William Alexander Henry

William Alexander Henry ( born December 30, 1816 in Halifax, Nova Scotia; † May 3, 1888 in Ottawa ) was a Canadian politician and judge. For over a decade, he was represented in the government of Nova Scotia. As one of the Fathers of Confederation, he is among the pioneers of the Canadian federal government established in 1867. From 1875 to his death he was a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Biography

Henry grew up in Antigonish. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1840. In the same year he ran with success in the parliamentary elections the then British colony of Nova Scotia. Three years later he lost his seat, but withdrew in 1847 re-elected to Parliament. In the cabinet of James Boyle Uniacke, he was from 1852 Minister without Portfolio. When in 1854 William Young followed Uniacke, he appointed Henry to the Minister of Justice ( Solicitor General ).

1857 stepped Henry ten days before a successful vote of no confidence from the government back, turned away from the Liberals and joined the Conservatives. Then he was again represented in the cabinet of James William Johnston as Minister of Justice. The Conservatives were in opposition from 1860. As Johnston 1863 regained power, Henry took over his ancestral ministerial posts. In the cabinet of Johnston's successor Charles Tupper he had in 1864 the Office of the Attorney General held.

As a supporter of Canadian Confederation Henry played a significant role in the negotiations on the establishment of a Canadian federal state. In 1864 he took part in both the Charlottetown Conference and at the Quebec Conference. At the London Conference in 1866, he was one of the co-authors of the British North America Act. In the first Canadian general election in September 1867, he defeated Hugh McDonald of the Anti- Confederation Party, one of his former trainees and later defense minister.

Henry retired after this defeat temporarily from politics. In 1870 he was elected mayor of Halifax. He alienated himself from the Conservatives and again approached the Liberals. The liberal Canadian Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie appointed Henry on September 30, 1875 one of six judges to the newly created Supreme Court. He died after twelve years in office.

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