Austin Cuvillier

Austin Cuvillier
Born	Template:Birth date Quebec City, Lower Canada
Died	July 11, 1849(1849-07-11) (aged 69)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, auctioneer, politician, militia officer
Years active	Early 1800s–1840s
Known for	Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada; businessman; political leader in Lower Canada and Canada East

Austin Cuvillier (August 20, 1779 – July 11, 1849) was a distinguished entrepreneur and political leader in Lower Canada and later Canada East. As one of the few successful Canadien businessmen in a sector largely controlled by British interests, he represented the Parti canadien in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for two decades. This party opposed the authority of governors appointed by Britain. Cuvillier served as a mediator between the conservative commercial elite and the more radical elements within the Parti canadien, eventually parting ways with the party—by then known as the Parti patriote—prior to the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837–1838.

After the Rebellion and the subsequent unification of Lower and Upper Canada into the province of Canada, Cuvillier was appointed as the inaugural Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. His proficiency in both English and French enabled him to facilitate communication between members from both linguistic communities, setting a standard for future Speakers of the federal House of Commons. His portrait is exhibited in the Centre Block of Canada's federal Parliament buildings alongside those of other past Speakers.

Early life and family

Born Augustin Cuvillier in 1779 in Quebec City, he was the eldest among seven siblings. His father, a shopkeeper who passed away when Austin was approximately ten years old, had arranged for him to study at Collège Saint-Raphaël in Montreal starting in 1794, though it appears he did not complete his education there.

In 1802, Cuvillier wed Marie-Claire Perrault at Montreal’s Notre-Dame cathedral. The couple had seven children; among them were Angélique, who married businessman and legislator Alexandre-Maurice Delisle, and Luce, noted for her association with George-Étienne Cartier, a future co-premier and key Father of Confederation. Two sons, Maurice and Austin, became influential figures in banking, transportation, real estate, and commerce with Upper Canada. Additionally, his brother-in-law Joseph Perrault held a seat in the Legislative Assembly.

Business career

Cuvillier launched his professional journey working under Henry Richard Symes, a prosperous Montreal auctioneer, eventually assuming control of Symes’s enterprise in 1802. He formed partnerships with Thomas Aylwin and John Harkness to operate businesses in both Montreal and Quebec City but lost ownership to creditors by 1806. Despite these financial difficulties, he acquired significant expertise in domestic and international trade through importing and auctioning dry goods, cultivating an extensive network within finance and banking circles. His adoption of the anglicized first name Austin reflected his assimilation into the predominantly British commercial environment.

By 1807, Cuvillier had resumed auctioneering activities despite ongoing monetary struggles; during this period, his wife established a business that likely functioned as a shield against creditors. He played an instrumental role in founding the Bank of Montreal, serving as one of its initial directors. Furthermore, he contributed to establishing the Montreal Fire Insurance Company and assumed its presidency in 1820 before it was taken over at considerable expense later that year.

Throughout the 1830s, Cuvillier became recognized as Montreal’s foremost auctioneer, managing a broad range of imported goods and overseeing liquidation sales for bankrupt enterprises. He also acted as a financial intermediary and stockbroker for Canadian banks. In 1836, he joined the board of directors for the Bank of British North America, a colonial bank founded under British auspices. That same year, he spearheaded efforts to formalize the city’s Committee of Trade into what became the Montreal Board of Trade. Alongside these roles, he engaged extensively in real estate ventures, further diversifying his business interests.

Militia service: War of 1812

During the War of 1812, Cuvillier participated in the militia, beginning as a lieutenant with the 5th Select Embodied Militia Battalion of Lower Canada, also known as "The Devil's Own." In 1813, he covertly gathered intelligence on American forces near the Salmon River while disguised as a merchant. By 1814, he had advanced to captain within the unit renamed the Chasseurs Canadiens, but he resigned his commission when command was assigned to a British line officer instead of an officer from the Chasseurs. During this time, he also managed commissary contracts. Following the war, he was awarded a medal featuring a Châteauguay clasp and granted 800 acres in Litchfield township. By 1820, he held the rank of supernumerary captain in command of a company.

Member of the Legislative Assembly

Cuvillier stood out as one of the few Canadien businessmen actively involved in politics, whereas most Canadien legislators were professionals. After an unsuccessful attempt to win a seat in Huntingdon county in 1809, he secured election to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in 1814 representing the Parti canadien, and maintained his seat through successive re-elections until 1827.

His expertise in commerce and finance proved vital to the Canadiens as they contested governors over fiscal matters, championing British ideals that elected assemblies should oversee government expenditures. Governors resisted these efforts by leveraging appointed members of the Legislative Council to block Assembly initiatives. Cuvillier contributed comprehensive financial analyses; meanwhile, leaders such as Louis-Joseph Papineau and John Neilson shaped arguments grounded in British political theory. Both Cuvillier and Neilson opposed government spending beyond essential administration, including subsidies for infrastructure projects.

Serving as a link between commercial interests and the Parti canadien, Cuvillier played a key role in securing legislative backing for business ventures. Notably, he was instrumental in obtaining a legislative charter for the Bank of Montreal to replace its private shareholder agreement; this charter was enacted in 1822. Additionally, he was appointed one of four commissioners tasked with negotiating customs revenue distribution between Lower and Upper Canada.

In the 1820s, when British officials proposed reunifying the Canadas, Cuvillier opposed this plan, stressing fidelity to the "Constitution of 1791," which established separate legislative bodies. The Parti canadien designated him as a delegate to Britain in 1828 to present petitions opposing Governor Dalhousie's administration. Their appeals to the British House of Commons received encouraging responses concerning financial autonomy.

As Papineau’s faction transformed into the more radical Parti patriote, advocating extensive reforms such as electing members to the Legislative Council, Cuvillier and other moderates distanced themselves from these positions. Papineau increasingly regarded him as a competitor. Nonetheless, on one matter—supporting compensation for elected Assembly members to widen political engagement—Cuvillier adopted a position more progressive than Papineau’s.

Following electoral boundary changes that created Laprairie from Huntingdon by 1830, Cuvillier won re-election.

The division reached its peak over the Ninety-Two Resolutions, primarily authored by Papineau as a constitutional critique confronting British rule. Although overwhelmingly endorsed by the Assembly, Cuvillier was among only six French-speaking legislators who opposed them and defended the existing governmental framework. His dissent led many within the Parti patriote to brand him a vendu ("sell-out") or chouayen ("turncoat"). In the 1834 election, he was defeated and thereafter concentrated on his business interests and municipal affairs in Montreal amid rising tensions that eventually led to armed conflict.

Insurrection in Lower Canada

The Lower Canada Rebellion broke out in 1837, spearheaded by Louis-Joseph Papineau and the Patriotes who opposed British and provincial authorities.

Cuvillier stood against the uprising, reaffirming his allegiance to the established government. After receiving a promotion to major, he took command of Montreal’s 5th Militia Battalion and helped establish the Association Loyale Canadienne du District de Montréal in 1838. This group condemned both the rebellion and proposals for union, while promoting political reform within the framework of the 1791 Constitution.

In his capacity as a Justice of the Peace, Cuvillier authorized British forces to act against the rebel base at St Denis, leading to the Battle of Saint-Denis, which ended in a government defeat. He also issued an arrest warrant for Wolfred Nelson, a leader of the rebellion and former legislative associate.

The British forces ultimately quelled the rebellions in both Lower and Upper Canada. Following these events, Governor General Lord Durham was appointed to examine their causes and suggest remedies. His 1838 Report recommended merging the two Canadas into a single province to encourage assimilation of French Canadians and proposed responsible government—whereby the Governor would appoint an executive reflecting the parliamentary majority.

Province of Canada

In response to the rebellions, the British Parliament enacted the Union Act, 1840, uniting Upper and Lower Canada into one Province of Canada governed by a single parliament consisting of an elected Legislative Assembly and an appointed Legislative Council. The Governor General retained extensive powers.

During the first general election post-union, Cuvillier voiced opposition to both the merger and Governor-General Lord Sydenham’s policies. He secured election as Huntingdon’s representative in the new Legislative Assembly.

One of the initial significant issues was choosing the Speaker of the Assembly. Cuvillier allied with moderate members, while Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine led a faction of more radical French-speaking representatives. Despite previous disagreements between LaFontaine and Cuvillier, practical politics prevailed: Francis Hincks convinced Papineau (then in exile) that Cuvillier’s bilingual skills and commercial experience positioned him well to unite Tory and francophone interests. Governor Sydenham also discreetly supported Cuvillier, who was ultimately elected Speaker.

Throughout this Parliament’s four-year term, Cuvillier maintained amicable relations with successive governors amid ongoing disputes over responsible government. Under Governor Sir Charles Metcalfe—who suspended Parliament for nearly a year to oppose majority rule demands from LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin—Cuvillier sided with Metcalfe’s stance. In the 1844 election, Cuvillier was defeated by a Reform candidate and subsequently retired from political life at age 61.

Later life and death

Following his departure from politics, Cuvillier dedicated himself to managing his business operations under Cuvillier & Sons until his death from typhus in 1849. His burial took place at Notre-Dame the day after his passing.

In 1969, he was honored by the federal government as a National Historic Person in recognition of his forty years of public service and his notable contributions to Montreal’s commercial sector.

See also

1st Parliament of the Province of Canada