Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau | |
|---|---|
 Belleauc. 1880 | |
| 1st Lieutenant Governor of Quebec | |
| In office July 1, 1867 – February 11, 1873 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governors General | |
| Premier | Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | René-Édouard Caron |
| Premier of theProvince of Canada | |
| In office 30 July 1865 – 1867 | |
| Preceded by | Étienne-Paschal Taché |
| Succeeded by | office abolished |
| 4thMayor of Quebec City | |
| In office 11 February 1850 – 14 February 1853 | |
| Preceded by | George Okill Stuart, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Ulric-Joseph Tessier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1808-10-20)October 20, 1808 Sainte-Foy, Lower Canada |
| Died | September 14, 1894(1894-09-14) (aged 85) |
| Political party | Conservative |
Sir Narcisse-Fortunat BelleauKCMG QC (October 20, 1808 – September 14, 1894) was a Canadian politician who served as the firstLieutenant Governor of Quebec. Prior toCanadian Confederation, he served as the leader of theParti bleu inCanada East.
He was born inQuebec City in 1808. He studied at thePetit Séminaire de Québec and went on to article in law, receiving his license to practice in 1832. In 1835, he married Marie-Reine-Josephte, the daughter of Quebec merchantLouis Gauvreau. In 1848, he ran unsuccessfully as a Reformer inPortneuf. In the same year, he was elected to the city council for Quebec and served as mayor from 1850 to 1853. During his term as mayor, a system providing drinking water was installed in the city. He served on the board of theQuebec Bank, later merged with theRoyal Bank of Canada, from 1848 to 1893.
In 1852, he was appointed to theLegislative Council of the Province of Canada. He became aQueen's Counsel in 1854. In 1857, he was named speaker of the Legislative Council and so became a member of the Executive Council. He was knighted in 1860. He became premier for Canada East and receiver general in 1865 on the death of SirÉtienne-Paschal Taché and served in that role untilConfederation. He was nominated for a seat in theSenate of Canada in 1867 but withdrew when he was named thefirstLieutenant Governor of Quebec in July of the same year. He refused a seat in the Senate when he retired from this post in 1873. He was made a Knight Commander of theOrder of St Michael and St George in 1879.
After politics, Belleau continued to sit on the board of the Quebec Bank and took an active role in social functions. He maintained his political influence.[1]
Belleau was involved in some significant litigation later in his life. He had invested in debentures issued by a Quebec toll-road company, authorised under pre-Confederation laws. When the company defaulted on the bonds, he and other bond-holders sued the federal government for payment of the principal and interest. Although the plaintiffs were successful in theSupreme Court of Canada, the decision was overturned by theJudicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, at that time the highest court of appeal for theBritish Empire, including Canada. InThe Queen v Belleau, the Judicial Committee held that by the terms of the statute, the federal government was not liable for either principal or interest.[2]
He died at Quebec City in 1894 and left his fortune, which contemporaries estimated as between $200,000 and $400,000, to his nephew.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada - Canada East 1864–1867 | Succeeded by |
| Post-Confederation (1867–present) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Province of Canada (1841–66)* | ||
| Lower Canada (1791–1841) | ||
| British Province of Quebec (1759–91)* | ||
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| International | |
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| Other | |
