The Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island, sometimes House of Assembly of Vancouver Island, was the colonial parliamentary body that was elected to represent voters in the Colony of Vancouver Island. It was created in 1856 after a series of petitions were sent to the Colonial Office in London protesting the Hudson's Bay Company's proprietary rule over the colony. It was the first elected assembly in British North America west of Ontario.

Although at first only handful of colonists met the voting requirement, and most of those that did were tied to the HBC, the franchise was gradually extended, and the assembly began to assert demands for more control over colonial affairs, as well as criticize colonial governor Sir James Douglas's inherent conflict of interest as both governor and Hudson Bay Company's chief factor.

History

In an attempt to minimize the influence of the assembly he had been ordered to establish, Governor James Douglas, who described himself as "utterly averse to universal suffrage, or making population the basis of representation,"Duffus set an unusually high property requirement of for voters.

At first the island was divided into four districts, and the assembly consisted of eight members: one from each of Nanaimo and Sooke, two from Esquimalt, two from Metchosin and three from Victoria. In the election on July 22, 1856, Victoria, which had the greatest number of qualified voters at five, was the only district contested.

The 1860 election used nine districts with the Victoria Town having two members and Victoria District having three members.

The 1863 election also used nine districts but Victoria city had four and Victoria District had three members.

The power of the Assembly was severely limited. Despite the protests of newspapermen such as Amor de Cosmos, Douglas appointed the members of his government according to his own agenda, regardless of who dominated the Assembly. The governor also maintained control over the legislative process through the Legislative Council, an upper house of a sort that had its members appointed directly. However, the Assembly did have one significant power: it had to approve any use of public funds.

The colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia were joined into a new single colony, the Colony of British Columbia, in 1866, and the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island ceased to exist. Its role was filled in the new colony by the Legislative Council of British Columbia.

Leaders and parties

Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, chosen as the first Speaker of the Assembly, would remain in that role until British Columbia joined Canadian Confederation in 1871. He was Douglas's son-in-law, and like his fellow assemblymen Surveyor-General Joseph Despard Pemberton and HBC company-man Joseph McKay, was considered part of what Amor De Cosmos termed the "family-company compact". John Muir, a sawmill-owner and coalmaster who represented Sooke, had also recently been in the employ of Douglas. James Yates, the Victoria publican, and Thomas Skinner, the farmer, were the voices of dissent in the assembly, always at odds with the company and its men.

As franchise widened and the assembly became more influential, this division remained. Reformers such as Amor de Cosmos and Leonard McClure, who began to truly challenge the power of Douglas and his successor Arthur Edward Kennedy, continued to butt heads with establishment supporters such as George Hunter Cary, Henry Pering Pellew Crease and Robert Burnaby and William Fraser Tolmie.

Members of the Legislative Assembly Members 1856-1860: 1st Session NameDistrictFirst electedNo. of termsNotesJohn Sebastian HelmckenEsquimalt District18561st termSpeakerThomas James Skinner18561st termDr. John Frederick KennedyNanaimo District18561st termJohn MuirSooke District18561st termresigned 5 May 1857Edward Edwards LangfordVictoria District18561st termelection contested and he was removed 26 August 1856Joseph Despard Pemberton18561st termJames Yates18561st termJoseph McKay (1856)18561st termelected on December 3, 1856

Members 1860-1863: 2nd Session NameDistrictFirst electedNo. of termsNotesJohn Sebastian HelmckenEsquimalt County18562nd termSpeakerJames Cooper18601st termresigned Robert Burnaby (1860)18601st termelected on July 27, 1860George Tomline GordonEsquimalt Town18601st termresignedThomas Harris (1862)18621st termelected on March 31, 1862 and resignWilliam Cocker (1862)18621st termelected on September 9, 1862George Foster FosterLake District18601st termAugustus Rupert GreenNanaimo District18601st termresigned on February 6, 1861David Babington Ring (1861)18611st termelected on November 4, 1861Joseph Johnson SouthgateSaltspring and Chemainus District18601st termJohn ColesSaanich18601st termWilliam John McDonaldSooke District18601st termWilliam Fraser TolmieVictoria District18601st termHenry Pering Pellew Crease18601st termresigned on October 18, 1861Joseph William Trutch (1861)18611st termelected on November 26, 1861Alfred Pendrell Waddington18601st termresigned on October 15, 1861James Trimble (1861)18611st termelected on November 26, 1861George Hunter CaryVictoria Town18601st termSelim Franklin18601st term

Members 1863-1866: 3rd Session NameDistrictFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsNotesJohn Sebastian HelmckenEsquimalt and Metchosin District18563rd termSpeakerRobert Burnaby18602nd termresignedJohn Ash (1865)18651st termelected on November 28, 1865George Foster FosterEsquimalt Town18631st termJoseph Johnson Southgate (1864)18641st termEdward Stamp (1866)18661st termJames CarswellLake District18631st termCharles Alfred BayleyNanaimo District18631st termresignedThomas Cunningham (1866)18661st termelected on January 5, 1866John Trevasso PidwellSaltspring and Chemainus District18631st termresignedGeorge Edgar Dennes (1863)18631st termelected on October 13, 1863 and resignedJohn Trevasso Pidwell (1866)1863, 18662nd term*re-elected on May 30, 1866 James CarswellSooke District18631st termWilliam Alexander George YoungVictoria City18631st termresignedCharles Bedford Young (1864)18641st termelected on October 25, 1864 and resignedLeonard McClure (1865)18641st termelected on February 14, 1865Amor De Cosmos18631st termIsrael Wood Powell (British Columbia politician)18631st termJoseph Charles Ridge18631st termresignedSelim Franklin (1864)18641st termelected on February 1, 1864Charles Bedford Young (1866)1864, 18662nd term*William Fraser TolmieVictoria District18602nd termEdward Henry Jackson18631st termresignedJames Dickson (1864)18641st termelected on September 22, 1864James Trimble18612nd term

Elections to the Vancouver Island House of Assembly 1856 Vancouver Island Election 1860 Vancouver Island Election 1863 Vancouver Island Election

See also Legislative Council of British Columbia

References

Bibliography Barman, Jean. The West Beyond the West: A History of British Columbia (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991). Conrad, Margaret, and Alvin Finkle, History of the Canadian Peoples: Vol: I Beginnings to 1867, 4th ed. (Toronto: Pearson Longman, 2006) Duffus, Maureen. Vancouver Island's First Legislature Retrieved June 11, 2007