support of Mr. Chamberlain's scheme of imperial tariff reform. Naval defence also found in him a strong champion, and in the autmnn of 1903 he passed a naval defence bill which laid an annual charge of 40,000l. on New Zealand for the Australian squadron. At the same time he passed a Preferential and Reciprocal Trade Act, which favoured British imports at the expense of imports from foreign countries. In a series of enactments having what he termed a ’himianistic' basis, of which the chief was an act for the erection of state-owned workmen's dwellings, he sought to improve the health and comfort of the working-classes, particularly of mothers and young children.
In September 1904 he warmly declared against the introduction of Chinese labour into South Africa without the sanction of the votes of the white population. Troops, he said, would not have been sent to the war, if he could have foreseen the use to which the English victory would be put.
On 13 Dec. 1905 he fought his last general election, and his fifth as premier, securing, in a house of seventy-six white members, a majority of thirty-six. He remained minister of defence, labour, education, and immigration, and colonial treasurer, as well as premier. Later in the year he recommended a larger contribution to naval defence, forbade the admission of Japanese to the colony, promised to reduce indirect taxation and to increase the graduated land tax, and announced a larger surplus than had been known before.
Next year his health began to fail. On 12 May he left Wellington for Australia, to arrange for an international exhibition at Christchurch later in the year. He started from Sydney on his return voyage in the Oswestry Grange on 9 June 1906, and died at sea on the following day. He was buried at Wellington City cemetery on Cemetery Hill, and a monument in the form of a pillar was subsequently erected there by public and private subscription. On receipt of news of his death King Edward VII and the English government sent messages of sympathy. A memorial service was held in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, on 19 June. The New Zealand parliament granted Mrs. Seddon 6000’'l. on 28 Sept. 1906.
The social policy which Seddon helped to carry out was enlightened and commanded public sympathy, but his personal popularity was only partly due to his political principles. Frank and genial in manner and abounding in self-confidence, constantly moving about the country, he divined what the people of New Zealand wanted, and sought to satisfy their needs. His sympathy with democratic aspirations was combined with an imperialist fervour which notably won the hearts of the English people on his visits to Great Britain in 1897 and 1902. As an administrator he was energetic, industrious, and courageous. As a speaker he greatly improved in delivery with his years, and he was always liberal in information. He introduced over 550 bills into the lower house, and 180 of them became law.
New choir stalls were presented by Mrs. Seddon in his memory to the parish church of Eccleston, St. Helens, in February 1908. A bust with memorial tablet was unveiled in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, on 10 Feb. 1910 (cf. The Times, 11 Feb. 1910). A cartoon portrait of Seddon appeared in 'Vanity Fair' in 1902.
Seddon married at Melbourne in 1869 Lousia Jane, daughter of Captain John Spotswood, of Melbourne. She survived him with six daughters and three sons. His eldest son. Captain R. J. S. Seddon, fought with the New Zealand troops in the South African war. and was afterwards appointed military secretary to the defence minister. The second son, Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, is a member of the house of representatives.
[J. Drummond's The Life and Work of R. J. Seddon, 1907; J. E. le Rossignol and W. D. Stewart, State Socialism in New Zealand; Gisborne, New Zealand Rulers, 1897 (with portrait); The Times, 11 and 12 June 1906 ; private information.]
SEE, Sir JOHN (1844–1907), premier of New South Wales, born at Yelling, Huntingdonshire, on 14 Nov. 1844, was son of Joseph See, formerly of that place. In 1853 he accompanied his parents to New South Wales. The family settled first at Hinton on the Hunter river, where See obtained his education and was employed upon a farm until he was sixteen. Accompanied by a brother, he then settled on the Clarence river and engaged in farming. Dissatisfied with his prospects, he soon went to Sydney and entered the produce trade, and by strenuous application and unremitting toil built up the flourishing concern of John See & Company, of which he was the head. At the same time he became a partner in the small coastal shipping house of Nipper & See, which ultimately developed into the North Coast
