Dominion of Newfoundland

Newfoundland
1907–1949
Civil ensign (1907–1949) Coat of arms
Motto: Quaerite prime regnum Dei (Latin) "Seek ye first the kingdom of God"
Anthem: "Ode to Newfoundland"
Map of the Dominion of Newfoundland
Status	British dominion (1907–1934) Dominion with Commission Government (1934–1949)
Capital and largest city	St. John's
Official languages	English
Demonym(s)	Newfoundlander
Government	Responsible government
King
• 1907–1910 (first)	Edward VII
• 1936–1949 (last)	George VI
Governor
• 1907–1909 (first)	Sir William MacGregor
• 1946–1949 (last)	Sir Gordon Macdonald
Prime Minister
• 1907–1910 (first)	Sir Robert Bond
• 1932–1934 (last)	Frederick C. Alderdice
Legislature	General Assembly of Newfoundland
• Upper house	Legislative Council of Newfoundland
• Lower house	House of Assembly
Historical era	Early to mid-20th century
• Semi-sovereign dominion	26 September 1907
• Fully sovereign dominion	19 November 1926
• Commission of Government	16 February 1934
• Canadian province	31 March 1949
Area
• Total	405,212 km2 (156,453 sq mi)
Currency	Newfoundland dollar
Preceded by Succeeded by Newfoundland Colony Canada Province of Newfoundland
Today part of	Canada  ∟Newfoundland and Labrador
*National holidays celebrated on 24 June, Discovery Day, and 26 September, Dominion Day. Patron saint John the Baptist.

Newfoundland was a British dominion in eastern North America, today the modern Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It included the island of Newfoundland, and Labrador on the continental mainland. Newfoundland was one of the original dominions under the Balfour Declaration of 1926, and accordingly enjoyed a constitutional status equivalent to the other dominions of the time. Its dominion status was confirmed by the Statute of Westminster, 1931, although the statute was not otherwise applicable to Newfoundland.

In 1934, Newfoundland became the only dominion to give up its self-governing status, which ended 79 years of self-government.^[1] The abolition of self-government came about because of a crisis in Newfoundland's public finances in 1932. Newfoundland had accumulated a significant amount of debt by building a railway across the island, which was completed in the 1890s, and by raising its own regiment during the First World War.^[1] In November 1932, the government warned that Newfoundland would default on payments on the public debt.^[1] The British government quickly established the Newfoundland Royal Commission to inquire into and report on the position.^[1] The commission's report, published in October 1933, recommended that Newfoundland give up self-government temporarily and allow the United Kingdom to administer it by an appointed commission.^[1]

The Newfoundland parliament accepted the recommendations; it then presented a petition to the King to ask for the suspension of the constitution and the appointment of commissioners to administer the government until the country became self-supporting again.^[2] To enable compliance with the request, the British Parliament passed the Newfoundland Act, 1933, and on 16 February 1934, the British government appointed six commissioners, three from Newfoundland and three from the United Kingdom, with the governor as chairman.^[2] The system of a six-member Commission of Government continued to govern Newfoundland until Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949 to become Canada's tenth province.^[3]