William Alexander Macdonald
Encyclopedia
William Alexander Macdonald (1860–1946) was a Manitoba
Lawyer and politician. He briefly served as leader of the Manitoba Conservatives
during the 1890s.
Macdonald first ran for public office in the provincial election of 1888, losing in the riding of North Brandon to Liberal
Clifford Sifton
(later an important provincial and federal cabinet minister). He was elected for Brandon City in 1892, defeating incumbent Liberal James Smart by 12 votes.
Before 1892 election, Rodmond P. Roblin had been the de facto leader of the opposition Conservative caucus. With Roblin having lost his seat, Macdonald was chosen as his replacement and was recognized as the official leader of the opposition
.
He did not serve in this capacity long. Macdonald's election was declared void in mid-1893, and he lost a by-election to Liberal Charles Adams on September 8 of the same year.
In 1896, Macdonald ran federally as the official Conservative
candidate in Brandon
. He was defeated by D'Alton McCarthy, a maverick Conservative who opposed the extension of French-language rights and was supported by local Liberals. In 1911, Macdonald was a Barrister
in Vancouver.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
Lawyer and politician. He briefly served as leader of the Manitoba Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
during the 1890s.
Macdonald first ran for public office in the provincial election of 1888, losing in the riding of North Brandon to Liberal
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
Clifford Sifton
Clifford Sifton
Sir Clifford Sifton, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician best known for being Minister of the Interior under Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
(later an important provincial and federal cabinet minister). He was elected for Brandon City in 1892, defeating incumbent Liberal James Smart by 12 votes.
Before 1892 election, Rodmond P. Roblin had been the de facto leader of the opposition Conservative caucus. With Roblin having lost his seat, Macdonald was chosen as his replacement and was recognized as the official leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Manitoba)
A list of parliamentary opposition leaders in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada, from 1870 to the present.William Alexander Macdonald was the first officially recognized Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba although Rodmond Roblin is considered to have been the de facto opposition leader...
.
He did not serve in this capacity long. Macdonald's election was declared void in mid-1893, and he lost a by-election to Liberal Charles Adams on September 8 of the same year.
In 1896, Macdonald ran federally as the official Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
candidate in Brandon
Brandon (electoral district)
Brandon was a federal electoral district in the province of Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons from 1896 to 1953.It was created in 1892 from parts of Marquette and Selkirk ridings....
. He was defeated by D'Alton McCarthy, a maverick Conservative who opposed the extension of French-language rights and was supported by local Liberals. In 1911, Macdonald was a Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in Vancouver.