Newfoundland National Convention
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The Newfoundland National Convention was a forum established to decide the constitutional future of Newfoundland. It would later see Newfoundland into Canadian Confederation.
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[edit] Background
Newfoundland had a long history of democratic responsible government as a British colony, operating a bicameral legislature for decades. However, the Dominion would fall into democratic disarray at the beginning of the Great Depression. Prime Minister Allardyce, Newfoundland's last Prime Minister, was born in Ireland and emigrated to Newfoundland when he became a successful fish merchant. Allardyce was elected on a promise to have a National Referendum on the future of the nation. But after he was elected his government reneged on their promise and approached the Prime Minister of Britain to appoint a Commission of Government. In 1934, the United Kingdom appointed a Commission of Government to run the affairs of Newfoundland. Except for St. John's Municipal Council, there were no elections in Newfoundland until after World War II.
On December 11, 1945, UK Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced in the British House of Commons that a general election would be held in 1946 to select delegates for a National Convention in the Colonial Building at St. John’s. Attlee explained to the British House of Commons what steps were to be taken to end the Commission of Government, which one Labour MP, James Maxton, called "the biggest blot" on the British democratic system.
[edit] The Convention
Nominations for the National Convention were held on May 31, 1946 and on June 21, 1946, Newfoundlanders elected 45 delegates. Only two females offered themselves as candidates, but neither succeeded in winning a seat. Lester Burry, of Labrador had secured a seat, the first time that Labrador had elected representation.
The convention first met on September 11, 1946. A judge of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, Justice Cyril J. Fox, chaired the convention. The Department of Home Affairs issued pay checks to the National Convention Delegates: $15 a day, with a traveling stipend of $10 per day. Newfoundlanders could listen debates in the convention on radio stations VOCM, VOAR and the state-run Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland station, VONF.
When the National Convention was convened, many Members were under the mistaken impression that they were to serve as members of a new Newfoundland responsible government. Some delegates attempted to organize a National Government, and demanded the accounting books from the Commission. However, Governor MacDonald would explain that delegates were not the Government of Newfoundland, but were convened to debate what kind of government Newfoundland should have. The National Convention adjourned for the summer in 1946, intending to reconvene in the fall.
In 1946, many of the Members believed Newfoundland should return to Responsible Government and Self-Determination. Delegates sympathetic to political union with Canada were in a minority in the National Convention until October 28, 1946, when Joseph R. Smallwood moved that a delegation be sent to Ottawa to discuss a union with Canada. More motions and amendments were passed in the days following, when on October 30 Kenneth M. Brown, the delegate from Bonavista South, collapsed on the floor of the chamber. Tragedy struck again when on November 16, Judge Fox suffered a heart attack and died suddenly. The Convention adjourned on December 13 for the Christmas break which saw a movement develop organized by St. John’s businessman F.M. O’Leary, the Responsible Government League.
[edit] The Ottawa Delegation
The Newfoundland National Convention dispatched three delegations, one to the United Kingdom (the "London Delegation") and two to Canada (the "Ottawa Delegations"). The first Ottawa Delegation negotiated terms of union for Confederation between Newfoundland and Canada in 1947.
On June 19, 1947 a delegation of six representatives was sent to Ottawa to discuss Terms of Union between Newfoundland and Canada. The Ottawa Delegation was supposed to return to Newfoundland after week of negotiating. Each delegate was given a travelling subsidy of $25 per day. The members (With their districts) were:
- T.G.W. Ashbourne (Twillingate)
- F.G. Bradley (Bonavista South)
- Charles Ballram (Humber)
- Lester Burry (Labrador)
- P.W. Crummey (Bay de Verde)
- Joey Smallwood (Bonavista Centre)
The negotiations were largely a one way affair, because any union between the Dominions of Newfoundland and Canada would be dictated by the provisions of the British North America Act (BNA), under which Canada had come into being in 1867. Because the economy of Crummey's district was almost exclusively fishery-oriented, he was assigned to negotiate fishery issues. Crummey quickly discovered that after Confederation, Newfoundland would lose control of the Grand Banks because the BNA designated fisheries as under federal jurisdiction. Crummey also sensed that the federal negotiators intended to draw out the negotiations.
Other motions were discussed at the Newfoundland Legislature, such as those of Robert Job who suggested economic union with the United States. On April 11, 1947, D.I. Jackman moved that a delegation be sent to Washington, DC to seek terms of union but his motion was not passed by the assembly. Thus, union with the United States was effectively taken off the table.
A motion to place Confederation with Canada on the ballot was defeated 29 to 16. Joey Smallwood felt slighted by what he called 'Twenty-Nine Dictators'. Smallwood and his Confederates took the matter public. Newfoundland's Governor, Gordon Macdonald would announce on March 11, 1948 that Confederation with Canada would be on a national referendum ballot along with Dominion government and the Commission.
[edit] The Referenda
On June 3, 1948, the first of two Newfoundland referendums was held on the advice of the Convention. Voters had three options:
- A return to dominion status
- Commission of Government, the status quo
- Confederation with Canada
| Votes | Perc. | |
|---|---|---|
| Dominion Status | 69,400 | 44.6% |
| Confederation | 64,066 | 41.1% |
| Commission | 22,311 | 14.3% |
The option for responsible government won a plurality, but not an absolute majority. The Governor and Commissioners called for a second National Referendum, one between Confederation and Dominion status. Anti-Confederates wanted the second National Referendum options limited to "Responsible Government" and "Commission of Government", believing that if Responsible Government won, it would be in a position to negotiate better terms with Canada.
On July 22, 1948 A second National Referendum was held. In the second referendum only two options appeared:
- Dominion status
- Confederation
| Votes | Perc. | |
|---|---|---|
| Confederation | 78,323 | 52.3% |
| Dominion status | 71,334 | 47.7% |
The confederation option won, and Newfoundland would become Canada's tenth province the following year.
