Sir Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville

Boucherville, Sir Charles-Eugène Boucher de

Sir Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville, doctor, politician, premier of Québec 1874-78 and 1891-92 (b at Montréal 4 May 1822; d there 10 Sept 1915). A Conservative member of the Assembly of the Province of Canada, he was appointed to the Québec Legislative Council in 1867. He was premier of the province from 1874 until March 1878 when Liberal Lieutenant-Governor Luc Letellier de Saint-Just, in a move labelled a coup d'état by the Conservatives, removed him from office and replaced him with Liberal Henri-Gustave JOLY DE LOTBINIÈRE.

Boucherville's administration ushered in electoral reform and in 1875 abolished the Department of Public Instruction, replacing it with an appointed superintendent of education. In 1891 after MERCIER's government had been tainted by the BAIE DES CHALEURS SCANDAL, Boucherville again became premier but he resigned a year later and was succeeded by L.O. TAILLON.