13th Parliament of Ontario

The 13th Parliament of Ontario, or the 13th Legislature of Ontario (the term used in formal records of the day) was the legislature of the Government of Ontario that was in office from December 11, 1911, until May 29, 1914. It composed primarily of members elected in the Ontario general election held on December 11, 1911, which delivered the third of four super-majority governing mandates to the Conservative Party led by Premier Sir James Whitney. It was dissolved prior to the 1914 general election.

Standing post 1911 election When the 12th Parliament was dissolved, it was the fifth times James Whitney led the Conservative Party into election battles, but the first time as Sir James. Though he secured the largest share of the popular votes of the six election he contested, the conservative party actually won slightly fewer seats than from the 1908 election. The Whitney ministry however continued to be sustained by an overwhelming super-majority in the 13th Parliament.

The government was further strengthened by the unexpected misfortune in the opposition rank. A.G MacKay, who led the opposition Liberals in the two previous parliaments and the only Liberals with cabinet experience remaining after the 1908 election, was hit by a salacious law suits (which was later proven unfounded) and resigned just days before the 1911 election campaign was to start. In the new parliament, sitting across from Whitney was Newton Rowell, a Toronto barrister prominent in the Liberal circles for a number of years who had never ran for office prior to the 1911 election. Rowell accepted the Liberal leadership on the condition that his temperance stance be accepted by the party, an issue that would dominate political discourse for the next two decades.

The 13th Parliament consisted of sixty-eight members who served in the 12th Parliament, plus one member (Edward Arunah Dunlop of Renfrew North) who served previously but not in the 12th Parliament.

Thirty-seven members of the 13th Parliament were first time members. Among them, twenty-four were Conservatives (including one who ran as Liberal-Conservative) and thirteen were Liberals, including the leader of the opposition Newton Rowell. Nineteen of the new members succeeded retired members from the same party.Eighteen new members won their seats from another party. Political partyParty leader12th Parliament members1911 Election13th Parliament 1908 at 1911 electionsSeats ConservativeJames P. Whitney 868721588 55.9083 581744 LiberalNewton Rowell 1918693 38.51229247 Labour – 11–1– 2.4311 – ––Total276811 1066819811 Seventeen Conservative members were returned by acclamation, the highest number of acclamation ever in Ontario electoral history. Five of the acclaimed members were first time members. One member, who served in previous parliaments was acclaimed to a seat held by the Liberals in the 12th Parliament.

Sessions The 13th Parliament was convened over three sessions, held in the spring of 1912, 1913, 1914.

Session Convened Prorogued1stWednesday, February 7, 1912Tuesday, April 16, 19122ndTuesday, February 4, 1913Friday, May 9, 19133rdWednesday, February 18, 1914Friday, May 1, 1914

William Henry Hoyle served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly for the duration of the 13th Parliament.

Change in party standing

Political partyParty leader12th Parl. 19111st session 2nd session 3rd session1908 start end start end start ConservativeJames P. Whitney 86 8683 82 82 82 83 84 84 LiberalNewton Rowell 19 1822 22 22 21 20 20 20 Labour – 1 11 111111Members at divisions 106105105104104105105 Speaker –1–11 1111 Vacant 1 1 Majority – – 5959 60 62 6363

Presiding officers & parliamentary leaders GovernmentOppositionGeorge V King of the United Kingdom SirJohn Morison GibsonLieutenant Governor PremierConservative Party Leader Sir James WhitneyDundasNewton RowellOxford North Leader of the OppositionLiberal Party Leader Designated Acting Premierde facto deputy leader James Joseph Foy Toronto North - B Members of the Assembly RidingMemberPartyFirst elected / previously electedNo. of termsCommentsAddingtonWilliam David BlackConservative19111st termAlgomaAlbert GriggConservative19082nd termBrantJohn Wesley WestbrookConservative19111st termBrant SouthWilloughby Staples BrewsterConservative19082nd termBrockvilleAlbert Edward DonovanConservative19073rd termBruce CentreWilliam MacDonaldLiberal19111st termBruce NorthCharles Martin BowmanLiberal18985th termBruce SouthJohn AndersonLiberal19111st termCarletonRobert Herbert McElroyConservative19073rd termDufferinCharles Robert McKeownConservative19073rd termDundasJames Pliny WhitneyConservative18888th termPremierDurham EastJosiah Johnston PrestonConservative19024th termDurham WestJohn Henry DevittConservative19053rd termElgin EastCharles Andrew BrowerConservative18946th termElgin WestFindlay George MacDiarmidConservative1898, 19006th term*Essex NorthJoseph Octave ReaumeConservative19024th termMinister in the Whitney ministry Essex SouthCharles N. AndersonConservative19082nd termFort WilliamCharles William JarvisConservative19111st termFrontenacAnthony McGuin RankinConservative19111st termGlengarryHugh MunroLiberal19111st termGrenvilleGeorge Howard FergusonConservative19053rd termGrey CentreIsaac Benson LucasConservative18985th termMinister in the Whitney ministry Grey NorthAlexander Grant MacKay Liberal19024th termResignationColin Stewart Cameron (1913)Conservative19131st termEntry via by-electionGrey SouthDavid JamiesonConservative18985th termHaldimandChristian KohlerLiberal19111st termHaltonAlfred Westland NixonConservative19053rd termHamilton EastAllan StudholmeLabour19063rd termHamilton WestJohn Strathearn HendrieConservative19024th termHastings EastSandy GrantConservative19111st termHastings NorthJohn Robert CookeConservative19111st termHastings WestJohn Wesley JohnsonConservative19082nd termHuron CentreWilliam ProudfootLiberal19082nd termHuron NorthArmstrong MusgroveConservative19082nd termHuron SouthHenry EilberConservative18985th termKenoraHarold Arthur Clement MachinConservative19082nd termKent EastWalter Renwick FergusonLiberal19111st termKent WestGeorge William SulmanConservative19082nd termKingstonArthur Edward RossConservative19111st termLambton EastRobert John McCormickLiberal19082nd termLambton WestWilliam John HannaConservative19024th termMinister in the Whitney ministry Lanark NorthRichard Franklin PrestonConservative1894, 19054th term*Lanark SouthArthur James Matheson † Conservative18946th termDied in office; minister in the Whitney ministryJohn Charles Ebbs (1913)Conservative19131st termEntry via by-electionLeedsJohn Robertson DargavelConservative19053rd termLennoxThomas George CarscallenConservative19024th termLincolnElisha JessopConservative18985th termLondonAdam BeckConservative19024th termManitoulinRobert Roswell GameyConservative19024th termMiddlesex EastRobert SutherlandLiberal19111st termDied in officeGeorge Wesley Neely † (1912)Conservative1905, 19122nd term*Entry via by-election; died in officeJohn McFarlan † (1913)Conservative19131st termEntry via by-electionMiddlesex NorthDuncan MacArthurConservative19111st termMiddlesex WestJohn Campbell ElliottLiberal19082nd termMonckThomas A. MarshallLiberal19111st termMuskokaArthur Arnold MahaffyConservative19034th termResignationSamuel Henry Armstrong (1912)Conservative19121st termEntry via by-electionNipissingHenri MorelConservative19082nd termNorfolk NorthThomas Robert AtkinsonLiberal1905, 19112nd term*Norfolk SouthArthur Clarence PrattConservative19053rd termNorthumberland EastSamuel Greerson NesbittConservative19082nd termNorthumberland WestSamuel ClarkeLiberal18985th termOntario NorthWilliam Henry HoyleConservative18985th termSpeaker of the Legislative AssemblyOntario SouthWilliam Edmund Newton SinclairLiberal19111st termOttawa EastNapoléon ChampagneConservative19111st termOttawa WestJames Albert EllisConservative19111st termOxford NorthNewton Wesley RowellLiberal19111st termLeader of the OppositionOxford SouthThomas Richard MayberryLiberal19082nd termParry SoundJohn GalnaConservative19053rd termPeelSamuel Charters Conservative19082nd termResignationJames Robinson Fallis (1913)Conservative19131st termEntry via by-electionPerth NorthJames TorranceConservative19053rd termPerth SouthJohn BenneweisConservative19111st termPeterborough EastJames ThompsonConservative19082nd termPeterborough WestEdward Armour PeckConservative19111st termPort ArthurDonald McDonald HogarthConservative19111st termPrescottGustave ÉvanturelLiberal19111st termPrince EdwardRobert Addison NormanConservative19082nd termRainy RiverJames Arthur MathieuConservative19111st termRenfrew NorthEdward Arunah DunlopConservative1903, 19113rd term*Renfrew SouthThomas William McGarryConservative19053rd termRussellDamase RacineLiberal19053rd termSault Ste. MarieWilliam Howard HearstConservative19082nd termMinister in the Whitney ministry Simcoe CentreAlfred Burke ThompsonConservative1898, 19054th term*Simcoe EastJames Irwin HarttConservative19111st termSimcoe SouthAlexander FergusonConservative19063rd termSimcoe WestJames Stoddart DuffConservative18985th termMinister in the Whitney ministry StormontJohn Colborne MilliganConservative19111st termSturgeon FallsZotique MageauLiberal19111st termSudburyCharles McCreaConservative19111st termTimiskamingRobert Taylor ShillingtonConservative19082nd termToronto East - ARobert Allan PyneConservative18985th termMinister in the Whitney ministry Toronto East - BThomas Richard WhitesidesConservative19082nd termToronto North - AWilliam Kirkpatrick McNaughtConservative19063rd termToronto North - BJames Joseph FoyConservative18985th termMinister in the Whitney ministry Toronto South - AEdward William James OwensConservative19111st termToronto South - BGeorge Horace GooderhamConservative19082nd termToronto West - AThomas CrawfordConservative18946th termToronto West - BWilliam David McPhersonConservative19082nd termVictoria EastRobert Mercer MasonConservative19092nd termVictoria WestAdam Edward VroomanConservative19111st termWaterloo NorthHenry George LacknerConservative1898, 19026th term*Resignation Charles Henry Mills (1912)Conservative19121st termEntry via by-electionWaterloo SouthGeorge PattinsonConservative19053rd termWellandEvan Eugene FraserConservative19053rd termWellington EastUdney RichardsonLiberal19111st termWellington SouthHenry ScholfieldConservative19111st termWellington WestWilliam Clarke ChambersConservative19111st termWentworth NorthJames McQueenLiberal19111st termWentworth SouthJames Thomas Hammill ReganConservative19111st termYork EastAlexander McCowanConservative19053rd termResignationGeorge Stewart Henry (1913)Conservative19131st termEntry via by-electionYork NorthThomas Herbert LennoxConservative19053rd termYork WestForbes GodfreyConservative19073rd term

Changes in membership

+ Changes in seats held (1926–1929) ElectoralDistrict BeforeChangeDateReasonMemberNew MemberDateMiddlesex EastJuly 5, 1912Died Robert SutherlandGeorge Neely October 28, 1912Waterloo NorthSeptember 30, 1912Resignation Henry George Lackner Charles Henry Mills October 28, 1912MuskokaOctober 14, 1912Resignation Arthur Arnold Mahaffy Samuel Henry Armstrong November 7, 1912Lanark SouthJanuary 25, 1913Died Arthur James MathesonJohn Charles Ebbs March 26 1913Grey NorthApril 12, 1913Resignation A.G. MacKayColin Stewart Cameron July 14, 1913Grey CentreMay 13, 1913Ministerial byelection Isaac Benson Lucas June 2, 1913York EastAugust 11, 1913Resignation Alexander McCowanGeorge Stewart Henry September 8, 1913.PeelOctober 9, 1913Resignation Samuel Charters James Robinson Fallis November 3, 1913Middlesex EastOctober 17, 1913Died George NeelyJohn McFarlan November 27, 1913

Notes

References