Robert Bond

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the last premier of Newfoundland. For the USAF general, see Robert M. Bond. For the first graduate of the North Carolina Central University School of Law, see Robert Richard Bond.

Charles Cavendish Boyle,
William MacGregor
Preceded byJames Spearman Winter
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born25 February 1857
St. John's, Newfoundland Colony
Died16 March 1927(1927-03-16) (aged 70)
Whitbourne, Dominion of Newfoundland
NationalityNewfoundlander
Political partyLiberal
RelativesGeorge John Bond (brother)

Sir Robert Bond

Newfoundland and articled under Sir William Whiteway
.

Political career

He got involved in politics in 1882 when he ran for the House of Assembly in

Trinity Bay. He was speaker of the House of Assembly before the Whiteway government was defeated in 1885. He was elected to the House for Fortune Bay in the 1885 election, Trinity Bay in the 1889 and 1893 elections, and for Twillingate
in the 1897, 1900, 1904, 1908, 1909, and 1913 elections. When Whiteway came back into power in 1889; Bond was made Colonial Secretary. He tried to negotiate free trade with the United States but it failed because of Canada's objection.

The government was defeated by judicial means in 1894; however, it came back to power shortly as a result of the bank crash of 1894. Bond became leader of the

Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and the conference of Colonial Premiers
in London.

As Premier, he once again tried to negotiate free trade with the United States. It failed because of the objections of US senator

Teddy Roosevelt tried to intervene but was not successful and it ended the friendship between the two nations. Relations between the United States and Newfoundland deteriorated to the point where, in November 1905 in Bonne Bay, local fisherman clashed with Americans trying to buy bait on shore. In 1904, Bond was re-elected with a clear majority. He went on to settle the French Shore issue which gave Newfoundland full control over the island. Following the 1907 Imperial Conference, Newfoundland and the other self-governing British colonies were given dominion status and Bond formally became the first prime minister of the Dominion of Newfoundland
.

In 1907, his Attorney General Sir Edward Patrick Morris walked across the floor and started his own party called the Peoples Party. In the 1908 election the two parties came to a tie getting 18 seats each out of the 36 seats. Bond was asked by Governor William MacGregor if he could form a government and said that he could not because he would have to elect a government member as Speaker. Morris was asked and said he could and was sworn in as Prime Minister. His government failed as soon as Parliament was convened.

In the 1909 election,

Morris won because he controlled government funds. Bond again led the Liberals into election in 1913 in an alliance with the Unionist Party of William Coaker. They failed to defeat Morris and Bond resigned as Liberal Leader in January 1914. In 1919 and again in 1923, the Liberals tried to persuade him to return. Bond responded with the prophetic response "If only I had the strength, how the fitters would fly; My poor country Newfoundland, the last stage". Bond died on his country estate in Whitbourne at the age of 70.[1]

Honours

Bond received several honours during his premiership. On 24 October 1901, Bond was invested as a Knight Commander of the

LL.D. by the University of Edinburgh.[5]

References

  1. ^ ""Bond, Sir Robert" Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1, pp. 218-222". collections.mun.ca. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  2. ^ "No. 27369". The London Gazette. 29 October 1901. p. 6976.
  3. ^ "No. 27464". The London Gazette. 12 August 1902. p. 5174.
  4. ^ "The Coronation Honours". The Times. No. 36804. London. 26 June 1902. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b "The Colonial Premiers in Edinburgh". The Times. No. 36831. London. 28 July 1902. p. 4.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Premier/Prime Minister of Newfoundland

1900–1909 		Succeeded by
Sir
Edward Patrick Morris
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