The political life of James Macarthur

Abstract

This thesis covers the whole life of James Macarthur (1798-1867), but it concentrates on his political career, from 1831 to 1859. The argument focuses on his motives and ideals, and it depends on a view of his personality which is to some extent new. He was in the first place a man of great imagination, although he was usually not fluent enough to make his ideas seem cogent or attractive to a general audience. Secondly, he was a man of consistent honesty. There were many occasions on which he told only part of the truth, or where his faulty memory allowed him the benefit of the doubt. But there is no record of his telling a deliberate lie. Therefore by far the best way of understanding his motives is to examine his own speeches and letters. These are fundamental to the argument of the thesis. Thirdly, he had a buoyant personality and was capable of taking a detached, intellectualised view of local politics. This detachment made it hard for his contemporaries to understand him, and to pin him down on any issues. But it is key to the whole method and tone of his political life. A faith in cool discussion is evident at every stage of his career, and a willingness, even an eagerness to compromise, in the belief that all would be right in the end. Even in cases where he was forced to give up his own side of the question completely he can usually be seen afterwoods looking for signs that the effects he feared would be minimal. The first part of the thesis, chapters 1 to 5, cover his life up the age of 40, beginning with an account of his intellectual and social background. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with his attitude to land setlement and constitutional and church reform. The main point of reference at this stage - and for most of the thesis, - is the idea of the moral citizen. The idea was at the root of Macarthur's ambitions for a strong centralised government, planned settlement, assisted immigration and schools, and the equal establishment of all the main Christian religions. Macarthur was a member of the nominated legislative council from 1840 until its dissolution in 1843. He was afterwards a candidate for the first elected council, but was not returned until the general election of 1848. He was also a member of the first parliament, until 1859. The second part of the thesis is meant to show how his moral and 'radical' conservatism was brought to bear on the work of these successsive legislatures. The discussion concentrates partly on Macarthur's work as a day-to-day politician anxious to make the habits of the house conform with his own ideals.