4th Canadian Parliament

4th Parliament of Canada
Majority parliament
13 February 1879 – 18 May 1882
Parliament leaders
Prime
Minister		 Rt. Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald
(3rd Canadian Ministry)
17 October 1878 – 6 June 1891
Leader of the
Opposition		 Alexander Mackenzie
17 October 1878 – 27 April 1880
Edward Blake
4 May 1880 – 2 June 1880
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
23 June 1887 – 10 July 1896
Party standings in the House
Government Conservative Party
Opposition Liberal-Conservative
Third Party Liberal Party
Fourth Party Independent
Fifth Party Independent Conservative
Sixth Party Independent Liberal
House of Commons

Seating arrangements of the House of Commons
Speaker of the
Commons		 Joseph Godéric Blanchet
13 February 1879 – 7 February 1883
Members 206 seats MP seats
List of members
Senate
Speaker of the
Senate		 The Hon. Robert Duncan Wilmot
7 November 1878 – 10 February 1880
The Hon. Sir David Lewis Macpherson
11 February 1880 – 15 February 1880
Amos Edwin Botsford
16 February 1880 – 18 April 1880
The Hon. Sir David Lewis Macpherson
19 April 1880 – 16 October 1883
Government
Senate Leader		 Alexander Campbell
18 October 1878 – 26 January 1887
Opposition
Senate Leader		 Sir Richard William Scott
8 October 1878 – 27 April 1896
Senators 79 seats senator seats
List of senators
Sessions
1st Session
13 February 1879 – 15 May 1879
2nd Session
12 February 1880 – 7 May 1880
3rd Session
9 December 1880 – 21 March 1881
4th Session
9 February 1882 – 17 May 1882
<3rd 5th>

The 4th Canadian Parliament was in session from 13 February 1879 until 18 May 1882. The membership was set by the 1878 federal election on 17 September 1878. It was dissolved prior to the 1882 election.

It was controlled by a Conservative/Liberal-Conservative majority under Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald and the 3rd Canadian Ministry. The Official Opposition was the Liberal Party, first led by Alexander Mackenzie, and then by Edward Blake.

The Speaker was Joseph Godéric Blanchet. See also List of Canadian electoral districts 1873-1882 for a list of the ridings in this parliament.

There were four sessions of the 4th Parliament:

Session Start End
1st 13 February 1879 15 May 1879
2nd 12 February 1880 7 May 1880
3rd 9 December 1880 21 March 1881
4th 9 February 1882 17 May 1882

List of members

Following is a full list of members of the fourth parliament listed first by province, then by electoral district.

Electoral districts denoted by an asterisk (*) indicates that district was represented by two members.

British Columbia

Electoral district Name Party
Cariboo Joshua Spencer Thompson (acclaimed)
died in office 20 December 1880		 Liberal-Conservative
James Reid from 31 March 1881 Liberal-Conservative
New Westminster Thomas Robert McInnes, until appointed to Senate 24 December 1881 Independent
Joshua Homer (acclaimed) from 9 March 1882 Liberal-Conservative
Vancouver Arthur Bunster Liberal
Victoria* Sir John Alexander Macdonald Liberal-Conservative
Amor De Cosmos Liberal
Yale Edgar Dewdney (acclaimed), resigned 30 May 1879 to become Indian Commissioner of Manitoba and the North West Territories Conservative
Francis Jones Barnard from 29 September 1879 Conservative

Manitoba

Electoral district Name Party
Lisgar John Christian Schultz (acclaimed) Conservative
Marquette Sir John A. Macdonald (acclaimed) Liberal-Conservative
Joseph O'Connell Ryan (acclaimed) from 30 November 1878 Liberal
Provencher Joseph Dubuc (acclaimed) Conservative
Joseph Royal from 30 December 1879 Conservative
Selkirk Donald A. Smith Conservative
Thomas Scott from 10 September 1880 Conservative

New Brunswick

Electoral district Name Party
Albert Alexander Rogers Liberal
Carleton George Heber Connell Independent
David Irvine from 16 February 1881 Liberal
Charlotte Arthur Hill Gillmor Liberal
City and County of St. John* Isaac Burpee Liberal
Charles Wesley Weldon Liberal
City of St. John Samuel Leonard Tilley (acclaimed), re-elected 4 November 1878 Liberal-Conservative
Gloucester Timothy Warren Anglin (acclaimed) Liberal
Kent Gilbert Anselme Girouard Liberal-Conservative
King's James Domville Conservative
Northumberland Jabez Bunting Snowball Liberal
Queen's George Gerald King Liberal
Restigouche George Haddow (acclaimed) Independent
Sunbury Charles Burpee Liberal
Victoria John Costigan Liberal-Conservative
Westmorland Albert James Smith Liberal
York John Pickard Independent Liberal

Nova Scotia

Electoral district Name Party
Annapolis Avard Longley Conservative
Antigonish Angus McIsaac Liberal
Cape Breton* Hugh McLeod, died in office 5 August 1879 Liberal-Conservative
William McDonald Conservative
William McKenzie McLeod from 23 October 1879 Liberal-Conservative
Colchester Thomas McKay Liberal-Conservative
Archibald Woodbury McLelan from 18 June 1881 Conservative
Cumberland Charles Tupper (acclaimed), re-elected in by-election 4 November 1878 Conservative
Digby John Chipman Wade Conservative
Guysborough Alfred Ogden Conservative
Halifax* Matthew Henry Richey Liberal-Conservative
Malachy Bowes Daly Liberal-Conservative
Hants William Henry Allison Conservative
Inverness Samuel McDonnell Liberal
Kings Frederick William Borden Liberal
Lunenburg Charles Edwin Kaulbach Conservative
Pictou* James McDonald, acclaimed in by-election 4 November 1878, ended term 19 May 1881 Conservative
Robert Doull Liberal-Conservative
John McDougald, acclaimed from 18 June 1881 Liberal-Conservative
Queens Silas Tertius Rand Bill Liberal-Conservative
Richmond Edmund Power Flynn Liberal
Shelburne Thomas Robertson Liberal
Victoria Duncan McDonald Liberal
Yarmouth Frank Killam Liberal

Ontario

Electoral district Name Party
Addington John McRory Conservative
Algoma Simon James Dawson Conservative
Bothwell David Mills Liberal
Brant North Gavin Fleming Liberal
Brant South William Paterson Liberal
Brockville William Fitzsimmons Conservative
Bruce North John Gillies Liberal
Bruce South Alexander Shaw Liberal-Conservative
Cardwell Thomas White Conservative
Carleton John Rochester Conservative
Cornwall Darby Bergin, re-elected in by-election 27 January 1880 Liberal-Conservative
Dundas John Sylvester Ross Liberal-Conservative
Durham East Arthur Trefusis Heneage Williams Conservative
Durham West Harvey William Burk until 10 October 1879 Liberal
Edward Dominick Blake, acclaimed from 17 November 1879 Liberal
Elgin East Thomas Arkell Liberal-Conservative
Elgin West George Elliott Casey Liberal
Essex James Colebrooke Patterson Conservative
Frontenac George Airey Kirkpatrick Conservative
Glengarry John McLennan Liberal-Conservative
Grenville South John Philip Wiser Liberal
Grey East Thomas Simpson Sproule Conservative
Grey North Samuel Johnathan Lane Conservative
Grey South George Jackson Liberal-Conservative
Haldimand David Thompson Liberal
Halton William McDougall Liberal-Conservative
Hamilton* Francis Edwin Kilvert Conservative
Thomas Robertson Liberal
Hastings East John White, re-elected in by-election 25 February 1879 Conservative
Hastings North Mackenzie Bowell, acclaimed in by-election 6 November 1878 Conservative
Hastings West James Brown Conservative
Huron Centre Horace Horton until 10 October 1878 Liberal
Richard John Cartwright from 2 November 1878 Liberal
Huron North Thomas Farrow Liberal-Conservative
Huron South Malcolm Colin Cameron Liberal
Kent Rufus Stephenson Conservative
Kingston Alexander Gunn Liberal
Lambton Alexander Mackenzie Liberal
Lanark North Daniel Galbraith, died in office 17 December 1879 Liberal
Donald Greenfield MacDonell from 22 January 1880 Liberal
Lanark South John Graham Haggart Conservative
Leeds North and Grenville North Charles Frederick Ferguson Liberal-Conservative
Leeds South David Ford Jones Conservative
Lennox Edmund Hooper Liberal-Conservative
Lincoln John Charles Rykert Conservative
London John Carling Liberal-Conservative
Middlesex East Duncan Macmillan Liberal-Conservative
Middlesex North Timothy Coughlin Liberal-Conservative
Middlesex West George William Ross Liberal
Monck Lachlin McCallum Liberal-Conservative
Muskoka Alexander Peter Cockburn Liberal
Niagara Patrick Hughes, defeated in by-election 20 March 1879 Liberal
Josiah Burr Plumb from 20 March 1879 Conservative
Norfolk North John Charlton Liberal
Norfolk South William Wallace Conservative
Northumberland East Joseph Keeler, died in office 21 January 1881 Liberal-Conservative
Darius Crouter, acclaimed from 25 March 1881 Independent Liberal
Northumberland West James Cockburn until 14 November 1881 Conservative
George Guillet from 19 December 1881 Conservative
Ontario North George Wheler, until 10 June 1880, re-elected 28 August 1880 Liberal
Ontario South Francis Wayland Glen Liberal
Ottawa (City of)* Joseph Merrill Currier Liberal-Conservative
Joseph Tassé Conservative
Oxford North Thomas Oliver, died in office 8 November 1880 Liberal
James Sutherland from 9 December 1880 Liberal
Oxford South James Atchison Skinner Liberal
Peel William Elliott Conservative
Perth North Samuel Rollin Hesson Conservative
Perth South James Trow Liberal
Peterborough East John Burnham Conservative
Peterborough West George Hilliard Liberal-Conservative
Prescott Félix Routhier Conservative
Prince Edward James Simeon McCuaig Conservative
Renfrew North Peter White Conservative
Renfrew South William Bannerman Conservative
Russell John O'Connor, acclaimed in by-election 4 November 1878 Conservative
Simcoe North Dalton McCarthy Conservative
Simcoe South William Carruthers Little, died in office 31 December 1881 Liberal-Conservative
Richard Tyrwhitt, acclaimed from 16 February 1882 Conservative
Stormont Oscar Fulton Liberal-Conservative
Toronto Centre Robert Hay Liberal
Toronto East Samuel Platt Independent
Victoria North Hector Cameron Conservative
Victoria South Arthur McQuade Conservative
Waterloo North Hugo Kranz Conservative
Waterloo South Samuel Merner Conservative
Welland Christopher William Bunting Liberal-Conservative
Wellington Centre George Turner Orton Liberal-Conservative
Wellington North George Alexander Drew Liberal-Conservative
Wellington South Donald Guthrie Liberal
Wentworth North Thomas Bain Liberal
Wentworth South Joseph Rymal Liberal
West Toronto John Beverley Robinson until 30 June 1880 Conservative
James Beaty, Jr. from 28 August 1880 Conservative
York East Alfred Boultbee Conservative
York North Frederick William Strange Liberal-Conservative
York West Nathaniel Clarke Wallace Conservative

Prince Edward Island

Electoral district Name Party
King's County* Augustine Colin Macdonald Liberal-Conservative
Ephraim Bell Muttart Conservative
Prince County* James Yeo Liberal
Edward Hackett Liberal-Conservative
Queen's County* James Colledge Pope, acclaimed in by-election 9 November 1878 Conservative
Frederick de Sainte-Croix Brecken Conservative

Quebec

Electoral district Name Party
Argenteuil Thomas Christie, defeated in by-election 12 February 1880 Liberal
John Joseph Caldwell Abbott from 12 February 1880, acclaimed in by-election 17 August 1881 Liberal-Conservative
Bagot Joseph-Alfred Mousseau, acclaimed in by-election 20 November 1880 Conservative
Beauce Joseph Bolduc Conservative
Beauharnois Michael Cayley, died in office 3 December 1878 Conservative
Joseph Gédéon Horace Bergeron from 9 January 1879 Conservative
Bellechasse Achille Larue until 11 February 1881 Liberal
Guillaume Amyot from 19 March 1881 Conservative
Berthier Edward Octavian Cuthbert Conservative
Bonaventure Théodore Robitaille Conservative
Pierre-Clovis Beauchesne, acclaimed from 26 August 1879 Conservative
Brome Edmund Leavens Chandler Liberal
David Ames Manson from 18 October 1880 Liberal-Conservative
Chambly Pierre Basile Benoit Conservative
Champlain Hippolyte Montplaisir Liberal-Conservative
Charlevoix Pierre Alexis Tremblay, died in office 5 January 1879 Liberal
Joseph Stanislas Perrault from 13 February 1879 Conservative
Simon-Xavier Cimon from 19 March 1881 Conservative
Châteauguay Luther Hamilton Holton, died in office 14 March 1880 Liberal
Edward Holton from 17 April 1880 Liberal
Chicoutimi - Saguenay Marie Honorius Ernest Cimon Conservative
Compton John Henry Pope, acclaimed in by-election 4 November 1878 Liberal-Conservative
Dorchester François Fortunat Rouleau Liberal-Conservative
Drummond - Arthabaska Désiré Olivier Bourbeau Conservative
Gaspé Pierre Fortin Conservative
Hochelaga Alphonse Desjardins Conservative
Huntingdon Julius Scriver (acclaimed) Liberal
Iverbville François Béchard Liberal
Jacques Cartier Désiré Girouard Conservative
Joliette Louis François Georges Baby, acclaimed in by-election 14 November 1878 Conservative
Lewis Arthur McConville from 9 December 1880 Conservative
Kamouraska Joseph Dumont Liberal
L'Assomption Hilaire Hurteau Liberal-Conservative
L'Islet Philippe Baby Casgrain Liberal
Laprairie Alfred Pinsonneault Conservative
Laval Joseph-Aldéric Ouimet (acclaimed) Liberal-Conservative
Lévis Joseph-Godéric Blanchet Liberal-Conservative
Lotbinière Côme-Isaïe Rinfret Liberal
Maskinongé Frédéric Houde Nationalist Conservative
Mégantic Louis-Éphrem Olivier Liberal
Missisquoi George Barnard Baker Liberal-Conservative
Montcalm Firmin Dugas Conservative
Montmagny Auguste-Charles-Philippe-Robert Landry Conservative
Montmorency Pierre-Vincent Valin until 9 January 1880, re-elected 9 December 1880 Conservative
Auguste-Réal Angers from 14 February 1880 until 12 November 1880 Conservative
Montreal Centre Michael Patrick Ryan Liberal-Conservative
Montreal East Charles-Joseph Coursol Conservative
Montreal West Matthew Hamilton Gault Conservative
Napierville Sixte Coupal dit la Reine Liberal
Nicolet François Xavier Ovide Méthot Independent Conservative
Ottawa (County of) Alonzo Wright Liberal-Conservative
Pontiac John Poupore Conservative
Portneuf Roch-Pamphile Vallée Conservative
Quebec County Joseph-Philippe-René-Adolphe Caron, acclaimed in by-election 20 November 1880 Conservative
Quebec East Wilfrid Laurier Liberal
Quebec West Thomas McGreevy (acclaimed) Liberal-Conservative
Quebec-Centre Jacques Malouin Independent
Richelieu Louis Huet Massue Liberal-Conservative
Richmond—Wolfe William Bullock Ives Conservative
Rimouski Jean-Baptiste Romuald Fiset Liberal
Rouville George Auguste Gigault Conservative
Saint Maurice Louis-Léon Lesieur Desaulniers Conservative
Shefford Lucius Seth Huntington Liberal
Sherbrooke (Town of) Edward Towle Brooks (acclaimed) Conservative
Soulanges Jacques-Philippe Lanthier Conservative
St. Hyacinthe Louis Tellier Conservative
St. John's François Bourassa Liberal
Stanstead Charles Carroll Colby Liberal-Conservative
Témiscouata Paul-Étienne Grandbois Conservative
Terrebonne Louis-François-Rodrigue Masson, acclaimed in by-election 6 November 1878 Conservative
Three Rivers William McDougall Conservative
Hector Louis Langevin, acclaimed from 21 November 1878 Conservative
Two Mountains Jean-Baptiste Daoust Conservative
Vaudreuil Jean Baptiste Mongenais Conservative
Verchères Félix Geoffrion Liberal
Yamaska Charles Gill Conservative
Fabien Vanasse dit Vertefeuille from 7 July 1879 Conservative

By-elections

By-election Date Incumbent Party Winner Party Cause Retained
New Westminster March 9, 1882 Thomas Robert McInnes      Independent Joshua Homer      Liberal-Conservative Called to the Senate. No
Simcoe South February 16, 1882 William Carruthers Little      Liberal-Conservative Angus McIsaac      Conservative Death Yes
Northumberland West December 19, 1881 James Cockburn      Conservative George Guillet      Conservative Appointed Chairman of the Commission to collect, examine and classify the Statutes passed by the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada, since Confederation Yes
Argenteuil August 17, 1881 John Joseph Caldwell Abbott      Liberal-Conservative John Joseph Caldwell Abbott      Liberal-Conservative Election declared void. Yes
Pictor June 18, 1881 James McDonald      Conservative John McDougald      Liberal-Conservative Appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. Yes
Colchester June 18, 1881 Thomas McKay      Liberal-Conservative Archibald McLelan      Conservative Called to the Senate. Yes
Colchester March 31, 1881 Joshua Spencer Thompson      Liberal-Conservative James Reid      Liberal-Conservative Death Yes
Northumberland East March 25, 1881 Joseph Keeler      Liberal-Conservative Darius Crouter      Independent Liberal Death No
Bellechasse March 19, 1881 Achille Larue      Liberal Guillaume Amyot      Conservative Election declared void. No
Charlevoix March 19, 1881 Joseph-Stanislas Perrault      Conservative Simon-Xavier Cimon      Conservative Election declared void. Yes
Carleton February 16, 1881 George H. Connell      Independent David Irvine      Liberal Death No
Joliette December 9, 1880 Louis François Georges Baby      Conservative Lewis Arthur McConville      Conservative Appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec Yes
Oxford North December 9, 1880 Thomas Oliver      Liberal James Sutherland      Liberal Death Yes
Montmorency December 9, 1880 Auguste-Réal Angers      Conservative Pierre-Vincent Valin      Conservative Appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec. Yes
Quebec County November 20, 1880 Adolphe-Philippe Caron      Conservative Adolphe-Philippe Caron      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Militia and Defence. Yes
Bagot November 20, 1880 Joseph-Alfred Mousseau      Conservative Joseph-Alfred Mousseau      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as President of the Privy Council. Yes
Brome October 18, 1880 Edmund Leavens Chandler      Liberal David Ames Manson      Liberal-Conservative Death No
Selkirk September 10, 1880 Donald Smith      Independent Conservative Thomas Scott      Conservative Election declared void. No
Ontario North August 28, 1880 George Wheler      Liberal George Wheler      Liberal Election declared void. Yes
West Toronto August 28, 1880 John Beverly Robinson      Conservative James Beaty, Jr.      Conservative Appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. Yes
Châteauguay April 17, 1880 Luther Hamilton Holton      Liberal Edward Holton      Liberal Death Yes
Montmorency February 14, 1880 Pierre-Vincent Valin      Conservative Auguste-Réal Angers      Conservative Election declared void. Yes
Argenteuil February 12, 1880 Thomas Christie      Liberal John Joseph Caldwell Abbott      Liberal-Conservative Election declared void. No
Cornwall January 27, 1880 Darby Bergin      Liberal-Conservative Darby Bergin      Liberal-Conservative Election declared void. Yes
Lanark North January 22, 1880 Daniel Galbraith      Liberal Donald Greenfield MacDonell      Liberal Death Yes
Provencher December 30, 1879 Joseph Dubuc      Conservative Joseph Royal      Conservative Appointed a Judge of the Court of Queen's Bench for Manitoba. Yes
Durham West November 17, 1879 Harvey William Burk      Liberal Edward Blake      Liberal Resignation to provide a seat for Blake. Yes
Cape Breton October 23, 1879 Hugh McLeod      Liberal-Conservative William McKenzie McLeod      Liberal-Conservative Death Yes
Yale September 29, 1879 Edgar Dewdney      Conservative Francis Jones Barnard      Conservative Appointed Indian Commissioner of Manitoba and the North West Territories. Yes
Bonaventure August 26, 1879 Théodore Robitaille      Conservative Pierre-Clovis Beauchesne      Conservative Appointed Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. Yes
Yamaska July 7, 1879 Charles-Ignace Gill      Conservative Fabien Vanasse dit Vertefeuille      Conservative Appointed a judge to the Quebec Superior Court. Yes
Niagara March 20, 1879 Patrick Hughes      Liberal Josiah Burr Plumb      Conservative Election declared void. No
Hastings East February 25, 1879 John White      Conservative John White      Conservative Election declared void. Yes
Charlevoix February 13, 1879 Pierre-Alexis Tremblay      Liberal Joseph-Stanislas Perrault      Conservative Death No
Beauharnois January 9, 1879 Michael Cayley      Conservative Joseph Gédéon H. Bergeron      Conservative Death Yes
Marquette November 30, 1878 John A. Macdonald      Liberal-Conservative Joseph O'Connell Ryan      Liberal MacDonald was elected in several seats simultaneously, resigned to run in Ministerial by-election in Victoria. No
Three Rivers November 21, 1878 William McDougall      Conservative Hector-Louis Langevin      Conservative Resignation to provide a seat for Langevin. Yes
Joliette November 14, 1878 Louis François Georges Baby      Conservative Louis François Georges Baby      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Inland Revenue. Yes
Queens County November 9, 1878 James Colledge Pope      Conservative James Colledge Pope      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Marine and Fisheries. Yes
Hastings North November 6, 1878 Mackenzie Bowell      Conservative Mackenzie Bowell      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Customs. Yes
Terrebonne November 6, 1878 Louis-Rodrigue Masson      Conservative Louis-Rodrigue Masson      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Militia and Defence. Yes
City of St. John November 4, 1878 Samuel Leonard Tilley      Liberal-Conservative Samuel Leonard Tilley      Liberal-Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Finance. Yes
Pictou November 4, 1878 James McDonald      Conservative James McDonald      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Yes
Russell November 4, 1878 John O'Connor      Conservative John O'Connor      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as President of the Privy Council. Yes
Compton November 4, 1878 John Henry Pope      Liberal-Conservative John Henry Pope      Liberal-Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Agriculture. Yes
Cumberland November 4, 1878 Charles Tupper      Conservative Charles Tupper      Conservative Recontested upon appointment as Minister of Public Works. Yes
Huron Centre November 2, 1878 Horace Horton      Liberal Richard John Cartwright      Liberal Appointment in the office of the Auditor-General of Canada. Yes

References

Succession