Volume III - ElectricCanadian.com

MARTIN,HeBarrister,Winnipeg, Man., was born inJOSEPH Milton, Ont., September 24th,1852. His parents were Edward andMary Ann (Fleming) Martin, highlyesteemed citizens of Milton, where hisfather was Reeve for some years, andwhere he carried on business for sometime with John White, M.P. Mr. Martinwas educated at the Milton publicschool, the Toronto Normal School andToronto University. In his early manhood,he was a telegraph operator.afterwards obtained a First-class Teacher'scertificate, and was appointed Principalof the public school, New Edinburgh,Ont. Mr. Martinentered upon the study oflaw in Ottawa, but removedto Portage La Prairie, Man.,early in 1882, and in Augustof the same year, was calledto the Bar of Manitoba. InJanuary, 1883, he was electeda member of the ManitobaLegislature, an honorhe heldcontinuously untilMay, 1892, when he retiredfrom politics to more fullyattend to his practice. FromJanuary, 1888, until May,1891, Mr. Martin was AttorneyGeneral and RailwayCommissioner. While inthe Government as RailwayCommissioner, he tookcharge of the fight againstthe C. P. R. monopoly, andas Attorney General, courageouslyintroduced andcarried through the SchoolAct of 1890, abolishingseparate schools in the Provinceof Manitoba, and theAct doing away with theofficial use o' the Frenchlanguage. Mr. Martin arguedthe question of theconstitutionality of the School Act of1890, before Judge Killam in the firstplace, the full Court of Queen's Benchin Manitoba, and the SupremeHe Court.also appeared with Sir HoraceDavey and Dalton McCarthy before thePrivy Council in the same case. Mr.Martin, as might be expected, tookcharge of the Department of Education,under the new regime. The futurehistorian of Manitoba must pay genuinetribute to the ability, sagacity andcourage of the man whose portrait appearson this page. On September 2nd,1 88 1, Mr. Martin was married to Mrs.E. J. Eaton, of Ottawa, Ont.