- Resident Commissioner
Resident Commissioner is the title of several, quite different types of
Commissioner in overseas possession or protectorate of the British Crown or of the U.S.A.British English
Resident Commissioners appointed by the British crown have in common that they, but also most otherwise styled Commissioners, reside in the territorial unit they are in charge of.
Notably in certain complex colonial units within the
British Empire , theHigh Commissioner to whom was given the highest 'regional' supervision (either residing in one of the constitutive territories, e.g. in the British Western Pacific Territories (BWPT), first by the Governor onFiji , then from 1952 onwards on the Solomon Islands; or even in a neighbouring colony, e.g. the Governor of theStraits Settlements as High Commissioner for theFederated Malay States ) would commonly be represented in territories not comprising his residence by a Resident Commissioner, though in some places (including some of the Federated Malay States) similar officials were formally styled as Residents, a more diplomatic title; otherwise another type of official was also possible (e.g. the British Consul in the protected state ofTonga , a Polynesian kingdom; an Administrator onNauru ; a mereChief Magistrate on tinyPitcairn ). In some cases one could compare his task to the Lieutenant-governor of a minor colony, especially as the High Commissioner indeed could be a British colonial Governor doubling as such.In the British Western Pacific Territories this was the case for:
*The
British Solomon Islands from 1893 until they got a Governor (who also became the High Commissioner) in 1952.*Since 9-16 October 1892 on the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands (Britishprotectorate , presently in Kiribati), i.e. before they became a colony within the BWPT in 1916 (since 1916 including theUnion Group protectorate, later a separate state called Tokelau).*The
Cook Islands , since the 11 June 1901 incorporation into New Zealand (previously there was a British Resident).*
Niue since 1901 (later under high commissioners) soon annexed to the dominion ofNew Zealand (1901-1904 as part of theCook Islands ).*A special case were the
New Hebrides , for these were an Anglo-French colonialcondominium , so he had a French colleague styledRésident , subordinate to France's "haut commissaire" (high commissioner) in the Pacific Ocean (from 22 March 1907 the Governor of New Caledonia); both were abolished at the independence of the Republic of Vanuatu in 1980.While the post of High commissioner for Southern Africa (HCSA) was held 27 January 1847 - 31 May 1910 by the Governors of the
Cape Colony , then till 6 April 1931 by the Governors-general ofSouth Africa , after that date filled separately till 1963, there have been resident representatives in the constituent territories:*In (British)
Bechuanaland , after a few Deputy - and Special Commissioners, there were Resident Commissioners since it was made dependent on the HCSA on 9 May 1891; in 1892-1923 there were also twoAssistant Commissioner s, for the North and the South respectively.*In the British
Swaziland protectorate, since it was dependent on the HCSA in 1902 (before administered throughTransvaal , under an Administrator); afterwards both got a separate Commissioner.*Since on 18 March 1884
Basutoland became a separate colony, as one of the High Commission Territories, it got its Resident Commissioner, instead of a CapeGovernment Agent (since it became a British protectorate in 1868).American English
*
Resident Commissioners from the Philippines held a similar position when thatAsia n country was a United States Territory from 1905 (Commonwealth from 1935) until the conferring ofindependence on thePhilippines in 1946USA
*the
Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico does not reside there but represents theU.S. Commonwealth (autonomous territory) in the continentalUnited States , particularly in the capital ofWashington, DC , where he or she represents Puerto Rico in theUnited States House of Representatives , where the Resident Commissioner has a status equivalent to a territorial delegate, as well as before executive departments
*In most other U.S. overseas (and historically pre-state) territories, a similar representative position is styled Delegateources and references
(incomplete)
* [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/ WorldStatesmen- see each present country]
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