William McDougall (politician)
Encyclopedia
Sir William McDougall PC
CB
(January 25, 1822 – May 29, 1905) was a Canadian
lawyer, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation.
Born near York, Upper Canada. (now Toronto, Ontario), the son of Daniel McDougall and Hannah Matthews, McDougall received his education at Victoria College in Cobourg, Upper Canada
, and in 1847, began practicing law as an attorney and solicitor in Upper Canada. In 1862, he was called to the Upper Canada Bar.
In 1849, William McDougall's office in Toronto was the meeting place for the founding of the Clear Grit political movement. Other Clear Grit supporters included Peter Perry
, David Christie
, Charles Clarke, Charles Lindsay
, and Malcolm Cameron
.
He was elected as a member of the legislative assembly in 1858 and served as Commissioner of Crown Lands and Provincial Secretary
. He attended all three Confederation
Conferences, and then served as Minister of Public Works in the Macdonald
government.
In the federal election of 1867 he was elected in the district of Lanark North
, for the Liberal-Conservative party.
McDougall was appointed Lieutenant Governor
of Rupert's Land
and the North-Western Territory
in 1869. The only travel route at the time was through the United States with the permission of U.S. President Grant. However, when he tried to enter that jurisdiction from North Dakota up the Red River, he was turned back near the border by Louis Riel
's insurgents before he could establish his authority at Fort Garry
(now Winnipeg, Manitoba). Dispatches on microfiche at the Main Library of the City of Toronto, Ontario include his request for 1,000 British troops to be sent on the authority of Queen Victoria. She responded that she would prefer a more amicable settlement of the jurisdiction issue. He returned to Ottawa, and campaigned against Manitoba becoming a province because of its very few inhabitants at that time. The area of Fort Garry, about 50 square miles (129.5 km²) then the Province of Manitoba. He also continued to serve as an interim leader of the Northwest Territories provisional government from Ottawa until Adams George Archibald
, took over on May 10 1870.
In the federal election of 1872, he ran again for the Liberal-Conservative party in Lanark North
but was defeated. In 1875, he was elected to the Parliament of the Province of Ontario. He served as an Independent-Liberal from June 1, 1875 until September 9, 1878 for the electoral district of Simcoe South.
In the federal election of 1878, he ran in Halton
and was re-elected in the election of 1882 in Algoma and Grenville South
in the election of 1887 he was defeated.
In 1890 he was promised a Senate seat, but did not pursue an appointment because his health was failing. During the conferences preceding confederation, McDougall was personally in favour of electing members to The Senate of Canada. He was also offered a federal judgeship in British Columbia, which he turned down.
He died fifteen years later on May 29, 1905.
Fathers of Confederation McDougall and Galt went to Washington D.C., U.S.A. to meet with President Abraham Lincoln
to renegotiate the Reciprocity Treaty.
Abraham Lincoln explained that he had an important event to attend and had to travel to Pennsylvania. Since he and McDougall had so much in common, and were friends, he invited McDougall to accompany him on his trip by train and coach. They stayed the night at the private home of David Wills, a wealthy 32-year-old Gettysburg attorney.
The next day, November 19, 1863, at the opening ceremonies of the new Gettysburg cemetery for fallen soldiers of the American Civil War, many great orators spoke for hours. Abraham Lincoln's speech was brief. The Canadian and British press wrote positively about Lincoln's speech. Generally, the American press condemned it for its brevity. To this day, most people don't know about the many speeches of that day. They do remember Abraham Lincoln's speech which became known as the Gettysburg Address
.
In the 1950s, then United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower, when addressing a joint session of the Parliament of Canada, told this story of McDougall's friendship and travel with Lincoln to open the cemetery in Gettysburg as an example of the long history of friendship between Canada and The United States of America. It can be found in "The Hansard", the official publication containing the transcripts of the Parliament of Canada. A copy of "The Hansard" containing President Eisenhower's speech was autographed and commented by then-Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable John G. Diefenbaker, and can be found in the Baldwin Room (a secured archives area) of the Main Library of The City of Toronto, Ontario.
William McDougall was from the first 12 families to settle in York.
William McDougall was the 3rd generation of United Empire Loyalists
to settle in York (now known as Toronto, Ontario, Canada). His great, great paternal grandparents were among the first 12 families that moved to York along with 450 British troops in 1793. The British troops then built Fort York to protect against American invasion.
. She was involved in benevolent and philanthropic movements including the Ottawa Humane Society. The couple lived at 407 Wilbrod Street, Ottawa. The couple had three sons. Harold and Gladwyn Macdougall served with the Canadian contingent during the Boer war in South Africa.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(January 25, 1822 – May 29, 1905) was a Canadian
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...
lawyer, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation.
Born near York, Upper Canada. (now Toronto, Ontario), the son of Daniel McDougall and Hannah Matthews, McDougall received his education at Victoria College in Cobourg, Upper Canada
Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
, and in 1847, began practicing law as an attorney and solicitor in Upper Canada. In 1862, he was called to the Upper Canada Bar.
In 1849, William McDougall's office in Toronto was the meeting place for the founding of the Clear Grit political movement. Other Clear Grit supporters included Peter Perry
Peter Perry
Peter Perry was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Ernestown, Ontario in 1792, the son of Robert Perry and Jemima Gary Washburn. His father was a United Empire Loyalist from Vermont who had served with the Queen's Rangers and Edward Jessup's Loyal Rangers during the...
, David Christie
David Christie
David Christie, was a Canadian politician.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he came to Canada with his family in 1833....
, Charles Clarke, Charles Lindsay
Charles Lindsay
The Hon. Charles Hugh Lindsay CB , was a British soldier, courtier and Conservative politician.-Background:...
, and Malcolm Cameron
Malcolm Cameron
Malcolm Cameron was a Canadian businessman and politician.He was born at Trois-Rivières in Lower Canada in 1808 and grew up in Lanark County in Upper Canada. At the age of 15, he found work in the Montreal area but later returned to Perth to complete his schooling. In 1828, he became a merchant in...
.
He was elected as a member of the legislative assembly in 1858 and served as Commissioner of Crown Lands and Provincial Secretary
Provincial Secretary
The Provincial Secretary was a senior position in the executive councils of British North America's colonial governments, and was retained by the Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867...
. He attended all three Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
Conferences, and then served as Minister of Public Works in the Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
government.
In the federal election of 1867 he was elected in the district of Lanark North
Lanark North
Lanark North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, for the Liberal-Conservative party.
McDougall was appointed Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
and the North-Western Territory
North-Western Territory
The North-Western Territory was a region of British North America until 1870. Named for where it lay in relation to Rupert's Land, the territory at its greatest extent covered what is now Yukon, mainland Northwest Territories, northwestern mainland Nunavut, northwestern Saskatchewan, northern...
in 1869. The only travel route at the time was through the United States with the permission of U.S. President Grant. However, when he tried to enter that jurisdiction from North Dakota up the Red River, he was turned back near the border by Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
's insurgents before he could establish his authority at Fort Garry
Fort Garry
Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company's Fort Gibraltar. Fort Garry was named after Nicholas...
(now Winnipeg, Manitoba). Dispatches on microfiche at the Main Library of the City of Toronto, Ontario include his request for 1,000 British troops to be sent on the authority of Queen Victoria. She responded that she would prefer a more amicable settlement of the jurisdiction issue. He returned to Ottawa, and campaigned against Manitoba becoming a province because of its very few inhabitants at that time. The area of Fort Garry, about 50 square miles (129.5 km²) then the Province of Manitoba. He also continued to serve as an interim leader of the Northwest Territories provisional government from Ottawa until Adams George Archibald
Adams George Archibald
Sir Adams George Archibald, KCMG, PC was a Canadian lawyer and politician, and a father of Confederation. He was based in Nova Scotia for most of his career, though he also served as 1st Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba from 1870 to 1872.Archibald was born in Truro to a prominent family in Nova...
, took over on May 10 1870.
In the federal election of 1872, he ran again for the Liberal-Conservative party in Lanark North
Lanark North
Lanark North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario...
but was defeated. In 1875, he was elected to the Parliament of the Province of Ontario. He served as an Independent-Liberal from June 1, 1875 until September 9, 1878 for the electoral district of Simcoe South.
In the federal election of 1878, he ran in Halton
Halton (electoral district)
Halton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and again since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 100,055.-Geography:...
and was re-elected in the election of 1882 in Algoma and Grenville South
Grenville South
Grenville South was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the province of Ontario...
in the election of 1887 he was defeated.
In 1890 he was promised a Senate seat, but did not pursue an appointment because his health was failing. During the conferences preceding confederation, McDougall was personally in favour of electing members to The Senate of Canada. He was also offered a federal judgeship in British Columbia, which he turned down.
He died fifteen years later on May 29, 1905.
William McDougall and U.S. President Abraham Lincoln
William McDougall and U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.Fathers of Confederation McDougall and Galt went to Washington D.C., U.S.A. to meet with President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
to renegotiate the Reciprocity Treaty.
Abraham Lincoln explained that he had an important event to attend and had to travel to Pennsylvania. Since he and McDougall had so much in common, and were friends, he invited McDougall to accompany him on his trip by train and coach. They stayed the night at the private home of David Wills, a wealthy 32-year-old Gettysburg attorney.
The next day, November 19, 1863, at the opening ceremonies of the new Gettysburg cemetery for fallen soldiers of the American Civil War, many great orators spoke for hours. Abraham Lincoln's speech was brief. The Canadian and British press wrote positively about Lincoln's speech. Generally, the American press condemned it for its brevity. To this day, most people don't know about the many speeches of that day. They do remember Abraham Lincoln's speech which became known as the Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery...
.
In the 1950s, then United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower, when addressing a joint session of the Parliament of Canada, told this story of McDougall's friendship and travel with Lincoln to open the cemetery in Gettysburg as an example of the long history of friendship between Canada and The United States of America. It can be found in "The Hansard", the official publication containing the transcripts of the Parliament of Canada. A copy of "The Hansard" containing President Eisenhower's speech was autographed and commented by then-Prime Minister of Canada, The Right Honourable John G. Diefenbaker, and can be found in the Baldwin Room (a secured archives area) of the Main Library of The City of Toronto, Ontario.
William McDougall was from the first 12 families to settle in York.
William McDougall was the 3rd generation of United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists
The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...
to settle in York (now known as Toronto, Ontario, Canada). His great, great paternal grandparents were among the first 12 families that moved to York along with 450 British troops in 1793. The British troops then built Fort York to protect against American invasion.
Family
William McDougall married November, 1872, as his second wife, Mary Adelaide Beatty, daughter of Dr. John Beatty, a professor in Victoria University, Cobourg, Ont., and his wife, Eleanor. She was born and educated at Cobourg, OntarioCobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
. She was involved in benevolent and philanthropic movements including the Ottawa Humane Society. The couple lived at 407 Wilbrod Street, Ottawa. The couple had three sons. Harold and Gladwyn Macdougall served with the Canadian contingent during the Boer war in South Africa.
See also
- List of Northwest Territories premiers
- List of Northwest Territories lieutenant-governors