William James Stewart
Encyclopedia
William James Stewart (February 13, 1889 – September 18, 1969) was a Canadian
politician. Stewart also owned and operated the Bates and Dodds Funeral Home on Queen Street West in Toronto.
Stewart served as Mayor of Toronto from 1931 until 1934. He entered provincial politics in 1937 when he ran for the leadership of the Ontario Conservative Party. He came in third place behind Earl Rowe and George Drew. He was elected in a by-election on October 5, 1938 as Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
for Parkdale
in Toronto
's west end.
that brought the George Drew's Tories to power, Stewart became Speaker of the legislature
, a difficult task as the Progressive Conservatives (as they were known by then) had only a minority government
. He was reappointed Speaker following the 1945 election
until he suddenly resigned in March 1947 to become a backbench Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP).
and went on to serve on various committees, serving as Chairman of the Select Committee on Reform Institutions from 1953 to 1955. He remained a member of the legislature until the 1959 election
when his Parkdale seat was won by a Liberal. Stewart served until 1948
when he lost to CCF
candidate Lloyd Fell. He regained his seat in the 1951 provincial election
election and remained until his retirement in 1959.
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...
politician. Stewart also owned and operated the Bates and Dodds Funeral Home on Queen Street West in Toronto.
Mayor of Toronto
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
for Parkdale
Parkdale (provincial electoral district)
Parkdale was a provincial electoral district electing Members of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The provincial district was created in 1914 and abolished in 1997 and redistributed into the Parkdale—High Park, Davenport and Trinity—Spadina districts for the 1999...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's west end.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
Following the 1943 electionOntario general election, 1943
The Ontario general election of 1943 was held on August 4, 1943, to elect the 90 Members of the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
that brought the George Drew's Tories to power, Stewart became Speaker of the legislature
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario is the presiding officer of the provincial legislature. Since 1990 the position has been elected by MPPs using a secret ballot. Previously, the Speaker had been appointed by the Premier of Ontario after consultation with the Leader of the...
, a difficult task as the Progressive Conservatives (as they were known by then) had only a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. He was reappointed Speaker following the 1945 election
Ontario general election, 1945
The Ontario general election of 1945 was held on June 4, 1945, to elect the 90 members of the 22nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
until he suddenly resigned in March 1947 to become a backbench Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP).
Incident in the house and resignation
In March 1947, George Doucett, the Minister of Public Works and Highways had asked Stewart for tickets to seats in the Speaker's Gallery so that some visiting officials, including a federal Cabinet minister, could observe the proceedings of the legislature. Stewart told Doucett there were no seats left. When the legislature's day began, however, Doucett noticed that the Speaker's Gallery was almost empty and tried to bring the matter to Stewart's attention. According to Roderick Lewis, who had just begun work as an assistant clerk and whose father was Clerk of the legislature at the time:- Stewart just exploded. He told the Minister to take it up with him in his chambers and when he left the Chair he told Mr. Doucett to come in. After some time Doucett emerged, returned to the Chamber and whispered something to Premier George Drew. Mr. Drew looked very angry. A few minutes later an envelope from the Speaker's office arrived on the Clerk's table addressed to my father. He did not open it but said to me, "I think I've got the Speaker's resignation here but I'm going to give him time to cool off". He stuck the envelope in his pocket.
- A few minutes later a note came down from the press gallery asking my father if he had the Speaker's resignation. He sent a note back up saying he had not seen any resignation. This went on all afternoon but the letter stayed in his pocket. That evening Speaker Stewart spoke to the press and there was no way out.
- In the morning my father called Premier Drew to tell him he had received the Speaker's resignation and that he would hold an election for a new Speaker. The Premier decided to nominate James de Congalton HepburnJames de Congalton HepburnJames Hepburn was speaker of the Legislature of Ontario in 1947-1948 and served as Progressive Conservative MLA for Prince Edward-Lennox....
and asked Opposition Leader Farquhar OliverFarquhar OliverFarquhar Robert Oliver was a politician in Ontario, Canada.Oliver was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a United Farmers of Ontario Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 1926 provincial election at the age of 22.Oliver was re-elected as a UFO MLA in the 1929 election and was...
to second the motion. Oliver said, 'No, no. I think we may have some ideas of our own."
- That afternoon, March 24, 1947, my father informed members of the House of the resignation. Mr. Oliver objected saying the Speaker had been elected by a vote of the House and the resignation should be dealt with by resolution of the House. My father ruled this out of order and advised the House that his opinion was backed up by Arthur BeauchesneArthur BeauchesneArthur Beauchesne was a Canadian civil servant who was Clerk of the House of Commons from 1925 to 1949. He is the author of the procedural manual, Rules and Forms of the House of Commons of Canada, which is used by Canadian Members of Parliament during parliamentary debates.Born in Carleton,...
, noted parliamentary expert in Ottawa.
- Oliver then moved that the House refuse to accept the resignation. Again my father said it was out of order. Mr. Oliver appealed the ruling which was sustained by a vote of 53-17. George Drew then moved the nomination of Hepburn. Oliver moved an amendment saying the House still had confidence in Stewart. To avoid dividing on the issue Drew asked if Mr. Stewart accepted the nomination. Stewart said he did not wish to provoke controversy and withdrew.http://www.parl.gc.ca/infoparl/english/issue.htm?param=117&art=671
Backbencher and committee member
Stewart became a backbencherBackbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
and went on to serve on various committees, serving as Chairman of the Select Committee on Reform Institutions from 1953 to 1955. He remained a member of the legislature until the 1959 election
Ontario general election, 1959
The Ontario general election of 1959 was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
when his Parkdale seat was won by a Liberal. Stewart served until 1948
Ontario general election, 1948
The Ontario general election of 1948 was held on June 7, 1948, to elect the 90 members of the 23rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
when he lost to CCF
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
candidate Lloyd Fell. He regained his seat in the 1951 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1951
The Ontario general election of 1951 was held on November 22, 1951, to elect the 90 members of the 24th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
election and remained until his retirement in 1959.