A sad day on the political history calendar to recall as it was on April 17, 1892 that Canada’s second Prime Minister, Alexander Mackenzie, passed into history.  A man of strong moral character combined with a personal reputation for honesty acknowledged even by his opponents, he had served in the new nation’s top political job between 1873 and 1878.Born in Scotland, in 1822, he apprenticed as a stonemason following his father's passing when the young Mackenzie was just 13.  He emigrated to Canada in 1842, first settling in Kingston, as did his future wife Helen, who was also the offspring of a stonemason.Mackenzie was politically involved from his earliest days in pre-Confederation Canada.  He opposed class distinction, fought for equality and became a lifelong friend of George Brown, owner of The Toronto Globe (and a future Father of Confederation and founder of the Liberal Party).Mackenzie won a seat in the Legislative Assembly in 1861, supporting Brown, and when Canada was born, took a seat representing Lambton, Ontario, in the House of Commons.  With George Brown having lost his seat, Mackenzie became the unofficial leader of the fledgling country's opposition.  Six years later, in 1873, he was chosen as the official leader of the Liberal Party.  When Sir John A's government fell due to the Pacific Scandal, Governor General Lord Dufferin asked the Liberal Party leader to form a government.  Mackenzie did so but asked the GG to call an election.  Given the scandal, Macdonald's Conservatives were easily defeated and Mackenzie's Liberals won a majority in the January 1874 election.Alexander Mackenzie sat as an MP until his passing (due to a stroke) in 1892.  Two days after his death, the House paused to pay tribute to him.  Future Prime Minsters John Thompson and Wilfrid Laurier eulogized their fallen colleague.  Their heartfelt tributes are found below.DEATH OF THE HON. ALEXANDER MACKENZIESir JOHN THOMPSON:  Mr. Speaker, I think that the first duty which the House owes to its own history and to the country, on reassembling after the vacation, is to notice the great loss which the House has sustained, and which Canada has sustained, by the death of the hon. member for East York (Mr. Mackenzie).If it devolved upon me today – if it devolved upon anybody, indeed – to state the great public services, the estimable character and worth of the late hon. member for East York, I would greatly prefer that that duty should have fallen to some of those among whom he served in public life when he was at his prime, because, when it was my good fortune and my honour to enter this Parliament, the hon. gentleman had ceased to take that active part in public affairs in which, for many years, he occupied so commanding a position and did himself so much honour and the country such useful, zealous services.Fortunately, however, for me, Mr. Speaker, the history of the country supplies what is deficient in myself in this regard.  The achievements of the late hon. gentleman, his zeal in the public service, the great position which he attained, not only officially in this country in connection with its public affairs, but in the estimation of the people of Canada, are all part of the records of this country now.I can only say, on behalf of gentleman who are co-operating with me in this Parliament, that I am expressing their sentiments when I state that the services which I have mentioned and the qualities which I have referred to evoked from us the greatest esteem – those of us who were in the House when he was active in political struggles and those of us who had not then entered on our duties here- and that we feel as deeply, as I am sure hon. gentlemen on the other side of the House must feel, that a great tribute of respect is due to the memory of the gentleman who devoted his great abilities, great zeal and great talents disinterestedly to the service of Canada.We feel, therefore, that it is incumbent upon the House out of respect, not only as I have said for its own history, but out of respect for the public feeling in Canada, that instead of transacting the business which is on the Order Paper today, we should ask an adjournment, and that the adjournment should take place until Thursday next in order that as many members of the House as feel able to do so may be present at the funeral obsequies which I understand are to take place in Toronto to-morrow.  With these observations, Mr. Speaker, which I am sure but very feebly express the sentiments of the house, but which are very cordially given not only on my part but upon the part of those of whom I am the humble spokesman; I beg to move:That when this House adjourns this day, it does stand adjourned until Thursday next, in consequence of the lamented death of the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, late   member of the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada, and out of respect to his memory.Mr. Wilfrid LAURIER:  Mr. Speaker, twelve months have not yet elapsed since death removed from among us the great man (Sir John A. Macdonald) who had been for more than a quarter of a century the leader of the Conservative party and the most prominent figure in the national life of Canada.  His demise was mourned over by the whole country, friends and foes forgetting the differences of opinion which had divided them only to remember these greater qualities which commanded universal admiration.This day we have to deplore the loss of one who was for many years the chief opponent of Sir John Macdonald, and who was in many ways as richly, although differently endowed from himself, and who was undoubtedly in the estimation of all, I believe, the strongest character whom Canada has seen for many a day.  On this occasion again I am glad to know – indeed I knew it even before the Minister of Justice spoke – that all parties, friends and foes alike, unite in a common and very sincere grief.Although upon this occasion grief cannot assume the same intensity of expression which it assumed on the other occasion, there are various obvious reasons for that.  It was Sir John Macdonald’s good luck that he was struck standing at his post, that he died in harness, that he was removed under the very gaze of the public eye from the field of active strife to eternal rest; whereas it was Mr. Mackenzie’s misfortune that he survived for many years his own self.  For any years he has been prostrated by illness and though his heart continued as warm and his mind as active as ever, his physical frame was fatally shattered.  He was condemned to silence, his services were lost to the country, and the public had long been reconciled to the painful idea of his death.  There can be no doubt whatever that to one of so strong and energetic a nature, these years of inactivity and of prostration must have been years of intense suffering and that death whenever it came was looked upon as a relief.At last, in the very hour of Easter day, of that day which in the faith of Christians is the symbol of victory over death, his long-imprisoned soul was released from its shackles, and he now lives forever.  Already the Canadian people appreciate the magnitude of the loss they have suffered; and, indeed, Mr. Mackenzie was a unique man in his day.Living in an age which was not particularly distinguished for staunch adherence to principle, he always was the unbending champion of right, as God gave him to see the right.  Living in an age where success was very often held to be the primary consideration success was never with him a primary nor even a secondary consideration.  He strove for the right as he saw the right, and indeed it is a matter of history that when he was in office, he could have conciliated public opinion and perhaps continued to enjoy power if he had consented to deviate ever so little from those principles of political economy which alone, he held to be true.  But on this occasion his stern character again asserted itself; he risked everything, and he lost all, and he did it cheerfully.  Such examples are rarely met, if ever, in our own day; and to find any parallel you have to go back to the days of Puritan England, when men fought and bled for principle, holding any kind of compromise in scorn.  Such were the principal qualities which distinguished, I believe above all others, Mr. Mackenzie’s career.Indeed, his strong qualities as a public man are well known.  There was, however, another aspect of his character little known to the public and perhaps entirely misconceived, but well known to those who had the privilege of his friendship.  He was supposed to be stern, cold and ungracious; but the very reverse was the truth.  He was richly endowed with that quaint humour peculiar to his own race, little to be suspected under a somewhat reticent exterior, but to which the unrestraint of intimate life acted as a stimulant, and which then broke forth into copious and rich fancy.To those who had the privilege of his hospitality he was one of the most agreeable of men; and with that he had a kind heart, a most kind heart indeed, which always responded generously when properly appealed to.  In many ways Mr. Mackenzie was an exceptional man.  I may say – and I am sure that in this all will agree with me – that the united many qualities seldom found together, and which combined made him one of the truest and strongest characters to be met with in Canadian history.  I second the motion.[caption id="attachment_536608" align="aligncenter" width="308"] Alexander Mackenzie[/caption]Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist.  He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy.  A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.