de Cosmos, Amor

DE COSMOS, Amor, journalist, politician, premier 23 Dec 1872–11 Feb 1874 (b 20 Aug 1825, Windsor, NS; d 4 July 1897, Victoria). Born William Alexander Smith, he left Nova Scotia at age 26 and went to California, where he became a photographer. In 1854 he changed his name to Amor de Cosmos, "lover of the universe." At the beginning of the Fraser R GOLD RUSH four years later, he moved to VICTORIA and founded the British Colonist newspaper. As editor, he was an outspoken critic of Gov James DOUGLAS and the colony's leadership. He then entered politics and was elected to the assembly in 1863 after two unsuccessful attempts; he sold his newspaper and devoted his full attention to public affairs. As a member of the Legislative Council in 1867–71, de Cosmos advocated responsible government and union with Canada. Following CONFEDERATION in 1871 he was elected to the new provincial legislature and also to the federal House of Commons as one of 2 MPs from Victoria. He became PREMIER at the end of 1872 but his undistinguished administration lasted only 14 months. Re-elected MP early in 1874, he resigned his BC seat and the premiership as the law then required. In Ottawa he voiced provincial grievances and once introduced a resolution calling for BC to secede from the country. De Cosmos's increasingly extreme racial bigotry eventually cost him support and in July 1882 he lost his seat in Parliament. He retired to private life and became steadily more eccentric, until in 1895 a court ruled him incompetent to manage his own affairs and his brother became his legal guardian. See also COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.
Reading: George Woodcock, Amor de Cosmos: Journalist and Reformer, 1975.