Noted for his geniality, hospitality and fairness, the Hon. Joseph Bolduc was Speaker from 3 June 1916 to 6 February 1922. He is one of the very few Speakers who has been forced to “name” or threaten to eject an Hon. Member.
He was born on 22 June 1847 in the Beauce village of St. Victor de Tring, Quebec. He received his education at College Sainte-Marie and Université Laval, graduating as a public notary in 1874. Throughout his life, however, he was also a successful businessman, farmer and politician.
Mr. Bolduc was an active and popular member of the community in which he was born. Because of his successful efforts to promote a railway line linking St. Victor de Tring with the rest of the province, the Maritimes and New England, and because of his active participation in many local businesses, including the telephone company, he was elected Mayor of his parish and, later, Warden of the County of Beauce. But his desire to serve his community did not stop there.
Two years after graduation he won a by-election in 1876 to represent the riding of Beauce as a Conservative in the House of Commons. He sat in the Commons until 1884, winning successive elections with ever-increasing majorities. His popularity was such that in the election of 1882, he had only two votes against him from among all those votes cast in his and the two adjoining parishes.
Senator Bolduc resigned his seat in the Commons on being called to the Senate on 3 October 1884. As a Senator he became noted for his efforts to improve relations between the people and regions of Canada and for his support of the Navy Bill. Appointed Speaker following the resignation of the Hon. Landry as of 3 June 1916, Senator Bolduc also served as Speaker during the following Parliament. Like his predecessor, he found that the issues which arose during the war years caused an unusual amount of turbulence in Senate debates. No issue was more controversial or caused more heated and passionate debate than the passage and implementation of the Military Service Act of 1917. In an effort to delay conscription at least until after general elections could be held, Senator Choquette moved a motion for the production of papers. In the debate which ensued, Senator Choquette was warned that his line of argument was such as to create excitement in the country and opposition to the operation of the law. When he continued, the Speaker threatened to name him and finally told him to sit down. Although the procedure followed was unconventional and there was some question as to whether Senator Choquette had been named for a discourtesy to the Senate or to the Speaker, there was no doubt in the mind of the Speaker that the Hon. Senator had been named. In this as in other incidents of disorderly debate, Senator Bolduc was able to restore order without the need to entertain a motion for suspension.
By the time of his death on 13 August 1924, Senator Bolduc was one of the last members of the House of whom it could be said that he had been a contemporary, friend or counsellor of every Prime Minister since Confederation, from the Rt. Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald to the Rt. Hon. Mackenzie King.
Reproduced by permission, Library of Parliament/Bibliothèque du Parlement
Source: Speakers of the Senate, http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/Speakers/Sen/index.asp?Language=E¶m=1&id=1af76c37-20ef-4449-a23f-7007cd2a0af8 |
