Special Council of Lower Canada

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The Special Council of Lower Canada was an appointed body which administered Lower Canada until the Union Act of 1840 created the Province of Canada. Following the Lower Canada Rebellion, on March 27, 1838, the Constitutional Act of 1791 was suspended and both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council were dissolved. The Act of Union created a common upper and lower house with representation from both of the former provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.

In November 1839, the Special Council approved proposals made by Governor Sydenham for the union of the two Canadas.

There were three Special Councils:

• the first, appointed by Sir John Colborne, existed from April 2, 1838 to June 1, 1838
• the second, appointed by Lord Durham, existed from June 28, 1838 to November 2, 1838
• the third, appointed by Sir John Colborne, existed from November 2, 1838 to February 10, 1841

[edit] Lists of Members of the Special Council

First Special Council James Cuthbert Toussaint Pothier Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry James Stuart Peter McGill Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière Barthélemy Joliette Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave John Neilson Amable Dionne Samuel Gerrard Jules-Maurice Quesnel William Plenderleath Christie Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain William Walker Joseph-Édouard Faribault John Molson, Jr. Étienne Mayrand Paul Holland Knowlton Turton Penn Joseph Dionne Ichabod Smith Thomas Brown Anderson Thomas Austin [1]

Second Special Council Charles Paget James Macdonell Charles Buller George Couper Charles Grey John Clitherow [2] Arthur William Buller [3]

Third Special Council James Cuthbert Toussaint Pothier Charles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry James Stuart [4] Peter McGill Marc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière Barthélemy Joliette Pierre de Rastel de Rocheblave [5] John Neilson Amable Dionne Samuel Gerrard Jules-Maurice Quesnel William Plenderleath Christie Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain William Walker Joseph-Édouard Faribault John Molson, Jr. Étienne Mayrand Paul Holland Knowlton Turton Penn Joseph Dionne Ichabod Smith Thomas Austin Dominique Mondelet George Moffatt Edward Hale [6] John Wainwright [6] Jean-Baptiste Taché [7] Robert Unwin Harwood [8] Edward Hale [8] Dominick Daly [9] Charles Richard Ogden [9] Frederick George Heriot [9] Henry Black [10] Charles Dewey Day [11]

Notes:

1. ^ named to Council April 27, 1838
2. ^ named to council July 9, 1838
3. ^ named to council August 22, 1838
4. ^ named to council on November 11, 1839
5. ^ died October 5, 1840
6. ^ ^{a b} named to council September 19, 1839
7. ^ named to council September 30, 1839
8. ^ ^{a b} named to council August 1, 1839
9. ^ ^{a b c} named to council April 16, 1840
10. ^ named to council April 18, 1840
11. ^ named to council May 23, 1840

[edit] See also

• Constitutional history of Canada

[edit] External links

• Assemblée nationale du Québec (French)
• Journals of the Special Council of the province of Lower Canada, Armour & Ramsay (1838-1841) (Canadiana.org)