O'CONNOR, John, Canadian statesman, born in Boston, Massachusetts, in January, 1824; died in Cobourg, Ontario, 3 November, 1887. His parents came from Ireland to the United States in 1823 and resided in Boston till 1828, when they removed to Maidstone, Essex, Ontario. Their son received his early education there, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He was also a member of the Michigan bar, and was appointed a queen's counsel in 1873. He was reeve of the town of Windsor, warden of Essex for three years, and for twelve years chairman of the board of education of Windsor. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the legislative assembly of Canada in 1861, but was elected and sat for a short period in 1863. He was sent from Essex to the Dominion parliament in 1867 and 1872, and was elected for Russell at the general election in 1878. Mr. O'Connor was president of the council in Sir John A. Macdonald's administration front 2 July, 1872, till 4 March, 1873, minister of inland revenue from 4 March till 1 July, 1873, and post-master-general from the latter date until the resignation of the government on 5 November, 1873. He was again appointed president of the council, 17 October, 1878, which portfolio he held till his resignation, 15 January, 1880, when he became postmaster-general. He was appointed secretary of state, 8 November, 1880, postmaster-general again, 20 May, 1881, and resigned in May, 1882. He became a commissioner to revise the statutes of Canada, 13 November, 1883, judge of the high court of justice of Ontario, 11 September, 1884, and a commissioner for revising the statutes of that province in 1885.