July 17, 1867
NEWS FROM THE PROVINCES
Québec
While recriminations continue regarding the reasons and persons responsible for Joseph Cauchon’s failure to form a government, Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau has announced that, in addition to serving as Premier, he will serve as head of the Education Department, and and act as Provincial Secretary and Registrar.
Christopher Dunkin has accepted a position in M. Chauveau’s cabinet and notably, has not made of Chauveau, as he had of Cauchon, the re-introduction of H. Langevin's education bill a condition of accepting a seat in cabient, lending credence to the notion that M. Cauchon was set up for failure by conspirators in Ottawa and Québec City.
The new Québec ministry will be as follows:
- Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (Premier, Provincial Secretary, Registrar)
- Christopher Dunkin (Treasurer)
- Gédéon Ouimet (Attorney-General)
- Louis Armchambeault (Commissioner of Public Works)
- Joseph-Octave Beaubien (Commissioner of Crown Lands)
- Charles-Eugène Bouger de Bouchervile (Speaker of the Legislative Council
- George Irvine (Solicitor-General) Readers will note that this administration is the same in terms in personnel as that named by M. Cauchon, with the exception that Henry Starnes has been dropped and de Boucherville added. The portfolios have, in most cases, changed and readers are referred to the report of July 11 for comparison.
Cabinet ministers will receive a salary of $3,000 per year and the Solicitor-General, $1,000 plus emoluments.
Legislative elections are expected to be held mid-August.
Ontario
Nearly one week has elapsed since His Honour, Major-General Stitswell tapped J. Sandfield Macdonald to construct the first ministry of the province of Ontario and still there is no resolution in sight as members of Mr. Macdonald’s own party refuse to join any cabinet containing Tories. The provincial constitution requires a cabinet of five and, as it stands, Mr. Macdonald has managed to find only two others to serve with him. Stephen Richards, a long-since lapsed Reformer and former crown attorney, will serve as Crown Land Commissioner. Brewer John Carling of London will serve as Minister of Agriculture and Public Works. Mr. Macdonald will act as Attorney-General.
Mr. Macdonald’s decision to forge ahead despite being unable to find enough men to fulfill the constitutional obligation for a cabinet in the province ought to raise eyebrows, especially in light of the recent Québec experience.
The Globe today calls coalition in Ontario “the greatest blunder committed by any Canadian politician.” In the view of that paper’s writers, Reformers must reject coalition on the grounds that it is a scheme cooked up by John A. Macdonald to wrest undue Tory influence in a province where that party’s supporters constitute only a “pitiful minority”. Single party government will defend the notion of political parties as contestants in the struggle for the “supremacy of principle” rather than the mere distribution of offices. Conservatives will find their rightful voice in the Legislature, the paper contends, where they will receive all due consideration.
The Conservative Party of Peterborough West has nominated John Carnegie, Junior as their candidate for the upcoming provincial election.
New Brunswick
Hon. Samuel Tilley (Customs) has resigned as Provincial Secretary for the province.
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
An Order (1867-0025) has been submitted by Hon. William Macdougall (Public Works) for the expenditure of $11,500 for matters related to Rideau Hall.