Northwest Territories general election, 1891
Encyclopedia
The Northwest Territories general election of 1891 was held on 7 November 1891 to elect twenty five members of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada
. It was the second general election in the Northwest Territories
' history. The legislature gained three seats, and six new elected members. The three appointed "at large" legal advisors who sat in the assembly in the first legislature were no longer needed. Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
was the government leader.
The key issue in this election was the French language question. Politicians had spent the previous three years divided on the issues of eliminating the status of the French language as an official language of the territory, and of assimilation of the French-speaking population. The appointed government made French an official language in Section 11 of the Northwest Territories Act of 1877 that gained Royal Assent 28 April 1877. Prior to that, French was an official language while the Northwest Territories was administered under the Manitoba Act from 1870 to 1875.
The issue was ignited by Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal reading the Speech from the Throne
in French on 31 October 1888. The outcry caused Royal to read his second throne speech in English only. On 28 October 1889, the issue was made dormant when a Record Division was taken on the "Language Resolution", a motion that stated the assembly did not need official recognition of languages. The vote was 17 for 2 against. But this did not last, because the federal government got involved, and warned the Lt. Governor Royal to start making speeches in French again, and tried to legislate official bilingualism back in the territory, through the Canadian House of Commons
. The bill was defeated on second reading, however.
The interference by the Government of Canada
resulted in members being elected to the assembly who favoured English as the only official language. On 19 January 1892 Haultain made a motion that English would only be used in the Assembly. The motion passed on division: 20 for, 4 against.
Note: No vote returns, are currently available from the Batoche, St. Albert and Souris districts
Note:
*in 1892 Charles Boucher was appointed by judicial order, and Charles Nolin
was forced to step down.
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...
. It was the second general election in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
' history. The legislature gained three seats, and six new elected members. The three appointed "at large" legal advisors who sat in the assembly in the first legislature were no longer needed. Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Frederick W. A. G. Haultain
Sir Frederick William Alpin Gordon Haultain was a lawyer and a long serving Canadian politician and judge. His career in provincial and territorial legislatures stretched into four decades...
was the government leader.
The key issue in this election was the French language question. Politicians had spent the previous three years divided on the issues of eliminating the status of the French language as an official language of the territory, and of assimilation of the French-speaking population. The appointed government made French an official language in Section 11 of the Northwest Territories Act of 1877 that gained Royal Assent 28 April 1877. Prior to that, French was an official language while the Northwest Territories was administered under the Manitoba Act from 1870 to 1875.
The issue was ignited by Lieutenant Governor Joseph Royal reading the Speech from the Throne
Speech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
in French on 31 October 1888. The outcry caused Royal to read his second throne speech in English only. On 28 October 1889, the issue was made dormant when a Record Division was taken on the "Language Resolution", a motion that stated the assembly did not need official recognition of languages. The vote was 17 for 2 against. But this did not last, because the federal government got involved, and warned the Lt. Governor Royal to start making speeches in French again, and tried to legislate official bilingualism back in the territory, through 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...
. The bill was defeated on second reading, however.
The interference by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
resulted in members being elected to the assembly who favoured English as the only official language. On 19 January 1892 Haultain made a motion that English would only be used in the Assembly. The motion passed on division: 20 for, 4 against.
Election results
The turnout can not be established as no voters lists were in use. Candidates were elected as part of a consensus government, i.e., without political parties.| Election summary | # of candidates | Popular vote | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incumbent | New | # | % | |
| Elected candidates | 7 | 7 | 2,500 | 53.88% |
| Acclaimed candidates | 7 | 4 | - | - |
| Defeated candidates | 5 | 10 | 2,140 | 46.12% |
| Total | 47 | 4,640 | 100% | |
Note: No vote returns, are currently available from the Batoche, St. Albert and Souris districts
Members of the Legislative Assembly elected
For complete electoral history, see individual districts| 2nd North-West Legislative Assembly 2nd North-West Legislative Assembly -External links:*... |
|
| District | Member |
|---|---|
| Banff | Robert Brett Robert Brett Robert George Brett was a politician and physician in the North-West Territories and later Alberta, Canada.... |
| Batoche Batoche (N.W.T. electoral district) Batoche was a territorial electoral district in the Northwest Territories that existed from 1888 to 1905.- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-1888 election:-1891 election:... |
Charles Nolin Charles Nolin Charles Nolin was a Métis farmer and political organiser noted for his role in the opposition of the North-West Rebellion of 1885... * |
| Battleford Battleford (N.W.T. electoral district) Battleford was a territorial electoral district mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. The electoral district came into existence with the passage of the North-West Representation Act in 1888 and was abolished in 1905 when Alberta and... |
James Clinkskill James Clinkskill James Clinkskill was a Canadian politician and engineer, merchant, author and justice of the peace.-Early life:... |
| Cannington | Samuel Page Samuel Page Samuel Page is an American actor. He is credited under the name Sam Page.-Early life:... |
| Cumberland Cumberland (N.W.T. electoral district) Cumberland was an electoral district in the Northwest Territories from 1891–1894, the riding was in the rural area to the northeast of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Cumberland disappeared in 1894 when it merged with the newly created Prince Albert East.... |
John Betts John Felton Betts John Felton Betts was a merchant and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He represented Prince Albert and then Cumberland in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1888 to 1898.... |
| Calgary #1 Calgary (N.W.T. electoral district) Calgary was a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada.The riding was created by royal proclamation in 1884.The riding was split into East Calgary, West Calgary and High River in 1894.... |
John Lineham John Lineham John Lineham was a former territorial-level politician from Northwest Territories, Canada.Lineham was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in the 1888 Northwest Territories general election. He won the top place in the two-man district of Calgary. There were three... |
| Calgary #2 Calgary (N.W.T. electoral district) Calgary was a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada.The riding was created by royal proclamation in 1884.The riding was split into East Calgary, West Calgary and High River in 1894.... |
Hugh Cayley Hugh Cayley Hugh St. Quentin Cayley was a Canadian lawyer, news reporter and politician.-Early life:Hugh St. Quentin Cayley was born on November 19, 1857 in Toronto. He was raised in Upper Canada and one of eleven children fathered by William Cayley... |
| Edmonton Edmonton (N.W.T. electoral district) Edmonton was a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada.The riding was created by royal proclamation in 1883 and abolished in 1905. In 1888 the riding returned the top two candidates after it was merged with the St. Albert electoral district. The... |
Frank Oliver |
| Kinistino Kinistino (N.W.T. electoral district) Kinistino was a former territorial electoral district in Northwest Territories, Canada. The electoral district was mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from its creation in 1888 until it was abolished when Alberta and Saskatchewan were created... |
William Frederick Meyers |
| Lethbridge | Charles Alexander Magrath Charles Alexander Magrath Charles Alexander Magrath conducted foundation surveys of the Northwest Territories from 1878 until 1885. He joined Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt and Elliot Torrance Galt in their western industrial enterprises as a surveyor, later becoming Elliott's assistant and Land Commissioner of the North... |
| Macleod Macleod (N.W.T. electoral district) Macelod was a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada.The riding was created by royal proclamation in 1885 and abolished in 1905 when the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created.... |
Frederick Haultain Frederick W. A. G. Haultain Sir Frederick William Alpin Gordon Haultain was a lawyer and a long serving Canadian politician and judge. His career in provincial and territorial legislatures stretched into four decades... |
| Medicine Hat Medicine Hat (N.W.T. electoral district) Medicine Hat was a former territorial electoral district in Northwest Territories, Canada. The electoral district was created with the passage of the North-West Representation Act of 1888. The primary population center and the districts name sake was the city of Medicine Hat... |
Thomas Tweed Thomas Tweed Thomas Andrew Tweed was a merchant and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He represented Medicine Hat in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1888 to 1894 as a Conservative.... |
| Mitchell | Hilliard Mitchell Hilliard Mitchell Hilliard "Hillyard" Mitchell was a politician from the Canadian prairies.Hillyard was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories in the 1888 Northwest Territories general election... |
| Moose Jaw Moose Jaw (N.W.T. electoral district) Moose Jaw was a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories, Canada.The riding was created by royal proclamation in 1883 and abolished in 1905 when Alberta and Saskatchewan were created.... |
James Hamilton Ross James Hamilton Ross James Hamilton Ross was a Canadian politician, the Yukon Territory's third Commissioner, and an ardent defender of territorial rights... |
| Moosomin Moosomin (N.W.T. electoral district) Moosomin was a territorial electoral district in Northwest Territories, Canada that came into existence by Royal Proclamation in 1885 and was abolished when Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905.-History:... |
John Ryerson Neff John Ryerson Neff John Ryerson Neff was a farmer and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He represented Moosomin in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1888 to 1898.... |
| North Qu'Appelle | William Sutherland William Sutherland (N.W.T. politician) William Sutherland was a general merchant and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He represented Qu'Appelle in the 1st Council of the Northwest Territories from 1887 to 1888 and North Qu'Appelle in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1888 to 1898 as a... |
| North Regina | David Jelly David Jelly David Finlay Jelly was an educator, farmer and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada... |
| Prince Albert | Thomas McKay Thomas McKay (N.W.T. politician) Thomas McKay was a farmer and political figure in Saskatchewan, Canada. He represented Prince Albert in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1891 to 1894 and from 1898 to 1905. McKay was the brother-in-law of Lawrence Clarke, and like Clarke was connected to the Conservative... |
| Red Deer | Francis Wilkins Francis Wilkins Francis Edward Wilkins was a former politician in Northwest Territories, Canada.Francis moved with his family to a homestead near Red Deer in 1890.... |
| Souris | George Knowling |
| South Qu'Appelle | George Davidson George Davidson (politician) George Senze Davidson was a hotel owner, farmer and politician from the Northwest Territories, Canada.He came to Perth County in Canada West with his parents in 1852. From 1870 to 1876, Davidson was printer and publisher of the Listowel Banner... |
| South Regina | Daniel Mowat Daniel Mowat Daniel Mowatt was a merchant and political figure in Saskatchewan, Canada. He represented South Regina in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1891 to 1898 as a Conservative.... |
| St. Albert St. Albert (N.W.T. electoral district) St. Albert was a territorial electoral district that existed twice in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The first district existed from 1885 until 1888. The district was recreated in 1891 and was abolished in 1905.-History:... |
Antonio Prince |
| Wallace | Joel Reaman Joel Reaman Joel Reaman was a farmer, miller and political figure in the Northwest Territories, Canada. He represented Wallace in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories from 1888 to 1894 as a Conservative.... |
| Whitewood Whitewood (N.W.T. electoral district) Whitewood, was a territorial electoral district in the Northwest Territories of Canada from 1887 to 1905. The district was created from the former district of Broadview, prior to the 1888 general election.... |
Daniel Campbell Daniel Campbell Daniel Campbell or Dan Campbell may refer to:* Daniel Campbell , Scottish merchant and politician* Daniel Campbell , politician in Electoral district of Richmond , Australia... |
| Wolseley | James Dill James Dill James Peers Dill was a politician from old Northwest Territories Canada.Dill first ran in the 1888 Northwest Territories general election but was defeated by Benjamin Parkyn Richardson, with a 6 vote margin. In the 1891 Northwest Territories general election Dill would face Benjamin again this... |
Note:
*in 1892 Charles Boucher was appointed by judicial order, and Charles Nolin
Charles Nolin
Charles Nolin was a Métis farmer and political organiser noted for his role in the opposition of the North-West Rebellion of 1885...
was forced to step down.