Prior ministry

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Prior ministry
Flag of British Columbia.svg
15th ministry of British Columbia
Date formedNovember 21, 1902 (1902-11-21)
Date dissolvedJune 1, 1903 (1903-06-01)
People and organisations
Monarch Edward VII
Lieutenant Governor Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière
Premier Edward Gawler Prior
No. of ministers5
Ministers removed4
Total no. of members6
Member parties Non-partisan
History
Legislature term 9th Parliament
Predecessor Dunsmuir ministry
Successor McBride ministry

The Prior ministry was the combined Cabinet that governed British Columbia from November 21, 1902, to June 1, 1903. It was led by Edward Gawler Prior, the 15th premier of British Columbia. It was formed during the 9th Parliament, after Premier James Dunsmuir resigned and named Prior as his successor. Prior had been a member of the Dunsmuir ministry. [1]

Contents

Prior was dismissed as premier by Lieutenant Governor Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière over a conflict of interest scandal that implicated several ministers, including Prior. Joly de Lotbinière then invited opposition leader Richard McBride to form the McBride ministry. [2] [3]

This was the last British Columbia ministry to be non-partisan. [3] It is also the last time in Canadian political history that a lieutenant governor dismissed a premier. [4]

List of ministers

Prior ministry by portfolio [5]
PortfolioMinisterTenure
StartEnd
Premier of British Columbia Edward Gawler Prior November 21, 1902June 1, 1903
President of the Council William Wallace Burns McInnes November 25, 1902May 27, 1903
Attorney General David McEwen Eberts November 25, 1902May 27, 1903
Minister of Finance and Agriculture James Douglas Prentice November 21, 1902June 1, 1903
Minister of Education Denis Murphy November 22, 1902November 28, 1902
William Wallace Burns McInnes December 1, 1902May 27, 1903
Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works Wilmer Cleveland Wells November 22, 1902May 27, 1903
Minister of Mines Edward Gawler Prior November 21, 1902June 1, 1903
Provincial Secretary Denis Murphy November 22, 1902November 28, 1902
William Wallace Burns McInnes December 1, 1902May 27, 1903

Cabinet shuffles

On November 28, only days after appointment, Denis Murphy resigned from cabinet. His resignation took Prior by surprise, and Murphy gave no explanation beyond "personal reasons". [6] William Wallace Burns McInnes was appointed to replace him, in addition to his role as president of the council. [7]

Following the eruption of a scandal involving the improper granting of land, [8] Prior fired the two ministers implicated, David McEwen Eberts and Wilmer Cleveland Wells. McInnes also resigned, on his own volition. [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Mr. Dunsmuir Has Resigned; Col. Prior Now Premier". The Vancouver Daily Province . November 22, 1902. p. 1.
  2. ↑ Hamelin, Marcel. "JOLY DE LOTBINIÈRE, Sir HENRI-GUSTAVE". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Roy, Patricia E. "McBRIDE, Sir RICHARD". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  4. ↑ Cheffins, Ronald I. (2000). "The Royal Prerogative and the Office of Lieutenant Governor". Canadian Parliamentary Review. 23 (1).
  5. ↑ "British Columbia Executive Council Appointments (1871-1986)" (PDF). Legislative Library of British Columbia. p. 30. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Hon. Mr. Murphy Resigns Position". Victoria Daily Times . November 29, 1902. p. 1.
  7. ↑ "Surprise in B.C. Politics". Free Press Prairie Farmer. December 3, 1902. p. 7.
  8. ↑ "The B.C. Lands". Free Press Prairie Farmer. May 20, 1903. p. 7.
  9. ↑ "Three Ministers Leave the Cabinet". Victoria Daily Times . May 27, 1903. p. 1.
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