WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 296, 10 September 1926, Page 8

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

NOTES AT RANDOM

(By

T.D.H.)

“Bother Mrs. Harris,” said Betsy Prigg. “I don’t believe there’s no sjch person.” ... In political circles at the moment expressions of doubt about the existence of Mr. Harris are couched in the future tense. China is now learning from Russia the art of slitting throats in a comradely Socialistic manner. The residence of Denmark’s ex-Priine Minister in the New Zealand bush sixty years ago had not so completely escaped notice as it seemed to T.D.H when he wrote last week. In his book, “The Past and Present of New Zealand,” published in 1868, the Rev. Richard Taylor remarked on the variety of character among the settlers “in our little Wanganui,” and said that no one would have expected to find there “a man of European, if not world-wide, celebrity, no less a person than the late strong-minded Prime Minister of Denmark —Bishop Monrad.” Mr. Taylor adds that when the King of Denmark, after the deplorable evacuation of the Dannewerke, following the Schleswig-Holstein war, “felt that the firm and determined counsel of his Minister could no longer be followed, the Bishop resigned his distinguished post, and, unable further to benefit his native land, became a. voluntary exile.’ During his residence in Wanganui, the Bishop, who was a great linguist, occupied himself on a new translation of the Bible into Danish, from the original texts. From Mr. Oscar Monrad, of. Palmerston North, comes the portrait of his distinguished grandfather which appears in another column. Mr. Monrad states that the Bishop‘came to New Zealand in 1865, the year following the Schleswig-Holstein war and the end of his Premiership. Bishop Monrad remained in New Zealand four years, and during that time was farming at Karere, which lies about a mile beyond Longburn on the Palmersion-Foxton road. In 1869 he returned to Denmark, and in 1871 he was reappointed Bishop of Laaland and Falster. In 1882 he reentered the Danish Parliament, and sat in it until 1884. Three years later the Bishop died in his seventy-sixth (or seventy-seventh) year. From Mr. Taylor’s reference it appears that during part of his stay in this country Bishop Monrad resided in Wanganui, and a day or two ago a lady reader of The Dominion informed T.D.H. that as a girl in Wanganui, in the ’sixties, she well remembered Bishop and Mrs. Monrad living on the riverbank there. Mr. Monrad has. forward, ed dates of other events in his grandfather’s eventful career, but as a more extended biographical sketch appeared in the “Leisure Hour” for December, 1864 (reprinted in Mr. Taylors book), it is given in full below, as no doubt readers will like to know all there is to be known about the generous donor of the. most valuable collection of works of art m this country. The article was written at the close of the Bishop’s Prime Ministership of Denmark, and runs as follows * * * “Ditlev Gothard Monrad, Bishop of Laaland and Falster, was born at Copenhagen, November 24, Brought up by his uncle, a merchant of Proestoe, the clergyman of the place noticed his unusual abilities, and by his exertions and aid of some of the leading citizens, he was enabled to commence his studies, which he pursued with so much diligence as to take his degrees with first-rate distinction. He devoted special attention to philosophy and the Oriental languages; he read the Old Testament in the original, and translated the “Arabian Nights” into Danish for his own amusement, sometimes working sixteen to eighteen hours out of the twenty-four. His mends and fellow students would call m to talk and hinder him from this overworking himself. Some of them have since become distinguished characters, as Prime Minister Hall, Count Knuth, Barfod. and the historian Allen. “On December 3, 1839, the day when Frederick VI died, he attended a meeting to discuss the propriety of asking the new King for a Constitution. That was the first time he had ever opened his mouth on politics; his speech made a great impression—he grasped the whole question at once. From that dav he became one of the leaders ot the liberal and progressive and thenceforth he devoted his talents and energy to politics Soon after he published political fly-leaves; but although he wrote with moderation, he still subjected himself to an action for a breach of the then existing Press laws In 1840 he was one of the editors of the “Faedrelandt” newspaper; the first and second leading articles he wrote in it were on the taxation of towns according to income, and on the public roads of Holstein. These articles excited considerable attention. • * * “After having visited several countries in Europe, he published a work on schools in several Protestant cities, and suggestions fot the reorganisation of those of Copenhagen. In 1843 he became editor of the free press organ ‘Dansk Folkeblad.’ He also delivered some excellent lectures on the history of Denmark since 1814. J° r 1846 , was called to the living of Vesternlsley, in Laaland, bv the influence ot his friend Count Knuth; and in December 23 of the same year he was fourth member of the Estates for the citv of Copenhagen. • * * * “In 1848, when King Christian VIII died and Frederich VII succeeded, the Liberal cause triumphed, and a free Constitution was given, then Monrad was in the right place. On March 22 he entered the Ministry, holding the portfolio for Church and Schools; he was the chief framer of the excellent ‘Grundslov,’ or fundamental law of 1849 In 1849 be was created Bishop of Laaland and Falster, and elected a member of the Rigsdag (Parliament), in which, with a few months’ exception in 1853, he continued to represent the Fourth Maribo District up to 1864. He was also elected to the Rigsraad, or Assembly, for Denmark Proper and Schleswig. “Bishop Monrad is a man of liberal principles, a promoter of progress and iudicions reform, yet thought to lean too much to the whole State P art ZOn this account he was entrusted to form a new Ministry to replace that of Halls, of whose Cabinet Bishop Mrmrad was also a member. A ’ te ’’. , e evacuation of the Dannewerke, Bishop Monrad showed such firmness of policy that his administration was exc^ e "’ inglv popular. He was locularlv culled the ’figure 1 in the million, the other six members of the Cabinet being the noughts, 1,000,090.” Tlie New York “Outlook”, tells of an American clergyman and his. wife who were making their preparations to go as missionaries to Africa. These preparations were delayed, as they felt obliged to leave their New York apartment enraged over the discovery that there was a colowed faffliiy on toj> floor bach.