Howe, Joseph

(1804-1873)

   H Born at Halifax, 1804, 1; his father, John Howe, a United Empire Loyalist, 1, 2; his Southampton speech, 1851, 1, 2; his character, 3; his education, 3; a voracious reader, 3; tributes to his father, 2, 4; learns trade of printer, 4; early poems, 5; establishes the Acadian, 6; buys Nova Scotian, 6; extends its influence, 7; his Rambles, 8; his marriage, 8; The Club, 9; friendship for Haliburton, 10; political writings, 10,11; develops Liberal principles, 19, 20; attacks Halifax magistrates in his paper, 20; sued for libel, 1835, 21; pleads his own case, 22-25; his address to jury, 25-28; wins case, 28; elected to represent Halifax in Legislature, 1836, 29; his principles of government, 29-31; physical and mental characteristics, 31-33; his moral courage, 33; in Legislature, 1837, 36-44; debate on the resolutions, 41; moves address to crown, praying for responsible government, 45; his speech in Legislature, 1838, 47; advocates constitutional reform, but opposed to rebellion, 50, 51; his patriotic action in Maine boundary dispute, 52, 53; letters to Lord John Russell, 54, 55; his political principles, 59; moves want of confidence in Executive Council, 62; moves address to queen praying for recall of Sir Colin Campbell, 66; meets Poulett Thompson, 68; invited to a seat in the Council, 69; defends his action in accepting office, 72-73; re-elected for Halifax, 73; becomes Speaker of the House, 74; appointed collector of customs at Halifax, 74; resigns speakership, 75; question of ministerial responsibility, 75-76; his quarrel with the Baptists, 77-78; advocates compulsory education, 79-80; and a central, undenominational college, 82; the election of 1843, 84-85; resigns from the Cabinet, 86-87; attacks Lord Falkland through the newspapers, 90; assumes editorial management of the Nova Scotian and Morning Chronicle, 90; his first editorial, 91; described by Annand, 92; he lampoons Falkland in verse, 93; political tour of the province, 94; his speech at Cornwallis, 95-96; complimentary addresses, 96-97; speeches in the Legislature, 1845, 97-98; attacks Falkland in Legislature, 100-101; justifies his action in letter to his constituents, 101-102; again offered seat in the Council, 103; declines the offer, 104; moves his family from Halifax to Musquodoboit, 104-105; wins the election of 1847, 106-107; his character, 109; becomes provincial secretary in Uniacke government, 111; secures responsible government for Nova Scotia, 113; his reply to the manifesto of the British American League, 114-115; advocates railway from Halifax to Windsor, in 1835, 117; 120-121; favourable to government ownership of railways, 120, 123; sails for England to explain Intercolonial Railway project to the government, 125; his letters on the subject to Earl Grey, 125-126; his Southampton speech, 1851, 127-128; obtains Imperial guarantee of railway, 130-132; secures co-operation of New Brunswick and Canada, 134-138; predicts transcontinental railway, 135; given public dinners at Toronto and Montreal, 138; elected for Cumberland County, 1851, 139-141; brings down railway measures, 141; Intercolonial scheme blocked, 141-143; reverts to his original policy of building railways in Nova Scotia as a government work, 143; raises a provincial loan in England, 144; railway measures passed by Legislature, 145; becomes chief commissioner of railways, 146; visits United States to secure recruits for British army, 151-155; defeated by Tupper in Cumberland, 1855, 156; returned by acclamation for Hants County, 1856, 157-158; his open letter to Gladstone, 159; attacks Irish Roman Catholics, 160-162; results in defeat of government, 163-167; Liberals returned to power in 1859, 168; and Howe becomes premier, 169; appointed fishery commissioner for carrying out provisions of Reciprocity Treaty of 1854, 170; defeated, with his party, in election of 1863, 171; opposes Confederation, 173; an Imperial federationist, 174; declines to take part in Charlottetown Conference, 1864, 177; offered editorship of New York Albion, 182-183; his articles against Confederation, 186, 189; outlines grounds of his opposition, 190-191; continues the fight in London, 192; correspondence with W.J. Stairs, 192-197; works up Anti-Confederation sentiment in Nova Scotia, 199; his Bridgetown meeting, 200-202; sweeps the province in both Dominion and Provincial elections, 202; fight for repeal of the union, 203; meets Tupper in London, 205; hesitates as to further agitation for repeal, 207-210; rebukes Acadian Recorder for suggesting violence to Sir John Macdonald, 210-212; meets Macdonald at Halifax, 213; correspondence with Macdonald, 215-216; interview with Annand, 217-218; refuses overtures of repealers, 219-223; conference at Portland with A.W. McLellan, and Sir John Rose, 223-224; enters Dominion Cabinet, 1868, 225; re-elected in Hants, 226; visits Winnipeg, 1869, 227; correspondence in relation to Red River Rebellion, 227; his character as a statesman contrasted with that of Sir John Macdonald, 228-229; becomes lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia, 1873, 229; visits England and the continent, 1838, 231; advocates ocean steamship service, 232-235; challenged by Dr. Almon, 236; and by John C. Haliburton, 236; justifies acceptance of the challenge in letter to his sister, 237-241; the duel, 241-242; letters to his wife and to the people of Nova Scotia, 242-244; Sir Rupert D. George's challenge, 244; his practical interest in the Micmacs, 245; opposes prohibition, 248-250; his speech at Boston, 1851, 250; his tribute to Edward Everett in 1857, 251; his Detroit speech of 1865 on trade relations, 252-254; acts as member of Prince Edward Island Land Grants Commission, 254-255; as a man of letters, 257-270; his poems, 260-268; oration at Shakespeare tercentenary, 264; his friendship for Haliburton, 267; his social qualities, 271; secret of his popularity, 272-274; his influence upon public men and public life, 277-278; his religious views, 279-280; his family, 282; as governor of Nova Scotia, 283-284; his death, 284; funeral, 285-286; estimate of his public work, 287-290; opposed to Pacific Railway policy in 1872, 299-300. E A consistent advocate of British connection, 22; on parliamentary government, 51, 90; the father of responsible government in the Maritime Provinces, 92; a constitutional agitator, 92; accuses Hincks of breach of faith in Intercolonial Railway scheme, 101; on Imperial honours and offices for distinguished colonials, 221; becomes lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia, 221; a constructive statesman, 236. B In Dominion government--relations with Sir John Macdonald, 203. Sy Advocates responsible government, 107, 257; approves of Sydenham's propositions, 261; editor of Nova Scotian, 110. T Goes to England in Intercolonial matter, 55; second mission to England, 57; advocates Confederation, 62, 63; discusses tariff with Tilley, 70, 71; quoted for and against Confederation, 117.

   Bib.: Works: Speeches and Public Letters of Joseph Howe, ed. by Chisholm; Poems and Essays. For biog., see Fenety, Life and Times of Joseph Howe; Bourinot, Builders of Nova Scotia; Saunders, Three Premiers of Nova Scotia; Dent, Can. Por.; Taylor, Brit. Am.; Rose, Cyc. Can. Biog.