King-Byng Affair

The King-Byng Affair refers to a 1926 Canadian constitutional crisis that occurred when the Governor-General of Canada, Lord Byng of Vimy, refused a request by the Prime Minister of Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie King, to dissolve parliament and call a general election.

Related Topics:
1926 - Canadian - Constitutional crisis - Governor-General of Canada - Lord Byng of Vimy - Prime Minister of Canada - William Lyon Mackenzie King

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The crisis was watched closely by both the Canadian and British governments, and came to redefine the role of Governor General not only in Canada but throughout the dominions. It was also a major impetus in negotiations at Imperial Conferences held in the late 1920s that led to the Statute of Westminster 1931.

Related Topics:
British - Governor General - Canada - Dominion - Imperial Conference - Statute of Westminster 1931

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According to British Empire constitutional theory the governor-general represented both the Sovereign and the British government, a situation that had evolved with Lord Byng's predecessors and the Canadian government, as well as the Canadian people, into a tradition of non-interference in Canadian political affairs.

Related Topics:
British Empire - Sovereign

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In September 1925, King requested a dissolution of Parliament to call an election, which Lord Byng granted. In the election the Conservative Party won the most seats, but not a majority. Counting on the support of the Progressive Party to overcome the Conservative minority, Mackenzie King, the Liberal Party leader, did not resign as Prime Minister and remained in power with a minority government.

Related Topics:
1925 - Election - Conservative Party - Majority - Progressive Party - Liberal Party - Minority government

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Then a political scandal in the Department of Customs and Excise became public, and in Parliament the Conservative Party alleged that the corruption extended to the highest levels of government, including the Prime Minister. Mackenzie King fired the Minister of Customs and promptly named him to the Senate, creating even more dismay among the members of the Progressive Party, who had already been withdrawing their support from the Liberal government.

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Facing a third vote on the question of government corruption, and having already lost two previous votes on questions of procedure, King went to the Governor-General seeking a dissolution of Parliament. Byng used his reserve power to refuse the request, thus igniting the crisis. King requested that before any decision was made, Byng consult the British government, which he represented. Byng again refused, citing non-interference in Canadian affairs.

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The next day, King presented Byng with an Order-in-Council seeking the dissolution of Parliament, which Byng refused to sign. King resigned and, as a result, Canada was left temporarily without a Prime Minister and government, until the Governor-General invited Arthur Meighen to form a government. Meighen did so, but within a week lost a non-confidence vote in the House of Commons. Meighen requested a dissolution of Parliament, which was granted by Byng, and an election was called.

Related Topics:
Order-in-Council - Arthur Meighen - House of Commons - Election

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Much was made of the 'Byng-King Crisis' during the election campaign. The Liberals were returned to power with a clear majority and King as Prime Minister. Once in power, King's government sought at a Commonwealth conference to redefine the role of Governor-General as a representative of the sovereign and not of the British government. The change was agreed to at the Imperial Conference of 1926. As a result of the Balfour Declaration of 1926 Commonwealth governors-general ceased to be the agents of the Imperial or British government in each dominion — this role was to be assumed by a British High Commissioner, whose duties were soon recognized to be virtually identical to those of an ambassador.

Related Topics:
Imperial Conference - Balfour Declaration of 1926 - High Commissioner - Ambassador

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Leaving Canada on 30 September 1926, Byng returned to England. Despite the political crisis, he left a much-respected man.

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The King-Byng Affair was the most controversial use of a Governor-General's powers until the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 in which the Australian Governor-General dismissed Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

Related Topics:
Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 - Gough Whitlam

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The King-Byng Affair is occasionally called the "King Byng Thing" by Canadian political scientists and historians in casual conversation or informal writing. "King Byng Thing" was most notably used by author Will Ferguson, who writes about Canadian history, politics and culture with a comedic slant.

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