Grey Ministry, 1877–1879

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Grey Ministry
ministries of New Zealand
1877–1879
George Grey and his Cabinet.jpg
Date formed 13 October 1877
Date dissolved 8 October 1879
People and organisations
Head of state Victoria
Head of government George Grey
Member party Greyites
Opposition party Conservatives
Opposition leader
History
Election(s)
Predecessor Atkinson Ministry, 1876–1877
Successor Hall Ministry, 1879–1882

The Grey Ministry was a responsible government that was formed in New Zealand. It formed in October 1877 and governed for two years until October 1879. From the outset, Sir George Grey served as Prime Minister.

Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments in Westminster democracies are responsible to parliament rather than to the monarch, or, in a colonial context, to the imperial government, and in a republican context, to the president, either in full or in part. If the parliament is bicameral, then the government is responsible first to the parliament's lower house, which is more representative than the upper house, as it has more members and they are always directly elected.

New Zealand Country in Oceania

New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, and the South Island —and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.

George Grey Premier of New Zealand (1877–1879)

Sir George Grey, KCB was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony, and the 11th Premier of New Zealand.

Contents

Background

As Premier, Grey was highly active in promoting middle-class liberalism to New Zealanders sponsoring ideas such as electoral reform, land taxes, breaking up large estates, regulation of wages and working hours and accessible education. However his ideas were too radical for many of his contemporaries. Grey's administration was perceived as defective and his leadership poor. As he never had a safe majority in Parliament, Grey unsuccessfully asked for a dissolution in 1878. Soon after the economy began to slide into recession, which caused much unemployment and as a result, unpopularity. The next year Grey's government lost a division in the House triggering an election. Grey and his followers failed to win a majority and in October 1879 Grey resigned. [1]

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but they generally support limited government, individual rights, capitalism, democracy, secularism, gender equality, racial equality, internationalism, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion.

Ministers

The following members served in the Grey Ministry: [2]

NameImageOfficeTerm
Sir George Grey
George Grey, 1885.jpg
Prime Minister 15 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
Colonial Secretary 15 October 1877 – 18 October 1877
Minister of Customs 15 October 1877 – 12 January 1878
12 July 1878 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Finance 13 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
William Larnach
William Larnach, 1890.jpg
Minister of Finance 15 October 1877 – 5 March 1878
Minister of Public Works 15 October 1877 – 5 March 1878
James Macandrew
James Macandrew.jpg
Minister of Lands 15 October 1877 – 25 July 1878
Minister of Immigration 15 October 1877 – 25 July 1878
Minister of Public Works 28 March 1878 – 8 October 1879
John Sheehan
John Sheehan, 1884.jpg
Minister of Native Affairs 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Justice 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
James Temple Fisher
James Temple Fisher, 1877.jpg
Postmaster-General 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
George Stoddart Whitmore
George Stoddart Whitmore.jpg
Colonial Secretary 18 October 1877 – 8 October 1879
John Ballance
John Ballance 1880.jpg
Minister of Education 12 January 1878 – 1 July 1879
Minister of Finance 12 January 1878 – 1 July 1879
Robert Stout
Robert Stout, 1885.jpg
Attorney-General 13 March 1878 – 25 June 1879
Minister of Lands 13 March 1878 – 25 June 1879
Hoani Nahi
Hoani Nahi.jpg
Member of Executive Council 17 November 1877 – 8 October 1879
John Nathanial Wilson
No image.png
Member of Executive Council 2 November 1878 – 8 October 1879
William Swanson
William Swanson, ca 1878.jpg
Member of Executive Council 17 April 1879 – 15 July 1879
William Gisborne
William Gisborne, circa 1895.jpg
Minister of Lands 5 July 1879 – 15 July 1879
Minister of Mines 5 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Immigration 5 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
James William Thomson
No image.png
Member of Executive Council 15 July 1879 – 8 October 1879
Minister of Lands 16 July 1879 – 8 October 1879

Notes

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References

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See also