Frank Broadstreet Carvell
Encyclopedia
Frank Broadstreet Carvell, PC
(14 August 1862 – 9 August 1924) was a Canadian
lawyer, businessman, and politician.
Carvell was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick
. His father was a farmer descended from United Empire Loyalists
and his mother was an Ulster
Protestant. He was educated locally and worked as a teacher. In 1890 he earned his law degree from Boston University
and returned to Woodstock to practice law. He was elected to the county council and became involved in business with stock in the Woodstock Power Company and the Carleton Electric Company.
He purchased the Carleton Sentinel, a Liberal
newspaper and was also the main shareholder for a time of the Carleton Observer.
In 1899 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
but resigned a year later to contest the federal seat of Carleton
but lost by 255 votes to Conservative Frederick Harding Hale
, a lumber merchant.
He won the seat on his next attempt and was the Liberal
member of the Canadian House of Commons
for the New Brunswick riding from 1904 until 1917. He was a minor backbencher in the Liberal caucus and was passed over for appointment to Sir Wilfrid Laurier
's Cabinet in favour of William Pugsley
when a New Brunswick seat at the Cabinet table opened up due to the resignation of Henry Robert Emmerson. Carvell was offered a seat on the Supreme Court of New Brunswick in 1909 but turned it down.
The Liberal government was defeated in the 1911 federal election
and Carvell moved to the Opposition bench where he became prominent as a critic of Samuel Hughes, Borden's Militia Minister. He also became active in provincial politics, joining party organizers Peter John Veniot and Edward S. Carter as leading members of a powerful group of back-room Liberals known as the "Dark Lantern Brigade" who accused the provincial Conservative
government of James Kidd Flemming
of receiving kickbacks from the timber industry. The New Brunswick Liberal Association
offered Carvell the leadership of the provincial party but he declined at Laurier's urging.
Despite his criticism of the Borden government's prosecution of the war
as well as its nationalization
of Canadian Northern Railways, Carvell broke with Laurier over the issue of conscription
opposing Laurier's call for a referendum
on the question. Carvell was approached by Borden to cross the floor during the Conscription Crisis
and join his government but Carvell initially refused only to change his mind and join the government of Sir Robert Borden
on October 17, 1917 as Minister of Public Works
in the new Union government. He was re-elected in the 1917 federal election
as a Liberal-Unionist
MP for Victoria—Carleton
by acclamation.
Following the war Carvell wished to rejoin the Liberals but was rejected by his former party. Instead, he retired from politics in 1919 upon being appointed Chairman of the Board of Railway Commissioners.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(14 August 1862 – 9 August 1924) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
lawyer, businessman, and politician.
Carvell was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick
Woodstock, New Brunswick
Woodstock is a Canadian town in Carleton County, New Brunswick located on the west bank of the Saint John River at the mouth of the Meduxnekeag River, 92 km west of Fredericton and close to the Canada – United States border and Houlton, Maine.- History :Woodstock was settled by Loyalists...
. His father was a farmer descended from United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists
The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...
and his mother was an Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
Protestant. He was educated locally and worked as a teacher. In 1890 he earned his law degree from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and returned to Woodstock to practice law. He was elected to the county council and became involved in business with stock in the Woodstock Power Company and the Carleton Electric Company.
He purchased the Carleton Sentinel, a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
newspaper and was also the main shareholder for a time of the Carleton Observer.
In 1899 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...
but resigned a year later to contest the federal seat of Carleton
Carleton (New Brunswick electoral district)
Carleton was a federal electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1917. It was created in 1867 as part of the British North America Act, and was abolished in 1914 when it was merged into Victoria—Carleton...
but lost by 255 votes to Conservative Frederick Harding Hale
Frederick Harding Hale
Frederick Harding Hale was a Canadian lumber merchant and politician.Born in Northampton, Carleton County, New Brunswick, the son of Martin Hale and Hulda Dickinson, Hale was involved in the manufacture and sale of all kinds of lumber at Northampton and Woodstock...
, a lumber merchant.
He won the seat on his next attempt and was the Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
member of the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
for the New Brunswick riding from 1904 until 1917. He was a minor backbencher in the Liberal caucus and was passed over for appointment to Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
's Cabinet in favour of William Pugsley
William Pugsley
William Pugsley, PC, QC was a politician and lawyer in New Brunswick, Canada.He was born in Sussex, New Brunswick, the son of William Pugsley, of United Empire Loyalist descent, and Frances Jane Hayward. He was educated at the University of New Brunswick. He studied mathematics, classics, and...
when a New Brunswick seat at the Cabinet table opened up due to the resignation of Henry Robert Emmerson. Carvell was offered a seat on the Supreme Court of New Brunswick in 1909 but turned it down.
The Liberal government was defeated in the 1911 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1911
The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held on September 21 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 12th Parliament of Canada.-Summary:...
and Carvell moved to the Opposition bench where he became prominent as a critic of Samuel Hughes, Borden's Militia Minister. He also became active in provincial politics, joining party organizers Peter John Veniot and Edward S. Carter as leading members of a powerful group of back-room Liberals known as the "Dark Lantern Brigade" who accused the provincial Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony...
government of James Kidd Flemming
James Kidd Flemming
James Kidd Flemming was a businessman and politician in New Brunswick, Canada.Flemming was a school teacher and lumberman before entering politics and serving as Provincial Secretary-Treasurer from 1908 to 1911 and Minister of Lands and Mines from 1911-1914. He succeeded Douglas Hazen as the...
of receiving kickbacks from the timber industry. The New Brunswick Liberal Association
New Brunswick Liberal Association
The New Brunswick Liberal Association , more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
offered Carvell the leadership of the provincial party but he declined at Laurier's urging.
Despite his criticism of the Borden government's prosecution of the war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as well as its nationalization
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
of Canadian Northern Railways, Carvell broke with Laurier over the issue of conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
opposing Laurier's call for a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the question. Carvell was approached by Borden to cross the floor during the Conscription Crisis
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
and join his government but Carvell initially refused only to change his mind and join the government of Sir Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
on October 17, 1917 as Minister of Public Works
Minister of Public Works (Canada)
The position of Minister of Public Works existed as part of the Cabinet of Canada from Confederation to 1995.As part of substantial governmental reorganization, the position was merged with that of the Minister of Supply and Services to create the position of Minister of Public Works and Government...
in the new Union government. He was re-elected in the 1917 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
as a Liberal-Unionist
Liberal-Unionist
For the British party see Liberal Unionist PartyLiberal-Unionists were supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada who, as a result of the Conscription Crisis of 1917 rejected Sir Wilfrid Laurier's leadership and supported the coalition Unionist government of Sir Robert Borden.Much of the Ontario...
MP for Victoria—Carleton
Victoria—Carleton
Victoria—Carleton was a federal electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1968....
by acclamation.
Following the war Carvell wished to rejoin the Liberals but was rejected by his former party. Instead, he retired from politics in 1919 upon being appointed Chairman of the Board of Railway Commissioners.
Further reading
- Arthur T. Doyle, Front Benches and Back Rooms: A story of corruption, muckraking, raw partisanship and political intrigue in New Brunswick, Toronto: Green Tree Publishing, 1976.