James Cornwall
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel James Kennedy "Peace River Jim" Cornwall (1861 - 1955) was a provincial politician from Alberta
, Canada
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
from 1909 to 1913 sitting with the Liberal caucus in government.
candidate in the 1905 Alberta general election
in the Peace River
electoral district.
He faced independent candidate Lucien Dubuc
but was defeated by an unknown number of votes despite being favored to win. The election results were annulled by the Executive Council of Alberta
as there were significant irregularities in the vote and a new writ was ordered. Cornwall ran in the ensuing by-election held on February 16, 1906. This time he would face Independent Liberal candidate Thomas Brick
, who easily defeated him.
Cornwall would be returned to the Alberta Legislature by acclimation in the 1909 Alberta general election
and hold the seat for a single term as a member sitting with the Liberals.
Cornwall would be sued while still a member in the Legislature. On May 13, 1910 he filed his defense in provincial court. Cornwall was named in a lawsuit by Toronto business man Alfred Hawes who was looking to recuperate more than $250,000.00 lost in transactions from the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway Scandal
. The same scandal would cause the resignation of the entire Rutherford cabinet days later. Cornwall would leave the Liberal cabinet and sit as an Independent.
At the outbreak of World War I
, Cornwall went to fight overseas while he was over in Europe he would run in the 1917 Alberta general election
non-partisan Soldiers' and nurses vote. He ended up finishing fourth in a large field of candidates.
After the war Cornwall ran in a by-election in the Athabasca
district in a 1920 by-election as an Independent. He was easily defeated by Alberta Liberal George Mills
. He ran again less than a year later in the 1921 Alberta general election
but was defeated finishing in 16th place out of the 26 candidates.
The Social Credit government under William Aberhart
tried to entice Cornwall to run for a seat in the Legislature under their banner for a by-election in Athabasca, to which Cornwall had declined.
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
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...
. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
from 1909 to 1913 sitting with the Liberal caucus in government.
Political career
Cornwall ran as a provincial LiberalAlberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
candidate in the 1905 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1905
The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories...
in the Peace River
Peace River (provincial electoral district)
Peace River is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting...
electoral district.
He faced independent candidate Lucien Dubuc
Lucien Dubuc
Lucien Dubuc was a lawyer, judge and briefly a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada.-Early life:Lucien Dubuc's father was Joseph Dubuc who was a prominent Canadian federal and provincial politician as well a pioneer lawyer.-Political career:...
but was defeated by an unknown number of votes despite being favored to win. The election results were annulled by the Executive Council of Alberta
Executive Council of Alberta
The Executive Council of Alberta is the cabinet of that Canadian province.Almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, the Cabinet is similar in structure and role to the Cabinet of Canada while being smaller in size...
as there were significant irregularities in the vote and a new writ was ordered. Cornwall ran in the ensuing by-election held on February 16, 1906. This time he would face Independent Liberal candidate Thomas Brick
Thomas Brick
Thomas Allan "Allie" Brick was a politician and farmer from Alberta, Canada.-Early life:Brick was a pioneer farmer who is largely credited with bringing grain farming to the northern Alberta.-Political career:...
, who easily defeated him.
Cornwall would be returned to the Alberta Legislature by acclimation in the 1909 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1909
The Alberta general election was 1909 was the second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 22 March 1909 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
and hold the seat for a single term as a member sitting with the Liberals.
Cornwall would be sued while still a member in the Legislature. On May 13, 1910 he filed his defense in provincial court. Cornwall was named in a lawsuit by Toronto business man Alfred Hawes who was looking to recuperate more than $250,000.00 lost in transactions from the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway Scandal
Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal
The Alberta and Great Waterways Railway Scandal was a political scandal in Alberta, Canada in 1910. It resulted in the resignation of the provincial government of Alexander Cameron Rutherford over allegations of conflict of interest in the government's involvement in the financing of the Alberta...
. The same scandal would cause the resignation of the entire Rutherford cabinet days later. Cornwall would leave the Liberal cabinet and sit as an Independent.
At the outbreak of World War I
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...
, Cornwall went to fight overseas while he was over in Europe he would run in the 1917 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1917
The Alberta general election of 1917 was the fourth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada, held on 7 June 1917 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
non-partisan Soldiers' and nurses vote. He ended up finishing fourth in a large field of candidates.
After the war Cornwall ran in a by-election in the Athabasca
Athabasca (provincial electoral district)
Athabasca was a provincial electoral district covering north east Alberta, Canada.The riding, was created in 1905 when Alberta first became a province...
district in a 1920 by-election as an Independent. He was easily defeated by Alberta Liberal George Mills
George Mills (politician)
George Mills was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1920 to 1926 sitting with the Liberal caucus in government and opposition.-Political career:...
. He ran again less than a year later in the 1921 Alberta general election
Alberta general election, 1921
The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly....
but was defeated finishing in 16th place out of the 26 candidates.
The Social Credit government under William Aberhart
William Aberhart
William Aberhart , also known as Bible Bill for his outspoken Baptist views, was a Canadian politician and the seventh Premier of Alberta between 1935 and 1943. The Social Credit party believed the reason for the depression was that people did not have enough money to spend, so the government...
tried to entice Cornwall to run for a seat in the Legislature under their banner for a by-election in Athabasca, to which Cornwall had declined.