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See also: Canadian journalist and statesman, was See also: born in See also: Edinburgh on the 29th of See also: November 1818, and was educated in his native city
.
With his See also: father, See also: Peter See also: Brown (d
.
1863), he emigrated to New
See also: York in 1838; and in 1843 they removed to See also: Toronto, and began the publication of The Banner, a politico-religious paper in support of the newly formed See also: Free See also: Church of Scotland
.
In 1844 he began, independently of his father, the issue of the Toronto Globe
.
This paper, at first weekly, became in 1853 a daily, and through the ability and energy of Brown, came to possess an almost tyrannical influence over the
See also: political opinion of See also: Ontario
.
In 1851 he entered the Canadian parliament as member for Kent county
.
Though giving at first a modified support to the Reform See also: government, he soon broke with it and became See also: leader of the See also: Radical or " Clear Grit " party
.
His attacks upon the See also: Roman Catholic church and on the supposed domination in parliament of the French Canadian section made him very unpopular in See also: Lower See also: Canada, but in Upper Canada his power was See also: great
.
Largely owing to his attacks, the See also: Clergy Reserves were secularized in 1854
.
He championed the See also: complete laicization of the See also: schools in Ontario, but unsuccessfully, the Roman Catholic church maintaining its right to See also: separate schools
.
He also fought for the See also: representation by population of the two provinces in parliament, the See also: Act of Union (1841) having granted an equal number of representatives to each
.
This principle of "See also: Rep. by Pop." was conceded by the See also: British See also: North See also: America Act (1867)
.
In 1858 Brown became premier of "The See also: Short Administration," which was defeated and compelled to resign after an existence of two days
.
He was one of the earliest See also: advocates of a federation of the British colonies in North America, and in 1864, to accomplish this end, entered into a coalition with his bitter See also: personal and political opponent, Mr (afterwards See also: Sir) See also: John A
.
See also: Macdonald
.
Largely owing to Brown's efforts, Federation was carried through the See also: House, but on the 21st of See also: December 1865 he resigned from the Coalition government, though continuing to support its Federation policy, and in 1867 he was defeated in See also: South Ontario and never again sat in the House
.
In great measure owing to his energy, and in spite of much concealed opposition from the French-Canadians, the North-West Territories were See also: purchased by the new Dominion
.
In December 1873 he was called to the Canadian senate, and in 1874 was appointed by the imperial government joint plenipotentiary with Sir See also: Edward See also: Thornton to negotiate a reciprocity treat,- between Canada and the See also: United States
.
The negotiations were successful, but the draft treaty failed to pass the United States Senate
.
Soon afterwards Brown refused the See also: lieutenant-governorship of Ontario, and on two subsequent occasions the offer of See also: knighthood, devoting himself to the Globe and to a See also: model See also: farm at See also: Bow See also: Park near See also: Brantford
.
On the 25th of See also: March 188o he was shot by a discharged employe, and died on the gth of May
.
His candour,
See also: enthusiasm and open tolerance of the opinions of others made him many warm See also: friends and many fierce enemies
.
He was at his best in his generous protests against all privneges, social, political and religious, and in the self-sacrificing patriot-ism which enabled him to fling aside his personal prejudices, and so to make Federation possible
.
See J
.
C . Dent, Canadian Portrait Gallery (Toronto, Moo) . The officialSee also: Life, by the Hon
.
See also: Alexander
See also: Mackenzie, is decidedly See also: partisan
.
A life by John See also: Lewis is included in the Makers of Canada series (Toronto)
.
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