User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Electoral history of Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau



This article is the Electoral history of Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, the fifth Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec. He served from 1879 to 1882, the fourth of eight Conservative premiers.

Chapleau was active in Quebec provincial politics from 1867 onwards, elected to the Legislative Assembly eight times, twice by acclamation. He served in the Cabinets of Premier Gédéon Ouimet and Premier Charles Boucher de Boucherville.

Chosen as leader of the Conservatives in 1878, he led the party in two general elections, in 1878 and 1881. The 1878 election initially resulted in a minority Liberal government led by Premier Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, but Chapleau defeated Joly de Lotbinière on a confidence motion in the Legislature in 1879 and became Premier, without immediately calling a new election. In the general election of 1881, Chapleau led the Conservatives to a strong majority.

In 1882, he moved to federal politics, becoming a member of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald. He was elected to the federal House of Commons ## times, ## by acclamation.

In 1892 he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, a position he held until 1898.

Summary


Chapleau ranks eighteenth out of thirty-two premiers of Quebec by time in office, serving from October 31, 1879 to July 31, 1882. He was in office for a total of.

Chapleau began his political career in the 1860s, as a young activist for the Parti Bleu, the French-Canadian conservative group in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada under the leadership of George-Étienne Cartier. He supported Confederation, seeing it as a way to protect the autonomy of French-Canadians.

Canada came into existence on July 1, 1867, when the British North America Act, 1867 came into force. The former Province of Canada was split into the new provinces of Quebec (formerly Lower Canada) and Ontario (formerly Upper Canada). Chapleau stood for election in the first Quebec general election for the new province of Quebec, as a member of the new Conservative party. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly by acclamation for the riding of Terrebonne, which he represented continuously until 1882. He tried to enter federal politics in the general election of 1872, but was defeated in the riding of Verchères.

Chapleau served in the Cabinet of Premier Ouimet (his old law partner) as Solicitor General (1873-1874) and in the Cabinet of Premier Boucher de Boucherville as Provincial Secretary and Registrar (1876-1878). After Boucher de Boucherville was dismissed as premier by the Lieutenant Governor, Chapleau successfully challenged him for the leadership of the Conservatives. As Leader of the Opposition, he then organised the defeat of the Liberal government of Premier Joly de Lotbinière, by having the Legislative Council of Quebec, the upper house of the Legislature of Quebec, reject the provincial budget, a confidence measure. The new Lieutenant Governor then appointed Chapleau as premier, without calling a new election.

Chapleau led the Conservatives in the general election of 1881, which he won with a substantial majority. However, the Conservative party in Quebec was increasingly divided between its ultramontane wing and the more moderate wing. Chapleau found it increasingly difficult to lead the government, notwithstanding his majority in the Legislative Assembly.



In the summer of 1882 he moved to federal politics, and was appointed to the federal Cabinet by Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald as Secretary of State (1882-1891). He was elected in the federal riding of Terrebonne in 1882. Following Macdonald's death, he continued to serve in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sir John Abbott, but declined to serve under Prime Minister Sir John Thompson. He held the riding of Terrebonne until he resigned from the Commons in 1892, on his appointment as Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, which he held until 1898, the year of his death.

Quebec general elections, 1878 and 1881
Chapleau led the Quebec Conservatives in two general elections, in 1878 and 1881. The first election returned a hung parliament, eventually resulting in Chapleau becoming premier a year later, in 1879. In the election of 1881, he won a substantial majority government, defeating the former premier, Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière and the Liberals.

1878 General election
In Chapleau's first general election leading the Conservatives, the voters returned a closely divided Legislative Assembly. Premier Joly de Lotbinière was initially able to maintain a minority government, even though the Conservatives had one more seat than the Liberals. The situation was unstable, and Chapleau won office partway through the term of the Legislative Assembly, on a confidence measure.

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after election.

1881 General election
In Chapleau's second general election, he won a strong majority government, defeating the Liberals led by Joly de Lotbinière. In spite of his majority in the Assembly, Chapleau found it increasingly difficult to control the fractious wings of the Conservative party. In 1882, he accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald to join the federal Cabinet in Ottawa, and resigned as premier.

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after election.

Quebec constituency elections, 1867 to 1881
Chapleau stood for election to the Legislative Assembly eight times, all for the constituency of Terrebonne. He was elected all eight times, six by acclamation.

1867 General election: Terrebonne
Elected.

1871 General election: Terrebonne
Elected. X Incumbent.

1873 By-election: Terrebonne
By-election was triggered by Chapleau being appointed to Cabinet, an office of profit under the Crown.

Elected. X Incumbent.

1875 General election: Terrebonne
Elected. X Incumbent.

1876 By-election: Terrebonne
By-election was triggered by Chapleau being appointed to Cabinet, an office of profit under the Crown.

Elected. X Incumbent.

1878 General election: Terrebonne
Elected. X Incumbent.

1879 By-election: Terrebonne
By-election was triggered by Chapleau being appointed Premier, an office of profit under the Crown.

Elected. X Incumbent.

1881 General election: Terrebonne
Elected. X Incumbent.

Federal constituency elections, 1872, 1882 to 1891
Chapleau stood for election to the House of Commons ## times, once in the federal riding of Verchères in 1872, and ## in ##. He was defeated in 1872, but elected in the elections from 1882 to 1891, ## times by acclamation.

1872 General election: Verchères
Elected.

1882 By-election: Terrebonne
By-election to allow Chapleau to enter the federal Parliament.

Elected.

1887 General election: Terrebonne
Elected. X Incumbent.