DORION, SIR ANTOINE AIME (1816-1891), Canadian lawyer and statesman, was born at Sainte Anne de la Perade on Jan. 17, 1816 of an old Liberal family. He studied law under Cherrier, was called to she bar in 1842, and rose rapidly in his profession. At the time that Dorion commenced the study of law, Canada was entering upon a new phase of her political life. The rebellion of 1837 had resulted in the suspension of the con stitution of 1791 and the union of provinces, effected under the Imperial Act of 184o, was framed to compel the obedience of the refractory population. The elections of 1854 had brought new blood into the ranks of the Liberal party, young men eager to carry out measures of reform, and Dorion was chosen as leader. Under the coalition brought about by McNab between the Tories of Upper Canada and the Liberals of the lower province old abuses were removed, and, after the abolition of seigneurial tenure and clergy reserves, it appeared that the political atmosphere was clear. In 1856 the question of representation by population was again prominent. Upper Canada had increased, and it contributed a larger share to the revenue, and demanded proportionate repre sentation. Macdonald, who became prime minister in 1856, and had formed a new government with Cartier in 1857, maintained that no amendment to the constitution was necessary; that exist ing conditions were satisfactory. Brown, on the opposite side of the House, declared that representation by population was impera tive, with or without constitutional changes; and Dorion appears to have suggested the true remedy, when he gave notice of a motion in 1856:— That a committee be appointed to inquire into the means that should be adopted to form a new political and legislative organization of the heretofore provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, either by the establishment of their former territorial divisions or by a division of each province, so as to form a federation, having a federal govern ment and a local legislature for each one of the new provinces, and to deliberate as to the course which should be adopted to regulate the affairs of united Canada, in a manner which would be equitable to the different sections of the province.
Dorion was in advance of the time. He understood the true principle of federative union as applicable to Canada. But he did not pursue this idea. On Aug. 2, 1858 he formed an adminis tration with Brown, but was forced to resign after being in office three days. When the question of confederation was discussed a few years later he opposed the scheme, believing there was nothing to justify the union at the time. In 1873 he became minister of justice in the Mackenzie government, and secured the passage of the Electoral Law of 1874 and the Controverted Elections Act. Dorion sat as a member of the assembly for the province of Can ada for the city of Montreal from 1854 to 1861, for the county of Hochelaga from 1862 to 1867 ; as member of the House of Com mons for the county of Hochelaga from 1867 to July 1872, and for the county of Napierville from Sept. 1872 to June 1874, when he was appointed chief justice of the province. In 1878 he was created a knight bachelor. He died at Montreal on May 31, 1891.
See Fennings Taylor, Dorion, a Sketch (Montreal, 1865) ; "Sir Antoine Aime Dorion," by Sir Wilfrid Laurier, in The Week (1887).