PERSONNEL OF THE TERRITORIAL ASSEMBLY.
The first Legislative Assembly elected in 1888 had twenty-two mem-
bers, viz.: Dr. R. G. Brett (Banff) ; Jas. Clinkskill (Battleford) ; Hill-
yard Mitchell (Batoche) ; John Lineham and H. Q. Cayley (Calgary)
Dr. H. C. Wilson and Frank Oliver (Edmonton); James Hoey (Kinis-
tino) ; F. W. G. Haultain, acclamation (Macleod) ; Thomas Tweed, ac-
clamation (Medicine Hat) ; J. H. Ross (Moose Jaw) ; J. R. Neff, accla-
mation (Moosomin) ; William Plaxton and J. F. Betts (Prince Albert)
Wm. Sutherland (Qu'Appelle North); G. S. Davidson (Qu'Appelle
South); D. F. Jelly (Regina North) ; John Secord (Regina South); J. G.
Turriff (Souris) ; Joel Reaman (Wallace) ; A. G. Thorburn (Whitewood)
B.P. Richardson (Wolseley). The defeated candidates were Mr. Clark
(Battleford) ; James Fisher (Batoche) ; James Reilly (Calgary) ; Cun-
ningham and Maloney (Edmonton) ; Slater (Kinistino); George M. An-
nable (Moose Jaw) ; 0. E. Hughes (Prince Albert) ; Clark (Qu'Appelle
North) ; G. W. Brown (Regina North); D. L. Scott (Regina South); J.
W. Connell and Fraser (Souris) ; Wm. Eakin (Wallace) ; J. G. Lyons and
John Hawkes (Whitewood) ; and J. P. Dill (Wolseley). In addition to
the elected members three judges sat as legal experts, viz.: Richardson,
Macleod and Rouleau.
The second legislature met in Regina on December 10th, 1891. The
members were Dr. Brett (Banff) ; C. E. Boucher (Batoche) ; James
Clinkskill (Battleford) ; S. S. Page (Cannington) ; J. Bannerman (East
Calgary); Mathew McCauley (Edmonton) ; John Lineham (High River)
W. E. Meyers (Kinistino) ; Chas. A. Magrath, acclamation (Lethbridge)
F. W. G. Haultain, acclamation (Macleod) ; Ed Fearon (Medicine Hat)
Jas. H. Ross (Moose Jaw) ; J. R. Neff (Moosomin) ; Wm. Sutherland
(North Qu'Appelle) ; G. W. Brown (North Regina) ; John F. Betts (Prince
Albert East) ; J. Lestock Reid (Prince Albert West) ; J. A. Simpson (Red
Deer); W. Eakin (Saltcoats) ; G. H. Knowling, acclamation (Souris) ; G.
H. V. Bulyea (South Qu'Appelle) ; D. Mowatt (South Regina) ; D. Ma-
loney (St. Albert) ; F. F. Timms, acclamation (Victoria) ; 0. A. Critchley
(West Calgary) ; A. B. Gillis (Whitewood) ; J. P. Dill (Wolseley) ; F. R.
Insinger (Yorkton). This legislature also ran its full term of three years.
The third legislature met on the 4th April, 1899, as follows: A. L.
Sifton (Banff) ; C. W. Fisher (Batoche) ; B. Prince (Battleford) ; A. E.
Cross (East Calgary); R. B. Bennett (West Calgary) ; E. C. McDiarmid
(Cannington); M. McCauley (Edmonton); R. S. Lake (Grenfell); R. A.
Wallace (High River) ; W. F. Meyers (Kinistino) ; Dr. De Veber, accla-
mation (Lethbridge); F. W. G. Haultain, acclamation (Macleod); H. A.
Greeley (Medicine Hat) ; J. A. McIntyre (Mitchell) ; J. H. Ross (Moose
Jaw); A. S. Smith (Moosomin) ; Samuel Macleod (Prince Albert East);
Thomas McKay (Prince Albert West); Donald H. McDonald, acclamation
(North Qu'Appelle); G. H. V. Bulyea (South Qu'Appelle); J. A. Simpson
(Red Deer); G. W. Brown (North Regina); J. B. Hawkes (South Re-
gina); W. Eakin (Saltcoats); J. W. Connell (Souris); J. W. Shera
(Victoria) ; A. A. Rosenroll (Wetaskiwin) ; A. B. Gillis, acclamation (White-
wood); Dr. Elliott (Wolseley) ; Dr. Patrick, acclamation (Yorkton).
The first, second and third legislatures ran their full life, but the
fourth, elected on the 4th of November, 1898, for four years, was dissolved
on the 26th April, 1902, when it had some months to run. The fourth
legislature consisted of thirty-five members, of whom the following were
re-elected: C. Fisher, B. Prince, R. B. Bennett, E. C. McDiarmid, R. S.
Lake, by acclamation, R. A. Wallace, J. A. Simpson, W. F. Meyers, Dr.
De Veber, F. W. G. Haultain, H. A. Greeley, A. D. McIntyre, acclama-
tion, G. M. Annable (elected first in a bye-election for Moose Jaw), A. S.
Smith, Thomas McKay, Donald H. McDonald acclamation, J. W. Shera,
A.A. Rosenroll, A. B. Gillis, Dr. Elliott and Dr. Patrick. Chas. W.
Fisher was elected for Banff in a bye-election on the retirement of A. L.
Sifton to become first Chief Justice of the Northwest Territories and was
re-elected at the general election. New members were John J. Young
(East Calgary) ; J. W. Woolf (Cardston) ; Richard Secord (Edmonton)
Peter Talbot (Lacombe); W. T. Finlay (Medicine Hat); D. Maloney (St.
Albert), but was unseated, when he was defeated by L. J. A. Lambert)
Thos. MacNutt (Saltcoats); W. H. Sinclair (Saskatoon); James Clinkskill
(Saskatoon) ; A. C. Rutherford (Strathcona).
Dr. Brett, for some time premier, was returned at the ensuing elec-
tion, but only sat for one session. His name is mentioned here in order
that a tribute may be paid to an honorable and cultured gentleman, who
has since been suitably honored by a double term as Lieutenant-Governor
of Alberta. The stand he took in the "fight for freedom" was not in
accord with the popular feeling, but as a convinced Tory it was quite in
accord with what he conceived to be his duty. Dr. Brett will always hold
a deservedly prominent place in the list of western worthies and we know
of none who is regarded with a more affectionate esteem.
The fight for freedom practically closed with the fourth session of
the second Assembly (1898), for in the interval before its final session
legislation was passed at Ottawa giving additional powers to the legisla-
ture, and co-incidently Lieutenant-Governor Royal's term of office ex-
pired. A bye-election was held for Whitewood at which for the first time
the ballot was used in the Territories. Under the old system the voter
told the returning officer orally for whom he wished to vote. This was
under an ordinance introduced by Mr. Frank Oliver, by which each candi-
date was allotted a certain color, and the ballot had to be marked with a
pencil of that color. There were four candidates at Whitewood, requiring
of course four different colored pencils at each polling station. At the
last moment word came that there were only three pencils at Fairmede
polling station, and the missing pencil was the pencil of Mr. W. Clement,
a Fairmede farmer. A pencil was expressed from Regina to Whitewood,
where a terrific blizzard was raging. Mr. Fred Chamberlain, the local
liveryman, drove twenty-five miles with that pencil at the risk of his life,
and arrived safely and in time. Mr. Chamberlain, an ex-officer of the
Mercantile Marine, was one of Whitewood's pioneers. After the general
election of 1894 Mr. Haultain called as members of the Executive Council
Messrs. J. H. Ross, Hillyard Mitchell, C. A. Magrath and G. H. V. Bulyea.
Mr. Haultain and Ross were in permanent residence in Regina, the other
members were non-resident and only called in as occasion demanded for
Once the constitutional question was settled, and the powers of the As-
sembly more or less clearly defined, Mr. Haultain's position as the head
of the Government was never seriously in danger. Mr. J. H. Ross was his
lieutenant till 1901, when he resigned his seat to become Lieutenant-
Governor of the Yukon. It must be conceded that Messrs. Haultain and
Ross made a remarkably good team. Mr. Haultain never was and never
could be a politician in the commonly accepted meaning of the term. The
calculated use of the glad hand, the campaign caressing of grimy infants
were quite beyond him. He was openly accused of a certain undemocratic
aloofness and hauteur; and he most certainly had on occasion a gift of
cool biting sarcasm which was the dread of a good many. But he was
never lacking in high courtesy; a polished, ready, logical and cultured
speaker he never strained for an effect, and was never known to get
"rattled" under attack, to thump his desk, to use an unparliamentary ex-
pression or fail in any personal courtesy. He was a manly, straightfor-
ward opponent, singularly free from mere personal ambition, and quite
incapable of being moved by mercenary considerations. It was perhaps
fortunate for the Territory that in its growing time, when all vigorous
initiative was restricted by a half-starved Treasury that it had at its head
a man who recognised the facts of the situation, and who, while doing
his best to get larger means, and better service, never wasted his energies
in chasing any theoretical will-o'-the-wisp. He was admirably seconded
by Mr. Ross, who had a natural friendliness, a shrewd judgment of men
and things, and an intimate knowledge of the life of the country, which
made him second to none in the arena of political affairs. In 1901 Mr.
Ross was appointed Governor of the Yukon. Meanwhile a third resident
minister being required Mr. Bulyea was called in and became minister of
Regina. It will show that it was still a day of small things when we say
that the sum at his disposal to pay his own salary, that of his deputy and
staff and to foster the agriculture of an empire was $25,000.
The theory was that there were no federal politics in federal affairs,
and this was a perpetual bone of contention. When Mr. Bulyea was
called in the "Cabinet" was composed of two pronounced Liberals and
one not particularly aggressive Conservative in Mr. Haultain; and the
cry that the Government was really a "Grit Hive" was heard in certain
circles. When Mr. Ross went to the Yukon, and was succeeded by Mr.
A. L. Sifton, who had replaced Dr. Brett for Banif, the cry became louder
yet. After the election of 1902 the demand was fairly general on both
sides that party lines be drawn, and at a Conservative Convention at
Moose Jaw Mr. Haultain consented to this course being adopted. When
Mr. Sifton succeeded Chief Justice Maguire on the Bench, Dr. Elliott
of Wolseley, a Conservative, became Minister of Agriculture and the Cabi-
net of two Conservatives to one Liberal (Mr. Bulyea) remained in power
till the formation of the Province.
Bibliography follows:
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