Commission of Government
Encyclopedia
The Commission of Government was a non-elected body that governed Newfoundland
from 1934 to 1949 (when the former dominion
became the tenth province
of Canada
). Established following the collapse of Newfoundland's economy during the Great Depression
, it was composed of civil servants who were directly subordinate to the British Government in London
.
incurred during the First World War. In 1933, following a prolonged period of economic crisis and severe budgetary deficit, the government of Prime Minister Frederick C. Alderdice
asked the British and Canadian governments
to establish a royal commission
(the Newfoundland Royal Commission
) to investigate the dominion's continuing crisis and to suggest a solution to its problems.
The commission (commonly known as the "Amulree Commission") was chaired by Lord Amulree, appointed by the British government, and also included C. A. Magrath, appointed by the Canadian government, and Sir William Stavert, who represented the Newfoundland government.
The commission recommended the temporary suspension of responsible government
in Newfoundland, and replacing it with a Commission of Government made up of the British-appointed Governor, and six commissioners appointed by the Crown
(split equally between British and Newfoundland born appointees).
Alderdice was in favor of this recommendation, and accordingly put it to the House of Assembly
, which duly approved the proposals, and thus voted itself out of existence.
The Commission of Government was sworn in on 16 February 1934, with Alderdice as vice-chairman, and immediately set about reforming the administration of the country in hopes of balancing the government's budget. With the help of grants in aid from the United Kingdom
the Commission attempted to encourage agriculture and reorganize the fishing industry. While it did much to expand government health services to rural areas, for example, it could not solve the basic economic problems of a small export-oriented country during a time of worldwide economic stagnation.
American and Canadian military spending in Newfoundland during the 1940s caused an economic boom and allowed the Commission of Government to consider how to reintroduce a system of democratic government. However, the British government believed that the wartime prosperity would be short-lived, and so it established the Newfoundland National Convention
in 1946 to debate constitutional options. These constitutional options were then submitted to the people in two referendums
in 1948. By a slender majority Newfoundlanders chose to become a province
of Canada rather than return to the status of a self-governing dominion. The Commission of Government continued to govern Newfoundland until March 31, 1949, when the colony finally joined Canada.
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
from 1934 to 1949 (when the former dominion
Dominion
A dominion, often Dominion, refers to one of a group of autonomous polities that were nominally under British sovereignty, constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth, beginning in the latter part of the 19th century. They have included Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland,...
became the tenth province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
). Established following the collapse of Newfoundland's economy during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, it was composed of civil servants who were directly subordinate to the British Government in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Background
Newfoundland's economic difficulties were exacerbated by debtDebt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
incurred during the First World War. In 1933, following a prolonged period of economic crisis and severe budgetary deficit, the government of Prime Minister Frederick C. Alderdice
Frederick C. Alderdice
Frederick Charles Alderdice was a businessman, politician and the last Prime Minister of Newfoundland. A prominent St...
asked the British and Canadian governments
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
to establish a royal commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
(the Newfoundland Royal Commission
Newfoundland Royal Commission
The Newfoundland Royal Commission or Amulree Commission was a royal commission established on February 17, 1933 by the Government of the United Kingdom "to examine into the future of Newfoundland and in particular to report on the financial situation and prospects therein."In November 1932, the...
) to investigate the dominion's continuing crisis and to suggest a solution to its problems.
The commission (commonly known as the "Amulree Commission") was chaired by Lord Amulree, appointed by the British government, and also included C. A. Magrath, appointed by the Canadian government, and Sir William Stavert, who represented the Newfoundland government.
The commission recommended the temporary suspension of responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
in Newfoundland, and replacing it with a Commission of Government made up of the British-appointed Governor, and six commissioners appointed by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
(split equally between British and Newfoundland born appointees).
Alderdice was in favor of this recommendation, and accordingly put it to the House of Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...
, which duly approved the proposals, and thus voted itself out of existence.
The Commission of Government was sworn in on 16 February 1934, with Alderdice as vice-chairman, and immediately set about reforming the administration of the country in hopes of balancing the government's budget. With the help of grants in aid from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the Commission attempted to encourage agriculture and reorganize the fishing industry. While it did much to expand government health services to rural areas, for example, it could not solve the basic economic problems of a small export-oriented country during a time of worldwide economic stagnation.
American and Canadian military spending in Newfoundland during the 1940s caused an economic boom and allowed the Commission of Government to consider how to reintroduce a system of democratic government. However, the British government believed that the wartime prosperity would be short-lived, and so it established the Newfoundland National Convention
Newfoundland National Convention
The Newfoundland National Convention of 1946 was a forum established to decide the constitutional future of Newfoundland-Nominations:On 11 December 1945 the Government of Britain announced that there would be an election to a National Convention, which would debate constitutional options and make a...
in 1946 to debate constitutional options. These constitutional options were then submitted to the people in two referendums
Newfoundland referendums, 1948
The Newfoundland Referendums of 1948 were a series of two referendums to decide the political future of the Dominion of Newfoundland. Before the referendums, Newfoundland was in debt and went through several delegations to determine whether the country would join Canada, remain under British rule...
in 1948. By a slender majority Newfoundlanders chose to become a province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Canada rather than return to the status of a self-governing dominion. The Commission of Government continued to govern Newfoundland until March 31, 1949, when the colony finally joined Canada.
Chairmen of Commission of Government
| Term | Chairman |
|---|---|
| 1934-1935 | David Murray Anderson David Murray Anderson Admiral Sir David Murray Anderson KCB, KCMG, MVO was a naval officer and governor. Anderson served in the Royal Navy from the age of 13 and served in many Colonial wars and was given various Empire postings, rising to the rank of Admiral in 1931... |
| 1936-1946 | Humphrey T. Walwyn Humphrey T. Walwyn Vice-Admiral Sir Humphrey Thomas Walwyn, KCSI, KCMG, CB, DSO served most of his life in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of Vice-Admiral and the command of the Royal Indian Navy from 1928, retiring in 1934.... |
| 1946-1949 | Gordon MacDonald Gordon Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald of Gwaenysgor Gordon Macdonald, PC, 1st Baron Macdonald of Gwaenysgor, was a British Labour Party politician and Newfoundland's final British governor as well as the last chairman of the Commission of Government serving from 1946 until the colony joined Confederation in 1949 and became a province of Canada... |
Members of the Commission of Government
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick Charles Alderdice Frederick C. Alderdice Frederick Charles Alderdice was a businessman, politician and the last Prime Minister of Newfoundland. A prominent St... |
1934 | 1936 |
| Sir John Hope Simpson | 1934 | 1936 |
| William Richard Howley | 1934 | 1937 |
| Thomas Lodge Thomas Lodge (civil servant) Thomas Lodge CB was a British civil servant.Born in Liverpool, Lodge was educated at the Liverpool Institute and Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he graduated in History in 1904. He joined the Board of Trade as an upper division clerk in 1905 and was promoted to Principal Clerk in 1917... |
1934 | 1937 |
| John Charles Puddester John Charles Puddester John Charles Puddester was a businessman and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Bay de Verde from 1924 to 1932 and Carbonear-Bay de Verde from 1932 to 1934. Puddester was then appointed to the Commission of Government, serving until his death in 1947.He was born in Northern Bay, the... (knighted in 1939) |
1934 | 1947 |
| Everard Noel Rye Trentham | 1934 | 1937 |
| James Alexander Winter | 1936 | 1941 |
| Robert Benson Ewbank | 1936 | 1939 |
| Sir Wilfrid Wentworth Woods | 1937 | 1944 |
| John Hubert Penson | 1937 | 1941 |
| Lewis Edward Emerson Lewis Edward Emerson Lewis Edward Emerson was a lawyer, judge and political figure in Newfoundland. He represented Placentia East from 1928 to 1932 and St. John's East from 1932 to 1934 in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly.... (knighted in 1944) |
1937 | 1944 |
| John Henry Gorvin | 1939 | 1941 |
| Ira Wild | 1941 | 1946 |
| Peter Douglas Hay Dunn | 1941 | 1945 |
| Harry Anderson Winter | 1941 | 1947 |
| Sir George Ernest London | 1944 | 1945 |
| Albert Joseph Walsh Albert Walsh Sir Albert Joseph Walsh , commissioner, chief justice and the first Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland for 1949, the first Lieutenant Governor for Newfoundland after confederation with Canada.... (knighted in 1949) |
1944 | 1949 |
| James Scott Neill | 1945 | 1949 |
| William Henry Flinn | 1945 | 1949 |
| Richard Lewis Malcolm James | 1946 | 1949 |
| Herman William Quinton Herman William Quinton Herman William Quinton was a Canadian politician.He worked as a school teacher from 1913 to 1914 and then joined Sir William Coaker in the Fisherman's Union Trading Company managing various branches before becoming dry goods superintendentQuinton served with the Newfoundland Regiment during World... |
1947 | 1949 |
Sources
Details as per notices in The London Gazette:- Notice dated January 31, 1934, issue no. 34021 of February 6, 1934, p. 834
- Notice dated April 21, 1936, issue no. 34280 of May 1, 1936, p. 2800
- Notice dated July 29, 1936, issue no. 34312 of August 7, 1936, p. 5184
- Notice dated January 18, 1937, issue no. 34363 of January 26, 1937, p. 554
- Notice dated May 10, 1937, issue no. 34400 of May 21, 1937, p. 3297
- Notice dated September 15, 1937, issue no. 34439 of September 28, 1937, p. 6016
- Notice dated May 31, 1939, issue no. 34634 of June 9, 1939, p. 3883
- Notice dated March 6, 1941, issue no. 35102 of March 11, 1941, p. 1447
- Notice dated June 3, 1941, issue no. 35183 of June 6, 1941, p. 3223
- Notice dated July 3, 1941, issue no. 35208 of July 4, 1941, p. 3821
- Notice dated September 14, 1944, issue no. 36709 of September 19, 1944, p. 4343
- Notice dated September 29, 1944, issue no. 36724 of September 29, 1944, p. 4491
- Notices dated September 28, 1945, issue no. 37305 of October 12, 1945, p. 5026
- Notice dated September 12, 1946, issue no. 37747 of October 4, 1946, p. 4945
- Notice dated January 25, 1947, issue no. 37868 of January 31, 1947, p. 559