Deepest sympathy with yourself and family and New Zealand people" —Colonel and Mrs Dalrymple, Johannesburg. "Admiration for a great man prompts our deepest sympathy. "—-New Zealand Club, Pretoria. "Navy League deeply sympathise and deplore the great Imperial lobs in its New Zealand President."—London. "On behalf of the House of Assembly 1 beg to tender you and your family sincere sympathy on the loss of the Right Hon. Kichard Seddon."— Jenkin Coles, Speaker, Adelaide. "Deepest sympathy."— Constance Gaskell (nee Lady Constance Knox),, Uungannon, Ireland. "Most deeply grieved; heartfelt sympathy."—Lady Kanfurly, Dungannon, Ireland. "Deeply regret irreparable loss to yourself and New Zealand " Cbambeilain, Birmingham. "Sinoerest sympathy."—Dudley Alexander, Dungannon, Ireland. Received June 13, 9.33 p.m. StfDNUY, June 13. The New Zealand residents in Sydney have decided to forward the followng resolutions to Mrs Seddon:—"We, New Zealanders in Sydney, desire to place on permanent record our sense of the deep personal loss by the death of Mr Seddon; our profound sorrow for and sympathy with Mrs Seddon and members of the family in the inexpressibly sad bereavement; our deaire to unite with the Rulers and people of New Zealand in mourning a great-hearted Premier, to whom the love of home and country and the Empire was a oonuuming passion; oui thankfulness for the opportunity so recently vouchsafed to us of an affeotiouate intercourse with our late friend, hiH dear wife and those members of bis family who accompanied him on his triumphal visit to our adopted country; that the resolutions be engrossed and sisned by the New Zealanders before being sent to Mrs Seddon." The meeting also resolved to request Mr Kennedy, of the Union Steamship Company, to represent them at the funeral, and to place a wreath on the coffin with the inscription: "With loving sympathy from the NewZealanders in Sydney." The Mayor and Town Clerk of Masterton telegraphed to the Aot-ing-Premier on Tuesday conveying the sympatny of the citizens of Masterton to Mrs Seddon and family in their sad The following reply has now been received from Mr W. HalliJones:— "On behalf of Mrs Seddbn and family, the Government and myself, 1 thank you for the kindly message of sympathy in the great and irreparable loss we have all sustained in the death of our loved and honoured Premier. His life was devotion to duty, and the' uplifting of hunanity, while his tender sympathies and wide con 7 sideration endeared him to all. No act of goodness was Uo small for him ta render, and no effort too great for his undertaking. His great work for this colony and the Empire will ever cause his name to be revered."