Augustin-Norbert Morin

Morin, Augustin-Norbert
Augustin-Norbert Morin, lawyer, politician, judge (b at St-Michel-de-Bellechasse, LC 13 Oct 1803; d at Ste-Adèle, Canada E 27 July 1865). Morin was without oratorical talent and seemed dimmed by his associates, the brilliant speakers L.J. PAPINEAU and L.H. LAFONTAINE, but it was he who assured the continuity of French Canadian political claims for a quarter century as a member of the Assembly of Lower Canada from 1830 and of the Province of Canada in 1841 and 1842-55. He formed a ministry with Francis HINCKS 1851-54 and with Sir Allan MACNAB in 1854-55. Morin drafted the 92 Resolutions adopted in 1834 by the Assembly, presenting the members' grievances and arguing for an elected Legislative Council (achieved in 1856) and RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT (achieved 1848). In 1852 Morin became the first dean of the Faculty of Law of the new UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL, which he had helped found. In 1854 he managed to achieve abolition of the seigneurial regime. He sat as judge of the Superior Court 1855-59 when he became a member of the commission that drafted the first CIVIL CODE of Lower Canada. Morin also founded the newspaper La Minerve in 1826 and contributed to it for 10 years. He acquired land north of Montréal where he experimented with several crops, notably potatoes.

Author JEAN-MARC PARADIS