Legislature of Quebec Législature du Québec | |
---|---|
Fourth Legislature, 1878 - 1881 | |
Type | |
Type | |
Houses | Legislative Council Legislative Assembly |
Term limits | Four years, subject to earlier dissolution. |
History | |
Founded | July 1, 1867 |
Preceded by | Third Legislature of Quebec, 1875-1878 |
Succeeded by | Fifth Legislature of Quebec, 1881-1886 |
Leadership | |
Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière (Liberal) (1878-1879) Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (Conservative) (1879-1882) | |
Arthur Turcotte (Independent Conservative) (1878-1882) | |
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (Conservative) (1878-1879) Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière (1879-1882) Liberal | |
Structure | |
Seats | Legislative Council: 24 Legislative Assembly: 65 |
Legislative Council political groups | Conservatives 21 Liberals 2 Vacant 1 |
Legislative Assembly political groups | Conservatives 32 Liberals 31 Independent Conservatives 2 |
Elections | |
Legislative Council voting system | Life appointments |
Legislative Assembly voting system | Single member constituencies First-past-the-post voting Secret ballot Adult male franchise with property qualification |
Constitution | |
British North America Act, 1867 |
The Fourth Legislature of Quebec was the provincial legislature of Quebec, Canada that existed from 1878 to 1881, following the general election of 1878.
The 1878 election was called by Premier Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, after he had been installed in office by the Lieutenant Governor Luc Letellier de St-Just. The Lieutenant Governor had dismissed the former Conservative Premier, Charles Boucher de Boucherville, over a dispute about railway legislation proposed by the Boucher de Boucherville government.
Since the Liberals did not have a majority in the Legislative Assembly, Joly de Lotbinière called an election immediately. The election resulted in a hung parliament, with neither party having a majority in the Legislative Assembly. Joly de Lotbinière was able to stay in office for one year with a minority government, supported by two Independent Conservatives, but lost a confidence vote in 1879. The Quebec Conservative Party led by Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau then formed a majority government for the remainder of the term of the legislature.
The legislature held four annual sessions, with the first session called on June 4, 1878. The legislature was dissolved on November 7, 1881, leading to the 1881 general election on December 2, 1881.
The Legislature of Quebec was created by the British North America Act, 1867 . It consisted of the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. [1] The Lieutenant Governor was appointed by the Governor General of Canada for a term of five years. [2] The Legislative Assembly consisted of sixty-five members, elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post elections. [3] The Legislative Assembly was to last for four years, subject to being dissolved earlier by the Lieutenant Governor. [4] The Legislative Council consisted of twenty-four members, appointed for life by the Government of Quebec. [5]
The right to vote in elections to the Legislative Assembly was not universal. Only male British subjects (by birth or naturalisation), aged 21 or older, were eligible to vote, and only if they met a property qualification. For residents of larger cities, the qualification was being the owner or occupant of real property assessed at three hundred dollars or more, or for tenants, an annual rent of thirty dollars or more. For any other municipality, the qualification was being an owner or occupant of real property assessed at two hundred dollars or more, or twenty dollars in annual value. For tenants in smaller centers, the qualification was paying an annual rent of twenty dollars or more. [6]
Women were completely barred from voting. [6]
Judges and many municipal and provincial officials were also barred from voting, particularly officials with law enforcement duties, or duties relating to public revenue. [7] The Returning Officer in each riding was also barred from voting, except when needed to give a casting vote in the event of a tie vote. [8]
Candidates for election to the Legislative Assembly had to meet stricter qualifications than voters. In addition to being male, twenty-one or older, and a subject of Her Majesty (by birth or naturalisation), a candidate had to be free from all legal incapacity, and be the proprietor in possession of lands or tenements worth at least $2,000, over and above all encumbrances and charges on the property. [9]
Women were completely barred from membership in the Assembly. [9]
The qualifications for the members of the Legislative Council were the same as for the members of the Senate of Canada. [10] Those requirements were:
The provisions of the British North America Act, 1867 did not explicitly bar women from being called to the Senate of Canada. However, until the Persons Case, it was assumed that women could not be called to the Senate, and were thus also barred from the Legislative Council. In any event, no woman was ever appointed to the Legislative Council. [12]
The initial lack of a clear majority in the Legislative Assembly for either party led to political instability for the first eighteen months of the term of the Fourth Legislature. The Liberal government of Premier Joly de Lotbinière depended on the support of the two Independent Conservatives. The Liberals agreed to elect one of the two independents, Arthur Turcotte, as Speaker of the Assembly, a highly coveted position. Given the narrow majority and factiousness within the Liberal caucus itself, Joly de Lotbinière's government was uncertain of support from vote to vote in the Assembly, which affected his ability to implement major legislation. Several times, his government only stayed in office by a vote from Turcotte as Speaker. [13] Joly de Lotbinière's government was also supported from time to time by William Evan Price, who was nominally a Conservative but often voted in support of the government. [14]
On the Conservative side, the former house leader of the party in the Legislative Assembly, Auguste-Réal Angers, lost his seat in the general election. This event badly weakened the authority of the leader of the party, former premier Boucher de Boucherville, who sat in the unelected Legislative Council. He was forced to cede the leadership of the party to Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, who became the Leader of the Opposition. [15]
The next event was the dismissal of Lieutenant Governor Luc Letellier de Saint-Just by the new federal Conservative government of Sir John A. Macdonald. Conservatives in Quebec, led by Chapleau, had been pressuring Macdonald to dismiss Letellier de Saint-Just as soon as the Macdonald government had defeated Alexander Mackenzie's Liberal government in the 1878 federal election. [16] Macdonald replaced Letellier de Saint-Just with an equally partisan Conservative, Théodore Robitaille. [17] [13]
By the fall of 1879, Joly de Lotbinère's government was badly weakened. A proposal to abolish the Legislative Council as an austerity measure resulted in a revolt in the Legislative Council. Urged by Chapleau, the Council refused to pass the provincial budget. [16] Chapleau attracted the support of five Liberal members of the Legislative Assembly, who crossed the floor and joined the Conservatives, giving Chapleau a majority in the Assembly. [13] [18] On October 29, 1879, the Assembly passed a motion calling for a coalition government, essentially a motion of non-confidence, by a vote of 35 to 29. [18] Joly de Lotbinière was confident that he could win an election on the issues. He advised the new lieutenant governor, Robitaille, to dissolve the Assembly and call a general election. [17] On October 30, 1879, Robitaille refused the dissolution. [18] Joly de Lotbinière resigned and the Lieutenant Governor called on Chapleau to form a government. [17] The Chapleau government was sworn in on October 31, 1878. [18] Since he now had a working majority, Chapleau did not call an election, instead leading the Conservative government for the remaining term of the legislature. Like the Conservatives the previous year, the Liberals accused the Lieutenant Governor of performing a coup d'état. [17]
The 1878 election returned a hung parliament. Neither party initially had a majority in the Legislative Assembly. The Conservatives had one seat more than the Liberals, but there were also two independent Conservatives. With their support, Premier Joly de Lotbinière was initially able to stay in office.
Affiliation | Members | |
---|---|---|
Conservative Party | 32 | |
Liberal Party | 31 | |
Independent Conservative | 2 | |
Total | 65 | |
Liberal Majority | 1 |
The following candidates were elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 1878 election. [19] The Premiers of Quebec are indicated by Bold italics. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is indicated by small caps. Cabinet Ministers are indicated by Italics.
There were fourteen by-elections during the term of the Fourth Legislature. [19] [36] Premier of Quebec is indicated by bold italics. Cabinet ministers are indicated by italics.
Name | Party | Riding | Reason for Vacancy | By-election Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Honoré Mercier | Liberal | Saint-Hyacinthe | Incumbent died in office. | June 3, 1879 | |
Flavien-Guillaume Bouthillier | Liberal | Rouville | Election of incumbent annulled. | June 18, 1879 | |
Raymond Préfontaine | Liberal | Chambly | Election of incumbent annulled. | June 26, 1879 | |
Achille Larose | Liberal | Verchères | Election of incumbent annulled. | July 17, 1879 | |
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau | Conservative | Terrebonne | Appointed Premier of Quebec, triggering a ministerial by-election. Re-elected by acclamation. | November 13, 1879 | |
Louis-Onésime Loranger | Conservative | Laval | Appointed to Cabinet, triggering a ministerial by-election. Re-elected by acclamation. | November 13, 1879 | |
William Warren Lynch | Conservative | Brome | Appointed to Cabinet on October 31, 1879, triggering a ministerial by-election. | November 20, 1879 | |
Étienne-Théodore Pâquet | Conservative | Lévis | Appointed to Cabinet on October 31, 1879, triggering a ministerial by-election. | November 20, 1879 | |
Joseph Gibb Robertson | Conservative | Sherbrooke | Appointed to Cabinet on October 31, 1879, triggering a ministerial by-election. Re-elected by acclamation. | November 20, 1879 | |
Edmund James Flynn | Conservative | Gaspé | Appointed to Cabinet on October 31, 1879, triggering a ministerial by-election. Re-elected by acclamation. | December 6, 1879 | |
Joseph Parent | Liberal | Rimouski | Incumbent appointed to the Sessions of the Peace | March 3, 1880 | |
Joseph-Élisée Beaudet | Conservative | Chicoutimi-Saguenay | Incumbent resigned due to ill health. | March 27, 1880 | |
Joseph Marion | Conservative | L'Assomption | Incumbent died in office. | June 4, 1880 | |
Joseph Robillard | Conservative | Berthier | Election in the general election annulled. | December 30, 1880 | |
The Conservatives had a strong majority in the Legislative Council throughout the Fourth Legislature.
Party | Members | |
---|---|---|
Conservatives | 21 | |
Liberals | 3 | |
Total: | 24 | |
Conservative Majority: | 18 | |
The Speakers of the Legislative Council are indicated by small caps. Cabinet members are indicated by italics.
Vacancies of less than one month are not shown.
† Died in office.
There were two different ministries during the term of the Fourth Legislature, under Premiers Joly de Lotbinière (1878-1879) and Chapleau (1879-1881).
Following the election of 1878, Joly de Lotbinière retained much of his Cabinet in the new Legislature, but carried out a Cabinet shuffle the next year, in 1879. In 1879, Joly de Lotbinière appointed Honoré Mercier to cabinet, even though Mercier did not initially have a seat in the Legislative Assembly. [37] The resignation of Alexandre Chauveau on September 12, 1879 marked the beginning of the dissolution of the Joly de Lotbinière government. Chauveau would join the Conservatives a month later, along with four other Liberals who crossed the floor and voted to defeat the government on October 29, 1879. When the Lieutenant Governor refused a dissolution, the government resigned on October 30, 1879. The Chapleau government was sworn in the next day. [18]
Position | Minister | Term Start | Term End |
---|---|---|---|
Premier and President of the Executive Council | Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière | 1878 | 1879 |
Agriculture and Public Works | Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière | 1878 | 1879 |
Attorney General | David Alexander Ross | 1878 | 1879 |
Crown lands | François Langelier | 1878 | 1879 |
Félix-Gabriel Marchand | 1879 | ||
Secretary and Registrar | Félix-Gabriel Marchand | 1878 | 1879 |
Alexandre Chauveau | 1879 | ||
Solicitor General | Alexandre Chauveau | 1878 | 1879 |
Honoré Mercier** | 1879 | ||
Speaker of the Legislative Council | Henry Starnes* | 1878 | 1879 |
Treasurer | Pierre Bachand | 1878 | 1879 |
François Langelier | 1879 | ||
* Member of the Legislative Council **Appointed minister without seat in the Legislature | |||
Following the defeat of the Joly de Lotbinière government on a confidence vote on October 29, 1879, the Chapleau government was sworn in on October 31, 1879.
Position | Minister | Term Start | Term End |
---|---|---|---|
Premier and President of the Executive Council | Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau | 1879 | 1882 |
Agriculture and Public Works | Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau | 1879 | 1881 |
John Jones Ross* | 1881 | 1882 | |
Élisée Dionne* | 1882 | ||
Attorney General | Louis-Onesime Loranger | 1879 | 1882 |
Crown lands | Edmund James Flynn | 1879 | 1882 |
Railways | Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau | 1881 | |
John Jones Ross* | 1881 | 1882 | |
William Warren Lynch | 1882 | ||
Secretary and Registrar | Étienne-Théodore Pâquet | 1879 | 1882 |
Solicitor General | William Warren Lynch | 1879 | 1882 |
Treasurer | Joseph Gibb Robertson | 1879 | 1882 |
Jonathan Saxton Campbell Würfele | 1882 | ||
Speaker of the Legislative Council | John Jones Ross* | 1879 | 1882 |
Pierre Boucher de la Bruère | align=center|1882 | ||
* Member of the Legislative Council | |||
There were two leaders of the Opposition during the Fourth Legislature. Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau was leader for the first eighteen months of the legislature, from May 1878 to October 1879. When Premier Joly de Lotbinière resigned and was replaced by Chapelau, Joly de Lotbinière became leader of the Opposition for the remainder of the term of the legislature, to 1882. [38]
The legislature had four annual sessions:
The legislature was dissolved on November 7, 1881. [39]
Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau was a Canadian lawyer and politician. Chauveau was the first premier of Quebec, following the establishment of Canada in 1867. Appointed to the office in 1867 as the leader of the Conservative Party, he won the provincial elections of 1867 and 1871. He resigned as premier and his seat in the provincial Legislative Assembly in 1873.
Honoré Mercier was a Canadian lawyer, journalist and politician in Quebec. He was the ninth premier of Quebec from January 27, 1887, to December 21, 1891, as leader of the Parti National or Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ). He rose to power by mobilizing the Francophone opposition to the execution of Louis Riel, denouncing it as a betrayal by John A. Macdonald's Conservative government.
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs. The lieutenant governor of Quebec and the National Assembly compose the Legislature of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other Westminster-style parliamentary systems. The assembly has 125 members elected first past the post from single-member districts.
This section of the Timeline of Quebec history concerns the events relating to the province of Quebec, Canada between the enactment of the British North America Act of 1867 and the end of the 19th century.
The 1881 Quebec general election was held on December 2, 1881, to elect members of the 5th Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Conservative Party, led by Premier Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, defeated the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière.
The 1878 Quebec general election was held on May 1, 1878 to elect members of the 4th Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada. The result was a hung parliament, with no party having a clear majority. Only one seat divided the two major parties, the Quebec Conservative Party and the Quebec Liberal Party. The balance of power was held by two Independent Conservatives.
The 1875 Quebec general election was held on July 7, 1875, to elect members of the 3rd Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Conservative Party, led by Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville, defeated the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière.
The 1871 Quebec general election was held in June and July 1871 to elect members of the Second Legislature for the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Conservative Party, led by Premier Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, was re-elected, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière.
The 1867 Quebec general election was held in August and September 1867 to elect members of the First Legislature for the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Conservative Party, led by Premier Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, defeated the Quebec Liberal Party led by Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière.
Sir Charles-Eugène-Napoléon Boucher de Boucherville was a Canadian politician and medical doctor. He twice served as the premier of Quebec.
Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, lawyer, businessman and politician served as the fourth premier of Quebec, a federal Cabinet minister, and the seventh Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, born in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, was a French-Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 7th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec from 1892 to 1898.
Joseph-Goderic (Joseph-Godric) Blanchet, was a Canadian physician and politician. He was the only person to serve as both Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada and Speaker of a provincial legislature. He represented Lévis in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal-Conservative member from 1867 to 1873 and from 1879 to 1883; he represented Bellechasse from 1875 to 1878. He also represented Lévis in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to 1875.
Luc Letellier de Saint-Just, was a Canadian politician. He also served as the third Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (1876–1879).
Joseph-Israël Tarte, was a Canadian politician and journalist.
The Third Legislature of Quebec was the provincial legislature of Quebec, Canada from 1875 to 1878, following the general election of 1875.
The Second Legislature of Quebec was the provincial legislature of Quebec, Canada from 1871 to 1875, following the general election of 1871.
The First Legislature of Quebec was summoned in 1867 when the new Canadian province of Quebec was created, as part of the new country of Canada.
Étienne-Théodore Pâquet was a French-Canadian civil law notary,provincial politician and civil servant. In 1879, he was one of four Liberal Members of the Legislative Assembly who crossed the floor in the middle of a parliamentary crisis, causing the Joly-de-Lotbinière government to fall.
Lotbinière was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, in Canada East, near Quebec City. It was created in 1841 and was based on the previous electoral district of the same name for the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. It was represented by one member in the Legislative Assembly.