Mr. Norquay is a native of the Red River country, and has taken a conspicuous part in public affairs ever since the admission of the Province of Manitoba into the Confederation in 1870. He was born a few miles from Fort Garry, on the 8th of May, 1841. His father, the late Mr. John Norquay, whose namesake he is, was a farmer, and a man of some influence in the colony. The future Premier followed in his father's footsteps, and has devoted the greater part of his life to farming pursuits, although public affairs have for some years past engrossed much of his time. He received his education at St. John's Academy, under the tutelage of Bishop Anderson, and took a scholarship there in 1854. In June, 1862, he married Miss Elizabeth Setter, the second daughter of Mr. George Setter Jr., a native of Red River. He entered public life immediately after the admission of Manitoba to the Union, having been returned at the general election of 1870 as the representative of the constituency of High Bluff in the Local Legislature. He continued to sit for that constituency until the general election of 1874, when he was returned for St. Andrew's, and he has ever since represented that constituency in the Local House, having been reëlected by a large majority in 1878, and having been returned by acclamation at the last general election for the Province held on the 16th of December, 1879.
Upon the formation of the first Local Government in Manitoba, on the 28th of January, 1871, under the Premiership of the late Hon. James McKay, Mr. Norquay accepted the portfolio of Minister of Public Works, to which was subsequently added that of Minister of Agriculture. He held office until the 8th of July, 1874, when he resigned, with the rest of his colleagues. Upon the formation of the new Ministry on the 2nd of December in the same year, under the Hon. R. A. Davis, Mr. Norquay accepted a seat in it without portfolio. When Mr. Royal resigned the office of Minister of Public Works, and became Attorney-General of the Province, in May, 1876, Mr. Norquay succeeded to the vacant portfolio, and retained it until October, 1878. During the month last named, Mr. Davis, the Premier, retired from public life, and thereby rendered necessary a reconstruction of the Government. Mr. Norquay was called upon to carry out this reconstruction, which, in conjunction with Mr. Royal, he successfully accomplished, he himself becoming Premier and Provincial Treasurer. During his tenure of office as Minister of Public Works, in 1878, he visited Ottawa while the Dominion Parliament was in session, on business connected with the educational interests of his native Province, and for the purpose of bringing about an adjustment of certain accounts between the Government of Manitoba and the Governor and Council of the District of Keewatin.
The Government formed, as above mentioned, in October, 1878, remained intact until the month of May, 1879, when a difference of opinion arose between Messrs. Norquay and Royal. The latter, who held the office of Minister of Public Works, and Mr. Delorme, who was Minister of Agriculture, both resigned their portfolios, and thus left the Government with only three members. Overtures were made to several French members of the House to accept the portfolios thus rendered vacant, but these overtures were not successful. Mr. Norquay then addressed a letter to the Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Cauchon, in which he requested that his Government might be permitted to retain office, and that the public business might be proceeded with. It was further requested that the filling of the vacant offices might be deferred until after the close of the session. To this application the Lieutenant-Governor declined to accede, upon the ground that his compliance would be contrary to the spirit and meaning of the Constitution, more especially as some of the proposed legislation of the session was very important, and had not been foreshadowed to the people at the previous elections. The two vacant offices were accordingly filled by English members, and a round-robin was signed by all the English members of the House in which the latter pledged themselves to support a new line of policy announced by the Government. The session proceeded; and a Bill was passed redistributing the seats. The House was dissolved in the following October, and on the 16th of December a general election was held in the Province. Mr. Norquay was returned by acclamation by his constituents in St. Andrews, and all the other members of the Government were elected except Mr. Taylor, one of the new accessions, who was defeated. His portfolio—that of Minister of Agriculture—was accordingly offered to the Hon. Maxime Goulet, member for La Vérandrye, who accepted office, and returned to his constituents for reëlection, when he was returned by acclamation Mr. Norquay's Government, being fully sustained, has ever since remained in power. The lines of party in Manitoba are by no means analogous to those in the other Provinces, but they are rapidly assimilating, and practically speaking Mr. Norquay's Government may be said to be a Conservative one.
At the general election for 1872 Mr. Norquay was an unsuccessful candidate for the representation of Marquette in the House of Commons. He has not since attempted to obtain a seat in that House, but has confined his attention solely to Provincial affairs. He is a member of the Board of Health, and also of the Board of Education for Manitoba. He is a man of much natural intelligence, and enjoys a large measure of public confidence and respect. Though not an orator, he is a ready speaker, both on the platform and in the House, and has hitherto proved fully equal to the requirements of his position.
THE HON. SIR RICHARD JOHN CARTWRIGHT.
Readers of this work have already made the acquaintance of the Cartwright family in the sketch of the life of the late Bishop Strachan. The Hon. Richard Cartwright, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a United Empire Loyalist of English descent, who, soon after the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, emigrated, with his family, from the Province of New York to the wilderness of what soon afterwards became Upper Canada. He acted for some time as secretary to Colonel Butler, of the Queen's Rangers, and after the close of the war settled at Kingston, where he became a man of mark and influence. He was possessed of considerable acquirements and mental capacity. Soon after the division of the Provinces, in 1791, he was appointed to the important office of a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, the duties of which position he discharged, without any remuneration, for some years, and in a manner alike honourable to himself and beneficial to the public. Upon the arrival of Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe in the Province he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council, and was thenceforward most assiduous in his attendance to his Parliamentary duties. He was also a Colonel of militia, and took an active part in the promotion of all matters for the advancement of the public interests. His services to the cause of education have already been touched upon in the sketch of the life of Bishop Strachan. He died in 1815. His son, the father of Sir Richard, was the Rev. R. D. Cartwright, who was at one time Chaplain to the Forces at Kingston. The latter married Miss Harriett Dobbs, by whom he had four children, the eldest of which is the immediate subject of this sketch.
Richard John Cartwright was born at Kingston, Upper Canada, on the 4th of December, 1835. He was educated, first at Kingston, and afterwards at Trinity College, Dublin. He was brought up to business habits, and has been connected with various important financial enterprises. He was a Director, and afterwards President, of the Commercial Bank of Canada; and was also a Director of the Canada Life Assurance Company. He displayed great aptitude in dealing with financial matters, on which he was, and is, regarded as one of the highest authorities in this country. He also interested himself in matters connected with the militia, and in 1864 published at Kingston, a pamphlet of 46 pages, entitled "Remarks on the Militia of Canada." In the month of August, 1859, he married Miss Frances Alexander, eldest daughter of Colonel Alexander Lawe, of Cheltenham, England, by whom he has a numerous family.