Joseph Howe

The Honourable Joseph Howe, PC (December 13, 1804 ? June 1, 1873) was born the son of John Howe and Mary Edes at Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is one of the Fathers of Canadian Confederation.

Confederation Debate

Howe's duties as Commissioner prevented his attendance at the Charlottetown Conference. By the time he returned to Nova Scotia in November of 1864, the Québec Conference had taken place, and the Québec Resolutions widely disseminated. He had had no chance to influence their content. He led Nova Scotia's anti-Confederation movement believing the Québec Resolutions to be bad for the Province. Because he was still linked with the imperial fishery he expressed his initial opposition anonymously through the Botheration Letters, a series of twelve editorials that appeared in the Morning Chronicle between January and March of 1865. This was the extent of his participation in the union debate until March 1866. He learned that Charles Tupper planned to force the Confederation Resolution through the legislature. When he failed to prevent passage of the resolution Howe began a vigorous campaign for repeal by delegations to London and a publishing a variety of anti-Confederation papers and pamphlets. This strategy failed to prevent the Imperial Parliament enacting the British North America Act in 1867. Nova Scotians elected 18 out of 19 anti-Confederation candidates as members of the first Dominion Parliament. Joseph Howe led the anti-Confederates in the Canadian House of Commons where he made a speech about his opposition to Confederation.

Related Topics:
Charlottetown Conference - Québec Conference - Charles Tupper - British North America Act - 1867 - Anti-Confederate - Canadian House of Commons

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Having failed to win repeal of Confederation in 1868 Howe recognized the futility of further protests. He refused to contemplate secession from the Canadian Confederation nor American annexation because of his loyalty to Britain. In 1869 he was persuaded to join the Canadian Cabinet as President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada after receiving a promise of "better terms" for Nova Scotia. In November of 1869, he became secretary of state for the provinces in which post he played a role in Manitoba's entry into Confederation. He resigned his Cabinet post to become lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia in 1873. He died in office only a few weeks after his appointment. He is buried in Camp Hill Cemetery in Halifax.

Related Topics:
Canadian Confederation - Canadian Cabinet - President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada - Manitoba - 1873

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