The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Cartwright, Sir Richard John
1835–1912, Canadian politician, b. Kingston, Ont. He was elected as a Conservative to the legislative assembly of Canada (1863) and to the first dominion House of Commons (1867), but he later joined the Liberals. He was minister of finance (1873–78) in Alexander Mackenzie’s administration. As minister of trade and finance (1896–1911) in Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s government, Cartwright was acting prime minister on several occasions. He entered the Senate in 1904. A noted public speaker, he was the Liberal party’s spokesman on financial matters and an earnest advocate of trade reciprocity with the United States.
