Alexander Malcolm Manson (October 7, 1883 – September 25, 1964) was a

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

judge and politician in the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. Positions he held included

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

, Minister of Labour and

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

. He was later appointed to the

Supreme Court of British Columbia The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Court hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. There are 90 judici ...

Biography

Alexander Malcolm Manson was born in

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, Missouri on October 7, 1883. After completing a bachelor's degree at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

, Manson studied at

Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the ''Journal of Law and Social Policy'', and the ''Osgoode Hall Law Journal ...

. In 1908, he became the first lawyer to practice in

Prince Rupert, British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Kaien Island near the Alaskan panhandle. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12, ...

. He married Stella Beckwith on June 29, 1909. After being an unsuccessful candidate in the 1912 provincial election, he represented the district of Omineca in the BC Legislature for five terms from 1916 to 1935. He was Deputy Speaker of the Legislature from 1918 to 1921 (and again in 1935) and then

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Speaker of the Legislative Assembly is a title commonly held by presiding officers of parliamentary bodies styled legislative assemblies. The office is most widely used in state and territorial legislatures in Australia, and in provincial and terr ...

in 1921. From April 12, 1922, to August 17, 1927, he was both Attorney General and Minister of Labour in

John Oliver John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian who hosts ''Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'' on HBO. He started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom and came to wider attention for his work ...

's Liberal government. As Attorney General, he was criticized for his handling of the 1924 Janet Smith murder case, which would damage his political career. Nevertheless, he continued in this dual role in

John Duncan MacLean John Duncan MacLean (December 8, 1873 – March 28, 1948) was a teacher, physician, politician and the 20th premier of British Columbia, Canada. MacLean was a practicing physician in Greenwood when he was elected to the provincial legislature ...

's government from 20 August 1927 to 20 August 1928. His legislative work included interest in

liquor laws Alcohol laws are laws relating to manufacture, use, as being under the influence of and sale of alcohol (also known formally as ethanol) or alcoholic beverages. Common alcoholic beverages include beer, wine, (hard) cider, and distilled spirits ...

, narcotics laws, the

Pacific Great Eastern Railway The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

, and game conservation laws. In the mid-1920s, he also served as Grand Master of the

Grand Lodge A Grand Lodge, also called Grand Orient, Obedience, or by another similar title, is a name for the overarching governing body of a fraternal or other similarly organized group in a given area, usually a city, state, or country. In Freemasonry A ...

of British Columbia and Yukon. In 1935, he attempted to enter federal politics, running for the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. and generally sits at the Centrism, ...

in the riding of

Vancouver South Vancouver South () was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1917 to 1997, and again from 2004 to 2025. It covers the southern portion of the city of Vancouver, Br ...

, but lost by less than 300 votes to Conservative

Howard Charles Green Howard Charles Green (November 5, 1895 – June 26, 1989) was a Canadian federal politician. Opposition career He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1935 federal election as a Conservative from Vancouver, British Colu ...

. He served on the

from 1936 until he retired in 1961. He died from cancer in Vancouver on September 25, 1964.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manson, Alexander Malcolm 1883 births 1964 deaths BC United MLAs Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Judges in British Columbia Attorneys general of British Columbia American emigrants to Canada 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia