The Media, The Obit, and the Missing Piece

By Roger Bill / July 7, 2023

When William Marshall, the former politician and judge, passed away at the end of June several media outlets reported on his contribution to public life in the province. Something, however, was missing.

Readers and viewers and listeners were reminded of William Marshall’s 1970’s entry into politics as an outspoken critic of Joey Smallwood as the end of Joey’s time in office drew near. Though his hold on power was waning, challenging Joey Smallwood at the time was still not for the faint of heart.

In media reports following his passing William Marshall, who represented St. John’s East from 1970-1986, was described as, “a pillar of the province’s judicial and political landscape.” Former Premier Brian Peckford called Marshall a “giant.” Others credited him with being, “the unsung hero of the Atlantic Accord.”

What was missing, however, in all of the well-deserved compliments and acknowledgements was a record that has stood in the House of Assembly for 52 years and counting. The date was May 27, 1971. William Marshall was speaking when, according to Memorial University historian Alex Marland, the House of Assembly, “devolved into chaos.”

The Prelude

According to the record in Hansard, William Marshall and his colleague John Crosbie, representing St. John’s West, were criticizing the government for its failure to control rents and the hardship that represented for low-income residents in St. John’s. When a member on the Government side of the House made a reference to lawyers, like Marshall and Crosbie, on the Opposition side of House being slum landlords, Marshall cranked up the rhetoric.

Marshall called the accusation a “a vicious, vile, contemptible, rotten, dirty type of attack.”  Then, citing an article by journalist Ian Wiseman in a short-lived independent St. John’s publication, the Alternate Press, Marshall said, “The Minister of Justice apparently owns six or seven so-called slum houses. . . Oh, there is another one too that is here in this paper, this Alternate Press, that is, ‘Mrs. J. R. Smallwood owns 8 Bully Street, and the rent is paid to the Premier’s office.’ Okay, if you want to play that game gentlemen, perhaps the Hon. the Minister of Justice might like to get up and inform us whether he is a slum landlord… Perhaps, the Hon. the Premier would like also to get up and inform us whether or not the office of the Premier is, as according to this allegation, used for the purpose of collecting slum rentals.”

After more exchanges between Marshall and members on the Government side, Marshall, obviously stung by being labelled a slum landlord, said, “For Heaven’s sake there should be at least enough maturity on the other side of this House to be able to control that kind of rotten, vile type of politics, but it is something that I will not put up with.”

The Chaos

The following is how Hansard described what happened when William (Bill) Smallwood, the Premier’s son and Member for the District of Green Bay, rose in the House of Assembly:

MR. SMALLWOOD (W.R.):   There is something that I am not going to put up with.

MR. CHAIRMAN:  Order! Sergeant-at-Arms. Remove the member, please.

MR. SMALLWOOD (PREMIER): “Bill, Bill.”

Joey was too late.  Son Bill had walked across the floor of the House of Assembly and punched William Marshall in the face for insinuating that Mrs. J.R. Smallwood was a slumlord.

The Sergeant-at-Arms escorted Bill Smallwood out of the chamber, business resumed, and then Bill Smallwood returned.

From Hansard:

MR. SMALLWOOD (W.R.): Mr. Speaker, may I be heard?

MR. SPEAKER: Before the Hon. Member is asked to make a statement, I would say this only, that this is a serious breach of privilege of the House and has to be treated as such by the House itself. I would, therefore, ask the Hon. Member for Green Bay if he has any explanation or statement to make before I proceed further?

MR. SMALLWOOD (W.R.): Mr. Speaker, I attacked the member for St. John’s East because he attacked my mother in this House. If he attacks her again in this House, I will attack him, whether it is in the House or outside the House.”

The Aftermath

An unapologetic Bill Smallwood was suspended from the House of Assembly for five days. John Crosbie was suspended for three days for accusing Joey Smallwood of approving William’s behavior. Marshall was suspended for criticizing the Speaker.

William Marshall went on to become a cabinet minister in the governments of Frank Moores and Brian Peckford and then served on the Supreme Court of Appeal until his retirement in 2003. At his passing he was recognized for the valuable contribution he made to the province over the course of his career. Plus, William Marshall still held the distinction of being the last Member to have been punched in the face in the House of Assembly.