![Henry Sewell, ca 1872](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Henry_Sewell%2C_ca_1872.jpg)
The Sewell Ministry was the first
responsible government
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 (the equivalent of the executive bran ...
in New Zealand. Unlike previous executives, its members were held accountable to
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. This would form the basis for future
governments in New Zealand.
The ministry formed in 1856, but lasted only one month, from 18 April to 20 May. From 7 May onwards,
Henry Sewell
Henry Sewell (7 September 1807 – 14 May 1879) was a prominent 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first premier (an office th ...
held office as
colonial secretary, considered to be the equivalent of a prime minister or premier. Thus, Sewell is regarded as the first
prime minister of New Zealand
The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017.
The prime minister (inform ...
.
Historic context
Sir
George Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) 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, Go ...
, the 3rd
Governor of New Zealand, greatly influenced the
New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 (UK), which granted the colony self-government, allowing for a
bicameral
Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...
Parliament consisting of an elected
House of Representatives of 24 to 42 members, and an appointed
Legislative Council of not fewer than ten members. It also allowed for
provinces to be formed, each presided over by an elected
Superintendent, for initially
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
,
Taranaki
Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...
,
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
,
Nelson,
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
and
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...
.
Elections were held in 1853 for the provincial councils, the superintendents, and the House of Representatives. In this federal system, the central government had responsibility over defence and native affairs, and the provincial governments had substantial powers of their own.
The system of government was set up at a time when European settlements were scattered and small, and communications and travel were rather difficult. Virtually all long distance travel and transport of goods was by sea.
To be eligible to vote in either the provincial or national elections, voters had to be male owners of property valued at £50, or leasehold valued at £10. The
first Parliament had 37 members, elected by 5849 voters, of which around 100 were Maori.
Once the provincial governments had been set up, New Zealand had given itself six miniature parliaments, endeavouring to emulate Westminster as best they could, for a total European population of about 30,000. And all of that in addition to the bicameral Parliament.
At the first meeting of Parliament in May 1854, a resolution was passed that the House be given responsible and
representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
*Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
*House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
*Legislator, someon ...
government immediately, i.e. the power to appoint an
Executive Council that has decision-making powers.
Robert Wynyard, the
administrator
Administrator or admin may refer to:
Job roles Computing and internet
* Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database
* Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum
* N ...
filling in after Grey's departure and before the arrival of the next Governor, Colonel
Thomas Gore Browne
Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne, (3 July 1807 – 17 April 1887) was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda.
Early life
Browne was born on ...
, formed an Executive Council led by
James FitzGerald (the
Fitzgerald Ministry
The FitzGerald/FitzMaurice Dynasty is a noble and aristocratic dynasty of Cambro-Norman, Anglo-Norman and later Hiberno-Norman origin. They have been peers of Ireland since at least the 13th century, and are described in the Annals of the ...
). When it became clear that the first ministers had no power, they resigned as the Executive after seven weeks.
Wynyard
prorogued
A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two elections ...
Parliament as the members refused to accept his claim that responsible government was not possible without royal assent, which had not been given. In the next session,
Thomas Forsaith
Thomas Spencer Forsaith, JP (18 July 1814 – 29 November 1898), was a New Zealand politician and an Auckland draper. According to some historians, he was the country's second premier, although a more conventional view states that neither he nor ...
, a member of the minority that supported Wynyard, was appointed by Wynyard to lead an Executive (the
Forsaith Ministry). This appointed ministry did not have the confidence of Parliament and lasted only from 31 August to 2 September 1854.
When Browne arrived, he announced that self-government would begin with the
2nd New Zealand Parliament
The 2nd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament, Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 15 April 1856, following New Zealand's 1855 New Zealand general election, 1855 election. It was dissolved on 5 November 1860 in prep ...
.
First responsible government
Henry Sewell
Henry Sewell (7 September 1807 – 14 May 1879) was a prominent 19th-century New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first premier (an office th ...
, who had been a member of the
1st Parliament, stood for re-election in the
Town of Christchurch electorate, and was returned.
As a result of his previous service on Fitzgerald's first Executive Council, Sewell was asked by Browne to form a government. He was appointed to the Executive Council on 18 April 1856, and became Colonial Secretary (considered to be the equivalent of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
), at the head of New Zealand's first responsible government, on 7 May.
Dillon Bell became
Colonial Treasurer,
Frederick Whitaker became
Attorney-General, and
Henry Tancred became a
minister without portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...
. Whitaker and Tancred were both members of the Legislative Council.
Previously, the Executive Council had functioned as an advisory group to the Governor, and ministerial functions were performed by appointed officials, not politicians. The various "ministers" serving on the Council, such as
Andrew Sinclair (Colonial Secretary since 1844) and
Alexander Shepherd (Colonial Treasurer since 1842), retired from their roles.
Ministers
The following members served on the Sewell Ministry:
Notes
References
*
See also
*
Government of New Zealand
{{Governments_of_New Zealand
Ministries of Queen Victoria
Governments of New Zealand
19th century in New Zealand
1856 establishments in New Zealand
1856 disestablishments in New Zealand
Cabinets established in 1856
Cabinets disestablished in 1856