. Cornwall ran as a
provincial Liberal candidate in the
1905 Alberta general election in the
Peace River electoral district. He faced independent candidate
Lucien Dubuc but was defeated by an unknown number of votes despite being favoured to win. The election results were annulled by the
Executive Council of Alberta as there were significant irregularities in the vote, and a new writ was ordered. Cornwall ran in the ensuing by-election held on February 16, 1906. This time he faced Independent Liberal candidate
Thomas Brick, who easily defeated him. Cornwall was returned to the Alberta Legislature by acclamation in the
1909 Alberta general election and held the seat for a single term, sitting with the Liberals. Cornwall was sued while still a member in the Legislature. On May 13, 1910, he filed his defence in provincial court. Cornwall was named in a lawsuit by Toronto businessman Alfred Hawes, who was looking to recoup more than $250,000 lost in the
Alberta and Great Waterways Railway Scandal. The same scandal caused the resignation of the entire Rutherford cabinet days later. Cornwall left the Liberal cabinet and sat as an Independent. Cornwall served overseas with the
Canadian Expeditionary Force in the
First World War, including command of the
218th Battalion, CEF. While he was in Europe he ran in the
1917 Alberta general election non-partisan soldiers' and nurses' vote. He finished fourth in a large field of candidates. He was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order in the
1918 New Year Honours. After the war Cornwall ran in a by-election in the
Athabasca district in a 1920 by-election as an independent. He was easily defeated by Alberta Liberal
George Mills. He ran again less than a year later in the
1921 Alberta general election but was defeated, finishing in 16th place out of the 26 candidates. The Social Credit government under
William Aberhart tried to entice Cornwall to run for a seat under their banner for a by-election in Athabasca, which Cornwall declined. ==References==