BELL, SIR FRANCIS DILLON (1821-98) was the second son of Edward Bell (died 1864), of Hornsey, London, a merchant in France, and a descendant of Robert Barclay, of Urie, the Quaker apologist. His mother was Fanny (who died 1870), daughter of the Rev J. Matthews, of Cirencester. Bell was educated in France at Bordeaux, where his father lived, and at Auteuil, by tutors from whom he acquired an easy command of the French language. At the age of 17, through the influence of his kinsman Edward Gibbon Wakefield, he entered the service of the New Zealand Company in London, and for some months he was assistant-secretary (during the absence of Ward in Hamburg). He was keenly interested in the colony and in 1840 contributed to the Colonial Magazine an article on the subject, while in 1842, with F. Young, he published Reasons for Promoting the Cultivation of New Zealand Flax.

In 1843 Bell sailed for New Zealand in the Ursula, arriving in Port Nicholson on 12 Sep, a few weeks after the clash at the Wairau. In Oct he was sent to Auckland to interview acting-Governor Shortland and, if possible, to select lands there on behalf of the Company to the value of £50,000. By 9 Dec he had selected £10,000 worth of town lands and £25,000 of country, but the task was held up on the arrival of FitzRoy to assume the governorship. After several interviews Bell purchased for the Company at public auction 81 acres of land in the town at £100 per acre and a considerable area at North Shore. Altogether the Company spent £8,125 in town lands, £1,817 in suburban, and £2,614 in farm lands at North Shore. Bell returned to Wellington with FitzRoy in H.M.S. North Star (Jan 1844). He was still hopeful (he wrote to W. Wakefield on 25 May) of "evading any opposition in such a way as to enable them to carry on their usual operations with a better chance of success." He suggested that the Company should buy a tract of native land not far from Auckland. Unfortunately the proposal was not promptly adopted; the land was bought up by private individuals and the Company was shut out of the Auckland field altogether by the competition of land claimants. By 16 Sep Bell realised that it was useless to persevere. At the increased price of land the Company could not hope to establish a profitable settlement there. Soon hostilities broke out in the neighbourhood of Bay of Islands, and Bell joined the militia, in which he held a lieutenant's commission until they were disbanded (Jul). In 1846, in company with W. Carrington, he made an ascent of Mount Egmont, in the course of which he discovered the Bell fall (100 ft. high), on the main branch of the Hangatahua river. Later in the year he was gazetted a justice of the peace, and on 1 Oct a magistrate for Nelson. But other duties kept him in the North Island. In the Wairarapa squatters were paying as much as £300 a year for their runs, of which they claimed to have leases for 21 years. Squatting was illegal and Governor Grey gazetted a warning to that effect. After consulting Grey, Bell was sent to the Wairarapa (Feb 1847), accompanied by George Clarke as interpreter, with the object of purchasing a large tract of native land. Bell was unable to meet any paramount chiefs whose authority was unquestioned. The younger men were willing enough to sell, but the elders were generally hostile and would not even visit Wellington to discuss the matter with the Governor. Bell returned empty-handed, defeated by the squatting licenses (17 Mar).

On 15 Jun he was appointed to succeed Wicksteed as resident agent for the Company at New Plymouth, and he arrived there from Nelson on 31 Aug. He speedily made himself popular with settlers and natives, and when Grey visited the settlement in Mar 1848 the settlers asked that Bell might be permitted to negotiate with the natives for the purchase of land. Grey concurred and Bell, exercising great vigour and judgment, negotiated the purchase from Rawiri Waiaua and others of a total area of 13,000 acres, including the Bell block. Payment was made for the most part in cattle. In order to test the friendliness or otherwise of the chiefs Katatore and Parata, a day was fixed some time ahead for cutting the survey lines in a public manner. Bell and his party arrived with an escort of 60 friendlies. There was some desultory scuffling with fists sticks and the backs of tomahawks; but in a few days the line had been cut and the event was celebrated by a feast at which Wi Kingi te Rangitake was present. Bell left shortly afterwards to relieve Fox, who had resigned the post of resident agent at Nelson on being offered the attorney-generalship of New Munster. Fox was delayed for some time investigating land claims and it was not until Aug that Bell took over. Shortly afterwards, in consequence of an accident, he went to Wellington, where he was present at the deathbed of his relative, Col. Wakefield (Sep 1848). He contemplated returning to England, but Fox, having now succeeded as principal agent at Wellington, prevailed upon him to make another effort to purchase land in Wairarapa. In Nov 1848 Bell proceeded thither with the Government land purchase agent, H. T. Kemp (q.v.). Since his previous visit settlers had taken up another 100,000 acres, and they were now paying £600 per year rent. Bell convened meetings of the squatters and by promising fair compensation for their improvements won them over to a more conciliatory disposition. With his fluent command of Maori and his persuasive manner he made good headway also with the natives. They were excited by the prospect of the Canterbury settlement being located in Wairarapa. Anticipating advantages to themselves from having a number of whites settling among them, they had almost concluded to sell 900,000 acres between the Tararuas and the sea when news arrived that Captain Thomas was selecting a site on the Canterbury plains. It being now impossible to continue the negotiations on the old basis, Bell withdrew to consult Fox and Grey. His despatch of 31 Dec contains a spirited defence of the squatters, who in those days were anathema to the agricultural settlers. Bell and Kemp agreed that the news from Canterbury was responsible for the natives suddenly increasing their demands to £16,000 when the negotiators returned after the earthquakes in Wellington. Fox was inclined to blame Bell for the failure, and decided to abandon the attempt to purchase the Wairarapa (18 Feb 1849).

Bell accordingly proceeded to his post at Nelson, completed the purchase of the Waitohi block and settled down to the duties of his office. Thomas Arnold, who visited him at that time, remarks on Bell's "charming and delightful manners, for which I suppose he was greatly indebted to his French education." An estrangement occurred between Bell and Fox during these years, originating in differences of opinion on Company and colonial affairs. Late in 1848, when Fox was absent from New Zealand, Bell was offered a seat in the Legislative Council of New Munster. Suspecting that Grey intended to postpone indefinitely the establishment of representative government, Bell at first hesitated to accept. A few days later Grey said that the settlers had made their wishes so clear that he would bring forward at once for consideration by the Legislative Councils of both provinces his scheme for a constitution, on the distinct understanding that the principles should be established as early as possible. In view of the great improvement in the state of the colony since Grey assumed the governorship, Bell felt that he would be justified in accepting the post. He was confident that Grey would not long delay the introduction of representative government, and in the meantime he could assist in the overhaul of the colony's finances. It would be better that he should express the views of the settlers of New Munster than leave the whole work of legislating to a council drawn from the population of Auckland. He realised that local obloquy would probably attach to him and was aware of Fox's objection to nominated councils, but he did not think that Fox (if he had been present) would have objected to one of the Company's officials acting as he was doing. Fox's objection was emphatic. He contended that Bell's acceptance of a seat "could in no respect be regarded as a mere exercise of private political liberty," but was calculated to prejudice the interests of the Company. The court of directors supported him (28 Jun). But constitutional changes on the spot eliminated the whole problem. The tenor of Earl Grey's despatch of 22 Dec soon convinced Bell that the acceptance of seats in the Council (as nominees) was incompatible with the independence of members. Bell, Ludlam and Bannatyne thereupon resigned.

The year 1849 was full of change for Bell. In Apr he married Margaret, daughter of Abraham Hort, a leading member of the Jewish community in Wellington. Thereafter he returned to his post at Nelson and devoted his attention to straightening out the affairs there. Having completed the Waitohi purchase, he presided over a committee of settlers to adjust differences between the Company and its land purchasers, and did duty regularly as a magistrate until the Company surrendered its charter in 1851. For some months in 1850 he was engaged with Fox before the land claims inquiry commission, and he had, of course, acted previously as commissioner for confiscated titles. In Apr 1851 he was appointed commissioner of crown lands in Wellington and he arrived there with his family in Jun, in time to take his seat in the Legislative Council of New Zealand, presumably as an official member. His contribution to this session was of outstanding value. He showed a sound grip of constitutional principles and incidentally advocated universal franchise for every colonist of good character. Bell also attended the session of 1852-53, at which Grey took his farewell of his own Councils on the eve of the promulgation of the new constitution. When that instrument was brought into operation Bell's services were in demand. In the first Wellington Provincial Council he was elected to represent Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay, and in Dec 1853 he was appointed chairman of the committee on education. A few months later he was a member of the executive.

In May 1854 he was called to the Legislative Council and he was the first minister to have charge of Government business in that chamber (where 60 years later his son held the same position). On 6 Jun he seconded a motion in favour of an elective upper house as being more likely to command popular respect. In 1855 he was present only at the opening of the session. At the general election at the end of that year he was returned for the Hutt seat and he was thus in full standing in the popular chamber when responsible government came into its own; and a few months later (18 Apr 1856) he was appointed a member of the executive council. He collaborated as Colonial Treasurer in Sewell's administration (7-20 May). In that session the land claims settlement act was passed. There was nobody in New Zealand better qualified to unravel the tangled thread of New Zealand land claims than Bell, and his appointment as commissioner (5 Nov) was a foregone conclusion. He had dropped out of provincial politics (15 Feb) and he now resigned from the House. For the next six years he devoted himself with patient skill and industry to the intricate problem presented by the confused mass of claims. The electors of Grey and Bell when Lewthwaite resigned petitioned him to stand for Parliament (1858), but he was defeated by C. Brown. In Jan 1860 he was elected unopposed to represent the southern constituency of Wallace. The burning question was the demand of the Murihiku settlers for separation from the province of Otago, whose government, seated remotely in Dunedin, was accused of neglecting the needs of Southland. Bell fought strenuously for the separation of Southland; it was duly achieved, and when he first visited the district in the middle of 1861 he was able to say that the electors had twice elected him to Parliament without having seen him. He was one of the commissioners appointed early in 1862 to adjust the debt between Southland and the mother province.

In Aug 1862 Bell was sworn in as a member of the Domett ministry, with charge of the important departments of the Treasury, Customs and Native Affairs. In Feb the Imperial Government had definitely relinquished control of native affairs. Knowing the Maori as he did, Bell strongly advocated a vigorous policy towards them, and in Apr 1863 he accompanied Grey with the force which reoccupied the Tataraimaka. He believed in dealing justly with the Maori, and it was mainly on his advice that Grey, after discussing the Waitara purchase on the ground with Teira, published his proclamation (22 Apr) admitting the invalidity of the transaction. It was duly renounced a week or two later (11 May). Grey complimented Bell and his colleagues on the zeal and cordiality with which they had entered into this investigation. Convinced, nevertheless, that where war was necessary it should be prosecuted with vigour, Bell went to the Waikato to try to limit the scope of the fighting by persuading and propitiating friendly or doubtful tribes. When General Cameron crossed the Maungatawhiri (on 12 Jul) the die was cast. Bell left Auckland on the following day with Gorst (q.v.) to get into touch with refugees in the Hunua range in the hope that he could move them out of harm's way before they became involved in hostilities. He spoke in Maori to an excited and hostile gathering at Te Aparangi, explaining to them that the removal of Waikato tribesmen from their lands at Mangere was due to the existence of a conspiracy in the Waikato to make an attack on Auckland. They appreciated his courage in making such a journey, and remembered that he was one of the supporters of FitzGerald's motion for the admission of Maori members to Parliament; but the crossing of the Maungatawhiri was an unanswerable objection to their taking the oath of loyalty. Determined now to push the war as vigorously as possible, Bell went with Gorst to Australia to raise military settlers for the frontier lands in Waikato, and incidentally to discuss the Panama steam service with the Australian colonies (Aug 1863). The ministry, however, did not long survive.

When he went out of office (30 Oct), Bell was free to take up his residence in Otago, where for some years he had had both business and political interests. He severed his northern associations (including membership of the Auckland domain board) and settled in Dunedin. In partnership with C. W. Richmond and Stafford he took up the pastoral property in the Ida valley known popularly as the "ministerial run." For some years thereafter Mrs Bell was one of the most popular hostesses in Dunedin. Bell himself was fully employed with his property, his political interests, and, as time offered, with his artistic pursuits. In 1865 he collaborated with Richmond and Fox in forming a fine collection of their water colours for the Dunedin exhibition. In 1864 Bell was one of the commissioners to investigate the Otago civil service. Early in 1865 he decided to enter provincial politics. He was defeated for the Manuherikia seat (which Murison resigned to make way for him), but was accepted a few weeks later by Matau and represented that electorate until Jan 1867, when he unsuccessfully contested Dunedin City. He declined office under Vogel in 1866. In Parliament he represented Wallace until 1866; and thereafter, owing to a redistribution, he was member for Mataura (1866-75). When Vogel resigned from the Provincial Council of Otago, Bell succeeded him as representative of the City of Dunedin (May 1869). Two months later he became a member of the executive in Fox's ministry, and the country was well served when he went to England with Featherston to raise a loan of £2,000,000 for Vogel's public works policy. Saunders remarks that "the courtly and attractive manners of both contributed to the success of their task." Bell got back to New Zealand early in 1870. He at once re-entered the Otago Provincial Council as member for Oteramika (1871-73). He still retained his seat in the General Assembly and when Parliament met (14 Aug 1871) he was elected Speaker of the House (in succession to Sir David Monro). He held that position with distinction until the end of the Parliament (21 Oct 1875) when he retired from popular politics. He was created a Knight Bachelor in 1873 and in 1894 was granted the title of "Honourable." In Jul 1877 Bell was called to the Legislative Council, of which he was a member until May 1882. Practically his last public service in New Zealand was (again in collaboration with Fox) as a member of the royal commission appointed in 1880 to investigate the confiscation of Maori lands and the trial of native prisoners. Their long experience of native questions; their sympathies, somewhat differing; and their shrewd commonsense enabled these two veterans to render signal service to the colony.

When that task was finished Bell was nominated to succeed Vogel in London as agent-general for the colony. He had now seen forty years' service in connection with New Zealand. He could certainly, at different stages of his career, have achieved high political office and probably have retained it; but he had never courted popularity. He was too good an administrator to be very successful as a party politician; and he could, moreover, see too plainly the point of view of his opponents. In saying farewell to his neighbours in Otago (13 Dec 1880) he prided himself that he had never asked favours, and as a pastoral settler he had realised from the beginning that his class should retire automatically before the advance of the agriculturist. In London Bell at once took a leading position amongst the oversea representatives. That was assured by his fine personal equipment and his long experience. His courtly manners and his facile command of the French language called him to leadership also in the diplomatic field. The early eighties, when France was disposed to extend her activities in the western Pacific, were anxious for the British colonies in that neighbourhood. The settling of recidivistes in New Caledonia and the New Hebrides was a source of constant friction; and Bell led with great judgment and determination the demand for its cessation. He could discuss the problem as freely and effectively in Paris as in Whitehall, and he steered the negotiations through difficult channels with remarkable success. In 1881 he received the K.C.M.G. In 1886 he was an executive commissioner for the Colonial and Indian exhibition in London (receiving the C.B. for his services). Three years later he was a member of the Mansion House committee for the Paris exhibition, and amongst the honours distributed by M. Waddington on 25 Jan 1890 he received the cross of a commander of the Legion of Honour. During his term of office as Agent-general he raised over £8,000,000 for the colony by loan and conversion. As delegate, ambassador and financial agent he was equally successful, and when he retired (25 Sep 1891) his services were acknowledged by votes of thanks passed by both houses of the New Zealand Parliament. He came to New Zealand at the end of 1891 and six months later returned to London, where Lady Bell died (12 Jun 1892). A helpmeet of ready tact and pleasant manners, Thomas Arnold had found her "not less intelligent that she was amiable; and to talk to her was a real pleasure." Her hospitality at Wellington and Auckland, at Waihemo station and in the Dunedin home hedged with fragrant briar, was continued in the colonial circle in London. Bell returned to New Zealand at the end of 1896 and died on 15 Jul 1898.

Bell entered upon colonial life with the great advantage of a previous apprenticeship in the office of the New Zealand Company, but with definite handicaps. The polished manners acquired with his French in his school days did not necessarily make the path easier in early colonial days for one of distinctly retiring habit who often appeared to be aloof. Well educated and widely read, he was a fine speaker and a keen critic. In debate he was imperturbable in temper, considerate and moderate in language; so that he often smoothed over difficult situations. A good business man, he never desired wealth and could sympathise with the difficulties of others. For many years he was one of Grey's most valued advisers. As an administrator Gisborne considered him one of the best officials New Zealand ever had. He had "a mind remarkable for its perceptive faculties and for its analytical powers. His industry is indefatigable; his fondness for work grows by what it feeds on; and in fact he often makes work for his own enjoyment."

G.B.ap., 1844-1856, N.Z.C.; N.Z.P.D., pass.; Otago and Wellington P.C. Proc.; App. H.R. pass., Gorst, 327, 381; Arnold; Wells; Ward; Broad; Rusden; Saunders; Rees; Reeves; W. D. Stewart (p); Gisborne (p); Harrop; Ross; Cycl. N.Z., i (p); Cox, Men of Mark; Ward; Hocken, Otago; Otago Daily Times, 11 Dec 1880, 15 Jun 1892, 16 Jul 1898; Scholefield in Evening Post, 22 Sep 1934 (p). Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 45

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