Albert James Smith Case Study
Sir Albert James Smith
Birthplace: Born in Shediac, New Brunswick in the county of Westmoreland on March 12, 1822.
Death: Died at age 62 on June 30, 1883 after a lengthy illness at his residence in Dorchester, New Brunswick.
Education: Reared in relative comfort, Albert James Smith attended the Madras school of the Church of England and continued his education at the new Westmoreland county Grammar School. And upon leaving that institution he became a student at law in the office of the late Edward Barron Chandler. Having completed his studies, he was called to the bar of New Brunswick in February, 1847 and settled down to the practice of his profession.
Career: He was successful with juries and gained a large practice. In politics, …show more content…
however, he took a warm interest. He was a Newbrunswick politician and opponent of Canadian Confederation. After establishing himself in the field of law, Smith decided to enter the colony’s (New Brunswick) political scene. Once during Smith’s early political career, when his attack against King’s college—which he described nothing more than an enclave for wealthy sons, proved to animated for government ears. Smith was physically assaulted by John Ambrose Street.
Political position: Smith entered politics in 1842 entering the House of Assembly as an opponent of the Tory compact that ran the colony and became a leading reform and advocate of responsible government which was granted tot eh colony in 1854. Smith became a member of the reform government that took power that year and went on to become Attorney General in 1861 under Premier Samuel Leonard Tilley. Here are all the Political positions held by Sir Albert James Smith is his political careers: Appointed to the Executive Council as Minister without portfolio, 1 Nov.1854- 21 May.1856. Appointed to the Executive Council without portfolio, 1857- 27 Apr.1861. Appointed Attorney General, 27 Apr.1861- 10 Oct.1862. Appointed president of Executive Council, 21 Sept.1865- 14 Apr.1866. Premier of Newbrunswick, 2 Sept.1865- 14 Apr.1866. Appointed Attorney General, 21 Sept.1865- 14 Apr.1866. Leader of the opposition, June 1866- Jul 1867.
Relevance toward the growth of Canada: Smith was infuriated by the developments, and it was with an eye on Smith that Tilley constructed a coalition to carry the confederation project.
Tilley recruited such former opponents as Chandler and Gray as well as discarded colleagues such as Fisher. The exclusion of Smith has never been fully explained. Perhaps he would not have joined. It is more likely that he was not invited because he was so completely opposed to any union scheme as well as to the Intercolonial Railway, which Tilley saw as the prize of negotiations. At any rate, by the time Tilley had returned from the ambulatory conference that had taken him to Charlottetown, Halifax, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake), he encountered a hostile New Brunswick being given direction by Albert Smith, “The Douglas of Dorchester . . . the Lion of Westmorland.” Late in November 1864 Smith published a “Letter to the Electors of the County of Westmorland,” which was to become the force behind the anti-confederation blast in New Brunswick. The delegates to the conference, with a mandate to discuss only Maritime union, had acted unconstitutionally, he declared, and had placed the interests of Canada ahead of those of New Brunswick. The dominant Canadians would impose prohibitive taxes on the colony to pay for their past extravagances such as canals and railways. There would also be the cost of two governments rather than one and representation by population would place New Brunswick permanently in a subordinate position. When Tilley called an election early in 1865, Smith was ready for him. He stumped the province with a devastating speech in which he said that confederation had been conjured up in the “oily brains of Canadian politicians” as a solution to their own problems and as a scheme to exploit others. He warned his listeners to examine the two states, “one [Canada] suffering from anarchy and disquiet . . . [the other] New Brunswick . . .
enjoying all the blessings of this life.” The specter of direct taxation served as a backdrop to the designs of the Canadians, who would increase in dominance as their population and appetite grew, relegating New Brunswick to the status of a “mere municipality.” As an alternative Smith offered both continued reciprocity with the United States and the Western Extension Railway, part of the European and North American, from Saint John to the American border. But fear of Canada was the essential ingredient in his message. Smith presented his case with “great force and animation” and the anti-confederates in New Brunswick, with Smith the “heart and soul of the opposition,” shattered the union movement by carrying 26 of the 41 seats in the assembly.
Contributions toward Confederation: Smith subsequently resigned from the Executive Council in 1862 due to his disagreement with Tilley over the
Province’s participation in the Intercolonial Railway scheme. By the late 1860s, Confederation was becoming the prime issue that Smith opposed. Despite his prominence in the House, Smith was excluded from the Charlottetown and Quebec conventions, at which, negotiations over the Confederation scheme were conducted. Thus, while Tilley was accompanied to the Charlottetown and Quebec by Chandler and Fisher among others,
Smith became the driving force behind New Brunswick's popular hostility toward Confederation. He campaigned that taxes would be raised to pay for canal and railway projects of benefit only to central Canada, and that New Brunswick would be put in a permanent place of subordination if
Confederation were enacted.
Other Information:
Political Experience
Years of Service: 5387 Days (14 years, 9 months, 1 days)
^ HOUSE OF COMMONS
Constituency Date of Election (yyyy.mm.dd) Result
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1882.06.20 Defeated
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1878.09.17 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1874.01.22 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1873.11.28 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1872.10.12 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1867.09.20 Elected
^ CAUCUS
Party Term (yyyy.mm.dd)
Liberal Party of Canada
1867.11.06 - 1882.05.18
^ PARLIAMENTARY FUNCTIONS
Minister
Portfolio Term (yyyy.mm.dd)
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (Acting) 1874.06.01 - 1874.07.07
Minister of Marine and Fisheries 1873.11.07 - 1878.10.08
According to the Saint John Morning News, Smith had been “at all times dignified, consistent, and straightforward . . . an unflinching advocate of popular rights.” The political establishment in the province was less enthusiastic about the aggressive activities of “Bully Albert Smith.” [Smith’s 30 years in politics had been exceptional, marked by both honours and controversy, yet he has been almost totally banished from the history books. He left no papers to guarantee a niche for himself (they were destroyed after his death), nor did his wife and son wish to have their privacy invaded by a biography. That still does not account for the lack of interest in Smith. Smith married Sarah Marie Young on June 11, 1868 and they had one son. Sarah Marie was 21 at that time, the daughter of John Wilson Young, a prosperous Halifax capitalist. He built a spacious red-brick mansion called Woodlands at Dorchester, where their son, John Wilson Young Smith, grew up.
Birthplace: Born in Shediac, New Brunswick in the county of Westmoreland on March 12, 1822.
Death: Died at age 62 on June 30, 1883 after a lengthy illness at his residence in Dorchester, New Brunswick.
Education: Reared in relative comfort, Albert James Smith attended the Madras school of the Church of England and continued his education at the new Westmoreland county Grammar School. And upon leaving that institution he became a student at law in the office of the late Edward Barron Chandler. Having completed his studies, he was called to the bar of New Brunswick in February, 1847 and settled down to the practice of his profession.
Career: He was successful with juries and gained a large practice. In politics, …show more content…
however, he took a warm interest. He was a Newbrunswick politician and opponent of Canadian Confederation. After establishing himself in the field of law, Smith decided to enter the colony’s (New Brunswick) political scene. Once during Smith’s early political career, when his attack against King’s college—which he described nothing more than an enclave for wealthy sons, proved to animated for government ears. Smith was physically assaulted by John Ambrose Street.
Political position: Smith entered politics in 1842 entering the House of Assembly as an opponent of the Tory compact that ran the colony and became a leading reform and advocate of responsible government which was granted tot eh colony in 1854. Smith became a member of the reform government that took power that year and went on to become Attorney General in 1861 under Premier Samuel Leonard Tilley. Here are all the Political positions held by Sir Albert James Smith is his political careers: Appointed to the Executive Council as Minister without portfolio, 1 Nov.1854- 21 May.1856. Appointed to the Executive Council without portfolio, 1857- 27 Apr.1861. Appointed Attorney General, 27 Apr.1861- 10 Oct.1862. Appointed president of Executive Council, 21 Sept.1865- 14 Apr.1866. Premier of Newbrunswick, 2 Sept.1865- 14 Apr.1866. Appointed Attorney General, 21 Sept.1865- 14 Apr.1866. Leader of the opposition, June 1866- Jul 1867.
Relevance toward the growth of Canada: Smith was infuriated by the developments, and it was with an eye on Smith that Tilley constructed a coalition to carry the confederation project.
Tilley recruited such former opponents as Chandler and Gray as well as discarded colleagues such as Fisher. The exclusion of Smith has never been fully explained. Perhaps he would not have joined. It is more likely that he was not invited because he was so completely opposed to any union scheme as well as to the Intercolonial Railway, which Tilley saw as the prize of negotiations. At any rate, by the time Tilley had returned from the ambulatory conference that had taken him to Charlottetown, Halifax, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake), he encountered a hostile New Brunswick being given direction by Albert Smith, “The Douglas of Dorchester . . . the Lion of Westmorland.” Late in November 1864 Smith published a “Letter to the Electors of the County of Westmorland,” which was to become the force behind the anti-confederation blast in New Brunswick. The delegates to the conference, with a mandate to discuss only Maritime union, had acted unconstitutionally, he declared, and had placed the interests of Canada ahead of those of New Brunswick. The dominant Canadians would impose prohibitive taxes on the colony to pay for their past extravagances such as canals and railways. There would also be the cost of two governments rather than one and representation by population would place New Brunswick permanently in a subordinate position. When Tilley called an election early in 1865, Smith was ready for him. He stumped the province with a devastating speech in which he said that confederation had been conjured up in the “oily brains of Canadian politicians” as a solution to their own problems and as a scheme to exploit others. He warned his listeners to examine the two states, “one [Canada] suffering from anarchy and disquiet . . . [the other] New Brunswick . . .
enjoying all the blessings of this life.” The specter of direct taxation served as a backdrop to the designs of the Canadians, who would increase in dominance as their population and appetite grew, relegating New Brunswick to the status of a “mere municipality.” As an alternative Smith offered both continued reciprocity with the United States and the Western Extension Railway, part of the European and North American, from Saint John to the American border. But fear of Canada was the essential ingredient in his message. Smith presented his case with “great force and animation” and the anti-confederates in New Brunswick, with Smith the “heart and soul of the opposition,” shattered the union movement by carrying 26 of the 41 seats in the assembly.
Contributions toward Confederation: Smith subsequently resigned from the Executive Council in 1862 due to his disagreement with Tilley over the
Province’s participation in the Intercolonial Railway scheme. By the late 1860s, Confederation was becoming the prime issue that Smith opposed. Despite his prominence in the House, Smith was excluded from the Charlottetown and Quebec conventions, at which, negotiations over the Confederation scheme were conducted. Thus, while Tilley was accompanied to the Charlottetown and Quebec by Chandler and Fisher among others,
Smith became the driving force behind New Brunswick's popular hostility toward Confederation. He campaigned that taxes would be raised to pay for canal and railway projects of benefit only to central Canada, and that New Brunswick would be put in a permanent place of subordination if
Confederation were enacted.
Other Information:
Political Experience
Years of Service: 5387 Days (14 years, 9 months, 1 days)
^ HOUSE OF COMMONS
Constituency Date of Election (yyyy.mm.dd) Result
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1882.06.20 Defeated
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1878.09.17 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1874.01.22 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1873.11.28 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1872.10.12 Elected
Westmorland, New Brunswick 1867.09.20 Elected
^ CAUCUS
Party Term (yyyy.mm.dd)
Liberal Party of Canada
1867.11.06 - 1882.05.18
^ PARLIAMENTARY FUNCTIONS
Minister
Portfolio Term (yyyy.mm.dd)
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (Acting) 1874.06.01 - 1874.07.07
Minister of Marine and Fisheries 1873.11.07 - 1878.10.08
According to the Saint John Morning News, Smith had been “at all times dignified, consistent, and straightforward . . . an unflinching advocate of popular rights.” The political establishment in the province was less enthusiastic about the aggressive activities of “Bully Albert Smith.” [Smith’s 30 years in politics had been exceptional, marked by both honours and controversy, yet he has been almost totally banished from the history books. He left no papers to guarantee a niche for himself (they were destroyed after his death), nor did his wife and son wish to have their privacy invaded by a biography. That still does not account for the lack of interest in Smith. Smith married Sarah Marie Young on June 11, 1868 and they had one son. Sarah Marie was 21 at that time, the daughter of John Wilson Young, a prosperous Halifax capitalist. He built a spacious red-brick mansion called Woodlands at Dorchester, where their son, John Wilson Young Smith, grew up.