Minister of Customs
Encyclopedia
The office of Minister of Customs was a position in the Cabinet
of the Government of Canada
responsible for the administration of customs
revenue collection. This position was originally created by Statute 31 Vict., c. 43, and assented
to on 22 May 1868.
From 3 December 1892, the Minister's position was cancelled in favour of a Controller of Customs position which was treated as part of the Ministry
, but not part of the formal Cabinet. A similar change was also made to the Minister of Inland Revenue portfolio at that time.
The Controller of Customs became part of the Cabinet on 24 December 1895 when John Fisher Wood
became a part of the Privy Council
. The position once again became known as Minister of Customs with the passage of Statute 60-61 Vict., c. 18 which was given royal assent on 29 June 1897. The same legislation also brought back the title of Minister of Inland Revenue.
The offices of Minister of Customs and Minister of Inland Revenue
were replaced by a combined Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue, as mandated by Order in Council dated 18 May 1918.
Cabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
of the Government of Canada
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...
responsible for the administration of customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
revenue collection. This position was originally created by Statute 31 Vict., c. 43, and assented
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
to on 22 May 1868.
From 3 December 1892, the Minister's position was cancelled in favour of a Controller of Customs position which was treated as part of the Ministry
Ministry (collective executive)
A ministry refers to a collective body of government ministers headed by a prime minister or premier. Although the term "cabinet" can in some circumstances be a synonym, a ministry can be a broader concept which might include office-holders that do not participate in cabinet meetings...
, but not part of the formal Cabinet. A similar change was also made to the Minister of Inland Revenue portfolio at that time.
The Controller of Customs became part of the Cabinet on 24 December 1895 when John Fisher Wood
John Fisher Wood
John Fisher Wood, PC, QC was an Ontario businessman, lawyer and politician. He represented Brockville in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative from 1882 to 1899....
became a part of the Privy Council
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
. The position once again became known as Minister of Customs with the passage of Statute 60-61 Vict., c. 18 which was given royal assent on 29 June 1897. The same legislation also brought back the title of Minister of Inland Revenue.
The offices of Minister of Customs and Minister of Inland Revenue
Minister of Inland Revenue (Canada)
The Minister of Inland Revenue was a portfolio in the Canadian Cabinet from 1867 until 1918 when it became the Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue. In 1927, the portfolio became the Minister of National Revenue.-Ministers and Controllers of Customs:...
were replaced by a combined Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue, as mandated by Order in Council dated 18 May 1918.
Ministers and Controllers of Customs
| Minister | From | To | Ministry | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Leonard Tilley Samuel Leonard Tilley Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation. Tilley was descended from United Empire Loyalists on both sides of his family... |
1 July 1867 | 21 February 1873 | 1st | |
| Charles Tupper Charles Tupper Sir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet, GCMG, CB, PC was a Canadian father of Confederation: as the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led Nova Scotia into Confederation. He later went on to serve as the sixth Prime Minister of Canada, sworn in to office on May 1, 1896, seven days after... |
22 February 1873 | 5 November 1873 | 1st | |
| Isaac Burpee Isaac Burpee Isaac Burpee, was a Canadian merchant, entrepreneur, and politician.Born in Sheffield, New Brunswick, the son of Isaac Burpee and Phoebe Coban, he was elected as a Liberal to the Canadian House of Commons in 1872 representing the riding of City and County of St. John, New Brunswick... |
7 November 1873 | 8 October 1878 | 2nd | |
| Mackenzie Bowell Mackenzie Bowell Sir Mackenzie Bowell, PC, KCMG was a Canadian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister of Canada from December 21, 1894 to April 27, 1896.-Early life:Bowell was born in Rickinghall, Suffolk, England to John Bowell and Elizabeth Marshall... |
19 October 1878 | 24 January 1892 | 3rd, 4th | |
| Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, PC, KCMG , born in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, was a French-Canadian lawyer and politician.... |
25 January 1892 | 24 November 1892 | 4th | |
| Nathaniel Clarke Wallace Nathaniel Clarke Wallace Nathaniel Clarke Wallace was a Canadian politician and Orangeman.Born in Woodbridge, Ontario, the third son of the Nathanael Wallace and Ann Wallace, natives of County Sligo, Ireland, who came to Canada in 1834 and 1833 respectively. He was educated in Woodbridge Public School and at the Weston... |
5 December 1892 | 13 December 1895 | 5th 5th Canadian Ministry The Fifth Canadian Ministry was the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir John Sparrow Thompson. It governed Canada from 5 December 1892 to 12 December 1894, including only two years in the middle of the 7th Canadian Parliament... , 6th 6th Canadian Ministry The Sixth Canadian Ministry was the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie Bowell. It governed Canada from 21 December 1894 to 27 April 1896, including only the last year of the 7th Canadian Parliament... |
|
| John Fisher Wood John Fisher Wood John Fisher Wood, PC, QC was an Ontario businessman, lawyer and politician. He represented Brockville in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative from 1882 to 1899.... |
14 December 1895 | 5 January 1896 | 6th 6th Canadian Ministry The Sixth Canadian Ministry was the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie Bowell. It governed Canada from 21 December 1894 to 27 April 1896, including only the last year of the 7th Canadian Parliament... |
Wood was interim Controller until his appointment was official on 17 December 1895. On 24 December 1895, the position was again made a formal part of Cabinet. |
| Frank Smith Frank Smith (Canadian politician) Sir Frank Smith, PC was a Canadian businessman and senator.He was born in County Armagh in Ireland and in 1832 came to Canada with his family and his father established a farm in Etobicoke. Smith went into commerce, first working as a clerk in several Toronto stores, and then opening is own... |
6 January 1896 | 14 January 1896 | 6th 6th Canadian Ministry The Sixth Canadian Ministry was the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie Bowell. It governed Canada from 21 December 1894 to 27 April 1896, including only the last year of the 7th Canadian Parliament... |
Smith was a Senator who served as acting Controller. |
| John Fisher Wood John Fisher Wood John Fisher Wood, PC, QC was an Ontario businessman, lawyer and politician. He represented Brockville in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative from 1882 to 1899.... |
15 January 1896 | 8 July 1896 | 6th 6th Canadian Ministry The Sixth Canadian Ministry was the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie Bowell. It governed Canada from 21 December 1894 to 27 April 1896, including only the last year of the 7th Canadian Parliament... , 7th 7th Canadian Ministry The Seventh Canadian Ministry was the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper. It governed Canada from 1 May to 8 July 1896. It was formed after the 7th Canadian Parliament was dissolved, and lost the 8th Canadian federal election, so it never faced a parliament... |
|
| William Paterson William Paterson (Canadian politician) William Paterson, PC was a Canadian politician.Born in Hamilton, Upper Canada, the son of James and Martha Paterson, Paterson's parents died from cholera in 1849 and he was adopted by Reverend Dr. Ferrier, a Presbyterian minister. He was educated in Hamilton and Caledonia... |
30 June 1897 | 6 October 1911 | 8th 8th Canadian Ministry The Eighth Canadian Ministry was the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. It governed Canada from 11 July 1896 to 5 October 1911, including all of the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th Canadian Parliaments... |
Position's name reverted from Controller to Minister. |
| John Dowsley Reid John Dowsley Reid John Dowsley Reid, PC was a Canadian businessman, physician, and parliamentarian. A Conservative, he was a long-standing Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for the Ontario Electoral district of Grenville South... |
10 October 1911 | 12 October 1917 | 9th 9th Canadian Ministry The Ninth Canadian Ministry was the first cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden. It governed Canada from 10 October 1911 to 12 October 1917, including only the 12th Canadian Parliament. The government was formed by the old Conservative Party of Canada... |
|
| Arthur Lewis Sifton Arthur Lewis Sifton Arthur Lewis Watkins Sifton, PC, KC was a Canadian politician who served as the second Premier of Alberta from 1910 until 1917 and as a minister in the Government of Canada thereafter. Born in Ontario, he grew up there and in Winnipeg, where he became a lawyer... |
12 October 1917 | 17 May 1918 | 10th 10th Canadian Ministry The Tenth Canadian Ministry was the second cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden. It governed Canada from 12 October 1917 to 10 July 1920, including most of the 13th Canadian Parliament. The government was formed by the Unionists, a war-time coalition between the old Conservative... |
Sifton also held the Inland Revenue post. On 18 May 1918, the ministries were combined and Sifton continued as Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue. |