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White had the good fortune to be born into a family that had established its homestead at the junction othe Muskrat and Ottawa Rivers where the town of Pembroke, Ontario was soon established. His family established several businesses including a lumberyard, general store and blacksmith's shop.

As a young man, Peter White and his brother took over the family lumber business and became wealthy as they supplied the railway and shipbuilding industries. He also became a major shareholder and president of the Pembroke Electric Light Company.

White entered politics and became reeve of Pembrooke Township in 1870. He first ran for the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative candidate in the 1872 Canadian election in the riding of Renfrew North but was defeated. He won election in 1874Events January 1 New York City annexes The Bronx January 23 Marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, to Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, only daughter of Emperor Alexander III of Russia. January Signing of the Pangkor Tr but his victory was overturned by the courts and he lost the subsequent by-electionA by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. By-elections are held in most nations that elect their parliaments through single-member constituencies, whether with or without a that was held later that year. He again won election in the 1876 Canadian election and sat in the Canadian House of Commons for the next twenty years. A supporter of Sir John A. MacdonaldSir John Alexander Macdonald Rank 1st ( 1867- 1873 and 1878- 1891) Date of Birth January 11, 1815 Place of Birth Glasgow, Scotland Spouses Isabella Clark Susan Agnes Bernard Profession lawyer Political Party Conservative The Right Honourable Sir John Alex, White was a believer in the National PolicyThe National Policy was a Canadian economic program introduced by John A. Macdonald's Conservatives in 1879 after they returned to power, however, it was an official policy since 1876. It was based upon high tariffs to protect of the manufacturing industr.

Following the 1891 Canadian election, Macdonald nominated White to be Speaker of the Canadian House of CommonsIn Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the lower house and is elected by fellow MPs. The Speaker's role in Canada is similar to that of Speakers elsewhere in other countries that use the Westminster system (see Speaker o. Macdonald died soon after and White presided over a tumultuous period in the House of Commons as a succession of Conservative Prime MinistersThe Prime Minister of Canada the head of the Canadian government, is usually the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Canadian House of Commons. The Prime Minister has the right to the style of Right Honourable''. The current prime min attempted to hold the party and government together in the absence of the party's long time leader. Particularly divisive were debates over the Manitoba Schools QuestionThe Manitoba Schools Question was a political crisis in Canada in the late 19th century involving separate schools. Manitoba became the fifth province to join Confederation in 1870, after negotiations between Canada and the provisional Red River governmen that brought down the government of Sir Mackenzie Bowell. White opposed the government's policy which favoured Catholic education rights as it interfered with the provincial government's right to set education policy but, as Speaker, remained silent on the issue until the 1896 Canadian election campaign. Despite his independence on the issue, White lost his seat inthe election and failed in several attempts to return to the House until the 1904 Canadian election when he finally regained his seat. By this time he was in declining health and was unable to regularly attend House sittings. He died in office in 1906.