Andrew Charles Elliott
Encyclopedia
Andrew Charles Elliott (June 22, 1829 – April 9, 1889) was a British Columbian politician and jurist. Elliott's varied career in British Columbia included Gold Commissioner
, stipendiary magistrate
and, following the union of the Island and Mainland Colonies in 1866 was appoint High Sheriff of the province, resigning his magristracy to take the post. He was a member of the colony's appointed Legislative Council
from 1865 to 1866 and after the colony became a province
of Canada
he was elected, in 1875, to the Victoria City
seat in the provincial legislature
and became leader of the opposition
. Before his election to the House, he was a provincial magistrate in Lillooet
.
In 1876 Elliott became the fourth Premier
of the province on the defeat of George Anthony Walkem
's government in a Motion of No Confidence
but his government was unstable, was unable to make progress with the federal government on the province's demands that Ottawa build a railway to the Pacific. Tax increases and the government's failure to secure a railway terminus for Victoria, British Columbia
led to Elliott's defeat in his riding
in the 1878 election as well as the defeat of his government.
His daughter Mary married James W. Douglas
, the only son of James Douglas
, but his son-in-law died at age 32 and Elliott was one of the pallbearers at the funeral.
Andrew Charles Elliott is interred in the Ross Bay Cemetery
in Victoria, British Columbia
. His obituary
in Amor de Cosmos
' Victoria Colonist newspaper read:
Gold Commissioner
Gold Commissioner was an important regional administrative post in the Colony of British Columbia.In the 1860s, Governor Douglas had three priorities to protect the two colonies he governed: to protect the boundaries, to uphold law and order and to provide access to the gold fields...
, stipendiary magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
and, following the union of the Island and Mainland Colonies in 1866 was appoint High Sheriff of the province, resigning his magristracy to take the post. He was a member of the colony's appointed Legislative Council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
from 1865 to 1866 and after the colony became a province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
he was elected, in 1875, to the Victoria City
Victoria City (electoral district)
Victoria City was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1924. This riding was created in 1903...
seat in the provincial legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
and became leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
The Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia is the MLA in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly....
. Before his election to the House, he was a provincial magistrate in Lillooet
Lillooet, British Columbia
Lillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
.
In 1876 Elliott became the fourth Premier
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
of the province on the defeat of George Anthony Walkem
George Anthony Walkem
George Anthony "Boomer" Walkem was a British Columbian politician and jurist.Born in Newry, Ireland, Walkem moved to then Colony of British Columbia in 1862 and served as a member of the appointed Legislative Council of British Columbia from 1864 to 1870 and was a supporter of Canadian confederation...
's government in a Motion of No Confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
but his government was unstable, was unable to make progress with the federal government on the province's demands that Ottawa build a railway to the Pacific. Tax increases and the government's failure to secure a railway terminus for Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
led to Elliott's defeat in his riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
in the 1878 election as well as the defeat of his government.
His daughter Mary married James W. Douglas
James W. Douglas
James William Douglas was a political figure in British Columbia. He represented Victoria City in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1875 to 1878....
, the only son of James Douglas
James Douglas (Governor)
Sir James Douglas KCB was a company fur-trader and a British colonial governor on Vancouver Island in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company officer...
, but his son-in-law died at age 32 and Elliott was one of the pallbearers at the funeral.
Andrew Charles Elliott is interred in the Ross Bay Cemetery
Ross Bay Cemetery
Ross Bay Cemetery is located at 1516 Fairfield Road in Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island, Canada.-History:The cemetery was opened in 1873. The 27.5 acre cemetery is part of a public park and its south side faces Ross Bay on the Pacific Ocean...
in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. His obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
in Amor de Cosmos
Amor De Cosmos
Amor De Cosmos was a Canadian journalist, publisher and politician. He served as the second Premier of British Columbia.-Early life:...
' Victoria Colonist newspaper read:
External links
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
- Halfway to the Goldfields, Lorraine Harris, J.J. Douglas, Vancouver, 1977 ISBN 0-88894-062-9