1st Parliament of Ontario

January 2025 January 2025 January 2025 Citation bot ON 1st Coalition inactive September 3, 1867 February 25, 1871 John Sandfield Macdonald Conservative Party Liberal Party Coalition government John Stevenson 2nd The 1st Parliament of Ontario was the inaugural legislature of the Province of Ontario following Canadian Confederation. Its composition was determined by the 1867 Ontario general election held in conjunction with the first Canadian federal election over several weeks in August and September. It was in session from December 27, 1867, until February 25, 1871, just prior to the 1871 general election. This parliament along with the 1st Quebec Legislature and the 1st Canadian Parliament were joint successor-legislatures of the 8th Parliament of the Province of Canada, the final composition of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. John Stevenson served as speaker for the assembly.http://speaker.ontla.on.ca/en/at-the-assembly/speakers/ Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Legislative Assembly of Ontario 2014-08-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20140801101335/http://speaker.ontla.on.ca/en/at-the-assembly/speakers/ 2014-08-01 dead Composition On the surface, the 1867 general election produced a virtual tie between the Conservative Party led by John Sandfield Macdonald and the Liberal Party led informally by Archibald McKellar. Elections to the 1st Parliament of Ontario (1867) |- ! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party ! rowspan=2 | Party leader ! rowspan=2 colspan=1 | Candidates ! rowspan=2 colspan=1 | Seats ! colspan=2 | Votes |- !# !% ON Conservative row-name |style="text-align:left;"|John Sandfield Macdonald | 78 || 41 || 80,111 ||50.28% ON Liberal row-name |style="text-align:left;"|Archibald McKellar | 80 || 41 || 77,689 ||48.76% ON Independent row-name | || 15 || – || 1,523 ||0.96% |- ! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total | 173 ! 82 ! 159,323 ! 100.00% |- | colspan="5" style="text-align:left;" | Registered electors | 215,722 | |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2" colspan="3" |Acclamations | style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" |ON Conservative colour&name ||2 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" |ON Liberal colour&name ||4 |} The partisan make up of the legislature was not as straight forward as the numbers suggest. Political parties in the early days of confederation were characterized by "loose coalitions" that may change from issue to issue.Farr David 2007 House of Commons Debate https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2010/parl/X1-015-1-eng.pdf House of Commons Debate 5th Introduction (at p4) 0229-1398 The party labels on official record for those early elections were retroactively applied after partisan political system was more formalized, and thus were not all accurate. For example, Edmund Burke Wood, Ontario's inaugural Treasurer who was also elected to the federal parliament, was recorded as elected to the Ontario legislature as a conservative (likely because he served in the Sandfield Macdonald ministry) and to the House of Commons as a Liberal (likely because he returned to the Liberal fold in 1873 and was later appointed by Liberal prime minister Alexander McKenzie to be chief justice of Manitoba). In 1867 however, he was explicitly repudiated by the South Brant Liberal association, was elected to both seat as a coalitionist, and his opponent for the federal seat, Henry Blakey Leeming was none other than the local Liberal association president. Dual mandate In the first several years of Confederation, individuals could hold seats in federal and provincial parliaments simultaneously. The following men were elected to both the House of Commons and the Ontario legislature in 1867: Edward Blake, elected MP for Durham West and MLA for Bruce South, later Premier of Ontario and federal Liberal leader John Carling, elected MP and MLA for London, a key lieutenant of Sir John A Macdonald and later a member of his federal cabinet Thomas Roberts Ferguson, elected MP for Cardwell and MLA for Simcoe South John Sandfield MacDonald, elected MP and MLA for Cornwall, Ontario's first Premier Edmund Burke Wood, elected MP and MLA for Brant South, Ontario's first Treasurer in the Macdonald ministry Two further members were elected to the federal parliament during this parliament: John Lorn McDougall, MLA for Renfrew South, was elected MP for the same electoral district in a 1869 by-election Frederick William Cumberland, MLA for Algoma, was elected MP for the same electoral district in a 1871 by-election Sessions There were four sessions in duration of the first Ontario Parliament:Forman 1984 1 1st session - December 27, 1867 to March 4, 1868 2nd session - November 3, 1868 to January 23, 1869 3rd session - November 3 to December 24, 1869 4th session - December 7, 1870 to February 15, 1871 framed| center|Parliament of Ontario 1871. A composite of the members of the First Parliament toward the end of its term. For a key of this composite, see Key to 1871 Ontario Parliament Composite. List of Members ‡ Concurrently an MP. Names in bold indicate member of cabinet (Sandfield Macdonald ministry) Electoral District Member Party Partisan affiliations per records compiled by the Legislative Library of OntarioForman 1984 in later years First elected No. of terms NoteAddingtonEdmund John Glyn HooperConservative18671st termAlgomaFrederick William Cumberland ‡Conservative18671st termConcurrently MP from 1871BothwellArchibald McKellarLiberal18671st termLeader of the Opposition, 1867–1870Brant NorthHugh FinlaysonLiberal18671st termBrant SouthHon. Edmund Burke Wood ‡Conservative18671st term Treasurer in Sandfield Macdonald ministryBrockville and ElizabethtownWilliam FitzsimmonsConservative18671st termBruce NorthDonald SinclairLiberal18671st termBruce SouthEdward Blake ‡ Liberal18671st termLeader of the Opposition, 1870–1872; Concurrently MP for Durham WestCardwellThomas SwinartonConservative18671st termCarletonRobert LyonLiberal18671st termCornwallHon. John Sandfield Macdonald ‡ Liberal-Conservative18671st term Premier and Attorney General in Sandfield Macdonald Ministryhttps://www.ola.org/en/members/all/john-sandfield-macdonald John Sandfield Macdonald | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.org Before confederation: Solicitor General for Canada West 1849–51), Speaker 1852–53; Joint-premier 1862–64 DundasSimon S. CookLiberal18671st termDurham EastArthur Trefusis Heneage WilliamsConservative18671st termDurham WestJohn McLeodLiberal18671st termElgin EastDaniel LutonConservative18671st termElgin WestNicol McCollConservative18671st termEssexSolomon WigleConservative18671st termFrontenacHon. Sir Henry SmithEntitled to the honorific by nature of having been a cabinet minister (Solicitor General) of the United Province of Canada.Conservative18671st term Died September 18, 1868;https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/henry-smith Henry Smith | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.org Before confederation: Solicitor General for Canada West 1854–58, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly 1858–61Delino Dexter Calvin (1868)Conservative18681st termElected October 19, 1868https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/delino-dexter-calvin Delino Dexter Calvin | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgGlengarryJames CraigConservative18671st termGrenville SouthMcneil ClarkeConservative18671st termGrey NorthThomas ScottConservative18671st termGrey SouthAbram William LauderConservative18671st termHaldimandJacob BaxterLiberal18671st termHaltonWilliam BarberLiberal18671st termHamiltonJames Miller WilliamsLiberal18671st termHastings EastHenry CorbyConservative18671st termHastings NorthGeorge Henry BoulterConservative18671st termHastings WestKetchum GrahamConservative18671st termHuron NorthWilliam Torrance HaysConservative18671st termHuron SouthRobert GibbonsLiberal18671st termUnseated on December 9, 1868 Gibbons defeated Carling in the election by 10 votes. Carling challenged the election results, and the matter was tried by a special committee consist of five members, which concluded Carling would have had a majority of the votes of those voted unlawfully were discounted. The committee reported its finding to the house on December 9, the clerk proceed strike Gibbons' name out and replaced it with Carling's on December 10, and Carling was sworn in and seated on December 14. No by-election was held.OLA 1869 54-58 HuronSouthIsaac Carling (1868)Conservative18681st termFrom December 14, 1868 - sworn in and seatedAs reported in this day's journal of the legislature, "Mr. Carling (South Huron), having previously taken the oath and signed the roll, took his seat."OLA 1869 66KentJohn SmithLiberal18671st termKingstonMaxwell W. StrangeConservative18671st termLambtonTimothy Blair PardeeLiberal18671st termLanark NorthDaniel GalbraithLiberal18671st termLanark SouthWilliam McNairn ShawConservative18671st termDied January 6, 1869https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/william-mcnairn-shaw William McNairn Shaw | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgAbraham Code (1869)Conservative18691st termElected February 3/4, 1869https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/abraham-code Abraham Code | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgLeed North and Grenville NorthHenry Dolphus SmithLiberal18671st termLeeds SouthBenjamin TettConservative18671st termLennoxHon. John StevensonConservative18671st termSpeakerLincolnJohn Charles RykertConservative18671st termLondonHon. John Carling ‡ Conservative18671st term Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works in Sandfield Macdonald ministryhttps://www.ola.org/en/members/all/john-carling John Carling | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgMiddlesex EastJames EvansLiberal18671st termMiddlesex NorthJames Sinclair SmithLiberal18671st termMiddlesex WestNathaniel CurrieConservative18671st termMonckGeorge SecordConservative18671st termNiagaraDonald RobertsonConservative18671st termDid not take seat.Resigned prior to the convening of legislature to make room for cabinet member Stephen Richards who failed to win his own seat in the general election. Resignation formally entered into the record on the first day of the first session.Hon. Stephen Richards (1867)Conservative18671st termElected in by-election on December 11, 1867 ;Sworn in on the same day with other members upon the convening of legislatureCommissioner of Crown Lands in Sandfield Macdonald ministryNorfolk NorthJames WilsonConservative18671st termNorfolk SouthSimpson McCallLiberal18671st termNorthumberland EastJohn EyreLiberal18671st termNorthumberland WestAlexander FraserLiberal18671st termOntario NorthThomas PaxtonLiberal18671st termOntario SouthWilliam McGillLiberal18671st termOttawaRichard William ScottLiberal18671st termOxford NorthGeorge PerryLiberal18671st termOxford SouthAdam OliverLiberal18671st termPeelJohn CoyneConservative18671st termPerth NorthAndrew MonteithConservative18671st termPerth SouthJames TrowLiberal18671st termPeterborough EastGeorge ReadConservative18671st termPeterborough WestJohn CarnegieConservative18671st termPrescottJames P. BoydLiberal18671st termPrince EdwardAbsalom GreeleyLiberal18671st termresigned December 7, 1870https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/absalom-greeley Absalom Greeley | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgWilliam Anderson (1870)Conservative18701st termelected June 29, 1870https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/william-anderson William Anderson | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgRenfrew NorthJohn SuppleConservative18671st term resigned October 22, 1869https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/john-supple John Supple | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgThomas Murray (1869)Conservative18691st termelected December 1, 1869https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/thomas-murray Thomas Murray | Legislative Assembly of Ontario www.ola.orgRenfrew SouthJohn Lorn McDougallLiberal18671st termFrom 1869, concurrently MP for Renfrew SouthRussellWilliam CraigConservative18671st termSimcoe NorthWilliam LountLiberal18671st termSimcoe SouthThomas Ferguson ‡ Conservative18671st termStormontWilliam ColquhounConservative18671st termToronto EastHon. Matthew Crooks CameronConservative18671st term Provincial Secretary and Registrar in Sandfield Macdonald ministryToronto WestJohn WallisConservative18671st termVictoria NorthAlexander Peter CockburnLiberal18671st termVictoria SouthThomas MatchettLiberal18671st termWaterloo NorthMoses SpringerLiberal18671st termWaterloo SouthIsaac ClemensLiberal18671st termWellandWilliam BeattyLiberal18671st termWellington CentreAlexander David FerrierConservative18671st termWellington NorthRobert McKimLiberal18671st termWellington SouthPeter GowLiberal18671st termWentworth NorthRobert ChristieLiberal18671st termWentworth SouthWilliam SextonLiberal18671st termYork EastHugh Powell CrosbyLiberal18671st termYork NorthHon. John McMurrich Entitled to the honorific by nature of having been a Legislative Councillor of the United Province of Canada.Liberal18671st termYork WestThomas GrahameConservative18671st term Changes to composition The make up of the first parliament was fairly stable, with only a few changes. Electoral District Departed Member New Member MemberVacatedReason MemberElectedNiagara Donald RobertsonDecember 27, 1867resignResignation before taking seatStephen RichardsDecember 11, 1867Frontenac Hon. Sir Henry Smith1868-09-18Death Delino Dexter Calvin1868-10-19Huron SouthRobert Gibbons1868-12-09Election overturnedIsaac Carling 1868-12-14HuronSouthLanark SouthWilliam McNairn ShawJanuary 6, 1869DeathAbraham CodeFebruary 6, 1869Renfrew NorthJohn SuppleOctober 22, 1869ResignationThomas MurrayDecember 1, 1869Prince EdwardAbsalom GreeleyDecember 7, 1870Date the house was informed. Resignation took place earlier while house was not in session resignResignation (acceptance of office of emolument from Crown) William AndersonJune 30, 1870 Notes References Forman Debra Legislators and legislatures of Ontario Legislative Assembly of Ontario 1984 0-7743-9021-2 2 1 1st Legislature OLA Session 1868-9 (2nd Session of the 1st Parliament) Legislative Assembly of Ontario 1869 https://www.ola.org/sites/default/files/common/pdf/FSOB%20and%20Journals/1-2-Journals.pdf Journal of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario 2 External links All Members serving in Parliament 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20120926140516/http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/members_all_list.do?parlID=1 2012-09-26 Category:1867 establishments in Ontario Category:1871 disestablishments in Ontario 01