Louis hippolyte lafontaine hospitality

He died at Montreal on the 26th of February LaFontaine was well versed in constitutional history and French law; he reasoned closely and presented his conclusions with directness. He was upright in his conduct, sincerely attached to the traditions of his race, and labored conscientiously to establish responsible government in Canada. From to he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Terrebonne; and he was a supporter, though by no means a blind follower, of Louis Joseph Papineau.

He opposed the appeal to arms by the patriotes in ; but he deemed it wise to leave Canada, and on his return to Canada in was arrested. He was released, however, without trial ; and when the union of was brought about, he became the leader of the French-Canadian Reformers. In the elections of he was defeated in Terrebonne, but found a seat, through the offices of Robert Baldwinin the fourth riding of York, Upper Canada.

Thereafter he sat continuously in the Assembly untilfirst for the fourth riding of Yorknext for Terrebonneand lastly for the city of Montreal During this period he was twice a member of the government of Canada. He insisted on speaking French in the chamber, ultimately winning legal sanction for this practice. Lafontaine's first collaboration with Baldwin came inbut the administration then formed collapsed when the governor general refused to take its advice on the matter of appointments.

Nine of the ten members of the Cabinet, Lafontaine and Baldwin among them, resigned office in November In March Lafontaine was once more asked to assume executive office, again in association with Baldwin, and again in the portfolio of attorney general for Canada East. This time the ministers found a new governor general, Lord Elgin, ready and willing to act upon their recommendations and implement the concept of responsible government.

As leader of the French-Canadian group in the administration, it fell to Lafontaine to introduce the most controversial bill of the session, the Rebellion Losses Bill. This measure compensated property owners for damages resulting from the rebellion, a purpose which made it anathema to the "loyal" English-speaking population of Canada East. When Elgin assented to the bill, riots broke out in Montreal; Lafontaine was vilified, his house attacked, and his law library burned.

Yet the ministry held firm, and the measure became law. The episode marked the ultimate test of the principle of responsible government. Like his close associate Baldwin, Lafontaine was essentially a moderate man, and after the achievement of cabinet government his attitudes became more and more conservative.

Louis hippolyte lafontaine hospitality

He failed to solve two of the burning questions of the day—the secularization of lands set aside for the support of the clergy and the abolition of the ancient seigneurial system of landholding in Quebec. Along with Baldwin, he resigned from the administration in and left public life. In he was appointed chief justice of Canada East, and a year later he was made a baronet.

He died in Montreal on Feb. Lafontaine was the first successful exponent of what became an axiom of Canadian political life: that the full participation of French-speaking Canadians was vital to the administration of national affairs. There are few formal biographies of Lafontaine. The best is probably a composite study of Canadian reformers of the period: Stephen Leacock, Baldwin, Lafontaine, Hincks, in the "Makers of Canada" series ; published in under the new title Mackenzie, Baldwin, Lafontaine, Hincks.

Mason Wade, The French Canadians, ; 2 vols. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The first floor was centred by an imitation marble hall surrounded by the drawing room, dining room, master bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. Upstairs were two further bedrooms, a bathroom, and the library. Sadly for Bourne, he did not get to enjoy his new mansion for long.

He was declared bankrupt a short while later and in February,he sold the house to Lafontaine. On April 26, the angry mob that had the day before burned down the Parliament Buildings at Montreal now set their sights on the homes of the Reformers with whom they were so incensed: they damaged Wolfred Nelson's home on the Champ de Mars and the home of Sir Francis Hincks before heading west for Lafontaine's new residence.

Tearing down the wrought-iron gates at the entrance, the mob marched up to the Lafontaine mansion: They, "smashed woodwork and his costly period furniture, pulled off window sills and shutters, ripped up floors, and shattered china and glass. They set fire to the stables, burned several coaches, and pulled up a dozen saplings from the orchard".

The contents of his extensive library was emptied into a pile outside the house and set on fire. In August, some of the miscreants were arrested, but this had the affect of rousing yet another mob that set out louis hippolyte lafontaine hospitality more to exact further revenge on Lafontaine's home:. Following these unpleasant events, Lafontaine employed John Ostell to carry out the repairs to his property.

Ostell had designed the Customs House at Montreal in and it bore a distinct resemblance to the Lafontaine House. This has led architectural historians to believe that Ostell was the architect originally employed by Bourne. Home to the Lafontaines and Clarkes. Lafontaine's political career took him to Toronto until when he returned to his home in Montreal.