Sir george etienne cartier biography

In he became leader of the Lower Canadian section of the government in the Macdonald - Cartier administration. In the movement toward Confederation he played a conspicuous part. He was the leading French-Canadian member of the " Great Coalition "; he was a delegate to the Quebec Conference of ; and it was largely through his efforts that French Canada accepted the federation proposals.

Sir george etienne cartier biography: Sir George-Étienne Cartier, Baronet was

He was minister of militia in the first government of the Dominion of Canada; and was regarded as Sir John Macdonald's chief lieutenant. In he became implicated in the so-called "Pacific Scandal"; but before parliament had pronounced its verdict on that episode, he died in LondonEnglandon May 20, He was a politician of indomitable energy and good executive ability; and his hold over the people of French Canada was, from toalmost unchallenged.

His political methods were perhaps not always above reproach; but his services in connection with Confederation outweigh any shortcomings he may have had. He married, inHortense, daughter of Edouard Raymond Fabre, of Montreal ; and by her he had two daughters. To say nothing of the Victoria Bridge Bill, he in passed an act for the establishment of three normal schools, and in carried a measure to provide for the codification of the civil laws.

In the same session he framed an act to break up the system of judicial centralisation in Lower Canada. Two years later he introduced the French civil law into the townships, its operation having been previously confined to the seigniories. In the sitting of he passed the measures dividing the cities of Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto into electoral divisions, and also introduced the admirable municipal bill which the lower province now enjoys.

On 28 Julybeing defeated in an attempt to make Ottawa the seat of government, he was obliged to resign. As a leader and member of the government he was one of the most honest and upright ministers who ever held office; his enunciation of French in parliament was the most distinct of any member in the house, and he had a perfect command of English.

Sir george etienne cartier biography: Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet,

Every year of his official life he submitted to a sacrifice of professional emolument, which had the effect of making him a comparatively poor man. The new ministry, under the Hon. George Brown, were only able to hold office two days, and Cartier immediately returned to power as premier in the month of August, and kept that position until May Other public figures of the day, including the businessman and politician Alexander Tilloch Galtproposed ideas for shaping the future Canada.

There were many factors to consider. Access to the American and British markets varied according to economic conditions, among other things, so the domestic market had to be enlarged and stabilized by extending the east—west commercial axis — hence the importance of building a railroad along that axis. Protectionist tariffs for national industries would also be required.

Furthermore, the plan for federal union had to put forward an equitable sharing of the public debt among the provinces. This last point, especially, led to resistance by legislators from the Maritimes [ see Opposition to Confederation ], who feared bankruptcy and parliamentary under-representation. On 1 July Cartier was among those who took their seats in the parliament of a new country: the Dominion of Canada.

He was one of the Fathers of Confederationwho laid the institutional foundation of a federal system characterized by the sharing of powers between a central government and provincial governments. Yet the British North America Act did not settle everything. With the goal of watching over the interests of his French Canadian compatriots — whose demographic weight was decreasing within confederation, but who had played a fundamental role in building the country — Cartier took it upon himself to intervene in matters of jurisdiction on behalf of his native province; his dual responsibilities as a federal—provincial legislator gave him room to manoeuvre in this regard.

The section on Cartier and the political direction of the province of Quebec describes these transactions, including his close contacts with influential personalities such as Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau and Hector-Louis Langevin. Assisted by civil servants and members of the military and police force, such as George FutvoyePatrick Robertson-Rossand Frederick William Ermatingerhe undertook major reforms of the military.

Cartier had several reasons for supporting Confederation, notably his fear of American expansion. He died in London, England, on May 20, Cartier is considered to be one of the most important of the Fathers of Confederation, along with Macdonald and George Brown. He was called to the bar in where he began to practise his profession. He was also involved in the railway business, and Grand Trunk Railway was one of his legal clients.

Early in his career, Cartier was inspired by Louis-Joseph Papineau. For his part in the uprising, Cartier was exiled and he took temporary refuge in Vermont. However, he was allowed to return to Montreal in to resume his law practice. InCartier gave up his law practice and ran for office as a Reformer and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.

During his time in the Union parliament, Cartier introduced a bill in for the creation of the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada.

Sir george etienne cartier biography: Sir George-Étienne Cartier, co-premier of

In Cartier was appointed to cabinet. From to he served alongside John A. Macdonald as co-premier of the united province. Cartier was a loyal friend of Macdonald, with whom he created the Great Coalition with George Brown in The purpose of the Great Coalition was to end the political instability in the province, which had six governments in as many years.

The Great Coalition was one of the first steps in the movement towards Confederation. He attended all three of the conferences convened for this purpose: CharlottetownQuebecand London. Cartier was largely responsible for gaining French-Canadian support for the union. Cartier also played a leading role in pushing through legislative reform that effectively abolished the semi-feudal seigneurial system of land ownership in Lower Canada, turning its legislative council into an elected body of representatives, and pushed successfully for the adoption of the Civil Code within the province.

Upon the creation of the Dominion of Canada inMacdonald became prime ministerand Cartier was his Minister of Militia and Defence. Federally, Cartier represented Montreal East following the conclusion of Canada's first election on 20 September The following month Cartier was acclaimed the victor in the Manitoba riding of Provencher after Louis Riel and Henry James Clarke resigned as candidates there.

He settled in Beauport and founded one of the foremost families of Quebec. Cartier was also an active participant in the negotiations that led to the creation of the province of Manitoba and the entry of British Columbia into Confederation. In keeping with his ties to the railways, Cartier in introduced a bill for the creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

From tohe was the Minister of Militia and Defence. InCartier experienced the first symptom of Bright's Diseasea kidney disease.

Sir george etienne cartier biography: Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st

After the electionCartier travelled to London hoping to find a cure. His health did not improve and he died in London on May 20,at the age of He was unable to pay a visit to his Manitoba riding where he was acclaimed a Member of Parliament. The couple had three children, all girls, one of whom died in infancy, and one in