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109-630: The Liberal-Conservatives formed government in October 1897, when Lieutenant Governor Charles H. Mackintosh returned to North-West Territories to enforce the new laws in the North-West Territories Act that gave new powers to the territories. It was speculated that Robert Brett was plotting to form a Conservative led Government backed by a majority coalition of MLAs in the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories . Members answered in

218-508: A " Grit hive ". To appease party supporters, he subsequently appointed two Conservatives and one Liberal. A large convention was held on 26 March 1903 in Moose Jaw . The convention attracted delegates from all parts of the populated Northwest Territories, some travelled more than 700 miles to make the journey. The convention attracted a large number of federal Conservative Members of Parliament and Conservative Senators. The convention laid out

327-522: A "three-column tariff", which added a new intermediate rate (a bargaining rate) alongside the existing British preferential rate and the general rate (which applied to all countries that Canada had no most-favoured-nation agreement with). The preferential and general rates remained unchanged, while the intermediate rates were slightly lower than the general rates. Also in 1907, Laurier's minister of finance , William Stevens Fielding , and minister of marine and fisheries , Louis-Philippe Brodeur , negotiated

436-531: A Catholic education on a school-by-school basis. Despite his controversial handling of the dispute and criticism from some French Canadians who believed that the resolution was insufficient, he was nicknamed "the Great Conciliator" for offering a compromise between French and English Canada. The British government requested Canadian troops to fight in the Second Boer War and Canadian financial assistance for

545-589: A Liberal convention in Ottawa. The convention established that unrestricted reciprocity was intended to develop Canada's natural resources and that keeping a customs tariff was intended to generate revenue. Laurier subsequently undertook a series of speaking tours to campaign on the convention's results. Laurier visited Western Canada in September and October 1894, promising to relax the Conservatives' National Policy , open

654-610: A deal with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company (subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway Company) to build the western section (from Winnipeg to the Pacific Ocean) while the government would build the eastern section (from Winnipeg to Moncton ). Once completed, Laurier's government would hand over the railway to the company for operation. Laurier's government gained criticism from the public due to

763-507: A farmer and surveyor , he also occupied such sought-after positions as mayor, justice of the peace , militia lieutenant and school board member. At the age of 11, Wilfrid left home to study in New Glasgow , a neighbouring village largely inhabited by immigrants from Scotland . Over the next two years, he familiarized himself with the mentality, language and culture of English Canada , in addition to learning English. In 1854, Laurier attended

872-485: A formal structure to the party for the first time, as well as setting creating a policy book and putting together an executive council to operate outside of the legislature. The main focus of the party was to put together a coherent policy which the party previously lacked and is thought to have led to the decline in seats for the Liberal-Conservative government. Among the policy resolutions put forward and adopted

981-505: A free and separate government." On March 21, Le Défricheur was forced to shut down, as a result of financial issues and opposition from the local clergy . On July 1, Confederation was officially proclaimed and recognized, a defeat for Laurier. Laurier decided to remain in Victoriaville. He slowly became well known across the town with a population of 730, and was even elected mayor not so long after he settled. In addition, he established

1090-523: A joint Anglo-American commission that would study the differences and resolve the dispute . However, this commission was unsuccessful and came to an abrupt end on February 20, 1899. The dispute was then referred to an international judicial commission in 1903, which included three American politicians ( Elihu Root , Henry Cabot Lodge , and George Turner ), two Canadians ( Allen Bristol Aylesworth and Louis-Amable Jetté ) and one Briton ( Lord Alverstone , Lord Chief Justice of England ). On October 20, 1903,

1199-501: A law practice which would span for three decades and have four different partners. He would make some money, but not enough to consider himself wealthy. During his period in Victoriaville, Laurier opted to accept Confederation and identify himself as a moderate liberal, as opposed to a radical liberal. While in Victoriaville, Laurier was an Ensign in the Arthabaskaville Infantry Company, serving from 1869 to 1878 during

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1308-447: A month. He established his second office, but that closed within three months, due to a lack of clients. In March 1865, nearly bankrupt, Laurier established his third law firm, partnering with Médéric Lanctot, a lawyer and journalist who staunchly opposed Confederation. The two experienced some success, but in late 1866, Laurier was invited by fellow Rouge Antoine-Aimé Dorion to replace his recently deceased brother to became editor and run

1417-676: A near relation of the essayist and politician, the Right Honourable Sir James Mackintosh , who was member of the Kellachie branch of the Inverness-shire -based Clan Mackintosh , part of the Scottish Highlands Chattan Confederation . In addition to C.H. Mackintosh's ties to the ruling class , there is occasional confusion with another Mackintosh author, Charles Henry Mackintosh (1820–1896),

1526-517: A niece of the Earl of Dysart , though which ones are meant is not specified. C.H. Mackintosh's mother was Leonora Sophia (d. 1891), daughter of Col. Dickinson, of Jamaica , British West Indies . Through the maternal line, Mackintosh claimed to be close kin to Sir Stamford Raffles , founder of Singapore , one of whose sisters was called Leonora, and one of whose half-aunts, Elizabeth Raffles, married William Carter, Esq., of Jamaica. Paternally, he claimed to be

1635-507: A pressing issue. The Klondike Gold Rush prompted Laurier to demand an all-Canadian route from the gold fields to a seaport. The region being a desirable place with lots of gold furthered Laurier's ambition of fixing an exact boundary. Laurier also wanted to establish who owned the Lynn Canal and who controlled maritime access to the Yukon. Laurier and US President William McKinley agreed to set up

1744-523: A private in the Canadian contingent with Lord Strathcona's Horse fighting in the Second Boer War . The younger, Charles St Lawrence Mackintosh, who had served as his father's personal secretary and aide-de-camp when he was N.W.T. lieutenant governor, first married Eileen White of Quebec City, granddaughter of Sir Hugh Allan, in 1899. They had a son, Charles Allan Mackintosh, born in 1901. Divorced in 1906, he remarried, in 1908, to Kate Totten Putnam (d.1919), and

1853-488: A prolific Plymouth Brethren author and evangelist, who was known principally by the initials, C. H. M. , which happen to coincide with those of the present subject. Details in this second man's biography indicate that the elder and younger C. H. Mackintoshes were possibly uncle and nephew, or, at least, related (see References). In nineteenth century colonial Canada, these exalted family connections in Britain and

1962-628: A second transcontinental railway , the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway . The first transcontinental railway, the Canadian Pacific Railway , had limitations and was not able to meet everyone's needs. In the West , the railway was not able to transport everything produced by farmers and in the East , the railway did not reach into Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec . Laurier was in favour of

2071-730: A significant part of the Liberal base. The Conservatives denounced the deal and played on long-standing fears that reciprocity could eventually lead to weakened ties with Britain and a Canadian economy dominated by the United States. They also campaigned on fears that this would lead to the Canadian identity being taken away by the US and the American annexation of Canada. Contending with an unruly House of Commons, including vocal disapproval from Liberal MP Clifford Sifton , Laurier called an election to settle

2180-544: A tariff rate of 12.5 percent for countries that imported Canadian goods at a rate equivalent to the minimum Canadian charge; rates for countries that imposed a protective duty against Canada remained the same. For the most part, the policy was supported by those for free trade (due to the preferential reduction) and those against free trade (due to elements of the National Policy remaining in place). Laurier's government again reformed tariffs in 1907. His government introduced

2289-536: A trade agreement with France which lowered import duties on some goods. In 1909, Fielding negotiated an agreement to promote trade with the British West Indies . Laurier led the Liberals to three re-elections in 1900 , 1904 , and 1908 . In the 1900 and 1904 elections, the Liberals' popular vote and seat share kept increasing whereas in the 1908 election, their popular vote and seat share went slightly down. By

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2398-537: A transcontinental line built entirely on Canadian land by private enterprise. Laurier's government also constructed a third railway: the National Transcontinental Railway . It was made to provide Western Canada with direct rail connection to the Atlantic ports and to open up and develop Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec. Laurier believed that competition between the three railways would force one of

2507-511: A volunteer force, rather than the Canadian Militia as expected by Britain. Roughly 7,000 Canadian soldiers served in the force. Outspoken French Canadian nationalist and Liberal MP Henri Bourassa was an especially vocal opponent of any form of Canadian participation in the Boer War and thus resigned from the Liberal caucus in October 1899. On June 1, 1909, Laurier's government established

2616-464: A whites-only policy. Although railways and large companies wanted to hire Asians, labour unions and the public at large stood opposed. Both major parties went along with public opinion, with Laurier taking the lead. Scholars have argued that Laurier acted in terms of his racist views in restricting immigration from China and India, as shown by his support for the Chinese head tax . In 1900, Laurier raised

2725-507: Is R4507. Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier ( / ˈ l ɒr i eɪ / LORR -ee-ay ; French: [wilfʁid loʁje] ; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime minister, his 15-year tenure remains the longest uninterrupted term of office among Canadian prime ministers and his nearly 45 years of service in

2834-468: Is not political liberalism" and that the Liberal Party is not "a party composed of men holding perverse doctrines, with a dangerous tendency, and knowingly and deliberately progressing towards revolution." He also stated, "The policy of the Liberal party is to protect [our] institutions, to defend them and spread them, and, under the sway of those institutions, to develop the country’s latent resources. That

2943-608: Is the policy of the Liberal party and it has no other." The speech helped Laurier become a leader of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party. From October 1877 to October 1878, Laurier served briefly in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Mackenzie as minister of inland revenue . However, his appointment triggered an October 27, 1877 ministerial by-election . In the by-election, he lost his seat in Drummond—Arthabaska. On November 11, he ran for

3052-703: Is well documented. Educated at Galt Grammar School and Caradoc Academy, he first began the study of law but instead, in 1862, entered the trade of journalism. He first served as city editor of the London Free Press , later acting as city editor of the Hamilton Times . He edited the Parkhill Gazette , and served as managing editor of the Chicago Journal of Commerce . During his time in Strathroy, Ontario, he

3161-636: The Liberal-Conservative Handbook (1876), and wrote a prize essay entitled Potential Resources of British Columbia (1908). For the Canadian Magazine , he wrote various articles including one entitled, British America's Golden Gateway to the Orient . Mackintosh married in April 1868, Gertrude Niles Cook (d. 1925), daughter of Timothy Cook, J.P., of Strathroy, Ontario , and his wife, Harriet Terry,

3270-634: The Naval Service Act of 1910 which created the Royal Canadian Navy . The navy would initially consist of five cruisers and six destroyers ; in times of crisis, it could be made subordinate to the British navy. However, the idea faced opposition in both English and French Canada, especially in Quebec where Bourassa organized an anti-Laurier force. In 1897 and 1898, the Alaska -Canada border emerged as

3379-470: The 1891 federal election , Laurier faced Conservative Prime Minister John A. Macdonald . Laurier campaigned in favour of reciprocity , or free trade , with the United States , contrary to Macdonald's position on the matter, who claimed that reciprocity would lead to American annexation of Canada. On election day, March 5, the Liberals gained 10 seats. The Liberals also won a majority of seats in Quebec for

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3488-505: The 1898 general election with a large majority. It went on to win the 1902 election with a reduced majority. The party itself had little visibility as Haultain abhorred Dominion party lines and did not wish to promote it. He believed in the consensus model of government , and wanted it for all provinces and territories. After the election of 1898, Haultain appointed two Liberals and one Conservative to his cabinet. Liberal-Conservative party members accused Haultain's government of being

3597-705: The 1917 election , the Laurier Liberals were reduced to a mostly French Canadian rump . Laurier swept Quebec, winning 62 out of 65 of the province's seats, not least due to the French Canadians' overwhelming respect and support for Laurier as a result of his opposition to conscription. The Conscription Crisis once again revealed the divisions between French Canadians and English Canadians. Most English Canadians favoured conscription as they believed this would strengthen ties with Britain, whereas most French Canadians opposed conscription as they wanted nothing to do with

3706-1355: The City of Ottawa as a Liberal-Conservative Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada from 1882 to 1887, and from 1890 to 1893, and served as Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories from 1893 to 1898, as it underwent a major transition toward responsible government. A document commissioned by the Alberta Legislative Assembly states: "Mackintosh was one of three Lieutenant Governors of the jurisdictional antecedents of the Province of Alberta to serve in the capacity of mayor prior to being appointed to the North-West Territories’ Vice-Regal Office. It was largely due to his efforts that a very successful  Dominion Territorial Exhibition was held in Regina in 1895. Mackintosh was 50 years of age at the time of his swearing-in as Lieutenant Governor." Mackintosh

3815-658: The Department of External Affairs for Canada to take greater control of its foreign policy. The Anglo-German naval arms race escalated in the early years of the 20th century. The British government requested financial and material resources to assist in expanding the Royal Navy , precipitating a heated political division in Canada. Many English Canadians wished to send as much as possible; many French Canadians and those against wished to send nothing. Aiming for compromise, Laurier advanced

3924-537: The Fenian Raids . A member of the Quebec Liberal Party , Laurier was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Drummond-Arthabaska in the 1871 Quebec general election , though the Liberal Party altogether suffered a landslide defeat. To win the provincial riding, Laurier campaigned on increasing funding for education, agriculture, and colonization. His career as a provincial politician

4033-538: The Grand Trunk Pacific and National Transcontinental railways, and put effort into establishing Canada as an autonomous country within the British Empire . Laurier's proposed reciprocity agreement with the United States to lower tariffs became a main issue in the 1911 federal election , in which the Liberals were defeated by the Conservatives led by Robert Borden , who claimed that the treaty would lead to

4142-483: The House of Commons is a record for the House. Laurier is best known for his compromises between English and French Canada. Laurier studied law at McGill University and practised as a lawyer before being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in 1871 . He was then elected as a member of Parliament (MP) in the 1874 federal election . As an MP, Laurier gained a large personal following among French Canadians and

4251-826: The Provincial Rights Party in Saskatchewan . Many members, including some Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) defected to the Alberta Liberal Party and Saskatchewan Liberal Party , draining the Conservative parties of manpower and experienced politicians. There was a lot of anger among remaining Conservatives at Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Liberals for passing over Haultain and appointing Liberal members to form government in both provinces. Laurier also appointed Liberal Party supporters to draw up

4360-567: The Québécois . He also came to be known as a great orator. After serving as minister of inland revenue under Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie from 1877 to 1878, Laurier became leader of the Liberal Party in 1887, thus becoming leader of the Official Opposition . He lost the 1891 federal election to Prime Minister John A. Macdonald 's Conservatives . However, controversy surrounding

4469-471: The Royal Navy , which divided the country as English Canadians supported both requests whereas French Canadians did not. Laurier's government sought a middle ground between the two groups, deciding to send a volunteer force to fight in the Boer War and passing the 1910 Naval Service Act to create Canada's own navy . In addition, his government dramatically increased immigration , oversaw Alberta and Saskatchewan 's entry into Confederation , constructed

North-West Territories Liberal-Conservative Party - Misplaced Pages Continue

4578-582: The " Laurier Liberals ", a party composed of Liberals opposed to conscription. Laurier also rejected Prime Minister Borden's proposal to form a coalition government composed of both Conservatives and Liberals, arguing that there would be no "real" opposition to the government. He also argued that if the Liberals joined, Quebec would feel alienated and would lead to the province being heavily influenced by outspoken French-Canadian nationalist Henri Bourassa , and what Laurier called Bourassa's "dangerous nationalism" which might lead to Quebec seceding from Canada. In

4687-622: The Aged in Ottawa, Ontario. In politics, he was a Liberal-Conservative, being noted as "an imperialist of no uncertain sound", and served as vice-president of the British Empire League in Canada. In religion, he was an Anglican . He was a member of two gentleman's clubs, the Union Club, Victoria, British Columbia , and of the Vancouver Club , Vancouver , British Columbia . He was author of

4796-419: The American government refused to discuss the issue. Instead, he implemented a Liberal version of the Conservatives' nationalist and protectionist National Policy by maintaining high tariffs on goods from other countries that restricted Canadian goods. However, he lowered tariffs to the same level as countries that admitted Canadian goods. In 1897, Laurier's government impelemented a preferential reduction of

4905-464: The American market, and increase immigration . Macdonald died only three months after he defeated Laurier in the 1891 election. After Macdonald's death, the Conservatives went through a period of disorganization with four short-serving leaders. The fourth prime minister after Macdonald, Charles Tupper , became prime minister in May 1896 after Mackenzie Bowell resigned as a result of a leadership crisis that

5014-439: The Chinese head tax to $ 100. In 1903, this was further raised to $ 500, but when a few Chinese did pay the $ 500, he proposed raising the sum to $ 1,000. This was not the first time Laurier showed racially charged action, and over the course of his time as a politician, he had a history of racist views and actions. In 1886, Laurier told the House of Commons that it was moral for Canada to take lands from “savage nations” so long as

5123-529: The Collège de L'Assomption, an institution that staunchly followed Roman Catholicism . There, he started to develop an interest in politics, and began to endorse the ideology of liberalism , despite the school being heavily conservative . In September 1861, Laurier began studying law at McGill University . There, he met Zoé Lafontaine , who would later become his wife. Laurier also discovered that he had chronic bronchitis , an illness that would stick with him for

5232-532: The Conservative and Liberal parties' traditional colours). In 1911, controversy arose regarding Laurier's support of trade reciprocity with the United States. His long-serving minister of finance, William Stevens Fielding , reached an agreement allowing for the free trade of natural products. The agreement would also lower tariffs . This had the strong support of agricultural interests, particularly in Western Canada, but it alienated many businessmen who formed

5341-586: The Conservative government's handling of the Manitoba Schools Question , which was triggered by the Manitoba government's elimination of funding for Catholic schools , gave Laurier a victory in the 1896 federal election . He led the Liberal Party to three more election victories afterwards. As prime minister, Laurier solved the Manitoba Schools Question by allowing Catholic students to have

5450-500: The Conservative government's policies, though nothing notable came until 1885, when he spoke out against the execution of Métis activist Louis Riel , who was hung by Macdonald's government authorities after leading the North-West Rebellion . Edward Blake resigned as Liberal leader after leading them to back-to-back defeats in 1882 and 1887 . Blake urged Laurier to run for leadership of the party. At first, Laurier refused as he

5559-550: The Empire may have played a role in fostering Mackintosh's ambitions, and aiding him in his later advancement. Coupled with his innate talents, they may also have served to mark him in Conservative Party political circles where, in 1893, Canada's Prime Minister Sir John Thompson clearly viewed him as the more suitable vice-regal candidate over rival fellow Tory , Nicholas Flood Davin , whose own chagrin at Mackintosh's appointment

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5668-704: The Laurier-Greenway Compromise, the agreement did not allow separate Catholic schools to be re-established. However, religious instruction (Catholic education) would take place for 30 minutes at the end of each day, if requested by the parents of 10 children in rural areas or 25 in urban areas. Catholic teachers were allowed to be hired in the schools as long as there were at least 40 Catholic students in urban areas or 25 Catholic students in rural areas, and teachers could speak in French (or any other minority language) as long as there were enough Francophone students. This

5777-615: The Le Roi mining property. In 1901, on behalf of the miners of British Columbia , he presented two unusual gold nuggets to King Edward VII and, his wife, Queen Alexandra . The Montreal Gazette described him as "a tactful, capable and experienced public man", while the Toronto Telegram declared him to be "warm hearted, amiable and altogether likeable". He was a life director of the Carleton County Protestant Home for

5886-488: The Legislative Assembly. The party was formed as a consequence of executive powers being released to elected members from the Lieutenant Governor that had been held since 1870. The beginning of party politics in the territories sparked controversy and was not done through any Grass roots movement or formed on traditional ideological lines, and was done by Haultain in such a way that there was very little visibility to

5995-451: The Liberal Party. Laurier died of a stroke on February 17, 1919, while still in office as leader of the Opposition. Though he had lost a bitter election two years earlier, he was loved nationwide for his "warm smile, his sense of style, and his "sunny ways"." 50,000 to 100,000 people jammed the streets of Ottawa as his funeral procession marched to his final resting place at Notre-Dame Cemetery . His remains would eventually be placed in

6104-406: The Liberal Party. These factors, combined with the collapse of the Conservative Party of Quebec , gave Laurier an opportunity to build a stronghold in French Canada and among Catholics across Canada. However, Catholic priests in Quebec repeatedly warned their parishioners not to vote for Liberals. Their slogan was " le ciel est bleu, l'enfer est rouge " ("heaven is blue, hell is red", referring to

6213-408: The Liberal-Conservative government was minor and had to do with incorporating organizations and communities and concurring municipal by-laws. The remainder of the time was spent lobbying the federal government for more resources to deal with the huge influx of settlers to the territories. Haultain personally clashed with Wilfrid Laurier to settle the provincial rights question. The last session of

6322-458: The Liberals of Lower Canada, an anti- Confederation group composed of both moderates and radicals. The group argued that Confederation would give too much power to the central, or federal government, and the group believed that Confederation would lead to discrimination towards French Canadians. Laurier then practised law in Montreal , though he initially struggled as a lawyer. He opened his first practice on October 27, 1864, but closed it within

6431-434: The Lord's Day Alliance. The act became effective on March 1, 1907. It prohibited business transactions from taking place on Sundays; it also restricted Sunday trade, labour, recreation, and newspapers. The act was supported by organized labour and the French Canadian Catholic hierarchy but was opposed by those who worked in the manufacturing and transportation sectors. It was also opposed by French Canadians due to them believing

6540-438: The Manitoba Schools Question, which had helped to bring down the Conservative government of Charles Tupper earlier in 1896. The Manitoba legislature had passed a law eliminating public funding for Catholic schooling. Supporters of Catholic schools argued that the new statute was contrary to the provisions of the Manitoba Act, 1870 , which had a provision relating to school funding, but the courts rejected that argument and held that

6649-494: The Northwest Territories in 1893, serving in that capacity until his resignation in 1898. During his tenure of the territorial vice-regal office, he promoted a great Territorial Exhibition which was opened by His Excellency the Earl of Aberdeen, Governor General of the Dominion of Canada at Regina , district of Assiniboia, N.W.T., on 30 July 1895. For these services he was presented with an oil portrait of himself in August 1895. Following his vice-regency, he contested unsuccessfully

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6758-487: The Royal Navy. Laurier argued that the bill threatened Canada's autonomy, and after six months of battling it, the bill was blocked by the Liberal-controlled Senate . Laurier led the opposition during World War I . He supported sending a volunteer force to fight in the war, arguing that an intense campaign for volunteers would produce enough troops. Borden initially had a volunteer military system in place, but when applications started to decline, he imposed conscription in

6867-413: The Strathroy town council, he served as 13th Mayor of Ottawa from 1879 to 1881. Elected as a Conservative, he was returned as a Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa City in the House of Commons of Canada from 1882 to 1887 and again from 1890 to 1893. He was unsuccessful in contesting the constituency of Russell, Ontario in the 1887 Dominion election. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of

6976-428: The US influencing Canadian identity. Despite his defeat, Laurier stayed on as Liberal leader and once again became leader of the Opposition. During World War I and the Conscription Crisis of 1917 , Laurier faced divisions within the Liberal Party as pro- conscription Liberals joined Borden's Unionist government . The anti-conscription faction of the Liberal Party, led by Laurier, became the Laurier Liberals , though

7085-465: The United Kingdom in 1902, taking part in the 1902 Colonial Conference and the coronation of King Edward VII on August 9, 1902. Laurier also took part in the 1907 and 1911 Imperial Conferences. In 1899, the British government requested Canadian troops to serve in the Second Boer War . Laurier was caught between demands for support for military action from English Canada and a strong opposition from French Canada Laurier eventually decided to send

7194-442: The climate and requirements of Canada." The order was never called upon, as efforts by immigration officials had already reduced the number of Blacks migrating to Canada. The order was cancelled on October 5, 1911, the day before Laurier left office, by cabinet claiming that the minister of the interior was not present at the time of approval. In March 1906, Laurier's government introduced the Lord's Day Act after being persuaded by

7303-402: The commission by a majority (Root, Lodge, Turner, and Alverstone) ruled to support the American government's claims. Canada only acquired two islands below the Portland Canal . The decision provoked a wave of anti-American and anti-British sentiment in Canada, which Laurier temporarily encouraged. Though supportive of free trade with the United States, Laurier did not pursue the idea because

7412-422: The conciliators’ report. In 1908, a system was introduced where by annuities may be purchased from the government, the aim of which was to encourage voluntary provision for old age. On June 22, 1897, Laurier attended the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria , which was the 60th anniversary of her accession. There, he was knighted, and was given several honours, honorary degrees, and medals. Laurier again visited

7521-408: The daughter of Dr William Terry , ex-M.P.P., Niagara , and granddaughter of Parshall Terry , M.H.A., a United Empire Loyalist , and member of the 1st Parliament of Upper Canada . Mrs Mackintosh was born at Strathroy, Ontario, and educated at a convent at London, Ontario . While wife of the mayor of Ottawa, in 1879, she assisted at the opening of the first Dominion Exhibition. Later, she assisted at

7630-418: The economy. Between 1897 and 1914, at least a million immigrants arrived in Canada, and Canada's population increased by 40 percent. Laurier's immigration policy targeted the Prairies as he argued that it would increase farming production and benefit the agriculture industry . The British Columbia electorate was alarmed at the arrival of people they considered "uncivilized" by Canadian standards, and adopted

7739-498: The economy. Mackenzie resigned as Liberal leader in 1880 and was succeeded by Edward Blake . Laurier, along with others, founded the Quebec newspaper, L’Électeur , to promote the Liberal Party. The Liberals were in opposition once again, and Laurier made use of that status, expressing his support for laissez-faire economics and provincial rights. The Liberals suffered a second consecutive defeat in 1882 , with Macdonald winning his fourth term. Laurier continued to make speeches opposing

7848-466: The federal Conservative party to run for Prime Minister of Canada. The Liberal party was also heavily attacked during the convention, with two different motions condemning them for corrupt electoral practice, and following the federal Liberal Party of Canada policy on the question of provincial powers, and labor laws for the Territories. Premier Haultain was shocked by the convention and openly opposed

7957-498: The federal government was interfering in a provincial matter; the Quebec government passed its own Lord’s Day Act that came into effect one day before the federal act did. In 1907, Laurier's government passed the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act , which mandated conciliation for employers and workers before any strike in public utilities or mines, but did not make it necessary for the groups to accept

8066-432: The first time since the 1874 election. Prime Minister Macdonald won his fourth consecutive federal election victory. The day after, Blake denounced the Liberal trade policy. Laurier remained disillusioned for some time after his defeat. Multiple times he suggested he resign as leader, though he was persuaded not to by other Liberals. Only in 1893 did Laurier become encouraged again. On June 20 and 21, 1893, Laurier convened

8175-650: The gold and silver medals offered by the St. Patrick's Society during the O'Connell centenary at Major's Hill Park in Ottawa for a prize poem entitled, The Irish Liberator . He was also president of the Parliamentary Press Gallery , Ottawa, in 1879. He served as chairman for the Dominion Exhibition in 1879, and as president of the Agricultural Association in 1881. After only one year, 1873, on

8284-560: The government paid adequate compensation. Laurier also negotiated a limit to Japanese emigration to Canada. In August 1911, Laurier approved the Order-in-Council P.C. 1911-1324 recommended by the minister of the interior , Frank Oliver . The order was approved by the cabinet on August 12, 1911. The order was intended to keep out Black Americans escaping segregation in the American south, stating that "the Negro race...is deemed unsuitable to

8393-620: The group would be heavily defeated by Borden's Unionists in the 1917 federal election . Laurier remained Opposition leader even after his 1917 defeat, but was not able to fight in another election as he died in 1919. Laurier is ranked among the top three of Canadian prime ministers. At 31 years and 8 months, Laurier is the longest-serving leader of a major Canadian political party. He is the fourth-longest serving prime minister of Canada, behind Pierre Trudeau , John A. Macdonald , and William Lyon Mackenzie King . The second child of Carolus Laurier and Marcelle Martineau, Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier

8502-575: The heavy cost to construct the railway. During his government dealing with railway contractors, Laurier became close friends with Canadian railway magnate Hugh Ryan and remained so until Ryan's death in 1899 — Laurier was the first person to send condolences to the family both publicly and privately. On September 1, 1905, through the Alberta Act and the Saskatchewan Act , Laurier oversaw Alberta and Saskatchewan 's entry into Confederation ,

8611-450: The issue of reciprocity. The Conservatives were victorious and the Liberals lost over a third of their seats. The Conservatives' leader, Robert Laird Borden , succeeded Laurier as prime minister. Over 15 consecutive years of Liberal rule ended. Laurier stayed on as Liberal leader. In December 1912, he started leading the filibuster and fight against the Conservatives' own naval bill which would have allocated $ 35 million to be sent to assist

8720-843: The last two provinces to be created out of the Northwest Territories . Laurier decided to create two provinces, arguing that one large province would be too difficult to govern. This followed the enactment of the Yukon Territory Act by the Laurier Government in 1898, separating the Yukon from the Northwest Territories. Also in 1898, Quebec was enlarged through the Quebec Boundary Extension Act . Laurier's government dramatically increased immigration to grow

8829-624: The late 1800s, Laurier had been able to build the Liberal Party a base in Quebec, which had remained a Conservative stronghold for decades due to the province's social conservatism and to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church , which distrusted the Liberals' anti-clericalism . The growing alienation of French Canadians from the Conservative Party due to its links with anti-French, anti-Catholic Orangemen in English Canada aided

8938-426: The legislature ended in October 1904 and would not be held again in the territories until 1921. Premier Haultain spent the early part of 1905 meeting with the federal government to work out an arrangement to settle provincial autonomy. After the arrangement of creating Alberta and Saskatchewan were passed in the federal parliament. The party in its last months held nominations and began working on plans to prepare for

9047-636: The media and denied there was a plot. Mackintosh would stick with his original plan of asking Frederick Haultain who was already chairman of the executive committee to form the government, leaving Robert Brett to form the Official opposition of the Northwest Territories Liberal Party and oppose the Haultain administration as he had done so since 1891. The influence and popularity of Premier Haultain helped him build his coalition of lawmakers in

9156-457: The move towards defining the political lines in the legislature. The organizers of the convention planned the election of officers without Haultain's knowledge. The great Moose Jaw convention stands to this day as the largest political gathering in Northwest Territories history. From 1903 to 1905, there were three short sittings in the Legislative Assembly. The bulk of the Legislation moved by

9265-604: The new elections in Saskatchewan and Alberta. On August 31, 1905, the 5th North-West Legislative Assembly was dissolved along with the Association and party politics in the Territories came to an end. In September 1905, provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created out of the more heavily populated, southern regions of the Northwest Territories. Party members then joined the Alberta Conservative Party , and

9374-672: The new electoral boundaries, which consequently were said to favour Liberal candidates. No formal executive party structure aside from the Executive Council of the Haultain Government is known to exist prior to 1897; officers of the party were first elected in 1903. Charles H. Mackintosh The Honourable Charles Herbert Mackintosh (May 13, 1843 – December 22, 1931) was a Canadian journalist and author , newspaper owner and editor , and politician . He served as mayor of Ottawa from 1879 to 1881, represented

9483-496: The new statute was constitutional. The Catholic minority in Manitoba then asked the federal government for support, and eventually, the Conservatives proposed remedial legislation to override Manitoba's legislation. Laurier opposed the remedial legislation on the basis of provincial rights and succeeded in blocking its passage by Parliament. Once elected, Laurier reached a compromise with the provincial premier, Thomas Greenway . Known as

9592-510: The newspaper, Le Défricheur . Laurier moved to Victoriaville and began writing and controlling the newspaper from January 1, 1867. Laurier saw this as an opportunity to express his strong anti-Confederation views; in one instance he wrote, "Confederation is the second stage on the road to ‘anglification’ mapped out by Lord Durham ...We are being handed over to the English majority...[We must] use whatever influence we have left to demand and obtain

9701-544: The opening of the great North-West Exhibition, held in Regina in 1895. She served as vice-president in the Territories for the National Council of Women . The couple had two sons and seven daughters. The eldest daughter, Gertrude, married Sandford Hall Fleming, eldest son of Sir Sandford Fleming , the inventor of Standard Time , while another daughter, Marion, divorced wife of Alfred Louis Castellain, became, secretly, in 1906,

9810-593: The provincial seat of Rossland, British Columbia in 1900, and the riding of Kootenay, British Columbia in the Dominion general elections of 1900 and 1904, all in the Conservative or Liberal-Conservative interest. In 1898, he became Canadian manager of the British American Mining Company , Rossland, British Columbia, later becoming a broker and financial agent in Victoria, British Columbia . In 1898, he sold

9919-493: The public until years later after the party system began to mature. Haultain's first appointment to his executive council was a Liberal by the name of James Hamilton Ross . Haultain led a large cabinet into the 4th Northwest Territories general election in 1898. Only Haultain and Ross held portfolios while the rest of the ministers did not. The government became widely known as the Haultain-Ross government. The party swept

10028-687: The rest of his life. At McGill, Laurier joined the Parti Rouge , or Red Party, which was a centre-left political party that contested elections in Canada East. In 1864, Laurier graduated from McGill. Laurier would continue being active within the Parti Rouge, and from May 1864 to fall 1866, was vice president of the Institut canadien de Montréal , a literary society with ties to the Rouge. In August 1864, Laurier joined

10137-495: The seat of Quebec East , which he narrowly won. From November 11, 1877, to his death on February 17, 1919, Laurier's seat would be Quebec East. Laurier won reelection for Quebec East in the 1878 federal election , though the Liberals suffered a landslide defeat as a result of their mishandling of the Panic of 1873 . Macdonald returned as prime minister. Laurier called on Mackenzie to resign as leader, not least because of his handling of

10246-585: The summer of 1917, which led to the Conscription Crisis of 1917 . Laurier was an influential opponent of conscription , and his position on the matter was applauded by French Canadians, who were generally anti-conscription. Pro-conscription Liberals, particularly from English Canada, joined Borden as Liberal-Unionists to form the Union government . Laurier refused to join the Unionist Party, and instead created

10355-595: The three, the Canadian Pacific Railway, to lower freight rates and thus please Western shippers who would contribute to the competition between the railways. Laurier initially reached out to Grand Trunk Railway and Canadian Northern Railway to build the National Transcontinental railway, but after disagreements emerged between the two companies, Laurier's government opted to build part of the railway itself. However, Laurier's government soon struck

10464-553: The war. Laurier was now seen as a "traitor" to English Canadians and English Canadian Liberals, whereas he was seen as a "hero" for French Canadians. Laurier's protégé and successor as party leader, William Lyon Mackenzie King , unified the English and French factions of the Liberal Party, leading it to victory over the Conservatives in the 1921 federal election . After the election, Laurier still stayed on as Liberal and Opposition leader. When World War I came to an end on November 11, 1918, he focused on his efforts to rebuild and reunify

10573-402: The wife of Sir Frederick W. A. G. Haultain , the man her father had appointed as first premier of the Northwest Territories in 1897. His daughter Alice Maude, born on November 11, 1872, married Canadian lawyer and Liberal politician Harold Buchanan McGiverin . Of the sons: the elder, Edward Compton Mackintosh, died of a fever, on 28 January 1901, at Pretoria , while he was serving as

10682-679: Was Captain Duncan Mackintosh , a Scotsman who had been sent to Ireland with the British Army's Highland regiment during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 . The Mackintosh family was of ‘ancient Scottish lineage.’ After the Rebellion, he bought an estate in County Wicklow , and in 1802, married, at Dublin , Alicia Weldon, who is variously described as being the daughter of Lady Weldon, and

10791-959: Was born in London , Canada West , on May 13, 1843, into the family of Leonora Raffles Dickenson and Captain William Mackintosh (b. ca.1809) of Wicklow , Ireland , an officer posted to Canada with the British Army 's Ordnance Department , who later served as County Engineer for Middlesex County, Ontario . His maternal grandfather was Colonel Dickenson, a planter  from  the  West  Indies.  His mother was the niece of  Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles , founder of the port of  Singapore  and  Lieutenant Governor  of  Java  (1811-1815) and of  British Bencooleen  (1811-1823) in  Sumatra . His paternal grandfather

10900-493: Was born in Saint-Lin, Canada East (modern-day Saint-Lin-Laurentides , Quebec), on November 20, 1841. He was a sixth-generation French Canadian . His ancestor François Cottineau, dit Champlaurier, came to Canada from Saint-Claud , France. Laurier grew up in a family where politics was a staple of talk and debate. His father, an educated man having liberal ideas, enjoyed a certain degree of prestige about town. In addition to being

11009-670: Was editor and proprietor of the Strathroy Dispatch . In 1873, he was also elected to the town council of Strathroy, Ontario , at a time when this was apparently not prohibited as a conflict of interest in an era of openly partisan journalism. In 1874, he acquired the Ottawa Daily Citizen , serving as its owner and editor-in-chief from 1874 to 1892. He was owner and editor of the Canadian Parliamentary Companion from 1877 to 1882. On 6 August 1875, he won

11118-461: Was initiated by the Conservative Party and the Conservative prime minister, John A. Macdonald . Laurier ran a simple campaign, denouncing Conservative corruption. As a member of Parliament (MP), Laurier's first mission was to build prominence by giving speeches in the House of Commons. He gained considerable attention when he delivered a speech on political liberalism on June 26, 1877, in front of about 2,000 people. He stated, "Liberal Catholicism

11227-546: Was married for the last time, in 1927, to Lillie Tupper Cameron, whose mother was the eldest child of Canadian Conservative Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper , 1st Baronet. The Hon. C. H. Mackintosh died in 1931 and was buried in Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario , alongside his wife who had predeceased him in 1925. There is a Charles Herbert Mackintosh fonds at Library and Archives Canada . Archival reference number

11336-514: Was not keen to take such a powerful position, but later on accepted. After 13 and a half years, Laurier had already established his reputation. He was now a prominent politician who was known for leading the Quebec branch of the Liberal Party, known for defending French Canadian rights, and known for being a great orator who was a fierce parliamentary speaker. Over the next nine years, Laurier gradually built up his party's strength through his personal following both in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. In

11445-529: Was not noteworthy, and very few times would he make speeches in the legislature. Laurier resigned from the provincial legislature to enter federal politics as a Liberal . He was elected to the House of Commons in the January 22, 1874 election , representing the riding of Drummond—Arthabaska . In this election, the Liberals led by Alexander Mackenzie heavily triumphed, as a result of the Pacific Scandal that

11554-478: Was provincial rights, better conditions for settlers, and electoral reform in the creation of an enumerated voters list. The delegates voted to run the party banner in the next territorial election, and that includes contested nominations. One delegate stated in an interview to the Calgary Herald, if the Liberals don't want to address the provincial autonomy Robert Borden was also congratulated on becoming leader of

11663-405: Was seen by many as the best possible solution in the circumstances, however, some French Canadians criticized this move as it was done on an individual basis, and did not protect Catholic or French rights in all schools. Laurier called his effort to lessen the tinder in this issue "sunny ways" (French: voies ensoleillées ). Laurier's government introduced and initiated the idea of constructing

11772-454: Was triggered by his attempts to offer a compromise for the Manitoba Schools Question , a dispute which emerged after the provincial government ended funding for Catholic schools in 1890. Tupper faced Laurier in the 1896 federal election , in which the schools dispute was a key issue. While Tupper supported overriding the provincial legislation to reinstate funding for the Catholic schools, Laurier

11881-403: Was vague when giving his position on the matter, proposing an investigation of the issue first and then conciliation, a method he famously called, "sunny ways". On June 23, Laurier led the Liberals to their first victory in 22 years, despite losing the popular vote. Laurier's win was made possible by his sweep in Quebec. One of Laurier's first acts as prime minister was to implement a solution to

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