Mowat ministry

Mowat ministry

3rd ministry of Ontario
The Mowat ministry as of 1891
Date formedOctober 25, 1872 (1872-10-25)
Date dissolvedJuly 21, 1896 (1896-07-21)
People and organisations
Monarch
Lieutenant Governors
Premier
Oliver Mowat
No. of ministers
8
Total no. of members
17
Member party
Liberal Party
Status in legislature
Majority
Opposition party
Conservative
Opposition leader
History
Incoming formation
Resignation (Edward Blake)
Outgoing formation
Resignation
Elections1875, 1879, 1883,
1886, 1890, 1894
Legislature terms2nd (ministry formed
mid term), 3rd, 4th,
5th, 6th, 7th, 8th
Parliaments of Ontario
PredecessorBlake ministry
SuccessorHardy ministry

The Mowat ministry was the cabinet of the Government of Ontario (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) from October 25, 1872, to July 21, 1896. It was led by its namesake Sir Oliver Mowat, the longest serving Premier of Ontario and the most electorally successful leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. With tenures of close to twenty-four years, Mowat and his ministry remain the premier and the ministry with the greatest longevity in Ontario's history, nearly ten years longer than the second longest ministry Davis ministry.

The ministry was made up of members of the Liberal Party. The ministry inherited its governing mandate from its predecessor Blake ministry during Ontario's second parliament following Premier Edward Blake's resignation (in order to focus on national politics). The ministry secured its own electoral mandate in six subsequent elections between 1875 and 1894, obtaining majority of the seats in Ontario's third through eighth parliaments. During the 1896 dominion election, Mowat lend his prestige as Ontario Premier for close to a quarter century to the national Liberal leader Wilfrid Laurier and devoted himself fully to campaign under the slogan "Laurier, Mowat and Victory". The ministry transitioned to become the Hardy ministry when Mowat resigned to become Minister of Justice in the Laurier ministry. Mowat's mantle was succeeded by Arthur Sturgis Hardy, a member of the ministry for nineteen of its twenty-four years.

Formation

As Premier Edward Blake was contemplating his departure in the summer of 1872, Mowat was neither a member of the legislative assembly nor a member of the predecessor Blake ministry, but was at the time the Vice-Chancellor of the Court of Chancery. He was however no stranger to Liberal politics, having been a key lieutenant of George Brown, the leader of the Liberal Party before Canadian Confederation, and a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada between 1858 and 1864. He served as Postmaster General, a cabinet post, in three different pre-confederation ministries: the short-lived Liberal ministry led by George Brown in 1858, in the Liberal ministry led by John Sandfield Macdonald between May 1963 and March 1964, and in the early days of the Great Coalition from June to November 1864. He also had an instrumental role in working out the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments at the 1864 Quebec Conference.[1]

With the imminent departure of not only Blake but also the provincial treasurer, the future prime minister Alexander Mackenzie, and at the urging of his long time associate Brown, Mowat resigned his judicial post and assumed the offices of Premier and Attorney General of Ontario. The controversial move was deprecated by his political opponents and Mowat responded with a constitutional justification: “Her Majesty has a right to call to her Council any of her subjects, whether he happens to hold a judicial or any other office” and likewise used constitutional forms to avoid any personal explanation for his decision.[1]

The thirty-four years of the successive Blake-Mowat-Hardy-Ross Liberal ministries operated in essense as one continous administration with the members of the twenty-four-year Mowat ministry forming its core. It inherited three of the four remaining minister of Blake ministry. Until the final three month of the Ross ministry, there were at most three ministers present in either the Hardy or the Ross ministry that did not serve under Mowat.

Changes to ministry

Mowat's initial cabinet consist of only five members, conforming to the five-office executive structure prescribed by section 63 of the British North America Act, 1867.[2] The act had no specific mention of the position of the Premier, and there was no separate department or a budget for either a premier's office or cabinet office.[a] Mowat took on the office of the Attorney General, following a tradition set by many pre-confederation premiers.[b]

Of the six members of the outgoing Blake ministry, provincial secretary Peter Gow departed for health reasons in addition to Blake and treasurer Mackenzie. Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works Archibald McKellar and Commissioner of Crown Lands Richard William Scott continued in their roles while Adam Crooks assumed the role of Treasurer. They were joined by Timothy Pardee as Provincial Secretary in addition to Mowat, who doubled duty as Attorney General for the entire duration of the ministry.

Expansion & creation of new department

The Government of Ontario, and correspondingly the cabinet, expanded from five to seven departments/members on a permanent basis over Oliver Mowat's 24-year premiership. The first structural change came in 1874, when a sixth department was created with public works formally splitting off from agriculture.[3] In 1876 upon the retirement of Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson, the long time civil servant who served as Chief Superintendent of Schools for Upper Canada and then Ontario for a total of 32 years, education was formally made a ministerial portfolio.[4]

The size of cabinet however remained at six for another 12 years. The education portfolio was initially held concurrently by Treasurer Adam Crooks, who served as vice-chancellor of the University of Toronto prior to his election. While Crook was relieved of the treasury portfolio in 1877 to focus on education matters, subsequent treasurers instead concurrently held the agriculture portfolio, then the principal department responsible for a wide range of economic development matters. Cabinet was finally expanded to seven members in 1888 with the entrant Charles Drury as Commissioner of Agriculture. Drury's son Ernest would in a few decades head a ministry of a rival party, add three more departments in four short years, and break the Liberal-Conservative duopoly in Ontario politics while at it.

An eighth member was added in 1890, when Mowat appointed Erskine Henry Bronson, an early advocate for industrial policy and active government involvement with industry, as a minister without portfolio.

Mowat ministry in 1888, with approximately two-third of its twenty-four-year tenure lapsed, and the two successor premiers Arthur Hardy and George Ross included already members. Left to right: (top row) Drury, A. Ross (front row) G. Ross, Fraser, Mowat, Pardee, Hardy

Change to the ministry

For a cabinet that held office for 24 years, it experienced remarkably few changes. Mowat led the Liberals through six general elections, securing six majority mandates. He made no changes to ministry before or after two of those elections.

Top ranks among of portfolio ministers with longest tenure

In addition to being the longest serving Premier of Ontario at twenty-four years, Mowat's 24-year tenure at the Attorney General's office also secured him the distinction of being the longest serving portfolio minister of any portfolio.

On the score portfolio ministers with the longest tenure, Mowat's ministers occupy three of the next four positions:

  • 2nd longest - Christopher Fraser, twenty years as Commissioner of Public Works
  • 4th longest - George Ross, sixteen years as Minister of Education (started under Mowat and continued under Hardy)
  • 5th longest - Timothy Pardee, fifteen years as Commissioner of Crown Lands
  • 6th longest - John Dryden, fourteen and a half years as Minister of Agriculture (started under Mowat and continued under Hardy and Ross)

The missing third place was claimed Charles Daley, who served eighteen years as labour minister in the Drew ministry and Frost ministry (1943–1961).

List of ministers

Ordered by seniority

The following list is includsive of all members of successive Blake, Mowat, Hardy, Ross ministries. With the following indicators:

Minister Ministerial service Parliamentary service Note
Start End Timespan Start Electoral District Region
Oliver Mowat [c] Aug 2, 1858
Oct 25, 1872		 July 21, 1896






 1857[d] Oxford NorthSouthwest[e][f]
Archibald McKellarDec 20, 1871July 23, 1875






1857 [d]BothwellSouthwest
Alexander MackenzieDec 20, 1871Oct 25, 1872






1861 [d]Middlesex WestSouthwest [g]
Edward BlakeDec 20, 1871Oct 25, 1872






1867Bruce SouthMidwest [h]
Adam CrooksDec 20, 1871Nov 23, 1883






1871Toronto West; Oxford SouthSouthwest [i]
Richard William ScottDec 21, 1871Dec 4, 1873






1857 [d]OttawaEast [j]
Peter GowDec 21, 1871Oct 25, 1872






1867Wellington SouthGrand River
Timothy Blair PardeeOct 25, 1872Jan 18, 1889






1867LambtonSouthwest [k]
Christopher Finlay FraserNov 25, 1873†[l]May 30, 1894






1872Grenville SouthEast [m]
Samuel WoodJuly 23, 1875June 2, 1883






1871Victoria SouthCentral (E)
Arthur Sturgis HardyMarch 19, 1877Oct 21, 1899






1873Brant SouthGrand River
James YoungJune 2, 1883Nov 1, 1883






1879Brant NorthGrand River [n]
Alexander RossNov 2, 1883May 1, 1888






1875Huron WestMidwest
George William RossNov 23, 1883Feb 8, 1905






1883Middlesex WestSouthwest [o][p]
Charles Alfred DruryMay 1, 1888Sep 30, 1890






1882Simcoe EastCentral [q]
John Morison GibsonJan 18, 1889Feb 8, 1905






1879Hamilton; Hamilton West;
Wellington East		Grand River [r]
Richard HarcourtSep 16, 1890Feb 8, 1905






1878MonckGrand River
Erskine Henry BronsonSep 16, 1890Dec 16, 1898






1886OttawaEast
John DrydenSep 30, 1890Feb 8, 1905






1879Ontario SouthCentral
William HartyMay 30, 1894Oct 21, 1899






1892KingstonEast [s]
William BalfourJuly 21, 1896†Aug 19, 1896






1882Essex SouthSouthwest
Elihu DavisAug 28, 1896Nov 22, 1904






1888York NorthCentral
James Thompson GarrowNov 21, 1898Oct 21, 1899






1890Huron WestMidwest
James Robert StrattonOct 21, 1899Nov 22, 1904






1886Peterborough WestCentral (E)
Francis Robert LatchfordOct 21, 1899Feb 8, 1905






1899Renfrew SouthEast
Alfred ÉvanturelNov 22, 1904Feb 8, 1905






1886PrescottEast [t]
William Andrew CharltonNov 22, 1904Feb 8, 1905






1890Norfolk SouthGrand River [u]
George Perry GrahamNov 22, 1904Feb 8, 1905






1898BrockvilleEast [v]
A.G. MacKayNov 22, 1904Feb 8, 1905






1902Grey NorthMidwest [w]


By portfolio

Portfolio Minister Tenure
Start End
Premier & President of the Council [x] Oliver MowatOctober 25, 1872July 21, 1896
Attorney General
Treasurer Adam CrooksOctober 25, 1872March 19, 1877
Samuel WoodMarch 19, 1877June 2, 1883
James YoungJune 2, 1883November 1, 1883
Alexander RossNovember 1, 1883September 16, 1890
Richard HarcourtSeptember 16, 1890July 21, 1896
Provincial Secretary and Registrar Timothy PardeeOctober 25, 1872November 25, 1873
Christopher FraserNovember 25, 1873April 4, 1874
Archibald McKellarApril 4, 1874July 23, 1875
Samuel WoodJuly 23, 1875March 19, 1877
Arthur Sturgis HardyMarch 19, 1877January 18, 1889
John GibsonJanuary 18, 1889July 21, 1896
Commissioner of
Crown Lands		 Richard ScottOctober 25, 1872December 4, 1873
Timothy PardeeDecember 4, 1873January 18, 1889
Arthur Sturgis HardyJanuary 18, 1889July 21, 1896
Commissioner of
Agriculture & Public Works [y]		 Archibald McKellarOctober 25, 1872March 24, 1874
Commissioner of AgricultureMarch 24, 1874July 23, 1875
Samuel Wood July 23, 1875 June 2, 1883
James YoungJune 2, 1883November 2, 1883
Alexander RossNovember 2, 1883May 1, 1888
Charles DruryMay 1, 1888September 16, 1890
John DrydenSeptember 16, 1890April 16, 1895
Minister of Agriculture [z] April 16, 1895July 21, 1896
Commissioner of Public Works [aa] Christopher FraserApril 4, 1874May 30, 1894
William HartyMay 30, 1894October 21, 1896
Minister of Education [ab] Adam CrooksFebruary 19, 1876November 23, 1883
George RossNovember 23, 1883July 21, 1896
Minister without Portfolio Erskine Henry BronsonSeptember 16, 1890July 21, 1896


Notes

  1. ↑ Such an office was not provided for until 1905 by Premier James Whitney.
  2. ↑ For 21 of the 26 years of the Province of Canada, the joint premiers from Canada West were concurrently the attorney general for Upper Canada. The newly created province followed that custom for its first few decades, with the head of the government during 32 of the province first 38 years.
  3. ↑ Served in Executive Council of the Province of Canada before Confederation
  4. 1 2 3 4 Election to Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada before Confederation
  5. ↑ Longest serving Ontario Premier, and longest serving Ontario Attorney General
  6. ↑ Later served as senator, minister in Dominion Laurier ministry, and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
  7. ↑ Also MP and later served as Prime Minister of Canada
  8. ↑ Also MP and later served as national leader of the Liberal Party, a minister in the Dominion Mackenzie ministry, and MP in the Parliament of United Kingdom
  9. ↑ Ontario's first education minister
  10. ↑ Later served as MP, senator and minister in the Dominion Mackenzie ministry
  11. ↑ Longest serving minister for crown lands/natural resource of Ontario
  12. ↑ Mowat announced Fraser's departure from cabinet on February 28 due to ill health, but that he remained head of the public works department until May 30, and transfer to the position of Inspector of Registrar Office and continued to work until dying in office on August 24.
  13. ↑ Longest serving minister for public works/infrastructure of Ontario
  14. ↑ Served as MP prior
  15. ↑ Later served as senator, knighted in 1910
  16. ↑ Ontario's longest serving education minister
  17. ↑ Father of later United Farmers Premier Ernest Charles Drury
  18. ↑ Later served as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, knighted 1912
  19. ↑ Later served as MP
  20. ↑ Served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly; first francophone to serve in Ontario cabinet
  21. ↑ Later served as MP, sworn of council in 1921
  22. ↑ Briefly served as party Later, Later MP/senator and minister in Dominion Laurier ministry
  23. ↑ Later served as party leader, Alberta MLA, and minister in the Alberta Stewart ministry; Alberta’s first health minister
  24. ↑ Premier was an informal title for the person invited to form and then to lead the government, and was used interchangeably with the title "Prime Minister of Ontario". President of the Council was a formal title/office but one without its own department until 1905. In contemporary official documentation, Mowat was formally referred as Attorney General, his ministerial office.
  25. ↑ On March 24, 1874, An Act to Amend the Act entitled "An Act Respecting the Public Works of Ontario" came into force, formally split off the public works portion into a standalone department with its own commissioner.[5]
  26. ↑ On April 16th 1895, An Act respecting the Department of Agriculture came into force, which create the new department and the new ministerial title of Minister of Agriculture[6]
  27. ↑ combined with Agriculture as "Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works" from October 25, 1872 to March 24, 1874.
  28. ↑ Upon the retirement of Egerton Ryerson, an education department headed by a minister in the legislation was formally established upon the coming into force of An Act respecting the Education Department[7]

References

  1. 1 2 Romney 1994.
  2. ↑ British North America Act, 1867, 30 & 31 Victoria (U.K.) 1867, c. 3, s. 63 (British North America Act, 1867 at Canadian Legal Information Institute)
  3. ↑ Ontario 1874, s.1.
  4. ↑ Ontario 1876.
  5. ↑ An Act to Amend the Act entitled "An Act Respecting the Public Works of Ontario", 37 Victoria 1874, c. 26
  6. ↑ An Act respecting the Department of Agriculture, 58 Victoria 1895, c. 10
  7. ↑ An Act respecting the Education Department, 39 Victoria 1875-76 1875-76, c. 16
  • An Act to amend the Act entitled “An Act respecting the Public Works of Ontario". Statutes of the Province of Ontario. Vol. 37 Victoria. 1874. c.26.
  • An Act respecting the Education Department. Statutes of the Province of Ontario. Vol. 39 Victoria (1875-76). 1876. c.16.
  • Froman, Debra, ed. (1984). "Executive Councils of Ontario". Legislators and Legislatures of Ontario: A Reference Guide. Vol. 1. Legislative Library, Legislative Assembly of Ontario. pp. xxx.
  • "All Members". Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
  • Romney, Paul (1994). "Mowat, Sir Oliver". In Cook, Ramsay; Hamelin, Jean (eds.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. XIII (1901–1910) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
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