Robert Stout

Sir Robert Stout ( born September 28, 1844 in Lerwick, † July 19, 1930 ) was twice Prime Minister of New Zealand, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was the only one who held both of these offices. He was known for his support of liberal aspirations as the woman suffrage known and believed that philosophy and theory should always take precedence over political expediency.

Early life

Stout was born in Lerwick on the Scottish Shetland Islands. He remained throughout his life with the Shetland closely linked. He received a good education and became a teacher and 1860 in addition surveyor. Through his extended family, often met to discuss political issues of the day, Stout got a great political interest and came in his youth with many different political worldviews into contact.

1863 Stout emigrated to Dunedin in New Zealand. Here he became involved in political debates and quickly became active in the circles of the freethinkers of the city. After he failed to get a job as a surveyor on the goldfields of Otago, Stout returned to education and has held a number of higher apprenticeships to high school level.

Finally, Stout was legally operate. 1867 Stout worked for the law firm of William Downie Stewart Sr., the father of William Downie Stewart, who later became Minister of Finance of New Zealand was. In 1871 he was admitted to the bar and proved to be very successful trial lawyer. He was also one of the first students of the University of Otrago ( possibly even the first, but this is disputed). He studied political economy and moral theory, and later became the first law professor of the University.

In 1876 he married Anna Paterson Logan, with whom he had six children.

Early political career

Stout's political career began when he was elected to the Provincial Council of Otago. During the period as a councilor he impressed many people with his energy and his rhetorical skills. Others found him to be rude and complained about his lack of respect for those who had other views.

In the parliamentary elections 1875-1876 Stout was elected as MP for Caversham in Parliament. He raised himself in vain against the government's efforts to abolish the New Zealand provinces.

On March 13, 1878 Stout Attorney General in the government of Prime Minister George Grey. He was involved in this capacity on a number of important legislative process. On July 25, 1878 Stout was also Minister of Agriculture and Immigration. As a strong advocate of land reforms aimed at Stout State property on land which should then be leased to the individual farmer. He often expressed the fear that private property would lead to a kind of " class of powerful landowners " as in the United Kingdom.

On June 25, 1879, however, Stout resigned both as a cabinet member and as representative, citing the need to focus on his profession. His partner in the law firm became increasingly ill and the company's success was important for the economic existence of Stout and his family. His career as a lawyer was, perhaps, but not the only factor that contributed to his resignation, as Stout and George Grey had recently quarreled before.

Around this time also developed a friendship with John Ballance, who had also left Grey's Cabinet in dispute. Stout and Ballance shared many political views. During his time outside of parliament ideas began at Stout to political parties in New Zealand to form and he believed in the necessity of a liberal united front. He eventually came to the conclusion, however, that the Parliament was too fragmented for the establishment of political parties.

In the parliamentary elections in 1884 Stout was re-elected and tried the various liberal deputies to gather behind. He formed an alliance with Julius Vogel, a former prime minister. This surprised many observers because, although bird told Stouts progressive social views, but the two had quarreled regularly about economic policy and the future of the provincial governments. Many believed that bird was the dominant partner in the alliance.

Prime minister

In August 1884, just a month after his return to Parliament, succeeded Stout, the conservative Harry Atkinson to rush through a vote of no confidence, and even to become premier. Julius Vogel was Chancellor of the Exchequer, and thus got a considerable influence in the administration. Stout's new government survived only less than two weeks, as now again by Atkinson brought a no-confidence vote against Stout. Atkinson himself, however, it was not possible to form a new government and was deposed by a renewed confidence vote again. Stout and Vogel came so back to power.

Stout's second government held much longer. Its main achievements were the reform of public services and a program for the creation of new further education institutions in the country. They also organized the construction of the Midland Line, a railway line between Canterbury and the West Coast. However, the economy flourished despite all attempts to get them out of the crisis, not. In the elections of 1887 Stout lost his parliamentary seat to James Allen less by 29 votes. This ended his tenure as Premier. Harry Atkinson, Stout's old rival, succeeded in forming a new government.

At this time, Stout decided to leave the parliamentary politics entirely and focus on other ways to spread his liberal views. He was especially interested in solving the increasing labor struggles of the time and participated heavily in the creation of a consensus between the growing labor movement and the world of the liberalism of the middle class.

Liberal Party

While Stout's political break his old ally of John Ballance had continued the fight in Parliament. After the elections in 1890, he had gathered enough support to overthrow Atkinson and become prime minister. Shortly after Ballance founded the Liberal Party, New Zealand's first real political party. A few years later, however, seriously ill Ballance and Stout asked to go back and be his successor Parliament. Stout agreed and Ballance died shortly afterwards.

Stout pulled as a winner of a by-election in the constituency Inangahua on June 8, 1893 back to parliament. Ballances deputy, Richard Seddon, took over the party leadership as acting at that time. It was assumed that a later caucus in the party should make a final decision about it, this was never held and Seddon remained in office. Stout had the support of those who Seddon saw as too conservative and tried to go against but was unsuccessful. Many of Seddon's supporters believed that the progressive views of Ballance and Stout for the New Zealand public are too extreme.

Stout remained in the Liberal Party, but repeatedly expressed opposition to Seddon's leadership. He claimed Seddon betraying the original, progressive ideals of Ballance and criticized his autocratic style of rule. Ballances idea of ​​a common front of all progressive forces had become, according to Stout in nothing less than a vehicle for the conservative Seddon. Seddon defended himself against these accusations by claiming that Stout was only about bitter, not to have the guide itself.

Women's suffrage

One of the last major campaign in which Stout participated, focused on the introduction of women's suffrage. He had long been a supporter of this thing and had worked tirelessly for his own bill in 1878 and promoted by Julius Vogel in 1887, but both failed in Parliament. He was also active in efforts to improve women's property rights, particularly the right of married women to retain property independently of their husbands.

John Ballance had been a supporter of women's suffrage, its attempts to obtain the respective legislation by Parliament, had been, however, the conservative Legislative Council, the former upper house of parliament, blocked. Seddon, however, was, however, against women's suffrage, however, and many believed this thing lost. However, a major new initiative by suffragettes at Kate Sheppard created considerable support for women's suffrage and Stout believed that a bill against Seddon contradiction could come through Parliament. A group of progressive politicians, including Stout, received in 1893 a law on women's suffrage successfully through both chambers of parliament. The terse approval in the upper house was due to two members, although they were set against women's suffrage, the law nevertheless agreed. They felt Seddon Taktiererei and his attempts, but to overturn the law passed in the House in the House yet, as dishonest.

Stout was also involved in the bankrupt group of companies of Walter Guthrie in Southland and Otago, which had been supported by the Bank of New Zealand. After Bourke Seddon was willing to conceal Stouts participation, if Stout reject out of politics ..

1898 Stout withdrew from the political scene. He had during his deputies work the constituencies Caversham (5th Parliament, 1875), City of Dunedin (6th Parliament, 1875-79 ), Dunedin East (9th Parliament, 1884-87 ), Inangahua (11th Parliament, 1893) and Wellington city ( 12th and 13th Parliament, 1893-98 ) represented.

More life

On 22 June 1899 he was appointed as the successor of James Prendergast, who had resigned on May 25, chief judge, and remained there until January 31, 1926. In his role, he showed special interest in the rehabilitation of offenders, which was in contrast to the rather lying on punishment focus of his time. He had a leading role in the compilation of the 1908 completed the New Zealand Code and was appointed Privy Councillor in 1921. In the year of his resignation as chief judge, he was appointed to the Legislative Council, his last political office. Successor as Chief Justice was Charles Skerrett.

Stout played an important role in the development of the New Zealand university system. He became in 1885 a member of the Senate of the University of New Zealand and remained there until 1930. 1903 to 1923 he was Chancellor of the University. In the years 1891-1898 he was also active in the Council of the University of Otago. He played a leading role in the foundation of today's Victoria University of Wellington. The strong connection between Victoria University and the Stout family is the Stout Research Centre and the Robert Stout Building of the University dedicated.

1929 Stout health deteriorated increasingly and he died on July 19, 1930 in Wellington.

Honors

In 1886 he became Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.

Works

  • The Rise and Progress of New Zealand Historical Sketch in Musings in Maori land by Arthur T. Keirle 1890. Digitized version of the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
  • Our Gauge Railway in The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Vol.3, Ausg.2 (June 1, 1928). Digitized version of the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
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