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The present representative of North Brant in the Ontario Legislature is a native Canadian who has made a creditable reputation for himself in various walks of life. His Parliamentary career has been more than moderately successful, and ever since his first entry into public life, his speeches in the House have been listened to with an attention seldom accorded to those of members of his age. As a public lecturer he enjoys a more than local reputation, and as a journalist he deservedly occupies a place in the front rank.

He is of Scottish descent, and is the eldest son of the late Mr. John Young, who emigrated from Roxboroughshire to the township of Dumfries, in what was then the Gore District, in 1834. His mother's maiden name was Jeanie Bell. The late Mr. Young settled in Galt, where he engaged in business, and resided until his death in February, 1859. The subject of this sketch was born in Galt on the 24th of May, 1835, and has ever since resided there. He was educated at the public schools in that town. He early displayed great fondness for books, and has ever since found time for private study, notwithstanding the multifarious labours of an exacting profession.

In his youth he had a predilection for the study of the law, but finding it impracticable to carry out his wishes, he chose the printing business, which he began to learn in his sixteenth year. When he was eighteen he purchased the Dumfries Reformer, which he thenceforward conducted for about ten years. Under his management this paper—the politics whereof are sufficiently indicated by its name—attained great local influence, and was the means of making him known beyond the limits of the county of Waterloo. During the earlier part of his proprietorship the political articles in the paper were written by one of his friends, Mr. Young himself taking the general supervision, and contributing the local news. Upon the completion of his twentieth year he took the entire editorial control, which he retained until 1863, by which time his labours had somewhat affected his health. He then disposed of the Reformer, and retired from the press for a time. He soon afterwards went into the manufacturing business, and became the principal partner in the Victoria Steam Bending Works, Galt, which he carried on successfully for about five years.

During his connection with the Reformer he had necessarily taken a conspicuous part in the discussion of political questions, and his paper was an important factor in determining the results of the local election contests. He frequently "took the stump" on behalf of the Reform candidate, and was known throughout the county as a ready and graceful speaker. He took a conspicuous part in municipal affairs, and for six years sat in the Town Council. He was an active member of the School Board, and devoted much time to educational matters. He also took special interest in commercial and trade questions, on which he came to be regarded as a competent authority. In 1857 the Hamilton Mercantile Library Association offered a prize of fifty dollars for the best essay on the agricultural resources of the country. Mr. Young competed for, and won the prize, and the essay was immediately afterwards published under the title of "The Agricultural Resources of Canada, and the inducements they offer to British labourers intending to emigrate to this Continent." It was very favourably reviewed by the Canadian press, and was the means of greatly extending the author's reputation. Eight years later (in 1865) the proprietors of the Montreal Trade Review offered two prizes for essays on the Reciprocity Treaty, which was then about to expire. Mr. Young sent in an essay to which the second prize was awarded. His success on this occasion procured him an invitation to the Commercial Convention held that year at Detroit, and he thus had an opportunity of hearing the great speech of the Hon. Joseph Howe.

He first entered Parliament in 1867, when he was nominated by the Reformers of South Waterloo as their candidate for the House of Commons. Mr. Young would have preferred to enter the Local Legislature, but accepted the nomination, and addressed himself vigorously to the campaign. It was the first election under Confederation, and he was opposed by Mr. James Cowan, a Reform Coalitionist, who was also a local candidate of great influence. Mr. Young had to encounter a fierce opposition, the Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald, the Hon. William McDougall and the present Sir William Howland taking the field on one occasion on behalf of Mr. Cowan. These formidable opponents were courageously encountered by Mr. Young single-handed, or with such local assistance as could be procured. He was elected by a majority of 366 votes. When Parliament met in the following November he made his maiden speech in the House on the Address. He also took a conspicuous part in the debates of the session, and materially strengthened his position among his constituents. He was twice reËlected by acclamation; first at the general election of 1872, and again in 1874, after the accession to power of Mr. Mackenzie's Government. Of that Government he was a loyal and earnest supporter throughout. He was Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts for five consecutive sessions, and after the death of Mr. Scatcherd became Chairman of the House when in Committee of Supply. Among his principal speeches in Parliament were those on the Intercolonial Railway, the Ballot, the admission of British Columbia, with special reference to the construction of the Pacific Railway in ten years, the Treaty of Washington (which was unsparingly condemned), the Pacific Scandal, the Budget of 1874, the naturalization of Germans and other aliens, and the Tariff question. Soon after entering Parliament he proposed the abolition of the office of Queen's Printer and the letting of the departmental printing by tender. This was ultimately carried, and effected a large saving in the annual expenditure. In 1871 he submitted a Bill to confirm the naturalization of all aliens who had taken the oaths of allegiance and residence prior to Confederation, which became law. In 1873 he brought in a measure to provide for votes being taken by ballot. The Government subsequently took up the question and carried it. On two occasions the House of Commons unanimously concurred in Addresses to Her Majesty, prepared by him, praying that the Imperial Government would take steps to confer upon German and other naturalized citizens in all parts of the world the same rights as subjects of British birth, the law then and still being that they have no claim on British protection whenever they pass beyond British territory. In 1874 he proposed a committee and report which resulted in the publication of the Debates of the House of Commons, contending that the people have as much right to know how their representatives speak in Parliament as how they vote.

At the election of 1878, chiefly through a cry for a German representative, he was for the first time defeated. In the following spring, the general election for the Ontario Legislature came on, and Mr. Young was requested by the Reformers of the North Riding of Brant, to become their candidate in the Local House. He at first declined, but on the nomination being proffered a second time, he accepted it, and was returned by a majority of 344. He still sits in the Local House as the representative of North Brant.

For many years Mr. Young's services have been in request as a writer and public speaker. He has contributed occasionally to the Canadian Monthly, and has been a regular contributor for many years to some of our leading commercial journals, the articles being chiefly upon the trade and development of the country. He has also appeared upon the platform as a lecturer upon literary and scientific subjects. As a political speaker he has been heard in many different parts of the Province, throughout which he now enjoys a very wide circle of acquaintance. He has held and still holds many positions of honour and trust. He is a Director of the Confederation Life Association, and of the Canada Landed Credit Company; has been President, and is now a Vice-President of the Sabbath School Association of Canada; is President of the Gore District Mutual Fire Insurance Company; has for ten years been President of the Associated Mechanics' Institutes of Ontario; and is a member of the Council of the Agricultural and Arts Association. Last year Mr. Young wrote and published a little volume of 272 pages, entitled "Reminiscences of the Early History of Galt and the Settlement of Dumfries." Apart from the fact that works of this class deserve encouragement in Canada, Mr. Young's book has special merits which are not always found in connection with Canadian local annals. It is written in a pleasant and interesting style which makes it readable even to persons who know nothing of the district whereof it treats. In religion, Mr. Young is a member of the Presbyterian Church. From his youth he has had a marked attachment to Liberal opinions in political matters. He regards the people as the true source of power, and believes in the famous dictum of Canning, that if Parliament rejects improvements because they are innovations, the day will come when they will have to accept innovations which are no improvements. On the Trade question he occupies moderate ground, believing that the true fiscal policy for a young country like Canada is neither absolute Protection nor absolute Free Trade, but a moderate revenue tariff incidentally encouraging native industries. He strongly favours the Federal element in the Constitution, and the retention of the Local Legislatures, but advocates the reform of the Senate. He earnestly desires to continue the present connection with Great Britain, but believes that if this should ever become impossible, Canada has a destiny of its own, as a North American power, which all true Canadians will seek earnestly to support. During 1875 Mr. Young was offered the appointment of Canadian Commissioner to the Centennial Exhibition of the United States, but declined this as well as other positions, so that he might be perfectly untrammelled in his action as one of the representatives of the people.

On the 11th of February, 1858, Mr. Young married Miss Margaret McNaught, daughter of Mr. John McNaught, of Brantford.