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« mu. WheoAwbegon Iff* |xJ. h»i iphi 11 oHinb-bafore him. li* *u noto! Uio4c Urooritea of fortune who, tq u*e the popular phrsoa, *ro born with a nlepooo In thoir mouthy bat bo waa like anothrr prominent mau who h*a mods hia mark in thi*Bow countryof Aastralra He had all tbs world before him, and only hl« own ability, energy, perseverance. nod to-LrriUd brawny health to help him to maka hi* way in it Bow well he eiill he employed hi* ojiportenltice la beet known in this c»lcoy—where hi* name us #o familiar—to old reald« a ho have wutohed hia career from the uma when ha ocoopiod one of the lowest run** oo llfe'e ladder Mil lately, wbon he had reached and worthily occupied one of the loading positions io the country.He km the aoo of a farmer, eud woe boro about the ymr 1K3Q in a Uttl« rural village Bn»r Bedford, in Bedfordshire. He had ant the fortune to enjoy the advantage* of a specially pood odnoaUno, for he had to l*m the practical duties of life at ao early age. H« was an aiobitlooa youth, and ho soon *aw (bat there w*a no ecopo for him in tho idoco which ho occupied. There was little pro*-pecl of rwUu ln* any tiling boyoud the wretchedly poor reward common to the *Rri.-.ultur*l dosses In Borland, anJ this lot hail oo charm* for him. About tola time the colonies Ixgiiii to be better known in Hay land. Thousands ol immisranU bad nlreoav roino hither, and the plowing report which they aeot bonio of the freedom of their colonial lifeaiidol tbsir greatly improved poti lion imwerfully influenced their friends to follow their example. Araonrat tb*»e were tho you no members of the Moreau lurid v, who left their IrtUe villtgo homu toward* Ihowas never more dearly eoen than now. Mr. Morgan entered into the duties of hi* new ofhoe with ^imtular ability and tact. .Bin adoiinirtrwti'n capacity aid hi* odmlrable power of orgaolratioo were acknowledge alike by friend* end fom. Unfortunately, the claim* of bia private ‘ * ’' ‘ he fouibusiuese so pressed upon him that he found it ccccsery to reoifu the Chief Secretaryship on March 2ft, 1870. ju*t on be had got tboroochly Into harness. About tho some time Mr. Way, tho preeeut Chief Justice, who was Altorooy Uen.rol in tbo Admimocr.i tiun, accepted the position be now holds, which was rendered variant by the death of Sir Richard Hanson. They* cliiogre led to the iccouatrucUon of the Ministry. and Mr.Morgan's icwitlon was token by the Iioo. U. C. Hawker. Shortly before this Mr Morganhad purcluacd a partnership Bnbuic CoiTcr. Wok el, and . New Caledonia. A part of •»the lain:a« .Silver Mine* ia_ part of hi* Intermit, it is mlcrtiood, he has only recently disposed of to » French syndicate. Hi* ven ture iu the French island eOOBUlereWy interfered with his official proapocto, I though by dint of exertion* whichtnally picyed ciiou bi* pTOvuwsly rolmit bcaUli lie managed to attend to totn l’aiiin-rnd of IMS. They reached the colony io February, lfttfl, just a* the gentiscmn whombiography is being outlined was entei the usinyment ol the full flush of an v*i««iall)‘ vigorous manhood. He camp in tho old ahlp Glenelg—so largo aa to be con lidercd rather a «oou»ter of a veaoel lor our waters at that early time. Ho was aoeom jtrd by hia brothers Thomas (oipoc de*d)and tienrjeinaw a rartner in the well-knownof W. Morgan Co.) and hia *utor Ellxabetb. On arrival ho acoopted tho Orel woik which offered, and a!tor engaging in varioou oroupatioof ho bremroo assistant to Messrs. Booed Brotbnre, then loading proocre, oocopyhigpremiore io Hindley^troot. Ahoot this time anno the cnejg which for a whii pxralyaed all euten^ao in the colony, and fod many people to ijuwtion wbet/icr it* aucoeaeful aettlciucnt would evor be aooompliabed. We all know now how fallaeion* that fear wasbut the unmediile effect of the crisla here, and tho glowingaccount* which bemui cjiportuooly to from the Boldflalds iu victoria, which diacoverefl in the previous year, woe to c depopulate the colony. Almostch were snarly rsory manwho could leavo did leave, and Mr. Morgan. aexmnDanied by bi* elder brother (now daed) wa* smoogat the emigrauta Ho had, beairioe vcoiua for buoiueta, a keen foresight whioh monifchtod itself ehorocteri*tiaall7 when be first saw the MU) of the then very much in embryo City ol Melbonrna. This ptaeo. he said to Ids blather, ” will be a ginal city by and by. If yoa *nd 1 put our little capital in land here we ll make a big fortune out of it Tho brother, more guard oil, thought their hardly earned PAW was \ great deal to etoke in what »«mcd to be *o uupro miring a venture, and they allowed the chance to slip, it need* not now to bo aaid how richly the Uto Sir WiUiam's forre-.ght would have been rewarded lwd it been put to the practical uae he proposed. Bat it has had it* reward in other matte re in respect to which its promptincs have boon followed.On the gold field* bo led the life of the * vi-rsgc digger, hut enjoyed rather rcoro than the common share of good fortune. He did not remain there Iona, hut oanm back to Adelaide shortly after the basineo* of the ail on v had begun to revive, os a consfciucaoe to some extent of the fresh imjw.tim which wb» given to it by the work of Mr. Tolmer'e fatnou* gold cacort, Ho went bock to the grocery cutahliahuient of M car in. Boord Brothers, which he soon rarchoaed, and which gradually cxtendol under hi* ooergetio and euterpriiinR manasement nntll tho remodelled Darin wa, n me rod cventc.by to new pretaiuM, grew to tho large dlmun-sioo* which it has now uaeumcd umler tho proprietorship of the two brotbon? For a great unusy yaore Sir SS IHinm, meotsry and private- cooccros. Hi* torm of I office as a member of the Legislaavc IajuociI ; expired by rotutiiin iu February. !f77. and I after hi* tea years of »errico, hi* catonvivo I mvato concern* •till preaainu unduly u|on hfsatienlloD, ho was very an iou* to reiiio I for a wluk Irom publto life. Hi* servwea I wore *o gonorally catccmod, howuvor, that alter ho oral announced hi# intonnon aot I pi oflnr hinuicif for election a^alu ho I was wailed ui*tm by one of the largoas 1 and inort iniiocntial deputations «vcr i seen in the coinin', yielding to tlicir urgent rei|ult;st*. be withdrew his rrfiiw), and wo* anuuuo.xd forthwith a* a candnlMeforafcaat in tlm CoaociL Ha doctined, howsvor. to allow a committee to work for him. uuJ ha \ rolled u renresculativo cueutiiic, which waa held in til® Town flail Eduvngoroom, anlt;l which ha addrcfaed at oeBSldenbM Irngth, and with great eOcctivouou. This 1 *j*eech of Mr. Morgan a waa widely rlt;A«i aad often quoted. It revealed great breadth and ! holdiHW* of view iuiJ oi opinion, and I Boren of ite fotncasU, which socmcd 1 doubtful prophMios .ut that tuna, have , lines lawn «ignallv * crriliBd. This is onlt; Disuipla mr.oiigsl several othore: -i Be not vurprisci U you Hud, before ton . years more arc- over your head*, a South Aus Indian red way syetom cxteo-liuc throughout ! the North and (rout Adelaide over the . Murray Bridge from Mouut Barker Pa Jain tho iotorcolnoial ayatom ol Victoria. Iu exactly ton years from tho tlm* when hb spoke Adelaide and Mol bourne will ha coo Dcrtod by rail, uoltan some wholly un-oxiKicUd naustrepbo »boo!d happen to prevent a oou*uruination which our Paruu OKUt mots than a year ago »aid •hall take place. For the re*t, tin odvocatod in tbo course ol his ud mtrnble spoei'li Australian toleration, a greater hurd-iu of taratiiin for th« wealthy, and BOpropoitmuatoiucreae* upon the poorer toople through the Curtoin*. On tho cou trary. he won *3 uotiriut; ond coiui.tent au advocate of fre*i trade that he boa been called bj soino offurivo admirers tho Cobden of South Australia. Tire cloctiou took ptocs in April. ih77 t and Bltbougii Mr. Morgan wiiibecnt from the colony at the. time, and ol though, as already cxplxhay -v uiu vim-.-, miv. «. ____. . „ plalnvd, h* had refaaoilthe araistar.ee of nComnsittoe, hewn* elected at the Head of the poll with ttm Utvc mirefrained from ukiny on active part in puhlio matters, though his longings laythatdirection. He wi*hed. however, uj thoroughly ratabllsh hi* business connsotioa before bo launched ont Into tho troablud realm of politics, nod he did «o.He first came prominently before the paMIe In oonnrctioa with the Lcgtalaii'e Council ■IcctSoiiD of 1£37, He chose a rather tarbw-Icnt time in which to make bU deft* j aud many trm uf our youugrr colunlsto wkU ro member theo««edinuiy noisy eloenoomrotine at which Mr Morgan firet addrrasod the oountrr -the rt.eering held in tin Town Hall oa the night of J Jy 13.16C7. Greater even than the very irreat exoitommt wliich was rniir.l by the Uoolhby controverey. then in its full rage, was the agitation ap'-iinet certain eaterly wislicdlor conciweioon being gtvm to thoaenienu-lvo throveuriou and wore oopularly eui;K«ed to be max toe nolosoalnr oi --.li-- tvwh, utmw -i— .wtotal polled by so old and ronpectod a poll tician •* the Hun. J. (rrotiur, who turn-next with r.,u»0. Mr. Morgan iu» held bin sent in tbo Lc®»l»tvo Connetl ever more until the licgincing of this oss-ioa, in tbo first w«k of which be left lor England on s vi.it. having bt*u granted four month* leave of abstuce. lately reonwed on aooount ol hi illness until the end of tbo acaeiOD. Ton now 1‘erliwrcut of 1H77 met on May ai, ami Mr. Morgan's share in that luuulan wai a mott promin.nt and a rather painlul one. Khurtly before this tha Boucnut Ministry bad riven way to too Colton Adtmni*UWwn. of wtdcti Sir Henry Ayers was ropn*«oUUVo as Chid Secretory in tbo Uoaucd. A disagreement aro*i between Sir Hoary and the other mriullt;ni of the Ltffklative Council, who, aftoi long und stormy discussion*, too« the boricert of teadrr of tlie House out of bis hands, *J\d hy almost uoaukncu* vote ronfidei the onerouj poritioa upon Mr. Moruon, who had hooded the attack upon Kir Hairy. A cooIcom oxistod for a long time aftorwards between those two pro mincDt- and able mncjluit about tbo bogin-ning of tho present I'urliamvot. when »ir Henry Ayers was choseu as I'res (dent of tho Council, Sir William Morgan »)»ke iu very coaipluncntary tern s of biro, and icgrottod tho part ho bail taken on the o*ca«ion men-tinned in accepting two Ica-iiniMp si tor Sir Hoary »a* dejiriwl of iL ThhTofiunteoot ol *' tho ptoD’.e'a graea/’aad os M: known to be favoarable to th«• ..strong prtuaure u-ns brought in certain quartern to heir ununst liim. But he had lie hump of coir ha then •» abmirirxlly devrlcped, aud opposition which might havs d.torred a am re timid mau ee*nn«a only to give o grestor tost to hia «qjoyment cf tho oooflict. Oo tlie night ol the mooting bo had got well into hi* i.pnech. aud liod annouacod sonic of the bold and liberal opinions for which he waa cooipicuoM throughout his political carver. Even hi* opponents uckn-nw-fedgixl the ability and the olcarusas with which ho expounded thow ojiinione. lie bad rigor ausly challenged tfcu rrotoctioniat sectiont rou bln in tbo fiiiuocd wo* tpcoddy foiloaed by diesensioos in thn A«scmbly, where a vow of want of confidence wan, on October 1«, carried against tho Coltoa Mini* try, who were replaced by tlie third and lost Boocsnt Adroinfttratfcn, of which, at thn uigrnt solicitation (J Mr. Boucaut and tho LreiBlstivc Council, Mr. Morgan ooceptod Hie Uilel Secretary«hi|x When, u year »ft«r word*. Mr. Boucaut icttred Io accept tho .1 ndgeriiiii which he now holds, Mr. Morgan recooatiuctod the Ministry, which . continued in existence us one of tin | moil iKipular Ooveramenta whirh hw over guiilrA tlie afliurs of tbs colony, uuul liie end I of June, 1881—tho riist month of the Parlia I meet now shout to expire. Then, tiuwugo raotwixl liutiUfsa pr«uuix. Mr. Moiyor. baa! to retire from ofiice, nod bis Mraulry were I sueofeded by tbeprrarntGovernmcaU Somo-i what lea* than a year before this lie, wcocn-panieil by Mr. Mann, tbo present Crownof tb* meeting to confute the unpimeDM which be had placed Imforo thoui in favour ofthe mailual oxtenaion of free tra-ie principlas applied to tbia colony In pxrtioulor and Auntralisin grncrsJ, and he had raised hi* voice tn advocacy of the olaima of the much-abused squatter to inrther arotidaration from the SUte- when, by-and by, that prinoo of ooDtrovi’rrialuto cl a oertoiu cUa*—Mr..‘iarauci Haphael-axcltedly coulrontod the sprakcr, with the thrill-toned query ad-drwed to tho Chairman — “ in't Mi Mcrgau a wuatMe himself T This was Acoomiianlcl by am* cliaractoriBUe aoirnnsut*. This query, and the tone in which It wot put, raised In Mr. Morgan what tho Hoarier Kaboolmasu-r oalls tbn bulldog determination,” and be declined to eatttij bit qu.jJiQcr'a cnritelty. Then a resolution was moved—“That this meeting refuses to bsar Nr. MorRon fnrthor uotil ho has replied to the question oa to wluithor ho is a squatter. Mr. H. K- Foil nr, who waa in the chair, rofosud to pul this resolution, and tho disaffected [*rty, o!i«rinod by this, moved thereupon— last the Chairman leave tbo chair. This wa* corriod amidst yrrat rxdtomrnt, and Immediately after-w»uda tho Chairman. Mr. Morgan, and several othu-Rciitleir.cn left the room. Thun ensued, an tho newspapers next day pot It, an indescribable tomult of hlseos, gr.Mus. and chrt-r». and tho ptares of those who hod left the platform were quickly filled t.y dorm* of men and boy* anxious to get this vantage ground during what appeared to l»o likely to become a fieui-ral nedf**. Thi* atonny begiuulug to Mr. Morgan's political life wm only tho procortoc of more rough experiences. Ter hap* no other South Au«-.ttendcd an Inte'cnlaoial Confm-nco h to Mi.lbourse to conatdor the '' A 0. Mail contract and tlio quest uni of border dutioe, amongst other ica* iini«ortasit matter*.HlnoebisretinuneotfromoflceKir W. Morjinri boa out taken n very active part iu political affaiis. At the tx-gyming of tha presant session of Forliamant. bowevsr, ho warn iooked upon a* likely to be again Fremior of tho coJouy leforc the end of the year. Ui» baatily formed determination to latvo on a ririt to England disapjrototed those who had hold these expectation*.A few day* before hia Jdspvature to tht jnooth of May bo rocmrod thoHUsee vunt ho had l-.'onmwufyingMMfNMajesty the Queen with tb i of Knight Commander of theOrder of St, Mlchonl aud St Guoige. The ocwo of this well deserved reward wan received universally with groat satisfaction. Vnlortuaately.KirM iUiiun no* not licod long to eoioy the honour conferred upon him.Littlo more coed be arid about tho able coloniot whoM rather prematcrc death to the midst of hb hoooura South AusUalin deplores. He was married not long after hi* return to South ustrali*from the gold-holdihie widow, Lady Morgan--a daaghter ol tbo la to Mr. T. H. Matthewn, of llt;aj»r Sturt.There are foot mircivlng ohilarcn. Oi daughter U irarricd to Mr. Arthur Water house, and another I* unmarried. Uno of:in-son* 1* in Paris: the otbar la being relocated at the Sookh Collogo, Melliourne. Onn dtoghter died a few wwek* after Sir Willlam'a departure fur England, and sincere 8ymr-»the Is unireraally erpressod with i^ly Morgan in her doubly aevtxo bereavement.MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONSCOST ADBIAEDJt. Xuoosoar, Novebuiib i. PiswsV-BIs WenUp Uie Mayor fn*-«- Ho'deo). OronOUora BreiUn. Qjuldy. MoUa. KreM. Hrldtf-
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Adelaide Evening Journal

Adelaide, South Australia, AU

Sat, Nov 03, 1883

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