Charles Fisher (Canadian politician)

Charles Fisher ( born August 15 or September 16, 1808 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, † December 8, 1880 ) was a Canadian politician and judge. He was from 1854 to 1856 premier of New Brunswick, a second term followed from 1857 to 1861. Was one of the Fathers of Confederation, he is among the pioneers of the Canadian federal government established in 1867. From 1867 he spent a year as a deputy of the lower house, then Chief Justice in his home province.

Biography

After studying jurisprudence Fisher in 1831 admitted to the bar and opened an office in Fredericton. In 1834 he ran for a seat in Parliament for the first time the former colony, but only three years later, he managed to get elected. In the following years he campaigned for greater autonomy and self-government of the colony of New Brunswick. From 1848 he was a member of the colonial government, but lost in the elections of June 1850 his seat in Parliament. In January 1851, he resigned as a member of the government.

In the elections of 1854 Fisher was re-elected, and on 1 November of the same year he formed with the support of the liberal majority of the deputies a new government. This had the first time the full power of disposal. In addition, Fisher served as Attorney General. His government implemented various reforms in the areas of education, administration and the electoral law. However, the introduction of alcohol prohibition came in the population with strong opposition, which is why he lost a confidence vote in May 1856. The subsequent Conservative government of John Hamilton Gray lasted only a year in power, so that Fisher once again became prime minister on June 1, 1857. During his second tenure, he actively supported the construction of the Intercolonial Railway. While he mainly dealt with court hearings, he left Samuel Leonard Tilley Provincial Secretary most administrative tasks. Fisher's term of office ended on 19 March 1861, when Tilley plunged him for his involvement in a corruption scandal smaller.

Fisher was a deputy in the Parliament of New Brunswick. In 1864 he was a delegate to the Quebec Conference, at which was negotiated over the union of the colonies in British North America into a federal state. Supporters of the Canadian Confederation suffered in the elections of 1865 a severe defeat, both Tilley and Fisher lost her seat in Parliament. But the anti - Konföderationisten to Albert James Smith playful soon the confidence of the electorate. The end of 1865 Fisher won a by-election and succeeded to revive the union movement. In Peter Mitchell's government, he was represented as of April 1866 as Attorney General. He took in December 1866 participated in the London Conference to clarify the recent constitutional issues of the newly established State of Canada.

One of the first Canadian general election in September 1867 Fisher ran as a candidate of the Liberal Party and won the electoral district York. However, after initial enthusiasm, he became increasingly disillusioned with the federal policy and resigned after just over a year. He was then appointed to the Supreme Court of the Province of New Brunswick in October 1868 where he served until his death.