Document Information

Date: 1873-03-19
By: Dominion of Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Dominion of Canada, House of Commons Debates, 2nd Parl, 1st Sess, 1873 at 76.
Other formats: Click here to view the original document (PDF).

VACANCIES IN THE SENATE

[Page 76]

Mr. BERGIN asked whether it was not the arrangement at the time of Confederation that any vacancies which might occur in the Senate for Ontario and Quebec, should first be filled by selecting gentlemen who were deprived of their seats in the Legislative Council of the late Province of Canada at the time of the union.

Hon. Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD said there was no specific arrangement, nor could there be, but there was a general understanding that so far as the existent Government could control the matter, the first Senators should be selected out of the old Legislative Councillors, and that the claims of such councillors as could not be included at first, were to be favourably considered afterwards. He might add that there had been a further arrangement affecting Ontario, so that of the first twenty-four Senators appointed for that Province twelve should be chosen from what was usually considered the Conservative party and twelve from the Liberal party.

* * *