Charles Dewey Day
Encyclopedia
Charles Dewey Day, QC
(May 6, 1806 – January 31, 1884) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Canada East
.
He was born in Bennington, Vermont in 1806 and came to Montreal
in Lower Canada
with his family in 1812. The family moved again to Hull
in 1828. Charles studied in Montreal, articled in law and was called to the bar in 1827. He practiced mainly in the Ottawa
valley and represented lumber merchants such as the Wright
family. In 1838, he was named Queen's Counsel
.
He spoke publicly against Papineau
's Ninety-Two Resolutions
in 1834. In 1840, he was appointed solicitor general in the Special Council
that administered Lower Canada up until the union of the two Canadas in 1841. In 1841, he was elected to represent Ottawa County
in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
. During his time in the assembly, he worked to improve education in the province. He was named solicitor general in the Executive Council for the province; Robert Baldwin
and other Reform
ers opposed Day's appointment. In 1842, he resigned to accept an appointment to the Court of Queen's Bench. In 1850, he was appointed to the Superior Court.
From 1852 to 1884, he served as president of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning in the province. From 1859 to 1865, he helped develop the civil code for Lower Canada. From 1864 to 1884, he served as chancellor of McGill University
and helped establish the faculty of law there. In 1868, he represented Quebec
when the assets and liabilities of Upper
and Lower Canada were divided after Confederation
. In 1873, he investigated charges of corruption against the government in the Pacific Scandal
.
He died during a visit to England
in 1884.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(May 6, 1806 – January 31, 1884) was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
.
He was born in Bennington, Vermont in 1806 and came to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
with his family in 1812. The family moved again to Hull
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
in 1828. Charles studied in Montreal, articled in law and was called to the bar in 1827. He practiced mainly in the Ottawa
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
valley and represented lumber merchants such as the Wright
Philemon Wright
Philemon Wright was a farmer and entrepreneur who founded Wrightstown, the first permanent settlement in the National Capital Region of Canada...
family. In 1838, he was named Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
He spoke publicly against Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau , born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement before the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau, also a famous politician in Quebec...
's Ninety-Two Resolutions
Ninety-Two Resolutions
The Ninety-Two Resolutions were drafted by Louis-Joseph Papineau and other members of the Parti patriote of Lower Canada in 1834. The resolutions were a long series of demands for political reforms in the British-governed colony....
in 1834. In 1840, he was appointed solicitor general in the Special Council
Special Council of Lower Canada
The Special Council of Lower Canada was an appointed body which administered Lower Canada until the Union Act of 1840 created the Province of Canada. Following the Lower Canada Rebellion, on March 27, 1838, the Constitutional Act of 1791 was suspended and both the Legislative Assembly and...
that administered Lower Canada up until the union of the two Canadas in 1841. In 1841, he was elected to represent Ottawa County
Ottawa (County of)
Ottawa was a federal and provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, which was represented in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1830 to 1867, in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1892, and in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to at least 1919.The...
in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
. During his time in the assembly, he worked to improve education in the province. He was named solicitor general in the Executive Council for the province; Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin was born at York . He, along with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, led the first responsible ministry in Canada, regarded by some as the first truly Canadian government....
and other Reform
Reform Party (pre-Confederation)
The Reform movement, sometimes referred to as the Reform Party, began in the 1830s as the movement in the English speaking parts of British North America . It agitated for responsible government....
ers opposed Day's appointment. In 1842, he resigned to accept an appointment to the Court of Queen's Bench. In 1850, he was appointed to the Superior Court.
From 1852 to 1884, he served as president of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning in the province. From 1859 to 1865, he helped develop the civil code for Lower Canada. From 1864 to 1884, he served as chancellor of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and helped establish the faculty of law there. In 1868, he represented Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
when the assets and liabilities of Upper
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
and Lower Canada were divided after Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. In 1873, he investigated charges of corruption against the government in the Pacific Scandal
Pacific Scandal
The Pacific Scandal was a political scandal in Canada involving allegations of bribes being accepted by the Conservative government in the attempts of private interests to influence the bidding for a national rail contract...
.
He died during a visit to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1884.