Alexander Morris (March 17, 1826 – October 28, 1889) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
politician. He served in the cabinet of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
second
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ea ...
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of the
District of Keewatin
The District of Keewatin was a territory of Canada and later an administrative district of the Northwest Territories. It was created in 1876 by the ''Keewatin Act'', and originally it covered a large area west of Hudson Bay. In 1905, it became a ...
.Alexander Morris becomes Lieutenant Governor of District of Keewatin /ref>
Biography
Morris was born in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
,
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North Americ ...
(now
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
), the son of
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He w ...
, himself a prominent Canadian businessman and
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 ...
politician. From this privileged social position, Morris was educated in Canada and
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
and worked for three years at the
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- ...
firm of Thorne and Heward. In 1847, he moved to
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Tor ...
, and articled for a year under John A. Macdonald. In 1849, he became the first person to receive an arts degree from
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Univer ...
. He would subsequently receive other degrees from McGill, including a DCL in 1862. In 1851, he was admitted to the bar in both
Canada East
Canada East (french: links=no, Canada-Est) was the northeastern portion of the United Province of Canada. Lord Durham's Report investigating the causes of the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions recommended merging those two colonies. The ne ...
and
Canada West
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
; he subsequently built up a profitable legal practice.
Morris was also an author, and in 1855 published an essay entitled ''Canada and her resources'', which called for the development of national industry. In 1858, he predicted a coming federation of the British North American colonies in a work entitled ''Nova Britannia'', which sold 3,000 copies in its first ten days of publication. He also wrote on academic matters and developments in the
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
church in Canada, of which he was a prominent member (becoming a ruling elder of its
synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin word mean ...
in the 1850s). Morris also wrote ''The Treaties of Canada With The Indians of Manitoba and The North-West Territories Including The Negotiations on Which They Were Based, and Other Information Relating Thereto'' in 1880, which is generally considered "the primary source document for government's interpretation of the treaty era in Canada."
Alexander Morris was raised for public life, and it was no surprise when he declared himself a candidate for the
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
's legislature in 1861. He ran as a Liberal-Conservative in the riding of
Lanark South
Lanark South was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867 which divided the County of L ...
in Canada West, supporting the government of George-Étienne Cartier and John A. Macdonald. Morris received 1265 votes, against 828 for his opponent. The Cartier-Macdonald government came out of the 1861 election in a weakened position, and Liberal
John Sandfield Macdonald
John Sandfield Macdonald, (December 12, 1812 – June 1, 1872) was the joint premier of the Province of Canada from 1862 to 1864. He was also the first premier of Ontario from 1867 to 1871, one of the four founding provinces created at Con ...
was able to form a ministry in 1862. Morris, accordingly, went into the opposition. He was easily re-elected in 1863, and returned to the government side when the Étienne-Paschal Taché-John A. Macdonald ministry was formed in 1864.
Morris's role in parliament was limited during these years, though he spoke frequently in support of
confederation
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical iss ...
and played a role in negotiating the grand coalition ministry of 1864. He also expanded his business interests in this period, and was named to the board of the Commercial Bank of Canada in 1867. During his time in parliament, he was responsible for introducing a bill ending public executions in Canada.
Morris was re-elected by acclamation in the federal election of 1867, the first to be held following the royal proclamation of Confederation. He was appointed
Minister of Inland Revenue
The Minister of Inland Revenue is the political office of Minister for the department of Inland Revenue which is responsible for the collection of taxes. "Minister of Inland Revenue" is a title held by politicians in different countries. the offi ...
on November 16, 1869, and served as a competent if not prominent member of the Macdonald ministry for the next three years. On the advice of his doctors, he did not seek re-election in 1872.
He was instead appointed as the first Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, serving in this position from July to December 1872. He was also appointed as the acting Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
in October 1872, following the departure of
Adams George Archibald
Sir Riley Robert Archibald , more commonly known as Sir Adams George Archibald (May 3, 1814 – December 14, 1892) was a Canadian lawyer and politician, and a Father of Confederation. He was based in Nova Scotia for most of his career, thoug ...
. Morris maintained Archibald's policy of conciliation among the various factions in Manitoba, and unsuccessfully attempted to establish a local police force to preserve law and order in the region. He was formally sworn in as the official Lieutenant Governor on December 2, and attempted to accelerate the settling of
Métis
The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United State ...
land claims in the province.
Manitoba's government was still in a developing state when Morris became Lieutenant Governor, and he continued Archibald's practice of serving as the province's ''de facto''
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
. In 1873, he refused a request by Henry Joseph Clarke to be recognized as Premier of the province, and continued to exercise his own authority over the province's legislative process.
After the defeat of the provincial ministry in July 1874, Morris asked Marc-Amable Girard to become the province's first Premier, thereby instituting responsible government to the province. Even after this, he continued to exert considerable authority from behind the scenes.
Morris spoke for Manitoba on matters of federal–provincial relations, and helped to create the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.6, and revising Treaties 1 and 2. Morris seems to have been more willing to support aboriginal land title than was his predecessor Archibald, and argued in favour of education and hunting/fishing rights for aboriginal groups. Despite some successes, however, he was unable to prevent the withdrawal of many Métis from the province (there were some suspicions about Morris's own speculation in land previously owned by the Métis).
In 1874, with Manitoba's finances in peril, the provincial government appealed to Ottawa for assistance. Ottawa agreed to provide aid, but demanded that the Legislative Council be eliminated in order to cut expenses. When the council twice rejected bills that would have resulted in its demise, Morris intervened by offering recalcitrant councillors lucrative government positions elsewhere.Winnipeg Free Press /ref> Due to Morris' mediation, Manitoba's Legislative Council became the first provincial upper house to be abolished in 1876.
Morris stepped down as Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories in 1876, after it was made a separate jurisdiction. While losing this position, he also gained the Lieutenant Governorship of Keewatin District, a new territory which stretched up into the
Arctic
The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
. He held this position until 1877, when he resigned as Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and returned to
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
.
Morris sought to return to the federal
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
in 1878. After losing the
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 ...
nomination in the Manitoba riding of Marquette, he decided to contest nearby Selkirk instead. He was defeated by
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...
spokesman and Independent Conservative Donald A. Smith by 555 votes to 546, and subsequently returned to Ontario again.
Later in 1878, Ontario MLA Matthew Crooks Cameron was appointed as a judge, and the provincial seat of
Toronto East
Toronto East (called East Toronto until 1903) was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1935. It was located in the city of Toronto in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North ...
became vacant. Morris contested the riding as a
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 ...
, and defeated his Liberal opponent J. Leys by 1891 votes to 1846. The Conservatives were in opposition to the Liberal government of
Oliver Mowat
Sir Oliver Mowat (July 22, 1820 – April 19, 1903) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and Ontario Liberal Party leader. He served for nearly 24 years as the third premier of Ontario. He was the eighth lieutenant governor of Ontario and one of ...
in this period, and Morris served as the opposition house leader. In the general election of 1879, he personally defeated Mowat in Toronto East by 2132 votes to 2075 (though Mowat also contested Oxford North, which he won easily). Morris again defeated Leys by a narrow margin in 1883, but did not seek re-election in 1886, once more for medical reasons. The Conservatives were never able to form government in Ontario during Morris's time in the provincial house.
Morris continued to serve as a prominent figure in the
Presbyterian Church in Canada
The Presbyterian Church in Canada (french: Église presbytérienne du Canada) is a Presbyterian denomination, serving in Canada under this name since 1875. The United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939. According to ...
following his retirement. He died in 1889, at age 63.