Роберт Кристи: Саяхатшы, заңгер және Канада саяхатының қайраткері

Politician in Lower Canada and Province of Canada

Robert Christie (January 20, 1787 – October 13, 1856) was a lawyer, journalist, historian and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East (now Quebec). Born in Nova Scotia, he moved to Lower Canada as a young man. Elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, he generally supported the Parti bureaucrates, or government group. He opposed the union of Lower Canada with Upper Canada, but was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. As a member, he remained opposed to the union and was an independent, not supporting any particular party. He had a reputation for being hot headed, but also incorruptible.

Christie was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia in 1787, the second son of Scottish immigrants, James Christie and Janet McIntosh. James Christie was a shoemaker who had acquired land and various positions in the Windsor area. Robert attended the King's College in Windsor, graduating some time before 1803. His father's plan was that Robert would take up business in Halifax, but in 1805 Robert went to Quebec City and was articled to Edward Bowen, a lawyer and political figure in Lower Canada. Christie became an advocate and attorney in 1810. In 1812, he married Monique Olivier Doucet at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Quebec City.

Christie served in the War of 1812, reaching the rank of captain in the 4th Militia Battalion of Quebec City. In 1841, Christie stood for election in the first general election for the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. He was unopposed and was elected by acclamation, again representing Gaspé. Once elected, Christie demonstrated an independent approach in the Assembly. He opposed the union of Upper Canada and Lower Canada, and was a consistent opponent of the Governor General, Lord Sydenham. Although not a strong supporter of responsible government, he voted with the Reform group on the disputes between them and the Governor General. One of the issues facing the new Province was the location of the capital. Governor General Lord Sydenham had directed that the capital would be Kingston in Canada West, and that was where the first and second parliaments were held. However, Canada East had a larger population than Canada West, and there was a strong feeling that the capital should be in the more populous province. Christie introduced the successful motion in 1842 to move the capital from Kingston to Montreal. Although by modern standards the writing style is rather ornate and difficult, the work is considered detailed and impartial,

In later life, Christie grew increasingly irascible, but also mended fences with old political opponents, such as John Neilson, who had led the efforts to exclude Christie from the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. He also developed a close friendship with Papineau, and worked to have Papineau's pre 1837 salary as Speaker of the Assembly paid to him.