Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 3.djvu/294

 ill, and owing to Seddon's mastery of parliamentary procedure he became acting premier in the premier's brief absence. On 3 June 1892 he became minister for marine, and on 1 May 1893, on Ballance's death, he became premier, retaining at the same time the portfolios of public works, mines, and defence. On 6 Sept. he exchanged the department of mines for that of native affairs. Pledged to carry out his predecessor's policy, he accepted and carried the measure for conferring the parliamentary vote on women, although he personally disapproved of women's entry into the political sphere (19 Sept.). Other important acts passed by his government during this year were one simplifying and consolidating the criminal code, and another creating a form of local option to control the liquor traffic. At the general election of November 1893 Seddon's party was returned with a majority of thirty-four in a house which contained seventy white members.

In 1894 Seddon prevented a financial crisis by bringing government aid to the Bank of New Zealand, with which the government dealt, when the bank was on the point of failure. During this and the next two years Seddon and his colleagues carried an immense amount of progressive legislation, including a bill in 1896 to allow local authorities to levy their rates on the unimproved value of the land. The country was prosperous, and Seddon's personal popularity increased.

Although at the general election of 1896 the government's majority fell to twelve, Seddon's influence was imimpaired. All departments of government were more or less under his control. He gave up his posts as minister of public works and defence early in 1896, but he had become minister for labour on 11 Jan. 1896. Till his death he retained that office with the premiership, the colonial treasurership, on which he first entered on 16 June 1896, and the ministry of defence, which he resumed in 1899. He also held from the latter date the commissionerships of customs and electric telegraphs (till 21 Dec. 1899) and the commissionership of trade (till 29 Oct. 1900), in addition to the ministry of native affairs which he had held since 1893, and only gave up in December 1899. He attended Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in London in 1897, when he was made a privy councillor and hon. LL.D. of Cambridge, but his democratic principles would not allow him to accept a knighthood. At the colonial conference of that year he proposed a consultative council of colonial representatives to advise the English government. The proposal was not carried. Brought much into touch with Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, the colonial secretary, he was attracted by his imperialistic views, and developed a strong sympathy with imperial federation and a preferential tariff. After his return to New Zealand, Seddon in 1898 passed the most important measure for which he was personally responsible, an old age pensions bill. In 1899 the pensioners numbered 7000, but in 1900 he enlarged the scope of the act by increasing the amount of the pension and lowering the age limit, and in 1906, the year of his death, over 12,000 persons were in receipt of pensions.

At the end of 1899 Seddon set the colonies an example of patriotism by despatching the first of nine contingents to help Great Britain in the South African war ; 6700 officers and men. and 6620 horses were despatched in the aggregate. After the general election (December 1899), Seddon had a majority of thirty-six in the new parliament. He again added to his other responsibilities the ministry of defence. On 8 October 1900 the Cook Islands were included within the boundaries of New Zealand. In 1901 his government arranged for a universal penny postage, and made coal mines and fire insurance concerns of the state.

Alike in the colony and in the empire at large Seddon was now a highly popular and imposing figure. In May 1902 he again set out for England to attend the coronation of King Edward VII, receiving before he left a congratulatory address and a testimonial which took the form of a purse of money (8 April). On his way he visited South Africa at the invitation of Lord Kitchener, and was warmly welcomed at Johannesburg and Pretoria, as well as at Cape Town. In London he was greeted with enthusiasm. At the colonial conference he urged a double policy of preferential tariffs within the Empire and a scheme for imperial defence, and dining his stay he was granted the freedom of the cities of Edinburgh, of Annan, and of St. Helens, and was made hon. LL.D. of Edinburgh University.

On 25 Oct. 1902 he was back in New Zealand. On 26 Nov. a new election gave him a majority of twenty, and he added the ministries of immigration and education to his other offices. Next year, while speaking repeatedly on the prosperity of the colony, he flung himself into ardent