Sir Charles Ernest Statham was a New Zealand politician, and the ninth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1923 to 1935.
16 Facts About Charles Statham
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Charles Statham was born in Dunedin in 1875, and trained in law, practising in his own Dunedin office from 1904.
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Charles Statham married the part-Maori Lilias Harata te Aho Burnett of Dunedin in 1905, with whom he later had one daughter.
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Charles Statham was the Reform Party candidate in 1911 in the Dunedin Central electorate and defeated the incumbent, James Arnold of the Liberal Party.
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Charles Statham had differences with the Reform party leadership, and was returned as an Independent member in 1919.
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Charles Statham represented a city and working-class electorate, and his majority was gradually reduced by the Labour Party.
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Charles Statham was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1923 to 1935.
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Charles Statham is one of only three people to have held the office despite not being from the governing party.
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Charles Statham was described as "probably the greatest speaker the house has known" and many of his rulings still form part of the parliamentary standing orders today.
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Charles Statham was fair but firm during a stormy period.
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Charles Statham's retirement was due to the rising popularity of the Labour Party, and he did not think that he could contest the 1935 election without losing his impartiality, but fighting the election along party-lines would compromise his ability to remain Speaker.
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Charles Statham was created a Knight Bachelor in the 1926 King's Birthday Honours, and in 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.
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Charles Statham was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council on 9 March 1936 and was reappointed seven years later after his term had expired and served until his death.
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Charles Statham did not take an active part in politics as a Legislative Councillor, though.
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Charles Statham practised law in Wellington after retiring from Parliament, and died there on 5 March 1946.
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Charles Statham was survived by his wife and his daughter.