The Special Council of Lower Canada was an appointed body which administered Lower Canada until the Union Act of 1840 created the Province of Canada. Following the Lower Canada Rebellion, on March 27, 1838, the Constitutional Act of 1791 was suspended and both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council were dissolved.
The Act of Union united Upper and Lower Canada into a single province with a single parliament, consisting of an upper and lower house. Upon the first meeting of this parliament, the Special Council was dissolved.
In November 1839, the Special Council approved proposals made by Governor Sydenham for the union of the two Canadas.
There were three Special Councils: the first, consisting of 24 members, was appointed by the acting Governor General, Sir John Colborne, and served from April 2, 1838 to June 1, 1838, when its members were dismissed by the newly arrived Governor General, Lord Durham within a week of his arrival in Canada. the second, appointed by Lord Durham, existed from June 28, 1838 to November 2, 1838. This council was much smaller than the first had been, with an initial membership of five (later expanded to seven). All the members of Durham's Council were British officials who had arrived in Canada as part of his entourage. the third, appointed by Sir John Colborne, existed from November 2, 1838 to February 10, 1841. This consisted of the same members who had been appointed in April. Lord Sydenham, who assumed office as Governor General in 1839, added twelve new members in three rounds of appointments in 1839 and 1840. None of the members of Durham's second Council served on the third Council.
Lists of Members of the Special Council First Special CouncilFirst AppointedNo. of termsJames Cuthbert18381st termToussaint Pothier18381st termCharles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry18381st termJames Stuart18381st termPeter McGill18381st termMarc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière18381st termBarthélemy Joliette18381st termPierre de Rastel de Rocheblave18381st termJohn Neilson18381st termAmable Dionne18381st termSamuel Gerrard18381st termJules-Maurice Quesnel18381st termWilliam Plenderleath Christie18381st termCharles-Eusèbe Casgrain18381st termWilliam Walker18381st termJoseph-Édouard Faribault18381st termJohn Molson Jr.18381st termÉtienne Mayrand18381st termPaul Holland Knowlton18381st termTurton Penn18381st termJoseph Dionne18381st termIchabod Smith18381st termThomas Brown Anderson18381st termThomas Austin named to Council April 27, 183818381st term
Second Special CouncilFirst AppointedNo. of termsCharles Paget18381st termJames Macdonell18381st termCharles Buller18381st termGeorge Couper18381st termCharles Grey18381st termJohn Clitherownamed to council July 9, 183818381st termArthur William Bullernamed to council August 22, 183818381st term
Third Special CouncilFirst AppointedNo. of termsJames Cuthbert18382nd termToussaint Pothier18382nd termCharles-Étienne Chaussegros de Léry18382nd termJames Stuartnamed to council on November 11, 18391838, 18392nd term*Peter McGill18382nd termMarc-Pascal de Sales Laterrière18382nd termBarthélemy Joliette18382nd termPierre de Rastel de Rocheblavedied October 5, 184018382nd termJohn Neilson18382nd termAmable Dionne18382nd termSamuel Gerrard18382nd termJules-Maurice Quesnel18382nd termWilliam Plenderleath Christie18382nd termCharles-Eusèbe Casgrain18382nd termWilliam Walker18382nd termJoseph-Édouard Faribault18382nd termJohn Molson Jr.18382nd termÉtienne Mayrand18382nd termPaul Holland Knowlton18382nd termTurton Penn18382nd termJoseph Dionne18382nd termIchabod Smith18382nd termThomas Austin18382nd termDominique Mondelet18381st termGeorge Moffatt18381st termRobert Unwin Harwoodnamed to council August 1, 183918391st termEdward Hale (uncle) 18391st termEdward Hale (nephew) named to council September 19, 183918391st termJohn Wainwright 18391st termJean-Baptiste Tachénamed to council September 30, 183918391st termDominick Dalynamed to council April 16, 184018401st termCharles Richard Ogden18401st termFrederick George Heriot18401st termHenry Blacknamed to council April 18, 184018401st termCharles Dewey Daynamed to council May 23, 184018401st term
Presiding Officer
The presiding member of the Special Council acted as Speaker.
James Cuthbert Jr. 1838 Sir James Stuart, 1st Baronet 1839-1841
Meeting Venue
In 1838 the Council met at Government House in Montreal and also at Quebec City. From 1839 to 1841 the Council met in Montreal only.
See also Constitutional history of Canada
Notes
External links Assemblée nationale du Québec (French)