My great desire has been to remove from the political arena a question of this kind that is calculated to prevent us getting a verdict upon the important political issues that separate the two parties in this country.

Early life 1821–1855
Tupper was born in Amherst Nova Scotia to Charles Tupper Sr. The 1900 election saw the Conservatives pick up 17 Ontario seats in the 9th Canadian Parliament. In 1865 he introduced a bill providing for compulsory local taxation to fund these schools.

At age 74 in May 1896 he was also the oldest person to serve as Prime Minister of Canada. He practiced medicine periodically throughout his political career (and served as the first president of the Canadian Medical Association). By 1860 Tupper supported a union of all the colonies of British North America.