Semlin ministry

The Semlin ministry was the combined Cabinet that governed British Columbia from August 15, 1898, to February 27, 1900. It was led by Charles Augustus Semlin, the 12th premier of British Columbia. It was formed in the aftermath of the 1898 election, in which Lieutenant Governor Thomas Robert McInnes dismissed incumbent premier John Herbert Turner and asked Semlin to form a ministry instead.^[1]

Semlin ministry
12th ministry of British Columbia
Date formed	August 15, 1898 (1898-08-15)
Date dissolved	February 27, 1900 (1900-02-27)
People and organisations
Monarch	Victoria
Lieutenant Governor	Thomas Robert McInnes
Premier	Charles Augustus Semlin
No. of ministers	6
Member parties	Non-partisan
History
Election	1898 election
Legislature term	8th Parliament
Predecessor	Turner ministry
Successor	Martin ministry

The ministry came to an end shortly after the defeat of government legislation concerning electoral reform. Though Semlin negotiated with opposition members to regain the legislature's confidence, McIness instead dismissed him and invited Joseph Martin to form the Martin ministry.^[1]

List of ministers

Semlin ministry by portfolio^[2]

Portfolio	Minister	Tenure
		Start	End
Premier of British Columbia	Charles Augustus Semlin	August 15, 1898	February 27, 1900
President of the Council	Robert McKechnie	August/September,[a] 1898	February 27, 1900
Attorney General	Joseph Martin	August 15, 1898	July 27, 1899
	Alexander Henderson	August 7, 1899	February 27, 1900
Minister of Finance and Agriculture	Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton	August 15, 1898	February 27, 1900
Minister of Education	Joseph Martin	August 15, 1898	March 9, 1899[a]
	Charles Augustus Semlin	March 9, 1899	February 27, 1900
Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works	Charles Augustus Semlin	August 15, 1898	March 9, 1899
	Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton	March 9, 1899	February 27, 1900
Minister of Mines	Francis Lovett Carter-Cotton	August 17, 1898	August 20, 1898
	John Frederick Hume	August 20, 1898	February 27, 1900
Provincial Secretary	Joseph Martin	August 17, 1898	August 20, 1898
	John Frederick Hume	August 20, 1898	March 9, 1899
	Charles Augustus Semlin	March 9, 1899	February 27, 1900
Minister without Portfolio	Robert McKechnie	August 17, 1898	February 27, 1900

New ministries

After a cabinet shuffle in March 1899, John Hume left his role as Provincial Secretary but retained his position as Minister of Mines. This was the first time that Minister of Mines had not been held jointly with another position; the split was due to the increased duties for the role.^[3]