James W. Johnston (29 August 1792 – 21 November 1873) was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...

of the colony from 1857 to 1860 and again from 1864. He was also ''Government Leader'' prior to the granting of

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive br ...

in 1848. He was a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

and supporter of

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

. Johnston was a descendant of

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

who fled the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

during the revolutionary war. Johnston was a member of the

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

establishment in Nova Scotia. In 1837, he was appointed to the

Legislative Council A legislative council is the legislature, or one of the legislative chambers, of a nation, colony, or subnational division such as a province or state. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the Brit ...

and while he sometimes supported reform, he was generally a critic and opponent of

and the introduction of party government. In 1843, he left the Legislative Council to run for the elected legislative assembly and became ''government leader'' because of the support of moderate members who opposed the "extremism" of

Joseph Howe Joseph Howe (December 13, 1804 – June 1, 1873) was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, public servant, and poet. Howe is often ranked as one of Nova Scotia's most admired politicians and his considerable skills as a journalist and writer h ...

but were willing to make some concessions. He lost power when

was instituted in 1848 but continued as leader of what became the Conservative Party and served as

from 1857 to 1860 and again from 1863 to 1864 before being appointed to the bench. Johnston was an early supporter of

Canadian confederation Canadian Confederation () was the process by which three British North American provinces—the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—were united into one federation, called the Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion, Dominion of Ca ...

, seeing it as a means of correcting the failings of responsible government.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, James William 1792 births 1873 deaths Johnston, James W. Premiers of Nova Scotia People from Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Colony of Nova Scotia people Canadian people of Scottish descent Members of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia Colony of Nova Scotia judges Nova Scotia political party leaders 19th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly