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C.J. Campbell: Political Wins & Losses

  • Writer: Jocelyn
    Jocelyn
  • 2 days ago
  • 5 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

In 1855, a general election is called in Nova Scotia.


It will be the second time representatives are elected to serve constituents of Victoria County, and it would be a replay of the previous election with Hugh Munro, John Munro and CJ Campbell vying for votes. This time, though, Charlie wins an election that is not appealed. He and Hugh Munro head off to Halifax.


For John Munro, this second election against Charlie was a tipping point in his life. He had already waved goodbye to a boatload of his friends and neighbours, leaving their community for a new life in New Zealand. Six months after Charlie is sworn in, John Munro sails out of St. Ann’s Bay, onboard the ship Gertrude, with 175 other Victoria County residents, leaving Cape Breton and its politics forever.


Charlie is sworn in beside fellow first-timer Charles Tupper of Cumberland County. Tupper had just unseated powerhouse Joe Howe in a huge political upset to win the Cumberland seat. In the future, Tupper would become a father of Confederation and Prime Minister. In these early days, he bought new ideas to Province House and soon he’d be the power behind the throne of the newly governing Tories of Premier William Johnstone, a similar position he’d hold in later years beside Prime Minister John A MacDonald in the House of Commons.

In Halifax, the newly elected Charlie stands for the first time in the legislature and to raise an issue critical for him. He complains on behalf of Baddeck merchants, including his own Campbell & Company, who made improvements to their water lots, owned by William Kidston. He argues these properties should be granted to those who made improvements on them.


The committee responds that  Campbell & Co and the other merchants have no claim, as improvements do not determine ownership.  William Kidston is the legal owner and there is no cause for the House of Assembly to interfere.


During the course of this Legislative Assembly sitting (1855-1860) Charles Tupper was an advocate for creating a railway system throughout Nova Scotia – one that would connect to the interior of the country. Such an investment would be vital to the development of Nova Scotia, but also place it well within a larger union, should there be some sort of confederation of provinces. Tupper pushes the government to end a 30-year monopoly over mineral resources in Nova Scotia by the British Crown, opening up mining prospects to private interests.


But where Tupper saw opportunity for all, Charlie saw prospects for a few. As soon as the monopoly was lifted, Charlie began to buy properties at Kelly’s Cove, a picturesque settlement at the base of Kelly’s Mountain with a coal field below. By 1862, Campbell’s mine is operational. Soon after, the community is renamed New Campbellton.

Sketch of Kelly's Cove, site of CJ Campbell's mine. The community was renamed New Campbellton after he established the coal mine in the 1860's.
Sketch of Kelly's Cove, site of CJ Campbell's mine. The community was renamed New Campbellton after he established the coal mine in the 1860's.

In 1857, Charlie is appointed to the Executive Council, the advisory cabinet for the sitting government. He served for three years, until May 1860 when he ran once again for the Victoria County seat against Hugh Munro and William Ross and once again, lost.


CHARLIE MAD

By the end of 1860, the just-re-elected Hugh Munro was appointed as the Chairman of the Public Works for the province. A by-election was called to fill his vacant Victoria County seat.  Charlie again threw his hat into the ring. William Kidston, Charlie’s former employer, was his opponent.  Again, after all the votes were tallied, it seemed that Charlie had won.


But William Kidston had witnessed some shady electioneering. He had evidence of at least 12 offences of illegal voting across the county. He and Baddeck lawyer Alfred Haliburton planned to present it to the County Sheriff, as was the proper process, on January 3, 1861, at the Baddeck Courthouse a smaller, earlier version of the building that exists today on Chebucto Street.


Deputy Sheriff George Ingraham (brother-in-law of Charlie) was the returning officer, overseeing the election. Before the proceedings at the Courthouse got underway, Kidston & Haliburton approached Ingraham with their evidence, but the Deputy Sheriff disregarded their concerns and refused to hear the appeal. Instead, he declared Charles J Campbell as the winner and closed the election court.

 

At the end of the month, the Nova Scotia Legislature officially opened for its 22nd General Assembly; CJ Campbell stood in the Legislature and once again took an oath to represent the people of Victoria County.

 

The next day, Kidston presented his appeal before the legislature. A committee of sitting members was struck to examine the corruption allegations. The appeal was run like a court, with lawyers questioning and cross-examining witnesses, evidence produced and a political, rather than a legal decision rendered. Witness testimonies were set to begin February 25.

 

William Kidston and four other Victoria County witnesses testified to the abuses of power they observed, ranging from a lack of public announcements of upcoming polls to gross misconduct, bribery and corruption offences.

 

Kidston testified for four days, bringing receipts and naming names.

 

He began with Charlie’s nominator, who he said, was not qualified to act in such a role.  “I know John H. McLeod’, he testified. “He is not a landowner”. Kidston says he brought this complaint openly and publicly to the immediate attention on election day at the Courthouse to Joseph Hart, the acting sheriff that day and another brother-in-law of Charlie.

 

 


 

 

Kidston listed other offences: a poll worker who was not a landowner, election officials who refused to deliver oaths and ignored objections voiced by candidates. He says Campbell bribed voters with liquor in exchange for votes and placed relatives and partisans in key election offices to ensure a win. He watched Deputy Sheriff George Ingraham take the election poll books into Charlie’s Duntulum Cottage and that the books he saw afterwards had been altered.

 

 

After two weeks, lawyer Haliburton rests Kidston’s case.

 

Charlie’s lawyer William Miller called only two witnesses – both clerks in the government election offices in Halifax; both swear the Victoria County election paperwork was filed without any objections to the outcome and are therefore considered official. Charlie does not testify.

 

When the committee returns with a decision on March 27, 1861, they find more than eleven instances of wrong-doing. They make sure to note that although it is the right of the Sheriff to select election overseers, it is inappropriate to select ‘relatives and partisans to fill the offices’.


The committee then declared the December 20 election null & void and ordered a new election for Victoria County in the spring.

 

William Kidston bows out this time, but Charlie immediately launches a new campaign against newcomer William Gammell, a Little Bras d’Or merchant.

 

Gammell defeats him.

 

Robert Elmsley notes in his diary on May 13, 1861:

 

“Gammell elected majority 371. Charlie Mad!”

 

NEXT WEEK: In the next instalment in the biography of CJ Campbell - life at home and in the House of Commons.


Charles J. Campbell Series:


SOURCES

Numerous documents were made available to me from the Public Archives of Nova Scotia. The Beaton Institute at Cape Breton University has a biographical file on CJ Campbell, which was very helpful. I found more info on Charlie in Parliament at The Library & Archives Canada website.

 

Journal & Proceedings of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia - https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_00946

 Parliament of Canada website, CJ Campbell profile - https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=5357

Various Newspaper Accounts of Parliament found at the Beaton Institute and Canadiana

 

Books

The Colonial Campbells: A Family History - Colin McDowall Campbell, 1984

Cape Breton Ships & Men – John Parker, 1980

Elmsley’s Diary – unpublished

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

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