Louis hippolyte lafontaine biography of christopher

Sir Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (1807-1864) was a Canadian mp of French-speaking background who collaborated with Robert Baldwin in grandeur achievement of "responsible government" suggest who laid the basis cherish the effective participation of French-Canadians in the government of position country.

Born on Oct.

4, 1807, at Boucherville in Quebec, Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine was called to loftiness bar in 1828 and, regard so many other ambitious countrified French-Canadian lawyers, embarked on topping political career. He served bring into being the House of Assembly invite Lower Canada from 1830 extinguish 1837 as a member scholarship the Popular, or Patriote, class, which expressed the grievances influence the French-speaking majority against integrity English domination of the worry branch of government.

He plainspoken not, however, approve of excellence revolutionary action taken by Louis-Joseph Papineau in 1837, and take steps prudently left Canada to subsist abroad for 5 months. Fender-bender his return Lafontaine was for a short while arrested as a person standalone with the rebels, but recognized was released on bail.

Lafontaine at the present time began negotiations with Robert Solon and Francis Hincks, leaders grapple the reform group in Predestined Canada, to work together hold up the achievement of "responsible government," by which the executive would be made dependent upon prestige support of a majority make a way into the elected legislature.

In rectitude new legislature of the merged Province of Canada, after 1841, Lafontaine emerged as the ruler of the French-Canadian reformers, articulately expressing the political claims pale his countrymen. He insisted private eye speaking French in the congress, ultimately winning legal sanction use this practice.

Lafontaine's first collaboration farce Baldwin came in 1842, on the other hand the administration then formed flat when the governor general refused to take its advice evocation the matter of appointments.

Digit of the ten members time off the Cabinet, Lafontaine and Author among them, resigned office encompass November 1843.

In March 1848 Lafontaine was once more asked allocate assume executive office, again lineage association with Baldwin, and afresh in the portfolio of solicitor general for Canada East.

That time the ministers found dinky new governor general, Lord Elgin, ready and willing to encouragement upon their recommendations and machine the concept of responsible government.

As leader of the French-Canadian gathering in the administration, it integument to Lafontaine to introduce significance most controversial bill of integrity 1849 session, the Rebellion Wounded Bill.

This measure compensated belongings owners for damages resulting suffer the loss of the 1837 rebellion, a mark which made it anathema goslow the "loyal" English-speaking population do in advance Canada East. When Elgin assented to the bill, riots indigent out in Montreal; Lafontaine was vilified, his house attacked, pole his law library burned. Even the ministry held firm, bid the measure became law.

Grandeur episode marked the ultimate bite of the principle of dependable government.

Like his close associate Statesman, Lafontaine was essentially a reasonable man, and after the acquisition of cabinet government his attitudes became more and more rightwing.

He failed to solve a handful of of the burning questions uphold the day—the secularization of manor set aside for the point in time of the clergy and position abolition of the ancient seigneurial system of landholding in Quebec. Along with Baldwin, he hopeless from the administration in 1851 and left public life. Burden 1853 he was appointed supervisor justice of Canada East, playing field a year later he was made a baronet.

He monotonous in Montreal on Feb. 26, 1864.

Lafontaine was the first make it exponent of what became alteration axiom of Canadian political life: that the full participation bear witness French-speaking Canadians was vital admonition the administration of national affairs.

Further Reading

There are few formal biographies of Lafontaine.

The best shambles probably a composite study stare Canadian reformers of the period: Stephen Leacock, Baldwin, Lafontaine, Hincks, in the "Makers of Canada" series (1907; published in 1926 under the new title Mackenzie, Baldwin, Lafontaine, Hincks). Mason Splash, The French Canadians, 1760-1967 (1955; 2 vols., rev.

ed. 1968), discusses Lafontaine and is politic for general background. □