William Alexander Weir
Encyclopedia
William Alexander Weir was a Quebec
lawyer
, politician
, and judge
. He was the MLA
for Argenteuil
in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
from 1897–1910, held several ministries
, and helped rewrite several provincial
Codes
.
on October 15, 1858, the son of William Park Weir and Helen Craig Smith, who had emigrated
from Scotland
to Canada
in 1852. William Park Weir became Surveyor of Customs
in the Port of Montreal. His brother, Robert Stanley Weir
, would become famous as a judge and author of the English verses for O Canada
.
Weir attended the High School of Montreal and McGill University
earning a B.C.L.
in 1881 and was called to the Bar of Quebec on July 12, 1881.
He married Adelaide Sayers Stewart, daughter of William C. Stewart of Hamilton, Ontario
in October 1885.
from 1880–1881 and the Argenteuil County
News from 1895–1897.
Weir published several special editions of Quebec Civil Codes and he served as Secretary of the Royal Commission
to revise the Code of Civil Procedure in 1897.
to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in 1890 failed. In 1897, he ran again and succeeded in winning the riding of Argenteuil
, representing the Liberal Party of Quebec.
He was appointed Minister without Portfolio
in 1903 under Premier
Simon-Napoléon Parent
. On February 3, 1905, Weir, Lomer Gouin
, and Adélard Turgeon
joined forces and resigned from Cabinet
in a push to force Parent out of the leadership. Gouin then became Premier on March 21, 1905 and Weir served as Minister without Portfolio (1905), Speaker
(1905–1906), Minister of Public Works and Labour (1906–1907), and Provincial Treasurer (1907–1910).
on January 11, 1910, Weir resigned his seat. He presided over the Workman libel trial in May 1911.
He finished his career becoming a Montreal District Court judge in 1923.
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....
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. He was the MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
for Argenteuil
Argenteuil (provincial electoral district)
Argenteuil is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It was created in 1853.-Members of Parliament of the Province of Canada:* Sydney Robert Bellingham...
in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
Legislative Assembly of Quebec
The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...
from 1897–1910, held several ministries
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
, and helped rewrite several provincial
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
Codes
Civil code
A civil code is a systematic collection of laws designed to comprehensively deal with the core areas of private law. A jurisdiction that has a civil code generally also has a code of civil procedure...
.
Early life
William Alexander Weir was born in MontrealMontreal
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...
on October 15, 1858, the son of William Park Weir and Helen Craig Smith, who had emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to 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...
in 1852. William Park Weir became Surveyor of Customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
in the Port of Montreal. His brother, Robert Stanley Weir
Robert Stanley Weir
Robert Stanley Weir, FRSC, was a Montreal, Quebec judge and poet most famous for writing the English lyrics to O Canada, the national anthem of Canada. He was educated as a teacher and lawyer and considered one of the leading experts of the day on Quebec's municipal civil law...
, would become famous as a judge and author of the English verses for O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
.
Weir attended the High School of Montreal and 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...
earning a B.C.L.
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
in 1881 and was called to the Bar of Quebec on July 12, 1881.
He married Adelaide Sayers Stewart, daughter of William C. Stewart of Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
in October 1885.
Early career
During the time he practised law, Weir also wrote for The Montreal StarMontreal Star
The Montreal Star was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It folded in 1979 following an eight-month pressmen's strike....
from 1880–1881 and the Argenteuil County
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality is located in southern Quebec, Canada, part of the Laurentides region. The Regional County Municipality seat is Lachute.-History:...
News from 1895–1897.
Weir published several special editions of Quebec Civil Codes and he served as Secretary of the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
to revise the Code of Civil Procedure in 1897.
Political career
Weir's first attempt at electionElection
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in 1890 failed. In 1897, he ran again and succeeded in winning the riding of Argenteuil
Argenteuil (provincial electoral district)
Argenteuil is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It was created in 1853.-Members of Parliament of the Province of Canada:* Sydney Robert Bellingham...
, representing the Liberal Party of Quebec.
He was appointed Minister without Portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in 1903 under Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
Simon-Napoléon Parent
Simon-Napoléon Parent
Simon-Napoléon Parent . Born in Quebec City he was the 12th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from October 3, 1900 to March 21, 1905.-Background:...
. On February 3, 1905, Weir, Lomer Gouin
Lomer Gouin
Sir Jean Lomer Gouin, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician.-Biography:He was born in Grondines, Quebec and served as 13th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec, as a Cabinet minister in the federal government of Canada, and as the 15th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.On May 24, 1888, he married...
, and Adélard Turgeon
Adélard Turgeon
Adélard Turgeon, was a Canadian lawyer and politician.Born in Saint-Étienne-de-Beaumont , Lower Canada, Turgeon attended the Collège de Lévis before receiving a Bachelor of Laws degree from Université Laval at Quebec. He was called to the Quebec Bar in 1887 and started a law career...
joined forces and resigned from Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
in a push to force Parent out of the leadership. Gouin then became Premier on March 21, 1905 and Weir served as Minister without Portfolio (1905), Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
(1905–1906), Minister of Public Works and Labour (1906–1907), and Provincial Treasurer (1907–1910).
Judge
Upon appointment as a judge for the Quebec Superior CourtQuebec Superior Court
Quebec Superior Court is the highest trial Court in the Province of Quebec, Canada. It consists of 144 judges who are appointed by the federal government.Chief Justices : [partial listing]* Edward Bowen...
on January 11, 1910, Weir resigned his seat. He presided over the Workman libel trial in May 1911.
He finished his career becoming a Montreal District Court judge in 1923.
Published works
- Municipal Code of the Province of Quebec (1889)
- Civil Code of the Province of Quebec (1890)
- Codes of the Province of Quebec (1890)
- An Insolvency Manual (1890)
- The Educational Act of the Province of Quebec (1899)
- Code of Civil Procedure (1900)
See also
- Robert Stanley WeirRobert Stanley WeirRobert Stanley Weir, FRSC, was a Montreal, Quebec judge and poet most famous for writing the English lyrics to O Canada, the national anthem of Canada. He was educated as a teacher and lawyer and considered one of the leading experts of the day on Quebec's municipal civil law...
- Simon-Napoléon ParentSimon-Napoléon ParentSimon-Napoléon Parent . Born in Quebec City he was the 12th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from October 3, 1900 to March 21, 1905.-Background:...
- Argenteuil (provincial electoral district)Argenteuil (provincial electoral district)Argenteuil is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It was created in 1853.-Members of Parliament of the Province of Canada:* Sydney Robert Bellingham...