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Born in Halifax in 1845, Thompson initially shadowed his father’s career, working as a trial reporter before pursuing a career in law. Politics beckoned in 1878, and he won a provincial by-election in the riding of Antigonish. Thompson’s reputation as a hardworking, honest, and fair- minded lawyer earned him a place in the Cabinet of Premier Holmes as attorney general. He had a reputation of being straight with electors and acted responsibly with provincial finances. He was also a loving and dedicated family man who heaped affection on his nine children.
In Ottawa, Thompson made a positive impression on Prime Minister Macdonald because he resisted blaming the federal government for provincial ills. Macdonald appreciated his responsible tone. Then as now in Atlantic Canada, it was difficult to find provincial politicians who would take responsibility for economic malaise rather than blame the federal government.
Premier Holmes was widely regarded as a bully. Thompson wanted out of his Cabinet, and the vacancies in Nova Scotia’s Supreme Court caught his eye. But in 1891, fellow Nova Scotian and Macdonald loyalist Charles Tupper begged Thompson to lead the Nova Scotia Conservatives into the next provincial election. When Holmes resigned, Thompson agreed to assume the provincial leadership on the condition that he be handed the judgeship afterwards.
Macdonald was desperate to keep Nova Scotia’s Conservative government afloat and suggested that he and Thompson go to the polls at the same time to confuse voters into thinking they were supporting the more popular federal Conservatives. The strategy didn’t work. Thompson failed to win a majority of the seats and happily left politics to take up his seat on the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia’s bench. Though not elected premier by the people of Nova Scotia, he briefly held the title after Holmes resigned.
Thompson was more comfortable in law than politics, an environment he called “slime.” The perks and privileges of office were of no appeal to Thompson and unlike many of his colleagues sought no personal enrichment from politics. “I detest the idea of being beastly rich.” He was happy sitting on the bench, and repeatedly refused Macdonald’s invitations to enter his Cabinet as minister of justice. However, public encouragement proved over whelming and on October 16, 1885, Thompson won the federal riding of Antigonish in a by-election.
Even the Liberal-friendly newspaper, the Windsor Nova Scotia Courier, applauded Thompson’s win, commenting, “We congratulate the people of Nova Scotia upon having in the Dominion Cabinet a gentleman of Mr. Thompson’s ability and untiring energy. He is an excellent speaker, a clear headed lawyer, and will undoubtedly fill the office to the satisfaction of the country.” In his welcoming address, even federal Liberal leader Edward Blake was reluctant to criticize Thompson: “I congratulate the honourable incumbent . . . he begins his Federal career at once as a Minister . . . No greater compliment could be paid a public man.” In response, Prime Minister Macdonald would prophetically note “even the honourable gentlemen opposite will admit before the session closes the correctness of my selection and choice.”
It didn’t take Thompson long to have a significant impact on parliamentary debate. In his maiden speech in the House, he rose on the matter of the execution of Louis Riel, asserting that Riel’s treasonous behaviour deserved the death penalty. Instead of allowing passion and emotion to dominate his speech, as some members opposite had done, Thompson systematically picked apart his opponents’ logic. He quoted the English Commission on Capital Punishment, arguing “in cases of treason accompanied by overt acts of rebellion, assassination or other violence, the extreme penalty must be maintained.” The speech, though a lengthy two hours, maintained the keen interest of every member of the House. After the speech, a Liberal motion to condemn the government’s decision failed by a landslide, and Thompson was praised for his keen understanding of the issues and his persuasiveness in debate.
As minister of justice, Thompson revolutionized the law of the Dominion in two areas: the Criminal Code and copyright law. After consulting with legal scholars and responding effectively to the criticisms of other parliamentarians, he compiled the first Canadian Criminal Code, some 350 pages long. Working one hundred hours a week, he shepherded this legislative behemoth through Parliament, a substantial accomplishment because the new code replaced a disorganized series of enactments by various Parliaments. This Criminal Code was innovative. For instance, it allowed a suspect to testify on his or her own behalf and it gave juveniles special treatment under the law. It also represented a major achievement in nation-building because it further distinguished Canadian law from British law. Perhaps with the Riel incident in mind, Thompson’s Criminal Code prevented judges from punishing those who committed crimes as a result of insanity. In summarizing the code, Thompson said: “It will deal with offences against public order, internal and external; offences affecting the administration of the law and of justice; offences against religion, morals and public convenience; offences against the per son and reputation; offences against the rights of property and rights arising out of contracts, and offences connected with trade.”
Thompson’s second major area of interest as minister of justice was copyright law. He was troubled by the Imperial Copyright Act of 1842, which permitted copyright throughout the empire to any book published in the United Kingdom. Since it was more convenient for British publishing houses to supply copyrights to American publishers than to their Canadian counterparts, the Canadian market was flooded with American and British publications. This crippling of the nascent Canadian publishing industry worried Thompson, who argued that only books published in Canada should have copyright in Canada. His essentially protectionist and nationalist legislation, though praised by Parliament, was rejected by the British Commons.
Thompson did not seek to lead the Conservative party after Abbott’s resignation, fearing his religious conversion was politically fatal. True, the conversion, which followed his marriage to Annie Affleck on July 5, 1870, was initially an affront to many Tories. But following Abbott’s resignation, Thompson’s colleagues believed that his evenhanded approach would over come any hesitation voters might have and Thompson was sworn in as prime minister on December 5, 1892. Thompson—and later Charles Tupper—are the only prime ministers in Canadian history to have also held the position of provincial premier.
Thompson did not take his government in any dramatic new directions. He was an advocate of the monarchy and sustained trade policies that favoured Britain and her colonies and discriminated against the Americans. He took this position when, as prime minister, he hosted the first intercolonial conference held outside of the United Kingdom.
Thompson was a Canadian nationalist, but agreed with Macdonald that total independence from Britain would make Canada vulnerable to annexation by the United States. America’s aggressive interventions in Hawaii troubled him. There was a small faction within the Liberal party, known as the Continental Union Association, that enthusiastically promoted political ties to America. But Thompson thought that Canada should not consider separating from the monarchy until the country was stronger and its population reached 50 million. Thompson also took the lead on the issue of women’s suffrage. “We look forward to it as one of the aims which are to be accomplished in the public life of Canada, because the Conservative party believes that the influence of women in the politics of the country is always for good. I think, therefore, that there is a probability of the franchise being extended to the women on the same property qualifications as men.” This contrasted with the view of Macdonald. When confronted by an angry woman who thought the system unfair. Macdonald replied: “You cannot vote and I cannot conceive.”
Thompson was unable to resolve the dispute over the use of the French language in the schools of Manitoba, where Roman Catholics wanted to retain a separate school board, as Québec did. Western Protestants were opposed. This issue would haunt subsequent Conservative prime ministers, none of whom had Macdonald’s deft touch for dealing with matters of cultural, ethnic, and linguistic sensitivity.
In late 1894,Thompson took a tour of Europe. Early in the trip the five foot seven, 225pound prime minister famously climbed the equivalent of 40 storeys to the top of the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. His doctors ordered rest. But only days later, Thompson died of a heart attack during lunch at Windsor Castle, where he was being sworn into the Imperial Privy Council. His term as prime minister had lasted only two years and six days.
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