LAFONTAINE, SIR LOUIS HIPPOLYTE, BART. (1807-1864) Canadian statesman and judge, third son of Antoine Menard LaFontaine (1772-1813) and Marie-J-Fontaine Bien venue, was born at Boucherville in the province of Quebec on Oct. 4, 1807. LaFontaine was educated at the College de Montreal under the direction of the Sulpicians, and was called to the bar of the province of Lower Canada on Aug. 18, 1829. In 1830 he was elected a member of the House of Assembly for the county of Terrebonne, and became a supporter of Papineau in opposing the administration of the governor-in-chief, which led to the rebellion of 1837. But he disapproved of Papineau's methods. The rebellion broke out afresh in the autumn of 1838; the consti tution of 1791 was suspended; LaFontaine was imprisoned for a brief period; and Papineau, who favoured annexation by the United States, was in exile. At this crisis in Lower Canada the French Canadians turned to LaFontaine as their leader, and under his direction maintained their opposition to the special council, composed of nominees of the crown. In 1839 Lord Sydenham, the governor-general, offered the solicitor generalship to LaFontaine, which he refused.
Defeated in the county of Terrebonne LaFontaine obtained a seat in the assembly of the province of Canada, and on the death of Sydenham he was called by Sir Charles Bagot to form an admin istration with Robert Baldwin. The ministry resigned in Novem
ber 1843, as a protest against the actions of Lord Metcalfe, who had succeeded Bagot. In 1848 LaFontaine formed a new adminis tration with Baldwin, and remained in office until 1851, when he retired from public life. During the ministry of LaFontaine-Bald win the Amnesty Bill was passed, which occasioned grave riots in Montreal, personal violence to Lord Elgin and the destruction of the parliament buildings. After the death of Sir James Stuart in 1853 LaFontaine was appointed chief justice of Lower Canada and president of the seigfieurial court, which settled the vexed question of land tenure in Canada ; and in 1854 he was created a baronet. He died at Montreal on Feb. 26, LaFontaine's principal works are : L' Analyse de l'ordonnance du conseil special sur les bureaux d'hypotheques (Montreal, 1842) ; Observations sur les questions seigneuriales (Montreal, 1854).