James Domville

James Domville, a Conservative MP from Kings County, New Brunswick, and former militia colonel, switched to the Liberal Party around 1896 as the Conservative coalition showed signs of fracturing after the death of John A. Macdonald and the turmoil of the Manitoba Schools Question. Like many Maritime MPs of the era, Domville was pragmatic about partisan loyalty and gravitated toward whichever party seemed most likely to serve his region's interests.

Domville was later appointed to the Senate by Wilfrid Laurier in 1903, where he served until his death in 1921. His switch was rewarded in the traditional patronage fashion of the era — Senate seats were the customary reward for loyal service to the governing party.