The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volume 3 (of 4)Dent, John Charles
History
The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volume 3 (of 4)
Dent, John Charles
Canada -- Biography
Volunteer Rifles. He was one of the founders of the Press Association,
and during one year occupied the position of President. He was also
Vice-President of the Dominion Editors' and Reporters' Association.
[Illustration: MACKENZIE BOWELL, signed as Mackenzie Bowell]
Mr. Bowell was an active politician long before he emerged from his
apprenticeship, but did not enter Parliament until after Confederation.
In 1863 he contested the North Riding of Hastings, but was unsuccessful,
and did not repeat the experiment until 1867, when he was returned to
the House of Commons for that Riding, and he has ever since represented
it. He signalized his entrance into Parliament by moving a series of
resolutions against Sir George Cartier's Militia Bill, and though he
failed to carry them all, he succeeded in defeating the Minister of
Militia on some important points by which a considerable reduction was
made in the expenditure. Several years later he took a prominent part in
the expulsion of Louis Riel from the House of Commons. It was by Mr.
Bowell that the investigation was instituted into Riel's complicity in
the murder of Thomas Scott before the walls of Fort Garry. In 1876 he
made a powerful attack upon Mr. Mackenzie's Government for having
awarded a contract to Mr. T. W. Anglin, the Speaker of the House. The
result of Mr. Bowell's attack was the unseating of several Members of
Parliament, including Mr. Anglin; and a stringent Act respecting the
Independence of Parliament was shortly afterwards passed.
At the last general election for the House of Commons, held on the 17th
of September, 1878, Mr. Bowell was opposed in North Hastings by Mr. E.
D. O'Flynn, of Madoc, whom he defeated by a majority of 241--the vote
standing 1,249 for Bowell and 1,008 for O'Flynn. After the resignation
of Mr. Mackenzie's Government in the following month, Mr. Bowell
accepted the portfolio of Minister of Customs in the Ministry of Sir
John A. Macdonald. This position he still retains. Upon returning to his
constituents after accepting office he was returned by acclamation. He
is not a frequent speaker, but he has always taken an active and
intelligent part in the business of the House, and is highly esteemed by
his colleagues.
Mr. Bowell married, in December, 1847, Miss Harriett Louisa Moore, of
Belleville. He is a Director in numerous railway and general commercial
enterprises. In 1875 he disposed of the _Intelligencer_, with which he
had been identified for so many years, but he still takes a warm
interest in its prosperity, and is indebted to it for a very firm and
consistent support.
THE REV. JAMES RICHARDSON, D.D.,
_LATE BISHOP OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CANADA._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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