Alexandre-Maurice Delisle

Alexander Maurice Delisle
Fair-skinned man with dark hair and mustache, seated at table for a formal picture, wearing a mid-Victorian frock coat and holding a fur cap in his hand
Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada for Montreal County
In office
1841–1843
Preceded byNew position
Succeeded byAndré Jobin
Personal details
BornApril 20, 1810
Montreal, Lower Canada
DiedFebruary 13, 1880 (age 69)
Montreal, Quebec
Political partyUnionist; British Tory; Bleu
SpouseMarie-Angélique Cuvillier
RelationsAustin Cuvillier (father-in-law)
EducationPetit Séminaire de Montréal
OccupationPublic servant and entrepreneur

Alexandre-Maurice Delisle (April 20, 1810 – February 13, 1880) was a Montreal businessman and political figure. Trained as a lawyer, he held several public service positions in the governments of Lower Canada and the Province of Canada. In 1841, he was elected to the first Parliament of the Province of Canada, and was one of only two French-Canadian members of the Assembly to vote in favour of the union of Lower Canada and Upper Canada. He resigned his seat in 1843 to return to provincial service, as clerk of the Crown. Although he left electoral politics, he was a strong supporter of the Parti Bleu. In addition to his provincial offices, he was involved in various business activities.

Delisle's career took a major setback when he was accused by his own brother of having committed frauds when serving as a clerk of the Crown. The provincial government held a public inquiry into the allegations, but the issue became a partisan dispute. The government was Liberal, Delisle was Bleu, and he lost his provincial positions in 1863. When the Conservative-Bleu alliance returned to power in 1866, they reinstated him, but the Liberal government of Alexander Mackenzie again dismissed him in 1874.

At the time of his death in 1880, Delisle was rumoured to be in line for an appointment to the Senate of Canada by the Conservative government of Sir John A. Macdonald, who was returned to office in 1878.