David Monro

Sir David Monro (27 March 1813 – 15 February 1877) was a New Zealand politician. He served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1861 to 1870.

Early life

Monro was born in Edinburgh, and graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from Edinburgh University in 1835. After first studying for a time in Paris, Berlin and Vienna, Monro established a medical practice in Edinburgh. In 1841, however, Monro bought land in the planned settlement at Nelson, New Zealand. He arrived in Nelson the following year.

Monro married Dinah Secker on 7 May 1845 and they had five sons and two daughters, including Charles John Monro.

Political career

In 1843, following the Wairau Affray, Monro was chosen (along with Alfred Domett, later to become Premier) to present the Nelson settlers' views to Willoughby Shortland, the acting Governor. Partly as a result of this attention, Monro was appointed to the Legislative Council of the New Munster Province in 1849, but resigned after a dispute with Governor George Grey.

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1853–1855	1st	Waimea		Independent
1858–1860	2nd	Waimea		Independent
1861–1866	3rd	Picton		Independent
1866–1870	4th	Cheviot		Independent
1871	5th	Motueka		Independent
1872–1873	5th	Waikouaiti		Independent

In 1853, Monro was elected to the 1st New Zealand Parliament, representing the seat of Waimea. He was re-elected in the same seat for the 2nd Parliament in 1858. At the beginning of the 3rd Parliament, to which Monro had been elected as representative of Picton, he was selected as Speaker. He is generally regarded as having conducted this duty "with dignity", although his use of the Speaker's casting vote to unseat Premier William Fox in 1862 was controversial. At the 1866 general election, he successfully contested the Cheviot electorate. Monro remained Speaker until 1870, when he announced that he would step down. William Fox, who was once again Premier, failed to move the traditional vote of thanks.

Monro contested the Motueka seat in the 1871 elections, and was declared elected. A subsequent petition, however, overturned this result. The committee that made the ruling had a government majority, and some of its findings have been deemed "legally dubious" – many believe that the decision was taken for political reasons. Furthermore, a proposal to appoint Monro to the Legislative Council was blocked by Fox. Monro nevertheless succeeded in re-entering Parliament through a 1872 by-election in Waikouaiti. After the Fox government had been defeated, Monro resigned in 1873.

Life outside politics

Monro was knighted in 1866. He died in Nelson on 15 February 1877.

See also

• Munro of Auchinbowie, the distinguished Scottish family that David Monro was descended from.

References

• "The Monros of Auchinbowie and Cognate Families". By John Alexander Inglis. Edinburgh. Printed privately by T and A Constable. Printers to His Majesty. 1911.

Political offices
Preceded by Charles Clifford	Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives 1861–1870	Succeeded by Dillon Bell
Parliament of New Zealand
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Waimea 1853–1855 alongside William Cautley, William Travers 1858–1860 alongside William Travers, John Kelling	Succeeded by Charles Elliott
Preceded by Charles Elliott		Succeeded by Alfred Saunders
Preceded by Frederick Weld	Member of Parliament for Cheviot 1866–1870	Succeeded by Henry Anthony Ingles