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Lord Elgin's tenure as Governor General of Canada marked a crucial turning point in the development of responsible government, a foundational principle that would shape Canadian democracy.
Lord Elgin was the son in law of Lord Durham and an energetic supporter of reform in the Britain. With the rejection of the Tories and the election of the reformers in 1848 in Parliament, Elgin was given instructions to direct Canada towards the full form of responsible government and he began this process by calling on both Baldwin and ...
Lord Elgin gave assent to the Rebellion Losses Bill, in effect the first acceptance of the principle of responsible government, over violent Tory opposition. A Tory-inspired mob burned the Parliament buildings that day.
6 lut 2006 · In 1849, Governor General Lord Elgin signed the Rebellion Losses Bill on the advice of his ministers. This affirmed the principle of responsible government. Elgin was also instrumental in introducing French as a language of debate in the Canadian legislature. English, however, remained the sole official language.
17 paź 2018 · Governor General Lord Elgin called on LaFontaine and Baldwin, as leaders of the Reform majority, to form the new executive council in the Province of Canada. They were sworn in on March 11. April 25, 1849
In 1854, Lord Elgin negotiated the Reciprocity Treaty with the United States in an attempt to stimulate the Canadian economy. Later that year, he granted royal assent to the law that abolished the seigneurial system in Quebec, and then resigned as Governor-General.
In 1849, they passed legislation to compensate people mainly French Canadians—who had lost property during the Lower Canada Rebellion. The new Governor General, Lord Elgin, refused to veto the law, thus sparking riots in Montréal. A video shows how an English mob set Parliament—which was then in Montréal—on fire.
