December 31, 1867

HON. ADAM JOHNSTON FERGUSSON BLAIR DEAD

Hon. Adam Johnston Fergusson Blair, Q.C., Senator, and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada has died. The honourable gentleman passed away at his home on the evening of December 29 after complaining cold in his hands and arms as well as pain in his chest. Mr. Fergusson Blair was said to have been complaining of ailments for several days but had refused medical advice in favour of a syrup of linseed tea and liquorice. The immediate cause of Mr. Fergusson Blair’s death is said to be inflammation of the lungs.

Mr. Fergusson Blair was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in 1815 and educated in Edinburgh before settling in Nichol Township in Wellington County, Upper Canada, with his parents, Adam Fergusson and Jemima Johnston in 1833. His father helped found the town of Fergus.

Mr. Fergusson Blair was called to the Upper Canadian bar in 1839 and was named the first judge of the Wellington District Court and colonel in the local militia in 1842.

From 1849 to 1857, Fergusson Blair sat in the Legislative Assembly, representing first Waterloo and then Wellington South. In 1860, he was elected to the Legislative Council for an eight-year term.

Mr. Fergusson Blair joined government for the first time in 1863 as receiver general in the ministry of John Sandfield Macdonald and Louis-Victor Sicotte.

Upon Macdonald’s resignation in March 1864, Fergusson Blair was asked by His Excellency Lord Monck to form a coalition that could command the support of the Legislature. Mr. Fergusson Blair proposed a coalition along with Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché but the attempt failed when Taché refused to serve alongside A. A. Dorion. The failure of Fergusson Blair’s coalition led to the Great Coalition of John A. Macdonald and George Brown in June 1864.

The Ottawa Times credits Mr. Fergusson Blair with saving the Confederation project through his decision to continue to support the Coalition in January 1866, by joining the Cabinet.

Mr. Fergusson Blair was appointed to the Senate by Royal Proclamation in May and made President of the Privy Council on July 1.

Mr. Fergusson Blair never married.

ONTARIO LEGISLATURE ADJOURNED

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario has adjourned until January 8, 1868, following the approval of the Speech from the Throne. Though the debate was lengthy. having begun at ten o’clock on the morning of December 30 and not concluding until twenty minutes after two o'clock in the morning on December 31, the debate was largely a formality.

Of interest, however, was that Archibald McKeller (Liberal, Bothwell), renounced the position of Leader of the Opposition in favour of Edward Blake (Liberal, South Bruce). McKeller said he was sitting in the seat traditionally occupied by the Leader of the Opposition (it being the seat closest to the Speaker on the first bench to the Speaker’s left) only because he found all the other seats had been claimed upon his arrival in the House. He begged that Mr. Blake be acknowledged as the Opposition leader.