Dr Henry White, M.L.C. (17 April 1813 – 9 December 1894) was a Member of Parliament and Treasurer General of the Cape Colony.
Personal life and early career
Born in Pamplemousses, Mauritius on 17 April 1813, his father was John White born in Dover, Kent his mother: Josephine Elizabeth Mabille born in Mauritius; White emigrated to the Cape when he was still young. He completed his studies at The Royal College of Surgeons, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, obtaining his licence on 20 October 1834. Returning to the Cape, he became District Surgeon for Swellendam. He was effectively the Doctor for the Overberg region of the Cape, for the next twenty years.
Dr White retired from his medical work in 1857, and invested his savings in setting up as a farmer on the Breede River nearby. His farm, which he named "The Retreat", comprised the modern Napkys Mond and Michielskraal properties, and he built a house which was later washed away by floods in 1902. He introduced the reaping machine to South Africa. He had earlier also introduced Angora goats to the Overberg and Karoo districts, but it was only in the Eastern Cape that they were a true success. He was also for many years involved in a project to begin exporting goat manure to his place of birth, Mauritius. Three years after setting up however, he abandoned and sold all his farms.
A close like-long friend of Frank Reitz MLC, Dr White moved into the "Klein Huis" (the current farm dwelling) on Reitz's Rhenosterfontein estate outside Swellendam where he was the community's resident Doctor.
For many years, Dr White and Frank Reitz were inseparable. They were described as a well-known, bookish, characterful duo, "lovably Dickensian in their ways and appearance", prone to "parish-pump preoccupation", and with a kindly, inclusive approach to all in the community.
Political career
Dr White was renowned as being a stickler for detail, and a defining characteristic of White's political career was his lifelong preoccupation with efficiency and accountability in government. His disadvantage was that he did not possess the full flair and charisma of a typical political leader.
Legislative Assembly (1860-1870) In 1860, Dr White joined John Fairbairn as MLA for Swellendam, but lost the next election in 1864 to JZ Human; and also lost the Legislative Council election to Henry Thomas Vigne. He was then asked to stand for Riversdale and was elected by that appreciative constituency in 1869. (In the same 1869 election his friend Reitz avenged White's 1864 defeat by toppling Human as MLA for Swellendam)
He was a strong critic of financial mismanagement by the Colonial Office during his early career in the Legislative Council of the Cape's first parliament. For similar reasons, he was an advocate of Responsible government (democratic self-rule) for the Cape Colony. By making the Cape's Executive directly "responsible" to the electorate and Parliament, he believed that this form of government would favour honesty and accountability.
Legislative Council (1870-1878)
In 1870, Dr White moved to Cape Town, and settled at 2 Hof Street, Gardens. This was in the same year that he was elevated to the upper house, the Legislative Council, to represent the Western Province of the Cape Colony.
His elevation to the Legislative Council was significant, as it gave the responsible government movement and its leader John Molteno its strongest foothold in the conservative upper house. In the same capacity he also gave his support in the upper house to the allied voluntaryism (separation of church and state) movement of Saul Solomon.
Treasurer General for the Cape Colony (1872-1878)
Dr White was appointed Treasurer General of the Cape Colony by Prime Minister John Molteno, when he formed the Cape's first elected government in 1872. Molteno had initially offered the position to the Joseph Vintcent MLC, but upon his declining the position, had invited Dr White. Molteno appointed White on account of the latter's impeccable reputation for honesty, dedication and financial competence, however Molteno also considered it prudent to have on the cabinet a representative of the Cape's Legislative Council, and White conveniently fulfilled that criterion too.
White had to work especially closely with Molteno, as the Premier performed a large portion of the Treasurer's work, drew up and presented the budgets, and generally kept an exceedingly close eye on the country's finances.