A DECEASED CANADIAN STATESMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 62

A DECEASED CANADIAN STATESMAN.

A SHORT .SKETCH OF THE CAREER OF SIR'OLrVER MOWAT, K.C.M.G.,

LATE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF ONTARIO. Sir Oliver's patents were natives of Cainsbey, Caithness, Scotland. His father was a c olclier under the late Duke of Wellington Sunn;? the Peninsular War, and emigrated to Canada in 1816, and Sir Oliver, his eldest son, was born on July 22, 1820, in Kingston. At the age of 17 he entered the law office of John A. JM'Donald, Kingston, and afterwards oomplettod his law course in the office of Mr Burn?, jj Toronto, subsequently becoming a partner in the firm. In 1?57 he was elected to the House, of Assembly for South Ontario. Tn IC6I he was appointed to the fcenclt as Vice-ChancoiJor •of Upper Canada. In this position he was looked upon as an ideal equity judge, as being fair-minded, accurate, and painstaking. In 1872 l.c retired from +he bench to reenter political life a>? Promier of Ontario and representative of North Oxford. A leader of the Liberal Party, he held the Premiership of Ontsrio until 1896, when he wa.3 called to the Senate of the Dominion Pad lament, and h^ld office as Minister of Justice and Pcstmas'er-General in the Mjnistry of Sir Wilfred Laurier. In November, 1897, he was appointed Lieirt.-Go\c-rnor of Ontario, which position he held until the day of bus death, on April 16, 1903 ; and his Premiership of Ontario, which he held from 1872 to 1696 (24 years), is considered the long-est term that ever such a position has been held by one man in any selfgoverning country.' His Government during ali that time is universally admitted to have been a clean and honest one. Ho aluo considered minorities had rights, and duly considered them. In religion lie was Presbyterian, but was liberal in religion as in politics. He is represented as one who never allowed lii 3 political predilections to interfere rnrith his personal friendship, and some of his chief opponents were hia closest personal friends; but he considered right before expediency, end his Government was considered oleen and honest by friends and foes alike 1 I conclude by giving a short extraot from the words of Chancellor Burwash: — "Sir Oliver Mowat for nearly 50 years has been prominent in the political activities of the country, and his reputation is spoffclesa. His professional learning, his accurate and impartial judgment, nis commanding ability, his lofty moral attitude, and his earnest Christian character have commanded ihe 'respect and admiration of excry candid man in the province." A. M.