The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volume 3 (of 4)

THE HON. WILLIAM McMASTER

Mr. McMaster is probably the most widely known among the merchant princes of Western Canada, and has had a remarkably successful commercial career. As is the case with most men who have been the architects of their own fortunes, his success is largely attributable to his personal qualifications. He inherited a sound constitution, an active, enterprising mind, and a strong will. With such advantages he began the battle of life in this country nearly half a century ago. He grew with the country's growth, and by his industry and shrewdness achieved, in course of time, a position which made him thoroughly independent of the world. It has been the fashion to say of him that his mercantile operations were always attended with "good luck;" but those who converse with him on commercial or financial questions for half an hour will draw their own conclusions as to how far "luck" has had to do with the matter. He has been lucky in the same sense that the late Duke of Wellington was lucky; that is to say, he has known how to take advantage of favourable circumstances. Anyone else possessing his keenness of perception and shrewd common sense would in the long run have been equally lucky. He has made good use alike of his wealth and his talents, and the land of his adoption is the better for his presence.

He is by birth and early training an Irishman, and was born in the county of Tyrone, on the 24th of December, 1811. His father, the late Mr. William McMaster, was a linen merchant whose resources were not abundant, but who was able to give his son a good education. The latter received his educational training at an excellent private school taught by a Mr. Halcro, who had a high local reputation as a teacher. After leaving school he was for a short time a clerk in a local mercantile house. His prospects in Ireland, however, were not commensurate with his ambition. In 1833, when he was in his twenty-second year, he resigned his situation, and emigrated. Upon reaching New York he was advised by the resident British Consul not to settle in the United States, but to make his way to Canada. He acted upon the advice, and passed on to Toronto — or, as it was then called, Little York.

The conditions of the wholesale trade in Canada in those days were very different from those which now prevail. The preeminence of Montreal as a point of distribution for both the Provinces was well established, and the wholesale trade of Little York was comparatively insignificant. There were very few exclusively wholesale establishments in the Upper Canadian capital, but several of the largest firms contrived to combine a wholesale and retail business. Young William McMaster, immediately upon his arrival at Little York, obtained a clerkship in one of these, viz., that of Mr. Robert Cathcart, a merchant who then occupied premises on the south side of King Street, opposite Toronto Street. After remaining in this establishment somewhat more than a year in the capacity of a clerk, young McMaster was admitted to a partnership in the business, a large share of which from that time forward came under his own personal management. The partnership lasted about ten years, when — in 1844 — Mr. McMaster withdrew from it, and started a separate wholesale dry-goods business on his own account, in a store situated on the west side of Yonge Street, a short distance below the intersection of that thoroughfare with King Street. By this time the conditions of trade had undergone some modification. Montreal still had the lion's share of the wholesale trade, but Toronto and Hamilton had also become known as distributing centres, and both those towns contained some large wholesale warehouses. Mr. McMaster's business was a large one from the beginning, but it rapidly expanded, until there was not a town, and scarcely a village in Canada West, which did not largely depend upon the house of William McMaster for its dry-goods supplies. The attempt to make Toronto, instead of Montreal, the wholesale emporium for Western Canada was not initiated by Mr. McMaster, but it was ably seconded by him, and no merchant now living did so much to divert the wholesale trade to western channels. In process of time he admitted his nephews (who now compose the firm of Messrs. A. R. McMaster & Brother) into partnership, and removed to more commodious premises lower down on Yonge Street, contiguous to the Bank of Montreal. This large establishment in its turn became too small for the ever-increasing volume of trade, and the magnificent commercial palace on Front Street, where the business is still carried on, was erected. Here, under the style of William McMaster & Nephews, the business continued to grow. As time passed by, the senior partner became engaged in large financial and other enterprises, and practically left the purely commercial operations to the management of his nephews. Eventually he withdrew from the firm altogether, but his retirement has not been passed in idleness. He has a natural aptitude for dealing with matters of finance, and this aptitude has been increased by the operations of an active mercantile life. He has been a director in several of the most important banking and insurance institutions in the country, and has always taken his full share of the work devolving upon him. Twenty years ago he founded the Canadian Bank of Commerce, and became its President. That position he has occupied ever since, and every banking-day finds him at his post. There can be no doubt that his care and judgement have had much to do with the highly successful career of the institution. Mr. McMaster was also for some time a director of the Ontario Bank, and of the Bank of Montreal. He has for many years acted as President of the Freehold Loan and Savings Company, as Vice-President of the Confederation Life Association, and as a director of the Isolated Risk — now called the Sovereign — Insurance Company. He also for many years occupied the unenviable position of Chairman of the Canadian Board of the Great Western Railway. Upon the abolition of that Board a few years ago, and the election of an English Board in its stead, Mr. McMaster was the only Canadian whose services were retained.

But it is not only with financial and kindred matters that Mr. McMaster has busied himself of late years. In 1862 he for the first time entered political life, having been elected to represent the Midland Division, embracing North York and South Simcoe, in the Legislative Council of old Canada. He was opposed by Mr. John W. Gamble, who sustained a crushing defeat, and Mr. McMaster continued to represent the Midland Division until the Union. When the Senate of the Dominion was substituted for the old Legislative Council, after the accomplishment of Confederation, Mr. McMaster was chosen as one of the Senators to represent Ontario, and he has ever since taken part in the deliberations of that body. He has always been identified with the Liberal Party, but has never been an extremist in his politics, and has kept himself aloof from the faction fights of the times.

His highest claim to the consideration of posterity will probably rest upon his services in the cause of education. These have been of a kind which we would be glad to see emulated by others of our wealthy capitalists. His first connection with general educational matters dates from the year 1865, when he was appointed a member of the old Council of Public Instruction. He continued to represent the Baptist Church — of which he is a prominent member — at that Board for a period of ten years. When the Senate of Toronto University was reconstructed, in 1873, he was nominated one of its members by the Lieutenant-Governor. But his most important services in the cause of education have been in connection with the denomination of which he is a devoted member. When the Canadian Literary Institute, at Woodstock, was originally projected, he contributed liberally to the building fund, and repeated his contribution when money was needed for the restoration of the buildings after they were burned down. He has ever since contributed liberally to the support of the institution, and indeed has been its mainstay in a financial point of view. He has been largely instrumental in bringing about the removal of the theological department of the Institute to Toronto, where a suitable building is now in process of erection for its accommodation in the Queen's Park, on land purchased by Mr. McMaster specially for that purpose. The cost of erecting this building is borne entirely by Mr. McMaster, and will amount, it is said, to at least $70,000.

His benefactions to the Baptist Church have been large and numerous, and of late years have been almost princely. The handsome edifice on the corner of Jarvis and Gerrard Streets, Toronto, is largely due to the bounty of Mr. McMaster and his wife, whose joint contributions to the building fund amounted to about $60,000. To Mr. McMaster also is due the existence of the Superannuated Ministers' Society of the Baptist Church of this Province, of which he is the President, and to the funds of which he has contributed with his accustomed liberality. He has also long contributed to the support of the Upper Canada Bible Society, of which he is the Treasurer.

He married, in 1851, Miss Mary Henderson, of New York City. Her death took place in 1868; and three years afterwards he married his present wife, Susan Molton, widow of the late Mr. James Fraser, of Newburgh, in the State of New York. There is no issue of either marriage.

THE HON. WILFRID LAURIER

Mr. Laurier was born at St. Lin, L'Assomption, in the Province of Quebec, on the 20th of November, 1841. He was educated first at L'Assomption College, and subsequently at McGill University, where he took his degree of B.C.L. in 1864. A year later he was called to the Bar of Quebec, his law studies having been pursued in the office of Mr. — now the Hon. — T. A. R. Laflamme. His health having suffered by too close attention to his professional duties, Mr. Laurier, at the end of two years, left Montreal, where he had practised, and became the editor of Le Défricheur newspaper at Arthabaska. His predecessor in the editorship was the late Mr. J. B. E. Dorion, the paper being devoted to the advocacy of Liberal principles. It did not, however, long continue in existence, and on its suspension Mr. Laurier once more returned to his professional pursuits, in which he soon obtained a high position, his personal popularity being as marked as his intellectual attainments. In 1871 he was the Liberal candidate for the representation of Drummond and Arthabaska in the Local Assembly, and carried the seat by a large majority. His talents as a debater and his statesmanlike cast of mind soon made him prominent in the Legislature, and when, in 1874, Mr. Mackenzie, shortly after accepting office, appealed to the country, Mr. Laurier relinquished his seat at Quebec to enter upon a more enlarged sphere of work at Ottawa. He was elected for Drummond and Arthabaska after a keen contest, and on the opening of the first session of the new Parliament was selected to second the address in reply to the Speech from the Throne. The manner in which he discharged this duty made a most favourable impression. He was at once recognized as one of the foremost of the many able representatives Quebec had sent to support the then-existing Government, and has since never failed to impress the House favourably when he has taken part in the debates.

It was evident from his first introduction to parliamentary life that he must, at no distant day, be called upon to take his share in the responsibilities of office. Even before that time his status as a leader of opinion and a representative man in relation to public affairs had been very clearly marked out. In a lecture delivered by him at Quebec in July, 1877, on "Political Liberalism," he made a splendid defence of the Liberals of Quebec against the misrepresentations and aspersions to which they had been subjected. He insisted on the distinction between religious and political opinions being maintained, and showed how strictly moderate and constitutional were the views of those with whom he was politically associated. Of the Liberal Party of the past — of the follies that had characterized too many of its actions and utterances, nothing, he declared, then existed, but in its stead remained the principles of the Liberal Party of England. On the other hand, sketching the party opposed to him under the name of Conservative, he spoke as follows: — "Sir George Cartier," he said, "was devoted to the principles of the English Constitution — if Sir George Cartier were to return to the world again he would not recognize his Party. I certainly respect too much the opinion of my opponents to do them an injury, but I reproach them with knowing neither their country nor the times. I accuse them of estimating the political situation not by what has occurred here, but by what has occurred in France. I accuse them of endeavouring to introduce here ideas which would be impossible in our state of society. I accuse them of laboriously endeavouring, and, unfortunately, too effectually, to make religion the simple basis of a political Party. It is the custom of our adversaries to accuse us Liberals of irreligion. I am not here to parade my religious principles, but I proclaim that I have too much respect for the faith in which I was born ever to make it appear as the basis of a political organization. We are a happy and free people; we owe this freedom to the Liberal institutions which govern us, which we owe to our forefathers and to the wisdom of the Mother Country. The policy of the Liberal Party is to guard these institutions, to defend and propagate them, and under the rule of these institutions to develop the latent resources of our country. Such is the policy of the Liberal Party, and it has no other." Mr. Laurier's Liberalism, in fact, is of the strictly British type, and to the immense benefit which has accrued to his French compatriots by the concession of free British institutions he has borne eloquent testimony. Few men, indeed, could be found better calculated than Mr. Laurier to effect a union of thought, sentiment, and interest between those distinguished by difference of race and creed, in the interest of their common country. It was not, as we have seen, at all surprising that on a vacancy occurring in the Quebec representation in the Dominion Cabinet, Mr. Laurier should be offered the vacant portfolio. His fitness for the position was disputed by none, either on personal or political grounds. In Ontario, no less than in Quebec, his acceptance of office was hailed as a just tribute to his worth and ability. In September, 1877, he was sworn of the Privy Council, and became Minister of Inland Revenue. The knowledge of his strength in Parliament and the country served to stimulate the determination of his opponents to defeat him at all hazards when he returned to his constituents for reëlection. The contest terminated by Mr. Bourbeau, the Conservative candidate, being elected by a majority of 22 votes over the new Minister. The defeat only served to show how highly the importance of Mr. Laurier's position in the country was estimated. Several constituencies were at once placed at his disposal. Ultimately the Hon. Mr. Thibaudeau, member for Quebec East, resigned, in order to create a vacancy. After a short but very exciting contest, Mr. Laurier carried the division by a majority of 315 votes. The result was the signal for general rejoicing, his journey to Ottawa and his reception there being one continued ovation. He retained the portfolio of Minister of Inland Revenue until the resignation of the Government in October, 1878. At the elections held on the 17th of September previous he was returned for Quebec East by a majority of 778 votes over his opponent, Mr. Vallière, and he now sits in the House for that constituency. He speaks both the French and English languages fluently, has a large amount of French vivacity sobered by great self-command, can strike home without too severely wounding, and commands the respect and good-will of his warmest political adversaries.

THE RIGHT HON. SIR CHARLES BAGOT

The Right Honourable Sir Charles Bagot, the successor of Lord Sydenham as Governor-General of British North America, was born at Blithfield House, Rugeley, in Staffordshire, England, on the 23rd of September, 1781. He was descended from an old aristocratic family, which has been resident in Staffordshire for several hundred years, and was ennobled in 1780 — the year previous to the birth of the subject of this sketch. He was the second son of William, first Baron Bagot, a nobleman highly distinguished for his scholastic and scientific attainments. His mother was Lady Louisa, daughter of Viscount St. John, brother and heir of the illustrious Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke.

His life was not marked by much variety of incident, and affords but scanty material for the biographer. From his early youth he was a prey to great feebleness of constitution, which prevented him from making any conspicuous figure at school. Upon completing his majority, his health being much improved, he entered public life on the Tory side, in the capacity of Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, under Mr. Canning, during the Administration of the Duke of Portland. His tenure of that office does not seem to have been marked by any very noteworthy incidents. In 1814 he was despatched on a special mission to Paris, at which time he resided for several months in the French capital. Later on he was successively appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States, and Ambassador to the Courts of St. Petersburg and the Hague. By this time his health, which had never been very robust, again gave way, and he was compelled to decline several other honourable and lucrative appointments which were offered to him by the Ministry of the day. One of them was the Governor-Generalship of India, rendered vacant by the return of Lord Amherst to England. During Sir Robert Peel's short Administration in 1834, he took charge of a special mission to Vienna, in the discharge of which he commended himself highly to the authorities at home. A Reform Government succeeded, and during its tenure of office we have no information as to the subject of this memoir.

In 1841 the Tories again came into power under the leadership of Sir Robert Peel. In the Ministry then formed, Lord Stanley, afterwards Earl of Derby (father of the present Earl), held the post of Colonial Secretary. Upon Lord Sydenham's death, in that year, it became necessary to appoint a new Governor-General of British North America. Lord Stanley offered the post to Sir Charles Bagot, who accepted it, and soon afterwards sailed for this country, where public affairs, since Lord Sydenham's death in the preceding month of September, had been under the direction of Sir Richard Jackson, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces. Sir Charles entered upon his official duties on the 10th of January, 1842, and it soon became apparent that he intended to carry out the judicious line of policy inaugurated by his predecessor, Lord Sydenham. He held himself aloof from purely party questions, and formed no definite alliance with either Reformers or Conservatives. This was a grievous disappointment to the latter. His past political career had led the Tory leaders in Canada to suppose that he would espouse their views, and that by his aid their ascendancy would be reëstablished. These expectations were not destined to be realized. Sir Charles spent his time in familiarizing himself with the position and needs of the country at large. In some respects he showed himself to be more liberal than his predecessor, Lord Sydenham, had been. Lord Sydenham had been indisposed to have anything to do with those persons who had abetted the rebellion. Sir Charles, knowing that Responsible Government had been conceded, resolved to govern himself accordingly. Though himself a Tory by predilection and by training, he knew that he had not been sent out to Canada to gratify his own political leanings, but to govern in accordance with the popular will. "He determined," says Mr. Macmullen, "to use whatever party he found capable of supporting a Ministry, and accordingly made overtures to the French Canadians and that section of the Reform Party of Upper Canada led by Mr. Baldwin, who then formed the Opposition in the Assembly. There can be no question that this was the wisest line of policy he could adopt, and that it tended to remove the differences between the two races, and unite them more cordially for the common weal. The French Canadian element was no longer in the ascendant — the English language had decidedly assumed the aggressive, and true wisdom consisted in forgetting the past, and opening the door of preferment to men of talent of French as well as to those of British origin. The necessity of this line of policy was interwoven with the Union Act; and, after that, was the first great step towards the amalgamation of the races. A different policy would have nullified the principle of Responsible Government, and must have proved suicidal to any Ministry seeking to carry it out. Sir Charles Bagot went on the broad principle that the constitutional majority had the right to rule under the Constitution." Finding that the Ministry then in being did not possess the public confidence, he called to his councils Robert Baldwin, Francis Hincks, Lafontaine, Morin, and Aylwin. Upon the opening of the Legislature, in the following September, he made a speech which showed that he understood the situation and requirements of the country, and was sincerely desirous of promoting its welfare. The session, which was a brief one, passed without any specially noteworthy incidents. Soon after the prorogation, which took place on the 8th of October, Sir Charles began to feel the effects of approaching winter in a rigorous climate. His physicians advised him, as he valued his life, to free himself from the cares of office, and betake himself to a milder clime. He sent in his resignation, and prepared to return to England, but the state of his health soon became so serious that he was unfit to endure an ocean voyage in the middle of winter. He was destined never to see his native land again. He lingered until the 19th of May, 1843, when he sank quietly to rest, at Kingston, in the sixty-second year of his age.