Arthur Morrison (22 November 1846 – 21 November 1901) was a member of parliament in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

, New Zealand.

Early life

Morrison was born in

Darvel Darvel (, ) is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is at the eastern end of the Loudoun, Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" (). The town's Latin motto, , means "Not for ourselves, but for others". History Prehis ...

Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...

, Scotland, in 1846 and attended the local parish school until aged nine years. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1874 and was a

coal merchant A coal merchant is the term used in the UK and other countries for a trader who sells coal and often delivers it to households. Coal merchants were once a major class of local business, but have declined in importance in many parts of the developed ...

from 1875 until his election to Parliament in 1893. He exemplified the

self-made man A self-made man is a person whose success is of their own making. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, has been described as the greatest exemplar of the self-made man. Inspired by Franklin's autobiography, Fr ...

who identified with Labour.

Political career

Morrison served on the Caversham Borough Council for three years. The ''

Otago Daily Times The ''Otago Daily Times'' (''ODT'') is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand. The ''ODT'' is one of the country's four main daily newspapers, serving the southern South Island with a circulation of around 26,000 and ...

'' said Morrison was a "careful reasoner". He represented the Caversham electorate in the

New Zealand House of Representatives The House of Representatives () is the Unicameral, sole chamber of the New Zealand Parliament. The House passes Law of New Zealand, laws, provides Ministers in the New Zealand Government, ministers to form the Cabinet of New Zealand, Cabinet, ...

from the 1893 general election to his death in 1901. From 1900 until 1901 he was the Liberal Party's junior

whip A whip is a blunt weapon or implement used in a striking motion to create sound or pain. Whips can be used for flagellation against humans or animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain, or be used as an audible cue thro ...

Death

Morrison died of

throat cancer Head and neck cancer is a general term encompassing multiple cancers that can develop in the head and neck region. These include cancers of the mouth, tongue, gums and lips ( oral cancer), voice box ( laryngeal), throat ( nasopharyngeal, orophar ...

Hanmer Springs Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand, known for its hot pools. The Māori name for Hanmer Springs is Te Whakatakanga o te Ngārahu o te ahi a Tamatea, which means "where the ashes of Tamate ...

on 21 November 1901. It was the largest funeral that has ever been witnessed in Caversham.

Notes

References

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Arthur (New Zealand) 1846 births 1901 deaths New Zealand Liberal Party MPs Local politicians in New Zealand New Zealand businesspeople Businesspeople in coal Scottish emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand MPs for Dunedin electorates Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives People from Darvel Burials at Dunedin Southern Cemetery 19th-century New Zealand politicians Deaths from throat cancer in New Zealand