Arthur Peters

PETERS, Q.C., ARTHUR, lawyer; b. 29 August 1854 in Charlottetown, son of James Horsfield Peters of New Brunswick and Mary Cunard of Halifax; m. 25 September 1884 Amelia Jane Stewart, and they had four children, Catherine, James, Arthur Gordon, and Margaret Allison; Anglican; d. 29 January 1908 in Charlottetown. Peters, a Liberal, was first elected to the House of Assembly in the 1890 general election for 2nd Kings. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1893. He was reelected in the general elections of 1897, 1900, and 1904. In the 1904 general election, Peters and his opponent, Harry D. McEwen, received an equal number of votes. A by-election was called in 1905 to resolve the impasse and Peters was elected by acclamation. He was appointed Attorney-General in 1900 and held that post until 1901. Chosen as party leader in 1901, Peters became premier in December 1901 and served until 1908. He led the Liberals to victory in the 1904 general election. As was the case for many of the premiers who preceded him, Peters' term was marked by the dominant themes of post-Confederation Prince Edward Island: representation in the House of Commons, the inadequate subsidy from the federal government, and the quality of winter communication between the Island and the mainland. On the representation question, he argued that the province, because of its smallness, should be entitled to more seats than provided for in the British North America Act. At this time, the province had four seats in the House of Commons, while at the time of Confederation it had six. A resolution to the question eluded Premier Peters, but he continuously and forcefully made the Island's case to Ottawa. The level of subsidy from Ottawa was a nagging concern for Peters. Since entering Confederation in 1873, the province had struggled to raise sufficient revenue to provide government services to Islanders. Continually the federal government had been urged to increase its subsidy to ensure the province stayed solvent. In 1906, at the federal-provincial conference, Peters and the other premiers made some progress in this area, but it was not until February 1908, shortly after his death, that an increase in the subsidy to the province was officially announced. Peters also took on the challenge of improving travel to the mainland. Although the Island population was increasingly in favour of building a tunnel below the Northumberland Strait, his attention focused on urging the federal government to improve the ferry service. On 30 April 1903, following another bad winter, Peters' Administration demanded a third and more efficient steamer, as the Min to and the Stanley were frequently stuck in ice. After his death, the federal government responded to the province's demand and Premier Peters' urging. In 1909 the Earl Grey, a much more powerful steamer than the Stanley and the Minto, was put in service and helped to defuse the campaign for the construction of the tunnel. Peters' brother Frederick* served as premier from 1891 until 1897. He won two electoral victories as leader, including the 1897 general election. Peters was born in Charlottetown and lived at Elmwood, a house which still stands within the older section of Brighton. During his childhood, he was educated in Charlottetown by private tutors. Later he attended Prince of Wales College, and King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he obtained an Arts degree. After a period in the law office of Edward Jarvis Hodgson in Charlottetown, Peters read law in England, working with the esteemed instructor G. Brough Allen, and later Richard Everard Webster. He returned to the Island and was called to the Bar in 1878. A year later, he was admitted to the Bar in England. Following his return from Great Britain, ca. 1887, he joined his brother Frederick in law practice in Charlottetown. He became a partner in Peters, Peters and Ings. At some point, Albert Saunders*, another future premier, articled with this firm. Peters was designated Queen's Counsel in 1898. Arthur Peters died 29 January 1908. Amelia Peters was the daughter of Charles Stewart, a former Member of the House of Assembly for 2nd Kings. She was born 11 June 1857 and died 12 May 1913. Peters' father was a provincial Supreme Court Judge. Peters' mother was the daughter of Sir Samuel Cunard, founder of the Cunard Steamship Line.