The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 876, 17 September 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1881.

One of the links which unite New Zealand of to-day with old Sew Zealand lias been severed by .the.tleath of Willum Sefton Mookhousk, an old settler and yet a man apparently, when we last saw him, in the prime of life, He and Mr Macandrew were the only two members of the present House who were elected to serve in the first Parliament of this colony—irr'l 854, Our Parliamentary history is but a quarter, of a century old, but even'in this small handful of. years, all the first actors on the stage have passed'oil'it save one, William Sefton Mo; rhouse' was personally well-known to settlers all over the colony, ami he ccmkl: not appear in any part of it withoufcimeeting sincero friends.' In this district he was no .stra'n'ge'iy-lanfl had : "many inti-. mates, 'fttid; the'same inay be said of hini;,iii -almost; every- district in the i colony.' He was a man whom-colonists loved, easily accessible to all who came in contact with him—true to himself and true to his fellow men.' \ He was energetic and self-reliant, .Not-prone to display himself unduly before the public, but still one wlio, when called upon to speak or act, spoke "straight," and acted " straight." There was not perhaps a more manly character in the Assembly, and he was essentially without fear and without reproach. ' i:f l estimony has been borne by the Premierof this colony to'his graphic' eloquence, - but it is not on this thatOjis claim, in the affectionate memory of all colonists rests. He is-one of the the colony who have achieved a great, work, and if any men in; country like New Zealand are singled out for high honor, it should be those -who have absolutely done "a great work" in the land, As Superintendent of Canterbury, William Sefton Moorhouse materially assisted, the progress of that important Province, but his great undertaking—thoconnection of the interior of the country'with the seaboard by a tunnel was one of the most adventurous and. successful achievements which stands on the public records of New Zealand,' It was the get'm'bf Sir Julius Vooel's grpat p.ublic:'works,policy/ and had an ahsp-,-. .effect on New... Zealand ''.for-,a"lj-,jiirier '-[ William. Sefton MopRHOpSEis-7not likely to be soon forgotten in this eolony, and if, in any, way it may be sought to Muftis memory green by some artificial tribute, to his worth, we trust that the commemoration will' be something worthy of the man, . -,.■•.- ••,-