Bowell, Sir Mackenzie. Prime minister. Cabinet crisis and resignation

The Manitoba school dispute was the chief problem that faced the Bowell Government. In 1890, the Manitoba legislature had abolished the province's separate system of schools for Roman Catholics. Manitoba Catholics fought the decision in the courts and lost, and then they appealed to the Canadian government. The government stalled, questioning its authority to reject the Manitoba decision. In January 1895, the British Privy Council ruled that the Canadian government had the power to act on the school issue.

The Canadian government ordered Manitoba to restore the separate Catholic schools, but the province refused to do so. The dispute split the Conservative Party. Most Catholics demanded that the national government pass legislation to restore the schools, but most Protestants strongly opposed such legislation. Bowell did not take a firm stand on the issue. He kept delaying any action, hoping that the province would agree to a compromise and make federal legislation unnecessary. However, the government of Manitoba refused to change its position.

The Newfoundland question. Bowell worked to bring Newfoundland into the Dominion of Canada in 1895. The colony had economic problems and hoped that Canada would take over its debts.

But Bowell's Government and Newfoundland's leaders could not reach a financial agreement. Newfoundland received money from private sources and dropped its plan to join the Dominion. It finally became a province in 1949.

Cabinet crisis and resignation. Bowell gradually lost the support of his Cabinet, largely because of his weakness in dealing with the Manitoba school question. By the end of 1895, many Cabinet members wanted to replace him. They believed that Sir Charles Tupper could unite the Conservative Party and solve the school question.

Tupper, the Canadian High Commissioner in London, had served in the Cabinets of Prime Minister Macdonald. Seven members of Bowell's Cabinet resigned in January 1896. Bowell tried to replace them, but no Conservative leader would join his Cabinet.

An agreement was finally reached, and Bowell continued as prime minister until the session of Parliament ended. Tupper became leader of the House of Commons and the actual head of the Government. Six of the Cabinet members who had resigned returned to office.

In February, Tupper introduced a bill in the House to restore the Roman Catholic schools in Manitoba. But a long debate kept the legislation from coming to a vote before the session ended in April. Bowell resigned on April 27, 1896. Tupper succeeded him as prime minister.

Later years.Bowell remained in the Senate following his resignation as prime minister. He became Opposition leader inthe Senate after the Liberals won the elections of June1896. Also in 1896, Bowell resumed his work on the Intelligencer, which he had given up after accepting hisfirst Cabinet appointment. He retired from politics in1906 and died in Belleville on Dec. 10, 1917.