SIR J. MACDONALD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8585, 5 June 1891, Page 5

SIR J. MACDONALD.

DEATH IMM 1 N EN.T, Frets 4 uortaUon.—Sltetrie 'felrgrapb.-■Copyright, Ottawa., June 4. ■ Sift John Macdona_d is sinking.

The Right Hon. Sir John Alex. Maodonaia, G.C.8., D.C.L. (Oxon), LUD., Q.C., ?.C. (Kingston), oldest sop of the late #ugh McDonald, Esq., of Kingston, Ontario, and formerly of Sutherlanilshire, Scotland, was barn in Glasgow on January 11, 18J5, and educated at' Royal Grammar Schosl, Kingston, under Dr. Wilson, a iFcllpw of o*ford. University. He studied law with the ; late Air. ■ George Mackenzie, was called to the Bar, United Canada, in Hilary Term, 1833 ; and was appointed a Q.C. in 1846, and is a benqhor, ex ofirio, of. the Law Society of Ontario. 7 He "is the grand f representa-r tive in Canada of the Griynd Lodge of Antienfc, Free, and Accepted JHasoqs of England, and f holds thi? , rank? of <£«y. Past Grand Senior Warden . of the Freemasons of Canada. He was a j member of the Executive Council of Canada in 184748,; 185462, 1804; and -was ReceiverGeneral in 1847 Commissioner of Crown Lands, 1847-48 ;> 1854.62, 1864-67 ; and Prime Minister 18&8; Government Leader in the Assembly 1864-67; Minister of Militia Affairs. 186205 67. : He was requested to take the place of SirE. VToche as, Prime Minister, on the death of that '■■ gentleman in 1865, but waived hie claim in favour of, Sir jN. E. Belleau. He has been a delegate to England and;other countries on public business on many occasions, 1 and was ■ chairman • of the \ London Colonial Conference; 1866-67, when -I the Act; of union known as > the "British Worth America Act" woe passed by the Imperial Parliament. ;; On July :1, ; 1867, when the New Constitution came into force, Sir John Macdonald waa called upon to form the first Government for i the . new Dominion, and was sworn ot the Privy; Council and appointed Minister of Justice and AttorneyGeneral, of Canada, an 'office i which be continued to fill .until he and his Ministry resigned on the Pacific .Railway charges, November 6,1873. On the I resignation of the Reform Administration, October, 1878, he : formed the present ? Government;; inj which he became Minister of s the Interior; resigned this i portfolio and became President of the Council I and Superintendent-' General iof i Indian Affairs, October i 17, ! 1883, iln 1871 ihe was i appointed : one j; of; Her Majesty's Joint-High •;> Commissioners and Plenipotentiaries, ' together ; with ; Earl de Grey (now Marquis of Ripon, Sir Stafford Northcote, Sir Edward'Thomton, and the Right Hon. Montague Bernard, to act in connection with five, commissioners named by the < President ;of the United States, for the settlement of the Alabama claims, and of matters in dispute between Great Britain: and the United States, the labours 'of which -Joint High Commission resulted in the Treaty of Washington, signed at Washington, U.S., on May 8, ? 1871. He received the degree of : D.C.L.' (hon.) from , Oxford I University, * 1865. Is also LL.D. of Queen's University, Kingston, and of McGiU University, Montreal, ; and a D.C.L. of the University of Trinity College, Toronto was created a K.O.B.(civil) July, 1867, and a G.C.B. November, 1834, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabel la, Catolica (of Spain) January, 1872. He was nominated a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, ■ July,; i 872, and sworn ?in August, 1879. .Unanimously elected leader, of the Canadian Liberal Conservative Opposition, November 6; 1873, and became Premier and Minister of the Interior on October 17,1878. In his position a3 leader of the Opposition, > ! Sir John, on several v occasions, gave the late Government the benefit of his ability and long experience in perfecting several of their most important measures, notably the Insolvent Act and the Act Constituting the ; Supreme Court of the Dominion. During the summer of 1880, Sir John i visited Ens-1 iland ;in company with Ministers ;of i Railways and Agriculture,. they arranged the contract; for the construction of the Pacific Railway, to which Parliament has given effect." He visited England again November, 1884* and while there was recognised as the pioneer of the idea of Imperial Unity. He attended the ; conference held in London, in November, 1884, at which the Imperial Federation league was formed, and he moved the appointment of » General Com mittee to conduct ; its affairs, i Sir John ; married (Ist)- Isabella, i daughter 5 of j-i the late Alexander; Clark, ■ Esq., of Dalnavert, Inverness-shire, Scotland (she \ died , 1856); (2nd) 1867, Susan Agnes, i daughter of ) the late ■ Hon. T. J. Bernard, . a member of Her Majesty's Privy Council of the Island of Jamaica. ' ■■ ■• -. ■■■ •.- ■ ■