Legislative Assembly

tarians who rose to great heights of eloquence and performed their legislature duties so canablv. There were the Hawthorne’s, the Pope’s and the Howlan's, the Gray’s, and the Coles. the Owen’s, and the Whelan’s, the Leards, and the Palmers, the Sullivans and the Davies. the Hazard’s and the Warburton's, the Ferquharson's and the Peters, the Arsenault’s, the Bell’s and the Saunders, the Lea’s, the Stewart’s and the Campbell’s — father and son —— the Macmillan’s, the Jone's, the Matheson’s and last, but not least, the Shaw’s.

Theirs was a pre-eminent contribution to the development of this province, and they have left us a great legacy, tradition and inheritance.

In drafting a speech, Mr. Speaker, one always looks for some connection with the occasion. It is with considerable pride that I draw attention to the fact that my grandfather, the Honourable Jeremiah S. Blanchard, whose first name was given to me, sat in this House for several years as a private member and as a Minister without Portfolio. (Applause) He may have a political record in this province with- out equal. In this political career he ran three elections as a Conservative candidate. (Laughter and Applause). He lost twice, and won once; he ran four elections as a Liberal and lost once, and won three times. (Applause) I think that balances it.

He contested the election of January 30th,1890 for a seat in the Assembly as a Conservative and was defeated. On the tenth of August of the same year he contested a seat in the old legislative Council. which was later merge d with the Assembly. Again it was as a Conservative candidate, and again he was defeated. Not easily daunted, however, he contested the election of the 13th of December, 1893, as Conservative candidate for the Assembly, won, and sat as a private member until 1897. (Applause) However, by this time, he, like the people of Prince Edward Island in the election of 1966, became thoroughly disenchanted with the Conserva- tive party and he refused to contest the next election for them. (Applause)

Walter R. Shaw: What's that word in French? (Laughter).

Honourable J. Elmer Blanchard. However, by 1900 he began to see things more clearly and he then declared himself a supporter of the Liberal p.arty (Hear, hear) (Applause) He did not seek political office again until 1919, when he con- tested the Third District of Prince as a Liberal against the then Premier, later Mr. Justice A. E. Arsenault; my grandfather was defeated.

Walter R. Shaw: Good!

( Laughter).

Honourable J. Elmer Blanchard. I may say at this point, Mr. Speaker, that Judge Arsenault is now ninety-seven years of age and is still enjoying reasonably good health. (Applause) It is my privilege to be a next door neighbour to this respected and revered old gentleman, and I have occasion to visit him every now and then.

In 1922 my grandfather contested the by-election in the First District of Prince as a Liberal and was successful and became a Minister without Portfolio in the Bell government. (Hear, hear). In 1923 he contested the General Election of that year and won again, but to the detriment of the province, the Liberal Govern- ment was defeated. In 1927 he contested his last election, won, and became a Minister without Portfolio in the Saunders government until he retired from politics in 1931. He passed away in 1939. I am told that he had very little formal schooling, but was widely read and self-educated. He had a profound memory, a keen mind, and was a gifted orator. 0n the political platform and in the Legislature he was a formidable opponent. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that you knew him well and can recall him quite vividly.

According to Conservative arithmetic of the provincial election of May 30th, 1966, the Fifth District of Queens was supposed to return two Conservatives to the House to strengthen the majority they already had. In fact, Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to our two members from the Souris district, if the Conservatives had

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