Étienne-Théodore Pâquet
Encyclopedia
Étienne-Théodore Pâquet was a French-Canadian civil law notary, and provincial politician and civil servant. In 1879, he was one of four Liberal Members of the Legislative Assembly
who crossed the floor
in the middle of a parliamentary crisis, causing the Joly de Lotbinière
government to fall.
, near Lévis
, in what was then Lotbinière County, on the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River
opposite Quebec City
. The Pâquet family was an influential one, with churchmen Benjamin
and Louis-Honoré
, and theologian Louis-Adolphe Pâquet
all important figures of the time. Étienne-Théodore's parents, Étienne-Théodore Sr. and Nathalie Moffat, were farmers and merchants. Étienne-Théodore Sr. was mayor of Saint-Nicolas between 1867 and 1873.
Pâquet studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec
, then at Fordham University
(then St. John's College), before returning to Quebec to complete a Bachelor of Civil Law
degree at Université Laval
, graduating in 1872 and beginning work as a civil law notary
while taking care of the farm. In the 1875 provincial election
, he ran as a liberal against Joseph-Goderic Blanchet
in the riding of Lévis
. Blanchet, a family friend, was nearly twice Pâquet's age, and did not refrain from pointing it out during the campaign, but ultimately lost to the younger man by a wide margin. Pâquet hence became one of only four (at the time) MLAs aged less than 26 at the time of their election.The only younger ones at the time were Georges-Raoul Saveuse de Beaujeu (elected 1871
at 24), Raymond Préfontaine
(elected at the same time and aged 24 and ten months), and Alexandre Chauveau
(elected 1872 in a by-election and only a few months younger than Pâquet).
Pâquet was re-elected in the 1878 election
, which had created a minority liberal government that was in precarious position for its whole length. On October 29, 1879, a series of political crises lead Liberal MLA Edmund James Flynn
to propose an amendment demanding a coalition government. Pâquet and three other Liberals (Alexandre Chauveau
, Louis Napoléon Fortin and Ernest Racicot
) crossed the floor
alongside Flynn to join the conservatives, causing the government to fall. Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille
, however, declined to dissolve the legislature, instead prompting opposition leader Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau
to form a new government, in which Pâquet was Provincial Secretary
until July 1882. He was re-elected to his seat in November of that year, having resigned it upon his nomination to the legislative council. He married the daughter of prominent businessman Auguste LaRue in the cathedral of Trois-Rivières
in 1880. He was deeply involved in the establishment of the Crédit Foncier Franco-Canadien, a major credit union
; in May of the next year both him and Jonathan Saxton Campbell Würtele
were accused by David-Alexandre Ross of having been offered money in the deal. Although Würtele had refused the sum, Pâquet argued it was solely for work as director in the new company, an explanation that was satisfying to the public opinion. The assembly eventually voted a motion by Ross to form a committee to investigate the issue. This committee's findings, if any, are unknown. Due to infighting in the party, the investiture in Lévis for the 1881 elections was difficult to obtain, with disgruntled party members pitching him against Isidore-Noël Belleau
, but Pâquet eventually gained the nomination and the election. As a government member, one of his goal had long been the construction of a bridge over the Chaudière River
between Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Romuald
, an issue he defended in the legislature until 1879, after his nomination to the government, when a yearly sum was finally voted, although the bridge was not built before Honoré Mercier
came into power.
Pâquet left provincial politics in 1883 following a severe injury suffered while inspecting forest cuts with federal MP Joseph Bolduc
, and was subsequently named sheriff
of Quebec County
, an occupation he kept until 1890. He dabbled into various commercial ventures: aforementioned wood commerce, the Lévis and Kennebec Railway (auctioned off in 1881 to the Quebec Central Railway
) and the Quebec Mining Co. amongst others. He ran as a conservative for Lévis
and was defeated in the 1891 federal election
. From 1894 to his death on 23 May 1916, he was the Quebec City postmaster
. He is buried in the Saint-Nicolas parish cemetery.
The Pâquet family home, in Saint-Nicolas, is a provincially designated historic monument, and the entire estate area is a municipal-designated historic district, the Saint-Nicolas Heritage Site
. In his late years, Pâquet wrote a historical publication on the parish of Saint-Nicolas. His single son, also called Étienne-Théodore, married the daughter of Eugène-Étienne Taché
.
Legislative Assembly of Quebec
The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...
who crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
in the middle of a parliamentary crisis, causing the Joly de Lotbinière
Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière
Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, served as the fourth Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec, a federal Cabinet minister, and the seventh Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.- Early years :...
government to fall.
Biography
Pâquet was born a single child in 1850 in Saint-NicolasSaint-Nicolas, Quebec
Saint-Nicolas is a district of the city of Lévis, Quebec, Canada on the St. Lawrence River.-History:The history of Saint-Nicolas goes back to 1694. It is one of the oldest parishes in Canada...
, near Lévis
Levis
-People:*François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , French soldier best known for his command in Canada in 1760*George Levis , American college basketball player and coach*Georges Lévis , French adult comic artist-Places:Canada...
, in what was then Lotbinière County, on the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
opposite Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. The Pâquet family was an influential one, with churchmen Benjamin
Benjamin Pâquet
Benjamin Pâquet was a French-Canadian Roman Catholic priest and educationist. He was an extremely influential and controversial figure in 19th century Quebec religious politics, making numerous enemies amongst the French-Canadian ultramontane elite of the period...
and Louis-Honoré
Louis-Honoré Pâquet
Louis-Honoré Pâquet was a French-Canadian Roman Catholic priest and university teacher, as well as celebrated orator of his time.-Biography:...
, and theologian Louis-Adolphe Pâquet
Louis-Adolphe Paquet
Louis-Adolphe Paquet was an influential French-Canadian theologian from the late 19th early 20th century, and a major North American proponent and actor in the rebirth of Neo-Scholasticism...
all important figures of the time. Étienne-Théodore's parents, Étienne-Théodore Sr. and Nathalie Moffat, were farmers and merchants. Étienne-Théodore Sr. was mayor of Saint-Nicolas between 1867 and 1873.
Pâquet studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec
Petit Séminaire de Québec
Le Petit Séminaire de Québec is a private French-language Roman Catholic secondary school in the Vieux-Québec area of Quebec City which was originally part of the Séminaire de Québec...
, then at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
(then St. John's College), before returning to Quebec to complete a Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
degree at Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
, graduating in 1872 and beginning work as a civil law notary
Civil law notary
Civil-law notaries, or Latin notaries, are lawyers of noncontentious private civil law who draft, take, and record legal instruments for private parties, provide legal advice and give attendance in person, and are vested as public officers with the authentication power of the State...
while taking care of the farm. In the 1875 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1875
The Quebec general election of 1875 was held on July 7, 1875 to elect members of the 3rd Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada...
, he ran as a liberal against Joseph-Goderic Blanchet
Joseph-Goderic Blanchet
Joseph-Goderic Blanchet, PC was a Canadian physician and politician. He was the only person to serve as both Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons and Speaker of a provincial legislature...
in the riding of Lévis
Lévis (provincial electoral district)
Lévis is a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Situated in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, the riding, which includes most of the city of Lévis was created in 1853.-Members of Legislative Assembly:...
. Blanchet, a family friend, was nearly twice Pâquet's age, and did not refrain from pointing it out during the campaign, but ultimately lost to the younger man by a wide margin. Pâquet hence became one of only four (at the time) MLAs aged less than 26 at the time of their election.The only younger ones at the time were Georges-Raoul Saveuse de Beaujeu (elected 1871
Quebec general election, 1871
The Quebec general election of 1871 was held in June and July of 1871 to elect members of the 2nd Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada...
at 24), Raymond Préfontaine
Raymond Préfontaine
Joseph Raymond Fournier Préfontaine, PC was a Canadian politician.- Biography :Born in Longueuil, Quebec, he studied at the law faculty of McGill College and was called to the bar in 1873. He was created a Queen's Counsel in 1899.In 1875, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for...
(elected at the same time and aged 24 and ten months), and Alexandre Chauveau
Alexandre Chauveau
Alexandre Chauveau was a lawyer, judge, educator and political figure in Quebec. He represented Rimouski in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1872 to 1880 as both a Conservative member and a Liberal cabinet minister.He was born in Quebec City, the son of Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau and...
(elected 1872 in a by-election and only a few months younger than Pâquet).
Pâquet was re-elected in the 1878 election
Quebec general election, 1878
The Quebec general election of 1878 was held on May 1, 1878 to elect members of the 4th Legislative Assembly for the Province of Quebec, Canada...
, which had created a minority liberal government that was in precarious position for its whole length. On October 29, 1879, a series of political crises lead Liberal MLA Edmund James Flynn
Edmund James Flynn
Edmund James Flynn was a Canadian politician and the tenth Premier of Quebec.-Background:Flynn, the son of Jacques Flynn and Elizabeth Tostevin, was born at Percé on November 16, 1847. He studied law at the Université Laval in Quebec City from 1871 to 1873, obtaining his degree with distinction. On...
to propose an amendment demanding a coalition government. Pâquet and three other Liberals (Alexandre Chauveau
Alexandre Chauveau
Alexandre Chauveau was a lawyer, judge, educator and political figure in Quebec. He represented Rimouski in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1872 to 1880 as both a Conservative member and a Liberal cabinet minister.He was born in Quebec City, the son of Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau and...
, Louis Napoléon Fortin and Ernest Racicot
Ernest Racicot
Ernest Racicot was a lawyer and political figure in Quebec. He represented Missisquoi in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1878 to 1881 as a Liberal then Conservative member....
) crossed the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
alongside Flynn to join the conservatives, causing the government to fall. Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec Théodore Robitaille
Théodore Robitaille
Théodore Robitaille, PC was a Canadian physician, politician, and the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Quebec....
, however, declined to dissolve the legislature, instead prompting opposition leader Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau
Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, PC, KCMG , born in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, was a French-Canadian lawyer and politician....
to form a new government, in which Pâquet was 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...
until July 1882. He was re-elected to his seat in November of that year, having resigned it upon his nomination to the legislative council. He married the daughter of prominent businessman Auguste LaRue in the cathedral of Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
in 1880. He was deeply involved in the establishment of the Crédit Foncier Franco-Canadien, a major credit union
Credit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
; in May of the next year both him and Jonathan Saxton Campbell Würtele
Jonathan Saxton Campbell Würtele
Jonathan Saxton Campbell Würtele was a Quebec seigneur, lawyer, judge and political figure. He represented Yamaska in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1875 to 1886....
were accused by David-Alexandre Ross of having been offered money in the deal. Although Würtele had refused the sum, Pâquet argued it was solely for work as director in the new company, an explanation that was satisfying to the public opinion. The assembly eventually voted a motion by Ross to form a committee to investigate the issue. This committee's findings, if any, are unknown. Due to infighting in the party, the investiture in Lévis for the 1881 elections was difficult to obtain, with disgruntled party members pitching him against Isidore-Noël Belleau
Isidore-Noël Belleau
Isidore Noël Belleau was a Canadian politician, director, editor and lawyer. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in an 1883 by-election to represent the riding of Lévis. He was also defeated in the elections of 1874 for Portneuf and 1887 for Bellechasse. He was elected as mayor of...
, but Pâquet eventually gained the nomination and the election. As a government member, one of his goal had long been the construction of a bridge over the Chaudière River
Chaudière River
The Chaudière River is a long river with its source near the Town of Lac-Mégantic, in southeast Quebec, Canada. From its source Lake Megantic in the Chaudière-Appalaches region, it runs northwards to flow into the St. Lawrence River opposite Quebec City...
between Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Romuald
Saint-Romuald, Quebec
Saint-Romuald is a district of Lévis, Quebec, Canada, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from Quebec City. The district was formerly a town , but was amalgamated with Lévis on January 1, 2002....
, an issue he defended in the legislature until 1879, after his nomination to the government, when a yearly sum was finally voted, although the bridge was not built before Honoré Mercier
Honoré Mercier
Honoré Mercier was a lawyer, journalist and politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the ninth Premier of Quebec from January 27, 1887 to December 21, 1891, as leader of the Parti National or Quebec Liberal Party ....
came into power.
Pâquet left provincial politics in 1883 following a severe injury suffered while inspecting forest cuts with federal MP Joseph Bolduc
Joseph Bolduc
Joseph Bolduc, PC was Speaker of the Canadian Senate from 1916 to 1922.He was born in Beauce County, Canada East in 1847, the son of Augustin Bolduc, and was educated at College Sainte-Marie and Université Laval. He graduated as a public notary in 1874 but also earned his living as a farmer and...
, and was subsequently named sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Quebec County
Quebec County, Quebec
Quebec County is an historic county in the province of Quebec, Canada. The county included the Quebec City metropolitan area and extended northwestward...
, an occupation he kept until 1890. He dabbled into various commercial ventures: aforementioned wood commerce, the Lévis and Kennebec Railway (auctioned off in 1881 to the Quebec Central Railway
Quebec Central Railway
The Quebec Central Railway was a railway in the Canadian province of Quebec, that served the area of Quebec called the Eastern Townships, south of the St. Lawrence River. Its headquarters was in Sherbrooke. It was originally incorporated in 1869 as the Sherbrooke, Eastern Townships and Kennebec...
) and the Quebec Mining Co. amongst others. He ran as a conservative for Lévis
Lévis (electoral district)
Lévis was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 2004. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. From 1998 to 2003, it was known as Lévis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière...
and was defeated in the 1891 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1891
The Canadian federal election of 1891 was held on March 5 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 7th Parliament of Canada. It was won by the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald....
. From 1894 to his death on 23 May 1916, he was the Quebec City postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
. He is buried in the Saint-Nicolas parish cemetery.
The Pâquet family home, in Saint-Nicolas, is a provincially designated historic monument, and the entire estate area is a municipal-designated historic district, the Saint-Nicolas Heritage Site
Saint-Nicolas Heritage Site
The Saint-Nicolas Heritage Site is a small municipal historic district located in the western part of Lévis, Quebec. It encompasses a group of a half-dozen properties and their dependencies that developed around the estate of a major family. Most of the buildings date from the 19th century, with...
. In his late years, Pâquet wrote a historical publication on the parish of Saint-Nicolas. His single son, also called Étienne-Théodore, married the daughter of Eugène-Étienne Taché
Eugène-Étienne Taché
Eugène-Étienne Taché was a French Canadian surveyor, civil engineer, illustrator and architect. He devised Quebec's provincial coat-of-arms and motto Je me souviens....
.