James Tennant Molteno
Sir James Molteno | |
---|---|
Speaker of the South African National Assembly | |
In office 1910–1915 | |
Monarch | George V |
Prime Minister | Louis Botha |
Preceded by | Position Established |
Succeeded by | Joel Krige |
Personal details | |
Born | 5 January 1865 Speaker of Parliament |
Sir James Molteno (5 January 1865 – 16 September 1936), was an influential
Rising to prominence as an unconventional anti-imperialist, he was briefly opposition leader, before becoming parliamentary Speaker.[1]
He was the last
Early life
This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (January 2023) |
The son of Prime Minister
He was elected first president of the Trinity College Debating Society and was active on the committee of the
When he graduated with honours he was called to the Inner Temple in London, before returning to Cape Town to become an Advocate of the Supreme Court in 1889.[4]
Political career
Molteno entered the
Early parliamentary career (1890–1899)
He was initially a supporter of Prime Minister
When the
In 1899, he organised and chaired a commission to draw up a petition to
Molteno was an exceptionally skilled debater and public speaker. In parliament however, he quickly gained a reputation as a jovial tease, with an uncanny ability to both foment and soothe disagreements in the house – while all the time taking an amused backseat. His friends and colleagues in parliament gave him the nickname "Baby Molteno", as he was the youngest of his extended family to be politically active at the time.
The Boer War and its aftermath (1899–1908)
When War broke out, Molteno chaired the anti-war
He even went so far as to act as the legal counsel for the so-called "Cape rebels", successfully defending them from the charge of
When democratic government finally resumed in 1902 and Molteno cheerfully re-entered parliament, his arrival provoked a storm of controversy. Some parliamentarians hailed him as a hero; others saw him as a type of terrorist. After his first move of supporting an inquiry into the excesses of military rule, he went on to chair a number of committees and was at the centre of the work to re-establish parliamentary governance.[7]
As a leader of the opposition, his outspoken criticism and sharp repartee was a constant thorn in the side of the Jameson government. At this time, as the next election (1907/8) was approaching, Molteno was exceptionally active and led nationwide campaigns for the election of his old friend and liberal ally John X. Merriman, making hundreds of speeches across the country. The effort paid off and the election was a resounding victory for Merriman and Molteno's "South African Party".[8][9][10]
Molteno was a strong proponent of women's suffrage and, on 4 July 1907, together with fellow MPs J.W. Sauer and Dr Antonie Viljoen, made the first parliamentary attempt to give women (of all races) the right to vote, in the last session before the new government. In the long and bitter parliamentary debate that ensued, which Molteno later described as the most painful of his career, Merriman himself joined the parliamentary majority in opposing women's suffrage and the motion was eventually defeated.[11][12]
Speaker of the Cape Colony Parliament (1908–1910)
After the elections of 1908, when the Merriman government came to power, Molteno was the unanimous choice as Speaker.
As Speaker of Parliament, Molteno abandoned his jovially anarchic style of politics, and became solemn and decisive. With the political storms of the
In 1909, at the Prime Minister's request, he joined the South African delegation as legal adviser, and submitted the draft South Africa Act at the National Convention in London. This was in spite of his voicing considerable problems with many of its provisions, particularly those pertaining to franchise.
First Speaker of the South African Parliament (1910–1915)
Nevertheless, when the new Union House of Assembly was created, Molteno, now representing the constituency of
In 1911, he led the South African Parliamentary Delegation to London for the coronation of
He was knighted in the same year.[15][16]
High Commissioner for South Africa and later life
He resigned from Parliament in 1915, after 25 years, and served briefly as the
Known as an eccentric (never seen without his umbrella), he spent his last years on his farm and died on 16 September 1936 while on a visit to Europe. He was survived by his wife, Clare (Clarissa Celia Holland-Pryor), and his four children.
See also
- Parliament of South Africa
- Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa
- Union of South Africa
- Sir John Charles Molteno
- Molteno (disambiguation)
References
- ^ "Who's Who in the Family — thumbnail sketches". 12 August 2012.
- ^ Molteno, J.T.: The Dominion of Afrikanerdom. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1923. p.9
- ^ "Molteno, James Tennant (MLTN885JT)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ISBN 0-624-00369-8. p.481
- ^ "South African ministries, etc". rulers.org. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/3942/funda_v15_n1_a6.pdf?sequence=1 [bare URL PDF]
- ^ http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/issues/12317/pages/3
- ^ "Calico Libraries - Sign-in". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
- ISBN 0-947008-90-X.
- ^ http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10394/5266/TD_7%282%29_2011_167-184.pdf?sequence=1 [bare URL PDF]
- ^ Molteno, J.T.: Further South African Recollections. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1926. p.130.
- ISBN 978-1-77609-072-3p.28.
- ^ Kilpin, R.: The Old Cape House, being pages from the history of a legislative assembly. Cape Town: T.M. Miller, 1918.
- ^ H.E. Fripp: Men we Know. Cape Town. 1892.
- ISBN 978-0-620-05662-5.
- ^ The Old Cape House, by R Kilpin
- ^ P. Lewsen: Selections from the Correspondence of John X. Merriman, Vol II: 1890–1898. Cape Town:Van Riebeek Society. 1963. p.267.
Further reading
- Molteno, J.T.: The Dominion of Afrikanerdom. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1923.
- Molteno, J.T.: Further South African Recollections. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1926.
- Kilpin, R.: The Old Cape House, being pages from the history of a legislative assembly. Cape Town: T.M. Miller, 1918.
- Kilpin, R.: Men of the Times. Cape Town: T.M. Miller, 1906.
- Phillida Brooke Simons: Apples of the sun : being an account of the lives, vision and achievements of the Molteno brothers. Vlaeberg: Fernwood Press, 1999. ISBN 1-874950-45-8