Frederick Whitaker

Sir Frederick Whitaker, KCMG ( born April 23 1812 in Bampton, Oxfordshire, England; † December 4, 1891 in Auckland ) was the fifth Prime Minister of New Zealand. He had served two terms; the first time on 30 October 1863 to 24 November 1864 for the second time on 21 April 1882 to 25 September 1883.

Emigration and legal activity

Whitaker's father was a respected lawyer in Oxford, and so does his son studied law. In January 1839 he was admitted to the bar. He decided to emigrate to New South Wales in Australia and arrived there in October of the same year. But in March 1840 he moved to New Zealand and settled at the Bay of Islands, where he worked as a lawyer. In April 1841 Auckland was new capital and Whitaker moved his residence there. In the same year he was appointed district judge, but his office was abolished in 1844 in the course of administrative reform.

On March 4, 1843, he married Jane Augusta Griffith, from the marriage went four sons and four daughters out. Whitaker was appointed in 1845 by Governor Robert FitzRoy to a member of the Legislative Council and was on this for a year. After a two year trip to England in 1848 he took his profession again and speculated with investments in agriculture, mining and forestry companies.

Ascent to the Prime Minister

After New Zealand had received a new constitution, Frederick Whitaker was appointed to the Legislative Council again in May 1853. In 1854, he was the highest judicial official in the province of Auckland and was a member of the staff of the Chief Prosecutor. In 1855, he ran unsuccessfully for this office. Henry Sewell, first Prime Minister of the country, Whitaker appointed in May 1856 Attorney General, the highest legal adviser to the government ( with the rank of minister). He held intermittently until July 1861 this office.

In October 1863 Prime Minister Alfred Domett lost a vote of no confidence and Frederick Whitaker became his successor. His law firm partner Thomas Russell he appointed minister of defense ( this was already Minister since August 1862 without portfolio have been ). Both were of the opinion that the Maori "rebels" had to be ruthlessly persecuted and demanded expropriation of land on a large scale and the establishment of military settlements in order to guarantee the safety of the Pakeha. This uncompromising stance has already led in November 1864 to overthrow the government. Governor George Grey expressed the suspicion Whitaker and Russell were merely puppets of some directors of the Bank of New Zealand have been those who hoped for by the confiscated Maori land big profits. Whitaker resigned as a member of the Legislative Council.

Between Temporal retreat

After 1865 Auckland had lost its status as the capital of Wellington, Whitaker called publicity the political division of New Zealand's main islands. In October of that year he was elected as Chairman of the unrivaled Provincial Council, in November for the Members of Parliament for the constituency of Parnell. In Parliament, he called for more autonomy and the abolition of capital Decree of 1856. Because he could not enforce his demands, he resigned in March 1867 back from his offices.

He held the following nine years out of politics and worked as a businessman. Together with his partner Thomas Russell Whitaker led a gold mining company in Thames. He was also involved in gas works, forestry companies and coal mines; he speculated in land and was a major shareholder of the Bank of New Zealand. He also sat on the boards of several New Zealand subsidiaries of foreign companies.

Renewed political activities

In January, 1876 Whitaker ran again in the constituency Waitako as a member of Parliament and was also elected. Prime Minister Harry Atkinson made ​​him turn to the Attorney General. He held until the fall of the government in October 1877 this ministerial posts. In November 1879, he lost his parliamentary seat while back, but the new Prime Minister John Hall appointed him the less to the Attorney General. Whitaker exerted a great influence on the government. So it was no surprise that he became prime minister for a second time after Hall's resignation in October 1883. In November 1884 he entered but back again because he wanted to devote his business activities more. In the same year he was knighted.

After Harry Atkinson had again become Prime Minister in October 1887, he appointed Whitaker again to the Attorney General. In January 1891 Whitaker resigned permanently. Fatal misspeculations and a recession had almost led to his financial ruin. A few months later he died at the age of 79 years.

349983
de