Antoine-Aime Dorion

See also: Dorion

Antoine-Aime Dorion (January 17th 1818 with Holy-Anne-with-the-Pérade - May 31st 1891 with Montreal) is a Canadian Politician .

He was born with Holy-Anne-of it Pérade in a family with the liberal ideas, near to the Patriote S of 1837-1838. His/her father, Pierre-Antoine Dorion, merchant, were appointed patriotic party with the room of Parliament of the Low-Canada of 1830 with 1838.

After studies with the seminar of Nicolet of 1830 with 1837, it begins a career in right to Montreal and is allowed with the bar in 1842. In 1849, it takes part in the foundation of the democratic national Club with several liberals in sight and, for the first time, states its political principles: Vote for all, popular education and Free trade. The same year, it will take part in the signature of the “Proclamation annexationist”, initiative of the anglophone middle-class of Montreal asking the annexation of the Canada the the United States in reaction to the abolition of the Corn Laws by the Great Britain.

The political crisis which shakes the colony this year will bring the Act of Union of two Canadas. In 1851, Dorion takes part in the foundation of the newspaper the Country , body of the moderate reds which, on this date separate from the radicals of which most known is Jean-Baptist-Eric Dorion, younger brother of Antoine-Aime.

In 1853, Dorion will not take part in the debate on the abolition of tenure seigneuriale, heritage of the French mode to the Low-Canada, although the Country was in favor of abolition. It should be said that its law firm represents the interests of several lords.

In 1869, he will resign besides of the Canadian Institute of Montreal, condemned by the congregation of the index and perceived like the hearth of the radical reds. Contrary to his younger brother, it does not have anything a radical “enfant terrible” and will always represent the moderate liberalism of British tradition. Though liberal, it is also a Catholique practitioner, without a trace of anticlericalism.

In 1854, he is elected appointed of a district montréalaise. Moderated liberal, it declared himself for an elective Legislative council, the “reciprocity” (free trade) with the United States and popular education. He is the unchallenged leader of the liberal group to the Room of Parliament of 1854 to 1867. He is made call “Dorion the Juste” by his fight against corruption, but his alliance with the Reformists of the High-Canada directed by inconvenient Georges Brown the preserving nationalists of the Low-Canada who are wary of the anticatholicism of the anglophone liberals. The Brown-Dorion government formed in 1857 does not even last a day and succumbs to a motion of censure!

The mode of the Union becoming increasingly ungovernable because of impossibility of collecting a majority in the two sections of the colony, the Canada-West anglo-Protestant and Canada-Is, free-catholic, the idea of a federation of the British colonies starts to make its way. Dorion is in favor of a “small federation” which would gather the two parts of thePlain one, in opposition to the “great federation” (or Confederation) of the British colonies of North America, to which join gradually the liberals of Western Canada in the “Great coalition” of the conservative John A. Macdonald after 1864.

Member of the government of John Sanfield Macdonald and Louis-Victor Sicotte of 1863 to 1864, Dorion undertakes an active campaign against the Confédération after his return in the opposition. In vain, the Acte of British North America becomes a reality in 1867.

Until 1874, Dorion remains with the head of the liberal party, then is withdrawn from the active policy. It then becomes Juge as a chief of the Court of the bench of the queen in the province of Quebec. It occupies is posted until its death, in 1891.

See too

External bonds

the Encyclopedia of the history of Quebec - '' Sir Antoine-Aime biographical Dorion ''
Dictionary of Canada (on line) - '' Sir Antoine-Aime Dorion ''

Random links: