Samuel William Jacobs
Encyclopedia
For the Australian footballer see Sam Jacobs (Australian footballer)
Samuel William (Sam) Jacobs, K.C., (May 6, 1871 - August 21, 1938) was a Canadian lawyer, Member of Parliament
and a leader of the Canadian Jewish community. For many years he was the only Jewish MP in the Canadian House of Commons
. He was first elected from the Montreal
riding of George-Étienne Cartier
(later known as Cartier
) in the 1917 federal election
as a Laurier Liberal and remained in parliament as a Liberal
MP until his death in 1938.
Jacobs graduated from McGill University
with a law degree in 1893 and went on to earn a Masters of Law from Laval University In 1897 Jacobs, Lyon Cohen
, and several others founded the Jewish Times; the first English language Jewish newspaper in Canada.
He was called to the Quebec bar in 1894 and became a prominent lawyer active in criminal as well as civil law. In 1895, he co-founded the firm that is now the Montreal office of one of Canada's leading law firms, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg
LLP. He was named King's Counsel in 1906.
As a lawyer, Jacobs took on several notable civil rights
cases including the Pinsler case which dealt with Jewish educational rights and the Plamondon case dealing with the aftermath of an antisemitic speech by Joseph Plamondon in 1910 in Quebec City that resulted in Jewish shopkeepers being attacked. In the 1917 federal election, Jacobs was recruited by the Liberal Party to run in the newly created Cartier riding which had a large Jewish population (though never a majority). He won his first election by more than 5,000 votes and would be re-elected throughout his career with large pluralities. In parliament, Jacobs became a voice not only against anti-Semitism but also in support of other minorities facing discrimination such as the Doukhobors.
Jacobs is notable for having successfully introduced as an Opposition MP two private member's bill
s that were passed into law. In 1919 his Act to amend the House of Commons Act (Bill 9) ended the practice of candidates being able to run in more than one seat simultaneously and introduced a requirement that by-election
s be called to fill a vacant parliamentary seat within six months of the vacancy occurring. In 1931 his Act to remove the necessity of the re-election of Members of the House of Commons of Canada on acceptance of office (Bill 35) ended the practice of newly appointed Cabinet ministers being required to resign and recontest their seats in the House of Commons through a by-election
.
With the rise of Adolf Hitler
in Europe, growing anti-Semitism and a mounting Jewish refugee crisis, the Canadian Jewish Congress
was revived in 1934 after several decades of inactivity. Jacobs was elected the reconvened Congress' first president and remained the CJC's leader until his death four years later. During this period Jacobs along with Sam Factor and Abraham Albert Heaps
, fought a largely unsuccessful battle to force the Canadian government to lift quotas restricting the entry of Jews, particularly German Jews fleeing the Nazi regime, into Canada.
Samuel William (Sam) Jacobs, K.C., (May 6, 1871 - August 21, 1938) was a Canadian lawyer, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and a leader of the Canadian Jewish community. For many years he was the only Jewish MP in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. He was first elected from the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
riding of George-Étienne Cartier
George-Étienne Cartier (electoral district)
George-Étienne Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1925....
(later known as Cartier
Cartier (electoral district)
Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968.It was created in 1924 from parts of George-Étienne Cartier riding....
) in the 1917 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1917
The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...
as a Laurier Liberal and remained in parliament as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
MP until his death in 1938.
Jacobs graduated from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
with a law degree in 1893 and went on to earn a Masters of Law from Laval University In 1897 Jacobs, Lyon Cohen
Lyon Cohen
Lyon Cohen was a Jewish Canadian publisher, businessman and a philanthropist.In 1897, Cohen co-founded with Samuel William Jacobs, the Canadian Jewish Times, the first English language Jewish newspaper in Canada, and was president of the Jewish Colonization Association in Canada.He was elected the...
, and several others founded the Jewish Times; the first English language Jewish newspaper in Canada.
He was called to the Quebec bar in 1894 and became a prominent lawyer active in criminal as well as civil law. In 1895, he co-founded the firm that is now the Montreal office of one of Canada's leading law firms, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is an integrated firm of more than 240 lawyers with offices in Toronto, Montreal, and New York. It is one of the Toronto law firms known as the Seven Sisters. Davies focuses on business law and is consistently at the heart of large and complex commercial and...
LLP. He was named King's Counsel in 1906.
As a lawyer, Jacobs took on several notable civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
cases including the Pinsler case which dealt with Jewish educational rights and the Plamondon case dealing with the aftermath of an antisemitic speech by Joseph Plamondon in 1910 in Quebec City that resulted in Jewish shopkeepers being attacked. In the 1917 federal election, Jacobs was recruited by the Liberal Party to run in the newly created Cartier riding which had a large Jewish population (though never a majority). He won his first election by more than 5,000 votes and would be re-elected throughout his career with large pluralities. In parliament, Jacobs became a voice not only against anti-Semitism but also in support of other minorities facing discrimination such as the Doukhobors.
Jacobs is notable for having successfully introduced as an Opposition MP two private member's bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
s that were passed into law. In 1919 his Act to amend the House of Commons Act (Bill 9) ended the practice of candidates being able to run in more than one seat simultaneously and introduced a requirement that by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
s be called to fill a vacant parliamentary seat within six months of the vacancy occurring. In 1931 his Act to remove the necessity of the re-election of Members of the House of Commons of Canada on acceptance of office (Bill 35) ended the practice of newly appointed Cabinet ministers being required to resign and recontest their seats in the House of Commons through a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
.
With the rise of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in Europe, growing anti-Semitism and a mounting Jewish refugee crisis, the Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
was revived in 1934 after several decades of inactivity. Jacobs was elected the reconvened Congress' first president and remained the CJC's leader until his death four years later. During this period Jacobs along with Sam Factor and Abraham Albert Heaps
Abraham Albert Heaps
Abraham Albert Heaps was a Canadian politician and labour leader.Born in Leeds, England, Heaps immigrated to Canada in 1911 and worked in Winnipeg as an upholsterer. He was one of the leaders of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was a Labor alderman on the Winnipeg City Council from 1917...
, fought a largely unsuccessful battle to force the Canadian government to lift quotas restricting the entry of Jews, particularly German Jews fleeing the Nazi regime, into Canada.