Laurier and honours' patronage in early 20th century Canadian politics.

• Author: McCreery, Christopher

The present minority Parliament has made Canadians extremely aware of the importance of an extra seat or two in Parliament. Of course this is hardly a new phenomena. This article outlines a plan to free up a seat in the Senate at a time when the Liberals badly needed one and their Leader, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, knew how to manipulate the system of honours to his advantage.

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During the closing days of the Great War, the subject of knighthoods and peerages became such a contentious issue that it lead to their near complete abolition in Canada. (1) A fear that such honours would be used to create a caste of titled nobility in Canada, and a belief that Canada was fighting for democracy not aristocracy lead the House of Commons to adopt the Nickle Resolution in 1918 and the Report of the Special Committee on Honours and titles in 1919. Both are commonly referred to as the "Nickle Resolution," although it is only the Report of the Special Committee that called upon the King to cease bestowing knighthoods and hereditary titles upon Canadians.

One of the most prominent advocates of this new policy of prohibition was Sir Wilfrid Laurier--the man who in many ways had perfected the use of honors for patronage purposes in Canada. During Laurier's term as Prime Minister from 1896 to 1911 more Canadians were knighted than at any previous time in our history. Some 61 Canadians including 5 Senators were made either a Knight Bachelor (Kt) or the more prestigious Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG). Such honours were highly sought and offered more prestige and exclusivity than a Senate seat or even a Lieutenant Governorship. In modern terms these awards were tantamount to being made an Officer or Companion of the Order of Canada.

The story of Sir James Robert Gowan illustrates how at least in one case, the promise of an honour was dangled as a way to free up a parliamentary seat. Senator Gowan was a Liberal-Conservative Senator for Ontario. He was 89 years old when made a KCMG in November 1905, thus making him the oldest Canadian to have been knighted.

Gowan had been made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1893, and had long hoped to be elevated to be a KCMG which, according to him, had been promised him years before by Sir John Thompson. Alas for Gowan, Thompson had died before the recommendation was made. (2) In 1899, Gowan went so far as to write to the Governor General, Lord...