James H. Howden
Encyclopedia
James Henry Howden was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
as a member of the Conservative Party
from 1903 to 1915, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Rodmond P. Roblin.
Howden was born in Milton
, Canada West (now Ontario
), and educated at St. Catharines
. He trained as a lawyer, and practised as a barrister. He also served as mayor
of Neepawa
from 1900 to 1903. In religion, Howden was a Methodist.
He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
held on December 2, 1903, in the constituency of Beautiful Plains. Howden ran to replace the late Conservative cabinet minister John Andrew Davidson
and was elected without opposition. He initially served as a backbench supporter of Roblin's ministry.
He was re-elected over Liberal
Alexander Dunlop by 112 votes in the 1907 election
, and was named to cabinet on March 16, 1907 as Railway Commissioner. He was reassigned as Minister of Telephones and Telegraphs on March 4, 1908, and was also named Provincial Secretary
on November 6, 1908.
Howden was returned by acclamation in the 1910 provincial election
, and was promoted to Attorney General on October 11, 1911. He also retained responsibility for Telephones and Telegraphs. He defeated Liberal candidate William Wood by thirty-two votes in the 1914 election
, and kept both of his portfolios in the legislative sitting which followed.
The Roblin administration was forced to resign in early 1915, after a commission of enquiry established by the Lieutenant Governor
concluded that the government was guilty of corruption in the tendering of contracts for new legislative buildings. Howden resigned from office on May 12, 1915, and did not seek re-election in the campaign that followed.
The commission report concluded that Roblin, Attorney General James H. Howden and developer Thomas Kelly had conspired to commit fraud in the contract arrangements. Howden was indicted, but was eventually discharged of criminal responsibility.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 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 in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
as a member of the Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
from 1903 to 1915, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Rodmond P. Roblin.
Howden was born in Milton
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
, Canada West (now Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
), and educated at St. Catharines
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
. He trained as a lawyer, and practised as a barrister. He also served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Neepawa
Neepawa, Manitoba
Neepawa is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 5. its population was 3,298. Neepawa was incorporated as a town in 1883. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Langford and bordered to the north by the Rural Municipality of Rosedale....
from 1900 to 1903. In religion, Howden was a Methodist.
He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on December 2, 1903, in the constituency of Beautiful Plains. Howden ran to replace the late Conservative cabinet minister John Andrew Davidson
John Andrew Davidson
John Andrew Davidson was a Manitoba politician. He was briefly the leader of Manitoba's Conservative parliamentary caucus in 1894, and later served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Hugh John Macdonald and Rodmond P. Roblin.Davidson was born in Thamesford, Canada West...
and was elected without opposition. He initially served as a backbench supporter of Roblin's ministry.
He was re-elected over Liberal
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
Alexander Dunlop by 112 votes in the 1907 election
Manitoba general election, 1907
Manitoba's general election of March 7, 1907 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a third consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin...
, and was named to cabinet on March 16, 1907 as Railway Commissioner. He was reassigned as Minister of Telephones and Telegraphs on March 4, 1908, and was also named Provincial Secretary
Provincial Secretary (Manitoba)
The position of Provincial Secretary was particularly important in Manitoba from 1870 to 1874, as that province's institutions were being established. The province had no Premier during this period, and its Lieutenant-Governor acted as the de facto leaders of government...
on November 6, 1908.
Howden was returned by acclamation in the 1910 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1910
Manitoba's general election of July 11, 1910 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fourth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin. Roblin's electoral machine won...
, and was promoted to Attorney General on October 11, 1911. He also retained responsibility for Telephones and Telegraphs. He defeated Liberal candidate William Wood by thirty-two votes in the 1914 election
Manitoba general election, 1914
Manitoba's general election of July 10, 1914 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fifth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party, led by premier Rodmond P. Roblin...
, and kept both of his portfolios in the legislative sitting which followed.
The Roblin administration was forced to resign in early 1915, after a commission of enquiry established by the Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
The Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba is the viceregal representative in Manitoba of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
concluded that the government was guilty of corruption in the tendering of contracts for new legislative buildings. Howden resigned from office on May 12, 1915, and did not seek re-election in the campaign that followed.
The commission report concluded that Roblin, Attorney General James H. Howden and developer Thomas Kelly had conspired to commit fraud in the contract arrangements. Howden was indicted, but was eventually discharged of criminal responsibility.