John Howatt Bell

{{Short description|Canadian politician (1846–1929)}}

{{no footnotes|date=February 2024}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = John Howatt Bell

| honorific-suffix =

| image = John Howard Bell.jpg

| imagesize =

| order = 14th

| office = Premier of Prince Edward Island

| predecessor = Aubin-Edmond Arsenault

| successor = James D. Stewart

| monarch = George V

| lieutenant_governor = Murdoch McKinnon

| term_start = 9 September 1919

| term_end = 5 September 1923

| office1 = Leader of the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party

| predecessor1 = John Richards

| successor1 = Albert Charles Saunders

| term_start1 = 13 July 1915

| term_end1 = 26 July 1923

| office2 = Member of the General Assembly of Prince Edward Island for 4th Prince

| predecessor2 = Augustus Holland

| successor2 = district abolished

| term_start2 = 30 June 1886

| term_end2 = 13 December 1893

| alongside2 = George W. Bentley

| office3 = MLA (Assemblyman) for 4th Prince

| predecessor3 = himself

| successor3 = Samuel E. Reid

| term_start3 = 13 December 1893

| term_end3 = 14 May 1898

| predecessor4 = James Kennedy

| successor4 = Whitefield Bentley

| term_start4 = 16 September 1915

| term_end4 = 26 July 1923

| riding5 = East Prince

| parliament5 = Canadian

| term_start5 = 14 December 1898

| term_end5 = 7 November 1900

| predecessor5 = John Yeo

| successor5 = Alfred Lefurgey

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1846|12|13}}

| birth_place = Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island Colony

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1929|01|29|1846|12|13}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, California

| nationality = Canadian

| spouse = {{marriage|Helen Howatt|1882}}

| party = Prince Edward Island Liberal Party

| otherparty = Liberal

| relations =

| children =

| residence = Summerside, Prince Edward Island

| alma_mater = Prince of Wales College
Albert College

| occupation = Teacher and lawyer

| profession = Politician

| cabinet =

}}

John Howatt Bell (13 December 1846 – 29 January 1929) was a lawyer and politician who served as the 14th premier of Prince Edward Island.

Bell was born in Cape Traverse, the son of Walter Bell and Elizabeth Howatt. He was educated at Prince of Wales College and at Albert College in Belleville. After studying law, he was called to the Ontario bar in 1874 and set up practice in Ottawa, Ontario. He moved to Manitoba, was called to the bar there and set up practice in Emerson. In 1882, he married his first cousin, Helen, the daughter of Cornelius Howatt. He returned to Prince Edward Island, was called to the bar, and set up practice in Summerside.

Bell entered politics in 1886 when he was elected to the province's legislative assembly as a Liberal. In 1898 he won a seat in the House of Commons of Canada as a supporter of the federal Liberals under Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He lost his seat in 1900 but returned to the provincial assembly in 1915 when he was chosen to lead the Liberal Party and became leader of the opposition. After Bell led the Liberals to power in 1919, he became Premier. His government extended the province's road system and adopted a highway improvement policy funded by a tax that contributed to the government's unpopularity. His administration also extended the voting franchise to women in 1922.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

Bell's government was ridden with disputes within his cabinet, which harmed the party's unity and popularity and led to his government's electoral defeat in 1923 after a single term in office. Bell retired from politics and died six years later in a car accident in Los Angeles, California.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}