Charles Alexander Harris

“ Ambitious to follow the career of a colonial administrator, he in 1882 accepted an offer of the lieutenant-governorship of Natal. But the politicians of that colony declined to approve the choice of one so little known, and the nomination was withdrawn. ”

“ ROBINSON, Sir JOHN (1839–1903) , first prime minister of Natal, son of George Eyre Robinson, was born at Hull, Yorkshire, in 1839, and came out to Natal with his parents in 1850. Coming to a colony which was only seven years old, where there were as yet no secondary schools, he had little chance of education, apart from the stimulus of 'cultured parents.' Entering the office of the 'Natal Mercury,' which his father started, he cherished leanings towards the life of a missionary, and then towards the law ”

“ COOPER, Sir DANIEL, first baronet (1821–1902) , Australian merchant, was second son of Thomas Cooper and Jane, daughter of Nathaniel Ramsden, being one of a family of five sons and four daughters. He was born at Bolton-le-Moors, Lancashire, on 1 July 1821, but went out quite young with his father to Sydney, New South Wales. In 1833 he returned to England for his education in schools near London and at University College ”

“ At the general election in August 1861 he was returned for Collingwood as an advanced liberal protectionist. He supported the ministry of Sir James McCulloch [q. v.] in its struggle with the legislative council, which refused to sanction the assembly's imposition of protectionist duties (1863-6) . But when McCulloch failed in his plan of 'tacking' the customs bill to the appropriation bill, and sought to borrow from a bank in order to meet the public expenditure, Berry withdrew his support. ”

“ In 1890 Douglas re-entered the political life of the colony as member for Launceston in the legislative council, and represented Tasmania at the Federal Convention at Sydney in 1891. He served in the Dobson ministry as chief secretary from 17 Aug. 1892 to 14 April 1894, when he became president of the legislative council; this position he held for ten years, being knighted at the coronation of Edward VII in 1902. In May 1904 he was defeated at the elections for Launceston, and retired from public life. He died on 10 April 1906 at Hobart, where he had come to reside ten years before ”

“ In 1898, at the federal conference at Sydney, he carried a clause in the constitution bill which became known as the 'Braddon blot.' His term of office, during the latter part of which he was treasurer as well as premier, came to an end on 12 Oct. 1899.
In 1901 Braddon was elected by a large majority senior member for Tasmania in the first parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, and on 16 Dec. 1903 he was elected to the second parliament in the interest of free trade. He died on 2 Feb. ”

“ Arranging for the conduct of the 'Mercury' during his absence, in 1861 he journeyed to England by the east coast of Africa, Mauritius, and the Red Sea, whence he passed through Egypt, Palestine, Syria, certain of the Levant and Mediterranean ports to Athens, Rome, and Paris. ”

“ Nelson was a strong man, and the greatest authority on constitutional questions that the colony had had up to that time, although he was opposed to the federation of the Australian states (Daily Record, Rockhampton, 1 Jan. 1906) . He founded the Royal Agricultural Society of Toowoomba and the Austral Association. He was president of the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland. ”

“ Braddon was recalled to Tasmania in 1893, and on 19 Dec., having re-entered the assembly as member for West Devon, turned out the government which had recalled him. On 14 April 1894 he became premier, and in this capacity in 1897 he represented Tasmania at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and was made a privy councillor. ”

“ On 30 Sept. 1885, when a protectorate was formally proclaimed over Bechuanaland, Shippard was appointed administrator and chief magistrate of British Bechuanaland, and president of the land commission which was charged with determining the complicated claims to lands between the natives and concessionaires ”

“ Subsequently he reached Hobart, and there he was disappointed of the post of private secretary to Sir John Franklin, then governor of Tasmania. On 24 Dec. 1841 he became assistant surgeon on the agricultural establishment; in July 1842 he was removed to Saltwater Creek in the same capacity, and on 28 Feb. 1845 he was transferred to be colonial assistant surgeon at Hobart, with charge of the general hospital. With this work he combined a general practice which laid the foundation of his influence amongst the people of Hobart. Yet he found time for studies in science and art ”

“ Educated at King's College School, London, he obtained an exhibition at Oriel College, Oxford, in 1856, but next year migrated to Hertford College on winning a scholarship. He graduated B.A. in law and modern history in 1863, and became B.C.L. and M.A. in 1864. Studying for the bar, he was called of the Inner Temple on 26 Jan. 1867, and soon afterwards he went out to South Africa. ”

“ During January 1806 he served the office of consul, and on 1 Feb. 1806, when the district was formed into the Niger Coast Protectorate, he was made commissioner and consul-general for the territory, and consul for the Cameroons and Fernando Po.
When in 1900 the protectorate passed from the foreign office to the colonial office. Moor became high commissioner of Sonthern Nigeria and laid the foundations of the new administration, which developed into the present flourishing colony; his health failing, he retired on a pension on 1 Oct. ”

“ The governor acknowledged Reeves's support by appointing him attorney-general in Feb. 1882. Reeves was created K.C. in 1883. As attorney-general he helped in 1884 to carry out an extension of the franchise. Later in the year he went on long leave to recruit his health, returning to Barbados in 1885.
In 1886 Reeves became chief justice of Barbados. The promotion was a rare recognition of worth in a black man, and was well justified in the result. ”

“ When in 1851 the new colony of Victoria was constituted, he was appointed (10 Oct.) chief clerk in the colonial secretary's office, and on 11 Oct. 1852 clerk to the executive council. On 18 Nov. 1856, when a full parliament of two chambers was established, he became clerk of parliaments. ”

“ On 10 June 1902 he joined William Hill Irvine's ministry as minister for railways and works, and though on 6 Feb. 1903 he parted with the railway work to another minister he bore the brunt of the great railway strike of May 1903. On Irvine's retirement Bent became prime minister (16 Feb. 1904) . His ministry lasted over four years, and in that period passed many measures aimed at improving the conditions of life amongst manual workers and their economic position. ”

“ Rusden was of striking appearance and was a genial and interesting companion. Rusden's chief works were his 'History of Australia' (3 vols. 1883) and ’History of New Zealand' (3 vols. 1883) ; revised editions of both were published at Melbourne in 1895-7. These works offer a broad survey of the growth of two great colonies, but Rusden's defect of critical faculty better adapts them to the use of the public man than of the student. Rusden also published: 1. 'Moyarra, an Australian Legend,' a poem, Maitland, 1851. 2. 'National Education,' 1853. 3. ”

“ By the former he paved the way in some measure for the Charter of the British South Africa Company. He retired on pension on 16 Nov. 1895, when British Bechuanaland was annexed to Cape Colony. On his way home he was at Johannesburg just after the Jameson raid, and threw all his influence on the side of peace. ”

“ He was one of nine children, most of whom died young, and came to Liverpool with his parents when two years old. Here after being educated at different schools he began to earn his living in 1860, when he became first a ship's apprentice and then a clerk to the firm of Fletcher and Parr of Liverpool, which did business in a small way with the West Coast of Africa as agents of the African Steamship Co. Of an evening he attended classes at the Liverpool College. His energy was rewarded by his becoming manager of the firm; but owing to some changes in the business Jones on 1 Jan. ”

“ In 1873 Sendall became assistant poor law inspector in the Oxfordshire district, but during 1875 these appointments were abolished and for six months he was out of employment and devoted himself to studying and reporting on the Dutch poor laws. Then in 1876 he became a poor law inspector in Yorkshire under the local government board ”

“ His tenure of office was marked by educational reform. In 1891 he left the colony for a long visit to England, returning to Tasmania in 1894, when he was made K.C.M.G. In 1899 he was disabled by illness, and died at Hobart on 8 Nov. ”

“ Elder, Dempster had absorbed much of his old firm's business, and in 1876 he boldly offered to take control of their concern or buy them out. Quickly raising substantial capital, he became in 1879 junior partner and was soon the master spirit of Messrs. ”

“ He was, however, actually sent to Purneah to act against the mutineers, and raised a regiment of Sonthals with which he served under Sir George Adney Yule through the Indian Mutiny, receiving the mutiny medal and favourable mention in despatches. ”

“ He was attached to the special mission of Lord Beaconsfield to the Berlin congress in 1878, and was knighted for his services. He was one of the delegates for the examination of the question of boundary between British and Dutch territory in Borneo in June 1889. ”

“ He was knighted in 1889. His judgments were clear and well worded. Several of them were collected in a volume by Sir William Herbert Greaves, a successor as chief justice, and Mr. Clark, attorney-general. ”

“ Hertslet married Eden (d. 1899) , daughter of John Bull, clerk of the journals of the House of Commons. Of his nine sons and three daughters, six sons and a daughter survived him. His third son, Mr. Godfrey L. P. Hertslet, in the library of the foreign office, succeeded him as editor of the 'Foreign Office List' and is also assistant editor of 'Hertslet's Commercial Treaties.' Hertslet continued many publications which his father began; the principal were: 1. ”

“ Returning from England in 1881, Agnew re-entered the legislative council in 1884. On 8 March 1886 he formed a ministry in succession to (Sir) Adye Douglas [q. v. Suppl. II] , and was premier till 29 March 1887 ”

“ He was succeeded as second baronet by his eldest son, Daniel, a deputy-lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.
[Heaton's Austral. Dict. of Dates; Mennell's Dict. of Australas. Biog.; Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 1902; The Times, 6 June 1902.] ”