Alfred Domett
Sir Alfred Domett, CMG ( born May 20, 1811 in Camberwell, England; † November 2, 1887 in London) was the fourth Prime Minister of New Zealand. He reigned from August 6, 1862 to October 30, 1863. Besides he was also known as a poet.
Early years
Domett studied law at St John's College, University of Cambridge. In 1833 he abandoned his studies and traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. In Canada, he was a short time worked as a surveyor. After his return he frequented literary circles. Among other things, he was a close friend of Robert Browning, who also came from Camberwell and was immortalized in the poem of the Domett Waring. 1841 Domett still took a job as a lawyer, but in 1842 he decided to emigrate to New Zealand.
After his arrival in Nelson, he initially began as a farmer, but then hit a career as a journalist. After the Wairau Turmoil in June 1843 the first armed conflict between Europeans and Māori, Domett was commissioned by the angry settlers to demand retaliation for the New Zealand colonial government. When the government refused to punish the Māori involved hard, Domett was one of the fiercest critics. He wrote a petition that led to the dismissal of Governor Robert FitzRoy in November 1845.
Political career
1848 Dometts began a long career in public service after he was appointed to the Cook Strait by Governor George Grey to the Colonial Secretary of the hotel on the South Island of New Munster area. Dometts ideas for a freely accessible, mandatory and non-denominational mixed school system were laughed at and called by the provincial governments as "absurd ", but taken over almost unchanged in the 1877 Education Act adopted.
From 1854 to 1856 he was a magistrate of the Province of Hawke 's Bay, and determined the development plan of the city of Napier. In 1855 he was elected as a Member of Nelson from newly created New Zealand Parliament. In 1856 he married the widowed teacher, Mary George. From 1857 had next to his office as a Member of Parliament and that of a Provincial Council held in Nelson. In addition, he was appointed in 1858 as director of the Nelson College and laid the foundation for parliamentary library.
Prime minister
When Edward Stafford's government was defeated in August 1862 with a vote of no confidence, Domett was offered the post of prime minister, which he accepted also. Shortly thereafter, he came under fire because he was often absent for several days, and then to present a comprehensive document, with the other ministers did not begin much. He planned to resettle 20,000 immigrants on expropriated land of Māori and this equip themselves with weapons. His unyielding attitude towards the Māori, in particular the extensive land expropriation and his attempt to deport any responsibility for violent incidents on the British government eventually led to the break after 14 months of government. Domett lost the end of October 1863, a vote of no confidence and was replaced by Frederick Whitaker.
Other offices and late years
After his resignation Domett returned to the Civil Service and worked as a secretary for the Crown Lands Office, which administered the State-owned Land and prepared for colonization. In addition, he was still active as a member of Parliament and spent a lot of time for the expansion of the Parliamentary Library on. In November 1863, he made a motion to move the capital to Wellington, as numerous representatives of the South Island striving for independence. Literally, it was said: " It has become necessary to relocate the seat of government ... to a suitable place on the Cook Strait ." The motion was adopted and implemented two years later.
1871 Domett retired and returned to his native England, where he remained for the rest of his life. He renewed his friendship with Robert Browning, worked as a poet and in 1880 the Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George appointed. The Conservative Party offered him to run for a seat in the British House of Commons, but Domett declined. He died aged 78 in London.
Literary work
After 1833 Domett published numerous poems in Blackwood 's Magazine. One of them, A Christmas Hymn, gained greater attention. In 1871 he wrote his major work Ranolf and Amohia, a South Sea Day Dream, a poem of 14,000 lines about the love of a Māori girl with a young Englishman. The idealization of the culture of Māori in this poem contrasts strongly with the arranged by him expropriation of indigenous people. Critics praised the detailed description of the landscape, but they regarded the work as a whole too convoluted and sprawling. While the New Zealanders were well done, the enthusiasm in the UK kept within narrow limits. 1883 appeared a second edition, which was 4,000 lines longer than the first. The 1877 poem written Jetsam and Flotsam devoted Domett his longtime friend Robert Browning.
- Flotsam and jetsam. Rhymes old and new. Paul, Trench & Co, London 1877
- Ranolf and Amohia. A South Sea day dream. Smith, Elder, London 1973
- Ranolf and Amohia. A dream of two lives. Smith, Elder, London 1883