23rd General Assembly of Newfoundland explained

23rd General Assembly of Newfoundland
Coa Pic:Colonialbuilding.jpg
Coa Caption:Colonial Building seat of the Newfoundland government and the House of Assembly from January 28, 1850, to July 28, 1959.
Foundation:1914
Disbanded:1919
Leader1 Type:Premier
Leader1:Edward P. Morris
(until December 1917)
Leader2 Type:Premier
Leader2:William F. Lloyd
(until May 1919)
Leader3 Type:Premier
Leader3:Michael P. Cashin
Last Election1:1913 Newfoundland general election

The members of the 23rd General Assembly of Newfoundland were elected in the Newfoundland general election held in October 1913. The general assembly sat from 1914 to 1919.

The Newfoundland People's Party led by Edward P. Morris formed the government.[1] The Liberal Party and the Fishermen's Protective Union joined in a coalition which sat in opposition to the government. In July 1917, a National Government was formed with Morris as leader; the cabinet contained representatives from all three parties. Morris resigned from the assembly in late December 1917 when he was named to the British House of Lords. William F. Lloyd became Premier and leader of the National Government in January 1918.[2]

Because of World War I, the general election which would normally have occurred in 1917 was delayed by a year. In 1918, legislation was passed extending the life of the assembly by another year. The Lloyd government was brought down by a vote of no confidence in May 1919. Michael P. Cashin was asked by Governor Harris to form a government which remained in power until the general election scheduled later in 1919.[2]

John R. Goodison served as speaker until 1918 when William J. Higgins succeeded Goodison as speaker.[3]

Sir Walter Edward Davidson served as governor of Newfoundland until 1917.[4] Sir Charles Alexander Harris succeeded Davidson as governor.[5]

The Military Services Act was passed in May 1918 to allow for the conscription of unmarried men between the ages of 19 and 40 to replace losses from the Newfoundland Regiment during the first World War. However, the war ended before any of these new soldiers reached the front.[6]

Members of the Assembly

The following members were elected to the assembly in 1913:[7]

MemberElectoral districtAffiliationFirst elected / previously elected
Albert E. HickmanBay de VerdeLiberal1913
John CrosbiePeople's Party1908
William F. CoakerBonavista1913
Robert G. Winsor1913
John Abbott1913
Alfred B. Morine1886, 1914
Robert MoultonBurgeo-La PoilePeople's Party1904
John S. CurrieBurinPeople's Party1913
Thomas LeFeuvre1911
John GoodisonCarbonearPeople's Party1909
Michael P. CashinFerrylandPeople's Party1893
Philip F. Moore1909
William W. HalfyardFogoFishermen's Protective Union1913
Charles EmersonFortune BayPeople's Party1908
A. W. PiccottHarbour GracePeople's Party1908
E. Parsons1908
M. M. Young1913
William WoodfordHarbour MainPeople's Party1908
G. Kennedy1913
R. J. DevereauxPlacentia and St. Mary'sPeople's Party1909
Frank J. Morris1909
William J. Walsh1913
George F. GrimesPort de GraveFishermen's Protective Union1913
William M. ClappSt. BarbeLiberal1904
Joseph DowneySt. George'sPeople's Party1908
James M. KentSt. John's EastLiberal1904
William J. HigginsPeople's Party1913
John DwyerLiberal1900
Edward P. MorrisSt. John's WestPeople's Party1885
John R. Bennett1904
Michael Kennedy1908
John G. StoneTrinityFishermen's Protective Union1913
Archibald Targett1913
William F. LloydLiberal1904, 1913
Robert BondTwillingateLiberal1882
James A. Clift1900
Walter JenningsFishermen's Protective Union1913
William F. Coaker1913

Notes:

  1. Encyclopedia: Morris, Edward Patrick, 1st Baron Morris . . . online . Hiller . JK . 15 December 2013.
  2. Web site: The Rise of the Fishermen's Protective Union, the First World War and the National Government, 1908-1919 . Memorial University . Baker . Melvin . 1994.
  3. Web site: The Speaker of the House of Assembly . House of Assembly . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091013233930/http://www.assembly.nl.ca/members/speaker.htm . 2009-10-13 .
  4. Web site: Davidson, Sir Walter Edward (1859-1923) . Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage . Memorial University.
  5. Web site: Harris, Sir Charles Alexander (1855-1947) . Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage . Memorial University.
  6. Web site: The Newfoundland Regiment and the Great War . The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador . 2015-04-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150105004419/http://www.therooms.ca/regiment/part1_becoming_a_regiment.asp . 2015-01-05 . dead .
  7. Encyclopedia: Elections. . 707–09 .

By-elections

By-elections were held to replace members for various reasons:

Electoral districtMember electedAffiliationElection dateReason
TwillingateWilliam F. Coaker[8] Fishermen's Protective UnionNovember 26, 1914R Bond resigned his seat January 14, 1914
BonavistaAlfred B. MorineFishermen's Protective UnionNovember 26, 1914WF Coaker resigned his seat to contest Twillingate

Notes:

  1. Encyclopedia: Morris, Edward Patrick, 1st Baron Morris . . . online . Hiller . JK . 15 December 2013.
  2. Web site: The Rise of the Fishermen's Protective Union, the First World War and the National Government, 1908-1919 . Memorial University . Baker . Melvin . 1994.
  3. Web site: The Speaker of the House of Assembly . House of Assembly . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091013233930/http://www.assembly.nl.ca/members/speaker.htm . 2009-10-13 .
  4. Web site: Davidson, Sir Walter Edward (1859-1923) . Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage . Memorial University.
  5. Web site: Harris, Sir Charles Alexander (1855-1947) . Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage . Memorial University.
  6. Web site: The Newfoundland Regiment and the Great War . The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador . 2015-04-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150105004419/http://www.therooms.ca/regiment/part1_becoming_a_regiment.asp . 2015-01-05 . dead .
  7. Encyclopedia: Elections. . 707–09 .
  8. Elected by acclamation