Alexander Morris

Alexander Morris, PC ( born March 17, 1826 in Perth, Upper Canada, † October 28, 1889 in Toronto, Ontario) was a Canadian politician and judge. He served in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald (1869-1872) and was the second Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba ( 1872-1877 ). In addition, he was the first Lieutenant Governor of Keewatin District in the Northwest Territories.

Biography

The son of William Morris, a prominent conservative politician in the province of Canada, graduated from the Madras College in the Scottish town of St Andrews and studied at the University of Glasgow. After returning to Canada, he worked in a law firm in Montreal. In 1847 he moved to Kingston to work with Oliver Mowat in the law firm of John Macdonald. He finished his training at McGill University, in 1851 he was admitted as a lawyer.

Morris also worked as a political writer. In 1855 he published Canada and Its Resources, three years later, Nova Britannia: or, British North America, its extent and future. In the first book he called for the development of a national industry, in the second he foresaw a State in British North America and the construction of a transcontinental railroad. In 1880, he also wrote The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of Manitoba and the North - West Territories including the Negotiations on Which theywere based, which is generally recognized as the main source of interpretation of the Numbered Treaties by the government. In addition, he engaged in the Presbyterian community.

Morris came in 1861 with the success of the elections to the lower house of the Province of Canada. He put a Canadian Confederation and brought by a law which forbade public executions. In the first Canadian general election in September 1867, he took the seat for the Conservative Party in the constituency Lanark South, lack of opposition candidates by acclamation. Prime Minister John Macdonald appointed him in November 1869 to the Federal Cabinet and appointed him Minister for Internal taxes. For health reasons, he resigned in July 1872 and decided not to seek re-election.

Instead, Morris was appointed in October 1872 as Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Province of Manitoba. Already on December 2, 1872 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. In the latter, where he was responsible until October 7, 1876 he sat for the formation of a police force of a (later the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ) and negotiated four agreements with First Nations. In the years 1876 and 1877 he was the first deputy governor of the Keewatin District. The government of Manitoba was still in a development phase and Morris continued until 1874 Archibald's practice, de facto the role of a government to exercise. In 1877 he helped found the University of Manitoba.

Morris remained until October 8, 1877 Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, where he had taken a more representative role towards the end. He aspired to be re- elected to the House, but was defeated at the 1878 general election in the electoral district of Selkirk his rival candidate Donald Smith by nine votes. Morris returned to Ontario and was elected in December 1878 Members of the constituency Toronto East in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. In provincial parliament he remained until 1886, opposition leader.

Works

• Canada and Its Resources, 1855
• Nova Britannia: or, British North America, its extent and future, 1858
• The Treaties of Canada with the Indians of Manitoba and the North - West Territories including the Negotiations on Which theywere based, Belfords, Clarke & Co., Toronto 1880; Reprint 1991: Fifth House Publishers, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. ISBN 0-920079-83-0