HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1886-03-26, Page 44
N ZW' ADVERTISEMENTS.
etr The figure between the parenthesis after
saehT.Ine denotes the page of the paper on which
the advertisement will be found.. . •
Spring, 1886-1t. Jamieson. (5)
Montreal House—Duncan & Duncan. (5)
Early Spring Trade—E. McFaul. (8)
Seed Wheat for Saie—S. Smith. (5)
Mack Prince -4. T. McNamara. (5)
For Sale or to Rent—G. Anderson. (5)
Superior Seed Grain,—J. Landsborough. (5)
Collie Dogs for Sale—John Goveniock. (5)
Servant Wanted—Airs. H. Ireland. (8)
Millinery Opening—R. & 3L RalL (8)
Stallion for Sale—A. Carleton. (5)
Grand Millinery Opening—J. Kidd & Son. (8)
Teas Jobbed --Charlesworth & Brownell. (8)
Millinery Opening—J. McLoughlin. (8)
Millinery Opening—E. McFaul. (8)
The People's Bak.ery—W. IL Gilbert. (8)
Seeds, Seeds—Wilson a Young. (8)
Bargains in Teas—Wilson & Young- (8)
"The Wide Awake " for April. (8)
Seed Wheat for Sale—O. C. Willson. (8)
Agents Wanted Scott Bros. (8)
Cover Seed for Sale—O. C. Willson. (8)
1dillinery Opt-fling—Duncan & Duncan. (8) -
Spring Goods—w. Kempthorne sE Co. (8)
iri-xp.0.51.to:t:
_ SEAFORTICFRIDAY,Miich26—, 18'86.
Food from the Bhie Books.
The official records of Parliament, or
what r are commonly caned the Blue
Books,iare calculated to furnish abuhds
stet food for profitable thought to any
who may have patience and persever-
since to study them. Indeed we are
inre that if more of our people possessed
themselves of the facts which these
books reveal . there would be Very
much Jess indifference manifested in
puldic affairs than is now the case. A
few instances of how the money of the
people is expended, taken from the Pub-
lic Accounts of the Dominion and the
Auditor -General's report for the fiscal
year ending 30th June, 1885, may not,
therefore, be nninteresting or lack-
ing in instruction to our readers. nine milliona.
We shall commence at the top A great deal has been said from time
and will first take a glimpse of the cost to time about the travelling expenses and
to the countrylof the Governor-General. cab hire bills of Ministers. We give the
That very important and following table . showing the *amounte
paid for each Minister for these expendi-
tures during the past year, and we
leave our readers to judge for them-
selves :
portions which it his assumed should be
sufficient, one would think, to induce
our rulers to make some attempt at cur-
tailment of the useless and wasteful ex-
.
penditure so prevalent.
One very p puler way of spending
money seems to be in commissions. As
an instance of this, we may notice the
Chinese Commission. This eommis-'-
sion was ,comporied of Hon. Mr.
Chapleau, Secretaty of State, and
t. a friend Of hie, Hon. Mr.- Jug',
tice Grey, with Mr. Nicholas Flood
Davin, as SecretarY. This Commission
visited British Coluikibia fer the purpose,
as stated, of enquiring into the condition
and habits of the Chinese in' that Pro-
vince. This Commission cost the country
$11,166, and we venture to- say the
country was not edvantaged k.y its labors
to the value of half that number of cents.
Mr. Chapleau was paid for his expenses
in connection with this Commission
$2,680, and. Mr. Grey $2,535, while the
redoubtable and ever hungry Nicholas
Flood received $3,099. The printing of
the report of this Commission cost $1,095,
and we doubt inuch if five hundred
people in the Domini6-n haste ever seen it,
mueli less read it.
It may be interesting here to stnte
that the Scott Act had, during the year,
been submitted in.34 counties, and the
cost, which was borne by the Dominion
Government, amounted to $28,242. The
cost of submitting the Aet in this county
was $2,144. If every department of the
publiq service was conducted as econom-
ically as this, has evidently been, the
Fthanee,Minister would not now have to
wrestle with a deficit of five millions,nor
would the interest on the public debt be
useful func-
tionary receives an animal salary of
$48,666. In addition to this, his con-
tingencies bill amounted to $13,185 ;
tra,velling expenses, $5,939 ; cab hire,
$118 ; subscription to newspapers, $806.
Besides' this, the office for the Governor -
General's secretary cost $.11,360 o run
it, and Rideau Hall, the Gov rnor's
residence at Ottawa, cost for repairs,
furniture, &c., $30,959 ; crockery,
$4,000 ; carpets, curtains, &c., $1,045 ;
- linen, $458 ; sundry accounts, $18,502,
and fuel and light, $8,000. It will thus
be seen that the "support of Roy-
alty," as it is caIled, has cost the people
of Canada for the past year no less
a sum than $143,038. The office
may be quite necessary, but it costs
Iota a money. We venture to say,
however, that it will appear reasonble
to ordinary minds that an official who
receives an annual salary of $48,666,
eoen, if he be the representative of
Itoyalty, sheuld be abie to pay his own,
travelling expenses and cab hire ; find
Inia own reading matter ; Ituy his
crockery and linen and provide his
fuel and light.
Another branch of the public expendi-
ture which 'leech dose looking after is
that of iminigration. Fur purposes of
immigration there was ex pended last,
year the enormous sum of $423,86Q. Of
this amount the sum 'of $65,629 was
given to steamship companies in pay-
ment of assisted passages and a very
large additional sum for " meals for erni-
grants." This show's that a very large
proportion of the emigrants which were
brought to the country were of the im-
pecunious class, which have proven a
curse instead of a benefit to the country.
f
it is needless to say, as the people are
now feeling the force of the fact, that,
emigrentil who are not able to pay their I
own passage here and are not able to
purchase their food after they arrite
here, are not wanted in this countr ,
and still during the past year our pater-
nal Geverntnent have paid very large
sums, not only to encourage this demi of
-emigrants, hut actually furnished the
means to bring them here.. Another
very -expensive branch of this service
seems to be the printing of pamphlets.
For this work no Jess a sum than,
,
$66t761 Was_ expended ' last. year.
This was for printing alone, as
large additional sums were pad
for the paper on which these pamphlets
were printen; the compiling ef them
aud for their distributiOn aftei they
were printed. This sum of $68,761 was
I
divided up among the publisher's of the
several leading papers which Support
the Government, as far instanee, the
London Free Press got $10,635 ; the
Toronto Mail $7,113, and so -on all
through the list. A critical examination
ofnhese emigration payments, aashown
in the Public Accounts, cannot fail to
convince any intelligent persoe that the
greater portion of the large sum, thus,
apent goes to support and fee Govern-
ment favorites and barnacles, and that
if these were cut adrift the expehditure
could be reduced two-thirds, and as
much good would be accomplished to
the country.
The cost of legislation far the past
year amounted to $527,274 ; the House
of Commons costing $390,175, and that
worse than useless, appendage to -our
legislative machinery, the Dominion
Senate, costing $137,099. The interest
on the public. debt la,st year amounted
to the large sum of $9,419,482. This
last item, also, is continually increasing,.
and will be considerably more this year
than it was last, and the enormous pro -
own
own
Sir John Macdonald, ...
Sir Alex. Campbell_ ...
-Hon. A. P. Caron .......
Hon. J. A. Chapleatt....
Hon..D. L. McPherson..
Sir L. Tilley '
Hon. John Costigan....
Hon. M. Bowen_ 4 -
Hon. John Carling, ....
Hon. J. FL Pope.
Hon. A. W. McLelan
Hon. H. Langevin......
Total .. .. „
There was paid`for travelling expenses
connected with the above depertments
includingthe amounts above given $8,741
-and for cab hire$3,827. The " cabbies h
of Ottawa have good thing. Thern are
also some very peculiar items of expen-
diture, as for instanceethe sum ot$619
was paid for ice used in the severahde-
phrtments, and washing of the towels
for the year cost $970.
' It is a profitable thing to be a Conser-
vative newspaper publisher with the'
present Government in power. During
the past year the following sums were
distributed among the newspaper pub-
lishers of the Dominion :
Printing pamphlets
Subscriptions to papers ..
Advertising
EXPEXECIS
$ 147
83
569
140
359
100
100
543
..300
$2,341.
CAB IIIR8
694
65
2.14
376
- 31
140
253
2
79
-147
12
173
$2,274
•
868,761
10,125
51,822
Total $130,708
It is. needless to add that very little Of
this amount went to the publishers of
Grit newspapers. The following: is a
samples of the Manner in which it was
distributed: BlytheAclvocate, $25; Clin-
ton NewteRecord, $25 ; Exeter Times,
$112 ; Goderiche Star, $26 ; Gorrie En-
terprise, $7 ; Seaforth Sun, $53 ; Wing -
ham Advance, $19 ; Listowel Standard,
$8 ; Mitchell Advecate, $69 ; St. Marys
Journal, .$70 ; Stratford Herald, $25 ;
Stratford Timee, $1.29, ind so on ell
through the list. In this etennection we
may mention that the officials of the
various departments should be kept tol-
erably well posted on the el urrent neves
of the day if we ere to judge from the
amounts paid by- each for newspapers,
fileh of the. several departments paid in
subscriptions to newspaperii for the past
year the following sums :
C4overnor•Generars Department.
The Privy Council '
Departm ent *of J ustice -
Militia Department
Secretary of State
Department of Interior. -
Mance Departmegt
Inlaad Revenue
Department of Customs
Postoffice Department
DePartment of 'Agriculture
Department of Marine and Fisheries
Department of Public Works ..... ... : .
Department of Railways and Canals.
OUR TORONTO LETTER.,
, I
So far the expiring days of the SeSSi012
are in keeping with those that have
gone before, in .that they are being de-
voted to the transaction ef business, and
not to the manufacture Of political capi-
tal, either on one side of the House or
the other. In fact, the conduct of both
parties this session has been exemplary
in -this regard. There he'ere been few
attempts. to " fire the heather " either
by the Government or the Opposition,
and the session will go on reeord as one
more than usually given -hp to the eon -
i)
sideration of the public welfare. The
peciple's time and the eople's money
have beeh wasted very little for party
purposes ior on party ende, and members
can as a tale, go home itt the conscious-
ness that, they have begneathed to his-
tory a seesion gifted, politically epeak-
ing, with a pretty clean , bill of health.
On Wednesday last the alibied of
1 COLONIZATION OADS
came up n Committee o SupPly. It is
)3
e teiric ,enerally prolifi of discussion,
and man are the eloquent efforts which
have been wasted on the bpposition side
in attempting to show that the money
voted by the Legislature ostensibly for
Colonization Roads rea4 finds its way
in some dark and Mysterious manner to
. the election funds of the Government
candidates,_ It is a faverite Conserva-
tive theory that this branch of Govern-
mental expenditure is reeking with cor-
ruption, and that the picks and shovels
and scrapers used in the ,construction of
these frontier highways could many a
direful tale unfold of bribery and generi-
al wiakedness, could they 'but find A
tongue. It was rather discomfftting te
this geed, old fashioned doctrine to hear
Mr. Wood, of North Hastings, who is a
fair-minded man and at the. same time a
staunch. supporter of Mel Meredith, get
up and state that so far as his conetitu-
ency was concerned, the money voted
for the construction of Colonization
Roads had .been laid out satisfactorily
and in the public interest; and that good
value for the money hid been obtained,.
Notwithstanding the phitests of the
leader of the Opposition And some of his
lieutenants. Mr. Wood's statements
were corroborated by Almost all the
members from the district where Colon-
ization Roads are built, the one ground
of complaint being that the grants for
this purpode are not larger. rile mern-
-ber few North Hastings deepened the
disgust which his uttetenees on this
-question no doubt excited on his own
side of the House by declaring, when
the vote to defray the expenses of pro-
tecting timber limits from fire was being
taken, that the system adopted, by the
Gofernment for this purpose Was a wise,
and judicious one, and met with univert
sal approval in the .sections of the
country interested. The Minister ef
Educationts bill to consolidate the Sep-
arate Schools Act was advanced a stage
on Thursday. It provides a compen-
dium of the law on the alibied of separ-
ate schools, besides making some im-
Provements in the legal machinery for
working them. Mr: Fraser's bill to pro
vide for
COMPENSATION' TO Ni'ORIF MEN
in case of injury was considered ait
length in committee. The'Commissioner
of Public Worke has evidently made a
careful and thorough Study of this ques-
tion, and the tri cos u re wh i ch he has i ri-
trod need will go a, long way towaeds
securing justice in Many cases where as
the law now stands, it is next to impos-
sible to obtain it. Railway employes,
the nature of whose work exposes them
fo many clangers, are not to be allowed
the liberty extended to ether workmen
by the Act, of contracting themselves
out of its provisions so far as injuries
received by reason of overhead bridges,
unpacked frogs, or insufficient runhing
boards Are concerned. In other respeete,
they will have the option, afforded other
Workmen, of taking the benefit of any
scheme of insurance provided by their
employers instead of the conmensation
offered them by the Act. The amount
of damages whieh may be awarded
to any wOrkman under the Act is
limited . to three years' wages, this
having in England, whence the meas-
ure is largely taken, been i found to
be the limit beyond whichncompensa-
tien was not usually granted. It is
noteworthy that while' Mr. Fraser's
Bill has received the stipport and ap-
proval of the Workingmen s orgenizations
in this city, -employers
whose. relations towards t
it will make a decided c
offered any opposition t
four's Bill, which provid
be . sufficient if wage
holders' sens, &c., reside
IN THE ELECTORAL
in which they vote, inste
cipality, as the law no
$806
756
518
763
861
506
942
634
726
916
787
550,
788
582
Total $10,125
These two volumes, the Public Ac-
counts and the Auditor -General's Report,
to' give a good insight into the workings
furnish much more information calculat-
ed of the Government machine at Ottawa,
but We have not space for any more this
week.
" The voters' lists which were printed
at the Times office contained Over 4,000
names. There were five municipalities
in all, and they were printed (800 copies
of each) in 131 days. This we consider'
pretty rapid work, and would like to
know what Country office has beaten
that record!'
So says the Exeter Times. And for
this work our good friend will receive
the sum of five hundred dollars. Had
he been doing the same work for. the
municipal councils he would have con-
sidered himself well paid at $175, and
even at this latter figure he woUld be
better paid for it by fifty per cent , than
he,is for the county printing, which h.
is doing this year.
generally, in
heir employees
ange, have not
i t. Mr. Bal -
s that it shall
earners, land -
DISTRICT
d of the muni -
requires and
which also allows workingmen to absent
themselves from their
days from noon until tw
them an opportunity
adopted by the House
without amendment,' otwithstanding
the fact that numerous Alterations were
ork on polling
o'clock to give
f voting, was
in committee
attempted. The time o
Friday was taken up t
degree in legislating for
year the Legislature is
pass, throw out, or amead, a bulky Bill
of many pages in extenn having for its
object the regulation of Toronto's in-
ternal economy. Sometimes there is
more or less difference of opinion as to
certain points proposed to be legislated
upon, and, this year was no exception.
A whole sitting of the Private Bills
ed in the en-
uestion as to
d Trunk Rail -
allowed to ex-
acifie Railway
in the House
animated dis-
the House on
a considerable
oronto. Every
called upon to
Committee was consu
dea,vor to settle the
whether or not the Gra
way Company should b
dude the Canadian
from the water front, an
on Friday there was a
mission on a proposal to allow the Street
Railway Company to onstruet a. rail-
way round the Island. The motion to
this effect was, however voted down.
1
!emits AND Ill .LIARDS.
Mr. Wood's Minors' Preventive Act,
or the ',‘ Bad Boys' Busted ,Billiard
Bill," as, it mem nicknamed by Mr.
Fraser, came up again for eonsideration.
It met with a great deal of opposition ha
toto, but WAS as strongly, sppported as
it Was opposed. Finally, the House by
a vote of 33 to 27, resolved to affirm tile
minciple of the Bill, and after amending,
it so as to fix the penalty for a keeper
of a . billiard room who admits a boy
without the consent of his parents at,
$10 for the first offence and $20 for the'
second, the . Bill was reported. Mr.
Bishop celled the attention of the House
to the want of politeness exhibited at
i
THE HDRON EXPOSITOFt.
MANOR 26, 1886.
the Provincial University with regard to
the treattrient of visitors, and moved for
papers bearing upon the right of the
Erniversity authorities to exclude per-
sons from certain parts of the building.
Mr. Ross, Minister of Education, ex-
pressed his agreement with the senti-
ments of the member for South Huron,
and the general impression was that Mr.
Bishop had administered a well -merited
rebuke tO some* not over -polite officials
at the Provincial seat of learning.
The approach of prorogation cast no
visible shadow on members last Mon-
day ; on the contrary, a spirit of hilarity
seemed to prevail, and serious business
was attacked with the determination to
get as much fun out of the trAnsaction
of it as possible. Books and. jokes were
flung across the floor of the House with
a recklessnese that told of the relief
with which our Provincial legislators
viewed the prospect of their speedy dis-
missal. Notwithstanding interruptions
of this kind, a good deal of work was
got through, by dint of the more saber -
minded members taking and keeping
matters in hand. A return was laid on
the table on a matter which, under all
the circumstances connected with it,
has shown a great deal of misplaced
vitality. An immense amount of in-
terest has been taken by expectant
claimants, of whom the number is
legion, in what is known as the
" LAWRENCE-TOWNLEY " ESTATE,
alleged to comprise an extensive area .of
very valuable land and an enormous sum
.
of money in England. Notwithstanding
that it has been shown time and again
that no such estate exists, and that the
associations which have _been formed fot
the purpose of pressing the claim of ap-
plicants therefor, are obtaining moneys
for a chimerical, if not a fraudulent,
purpose, , the scheme continues to
..
tipurish, and doubtless will do sc; until a
good many of the claimants are left pen-
niless as well as disappointed. The re-
turn bearing on this matter con-
tained a copy of a letter from the
United States Minister in England
to the Marquis -of Salisbury, exposing
the fraud, which is being carried on in
some parts of the States as well as in
Canada, and making special ref 'rence-to
1
the so-called " Lawrence -Town y " asso-
ciation, which has its headqu rters in
Toronto. It is scarcely to be expected,
however, that even so authoritative An
exposure as this will have the effect of
disenchanting the minds of those who
hope for - a share in the mythical estate,
as of all delusions, the hope of falling
heir to a fortune locked up in Chancery
or some other equally inaccessible place,
is the hardest to kill. Mr. Gibson, of
Hamilton, introduced -a Bill this session
to exempt from taxation all incomes up
to $1000, and after having struggled
through the various stages with some
narrow escapes, it reached that of com-
mittee on Monday. Here, however, it
was gently, but firmly, put out of pain,
and those of us whose earnings do not
foot up to- the four figures, will have to -
continue paying taxes the eAme as be-
fore.
THE SNOW FENCE QUESTION.
The subject of pow fences next en-
gaged the attention of the Legislature.
Dr. McLaughlin, of West Durham, pro-
posed by his Bill to grant municipal
councils the power of allowing persons
to enclose and -occupy six feet of the
public highway on condition of erecting
wire fences, which would have the effect
of lessening the tendency of the toads to
drift up in winter. The Bill was stoutly
opposed by Mr. Meredith, Mr. Waters,
and. others, but the advocacy of Mr.
Fraser, Mr. Awrey, and one or two who
thought with them on the subject, con-
vinced the House that the Bill was, on
the whole, and especially considering the
permissive character of its provisions, a
good one, and it was adopted according-
ly. The game laws may always be relied
on to provoke a good, lively discussion,
and when Mr. Caldwell's Bill to amend
them came up for consideration, it was
at once seen that the , sportsmen of the
House are by no means a happy family.
It was plain that the views of gentlemen
representing western constituencies were
radically different from those of members
hailing from the east, and the euggestion
which has• been made before, that the
Province for game purposes should be
divided into districts, met -with con-
siderable support. Ultimately the Bill
wag adopted in committee, after several
amendments had been made. The Bill
prohibits the exportation of large game,
such as deer, &ea froin the Province,and
regulates the close seasons for the various
kinds of duck, quail, &c. It also pro-
vides that for the next three years no
wild turkey shall be killed, and that the
hours of hunting fowl shall be from one
hout before to one hour after sunset. A
nuniber of Bills were slaughtered on
motion of their premoters, some of whom
doubtless never intended to 'press them
to i third reading.
The question of
NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDI*GS
is now assuming a satisfactory forme
The Commissioner of Public Works
made a formal statement to the House
on Tuesday, in which he expledned the
positicin of matters and gave the reason
for the delay which has taken plaee in
'the prosecution of the work. On a
thorough examination of the plans re-
ceived, Mr. Fraser said, they NIA been
found to be defective in important par-
ticulars, and an eminent architect, Mr.
Waite, of Buffalo, had been selected to
prepare a new set of plans, which are
now partially completed. The cost of
the buildings is not to exceed $750,000,
the sum voted by the Legislature, and it
is expected that the plans will be finish.
ed shortly and that tenders will - be ad-
vertised for about the beginning of May.
It will take, in Mr. Praser's opinion,
three, if not four years to complete the
buildings. Mr. Waite is well-known as
skilled architeet, and the Mail building
and others in this city are standing
proofs of his capability for the_work en-
trusted to . him. Mr. Creighton at-
tempted to get the House to express
disappinval of the Government's action
in not handing over to the municipal-
ities some portion of the increased
statutory fee foe liquor licenses, but
failed of his object by a vote of 47 to 37.
On motion of Mr.iFraser, the provisions
of the'Compensation to Workmen's Bill,
so far asthey relate to companies who
have established insurance societies for
their employees, , were exempted from
corning into operatien for one year. An
a,mendment to the Franchise Act, moved
by Mr. 'Meredith,' to the effect that the
provisiOns of the law as to including the
fair valueof board and lodging in esti-
mating the incomes of' wage-earners in
townships should be extended to cities
and towns was defeated by 46 to 36.
The Game Bill was read a third time,
and some amendments made to ,the As -
sessment Mt. On the third reading of
the latter bill, Mr. Gibson, of Hamilton,'
made a final effort to raise the standard
of incomes exempt from taxation, this
time fixing the amount at $600, but the
House by the decisive vote of 63 to 17
refnsed to agree with the member for
Elainilton. Business was up to this
Point being .despatched rapidly, and the
hope was entertained that a clean sweep
might be made so as to admit of a pro-
rogation on Wednesday, but a de-
cided difference of opinion was develop-
' ed over a motion made by Mr. Ferris
providing that municipalities should no
be counted as property owners where
local improvements were proposed to be
made. This,• it was claimed, would ef-
fect the Toronto Esplanade improve-,
ments, and was vigorously opposed- bY
Mr. Gibson (Huron) Mr.. Meredith and
others, on the ground that it would be a
breach of faith with_the city, committed
at the instance of the Grand Trunk
Railway Compa,ny. Mr. Fraser, Mr.
Hardy, Mr. Pardee, and Mr. A.
M. Ross took the opposite view,
and the amendment was passed on a
division of 37 to 28, but -Mr. Meredith
objected to a third reading of the bill at
that sitting, and as this blocked: any
further proceedings, there was nothing
for the House to do but adjourn.
THE WIND UP.
The business of the Legislature was
closed on Wednesday night. At the
suggestion of Mr. Creighton, the mem-
bers, led by Mr. Gibson of Huron,joined
in singing 'God Save the Queen," at the
conclusion of which the House adjourn-
ed. The prorogation ceremonies took
place on Thursday, and ere this reaches
the readers of THE EXPOSITOR, the Queen
City will be deserted of M. P. P.'s who
will have shaken the Just of its streets
from their feet and returned to their
homes. G.
Toronto, 24th March. 1886.
OUR OTTAWA LETTER.
()Trawls., March 22, 1886.
The Riel question still keeps prece-
dence in the House of Commons and
will, of course, continue in the first
place until a decision upon it is reached. ,
Judging by present appearance, it seems
likely that the vote will be taken and
the matter decided before this is in
type. There are ever se many different
forecasts of the vote, the very number
and variety of which would indicate
that nobody really knows anything
about it. Considering that the- judg-
ment will probably be known soon after
the next issue of THE EXPOSITOR is in
the hands of its readers, it would be a
risky thing to prophesy results. Even
in the face of a sudden checkeliovrever,
I venture to predict that the Govern-
ment's majority on this question will be
about 40. If it turns out to be more
than this it will be in spite of a very
important fact, which should operate
against it most powerfully. This fact
is that the argument; so far, has all
beep on the side of those who oppose
the Government. It is true that that
so far the Government's stronpst
speakers have not come forward. The
new Minister of Justice, Hon. J. S: D.
Thompson, is speaking as I write. As
his maiden effort is regarded as a great
event, I hope to be able to devote a few
lines especially to him. Mr. Chapleau,
the orator par excellence of the Minis-
try, and Hon. Thos. White, the man -of -
all -work, whose facility for ready and
often effective speaking, is well known,
are in reserve, and may be expected to
do -the best for their own side that can
well be done.
TWO MASTERLY SPEECHES. ,
The speeches of the debate, however,
are undoubtedly those of Mr. Laurier
and Mr. Blake, bath in support of the
motion expressing regret that the death
sentence was carried. into effect. The
Euglish-speeking Cana,dians—and as an
Ontario man I trust I may say this
without offencet:thave, I believe, gen-
erally speaking, accepted Riel's execu-
tion as a matter of course. Had the
decision been to extend to him the
clemency of the Crown, that act would
have been accepted as a concession, not
to justice and fair play, but to French
influence. Se it would have been prob-
ably, for few believe that the Govern -
m ent considered anything butitsown safe-
ty in the matter even as it was. But what
is regarded conscientiously in Ontario
as an act which cannot be called in ques-
tion, is in Quebec quite as conscientious-
ly regarded as a concession to race and
religioas feeling. And if the Govern-
ment decided, as everybody believes
purely on partizan grounds and not on ,
grounde of :justice, the act- really was
what the people of Quebec hold it to be.
Even though Riel's life may have been
forfeited to the State on legal and moral
grounds, to take that life for political
reasons could not vindicate law and jus-
tice, but Simply prostituted the most
vital considerations to serve the ends of
party. One reason which. causes the
people of Quebec to demand that the
Government shall be punished for wrong-
fully taking Riel's life was clearly
brought out by M: Laurier in his mag-
nificent speech _of Wednesday evening.
Jackson, RiePs secretary, it will be re-
membered was charged with treason -
felony, and acquitted on the grounds of
insanity. It is hardly credible Mr. ,
Laurier says, and it -can hardly be de-,
nied that there is sminethingin the argu-
ment, that if Riel were sane he would ,
engage As his seoretaty in uch a moe
mentous enterprise as -the
rebellion in which hie
those of all about him
nduct of a
n life and
were placed
in jeopardy, a man n toriously in-
sane. It is urged on the o her side that
Riel knew Jackson was insane, and
therefore he must have been sane him-
self. But those who know anything
about insane people know that not only,
are they certain that other demented'
people are in that state, but no argu-
ment will convince them that persons
about them with well-balanced minds
are not themselves insane. The very
fact that Riel knew his secretary's con-
dition and yet insisted upon making him
his chief officer in carrying out his plans
would seem to show that heowas utterly
unable to take care of himself. It is, of
*curse, retorted that Riel must have
been of sound mind or the half-breeds
would not have trusted him. But they
seem to have trusted Jackson as Riel's
executive officer. History furnishes
parallels of a people being misled by a,
lunatic, aS for instance, in the No
Popery riots which Dickens describes so
graphically in " Barnaby Rudge." The
leader of those, the mobs which held
I
all London in their for days to-
gether, was Lord orge Gordon, as
pronounced a lunatic as ever occupied a
cell in an insane asyll m. It is trim
Jackson was not an Ordinary lunatic.
He was subject to delusions and halluci-
nations. ' But this ie the very difficulty
with Riel accordin to t le testimeny and
according to two o the edical experts
who examined him aft r sentence was
passed upon him. The reat fact in the_
insanity plea was put foeward fairly by
Mr. Blak.e—Riel was admittedly insane
at one time. He was, as is well i..-Tiown,
an inmate of a lunatic asylum for about
a year and a half. He was distharged
cured, as, ever so many lunatics are, and
a relapse to lunacy would be nothing
unusual. Mr. Laurier's speech excelkd
in oratorical effect. There was not an
unfair argument in it, n t the shadow of
$
an attempt to arouse rejudice, while
the classic language, the fine voice, the
graceful gestures and the noble bearing
of the speaker, made his address marvel-
lously effective with the ji)audience. Mr.
Blake's speech, on the ther hand, was
an elaborate and wonderfully complete
argument of the legal and equitable
aspect of the case. Mr. Blake gave an
effect that has never been given ' before
to the contention, that the Government,
having caused the rebellion, had no
right to execute' the leader of that re-
bellion, and, moreover, the Government
having its very life at stake in view of
the prejudices,. to be arpused on either
side, were not an impartial tribunal
and, knowing these facts, they should
have leaned to mercy. The purely legal
argument went to show that the sen-
tence of death was only the maximum
sentence for murder and !treason, just as
there was a maximum sentence for
burglary or for any other crime. But it
would be as absurd to speak of death as
the sentence of the law for murder, as
the longest period of imprisonment as
the sentence of the law for burglary.
The death sentence was passed upon one
lea and perfect honesty; voting against
the Govertirrient frightems the 'Bleus net
a little. " Nobody doubts for a momSnt
that all the Bleus—even the ministers—
are convinced that Riel should never
have been hanged, and they permitted
the execution to take place merely be_
caUse they hoped to lose- less in Quebec
than they would lose in Ontario by
letting him off. Believing as they de
and the people knowing that perfectly'
well, they hardly dare to vote contrary
to their convictions, fearing political an-
nihilation at the next election, particu-
larly as the Liberal leader who thinlin
as they do, and must sacrifice something
in his vote, will not only express his
opinion but put it On record. They ca.
ciliate, however, c(and probably with
good reason) upon Riel behag forgotten,
in which case the election will be fought
out on general questions in Quebec an
elsewhere. There are some, however,
who, representing close constituencies,
w?.11 arrange to be allowed to vote against
the Government on this qnestion without
1(4iing their standing in the party.
I APPLYING THE, GAG.
qUestion shall uaonopolize the attention
;The Governmuetnat iitus:tsdectidheadt.
othf ePtarliiailaillofenRtieul all queetion of the re-
sponsibility of the GQVcrnment for
the rebellion was ruled out, on the
ground that to admit it would virtually
be to try the Government, which only
• Parliament had the right to do. The
ministers declared that they were
ready to face Parliament on this ques-
tion as on any other, to have a full din
cuseiop and a fair vote They put up
one of their supportere, however, to
move a mild and very narrow vote of
censure which excludes, as well as item
be done, all chalice of bringing the gen-
eral responsibility of the Government to
bear upon this issue. Then they move
the previous question," which has the
effect of preventing an amendment, even
to ask for more time or clearer ex-‘
found guilty of murder, whether there plunations. They virtually declare that
was a recommendation to mercy or not even if the half-breeds were provoked
The sentence, howevern could. not be into rebellion that has nothing to do
carried into execution, without the ac- with the pardoning or exezuting of
tion of the executive.- The question of
Rid's delusion and of the GITvernment's
own responsibility were entirely'differ-
ent things at this stage of the case from
whatthey were at the trial before the
jury. They were 'not eonsidered suf-
ficient to shield him froxe the verdict of
4uilty, but they should thave been suf-
ficient to mitigate his sentence, end any
mitigation whatever woeld have saved
him from death. This is only an im-
perfect staternent of the; barest outline
of the argument which the greatest
lawyer in Canada presented. for the con-
sideration of the House and the coun-
try. No. attempt can be maim here to
give ale idea of the wide research, pro-
found learning, perfect logic and master-
ly arrangement of the points with which
it was set forth and enforced. It is
simply unanswerable and the Minister
of Justice who ought to deal with it if
anybody does, seems, so far, to fight shy
of it. Mr. Blake's concluding words
are worthy of his reputetion. He de-
clared that he knew as Well as any of
his opponents could tell, him that his
announcement of an intention . to vote
for the resolution was en inexpedient
step and one calculated to do him harm
in a political sense. " I know," he said,
the atmosphere of prejudice and passion
which surrounds this case ; I know how
difficult it will be for years to come to
penetrate that atmosphere ; I know how
many people of my own race and my
own creed entertain sentiments and
feelinus hostile to the I conclusion to
have been driven ; I know that
many whom I esteem and in whose
judgment I have confidence, after exam-
ination of this case have been unable to
reach my own conclusion,. I bla,me
one,-, each has the right mild duty to ex-
amine and judge for himself. But cries
have been raised on both sides whiph
are potent, most potent! in preventing
the public from corning to a just con-
clusion ; yet we niust not, by any such
cries, be deterred from doing our duty.
I have been threatened more than once
hy honorable gentlemen pposite during
this debate
WITH POLITICAL AN -IHILATION
in consequence of the attitude of the
Liberal party which they mojected on
this question ; and I so far agree nith
them as to admit that the vote I am
about to give is an inexpedient vote, and
that, if politics wer,e a game, I should
be making a false movel I should be
glad to be able to reach a conclusion
different from that which is said ;by the
honorable' gentleman tot be likely to
weaken my influence and imperil my
position. But it can be geld of none of
us, least of all of the humble individual
who now addresses you,
tinned possession of a s
confidence, of the lead of
that his con -
are of i public
a party,} or of
a seat in Parliament, is e sential or even
ublic interest ;
needful is not
but that we
lic confidence,
not that we should keep, but while we
do keep we should honestly use our seats
in Parliament. To act otherwise would
be to grasp at the shadow and to lose
the substance. We may be wrong—we
must be true—we shout be ready to
close, but resolved to eep unstained
our public careers. I am unable honest-
ly to differ from the view that it is
deeply to,be regretted that _this execu-
tion should have been allowed to take
place, and therefore in favor of that
I
view I meet record my vote.
I A DOUBLE EFItECT.
The effect of the speeches of Mr. Blake
and Mr. Laurier has been two -fold. In
the first place it has been to convince
some Liberals who would otherwise have
voted with the Government, that that
attitude is not a proper ohe. It has also
shown tilt' Bleus who intended to vote
with the chavernment that the" tactics"
which brought this question up now and
is forcinglit to a decision,in the absence
of necessary papers, with a view to en-
trapping the Liberals, i4 not going to
work in the way they had'hoped it would.
The Government's behef
that the Ffnglish -speakin
make thet question merel
cal advantages and vo
believed to be the bulk
their conitituencies. Inpteacl of doing
so, however, the Liberals; go calmly
along, ready to face the vote when it
wines, every man to vote as lie thinks
fit. Mr. Blake advised in his London
speech that this shoul 4 net be made a
party question, and he was able to an-
nounce in his speech on Friday that this
advice had been accepted. He himself
spoke only on his own behalf and,
doubtless, there will be many who will
vote against him on this question. But
the fact of a man of Mr. Blake's intel-
highly important to the
while for all of us what i
that we should retain,
should deserve the pu
was, of course,
Liberals would
one of politi-
with what is
of sentiment in
Riel, in other words, no matter' whether
Riel or the Government ie to blame Riel
alone shall suffer. Thie may be very
well for the time, but the people are not
likely to be deceived by this little bit
o: Parliamentary clap -trap. They:will
uederstand that Ries guilt was in re-
leAtine if it was in anything, and that
no amount of Parliamentary obstruction
eve alter the plain proposition, that if
the Governthent was wrong it had no
right to shift all the jg,noinhay upon
Riel and eseepe without a rebuke it-
selL
THE AGONY OVER.
The vote on the Riel question was
ta,ken at 3 o'clock Thursday morning.
On the motion of the Previous Question
the vote was l26 yeas to 73 nays. On
the Rid question the nays numbered
146, and included all straight Govern-
ment supporters, a majority of the
French Conservatives and many Eng-
lish-speaking Liberals, among them
Messrs. Mackenzie and Cartwright.
Nays, expressing -regret that the sen-
tence of death had, been carried out
were 54, including Messrs. Blake and
M. C. Cameron,' all French Liberabi and
some French Conservatives. Mr. Lan-
dry's motion, therefore, was lost by a
majority of 92. , A. B. Ja
News of the Week.
DIED. --Leopold Zunz, the distinguish-
ed J ewish sCholar o , Germany, is dead,
COUNTERFEIT M ONEY. COMIterfeit
coin to the amount ot 8539,0ob has been
put in circulation in Egypt.
KNIGHTS OF Limon. —There are over
3,000 Knights of Libor in. the city of
Reading, Pennsylvaeia.
DISTRESS AMONG POOR. —Famine and
fever are reported among the fishermen
of the islands off the west coast of Ire-
•
VAL ESTIM ATES,--The British naval
estimates, passed in the House of Com-
mons Friday, are the largest sinee the
Crimean war.
VISITOR, FROM BRAZIL.:—The Emper-
or of Brazil has sent his son, Augusto
Leopoldo, to visit the New Orleans Ex-
pOsition.
,THE EIGHT-HOUR MOVEMENT. —The
mityor of Milwaukee has signed the
eigh t- hour ordinance, making eight
heurs a full day for tall employes of the
city.
' THE GRAND OLD MAN.—Mr. Gbad-
sume occupied his usuel place in the
House of Commons •Monday afternoon.
He appeared to be in excellent health
and spirits.
A Mna.uns', UNION, —Over 2,0® _
millers and millwrights of_ New York
city, held a meeting lately and discus-
sed the advisability of organizing a
Millers' Union.
FAILED.—The Lenbanv Elevator Com-
pany; of Duluth, Minnesota, has failed.
It had a capital of $1,35,000. There are
over 4.000 buehels of wheat out on ac-
count of the firm. ,
MANLY Acances—A large furniture
manufacturer of Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
vania., without being asked has increas-
ed the wages of his employees 15 per
cent.
HARD WROUGHT BUTCHERS.—The
butchers of New York are compelled to
work 18 hours a day, and are about
being organized with the object of ob-
taining shorter hours.
. DARING E,ASCALITY.--A daring at-
tempt has been made by brigands in
Sicily to capture the great-grandson of
Admiral Nelson, with the view of hold-
ing him for ransom.
HORSE ON WHEins.—A "novelty at
the Princess rink, Detroit, is a horse on
wheels skating with ease. She also
does a number of tricks efter the usual
fashion of educated horses. ,
SAM JONES IN CHICAGO. —Sarn JoneST
the American Evangelist, has been
laboring in Chicago Mr a couple Of
weeks past with &pod success. Last
Saturday night he gave a discourse for
girls only. There were 4,500 present.
A SCATTERING OF: GERMANS.—Dnring
the year 1885 the number of Germans
who emigrated to the United States was
84,680 ; to Canada, 692 ; to Brazil,
1,000 ; to the Argentine 11.epublk, 726;
te Chili, 682 ; to Africa, 294.
ARRESTED FOR Eli.BEZZLEMENT. —Miss
Daisy Carroll, one of the best known
ladies of Rhea Comity. Tennessee, has
been arrested for complicity in the em-
bezzlement of about $100,000 from the
Champion works, of Springfield, Ohio,
by the confidential book-keeper, Frank
Jones. ; '
THE QUEEN COMING 01:T.—Boxes
have been engaged for the Queen to'
witness " Faust " and the performances
of Mrs. Langtry and Minnie Palmer at
the Lyceum, and " On 'Change" at the
MAD,:ja 26, 1886
14'7„„s'afrin,nece13:::Iff4:1181:1:10°11:7.seeabd:ilSrinriyahdeesteItoitadeaiskelllyet,Y:csn'uht143:91:e07:11ndlisua.o4hrfayh
hh eAev e, ebe erel s Tee e°sEenir n:Invuileequaoutsrferc' t w 't hi se r os nt st e d wt 3 I mtau
::13arertigy'giteg-oiwt:EArat:oe:eldilwp.111,f:dyle:Orr:dtsAillhoaiAfell 118e1He nic8ler 7eiTiE1 aut271 t°sht a, :it eB( 1711tO:vpMeaBaM aelhde pese8r1 9Ale s:Ybri taeir
s n themselves in dr; ebe cue tes 1h1vseesa isds ?poi eyoi s
fo.reas friornliSpcoinutaa teruhmarboabnreahb.efifyz:ao;hcaerr
ered.
complete the bridal arrangements, _b
trousseau is bei jetalhraisebso 1-3a7;;aritybhueetmfbworrooti
numerous deatihisEmint._CTalhArieetaiti:dnelsfo
ban -proinised to visit the Zoo to see
isitspiont Alice before the latter's a
4fic 0 oci ahyl t: es rToeflhe seL•laabnodii siziatotvioen.b pei siihreciabg ra:e d 6
w cres c f tle,abuts Cthreorwe °I; nag ceo°-uariplinlelr'aiettn
Tiovni efdo rye ell-1,lb aumt 9.tnbge thper ot sr kaerres oir
offurtnhisehl3rsr refuge where inembe
all°01)ficatechilotote pOrclreirtows:Eoc aTsr.e_.faoredeesdpoauuthoffro
ployment in cities can. be suppor
without expense to the Order.
Bochester, New York, says : Speci
reports from over 5,000 crop correspoi
kdellastsn ostt ahtaedt a:et' b ga cekn e, raanl dwtihn et ecrr owphlell
tct joenammoernecfeo.dr wt oargar otwb a. n iTsh85e.sesaso
spring wheat is _sown in Nebraska
Dakota, Plowing has zommenced
Southeastern Kansas and Southern Il
nois. With early indications for spri
work and putting in crops„
erl)SPT "51',..inkTdnifeated's bAY.- ACROSS ast
LANTIC.—.Nutnerous meetings in honorl
St Patrick's Day were held through°
Great Britain and Ireland. - The gathi
hags were mostly quiet. Mr. O'Conn
speaking at Liverpool, said the positi
of the English parties were sueh
excite surprise and disgust, The Pi'
nellites had been abundantly jastified
hoping that the Conservatives would
willing to grant HiSme Rule. Lord Re
dolph Churchill's speech at Belfast ti
evidence that the integrity of the E
pire was more endangered by lack
'tegrity and honor among the Conser
tive statesmen than by the imagins
designs of the Irish. O'Connor expr
ed confidence in Mr. Gladstone, and sl
he hoped Mr. Chamberlain -would
resign from the Ministry. -Mr. O'Br
presided over a meeting in. Break)
He made a speech, in which be said te
Ireland's prospects were never- brigh
than now. At Londonderry the 3
tionalists, with bands of music, para4
within the city walls. In a row a 111
ber of stones were thrown and.an
tor and a constable were injured.
Huron Notes.
Mr. J. Cornish, of Usborne, recer
refused $550 for his span of mires
—The Wingham spring show will
held in that town on Wednesday, A
. 14—tILThe Preliminary Voter's List Ce
for East Huron will be held at Vir1
ham on April fith.
—Mr. Peter Munn, of Usborne, ,
purchased Mr: Wm. Lammie's farm
the township of Hay for $6,800.
—It is rumored. that Mr. Hunter,
car -coupler fame, has fallen heir t
large estate in England. We .hopi
may be true. ,
—Mr. -John Willis, of Hay, rem
stlinpo.t an eagle in that township wl
measured six feet five inches from tii
—Mr. Adam Whiteford, of the I
don Road, Hay, has rented his farm
a term of years to his son-in-law,
Thomas Hawkins,
—The Rev. R. Leask, St. Helens;
• been asked to become the pastor or
First Presbyterian church, Aber4
the capital of Northern Dakota.
—Mr, Thos. McKee, of Gorrie,i
disposed of his thoroughbred stall
known as " Brigham Young,"
Jacob Gathers, of Manitoba, for the 1
of $600.
—One day last week Mr. W. DO
with one team of horses and a. sh
drew from the swamp, three miles in
of Gorrie, to the saw inill in that vil
1,900 feet of green saw logs,
. - —Mr. Geo. Green, of the Bayfieldi
Goderich townehip, has sold his ei,
stallion, Don Vegas, to Mr. C., RIO
opisfrilJeevsb7r.ne, for.the sum of $1,200.
eprayidgef oord hi:7e an, well worthl
,
--Mr. Win. Searle, an old anal
n spected resident of the townshq
hyleoarrrsi.s , died laet week at the age oi
member of the Methodist churchl
years and -5 months, He hadthe
—Adam McAllister, of TUroba,
met - with a rather shigular accid.el
few days ago,. While in the act of lal
bsegri. hpusiswotuenam(L out o.f the Central li
nees, tearing,the flesh and inflictil
shed, Wingham, his thumb got cai
in one of theeinaps belonging to thei
33,'Concession 9, Hullett, containin
aeres, to Mr. W. V. Vodden, for thei
sold his farm, being the east half 6
—way:rn.:.. E. Anderson, teaeher.1
. t°hte hfroi selnieSt a, ffi2fig:e‘, ow;1 booetut het akerIce9fr4,q: visu. em:i nor t oen. ' sei ai a3ec, sluaels 1 ailt oconrhn. ni e an;g1P{ ic, suKr°, P. ::
21
. 1
Anderson has bought 50 acres in
—The following parties started!
Dakota on the 16th from Tuckersiii
Messrs. John„. Peter and Albert Ste
Samuel. Landeborough and sister
gust Wankel arkl -wife, (formerly
Townsen.d.) Inkerman Davis and
(Tie:Zest INaini sds hi" ji sa 1 li ndostba:,. ligh' 3 li
m27eyiktiallrops. township, The price pait
Is5e38,800i001; abTohiert pAtirperhaasler,rtwil4rt.akji;
. _ wt ahl .1. daei ;srepelelev:eef gdrda;:oie at gi ii ii eneot fiemai liirlteit1;ihvnjej g: iseNNt%:is000y1;e0 f sofaooinfr .
—While two young men last
.
happily for him the tree hap
to strike another and came down
upon him, and h'e Succeeded in
from under it with nothing wrong
that he was dreadfully frightened.
Iithl—ueellirvhaol;Zej.walaTtaallii'l:t:Ilieynrsy 111 a43e ff st . :i pi trul a'r eet,,