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Alexander Morris

The Honorable

Alexander Morris

Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario forToronto East

In office

December 21, 1878November 15, 1886

Preceded by Matthew Crooks Cameron

Succeeded by Electoral district abolished.

2nd Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

In office

December 2, 1872October 7, 1877

Preceded by Adams George Archibald

Succeeded by Joseph douard Cauchon

Member of the Canadian Parliamentfor Lanark South

In office

18671872

Preceded by Electoral district created in 1867

Succeeded by John Graham Haggart

Born March 17, 1826Perth, Upper Canada

Died October 28, 1889 (aged 63)Toronto, Ontario

Political party Conservative

Other political

affiliations

Conservative Party of Ontario

Relations William Morris, father

Cabinet Federal:Minister of Inland Revenue (1869-1872)

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Morris_%28Canadian_businessman%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conservative_Party_of_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conservative_Party_of_Canada_%28historical%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Torontohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Upper_Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perth%2C_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Graham_Haggarthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Parliamenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_%C3%89douard_Cauchonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adams_George_Archibaldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lieutenant_Governor_of_Manitobahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_Crooks_Cameronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Legislative_Assembly_of_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:AlexanderMorris23.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Honorable

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Alexander Morris, PC (March 17, 1826October 28, 1889) was a Canadian politician. He served in the cabinet of

Prime Minister John A. Macdonald (1869-1872), and was the second Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (1872-1877).

He also served as the founder and first Lieutenant Governor of the District of Keewatin. keegov

Biography

Morris was born in Perth, Upper Canada (now Ontario), the son of William Morris, himself a prominent Canadianbusinessman and Conservative politician. From this privileged social position, Morris was educated in Canada and

Scotland and worked for three years at the Montreal firm of Thorne and Heward. In 1847, he moved to Kingston,

Ontario and articled for a year under John A. Macdonald. In 1849, he became the first person to receive an arts

degree from McGill University. 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 and Canada West; 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 Church in Canada, of which he was a prominent member

(becoming a ruling elder of its synod 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."treatybook

Alexander Morris was raised for public life, and it was no surprise when he declared himself a candidate for the

Province of Canada's legislature in 1861. He ran as a Liberal-Conservative in the riding of Lanark South in Canada

West, supporting the government of George-tienne 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 was able to form a ministry in 1862. Morris, accordingly, went intothe opposition. He was easily re-elected in 1863, and returned to the government side when the tienne-Paschal

Tach-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

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 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 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 in October

1872, following the departure of Adams George Archibald. 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 Mtis 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. 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'slegislative process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Joseph_Clarkehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Joseph_Clarkehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_Joseph_Clarkehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Premierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=M%C3%A9tis_people_%28Canada%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adams_George_Archibaldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Northwest_Territorieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manitobahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minister_of_Inland_Revenuehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Commercial_Bank_of_Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Confederationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%C3%89tienne-Paschal_Tach%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%C3%89tienne-Paschal_Tach%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Sandfield_Macdonaldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liberal_Party_of_Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George-%C3%89tienne_Cartierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lanark_Southhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Province_of_Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Synodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Presbyterian_Churchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canada_Westhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canada_Easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doctor_of_Civil_Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McGill_Universityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kingston%2C_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kingston%2C_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Montrealhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scotlandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conservative_Party_of_Canada_%28historical%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Morris_%28Canadian_businessman%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Upper_Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perth%2C_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=District_of_Keewatinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lieutenant_Governorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lieutenant_Governor_of_Manitobahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_lieutenant_governors_of_Manitoba%23Lieutenant_Governors_of_Manitoba%2C_1870-presenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_A._Macdonaldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prime_Ministerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Queen%27s_Privy_Council_for_Canada

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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 in 1877. He was also actively involved in treaty negotiations with aboriginal groups, signing Treaties 3, 4,

5, and 6, and revising Treaties 1 and 2. Morris seems to have been more willing to support aboriginal land title thanwas 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 Mtis from the province (there

were some suspicions about Morris's own speculation in land previously owned by the Mtis).

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. He held this position until 1877, when he resigned as Lieutenant

Governor of Manitoba and returned to Ontario.

Morris sought to return to the federal House of Commons in 1878. After losing the Conservative nomination in the

Manitoba riding of Marquette, he decided to contest nearby Selkirk instead. He was defeated by Canadian Pacific

Railway spokesman and Independent Conservative Donald A. Smith by 555 votes to 546, and subsequently returnedto Ontario again.

Later in 1878, Ontario MLA Matthew Crooks Cameron was appointed as a judge, and the provincial seat of Toronto

East became vacant. Morris contested the riding as a Conservative, and defeated his Liberal opponent J. Leys by

1891 votes to 1846. The Conservatives were in opposition to the Liberal government of Oliver Mowat 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 following his retirement. He died in

1889, at age 63.

References

1. Alexander Morris becomes Lieutenant Governor of District of Keewatin [1]

2. Book summary [2]

External links

Negotiating the Numbered Treaties: An Intellectual and Political Biography of Alexander Morris by Robert J.Talbot (2009) [3]

Works by Alexander Morris [4] at Project Gutenberg

Biography at theDictionary of Canadian Biography Online[5]

Parliament of Canada biography [6]

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=819ea8ce-2b23-4943-80e2-9865929a4e1c&Language=E&Section=FederalExperiencehttp://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5720http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Project_Gutenberghttp://www.gutenberg.org/author/Alexander_Morrishttp://www.purichpublishing.com/?module=swm_ecommerce&page=product_detail&categoryID=4&productID=64http://www.goodminds.com/booksntoz/Treaties-of-Canada-with-the-Indians-of-Manitoba-an.htmlhttp://books.google.ca/books?vid=LCCN02010621&id=Vn5IbZkax2YC&q=%22District+of+Keewatin%22&dq=%22District+of+Keewatin%22&num=100&pgis=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oliver_Mowathttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liberal_Party_of_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toronto_Easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toronto_Easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matthew_Crooks_Cameronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donald_Smith%2C_1st_Baron_Strathcona_and_Mount_Royalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Pacific_Railwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_Pacific_Railwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Selkirk_%28electoral_district%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marquette_%28electoral_district%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conservative_Party_of_Canada_%28historical%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Canadian_House_of_Commonshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ontariohttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arctichttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keewatin_Districthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Manitobahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=University_of_Manitobahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marc-Amable_Girard

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References

[1] http://books.google.ca/books?vid=LCCN02010621&id=Vn5IbZkax2YC&q=%22District+of+Keewatin%22&dq=%22District+of+

Keewatin%22&num=100&pgis=1

[2] http://www.goodminds. com/booksntoz/Treaties-of-Canada-with-the-Indians-of-Manitoba-an.html

[3] http://www.purichpublishing.com/?module=swm_ecommerce&page=product_detail&categoryID=4&productID=64

[4] http://www.gutenberg.org/author/Alexander_Morris

[5] http://www.

biographi.

ca/009004-119.

01-e.

php?&id_nbr=5720[6] http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=819ea8ce-2b23-4943-80e2-9865929a4e1c&Language=E&

Section=FederalExperience

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=819ea8ce-2b23-4943-80e2-9865929a4e1c&Language=E&Section=FederalExperiencehttp://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=819ea8ce-2b23-4943-80e2-9865929a4e1c&Language=E&Section=FederalExperiencehttp://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5720http://www.gutenberg.org/author/Alexander_Morrishttp://www.purichpublishing.com/?module=swm_ecommerce&page=product_detail&categoryID=4&productID=64http://www.goodminds.com/booksntoz/Treaties-of-Canada-with-the-Indians-of-Manitoba-an.htmlhttp://books.google.ca/books?vid=LCCN02010621&id=Vn5IbZkax2YC&q=%22District+of+Keewatin%22&dq=%22District+of+Keewatin%22&num=100&pgis=1http://books.google.ca/books?vid=LCCN02010621&id=Vn5IbZkax2YC&q=%22District+of+Keewatin%22&dq=%22District+of+Keewatin%22&num=100&pgis=1

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Article Sources and Contributors 5

Article Sources and ContributorsAlexander Morris Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=383681065 Contributors: Bearcat, BfDx, Big iron, CJCurrie, Chris the speller, Cloveious, Connormah, Corykoski, D. C.Thomas, D6, Denelson83, Dl2000, Dodge rambler, Fawcett5, GoodDay, Homagetocatalonia, Indefatigable, Kbdank71, Ketiltrout, Kurieeto, MBueckert, Mackensen, Magnus Manske, MichaelDrew, Midnightdreary, Neutrality, Rich Farmbrough, Saskatchewanais, Wtshymanski, YUL89YYZ, Zoicon5, 2 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributorsfile:AlexanderMorris23.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:AlexanderMorris23.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Big iron, Skeezix1000, YUL89YYZ

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