MACDONALD, SIR John Alexander, Ca nadian statesman: b. Glasgow, Scotland, 11 Jan. 1815; d. Ottawa, Ontario, 6 June 1891. In early youth he emigrated with his father to Canada. At 21 he was a practising barrister at Kings ton, Upper Canada, and in 1844 he was elected to the Canadian Parliament for that constitu ency. While repudiating the name of Tory, throughout his career Macdonald was the most conspicuous figure in the Conservative party in Canada. He became a cabinet minister in 1847, and, after various vicissitudes of his party, Prime Minister in 1857. Macdonald's most portant work is connected with the federation of Canada. The French and the English inces, previously independent, had been united under one Parliament in 1841, and during the next 25 years each party had both an English and a French leader. Ministries changed idly, and in 1864 there was a deadlock. This made necessary some wider union; and in that year a conference of delegates met at Quebec to consider the federation of British 'North America. Directed largely by Macdonald's tact and resource this conference led to the lishment of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, under the British North America Act, passed by the British Parliament Macdonald became the first Prime Minister of the Dominion. At first there were only four provinces, but he ried through successfully the negotiations by which the Hudson Bay company ceded its terests in the northwest to Canada; he secured also the entrance of British Columbia on the condition of building rapidly a transcontinental railway. During an election in 1872 Macdonald accepted lame saws for party psi ms from Sir. Hugh Allan, one of the chief projectors of the Pacific railway, and in 1873 owing to this °Pacific Scandal° he was forced to retire from office. In 1871i he again became Prime Minister with a policy of protective and he may be re- garded as the father of that system in Canada.
He remained Prime Minister until his death in 1891. The confederation of Canada, the sition by Canada of the Northwest, the ing of the Intercolonial and the Canadian Pacific railways, and the policy of protection were all effected under Macdonald's lead. HI* brilliant intellect and ready wit made him a really great leader. In 1867 he was created K.C.B., in 1884 GiC.B., and on his death his widow was created Baroness Macdonald in her own right. Consult Pope's 'Memoirs of Sir John A. Macdonald' (1894) ; Parkin, (Sir John 4. Macdonald) in (Makers of Canada' (1908). GEORGE M. WRONG, Professor of History, University of Toronto.
McDONALD, John Bartholomew, Amer ican engineer and contractor : b. Ireland, 7 Nov. 1844; d. 17 March 1911. He was brought to the United States in 1847, and received his education in the public schools of New York Among his successful undertakings may be mentioned the Fourth avenue improvement for sinking the New York Central Railroad tracks in New York City from 42d street to Harlem; West Shore Railroad Weehawken to Buffalo; Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Baltimore to Philadelphia; Illinois Central Rail road from Elgin, Ill., to Dolgeville, Wis.; the Georgian Bay' branch of the Canadian Pacific Railroad ; the Trenton of the Pennsyl vania Railroad; the Baltimore Belt Railroad, which carried the great Baltimore and Ohio Railroad under the city of Baltimore, etc. He constructed the Jerome Park reservoir, New York City, the largest artificial storage reservoir in the world. His greatest contract was for the construction, equipment, operation and maintenance of the Rapid Transit Railroad (the (Subway") in New York City.