Amor de Cosmos
Hon. Amor de Cosmos Image File history File links Amor_de_cosmos_2. ...
2nd Premier of British Columbia
In office December 23, 1872 – February 11, 1874
Preceded by	John Foster McCreight
Succeeded by	George Anthony Walkem
Born	August 20, 1825 Windsor, Nova Scotia
Died	July 4, 1897 Victoria, British Columbia
Political party	None

Amor De Cosmos (Windsor, Nova Scotia August 20, 1825 – July 4, 1897 Victoria, British Columbia) was a Canadian journalist and politician. He served as the second Premier of British Columbia. Categories: Stub | British Columbia premiers ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... John Foster McCreight as Justice of the Supreme Court The Honourable John Foster McCreight (1827–November 18, 1913) was a jurist and the first Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia. ... George Anthony Walkem (Newry November 15, 1834 – January 13, 1908 Victoria, British Columbia) was a British Columbian politician and jurist. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... St. ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Victoria is a Canadian city, and it is the provincial capital of British Columbia. ... St. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Victoria is a Canadian city, and it is the provincial capital of British Columbia. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Categories: Stub | British Columbia premiers ...

==Early life== his nam might be spelled Amour de Cosmos

De Cosmos was born as William Alexander Smith in Nova Scotia to United Empire Loyalist parents.^{[citation needed]} His education included a stint at King's College in Windsor, Nova Scotia, following which, around 1840, he became a mercantile clerk in Halifax. There he joined the Dalhousie University debating club, and came under the influence of the Nova Scotia politician and reformer, Joseph Howe. After twelve years in the trade, the lure of the California Gold Rush beckoned, and Smith headed overland to Placerville, California, arriving in 1853. There he set up a photography studio, and prospered taking pictures of the miners and their operations. Joined by his brother, the pair moved northwest to Oroville, where they engaged in various unspecified entrepreneurial ventures. In 1854, Smith successfully petitioned the California State Assembly to change his name to "Amor De Cosmos" (inaccurately translated as "Lover of the Universe"), to pay tribute, as he said, "to what I love most...Love of order, beauty, the world, the universe." Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages none (English, French, Gaelic) Flower Trailing arbutus Tree Red Spruce Bird Osprey Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 11 10 Area... United Empire Loyalists is the name given to individuals who are descendants of British North American loyalists who, during the American War of Independence, left the 13 rebellious American colonies for the future Canada: the two British colonies of Quebec (including the Eastern Townships and modern-day Ontario) and Nova... Kings-Edgehill School is a Canadian independent university preparatory school located in the town of Windsor, Nova Scotia. ... St. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = E Mari Merces (Wealth from the Sea) Logo: Location City Information Established: April 1, 1996 Area: (former city) 79. ... Dalhousie University is a university located on the Halifax Peninsula in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (Latin: One defends and the other conquers) Official languages none (English, French, Gaelic) Flower Trailing arbutus Tree Red Spruce Bird Osprey Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 11 10 Area... Joseph Howe, PC (December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was born the son of John Howe and Mary Edes at Halifax, Nova Scotia. ... The California Gold Rush (1848-1855) was the first world-class gold rush. ... Placerville is the county seat of El Dorado County, California. ... Photography is the process of making pictures by means of the action of light. ... Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. ... An entrepreneur (a loanword from French) is a person who undertakes and operates a new enterprise or venture and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. ... The California State Assembly chamber California State Assembly Chamber in the State Capitol The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. ...

Reformer and journalist

In 1858, De Cosmos and his brother migrated back to British North America, settling in Victoria, the capital of the Colony of Vancouver Island. The city was just entering an economic boom, as it became a jumping-off point for miners headed to the New Caledonia (now mainland British Columbia) interior to participate in the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. De Cosmos founded a newspaper, The Daily British Colonist, which survives today in its current incarnation as the Victoria Times-Colonist. 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... British North America was an informal term first used in 1783, but uncommon before the Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839), called the Durham Report. ... Victoria is a Canadian city, and it is the provincial capital of British Columbia. ... See main article Vancouver Island Colonial flag of Vancouver Island, consisting of the British Blue Ensign and the great seal of the colony. ... The Gold Rush of British Columbia occurred after gold was discovered in the Fraser River Valley. ... The Times Colonist is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. ...

De Cosmos remained as editor of the Colonist through 1863, and quickly established himself as an opponent of the administration of Sir James Douglas, governor of the colony and the former Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company for Vancouver Island. De Cosmos decried the "family-company compact" of Bay men and Douglas associates who controlled the political and social affairs of the colony, even after Douglas' retirement in 1864. This group generally distrusted representative government, and believed in maintaining a hierarchical social order through government support for an established church, a landed gentry, and a private, denominational system of education. James Douglas Sir James Douglas, K.C.B, ((August 15, 1803 – August 2, 1877), was born of a Scottish father and Creole mother in Demerara. ... A factor, a Latin word meaning who/which acts can refer to: Look up factor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Hudsons Bay Company (HBC) is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. ...

De Cosmos was a liberal reformer cast in the mould of John Locke and John Stuart Mill. He argued passionately for public education, an end to economic and political privileges, and - above all - the institution of responsible government through an elected assembly. However, true to the Victorian spirit of the age, De Cosmos was also a proponent of social progress through economic and population growth. He was a tireless advocate for economic diversification, being one of the first British Columbians to argue for a policy of encouraging development of the "three F's" - farming, forestry, and fisheries - that would underpin the region's economy for the next century. Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... John Locke (August 29, 1632 – October 28, 1704) was an influential English philosopher. ... John Stuart Mill (May 20, 1806 – May 8, 1873), an English philosopher and political economist, was an influential liberal thinker of the 19th century. ... Responsible government is a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Political career

As the child of American refugees, who had himself lived six years in the United States, De Cosmos developed a sharpened sense of nationalism. This was expressed in a growing protectionist economic sentiment, and the belief that the colonies of British North America needed to be self-supporting, develop a distinct identity, and form a political and economic union. From such policies, emerged the two great causes of his later career: the union of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and British Columbia’s entry into confederation. To advance the first cause, De Cosmos left journalism and entered politics, becoming a member of Vancouver Island's colonial assembly from 1863 until its union with the Colony of British Columbia in 1866. He advanced the second cause through his position as a member of the assembly of the United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia from 1867-68 and 1870-71, and as the leading force (with Robert Beaven and John Robson) behind the colony's Confederation League. Through the instrumental role De Cosmos played in realizing these two goals, he earned for himself his reputation as British Columbia's Father of Confederation. Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolizing French nationalism during the July Revolution. ... Protectionism is the economic policy of promoting favored domestic industries through the use of high tariffs and other regulations to discourage imports. ... A confederation is an association of sovereign states or communities, usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution. ... The Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony of British North America from 1858 until 1871. ... Colonial flag of British Columbia (1870-71), consisting of the British Blue Ensign and the great seal of the colony. ... Robert Beaven (January 20, 1836-September 18, 1920) was a British Columbia politician and businessman. ... John Robson (March, 1824-June 29, 1892) was a British Columbian journalist and politician. ... Canadian Confederation, or the Confederation of Canada, was the process that ultimately brought together a union among the provinces, colonies and territories of British North America to form a Dominion of the British Empire, which today is a federal nation state simply known as Canada. ...

At the time of British Columbia's entry into Confederation on July 20, 1871, De Cosmos was the leading pro-Confederation figure in the new province. That year, he was elected to represent Victoria in both the provincial legislature and the House of Commons. Despite his prominence - or perhaps because of it - Lieutenant Governor Sir Joseph Trutch passed over De Cosmos for the job of Premier, instead asking John Foster McCreight to assume the position. Undoubtedly, De Cosmos' reputation as an iconoclast and his infamously volatile temperament did not endear him to the establishment. July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Canada As shown by the map to the left, the North American nation of Canada is a federation which consists of ten provinces that, together with three territories, make up the worlds second largest country in total area. ... Legislature Building in Victoria, BC The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is located in Victoria. ... The House of Commons (French: Chambre des communes) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, which also includes the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the Senate. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ... Joseph Trutch, c. ... In Canada, a Premier is the head of government of a province. ... John Foster McCreight as Justice of the Supreme Court The Honourable John Foster McCreight (1827–November 18, 1913) was a jurist and the first Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia. ...

McCreight resigned in 1872 on a motion of non-confidence, and on December 23, 1872, Trutch asked De Cosmos to form a new government as Premier. De Cosmos populated his cabinet with reformers, mostly born in North America, many of whom would come to dominate provincial politics for a generation. His government pursued an agenda of political reform, economic expansion, and the development of public institutions - especially schools. De Cosmos also focused on advancing the completion of the transcontinental railroad promised under the terms of union. It was, however, De Cosmos' attempt to alter the terms of union in order to obtain monetary guarantees from the federal government to complete a dry dock at Esquimalt that eventually led to accusations of impropriety, and ended his provincial political career. He speculated heavily in land, and Texada Island Iron mines, which further brought criticism as he was a public official. Thus he ended his tenure as Premier on February 11, 1874. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... An eastbound CPR freight at Stoney Creek Bridge in Rogers Pass. ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ... The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. ... Texada Island is located about 8 km southwest from the city of Powell River in the Powell River Regional District on British Columbias Sunshine Coast. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Despite this setback, De Cosmos continued to be re-elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Victoria City. Consistent with federal promises to place the terminus of the transcontinental railway in Victoria, in Ottawa, De Cosmos pushed for completion, especially the Vancouver Island portion. De Cosmos also became an opponent of land concessions to First Nations in the province, seeing it as a hindrance to British Columbia's economic growth and settlement by those of European descent. It is generally conceded that De Cosmos’s tenure as a member of the dominion parliament was undistinguished. Circumstance betrayed him, and the belief of citizens of Victoria that future prosperity depended on the termination of the CPR at Esquimalt forced him into a one-dimensional role as critic of the terms of union. He found himself increasingly isolated as the railway issue alienated him even from other British Columbia MPs. The Liberal Party of Canada (French: ), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party positioned at the centre of the political spectrum, combining a progressive social policy with moderate economics. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... this article is for a federal electoral district, for the city, see Victoria, British Columbia. ... Motto: Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario County Established 1850 as Bytown City Mayor Larry OBrien Governing body Ottawa City Council MPs / MPPs Members of Parliament (MPs) Mauril Bélanger (LPC), Paul Dewar (NDP), John Baird (CPC), Royal Galipeau (CPC), David McGuinty (LPC),Pierre Lemieux... The E and N Railway (E&N, ENR) (AAR reporting mark ENR) is a short line railway run by RailAmerica, Inc. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Retirement and death

De Cosmos lost the 1882 federal election, and retired to Victoria. Although widely regarded as a stirring orator, effective debater, and a man of great intellectual depth, De Cosmos had always been considered eccentric. Contemporaries paint a portrait of an isolated person (he never married and had few intimate friends) with grandiose manners, prone to public outbursts of tears, and a fierce temper that sometimes degenerated into fist-fights. He had unusual phobias - including a fear of electricity. As he grew older, his eccentricities intensified, he became increasingly incoherent, and by 1895 he was declared of "unsound mind." He died two years later and is buried in Victoria's Ross Bay Cemetery. The Canadian parliament after the 1882 election The Canadian federal election of 1882 was held on June 20, 1882 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Ross Bay Cemetery Ross Bay Cemetery, located at 1516 Fairfield Road in Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island, Canada was opened in 1873. ...

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Biography at Library and Archives Canada

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Premiers of British Columbia

McCreight | De Cosmos | Walkem | Elliott | Walkem | Beaven | Smithe | A. Davie | Robson | T. Davie | Turner | Semlin | Martin | Dunsmuir | Prior | McBride | Bowser | Brewster | Oliver | MacLean | Tolmie | Pattullo | Hart | Johnson | W. Bennett | Barrett | B. Bennett | Vander Zalm | Johnston | Harcourt | Clark | Miller | Dosanjh | Campbell