ALFRED DOMETT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2181, 19 December 1895, Page 11

ALFRED DOMETT.

iSflfcß- ALFRED DOMETT was born at Camberwell in "fflSflml M-ay, 1811. After passing through a three years' $tjkM\ course at Cambridge University, he spent four or -^$3^ fi ve j eavs i n travelling through America and various parts of the Continent. During this time he laid the foundations of his future poetical excellence, contributing several pieces of merit to " Blackwood's Magazine." In 1839 he published a poem entitled '* Venice" in thin octavo. In 1841 lie was called to the English bar, and in May of 1842 he sailed in the Sir Charles Forbes with the first batch of emigrants

for Nelson. Here he steadily took that position which his education and literary acquirements marked out for him. He contributed largely to the " Nelson Examiner," a paper which he afterwards edited, and which for years was the best in New Zealand. In 1848 he was appointed Colonial Secretary to the province of New Munster ; that is, to the southern part of the North Island and the whole of the South Island. This appointment he held, together with the further one of Civil Secretary, until the new Construction in 1853, when he was appointed to the almost entire charge of the newly-formed district of Hawke's Bay. In 1855 he was elected a member for Nelson in the House of Representatives, a position he held for seven years. The Native war, which had begun at Taranaki in 1860, extended

two years later to the Waikato. To add to its misfortunes, party feeling ran high, and the House held violently opposed opinions as to the best policy to pursue. As a consequence, Sir W. Fox's ministry, which had been favourably disposed towards peace, resigned in the session of 1862, and, after some delay, Mr. Domett became Premier. Mr. Domett's views were not essentially different from those of his predecessors ; but, able as he was, he was more theoretical than practical, and failed to carry his colleagues with him. Dissensions and difficulties arose, and in little more than a year Mr. Domett's short-lived ministry gave place to that of the Whitaker-Fox. He now was appointed to the more congenial post of Secretai-y of Crown Lands, and to a seat in the Legislative Council. For his great services he was made a C.M.G. in 18S0. In 1871 he returned to the Home country, and died at London in November, 1887. Mr. Domett's eminence as a colonist will rather rest upon his culture and literary ability than on his political qualities. His chief poem — " Rauolf and Amohia ; a South Sea Day Dream '' — was published in 1872 ; a second edition appeared in 1883.