3rd Quebec Legislature

The 1875 election for the Legislative Assembly had been the first time the secret ballot was used in Quebec.[6] Prior to 1875, voting had been by open ballotting, where voters publicly declared their vote to the polling officials.[7][8]

The right to vote in elections to the Legislative Assembly was not universal. Only male British subjects (by birth or naturalisation), aged 21 or older, were eligible to vote, and only if they met a property qualification. For residents of larger cities, the qualification was to own or occupy real property assessed at three hundred dollars or more. For tenants, thecqualification was paying an annual rent of thirty dollars or more. For any other municipality, the qualification was to own or occupy real property assessed at two hundred dollars or more, or twenty dollars in annual value. For tenants in smaller centers, the qualification was paying an annual rent of twenty dollars or more.[9]

Women were completely barred from voting.[9]

Judges and many municipal and provincial officials were also barred from voting, particularly officials with law enforcement duties, or duties relating to public revenue.[10] The Returning Officer in each riding was also barred from voting, except when needed to give a casting vote in the event of a tie vote.[11]

Candidates for election to the Legislative Assembly had to meet stricter qualifications than voters. In addition to being male, twenty-one or older, and a subject of Her Majesty (by birth or naturalisation), a candidate had to be free from all legal incapacity, and be the proprietor in possession of lands or tenements worth at least $2,000, over and above all encumbrances and charges on the property.[12]

Women were completely barred from membership in the Assembly.[12]

The qualifications for the members of the Legislative Council were the same as for the members of the Senate of Canada.[13]

Those requirements were:

1. Be of the full age of thirty years;
2. Be a British subject, either natural-born or naturalised;
3. Possess real property in Quebec worth at least $4,000, over and above any debts or incumbrances on the property;
4. Have a net worth of at least $4,000, over and above debts and liabilities;
5. Reside in Quebec;
6. Reside in, or possess his qualifying real property, in the division he was named to represent.[14]

The provisions of the British North America Act, 1867 did not explicitly bar women from being called to the Senate of Canada. However, until the Persons Case in 1929, it was assumed that women could not be called to the Senate, and were thus also barred from the Legislative Council. In any event, no woman was ever appointed to the Legislative Council.[15]

The 1875 election returned a majority in the Legislative Assembly for the Conservative Party, led by Premier Boucher de Boucherville.[19]

The following candidates were elected to the Legislative Assembly in the 1875 election.[20] The Premier of Quebec is indicated by Bold italics. The Speakers of the Legislative Assembly are indicated by small caps. Cabinet Ministers are indicated by Italics.

There were thirteen by-elections during the term of the Third Legislature.[34][20] Cabinet ministers are indicated by italics.

The Conservatives had a strong majority in the Legislative Council throughout the Third Legislature.

The Premier of Quebec is indicated by Bold italics. The Speakers of the Legislative Council are indicated by small caps. Cabinet members are indicated by italics.

Vacancies of less than one month are not shown.
† Died in office.

Charles Boucher de Boucherville, Third Premier of Quebec, 1874-1878

Following the 1875 election, Boucher de Boucherville made some changes to the Cabinet, but largely retained the previous composition.[35]

Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière, Fourth Premier of Quebec

Following the dismissal of Boucher de Boucherville in 1878, the Lieutenant Governor appointed Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière as Premier. Because of his lack of majority in the Assembly, Joly de Lotbinière found it necessary to appoint two individuals to Cabinet who did not initially have seats in the Assembly: David Alexander Ross as Attorney General and François Langelier as Commissioner of Crown lands. The only Cabinet member from the Legislative Council was Henry Starnes, the Speaker. Joly de Lotbinière then immediately advised the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the Legislative Assembly and call a general election. Returned to office, Joly de Lotbinière initially retained the ministers in the same positions, but carried out a Cabinet shuffle the next year, in 1879. In 1879, Joly de Lotbinière appointed Honoré Mercier to cabinet, even though Mercier did not initially have a seat in the Legislative Assembly.[36]