James Johnson (Manitoba politician)
Encyclopedia
James Johnson was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1897 to 1915, as a member of the Conservative Party
. Johnson was a cabinet minister in the government of Hugh John Macdonald
, and was named speaker of the assembly
in 1904.
Johnson was born in Mitchell
, Canada West (now Ontario
), and was educated in that community. He worked as a farmer, and served as president of the Boissevain
Land Company. Johnson was a reeve and councillor in Morton
, and served as mayor
of Boissevain. In religion, he was a member of the Church of England
.
Johnson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
held on November 27, 1897 in the constituency of Turtle Mountain. Running as an independent Conservative, he defeated his Liberal
opponent by 150 votes. He was re-elected as an independent Conservative in the 1899 provincial election
, defeating Liberal J.S. Reikie by an increased margin.
The Conservatives won a majority government in this election, and Johnson was appointed to cabinet on January 10, 1900 as a minister without portfolio
in Hugh John Macdonald's government. He was dropped from cabinet on October 29, 1900, when Rodmond P. Roblin replaced Macdonald as premier.
Johnson was re-elected as an official Conservative candidate in the 1903 provincial election
, and was chosen as speaker of the assembly on January 7, 1904. He held this position for the next eleven years, until his departure from the legislature in 1915. He was re-elected without difficulty in the elections of 1907
and 1910
, and defeated Liberal challenger George William McDonald
by sixty-two votes in the 1914 election
.
The Conservative administration of Rodmond P. Roblin was forced to resign from office in 1915, amid a serious corruption scandal. A new general election
was called, which the Liberals won in a landslide. Johnson lost to George McDonald by thirty-six votes, in a rematch from the previous year. He died in 1929.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, 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...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1897 to 1915, as a member of the Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
. Johnson was a cabinet minister in the government of Hugh John Macdonald
Hugh John Macdonald
Sir Hugh John Macdonald, PC was the only surviving son of the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald, and was a politician in his own right, serving as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and a federal cabinet minister, and briefly as the eighth Premier of Manitoba.-Early...
, and was named speaker of the assembly
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba is the presiding officer of the provincial legislature.-List of Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba:-References:* *...
in 1904.
Johnson was born in Mitchell
Mitchell, Ontario
Mitchell is a community in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. Mitchell is located at the intersection of Highways 8 and 23, 20 km west of Stratford, and 60 km north of London, in the municipality of West Perth.-History:...
, Canada West (now Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
), and was educated in that community. He worked as a farmer, and served as president of the Boissevain
Boissevain, Manitoba
Boissevain is a town in Manitoba near the North Dakota border. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Morton. It is notable for its proximity to the International Peace Garden, a short drive south on Highway 10. The town also displays a number of wall murals as a tourist attraction...
Land Company. Johnson was a reeve and councillor in Morton
Morton, Manitoba
Morton is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada. It is located in the southwestern part of the province, on the border with the state of North Dakota in the United States. The population as of the 2006 Census was 718 persons, a decrease from 760 persons in 2001...
, and served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Boissevain. In religion, he was a member of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
Johnson was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on November 27, 1897 in the constituency of Turtle Mountain. Running as an independent Conservative, he defeated his Liberal
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
opponent by 150 votes. He was re-elected as an independent Conservative in the 1899 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1899
This was the tenth Manitoba general election and was held on December 7, 1899....
, defeating Liberal J.S. Reikie by an increased margin.
The Conservatives won a majority government in this election, and Johnson was appointed to cabinet on January 10, 1900 as a minister without portfolio
Minister without Portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
in Hugh John Macdonald's government. He was dropped from cabinet on October 29, 1900, when Rodmond P. Roblin replaced Macdonald as premier.
Johnson was re-elected as an official Conservative candidate in the 1903 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1903
Manitoba's general election of July 20, 1903 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a second consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, now led by Premier Rodmond Palen Roblin...
, and was chosen as speaker of the assembly on January 7, 1904. He held this position for the next eleven years, until his departure from the legislature in 1915. He was re-elected without difficulty in the elections of 1907
Manitoba general election, 1907
Manitoba's general election of March 7, 1907 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a third consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin...
and 1910
Manitoba general election, 1910
Manitoba's general election of July 11, 1910 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fourth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin. Roblin's electoral machine won...
, and defeated Liberal challenger George William McDonald
George William McDonald
George William McDonald was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1915 to 1922 as a member of the Manitoba Liberal Party, and later sat in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1940 as a Liberal-Progressive.McDonald was born in Lucknow,...
by sixty-two votes in the 1914 election
Manitoba general election, 1914
Manitoba's general election of July 10, 1914 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fifth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party, led by premier Rodmond P. Roblin...
.
The Conservative administration of Rodmond P. Roblin was forced to resign from office in 1915, amid a serious corruption scandal. A new general election
Manitoba general election, 1915
Manitoba's general election of August 6, 1915 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held only one year after the previous general election of 1914. In that election, the governing Conservatives of premier Rodmond P. Roblin were...
was called, which the Liberals won in a landslide. Johnson lost to George McDonald by thirty-six votes, in a rematch from the previous year. He died in 1929.