Edward Blake
Dominick Edward Blake, PC, QC ( born October 13, 1833 in Adelaide Township, Upper Canada, † March 1, 1912 in Toronto, mainly as Edward Blake known) was a Canadian politician, who worked at both the federal and provincial levels. From December 20th 1871 to October 25, 1872, he ruled Prime Minister of the Province of Ontario, 1868 to 1872, he led the Ontario Liberal Party on. In the cabinet of Alexander Mackenzie was from 1875 to 1877 Minister of Justice. From 1880 to 1887, he was Chairman of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Opposition. Twice he failed in an attempt to win a majority in the House and to become Canadian prime minister. His political career, he decided, as a Member of the British House of Commons ( 1892-1906 ).
Occupation and provincial policy
Blake was the son of Catherine Honoria Hume and William Hume Blake. His 1832 emigrated from Ireland father worked in Toronto as a lawyer and judge, and was from 1856 to 1863 Chancellor of the University of Toronto. Edward Blake was taught by his parents, he received a secondary education at Upper Canada College. In 1854, he completed his law studies at the University of Toronto. In 1856 he founded his own law firm. Blake was so successful that he was soon financially independent and gave lectures on equity. His specialized in corporate law firm grew steadily; it still exists today under the name of Blake, Cassels & Graydon and one of the most important in the country. Blake married in 1858 Margaret Cronyn, daughter of the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Huron.
George Brown, founder and publisher of the newspaper The Globe, persuaded Blake to go into politics. In 1867 he was a candidate for both a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as well as for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; In both elections, he was successful. In 1868 he was elected chairman of the Ontario Liberal Party. John Sandfield Macdonald, Ontario's first prime minister, lost on 20 December 1871 no-confidence vote, after which the former opposition leader Blake took office. As Prime Minister he could put a few accents. A few months after taking office, a law came into force, prohibiting dual mandates at the federal and provincial level. Blake decided not to rely on the federal policy. His successor as Prime Minister was Oliver Mowat.
Federal policy
Blake was in 1873 as a promising candidate for the post of chairman of the Liberal Party of Canada, but he declined for health reasons in favor of Alexander Mackenzie. In the same year he helped John Macdonald expose conservative government after flying up the Pacific Scandal and force him to resign. In Mackenzie's transitional government Blake was Minister without portfolio, a month after the election victory of the Liberals at the general election in January 1874, he resigned from the Cabinet.
In May 1875 Blake became Minister of Justice. As such, he had, among other things, the task to nominate the first judge of the newly created Supreme Court. Under his leadership created a law for the collection of crime statistics and a law on weights and measures. Blake was increasingly overworked and suffering from chronic headaches, which is why he announced his resignation in June 1877. Even the office of President of the Privy Council, which he then held until January 1878, had a negative effect on his health. At the general election in 1878 Blake lost his seat above all because he ran no active campaign and undertook with his wife a trip to Europe.
Blake moved in the meantime all from politics and devoted himself to his law firm, his health improved again. In November 1879 he won a by-election by acclamation and was represented in the House of Commons. On April 30, 1880 he was elected party after Mackenzie's resignation as Chairman of the Liberals. In the 1882 general election the Liberals was able to acquire Blake's leadership, although ten seats; for a change of government but this was not sufficient.
Again affected by relapses, Blake wanted to do just before the general election in 1887 Oliver Mowat to his successor, however, showed no interest. The elections ended again with a slightly increased number of seats for the Liberals, but the Conservatives remained in power. On June 2, 1887 Blake finally came down as party chairman, succeeding Wilfrid Laurier certain the party meeting. In addition to Stéphane Dion Blake is thus the only chairman of the Liberal Party, who never became Prime Minister. He remained until 1891 Member of the Canadian House of Commons, but resigned barely in evidence.
Member of Parliament in the UK
In June 1892 Blake was commissioned by the Irish Parliamentary Party, the surprise offer to run for a seat in the British House of Commons. He saw it as an opportunity to break away from Canadian politics and traveled immediately to Ireland. A month later he was elected in County Longford ( as a resident of Canada, he was a British citizen and therefore eligible to vote ).
With nominations for the Supreme Court and the Presidency of the Court of Ontario Laurier repeatedly tried to lure him back to Canada. But Blake felt obliged his new role and sat down especially for a Home Rule Ireland. His conception of an Irish nation-state within a federal structure Empire found little encouragement. In May 1907, he suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on his left side of the body part. To be allowed to resign as Member of Parliament House of Commons, he applied as Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds. He had to August 1907 and held then returned to his Canadian homeland, where he spent his last years of life, this purely formal office.