Henry J. Pineau

PINEAU, HENRY J., farmer and lobster canner; b. 22 January 1863 in Bloomfield, son of Joseph Pineau and Bathilde Doiron; m. 10 May 1887 Mathilde Doiron in Palmer Road, daughter ofjean Thibodeau and Francoise Perry; they had at least five children: Joseph Emmanuel, Marie Celina, Mathilde Anne, Jean Jerome, and Pierre Cyrille; Roman Catholic; d. 18 February 1904 in Miminegash. Pineau, a Conservative and later a Liberal, was elected to the Legislative Assembly in a byelection held 25 July 1899 for 1st Prince. During the years 1899 and 1900, Pineau was a central figure in the House, as the Liberal government attempted to maintain a slim majority. A sitting Conservative, Pineau, who had been conspicuously absent for a number of months, at a crucial moment switched to the government side. The crisis for the Liberals began during the 1899 legislative sessions, when Joseph Wise* broke ranks with the government and voted with the Conservatives. Premier Donald Farquharson* made efforts to persuade him to resign his seat. Wise agreed to do this if a by-election was held before the spring 1900 session. The by-election did not go ahead and Wise withdrew his resignation. During the 1900 session, on 8 May, his resignation was announced in the House, but this was immediately followed by Wise defiantly taking his seat. Amidst pandemonium, his vote with the Conservatives, which would have defeated the government, was not recognized by Speaker James Cummiskey". The next day, Wise attempted to take his seat while the Speaker entered the refuted resignation into the record. Wise refused to withdraw when asked, and then was removed from the Legislative Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, assisted by the House Messenger. He was locked in the Speaker's room until the House adjourned. When order was restored, Farquharson held on to power, as Pineau had switched his political allegiance to the Liberals. Pineau went to school in Cascumpec and Bloomfield. He farmed and ran a fishing establishment in Miminegash for a number of years. Henry Pineau died 18 February 1904 in Miminegash.