Joseph Martin(24 September 1852 – 2 March 1923) was a lawyer and politician inManitoba,British Columbiaand theUnited Kingdomoften referred to as "Fighting Joe".
Joseph Martin | |
|---|---|
 "Fighting" Joe Martin | |
| 13thPremier of British Columbia | |
| In office 28 February 1900 – 14 June 1900 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Lieutenant Governor | Thomas Robert McInnes |
| Preceded by | Charles Semlin[1] |
| Succeeded by | James Dunsmuir |
| Member of theLegislative Assembly of ManitobaforPortage la Prairie | |
| In office 23 January 1883 – 23 July 1892 | |
| Preceded by | James Cowan |
| Succeeded by | Robert Watson |
| Member of Parliament forWinnipeg | |
| In office 2 November 1893 – 23 June 1896 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh John Macdonald |
| Succeeded by | Hugh John Macdonald |
| MLAforVancouver City | |
| In office 9 July 1898 – 3 October 1903 | |
| Preceded by | Adolphus Williams |
| Succeeded by | William John Bowser |
| Member of Parliament forSt Pancras East | |
| In office 17 January 1910– 14 December 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh Lea |
| Succeeded by | constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 September 1852 Milton,Canada West |
| Died | 2 March 1923(aged 70) Vancouver,British Columbia,Canada |
| Political party | Government Manitoba Liberal Party Liberal Party of Canada Liberal Party (UK) British Columbia Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Eliza Eaton |
| Children | Irma Livingstone Eaton |
Early life
editBorn inMilton,Canada West,the son of Edward Martin, a former Reeve, and Mary Ann Fleming, Martin was educated at the Milton public school, theToronto Normal SchoolandUniversity of Toronto.He was atelegraphoperator and afterwards obtained a First-class Teacher's certificate, and was appointed principal of the public school inNew Edinburgh,Ontario. He studied law in Ottawa and moved toPortage la Prairie, Manitobain 1882. He was called to the Bar of Manitoba in 1882.[2]
Political career
editManitoba
editHe was first elected as the member of theLegislative Assembly of Manitobafor thePortage la Prairieriding in1883and served asAttorney-Generalin the government ofThomas Greenway.In 1890, he initiated legislation to end French language instruction and support forCatholicseparate schools,prompting theManitoba Schools Questioncrisis.[citation needed]
Canada
editMartin ran unsuccessfully as aLiberalcandidate in the1891 electionto become theMember of ParliamentforSelkirk.WhenSir Hugh Macdonaldresigned hisWinnipeg seat,Martin ran in the 1893 by-election and won by acclamation. He lost the seat to Macdonald when they both ran for re-election inSelkirkin the1896 election.He later ran in the1908 electionas an independent in theVancouver City federal ridingbut was not elected.[citation needed]
British Columbia
editAfter his defeat in Manitoba, Martin[3]left for British Columbia to settle inVancouver.He arrived at a time of booming prosperity. He took up the practice of law and made a fortune developing the Hastings Manor subdivision in Vancouver.[4]
Martin was first elected to theBritish Columbia Legislative Assemblyin1898 electionin the multi-memberVancouver Cityriding. The election did not yield a majority for any one party. With increased representation for mainland ridings and a shift in popular support from theTurnergovernment, a government of special interests, railway industrialists, coal barons, lumber and fishing capitalists, Turner's support fell to 17 of 38 seats. Lieutenant-GovernorThomas R. McInnesdismissed Turner on 8 August 1898 without allowing him the constitutional right to meet the legislature. Instead he turned to former premierRobert Beaven,even though he had not been elected in his constituency, to form a government. He was unable to do so, and McInnes then turned toCharles Semlinto form a government. Semlin took office as premier and chose Martin as hisAttorney-General.Martin also served as the Acting Minister of Education from 17 August 1898 to 9 March 1899 and as the Acting Provincial Secretary from 17 to 20 August 1898.
During the two year Semlin government, Martin produced controversy by introducing measures such as aneight-hour work day(opposed by mine owners) and an Alien Exclusion Act to prevent Chinese from owning mining claims. The federal government, at the instance of American interests, took steps to disallow the legislation. During a controversial public meeting about the issue, Martin breached cabinet solidarity and criticized his own government resulting in a request from Premier Semlin for Martin's resignation. Semlin reconstituted his ministries and met the legislature facing strong opposition from Martin, often requiring the Speaker of the house to break ties by using hiscasting vote.On 27 February 1900 McInnes dismissed Semlin and, the following day, asked Martin to form a government. The result was a vote of non-confidence by the house which carried by a majority of 28 to 1. Nevertheless, Martin formed a cabinet and governed for three months before going to the polls in the1900 election.Although hard fought, Martin had only 13 supporters elected. The Semlin faction had even fewer at 6 and Semlin was defeated personally. Following the election,Prime Minister Laurierdismissed McInnes and appointed SirHenri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinièrelieutenant-governor. The legislature was able to agree to supportJames Dunsmuirto lead a government. Martin served in the opposition (He became the first leader of theLiberal party of British Columbia)[5]until he was defeated in the1903election, the first in British Columbia organized on party lines.
In 1907, he founded theVancouver Guardiannewspaper. After his return from England, he ran in the1920election in Vancouver as an Independent under the banner of theAsiatic Exclusion League.He was defeated and lost his deposit.
Martin, who died of complications fromdiabetesin March 1923, was the first person inVancouverto be treated withinsulin.[6]
United Kingdom
editHe moved to theUnited Kingdomwhere he won a seat in theBritish House of Commonsas aLiberalMember of ParliamentforSt Pancras East.He served from 1910 until 1918.
In December 1911,Winston Churchill,then theFirst Lord of the Admiralty,had announced to the House of Commons that theBritish fleetwas ready for war. Martin fiercely attacked the Admiralty over the grounding of the warshipNiobe"only to be completely and unceremoniously silenced by a biting answer from the First Lord."[7]
The St Pancras East Liberal Association and Martin had a difficult relationship. By 1914 the association did not want Martin to continue as their MP and in May selectedRichard Leopold Reissto be their candidate for the general election expected to be called late 1914/early 1915.[8]Martin said he would resign his seat and contest the resulting by-election as an IndependentLib-Labcandidate. Confronted with the prospect of losing the by-election to the Unionist, due to a split Liberal vote, the Liberal association told Martin in June that they would not contest the by-election.[9]In July Martin announced that he would instead resign his seat and return to his native Canada, allowing Reiss to run against a Unionist in the by-election.[10]Martin changed his mind again and decided not to resign his seat. In August war was declared, the general election was deferred, Reiss resigned as candidate to enlisted and Martin continued as MP.
Relations between Martin and his local Liberal association continued to be uncertain. Finally he crossed the floor to join theLabour Party.In early 1918 he was selected to run as Labour candidate in neighbouringIslington South.However, by close of nominations, there was no Labour candidate nominated.
Martin was also a candidate for mayor ofVancouverin 1914 and founded another newspaper there in 1916.
Sources
edit- Margaret A. Ormsby (1958).British Columbia: A History.MacMillan: Vancouver.
- James Morton (1974).In the Sea of Sterile Mountains: The Chinese in British Columbia.J.J. Douglas: Vancouver.
References
edit- ^"Biography – MARTIN, JOSEPH".Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
- ^William Cochrane, ed. (1894).The Canadian album: men of Canada, Volume III(PDF).Brantford, Ontario: Bradley, Garretson & Co. pp.30.
- ^Ormsby, 320–325
- ^Francis (ed), Daniel (2000) [1999]. Francis, Daniel (ed.).Encyclopedia of British Columbia.Harbour Publishing. p. 450.ISBN1-55017-200-X.
{{cite book}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^"Biographie – MARTIN, JOSEPH – Volume XV (1921-1930) – Dictionnaire biographique du Canada".
- ^Morton, 240
- ^Morton, 220–222
- ^Shoreditch Observer 2 May 1914
- ^"News in Brief."The Times[London, England] 1 June 1914: 6. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 May 2016.
- ^Liverpool Echo 6 Jul 1914