James Cockburn (politician)

James Cockburn, QC ( born February 13, 1819 in Berwick -upon- Tweed, Northumberland; † August 14, 1883 in Ottawa ) was a Canadian politician. As one of the Fathers of Confederation, he is among the pioneers of the Canadian federal government established in 1867. From 1867 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1881 he was Conservative Member of Parliament of the House until 1874 and its first speaker.

Biography

1832 Cockburn emigrated with his family and settled in Montreal. The father died there a year later, and the family moved on to York in Upper Canada (now Toronto ), where the son attended Upper Canada College. Cockburn studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1846 and opened an office in Cobourg. In addition, he also worked as a building contractor, insurance agent and real estate agent. In the years 1855-1856 and 1859 he was a town councilor of Cobourg.

Cockburn 1861 candidate in elections to the lower house of the Province of Canada and won the electoral district of Northumberland West. Although started as an opponent of the government, two years later he changed sides and now supported the Conservatives John Macdonald. In March 1864, the appointment would come to the Minister of Justice. Cockburn took in October 1864 participated in the Quebec Conference, where it was negotiating the creation of a federal state in British North America.

In the first Canadian general election in September 1867, Cockburn prevailed as the unchanged constituency Northumberland West. Prime Minister Macdonald not appointed him to the Federal Cabinet, but instead appointed him to the Speaker of the House. Cockburn lost his seat at the 1874 general election, when the Conservatives suffered a heavy defeat due to the broken flown Pacific scandal. Four years later he won a seat in parliament back, but played a minor rôle in the House and eventually resigned in November 1881 returned for health reasons.