BRYCE, JOHN (1833-1913), was born at Glasgow and came to New Zealand with his father (John Bryce), an elder brother and a sister in the Bengal Merchant, arriving at Port Nicholson early in 1840. He said in 1875 that he was almost a New Zealander; he had no recollection of the ship which brought him out. Their first home was at Petone, and for some years the father carried on his business as a carpenter in Wellington. He then moved to the Hutt valley, where they farmed a bush clearing and had their first experience of Maori hostilities. Bryce had little opportunity for schooling, but by close reading equipped himself very well. When he was 18 years of age he was attracted to the goldfields in Australia, where he remained for more than two years. Returning to New Zealand in 1853 he took up a farm at Brunswick, near Wanganui (on which he lived until 1903), and in the following year he married a daughter of T. J. Campbell.

In 1859 Bryce was chairman of the Tunahaere wardens. He volunteered in the first Maori war (1860) and served under General Cameron. In 1862, when he was a warden of the North Brunswick road district, he was elected to the Wellington Provincial Council for the district of Wanganui and Rangitikei. In his first speech in the Council (on 1 May) he disapproved strongly of the native policy of the General Government, which he said had managed the Maori by bribery. As long as the Maori believed themselves a match for the soldiers there would never be a solid peace. He fought vigorously and successfully for a bridge over the Wanganui river to connect the town with the country settlement. He advocated the rights of the settlers in the outlying districts between Wellington and Taranaki provinces and fought hard for a separate local government for this area. He was, however, opposed to the whole provincial system, which he considered had outlived its usefulness. Bryce resigned from the Provincial Council in May 1863, mainly as a protest against the action of the Superintendent (Featherston) in permitting the executive to manage affairs in defiance of the Council. When he stood again (May 1865) he still insisted on preserving his independence. What he desired to see was municipal councils everywhere and the Provincial Councils abolished. He was elected at the head of the poll (Bryce 116, Kells 84, W. H. Watt 80). Still keenly desirous that local settlers should have the management of their own affairs, he presented a petition for the creation of a new province from the Manawatu river to the Taranaki border. When Halcombe threatened to create a new port at Manawatu Bryce put forward a counter-proposal to set up a provincial government in Wanganui town alone, without any hinterland. In Feb 1866 Bryce was elected to represent Wanganui in the General Assembly, defeating H. S. Harrison by 102 votes to 51. He declined to give an unqualified support to the Stafford Government. About a year later ill-health compelled him to resign from both the Provincial Council and Parliament (Feb 1867). Bryce's opinions on the Maori question were the orthodox views of the fighting frontiersman who had already served in the war of 1860 and had seen his neighbours who stuck to their farms shot down on their doorsteps. In 1866 he insisted that two British regiments should be retained for garrison duty while the farmers themselves fought the campaign in the field. In 1868, when the front of the victorious Titokowaru was within 12 miles of his farm, Bryce helped to form a local volunteer troop, the Kai-iwi Yeomanry Cavalry, and accepted a lieutenant's commission under Captain Newland. Whitmore said of this corps: "It was to a large extent upon the devotion and energy of these highly competent mounted corps that I relied for the defence of the settlement"; and (elsewhere) "they were for all the duties of frontier mounted infantry absolutely perfect." At the end of 1868, when the main force was withdrawn for service in Poverty Bay, the cavalry troop was entrusted with the duty of patrolling the front against any activity on the part of Titokowaru. In Apr 1869 Bryce scouted in canoes far up the Waitotara river in search of hostile forces belonging to the Tangahoe tribe. It was in this West Coast campaign that the engagement occurred at Handley's woolshed, Nukumaru. Unimportant in itself, this incident was destined to be exaggerated by charges brought against Bryce by G. W. Rusden (q.v.), who in his History of New Zealand accused him of cutting down Maori women and children. Bryce took proceedings against Rusden in London and gained a verdict with £5,000 damages.

In 1871 Bryce was elected to Parliament for Wanganui unopposed, and in 1876 he was again returned, with Vogel as his colleague (Bryce 380, Vogel 361, Watt 191, Pharazyn 36). At the election for Wanganui (Sep 1879) Bryce and Ballance were returned, defeating the philo-Maori Fox (Bryce 560, Ballance 547, Fox 501). Despite the weak state of his health, which had given his friends grave anxiety earlier in the year, Bryce was indicated by his wide experience and firm views as the obvious Native Minister in Hall's cabinet, in which he took office on 8 Oct 1879. In a policy speech at that time he insisted that firmness and justice were essential for the welfare of both races, and asked that for the reputation of the Colony grievances should be properly inquired into. He infused vigour and policy into the administration of native affairs, organising the Armed Constabulary and preparing communications before he laid before his colleagues his plans for breaking up the settlement of malcontents at Parihaka. Representing a frontier constituency, he held strong views on the various forms of resistance to settlement exerted by the Maori at Parihaka, and tried to persuade his colleagues that the only solution was to be found in strong action against the prophets Te Whiti and Tohu. A majority of the cabinet shrank from any action that might precipitate war. Believing that the Government could gain its end by a waiting policy, they could not be prevailed upon to adopt Bryce's plan and, as he had declared he would only hold office while he was able to do what he considered best for the country, he resigned (21 Jan 1881) and stood off in a benevolent liaison.

The Hon W. Rolleston assumed the charge of native affairs, and did his utmost to bring about a better atmosphere. Te Whiti again refused to accept the ample provision for all sections of the Maori race which was proposed by the West Coast land commission and declined to meet the Governor at Parihaka, while his followers continued fencing the roads and interrupting the farming operations of the settlers. Converted at length to Bryce's view, the Ministry invited him to resume his old office, and he was again sworn in on 19 Oct as Minister of Native Affairs and Defence on the distinct understanding that the nest of resistance at Parihaka should be eradicated by strong measures. No time was now lost in preparing his coup. A force of 959 Volunteers and 630 Armed Constabulary, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Roberts, was concentrated at Rahotu and Pungarehu under the direction of Bryce and marched on Parihaka before dawn of 5 Nov 1881. Bryce rode into the settlement and demanded the surrender of Te Whiti and Tohu, whose arrest was effected without bloodshed. The arrest included some hundreds of their followers, together with a man named Hiroki, who was wanted on a charge of murder. Rolleston joined Bryce on this occasion to share responsibility for the action of the Government. Historians and politicians have criticised the harshness of the proceedings at Parihaka, not always remembering that firmness seemed imperative in the view Bryce took of the danger which menaced the colony. Te Whiti and Tohu were kept in custody for some months. Hiroki was tried and convicted of murder, and Titokowaru was, on a charge arising elsewhere, bound over to keep the peace. After the satisfactory outcome of these operations Bryce took an active part in legislation to pacify the Maori people and redress some of their grievances. One of these measures was the West Coast peace preservation act, 1882, which empowered the Government to hold the prophets prisoner at the Queen's pleasure. In 1883 the amnesty act was passed, granting a free pardon to Te Kooti, who had been specially excepted from the earlier measure. Bryce invited Te Kooti to meet him at Whatiwhatihoe in the King Country, where he extended the Queen's pardon and shook hands with the ancient enemy of the pakeha. This incident was seized upon by his many political opponents and also figures in Rusden's history.

Bryce continued in office under Whitaker (1882-83) and Atkinson. On the defeat of the Atkinson Government in 1884 he proceeded to England in connection with his case against Rusden, and, in fact, spent in Europe most of the three years that his party was in opposition. He returned to Wanganui in the middle of 1887, when he was enthusiastically received. At the general election in Jul he was defeated for Waitotara by George Hutchison (q.v.). In 1889 he gained a seat without opposition as member for Waipa (in succession to Major Jackson) and at the general election in 1890 he was re-elected (for the new Waikato seat) also without a contest. The Atkinson Government having suffered a defeat, Bryce, who was by seniority and qualifications leader of the opposition, insisted on Atkinson staying in office for a few weeks, during which new appointments were made to the Legislative Council. Bryce led the party in opposition for only a few months. In his first session (Aug 1891) he was named by the Speaker for using words in the heat of debate which reflected on the Premier. Refusing to withdraw, he repeated the words and incurred the censure of the House (by 38 to 24). Bryce withdrew, and a telegram of resignation the following day terminated his political career in a manner typical of his stern, uncompromising temperament.

He was a man of resolute will and sterling honesty; sensitive to a degree; fair but candid; strong-willed and uncompromising; lacking that tact towards the pakeha or suavity towards the Maori which have carried less able men farther. He used no soft speech with political opponents and received hard knocks in return. Bryce retired to his farm, to devote his time to pastoral pursuit, books, chess and occasionally bowls. But his influence did not cease to be felt in the political affairs of the country. In 1903 he intervened in a press discussion to defend the action of Rolleston at Parihaka, and he wrote a few months later a valuable series of articles on Maori fanaticism which clearly illuminates his own native policy.

N.Z.P.D., pass. (notably 31 Jul 1866, 24 Aug 1875, 27, 31 Aug 1891, 29 Jun 1892); Gorton; Cowan (p); Gudgeon (p); Cycl. N.Z., i; J. G. Wilson; The Press, 4 Feb 1903, 23, 24, 28 Mar 1903; N.Z. Herald, 12, 19 Nov 1881 (p).

Reference: Volume 1, page 71

🌳 Further sources