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User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Canadian seat-of-government dispute

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Canadian seat of government dispute
Parliament buildings, Ottawa, the final seat of government of the Province of Canada in 1866
EventPolitical issue in the Province of Canada
CauseLengthy dispute over the location of the seat of government
Dates1841–1866
Locations of the seat of government
OutcomeOttawa becomes seat of government, 1866

The Canadian seat of government dispute was a long-running political issue in the Province of Canada, from 1841 to 1866. During that time, the seat of government moved six times, to five different cities: Kingston, Montreal, Toronto (twice), Quebec (twice), and finally Ottawa. Significant political debates occurred, as the issue triggered strong regional rivalries. Numerous votes in the Legislative Assembly failed to establish a fixed seat of government.

In 1857, the government of John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier, possibly following a suggestion from Governor General Sir Edmund Walker Head, proposed that the matter be referred to Queen Victoria to decide. The Legislative Assembly passed a resolution calling on the Queen to make the decision. Late in 1857, Victoria decided in favour of Ottawa.

Even with the Queen's decision, the proposal for Ottawa did not gain immediate support. In 1858, the Macdonald-Cartier ministry resigned after losing a confidence vote on the proposed move to Ottawa. They were able to return to office after a few days, in the Double Shuffle, but the issue remained divisive. The next year, there was another motion in the Assembly to establish Ottawa as the seat of government, which passed only on the agreement that the Parliament would move again to Quebec during the construction of the parliament buildings in Ottawa.

In 1860, construction began in Ottawa. Significant cost overruns temporarily halted construction, but by 1865 the buildings were complete. In 1866, the Parliament of the Province of Canada met in the new buildings for its final session. On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act, 1867 (now the Constitution Act, 1867), came into force, the final step of Canadian Confederation. Ottawa became the seat of government of the new federal government. Toronto became the seat of government for the new province of Ontario, and Quebec City for the new province of Quebec.

Creation of the Province of Canada edit

 
Lord Durham, who recommended the unification of the Canadas

Following the Rebellions of 1837–1838 in Lower Canada and Upper Canada, the British government decided to unify the two Canadas into a single Province of Canada, based on the recommendation of Lord Durham in the Durham Report.[1] The British Parliament passed the Union Act, 1840, which created the Province of Canada. Lower Canada became Canada East, and Upper Canada became Canada West. The act created a single parliament for the new province.[2][3]

The Union Act did not determine the seat of government for the new parliament, instead giving the Governor General of the Province of Canada the power to determine where the parliament would meet. Prior to unification, Toronto had been the seat of government for Upper Canada, and Quebec for Lower Canada.[4][5][6]

Locations of the seat of government edit

Kingston (1841–1843) edit

 
Lord Sydenham, who selected Kingston as the first seat of government
 
Robert Baldwin, who introduced the resolution to move to Montreal
 
Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, who seconded the resolution

The first Governor General of the new province was Charles Poulett Thomson, later Lord Sydenham. Appointed prior to the Union Act coming into force, his first task was to win support for the act in the two provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In that process, he advised the members of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada that there was a strong likelihood that the seat of government of the new province would be in Canada West.[4] When the Union Act came into force, he fulfilled that commitment by summoning the new Parliament to Kingston, a city of about 6,000 inhabitants in Canada West, but close to the boundary with Canada East. The Parliament met in the building of the Kingston Hospital.[7][8][9]

The choice did not prove popular with most of the members of the Parliament. Discussion about moving the seat of government began in the very first session in 1841, and continued into the sessions of 1842 and 1843. In March, 1843, a committee of the provincial Executive Council prepared a report, with one dissenting opinion, calling on the British government to move the seat of government to Montreal.[10][11][12]

In October, 1843, Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe advised the Legislative Assembly (the lower house of the Parliament) that the British government was not prepared to direct any change to the seat of government without having the concurrence of the Legislative Assembly, and a commitment from the Assembly to pay the costs of transferring the seat of government. He also advised that the British government considered that either Kingston or Montreal could serve as seat of government, but that both Toronto and Quebec City were too far from the centre of the province to be the seat of government.[13]

The leaders of the Executive Council, Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, then introduced a motion in the Assembly proposing that the seat of government move to Montreal. A lengthy debate arose. Alternative proposals were made, such as remaining in Kingston, moving to some other location in Canada West, or deferring the decision entirely to the British government. On November 3, 1843, by a vote of 54–22, the Legislative Assembly passed the resolution to move to Montreal, and committed the necessary funds for the move.[11][14]

On May 10, 1844, Governor General Metcalfe summoned the second Parliament to meet in Montreal, relying on his power under the Union Act.[15]

Montreal (1844–1849) edit

 
The Montreal Parliament Building in use
 
The Montreal Parliament Building in flames

Parliament then met in Montreal from 1844 to 1849. Montreal had the attraction of being the largest city in the Province of Canada, with a population of approximately 40,000. It was also the commercial centre of the province, with Canada's earliest chartered bank, the Bank of Montreal. Parliament met in the former St. Anne's Market building.[16]

Montreal was the seat of government for the entire term of the second Parliament, 1844 to 1847. It was also the location of the first and second sessions of the third Parliament, elected in 1848.[17][18] However, political tensions rose after the 1848 election, which returned a Reform majority, headed by LaFontaine and Baldwin.

In the 1849 legislative session, the LaFontaine–Baldwin ministry introduced the Rebellion Losses Bill. The purpose of the bill was to compensate residents of Canada East who had suffered property losses during the Rebellions of 1837 and 1838. A similar bill had already been passed to compensate individuals in Upper Canada for their losses in the rebellion.

The Rebellion Losses Bill was highly controversial. The Tory opposition attacked the bill and the government, arguing that the bill would compensate those who had taken up arms against the government. They called on the Governor General, Lord Elgin, to deny royal assent to the bill. When Lord Elgin instead gave royal assent, the Tories rioted. On the night of April 25, 1849, while the Legislative Assembly was in session, the rioters set fire to the Parliament building, which burnt to the ground.

Itinerant Parliament: Toronto and Quebec (1850–1866) edit

 
Henry Sherwood, who proposed that the Parliament should alternate between Toronto and Quebec

Following the burning of the Parliament building, the members of Parliament reconvened briefly in alternative settings in Montreal. Henry Sherwood, one of the members for Toronto, introduced a resolution calling on the Governor to summon the Parliament alternately at Toronto and Quebec City. He suggested that the time in one city would not be more than four years, and then Parliament would move to the other city.[19]

In the debate on the resolution, other cities were proposed. Henry Sherwood's brother, George Sherwood, member for Brockville, proposed that one central city be chosen as the permanent seat of government, but without specifying the city. John A. Macdonald, member for Kingston, proposed that the seat of government return to Kingston on a permanent basis. George Lyon, member for Russell in the Ottawa area, proposed that Ottawa (then still called Bytown) be the seat of government.[19]

These alternatives were rejected and on May 19, 1849, the Assembly adopted Henry Sherwood's resolution, by a vote of 34 to 29. The members of the government were divided on the issue, including the two joint premiers. Baldwin, the member for North York near Toronto, voted in favour of the resolution, while LaFontaine, one of the members for Montreal, voted against it. Other Cabinet members similarly voted based on their regional interests. Parliament was then prorogued on May 30, 1849.[19][20] In November, 1849, the Governor General announced that Parliament would next meet in Toronto. The third and fourth sessions of the third Parliament were held in Toronto in 1850 and 1851.[21]

Following the 1851 session, the Governor General summoned Parliament to meet at Quebec, as proposed in Sherwood's resolution. The fourth Parliament, elected in December 1851, met in Quebec from 1852 to 1854. Following the general elections of 1854, the first session of the fifth Parliament also met in Quebec in 1854 and 1855. In October 1855, the Governor General issued a proclamation summoning Parliament back to Toronto. After the 1859 session, the Governor General issued a proclamation returning the Parliament to Quebec.[22][23][24]

Ottawa is chosen edit

 
Bytown (now Ottawa) in 1853, showing the future site of the Parliament of Canada on what is now Parliament Hill
 
Governor General Sir Edmund Head, who suggested deferring the issue to Queen Victoria
 
John A. Macdonald, joint Premier of the Province of Canada from Canada West, who agreed on asking the Queen to determine the seat of government
 
George-Étienne Cartier, joint Premier of the Province of Canada from Canada East, who also agreed with the Governor General's proposal

Decision deferred to Queen Victoria, 1857 edit

In 1857, the issue came up again in the Parliament of the Province of Canada. John A. Macdonald, the leader of the Liberal-Conservatives from Canada West (now Ontario), and George-Étienne Cartier, the leader of the conservative Bleus from Canada East (now Quebec), were convinced that the issue of the seat of government had to be removed from Canadian politics to keep the Province of Canada together, so strong were the regional loyalties. Even their own Cabinet was divided on the issue, as Macdonald admitted in the Legislative Assembly.[10][25]

Several votes were held during the 1857 spring session of the Canadian Parliament. Each of the previous cities were proposed in turn, but none carried a majority. Ottawa was proposed as a possible compromise, but the members continued to vote for their regional cities. There was even a proposal to determine the choice of seat of government by drawing lots.[26]

To resolve the impasse, Governor General Sir Edmund Head made a suggestion to Macdonald and Cartier: the Legislative Assembly could petition the Queen to determine the location of the seat of government.[10] Macdonald and Cartier accepted that proposal, and introduced three resolutions in the Assembly:

  • that the "interests of Canada" required that the seat of government be located at a fixed place, which passed the Assembly unanimously;
  • that Parliament should commit not more than £225,000 for the construction of parliament buildings at that fixed place, which passed with a majority of sixteen; and
  • that the Queen be asked to determine the location of the seat of government, which passed with a majority of eleven.[26][27]

The resolutions were then combined into an Address to the Queen, which also passed the Legislative Assembly with a majority of eleven, on a vote of 61 to 50.[26] The Globe newspaper in Toronto, published by one of the leading Reform party members, George Brown, condemned the decision, saying that it amounted to a vote "to destroy responsible government by sending to Downing Street for Mr Labouchere [the Colonial Secretary] to fix the seat of government." For a short time, however, the resolutions removed the seat of government issue from Canadian politics.[25][27]

The Governor General's memorandum to the Colonial Secretary edit

Governor General Head personally favoured Ottawa as a compromise candidate. Following the passage of the resolutions, he canvassed the mayors of each of the different cities, sending a circular to all five of them to discuss the issue in each one and to seek their opinions.[28] Following those consultations, he wrote a confidential memorandum to the Colonial Secretary, Henry Labouchere, urging that Ottawa be chosen.[25][27][29][30]

In his memorandum, Head explained that there was a great deal of regional jealousy between Canada West and Canada East, so choosing any of the four cities which had already served as seat of government would likely be unpopular. Ottawa, however, was located in Canada West, but on the Ottawa River, which was the boundary with Canada East. Its location in Canada West would make it an acceptable second choice for Toronto, while it had considerable economic ties to Montreal, making it an acceptable second choice for that city.

Head also noted that Quebec City was at one end of the Province of Canada, while Toronto was close to the other end. Choosing either one would require much travel by the members of the Parliament, while Ottawa's central position would be advantageous. Head also cited defence concerns, with Toronto, Kingston and Montreal all vulnerable to attack from the United States. Ottawa's interior location, with good water communications with both Montreal and Kingston, made it a more defensible location.[29]

The Queen chooses Ottawa, 1857 edit

 
Queen Victoria, who chose Ottawa as the capital

Head then went to London to explain his recommendation to the British government. The Colonial Secretary agreed with Head's position and recommended Ottawa to Queen Victoria. The Prince Consort, Prince Albert, also favoured Ottawa. Late in 1857, the Queen decided in favour of Ottawa. Labouchere formally advised Head of that decision by a dispatch dated December 31, 1857. Governor General Head announced it publicly in February, 1858.[25][27][28][29]

Fall of the Canadian government, 1858 edit

 
Antoine-Aimé Dorion, who introduced a motion regretting the Queen's choice of Ottawa

That was not the end of the matter. In the legislative session of 1858, the Macdonald–Cartier introduced a motion to approve the construction of the new parliament buildings in Ottawa. One of the leaders of the Parti Rouge, Antoine-Aimé Dorion, introduced a motion that the Assembly "deeply regrets" that Ottawa had been chosen. That motion was defeated, but the next week, Christopher Dunkin, an independent member from Canada East, moved an address to the Queen asking that she re-consider her decision. Another Rouge member, Eugène-Urgel Piché, then moved an amendment to the address, completely rejecting the choice of Ottawa. That motion passed, with support from the Rouge members, Reformers from Canada West, and even some Bleus from Canada East. The Macdonald-Cartier government treated the vote as a confidence matter, and resigned, but were able to return to office a week later, in the Double Shuffle episode.


That was not the end of the matter. The Reformers of Canada West, led by Brown, and some members from Canada East, from both the Bleus and the Parti Rouge, continued to oppose the choice of Ottawa. In the spring session of 1858, a motion was considered to grant the money to begin construction of the new parliament buildings in Ottawa. One of the Rouge leaders, A. A. Dorion, introduced a motion "regretting" that Ottawa had been chosen. That motion was defeated, but the next week, Christopher Dunkin, an independent member from Canada East, moved an address to the Queen asking that she re-consider her decision. Another Rouge member, Eugène-Urgel Piché, then moved an amendment to the address, completely rejecting the choice of Ottawa. That motion passed, with some supporters of the Macdonald-Cartier government voting in favour of it. The next day, the Macdonald-Cartier government resigned, having been defeated in the Assembly.

Governor General Head then called on Brown to form a government. Brown entered into negotiations with Dorion, and they formed a ministry, appointed on August 1, 1858. However, their government was defeated almost immediately in the Legislative Assembly, and resigned on August 4, 1858. Macdonald and Cartier were able to form a new government, with the support of Alexander Tilloch Galt, and returned to office. The entire episode contributed to ongoing personal distrust between Brown and Macdonald, and to strong political animosity between the different parties.[31]

Ottawa confirmed as seat of government edit

The next year, in 1859, the Cartier–Macdonald ministry reintroduced the motion for funding the construction of the parliament buildings in Ottawa. This time, the motion passed, although one of the leading Cabinet ministers from Canada East, Louis-Victor Sicotte, resigned in protest. A lengthy, bitter debate arose on the issue, lasting a fortnight, but in the end the Assembly approved the choice of Ottawa and voted the necessary funds.[32]

The government's motion provided that while the new parliament was being built in Ottawa, the Parliament would move one last time from Toronto to Quebec City, where it would meet until the final relocation to Montreal. George Brown, the leader of the Reformers from Canada West, vigorously opposed the proposal, calling it a waste of two million dollars to placate Quebec for the loss of the seat of government. The next year, in the 1860 legislative session, there was one last opposition challenge to Ottawa as seat of government, but this time it was soundly defeated, with all the members from Canada West voting in favour of Ottawa. The issue was finally settled.[32]

On October 20, 1865, the Administrator of the government, acting in the absence of the Governor General, issued a proclamation announcing that the Parliament would next meet in Ottawa.[33]

Construction of Parliament buildings edit

 
Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings under construction, 1863

Construction of the new parliament buildings began in 1860. Progress was initially fast, but the construction was temporarily halted in 1862 because of large cost overruns. A public inquiry was held, which found various faults with the construction process, but recommended that the original architects and builders be allowed to continue the project. By the time the buildings were completed, the total cost was $2,591,760, more than double the original budget of £225,000 (equivalent to $1,094,985 at the statutory conversion rate then in use).[28][34]

By 1865, the buildings were near completion. The last session of the Parliament of the Province of Canada was held in the new buildings in Ottawa in 1866.[35][36]

Ottawa becomes capital of Canada edit

The Fathers of Confederation chose to maintain Ottawa as the seat of government of the new country, Canada. There are some indications that behind the scenes, the issue was not yet firmly settled.[37] On his return from the London Conference, Macdonald stated publicly that "he had some doubts before going to England as to whether the seat of government for the Dominion would remain in Ottawa, but he was now happy to say there was no question Ottawa was confirmed as the capital of the new Dominion."[38]

Toronto became seat of government of the new province of Ontario, and Quebec City became the seat of government of the new province of Quebec.[39]

Locations of Parliament edit

Location Dates Parliamentary sessions
Kingston 1841 to 1843 1st Parliament: 1st, 2nd and 3rd sessions
Montreal 1844 to 1849 2nd Parliament: 1st, 2nd and 3rd sessions
3rd Parliament: 1st and 2nd sessions
Toronto 1850 to 1851 3rd Parliament: 3rd and 4th sessions
Quebec 1852 to 1854 4th Parliament: 1st session (parts 1 and 2) and 2nd session
5th Parliament: 1st session (parts 1 and 2)
Toronto 1855 to 1859 5th Parliament: 2nd and 3rd sessions
6th Parliament: 1st session (parts 1 and 2) and 2nd session
Quebec 1860 to 1865 6th Parliament: 3rd and 4th sessions
7th Parliament: 1st and 2nd sessions
8th Parliament: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th sessions
Ottawa 1866 8th Parliament: 5th session

References edit

  1. ^ Gerald M. Craig, Upper Canada: The Formative Years, 1784–1841 (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1963), p. 270.
  2. ^ J.M.S. Careless, The Union of the Canadas — The Growth of Canadian Institutions, 1841–1857 (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1967), pp. 1–5.
  3. ^ Union Act, 1840, 3-4 Vict. (UK), c. 35, s. 12]
  4. ^ a b Craig, Upper Canada: The Formative Years, 1784–1841, p. 271.
  5. ^ Union Act, 1840, s. 30.
  6. ^ Careless, The Union of the Canadas, pp. 1–2, 7.
  7. ^ Careless, The Union of the Canadas, pp. 7–8, 27.
  8. ^ "Proclamation by Governor General Lord Sydenham", February 15, 1841; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 1, 1st Session, 1st Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1841, pp. vi–vii.
  9. ^ Kingston Health Sciences Centre: "Canada's first Parliamentary building".
  10. ^ a b c Wilfrid Eggleston, The Queen's Choice: A Story of Canada's Capital (Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1961), pp. 100–101.
  11. ^ a b Careless, The Union of the Canadas, pp. 77, 82.
  12. ^ "Report of a Committee of the Executive Council", March 16, 1843; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 3, 3rd Session, 1st Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1843, pp. 25–28 (October 6, 1843).
  13. ^ "Message of the Governor General", October 6, 1843; printed in Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 3, 3rd Session, 1st Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1843, p. 25 (October 6, 1843).
  14. ^ Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 3, 3rd Session, 1st Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1843, pp. 88–92, 108–109 (November 2–4, 1843).
  15. ^ "Proclamation by Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe", May 10, 1844; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 4, 1st Session of the 2nd Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1844–1845, pp. vi–vii.
  16. ^ Careless, The Union of the Canadas, pp. 21–23.
  17. ^ "Proclamation by Governor General the Earl of Elgin", January 31, 1848; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 7, 1st Session of the 3rd Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1848, p. x.
  18. ^ "Proclamation by Governor General the Earl of Elgin", December 9, 1848; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 8, 2nd Session of the 3rd Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1849, pp. viii.
  19. ^ a b c Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 8, 2nd Session of the 3rd Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1849 (May 19, 1849), pp. 317–321.
  20. ^ Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 8 (May 30, 1849), p. 367.
  21. ^ "Proclamation by Governor General the Earl of Elgin", November 14, 1849; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 9, 3rd Session of the 3rd Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1850, pp. viii, xi.
  22. ^ "Proclamation by Governor General the Earl of Elgin", September 22, 1851; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 11 – part 1, 1st Session of the 4th Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1852–3, pp. i–ii.
  23. ^ "Proclamation by Sir Edmund Walker Head, Baronet", October 20, 1855; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 14, 2nd Session of the 5th Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1856, pp. iii–iv.
  24. ^ "Proclamation by Sir Edmund Walker Head, Baronet", September 24, 1859; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 18, 3rd Session of the 6th Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1860, pp. iii–iv.
  25. ^ a b c d W.L. Morton, The Critical Years: The Union of British North America 1857–1873 (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1964), pp. 13–14.
  26. ^ a b c Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, 3rd Session, 5th Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1857, pp. 130–133.
  27. ^ a b c d J.M.S. Careless, The Union of the Canadas, pp. 206–207.
  28. ^ a b c "Ottawa Becomes the Capital" (Ottawa: Ottawa Archives, 2007), p. 3.
  29. ^ a b c James A. Gibson, "Sir Edmund Head's Memorandum on the Choice of Ottawa as the Seat of Government of Canada", Canadian Historical Review (1935), vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 411–417. [Article starts at fifth page of linked document.]
  30. ^ Eggleston, The Queen's Choice, pp. 102–107.
  31. ^ Morton, The Critical Years, pp 17–19.
  32. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Queen108 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  33. ^ "Proclamation by Lieutenant-General Sir John Michel", October 20, 1865; printed in the Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, vol. 26, 5th Session of the 8th Provincial Parliament of Canada, 1866, p. v.
  34. ^ James Powell, A History of the Canadian Dollar (Ottawa: Bank of Canada, 2005), p. 23.
  35. ^ "Ottawa Becomes the Capital", p. 56.
  36. ^ Morton, The Critical Years, p. 197.
  37. ^ Eggleston, The Queen's Choice, pp. 98–99.
  38. ^ Eggleston, The Queen's Choice, p. 137.
  39. ^ Constitution Act, 1867, s. 68.
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