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The Tanneries scandal was a scandal implicating the government of the 
On July 16, 1874, the ''
History of the Liberal Party of Quebec in the 19th Century
Political history of Quebec Political scandals in Canada 1874 in Canada 19th-century scandals 1874 in Quebec Quebec political scandals
Province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen p ...
, which led to the resignation of Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
premier, Gédéon Ouimet
Gédéon Ouimet (June 2, 1823 – April 23, 1905) was a French-Canadian politician.
Born in what is today part of the city of Laval, Quebec Canada, Ouimet served as the second premier of Quebec from February 26, 1873 to September 22, 1874. He ...
, in September 1874.
On July 16, 1874, the ''Montreal Herald
This is a list of defunct newspapers of Quebec.
1770–1799
* ''La Gazette du commerce et littéraire pour la Ville & District de Montréal'', 1778, Montréal, Fleury Mesplet, printer, and Valentin Jautard, editor and journalist
* '' La Gazette ...
'' announced that the provincial government had exchanged land at Les Tanneries (now the Saint-Henri district of Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
) worth over $200,000 for a farm on the Coteau Saint-Pierre of west Montreal valued at less than $40,000. An organizer for the Conservative party, Arthur Dansereau, was alleged to have received $65,000 in commissions in the deal. Louis Archambeault, the commissioner of public works, was also implicated in the affair. George Irvine, John Jones Ross and Joseph Gibb Robertson
Joseph Gibb Robertson (1 January 1820 – 13 March 1899) was a Scottish-born merchant, farmer and political figure in Quebec. He represented Sherbrooke in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1867 to 1892 as a Conservative.
He was bo ...
, the three English-speaking members of the cabinet, resigned and Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville replaced Ouimet as premier.
Ouimet was reelected to his seat in the assembly in the general election that followed in 1875. Despite the outrage of the public over the affair, the provincial Conservatives were able to retain power, mainly because of the continuing support of the party by the Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
clergy of the province. Later that year, judge Francis Godschall Johnson
Sir Francis Godschall Johnson (January 1, 1817 – May 27, 1894) was a Canadian office holder. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba on April 9, 1872, but had his commission revoked before he was sworn in. In 1889, he was appoint ...
found no evidence of fraud or conspiracy. The commission investigating the affair did not comment on the guilt or innocence of any cabinet member but did recommend that the land exchange A land exchange or land swap is the exchange of land between two parties, typically a private owner and a government. These parties may include farmers, estate owners, nature organizations, and governments. Land swaps may also take place between two ...
which had triggered the scandal be cancelled.
Although the scandal did not result in a change of the ruling party in the province, it did solidify the affiliation between the Catholic Church and the provincial Conservatives.
References
* {{cite DCB , first1=Michèle , last1=Brassard , first2=Jean , last2=Hamelin , title=Ouimet, Gédéon , volume=13 , url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/ouimet_gedeon_13E.htmlHistory of the Liberal Party of Quebec in the 19th Century
Political history of Quebec Political scandals in Canada 1874 in Canada 19th-century scandals 1874 in Quebec Quebec political scandals