John Mercer Johnson

John Mercer Johnson ( * October 1818 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, † November 9, 1868 in Chatham, New Brunswick) was a Canadian politician. As one of the Fathers of Confederation, he is among the pioneers of the Canadian federal government established in 1867. After he had listened to the Government of New Brunswick, he was from 1867 until his death, a Member of the House of Commons.

Biography

Johnsons eponymous father emigrated in 1818 to New Brunswick, where he worked as a dealer and auctioneer. 1821 pulled the rest of the family also there. After finishing school, Johnson studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1838. He was a member of several charitable institutions and has held various offices at the local level, one of his law firm partners, including Peter Mitchell. In July 1850 Johnson was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, where he entered on the side of liberals for full self-government of the colony. In Charles Fisher's government, he was from November 1854 to May 1856 Minister of Justice, June 1857-November 1858 Postmaster General. Samuel Leonard Tilley called Johnson in 1862 also in the government, as Attorney General.

In September or October 1864 Johnson was a delegate attended the Charlottetown Conference and at the Quebec Conference, where it was negotiating the formation of a Canadian federal state. Given the fierce opposition of the anti - Confederation Party lost Johnson and many of his associates in February 1865 her seat. However, after only one year, the proponents of the Canadian Confederation came back to power. Then he took in December 1866 at the London conference to resolve the final details of the merger. Johnson joined in September 1867 as the candidate of the Liberal Party to the first Canadian general election and won the electoral district of Northumberland. Just over a year later he died.