Читать книгу A Cyclopædia of Canadian Biography - Various - Страница 178

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Longley, Hon. James Wilberforce, M.P.P., M.E.C., Attorney-General of Nova Scotia, Halifax, was born on the 4th January, 1849, at Paradise, Annapolis county, Nova Scotia. His father, Israel Longley, who was of English descent, was grandson of James Longley, a United Empire loyalist, who settled in Annapolis county at the end of the American revolutionary war. This gentleman took an active part in all the political questions of his day, and was twice a candidate in Annapolis for parliamentary honours in the Liberal interest, but failed on both occasions to secure his election. His mother, Frances Manning, was the youngest daughter of the Rev. James Manning, a pioneer Baptist minister, who came from the north of Ireland, and settled in Annapolis county, and laboured there in the cause of his divine Master until his death. Attorney-General Longley was educated at Acadia College, where, in June, 1871, he received the degree of B.A., and in 1875 the degree of M.A. In 1871 he began the study of law in Halifax, finished his law studies at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Ontario, and was admitted to the bar of Nova Scotia 10th September, 1875. In 1875 he was appointed a commissioner of the Supreme Court, and a notary public, and in 1878 he was chosen law clerk of the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia. On the 20th June, 1882, he was elected to represent Annapolis county in the House of Assembly of Nova Scotia, and in October of the same year he was made a commissioner for revising and consolidating the statutes of the province. In July, 1884, Mr. Longley was sworn in as a member of the Executive Council, and on the 25th June, 1886, was appointed attorney-general for his native province. On the 15th June, 1886, he again contested Annapolis county for a seat in the legislature, and was re-elected. Attorney-General Longley is a member of the Alumni of Acadia College, and an ex-president; has been an active member of all the liberal organizations in the province for the past fifteen years, and is ex-president of the Young Men’s Liberal Club of Halifax. He takes a great interest in literary matters, and since 1872 has been a regular contributor to the editorial columns of the Acadian Recorder, a regular daily Halifax paper, and also writes on political subjects in various magazines. In politics he is an ardent Liberal, and an uncompromising opponent of the government led by Sir John A. Macdonald. He believes in unrestricted trade relations with the United States as a substitute for the national policy; is opposed to Imperial federation for the reason that the interests of Canada are more closely identified with this continent, and is in favour of the complete abolition of the Senate and all second chambers whatever. In religious matters, though brought up in the Baptist faith, he prefers to give his adhesion to the Episcopal church, with no very high denominational preference. He was married on the 3rd September, 1877, to Annie Brown, of Paradise, and has issue four children, two boys and two girls.