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 Hous^ of Commons Btb^tes 
 
 FOURTH SESSION-SIXTH PARLIAMENT. 
 
 SPEECH OF HON. EDWARD BLAKE, M.P., 
 
 //I 
 
 ON THE 
 
 FRESCH IMM IN THE IRTE-WEST. 
 
 FRIDAY, 14th FBBEUARY, 1890. 
 
 Mr. BLAKE. Mr. Speaker, I do not inteml to 
 trouble you with very many observations in regard 
 to the speech we have just listened to, or, indeed, 
 to address you at any great length at all. I may 
 say at once, that if any one of the propositions now 
 before the Chair had been thoroughly and entire- 
 ly satisfactory to my mind, as to the mode in 
 which this question should be dealt with, I should 
 have contented myself with giving a silent vote. 
 It does not happen that either of those propositions 
 commends itaeli entirely to my mind, and I shall 
 briefly state why that is so, and how, in my poor 
 judgment, this matter should be disposed of. 
 Referring to what the hon. member for North 
 Norfolk (Mr. Charlton) has said, his distinguished 
 
 Eosition for a great many years in this Parliament 
 as led — I do not say at all unjustifiably — to 
 his not infrequently, when announcing his own 
 views on public questions, -speaking in tlie plural. 
 Not infrequently has he followed in the past the 
 course which he pursued to-day, of speaking both 
 positively ami affirmatively, and positively and 
 negatively, in recard to the views and assertions, 
 and policies and aspirations of others with whom 
 he was for the time acting ; but I am wholly unable 
 to accept the declaration which the hon. memljer 
 has made to-day in the plural at all. I accept it 
 as far as he is himself concerned. As far as he 
 himself professes that these are his views, his 
 intentions, his opinions and his aspirations, I 
 accept his statement fully and unt'eignedly. But, 
 when the hon. gentleman spoke of " we," of what 
 "we" were intending, what "we" were propos- 
 ing, what "we" were aiming at, and what "we" 
 were not aiming at, and what " we " were not in- 
 tending ; when he spoke of what the English speak ■ 
 ing people of this c^intiy intended and insisted 
 upon, and so forth, then I say the hon. gentleman 
 took up a position which, in face of what has been 
 going on in this country for some months past, in 
 face of the declarations of the hon. member who is 
 primarily responsible for this agitation— the hon. 
 
 member for North Simcoe (Mr. McCarthy) — in face 
 of the language of this Bill itself, in face of all these 
 things with which we have to deal, I cannot 
 accept. If I could accept it, the question would 
 receive an easy and rapid solution from me. I do 
 not intend to enter into a criticism of the criticisma 
 of the hon. gentleman from North Norfolk (Mr. 
 Charlton). One or two words will suffice for that. 
 The hon. gentleman said, but I hope and think he 
 must have misread his history, that the decrees of 
 ancient Rome, were published in all those portions 
 of the world over which she had authority, only in 
 the tongue of Rome herself. I think history shows 
 us that nothing so inhuman and barbarous as that 
 was done, even in what may be called inhuman and 
 barbarous times. Turning to a more modern ex- 
 ample, which he justifiably quotes, an example 
 which is to be regarded by us with the highest 
 attention, interestand respect, he refers to the neigh- 
 boring Republic, to what has been aimed at and ac- 
 complished in that great community, in whose well- 
 being the whole modem world has so deep an inter- 
 est, of whose constitution the right hon. gentleman 
 opposite has not seldom spoken in terms of deserved 
 admiration as to the great work which was achieved 
 by the men who framed that constitution. Speak- 
 ing of that example, the hon. member for North 
 Norfolk was unfortunate enough to quote, as an 
 iiutance of a state where the French language had 
 been stamped out and the great principle which he 
 proclaimed, had been realised in the very initiation 
 of its connection with the nation of which it forms 
 a part, the State of Louisiana. Why, Sir, is not 
 the hon. gentleman aware that, by the original 
 constitution of the State of Louisiana, the French 
 as well as the English language was permitted to 
 be used in the debates of that State, and that that 
 continued until the State of Louisiana by a subse- 
 quent determination of its own, under circum- 
 stances when the que&tion had ceased to be a griev- 
 ance, determined — as I believe, thoueh I have no 
 information upon this point — that it ahould be 
 
2 
 
 l)lottu<l out. The fact, however, i8 thiH, as stated 
 in a Iniok of autlioiity, the " Cyelopa'dia of I'oli- 
 tieal .Science :" 
 
 " Tho diversity of interests of the French mid A.m- 
 ericiin citizens, however, formed the more usiiul dividing 
 lino of politics in the State. The former wore at leH.«t a 
 strong minoritv, and II ."ingular evidenc<' of its strongtli 
 was a provision in the Constitution which allowed metn- 
 bers or the Legislature to debate either in French or in 
 Engligb." 
 
 Mr. CHARLTON. Does tlic hon. gentleman 
 mean to say that the statutes were printed in 
 French ? 
 
 Mr. BLAKE. I was not discussing wlietlier 
 the use of the French hingiuige was complete in all 
 the technical details. Wliat in the world has the 
 publication of the statutes or the proceedings in the 
 French language to do with the matter ? u'hat is 
 involved in that except a paltry .f,")(M) a year for 
 the printing of certain things in the two languages ? 
 What is the harm if the people who have to obey 
 the laws are enabled to read them printed in the 
 language which they understand ? 'J'liat is a 
 small question ; the great (juestion is included in 
 the power of freely debating in the Legislature in 
 the tongues of the peoples of whom the State is 
 composed. All I care to know in regard to that 
 ia that the constitution gave the people of French 
 origin the right to speak in their mother tongue 
 in their own State Legislature. The lion, gentle- 
 man has said that this question is a very narrow 
 one, and, as he puts it, it is a comparatively 
 narrow one. He has spoken of the impropriety of 
 what he calls dodging responsibility. He has told 
 us of the want of manliness that would be involved 
 in our placing upon other shoulders the responsi- 
 bility which we ought to take ourselves, and I con- 
 fess that I' have considerable sympathy with that 
 view. As far as our present information goes, the 
 general principle upon which this question should 
 be dealt witii, and I atn quite prepared now to state 
 the time when I think it should be dealt with ; but I 
 thought a large part of the hon. gentleman's speech 
 was but a poor commentary on the declaration as to 
 dodging responsibility which he made and to which 
 I have just referred, when he iterated and reiterated 
 the statement that " we " have no intention of inter- 
 fering with vested rights, that " we " have no inten- 
 tion of interfering with the rights of any minority 
 which are secured under the British North America 
 Act, that " we " have no desire to touch any privilege 
 properly reserved, that "we" do not intend to 
 touch it, and that "we " are not touching it now. It 
 appeared to me that these statements were evasive 
 01 responsibility, were not merely inconsistent 
 with the Bill which the hou. gentleman is sup- 
 porting — including the preamble — but were 
 fatally inconsistent with the attitude of the hon. 
 memljer for North Simcoe (Mr. McCarthy), and 
 with the general character of the agitation of which 
 this Bill is merely the first fruits. A little later, 
 the hon. gentleman declared that " we," the Anglo- 
 Saxons of this continent — once again taking the 
 plural pronoun, which the hon. gentleman used first 
 when speaking of those with whom he was acting, 
 then when speaking of the English-speaking people 
 of this country, and finally when speaking of the 
 Anglo-Saxon race from the Pole to the Isthmus 
 — he declared their stem determination, by what 
 means might be open to them, to make this country 
 from the North Pole to the Isthmus an Anglo-Saxon 
 
 conninniity, and to create a honu)gcneity of race. 
 Well, it is only a question of means ami methods, 
 times and circumstances, <>p])()rtunities and oc- 
 casions, l)y wliicii this result is to be achieved ; 
 and the lion, guiitleiiiiin will find, as I shall pro- 
 ceed to iioint out iirescntly, that his leader does 
 not jiropose to relegate the consideration of this 
 (juestion to other generations, to those natural and 
 gradual and insensible ojiuraticms wliich furnish 
 the only possible solution of such great (juestiona 
 as he has imported into the debate ; but that 
 it is other and more rapid, <lirect and stringent 
 — I will say more violent methods, tliat are 
 really j)i'o])o8ed to us in this regard. Now, Sir, as 
 I have said, there are underlying (juestions here, 
 much broader (juestions than the simple questions 
 dealt witli by the enacting clause. And these under- 
 lying (juestions are historically old, no doubt, 
 but they are old with reference to our own (lolicy 
 too ; they were raised before tho last general 
 election, they were raised by the lion, memoer for 
 North Simcoe himself in large part, they were 
 raised by a newspaper which was, at that time, 
 the most powerful supporter in the Province of 
 Ontario of lion, gentlemen opposite, and they have 
 since been p ;rsisted in, ami have since been en- 
 larged. This group of (juestions are fundamental 
 (juestions. They embrace topics of creed as 
 well as of race, and the Jesuit affair to which the 
 lion, member referred, was not the cause, was not 
 the origin. It was obviously, it has since been 
 confessed to have been, a mere incident, a mere 
 occasion, taken advantage of as a fit and opportune 
 occasion to bring up one phase, and in various 
 aspects, moie than one phase, of this group ; a good 
 occasion to bring all up in a manner which would 
 attract the favorable consideration of those to whom 
 they who brought them up sought to address them- 
 selves. Now, Sir, I intend to refrain, as far as 
 possible, from discussing this question in any party 
 aspect whatever. It needs to be discussed in its 
 party aspect, it must receive such a discussion at 
 some time, but I do not think this time is the fitting 
 time. I say I hope as far as possible to avoid any 
 question of party in tlie course of this discussion. 
 I am as anxious as the hon. gentleman is anxious, 
 to say notliing, so far as truth will allow, except 
 conciliatory words, and to deal with this matter in a 
 manner becoming a public man ; in such a, way that, 
 if my feeble words have any effect at all, they may 
 tend to prevent the calamitous results of which 
 the hon. gentleman this afternoon was complaining, 
 though he, and those who act with him, from the 
 best motives, I have no doubt, havebeen the prime 
 cause of the realisation of these results to the 
 extent to which they ha\'e been up to this time 
 realized. I say. Sir, that if you could deal simply 
 with the enacting clause in this Bill it would be 
 a matter of minor consequence ; if you could dis- 
 sociate that clause from its preamble, from its 
 surroundings, from its past and from its future. 
 But you cannot dissociate it, either from its pre 
 amble or from its surroundings or from its past, 
 and still less from its future. These difficulties are 
 in part indicated by the preamble which, as you 
 must expound it upon any fair principle of exposi- 
 tion, I maintain declares for action and principles 
 of action which all good Canadians must disavow 
 instead of assenting to. It is a far-reaching princi- 
 ple. It goes — and the hon. member for North 
 Simcoe, whose legislative and professional ability 
 
I 
 
 I 
 
 ■ 
 
 ■i 
 I 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 wo know — intended tlmt it should go, wrote it in 
 order thiit it should go, far beyond the intent 
 of tlie enacting cliuisu ; and those who agree to 
 tiiat preainl)le, who give to it to-day tiieir voiee.s 
 and tlieir votes, nnist set tlieir minds and tiieii 
 ]>olitical forces to tlie acconijdislnnent of tlie ends 
 wlucli we find tliere unihedded. l)oul)tless our 
 constitutional act may lie aniemled, doul)tless tlie 
 well-understood wishes of the Canadian peojde can 
 aceonii)lis)i the amcndn.ent of tiic constitution. 
 The macldnery nuiy lie cumhrous, and it may l)e 
 that occasionally, as has happened in the jjast, upon 
 in;id' 'ua*'; representations, ciuinges of mo great 
 co!i cijuence, but clianges still, may be made ; and 
 it may be again tluvt very strong representations 
 may, for a time at least, be inett'ectual in producing 
 amendment. But in relation to any ijuestion the 
 well understood wiaiies of the C'anadian ])eoi)le, in 
 time and place, after due c(m.sideration, tiiorougidy 
 asccitaincd and forcibly presented nuist produce 
 an amendment of tiie constitution ; and into the 
 agitations which are necessary in order to execute | 
 til' ■. preandde, as in<licated by tiie li(m. gentleman's j 
 <iv. n speech, we should be, it is intended that we 
 sliould be, ])lunged if we agree to it. Now, what I 
 does it say 't I'he hon. member for North Norfolk I 
 (Mr. Charlton), thought that it was a very inno- I 
 cent thing. There was not much in it. He laid a ! 
 gi'eat deal of sti'ess upon the preamble of some 
 other Bill which was passed in some other Legis- 
 lature, and he thouglit tluvt ])reamble was good 
 cause for ilisallowauce here. 15ut now he says that 
 the preamble of this Bill, which is given as the 
 basis of our decisi(m, the cause itself upon which 
 we arc called upon to vote, is of very little conse- 
 (juence. It is true, it is the reason for tiie enact- 
 ment, it is the moving cause which is given to us, 
 but it is not of much consequence, and is not of 
 much harm. 
 
 Mr. CHARLTON. I beg the hon. -Gentleman's 
 pardon. I cited the words of the Minister of 
 .lustice, not my own words. 
 
 Mr. BLAKE. Oh, well, 1 know. I do not care 
 much for that mere throwing of verbal bondishells 
 from one side to the another. We have got to do 
 with the reason of the Bill. The hon. gentleman 
 cited words which I thought he adopted. He agrees 
 with me now that the preamble is of consecjuence, 
 and that by it we understand what the Bill means. 
 He says that he is ])repared to agree with the pre- 
 amble, and to vote for it. The preamble says : 
 
 " Whereas it is expedient, in the interest of the national 
 comity in the Dominion, that there should be community 
 of language iimonfc the people of Canada, and that the 
 enactment in the North- West Territories Act allowing the 
 use of the French language should be " 
 
 Repealed? Oh, no. 
 
 " should be expunged therefrom : Therefore," 
 
 And it proceeds to enact. Here, then, is the mean- 
 ing in this preamble, of that connuiuiity of lang- 
 uage, which it is expedient should prevail among 
 the whole people of Canada. The second para- 
 graph of the preamble tells us that the coimnunity 
 of language which is declared to be expedient 
 amongst the whole people of Canada, is that com- 
 munity and harmony which prevails, according to 
 the well known fable, between the lion and the 
 lamb ; the English is to swallow up the French 
 and the Ercuch is to die, that the English may live 
 
 and fhmrish upon it. That is the comnninity which 
 is to exist, the connnunity of language which is 
 expedient ; the enactment allowing the nseof French 
 is to be expunged ; therefore, it is the English 
 language alone tluit is to be used. Now, Sir, when 
 I read this jireamble I confess myself to have been 
 a little i)U/.zled by the word "comity," whose 
 use 
 
 Mr. McCarthy. I think it is a mistake. I 
 think in truth the word was " unity." 
 
 Mr. 1?LAKE. Well, I am very ghid to hear it, 
 because I was about to say tliat I did not ])erceivo 
 that the word " conuty " had any reasoiuible 
 applicati<m to this matter at all. We kiU)W what 
 tlie meaning of tliat word is, and if ever an im- 
 ju'oper word c<mhl be chosen for the hon. gentlo- 
 man's Bill, it certainly was the word "comity." 
 But he now tells us, as I presumed, that what he in- 
 tended by the phrase, was unity, and, therefore, 
 it is in the interests of the national unity of 
 the Dominion, that this result is to take place. 
 Now, Mr. Speaker, in order to the advancement of 
 our national unity, we must agree, if we adopt 
 this preamble, that it is expedient, that we should 
 take all possible steps wliitm are open to us to pro- 
 cure by legal and constitutional means the disallow- 
 ance of the use of the French language where now 
 it is allowed. That is clear, that is plain, that is 
 obvious, that is logical. ^Vas ever such a lame 
 and impotent conclu:;?"^ deduced from such impor- 
 tant premises, if this (juestion is to cease with 
 this little enacting clause with reference to the 
 North- West Territories ? If that which it is expe- 
 dient for the unity of the Canadian Dominion to 
 abrogate is to be suffered to go on in this chamber, 
 is to be suffered to go on in ('anadr.,, is to be suffered 
 to go on in the important Province of Quebec, while 
 our national unity is to be preserved, forsooth, 
 by dealing with a few thou.sands who now inhalnt 
 the North-West Territories ? No. These gentle- 
 men represent a very grave condition of atl'airs. 
 That is not their intention. We all know it is 
 not the intention ; it has been admitted not to be 
 the intention at all ; we cannot stop here ; that 
 would indeed be much ci'y and little wool. Nor 
 does the hon. gentleman so pretend. In the speech 
 with which he moved the first reading of this Bill 
 he entered into a number of considerations which 
 would have been but remotely relevant to the 
 simple clause of the ]}ill itself. True he pointed out 
 plainly enough, what was perfeclty obvious, that he 
 u.vs not at the moment proposing to do more than 
 deal with the North-West Territories question. 
 But, so fai' from making that further announcement, 
 which he coulil not have honestly made, but which 
 was made by the hon. member lor North Norfolk 
 (Mr. Charlton) to-day, he said simply this. After 
 speaking of the past and the present, he said : 
 
 " I have endeavored at all events to make good my 
 statements, that both from within and from witiiout the 
 general opinion prevails that this question has oome to 
 the point where it is likely to cause further differences, 
 as it has already caused differences in the Dominion, " 
 
 Then the hon. gentleman said : 
 
 " Come back now. Sir, to the North-West Territories. I 
 am not attempting hero, and hon. gentlemen know that at 
 all event.4 in tnis form of motion, I could not attem[)t in 
 any way to interfere w'th any rights under the British 
 North America Act which are guaranteed to the French 
 Canadians of the Province of Quebec and to the French 
 Canaaians in this Parliament. I am treating, Sir, of 
 what this Parliament is competent to deal with. I am 
 
trciitinx ol'lhc nocstiun of tlia duallanKUiiRoot'tlioNorth- 
 WoHt 'f erritoriuH." 
 
 It iH II perfectly uorrcut Htutemunt that this is till the 
 legighition prnpoHeil )iy thischiiisu ; hut the pn)])()Hi- 
 tioii to which we iii-e iiHked to iissteiit, as tlie ground 
 work of tlie legiHhitioii proposed, obliges us to pi'o- 
 ceed by all lawful ways and means tosecuie, in the 
 interests of the national unity of the Dominion, the 
 application of that principle in those otliur places 
 where certainly the contrary princii)le now prevails, 
 is potent and eli'ectual for good or for evil acconling 
 to the diversities of opinions on this 8u))ject, potent 
 and efruetunl to an infinitely greater extent than 
 its a]>plication can be either now or for ")() years to 
 eonie in the North- V\^ est Territoi'ies of Canada. 
 Mut I say we are not confined to the lion, gentle- 
 man's preamble nor to his speech hei'e. We find in 
 a recent speech delivered in this city to what is 
 called the K(|ual Rights Association statements 
 which deal with this (|uestion, and which deal 
 with it in a niannei showing that he at all events 
 does not shrink from the application of the motto 
 which the lion. mend)er for liothwell (Mr. Mills), 
 cited last night, the motto " Thorough." The hon. 
 member for North Norfolk (Mr. (Jharlion), said we 
 are not talking of interfering oi' proposing to inter- 
 fere with the use of the French language, with read- 
 ing, writing or speaking it. Nothing of that 
 kind, he said, is talked or thought of ; it is simply 
 this question of using it in the North-West Legis- 
 lature, and, as the hon. gentleman repeated, tliis 
 dreadful grievance of the statutes and ordinances 
 being printed in the French language. Hut that 
 is not the view of the hon. member for Sinicoe. 
 I find these statements in a speech delivered by him 
 as late as l'2th December last, within a few yards 
 of this building. He said that Lord Durham had 
 held first, and above all things, that the French 
 language must be stamped out. And the hon. 
 gentleman gave his own personal opinion that 
 without a shadow of doubt Lord Durham was right. 
 It is not, therefore, a (jnestion of an occasional 
 French speech in Parlianjent which bores the hon. 
 member for North Simcoe (Mr. McCarthy) and the 
 hon. member for North Norfolk (Mr. Charlton), or 
 of their being troubled by the fact that copies of 
 the Debates and of the statutes are printed in 
 French, in a tongue with which they are not as 
 familiar as with their mother tongue ; but the 
 language must be stamped out, says the hon. 
 member for North Simcoe. The hon. geiitlemun 
 proceeded : 
 
 " Is there a ebadow of doubt that between these two 
 races, of all races in the world, if they are ever to be 
 united, it must be by obliteration of one of these lan- 
 guages and by the teaching in one of these tongues." 
 
 I should judge, I hope I am not mistaken, that the 
 hon. member for North Norfolk (Mr. Charlton), 
 does not mean that the English language should 
 be obliterated ; if so, it must be the French language. 
 Then, the hon. member for North Simcoe drew 
 upon his experience as a parliamentarian, and de- 
 clared he had observed that more French was now 
 spoken in the House than formerly, an observa- 
 tion, I must confess, entirely at variance with my 
 experience, which is somewhat longer in this 
 House than that of the hon. gentleman. I quite 
 admit that the course which the hon. gentleman 
 and others have pursued, will very naturally lead 
 to a larger quantity of French speaking in this 
 House than has prevailed hitherto, but I do say 
 
 there is nothing more nuirked, than the change 
 which has taken jilacc since I first entered Parlia- 
 ment, with respect to this (|Uustii>n of French 
 speaking. Then, tlie hon. member for North Simcoe 
 proceeded to point out that our constitution is 
 amendable in regard to the use of the Ki'ench 
 language in (Quebec ami in (^anatla, and he gave the 
 precedents wliich showed tlie truth of that state- 
 ment, that the constituticm is amendable. And 
 what did he go on to say ! He went on to say that 
 the j)i'eccdents in that sense are very useful and 
 may be acted on in the year IS!)0 or '!)1 in this con- 
 nection. What ! Are we going to relegate this 
 matter to some distant age to be disposed of finally 
 by the action of the French (-anadians ; when the 
 leader (Mr. McCarthy) tells us that in 18iK) or '91 
 the precedentf which prove the possibility of alter- 
 ing the British North Ameiica Act, so as to ob- 
 literate the use of the French language are useful 
 and may become available forthwith V Then the 
 hon. gentleman stated that we ought not to remain 
 in this position forever, and there shoidd be sutii- 
 cient patriotism in the Dominion to produce the 
 change foreshadowed. Nor was his speech confined 
 to the (juestion of language, it touche(l creed as well ; 
 for I Hnd him asking the people whom he was 
 addressing, anil through them the people of the 
 whole Dominion, to give him power to eliminate 
 those parts of the constitutiim which were inimical 
 to the public weal ; and he followed that state- 
 ment by the question — indicating the parts of the 
 constitution which he regarded as inimical to 
 the public weal, and which he proposed that the 
 people J)f the country should give him power to 
 eliminate — 
 
 " Are we to have Separate Schools in Upper Canada, 
 tithe iissussmonts in Lowor Canada, dual lang;nuge in the 
 Dominion Parliament, and dual lunguugos in Quebec, the 
 North-West and Manitoba? " 
 
 And he again called for power to obliterate what he 
 called those obnoxious clauses. I, therefore, ex- 
 pected that the hon. mend)cr for Simcoe (Mr. 
 McCarthy) would not adopt the line which the 
 hon. member for North Norfolk (Mr. Charlton) 
 has adopted. I expected that, while he would 
 perhaps leave rather in the background those 
 other questions, he would say nothing which was 
 inconsistent with his preceding utterances, nothing 
 which would be likely to limit the ett'ect of the 
 preamble to which he asked the assent of the House ; 
 nothing which would interfere with or check the 
 triunipliant march of his friends in pursuit of the 
 great pui-pose which had been before developed, and 
 which was further and fully developetl in advance 
 of the meeting of Parliament by the speech to 
 which I have referred. This Hill, then, is only 
 the opening of the campaign ; aiul it lays down in 
 itself, so far as the (juestion of language is con- 
 cerned, which is all it deals with, lines quite broad 
 enough for the contemplated movement ; and, I 
 repeat, that its past and its present and its surroun- 
 dings are all important elements ; they indicate its 
 future ; and they entirely overshadow the little 
 enacting clause. For those who, like the hon. gentle- 
 men, have spoken in that sense in this House, who 
 believe that these things are essentially in the in- 
 terests of the Dominion of C.inada, there is, aiul I am 
 not in the slightest degree complaining of it, there 
 is for them but one .lourse to pursue, the course of 
 agitation. It is their right, nay more, it is their 
 bounden duty, if their conscientious convictions 
 
 
l)t', iind I am far from suyiii^ they iirc mit so, thivt 
 the cdinlitioii of things in thiH wiioh; Diniiinion, 
 is Huch thiit its futur<! )ii(>H|:t;iity iin<l pio^^'ivss 
 will 1)0 served and iidviuiL'ed hy .such iin ivnitiitioii 
 lis is iieeessiiry fui' the .ittaiiiniL'ni/ of hucIi riisidt-^ 
 U8 are indieated, to enter U])(in anil ])ui'sue that 
 path of aj^itation. We may as well settle what 
 it is that we are called u|)<ih to iiu^et ; what that 
 condition of thinj;H is with which it is proposed 
 that we should deal. 1 say that that honesty 
 of conviction which I freely accord to the lion, 
 member for North Simcoo (Mr. McCarthy), 
 (and whicii I am Ixmnd to acconl to him as 
 to any pulilic man), involves, aa a iiecessaiy eonse- 
 (juence, that he sliouid prosecute tlie agitation up- 
 on the lines lie laid down on the l;2tli of l)ec(!nd)er 
 last and at other times, as the line of policy essen- 
 tial to this Domiiuon. If it were othui'wise, I can 
 conceive nolanguage strong enough for the denuncia- 
 tion of his conduct in the utterance of these senti- 
 ments. Now, Sir, for those of us who helieve -I 
 speak for myself only --but for myself and for any 
 other jierson who iiappcns to believe that in oni' 
 existing conditions the objects aimed at are, 
 by the means j)roposed, absolutely impossible 
 ot attainment ; for those who believe that the agita 
 tion does, as to the Province of (Quebec, notmei'ely 
 not present any element whatever of sikh'css, but 
 destroys the least pro-ijieet of reform from that 
 source from which alone the refornis which these 
 hon. gentlemen ilesire can be looked for, namely, 
 from within, from the spontaneous ivetiou of the 
 people themselves '! for those who believe that 
 it i.ot merely does not improve, but that it 
 tends to imperil the conditions of certain minori- 
 ties of race ami certain minorities in creed in 
 ditt'erent j)arts of the Dominirm ; that it excuses, if 
 it does not absolutely justify, the combinations of 
 populations cm lines of race and creed wliich the 
 hon. gentleman so earnestly deprecated this after- 
 noon ; for those who believe that it tends to pro- 
 duce anil to intensify the greatest political evils 
 which it is possible to conceive for Canada, and 
 that it imperils the best hopes which remain to 
 Canada ; for me, .Sir, who believe all these things, 
 and for any others wlio nuvy believe with me, there 
 remains only the course of firm and uncomijromis- 
 ing opposition from the start, tfi the course of the 
 hon. gentleman. " Olisfa /iriiiriiiii-i." I decline to 
 permit the thin end of the wedge to be inserted ; 
 not with the guile which I might not unjustly 
 attribute to the remarks of the hon. member for 
 North Norfolk, nor yet with the hammer of the hon. 
 member for North Simcoe, who has told us plainly 
 the strokes he intends to give to that wedge and 
 the vigor with which be intends with it to rift 
 and cleave this Dominion. Now, Sir, I profess to 
 be, and I hope I am a Reformer. I have never 
 concealed my opinion ; I have always at those 
 times and places, and under those cii'cuinstanceB 
 in which I thought I might do good by it, an- 
 nounced the opinion that there are many things to 
 be reformed in the ditferent Provinces of this 
 Dominion, and many things to be reformed in 
 the Dominion as a whole. There are many things 
 I should desire to see reformeil in the Province of 
 Quebec as well as in other Provinces. ]kit I know 
 full well, — such little knowledge of history as I 
 have ac(juired, such knowledge of human nature as 
 fifty -six years have given me, have taught me that 
 impertinent interference ; still more that threats 
 
 of coercive intcrferonce, and agitations to withdraw 
 ac(iuired and provincial rights are the very surest 
 means to destroy the slightest vestige of hojie of 
 reform. 'I'hey L,'ive to tlie resisting party incal- 
 culable advantages. They enlist the sentiment of 
 nationality, the sentiment of provincial autonomy, 
 the feeling of outrageil <ligiiity and of insulted 
 authority in opposition to the intiuders. And 
 under cover of tliese defences, resistance is easy iinil 
 its success is certain ; while where the opportunity 
 occurs aggressive action is but too likely to ensue. 
 That is tlie condition of things, Sir, whicli I believe 
 will be accomjdished by the etl'orts that are now 
 being made. I regard the prospect of reforms 
 whicli I myself sliomd <lesire to see aecoiniilished 
 in the Province of Quebec, as removed —I will 
 not say to an incalculable but to a very long 
 distance — by this agitaticm even so far as it has 
 gone. I regard tliat prospect as absolutely 
 vanished, should this agitation receive the sup- 
 {)ort and countenance to any eon8i<lerable extent 
 of this House and of the people of the Doniinicm 
 at large. No, Sir, the fullest and the frankest 
 recognition of the provincial and covenanted rights ; 
 the evidence which we shall give within the domain 
 of our iiower in the varicms Provinces of Canada, 
 of a generous and liberal consideration for those 
 minorities which are uniler our control ; combined 
 witli a sympathetic interest in the welfare of (mr 
 neighbors give titles — just titles — to friendly sugges- 
 tions to helpful advice, to legitimate influence. 
 Nor have I despaired in the post ; nor when this 
 cloud jiasses away shall I despaii' in the future for 
 the recognition of those titles. At any rate I am 
 on the side of tlipse who shall stand by those 
 minorities who are, as I have pointed out, threat- • 
 ciied and proposed to be coerced {by constitutimial 
 means I admit, but it is not the less threat and 
 coercion, however constitutionally you may do it) 
 by the policy the hon. member for North Siincoe 
 has foresluwlowed. I am on their side ; and I 
 believe that any other attitude is impotent for 
 good, and powerful for evil to the state. 
 
 It being six o'clock the Speaker left the chair. 
 
 After Recess. 
 
 Mr. BLAKE. Mr. Speaker, we have heard some- 
 thing to-day — of what I fear ve shall hear more of 
 in Canada for some time — of a union of race and a 
 uiiicm of creed. This question is not unfamiliar to 
 my ears. In days long gone by I found myself, as 
 my predecessor in the leadership of the Liberal 
 party found himself, as my successor in that 
 leadership, I dare say, may find himself, confronted 
 with attempts to unite and consolidate in the ranks 
 of one party those of one nationality, and to con- 
 solidate in the ranks of one party those of one creed. 
 This question is not new in Canada. Those 
 attempts I met by no private bargain or 
 Intrigue ; I met them by irank statements in 
 this House and on j..;blie platforms of my 
 views on the questions of race and creed, and of 
 the rights and interests of minorities ; I met thcin 
 by on effort to convince those mast particularly 
 cimcerned that there were no real grounds for 
 those attempts — attempts which I deprecated then, 
 as I deprecate them now, as public calamities — 
 and by the assurance that my fellow countrymen of 
 all creeds and all races mightdiffcr aiidagree, accord- 
 
iiig to tlicir (>])inirinH on politiuiil topicH, with abso- 
 lute coiitiili'iici' lis to the Hiifety of the r'i^htH 
 neuiiliur to theiiiMelve«oH(|ueHtioiiHof raoe(iiicli'reu<l. 
 Thiit UHN\iriiiii'e, I lielieve 1 coiihl well give ; timt 
 iiHHuniiiee I hope this delmte will iiiiihlt! uh il> 
 ('aiiaila Htill t(» give ; l)Ut largely on the ismieH of this 
 (leliiite does the i|iieHtion of that aHHuranee I in ii. Sir, 
 atalltiiiieHand in ivlleoiinti'it'HniinoiitieHiui' inclined 
 to lit! Niiseeptilile, jealoUN, appiehensive, exacting 
 HUch is the uondition of human nature. ThoHe 
 who are in ndnoritieH feel it ; ami tlxme who happen 
 to he in nuijoritiex, though they may coiiiplain of 
 it, ought to underHtaml it too. Minorities are 
 apt to believe that they ninst unite in order to 
 protect themselves against aggression ; and sucli 
 union an-.ongst themselves, and such conse(|uent 
 isohition from their feUow-countrymen, is, wherever 
 it occurs, and just in proportion to the extent of its 
 occurrence, a serious danger to the state, liutthisis 
 oftentimes isxcusuble, and sometimesevcnjustitiahle; 
 and in tlie face of such attacks as those to which I 
 referred this afternoon, lam notable in any strong 
 language to condemn, although I do not intend to 
 a]>plau(l, and although I still most earnestly depre- 
 cate, any such attempt at union. I am sneaking 
 this day mainly in the hope to avert, if uy any 
 feeble effort of mine I can avert, the continued ex- 
 istence of those apprehensions which might he a 
 justitication, or at any rate an excuse, for 
 such ■.inion. .Sir, in times of gloom and depression 
 as to the future of my country — perhaps I am 
 not an optimist, perhaps I have taken and may 
 take now in many aspects a view too gloomy as 
 to the condition anil ]>rospects of Canada, but in 
 times in which 1 have felt gloom and ilepression 
 as to the prospects and future of my country, as 
 to its ])rogress in several of the respects which are 
 essential to the making of a nation, I have had in 
 these latter yeai's the consolation of beliex'ing that, 
 in whatever other respects we might be stationary, 
 perhaps, even, I am ashamed to say, retrogi'ade, 
 in the respect at any rate of tolerance and 
 regard to tlie rights and privileges and suscepti- 
 bilities of minorities, we were moving on — 
 slowly, steivdily moving on — to a higher plane. 
 And that consolation was, to my mind, a very great 
 one. But although I did so believe, as I shall still 
 venture to entertain that hope, I knew well that 
 all this time there were great masses of pi-ejudice 
 and suspicion, of ancient hates and misconceptions, 
 and bitter memories of former conflicts, lying 
 ready to the hand of the incendiary, easy to 
 be kindled, ditHeult to be extinguished ; and 
 that the projM)rtion8 of the conflagration which 
 they might excite were impossible to be calcu- 
 lated in advance. Sir, we have but just heard 
 of an event we must all deeply deplore. The 
 great institution, the crown ami glory, I may 
 be permitted to say, of the educational insti- 
 tutions of our country, is at this moment in 
 flames ; and we know not how small a spark 
 may have kindled the great fire which is con- 
 suming that ornament to the whole community of 
 Canada, the University of Toronto. That orna- 
 ment, a great material ornament, and a still greater 
 exhibition of the triumphs of the principles of 
 toleration and of our advance in higher e<lucation, 
 a university where we have gathered together the 
 youthof all denominations, Protestant and Catholic, 
 under the sanction even of the Catholic Church — 
 a State institution on non-sectarian principles, 
 
 where all were gathered together as fellow-siibjeclH 
 toacipiire the highest traimng that the land atlonlt'd 
 is now, HO far as its material fabric ffivn, a ruin 
 tottering to the ground, lint great through the 
 calamity, the material fabric may be rc|dac(Ml. ,IuHt 
 as by that grnit calainity we nuiy observe how 
 small a spark may kindle a great fire, so let us take 
 warning in this larger Hphcrc, in thi^ still greater 
 nuitter upon which wi^ are now engaged ; and let 
 those who are seeking to .set the heatlier afire uixm 
 this (|Uestion be cai»:ful before they jiroceed to 
 precii)itate a moral ruin which may be irreparable. 
 Let them remember that it is utterly imiMissible to 
 calculate the results of the issues and the ]>assions 
 they are raising. Sir, I knew not merely that there 
 were (piestious of i)rejuilice anil of misconception, 
 of passion and of bigotry, of ancient hate and 
 ancient ditficulties ; but I knew more. I am not of 
 those who take the optimistic view that in all 
 respects our j)ath is easier and smoother because of 
 our peiuliar conditions in Canada ; I am not of 
 those will) believe that our ])ath is nuule plainer and 
 straighter by the circumstances of diflerent nation- 
 alities and of ditlei'dit creeds. 1 have recognised. 
 the fact that our situation, such as it is, presents 
 problems of very considerable dilliculty— pei'hai)s 
 problems of very considerable danger — and that 
 we might have, if Providence had so ordered our 
 lot thatwe were a homogencouspeople,alli>f one race, 
 one tongue, and one creed, an easier path, a i)lainer 
 road in which to travel. I have recogniseil those 
 difficulties with which we may have to gra))ple 
 some day ; though I hoj)e, if we are to succeed, at 
 some other time and in some different sjiirit and on 
 some other lines than are proposed to-day. I knew 
 that those real ditticulties added great force and 
 strength to the baser elements whicli form the 
 greater part, after all, of the troubles with which 
 we were and are encomjiassed ; I knew the risk and 
 the loss which was to be encountered in the Province 
 which I may call an Knglish and Protestant Pro- 
 vince — the province of Ontario — by acting for those 
 Aum\ we served on the path on which we were then 
 travelling ; and we encountered it delil)ei'ately at 
 that time. Nor shall we, I hope shrink from it to- 
 day. The right will triumph in the end. There is an 
 old proverb in the language which my hon. friend 
 wou'd proscril.'e : " Tout easse, tout /a.sw, font 
 /)as.se ; and even this storm, this agitation, though 
 its proportions may be as gi'eat as my hon. 
 friend expects and perhaps justly expects, will 
 pass away ; with serious conseiiuenoea may be to 
 those who are engaged in the contest, but it 
 will pass away in the end ; and what is right and 
 true will in the end prevail, though some of ua 
 may fall in the struggle. On what conditions, 
 circumstanced as we are, can we live and thrive 
 and grow in Canada ? Certainly not on the lines 
 which are being laid down by those engaged in 
 this agitation. I would ask them to \n\t them- 
 selves in the French Canadian's place. You may 
 selfishly wish that he had agi'eed to be suppressed ; 
 you may have a profound conviction of the incom- 
 parable superiority of your tongue, your laws, 
 your creed ; you may earnestly desire for all men 
 the inestimable boons of Hritish birth, of English 
 speech, of Protestant religion. But still, after all, 
 cannot you put yourself in his place? And can you 
 not, must you not, admii'c the courage, the fidelity, 
 and the determination with which, at great odds, 
 he fought in all fields — in the legislature, before the 
 
|i<'ii|ilc, mill in uvt'ii HtiTiicr I'h'IiIh tliiiii tlu^He -for 
 wliiit to him wiiH iiH cli'jir iih wlmt you cuU ymir 
 liirtlii'i^lil iH to v'Xi ' Koiij^lit, aye, uiiil i'oiic|Ui'rt'il 
 too I Ciiniiot you ifco),'iiim' tliat iiis wum iiftci' nil a 
 victory for Imniiiiiity ? And tliiU if, um tlicciiHf is, it 
 IniH iinpoHcil ^I'ciitci' ililii(Milti('s iiuii mote iinluons 
 ull'oi'tHanil toilHon IIiohc wIiouic cnitu^iMJ iit making 
 a nation of Camilla, it yut, l)y tliat very circumn- 
 tani;(^ gavo tlic cliani'i! foi' inoi'i! exaltoil tl'i\nn|iliH, 
 gavu an oficning for tiu; exiiibition of Mtill iiigiu-r 
 and di't'iiur and liroailcr feolingM of jimtiiui and 
 lilx'iality and tolcrancu than are purmitti'il to a 
 wiiolly hoinogencoiiN ]ieo|)l(' '! Can you not at Icawt 
 8L'u if tiiat much you cannot hcc -that he has in fact 
 fomiucri'd ? Do you HcriouMly hopi! to prevail to- 
 day in a I'or.liict in vviiicii, under infinitely greater 
 (liHailvantage.M, he ()l)tained tlie victory long ago '! 
 Surely if it were a ci)ni|ueHt in wliicli he was in the 
 wrong, ^ou have the riglit to Hti'Uggle Htill ; Init his 
 victoiy after all waH foi' equal rights — I'ightM ecpial 
 with your own. That i« alt lie asked ; that is all lie 
 got. ISut you Hay : No ; his language must lie 
 obliterated ; it i.s inindeal to the Constitution that 
 it should continue ; you must teach him your 
 tongue ; he nuist forget his own ; lus must uot have 
 what he regards —ami, f''oni his point of view, 
 rightly regaids — as e((ual rights with you, the 
 Anglo-Saxon, of wlioni the lion, meinlter for North 
 Norfolk (Mr. ('harlton) s])oke so proudly this after- 
 noon as destined by fate to swallow him up. Sir, I 
 regard this larger question to which I have referied, 
 and it is the real ijuestion we have to consider, as 
 a settled ((Uestion ; aiideveu weie my views as to 
 the settlement (litlerent from what they are, I 
 would not con.sent, as a public man, to an attempt 
 to reopen a controversy, hmg since closed, on 
 grounds whicli do not give to my eye the least pros- 
 ])ect of succcMs, but wich ensure ultimate defeat to 
 the assailants, and nieanwhih! limitless disaster to 
 the state. I say : No; a thousand times, no ! Whether 
 you differ or agree as to what might have been best 
 for the country, in the situati(m of the cimntry as it 
 stands, I say : No, a thousand times, no ; to the least 
 eH'ort or proposal to reopen that settled contro- 
 versy ; and I maintain that it is the duty of those 
 who truly regard the progress and the prosperity 
 of (yi-iuida, who hope to see it advance in its path 
 towards nationality, to defend the rights of the 
 minorities in this regard, as by law and by conven- 
 ti( II an<l by national settlement established. I 
 intend for my part to defend them just as warmly 
 as if I were one of themselves ; and I should regard 
 myself as dishonored and disgraced if I were now 
 to yield to the forces which press me to any other 
 course. It is not diiKcult to di'ive most of us, 
 perhaps — it is certainly not ditHcult to di'ive the 
 humble individual who addresses you from his 
 place in this Parliament ; but I hojie it is impossible 
 to drive me, as long as I occupy that place, from 
 the path oi duty and of honor, which I believe 
 to he the jiath whicli I have chalked out in the 
 words I have now spoken. To this liill, under 
 these circumstances, I should record an unhesi- 
 tating negative, if that were the question pre- 
 sented immediately to the House. I do not 
 desire to enlarge upon the lessons of history, 
 of which we have heard much in this debate ; 
 but I wish to call your attention to two very recent 
 formal, and to my rnind, solermi expressions of ojii- 
 nion, expressions o^ liritish opinion, of the opinions 
 of the English Government upon questions closely 
 
 allied to this. Vou remember the long and compli- 
 cated and ililllcult coiitioversy with refert'nce to 
 Schleswig-Molstein. In ISdO, ilw. Knglish (ioNern- 
 mcnt proposed to l>cnniark to allow Schleswig, 
 one of tlie iliicliieH, independently to decide upon 
 the language to be us<hI where the |)anish people 
 prevailed, where the I iermans prevailed, and where 
 the races were mixed. That was tlie character of 
 the dispatch, that the ;:onimunity itself hIiouIiI 
 decide, and that regard should be had to the 
 various languages of the populations, thus giving 
 a plain indication at that comparatively recent 
 date, of the view of the Itritish (iovernment, 
 under the Secretariat for foreign atlairs of [,oril 
 •lohn Russell, in regard to that (ii ustion. Again 
 in lHfl'2 and ISd.S, unhapiiy, broken-down, disin- 
 tegrated and enslaved Poland, regarded by the 
 great powers as no longer possessing the capa- 
 cities for an independent state, but as a |ieo|)le 
 under the thrall of Russia, had broken out 
 once again into insui'recticm, under the pressure 
 of some fresh severities of its Russian masters ; 
 aiul three of the great jiowers of Kurope agreed 
 together to remonstrate M'ith Russia as to its 
 course towards the I'oles-- I can hardly say 
 tfiwards Poland, but towards the Pole;*. Who 
 were they? (ireat Jkitain, France and Austria. 
 They remonstrated with Russia. Russia asked 
 them to fonnulate the points upon which they sug- 
 gested her lines of policy towards Pol.ind should 
 proceed. Those three jiowers formulated, by 
 conjoint action, six jioints, and one of the six 
 ])oints on which they recommended to Russia 
 action towards Polanil, circumstanced us Poland 
 was, and so late as the year 18()3, was the use of 
 the l^>lish huiguage in the public ofKces and in the 
 law courts, 'i hat was the advice given by (Ireat 
 liritain, France and Austria to Russia, interfering 
 with its course towards its own subjects, who had 
 been handed over to it by a proceeding which no 
 one can read without con(lemning, but handed over 
 and having become, so to speak, its property long 
 before. And, at that late date, the recommend- 
 ation was tliat the step taken should be reversed, 
 that the abrogation of the right to use their own 
 language should be withdrawn, and that the I'oles 
 should have the right to use their own language 
 in the courts and the public offices. I do not 
 deny, as I have already said, our difficulties in 
 this country. I repeat that those difficulties are 
 serious ; and I hope that those of us who now act 
 on the lines which I have been suggesting will bo 
 recognised as having earned in proper time and 
 proper place, the right to be listened to with favor 
 able ears in case we do tender proper advice as to 
 what w - believe, in the true interests of minorities, 
 and in >,he true interest of Canada, should be done 
 in regard to these difficult and delicate (juestions. 
 1 hope also that our attitude may not be mistaken 
 by either friend or foe, either by those we serve or 
 those we oppose, by the minorities in whose cause we 
 are prepared to stand up or by the majoritiese whom 
 many of us represent, as being that of an un- 
 worthy truckling to eitlier race or creed. I should 
 like to ask what have the majority of the i-epresenta- 
 tives of Ontario constituencies to gain by adopting 
 the course which I have chalked out for myself ? 
 Let others speak for themselves. I know that the 
 only gain I can have for myself is risk and loss. No- 
 thing but that. We shall then claim our right to 
 speak firmly and frankly on all fit occasions and on 
 
8 
 
 nil ))Ui'iiiiiK<|U(>Mtii)iiN, luitl wvNiiikll iixk tliri'onHiilci' 
 iitirMi wliirli wi' iirtt iiiiw ^riintiiiK. Ihkviii^' Mniil hh 
 niiirh, I iimU Iiow nIiiiiiIiI iIiIn Kill, lii'iiii^'lil fi>i'wuril 
 ill llir fnillic wllirll it IlllM iinMUliU'il, witli the |ilt'iilli 
 lil<! Iiy which it iM |irt'fiii'(Hl, with tlicHiifich in whicii 
 it wiiH iiili'iMJut'i'iJ, with th(^ M|)i'<'('li('H liy uhicli nut 
 (if iliHii'H it wiiH hri'ulih'ii, hiiviii)^ rcj^iiicl to th(t 
 iiiiivcMiciit of w'iiit'li I liiivc Miid it iM llu^ IiimI IViiitH 
 how HJioulii tliiH ISill hi! iiM't '; I iiiii prnpari'd to iniit 
 Miirh a Kill, HO iiitroiliic'tHl, m) fniiiKHl, no iirrfiu'cil, 
 with III! iiii('oiii|)roiiiiHiiig iicgativt!. Hut it Iiiih 
 BUi^ini'd to III] till! toiupitr of tint Koiini^ to meet it 
 with Hoiiui HuliMtiintivc liiM'Jui'iitioli. I Mhall not 
 oltjt'ct to that ; hut for iiiyHflf I am not fully niitis- 
 tiuil with eitlutr of tliu duclaiatioiiM uhii'h luivi! 
 Iicfii i>rii|>(mi'd. I am of opiiiion tluit, if wv, do 
 fiirmiilatu a duclaration, it Nhoiild <'outaiii a din- 
 tiiict anil uiu!i|iiivii(:al i'e|iiidiation of tht^ |ii'iiiri|il(! 
 of tliu |ii'i.'am)ilu of thin Kill, and Hhoidd vindicate 
 tint ground on which wc Htand, iim to tho i|ucNtion 
 raiHed l»y the luiiicting daiiNc. In thcHc icNpcctM 
 uiiil alMo hccaiiHu I am not iircpari'd for luyNclf to 
 iitlirm all the langiiagu uonlaincd in tlio Hucoiid 
 uiiiuniliiicnt, — for uxamplii thu Htatumciit that tiiu 
 enactmunt woiilil put in doubt thu Htaliility of our 
 inHtitiitioiiH -I think that amcndmviit \» not 
 wholly a|)plicaliUt to tho Hitiiation ; nor do I think 
 thu tii'Mt amcnibncnt Ih what wu ri!i|uir'u cither. I 
 think thuruiH apart from thoMiiggcMtioiiHof policy, no 
 prcHcnt grievance of any account. The money oue.s- 
 tioii in aliHoliitely nothing. The amount iH trillin;{, 
 anil thin I'arliiiinunt pavH it ; and the hon. gcntlemiui 
 who pn>]ioHeH the Kill(\Ir. Mc('arthy)luiH cheerfully 
 voted for and MUpiiorted the jiaymcnt of liundredH 
 of thoiiHaniU of ilollai-H— I might Hay millionH -of 
 expenditure much Iohs ilefenHilile than the .'iii4fK) or 
 ^')(K) a year which are expended to convey to the 
 FreiK h peojde of the North-West, few as they nuiy 
 bo, a knowledge of the oi'dinancen of the country 
 in which they live. Now, Sir, what is the condi- 
 tion of our country with respect to the Noith-West? 
 Wo have spent many scores of iiiillionH mainly 
 in connection with the North-West. Our crying 
 neoil there to-ilay is, and will for a long time be, 
 settlement, the influx of hardy and frugal cultiva- 
 tors of the soil. The Province of Ontario is being 
 bled to-day partly to meet that demand. Her farms 
 have fallen in price j anil that fall, very notably in 
 the eastern section of the Province, is ])artly <lue to 
 the altered conditions of supply and demand, ])artly 
 also due, no doubt, to unfavorable seasons, partly 
 due to low prices, due to a combination of circums- 
 tances, in which however, the North- West is a large 
 factor. I say that fall would have been very much 
 more marked than it is to-day, if it had not been for 
 that influx of French Canadian settlers into the east, 
 which this agitation seems ahnoat designed to jire- 
 vent, which certainly is regarded as no unmixed 
 blessing by those who are engaged in the agitation, 
 so far ivs the Province of Ontario is concerned. For 
 my own part, I take ground altogether ditlerent 
 from those gentlemen on that subject ; I heartily 
 welcome otir French fellow-countrymen who prefer 
 Ontario to the States. I hope they will continue 
 to prefer it ; I hope that they will come in, just as 
 many of them as have come in, and buy our farms 
 from those who want to sell them, and who will 
 not complain, however much other people may 
 create grievances in another Province, if they get a 
 better price than they otherwise might by reason 
 of altered conditions \n the law of supply and 
 
 di'iiiuiiil, I Hay tJiat while Ontario Ih being bled at 
 thiN moment and in iIiIm way, the i'rovini'c of 
 (jueliec in being bled too, not ho iniuh by migration 
 to the North \VeHt ; but NJie in being bled mainly to 
 the entire Iomh of Canadii, and to the prolit of the 
 neighboring Kenublic. I lliink the nioNt important 
 object to wliieli we ran prui'tirally addicMH our- 
 HeheH, is the di\ci'Hi(iu of that einigralion to the 
 States to luigiatiou to the North- Went TeiritolieH. 
 I do not hope myHi'lf for any HubHtantial meaHiireof 
 MiiiceNH whatever from proji itHof repatriation. I Ihi- 
 lieve that the l''rencii ('unadian whom you let go to 
 the Stali'H, and w ho HellliH there, you have practi- 
 cally IohI forever. There may be ca.senof I'eturn, lillt, 
 npeaking in the large, hucIi, I regiet to Hay, in my 
 belief of the leHiilt. Nori'an I say that I entertain 
 any very high or nanguine Iiojh'h, judging by ex- 
 perience, of (Quebec! niigiation on a large Hcale 
 to the NortlrWesl. Kut still thei'ii Ih in that 
 respect a hope, there ought to be a hope. 
 If it Ih the case that we are unable to jierHuade 
 our own people fiom the Province of (Quebec, 
 agrieulturistH, to move to those fertile plainn of 
 which my hon. friend from North Norfolk gave hucIi 
 a glowing dcHcripliou, if it in the case that we are 
 unable to persuade tliem to move there, and that 
 they Htill prefer the MaHlern or the Westein Staten 
 to Canada, then how can we hope for any great im- 
 migration from abroad? I Hay that we ought to 
 addreHs our.sclveH to tluit problem to which I have 
 referred, in an earneNt, an active, an energetic 
 manner. Kut 1 conceive that the temper and 
 ><pirit displayed in this Parliiuuent and diHplayed 
 in the North- Went itnelf in this matter, iiuiy be very 
 imiKirtant factors aHto the suceesH of any Hiu'h ell'ort. 
 1 ileiline to abandon the ho]ie of considerable immi- 
 gration. I believe that if the ]ieople of the North- 
 \VeHt Territorii.'H will consider of the matter, if 
 those few thousands of souls who are scattered, 
 s|)ecks hardly discern'ble, through that vast terri- 
 tory, will but realise the fact that industrious, 
 hardy, fi'ugal, economical, cultivators of the noil 
 are leaving old ('aiuida, not for new Canada, but 
 for the States, they will hold out their armn, they 
 will welcome warndy thone whom we might induce 
 to go out there. Are you going to induce them to 
 do so by such pro])osalH aHtliis? lam for trying out 
 the experiment ; 1 am for continuing every induce- 
 ment, the sentimental inducement if you please, 
 as well as other inducements, until that experiment 
 is fully and fairly tried out. In face of this agita- 
 tion to which I have, all through what I have 
 said, alluded, as the main and im])ortant, thu 
 overshadowing feature of this discussion, I should 
 regard the immediate adoption of a j)ropoNal to 
 exi)unge such little use of the French tongue as is 
 now ])rovideil for, as fatal to whatever prospect 
 there may be of an increasing or of a continuing 
 French migration to the North-West. I say that 
 the future will indicate to us the solution of this 
 question, and that it should be reserved until the 
 future s])eaks and gives us that indication. I 
 agree with something that has been said by the 
 hon. meml>er for North Norfolk as to the people of 
 the North-West. They are,- so far as their 
 rights, their constitutional rights are concerned, 
 in a transition condition. They have not asked, 
 they feel themselves that they are not yet in a posi- 
 tion to claim tl e full measure of provincial rights. 
 It would be entirely premature so to deal with these 
 enormous areas of fertile territory in the present 
 
ilK't' of 
 
 Kialidii 
 liiily to 
 r>f tlio 
 |i(>l'tulit 
 sN (Un- 
 til lliu 
 iliii'ii'H. 
 iNlirr (if 
 
 I I..S 
 
 •t K" 1" 
 
 |)IIK'ti- 
 
 II, llllt, 
 
 is my 
 
 ri'liiin 
 
 iiy ex- 
 
 Hcalti 
 
 1 
 
 coiiilitiotiH (if Muttlciiitiiit luiil (if (i('(.Mi|iiiti(in, and tii 
 tiii'ii tht'in iiitd I'i'dviiii'CN. All xidt^M art' a^rt'cil (rii 
 tliat, 'I'lui |i<'(i|i|(! (if the liicality, Imt iiImh tlic 
 |i(^(i|il(' (if C.uiaila, arc ilccply iiitcicHtcil in tlitr 
 iKilicy til III' |iiii'Nn('(l in llic Ndi tli Wi .st. Caimilii 
 liiiM, in iii,.!i, if yiiu cdnNiilci' the cndi'iiidiit aiciiH 
 that hIk* Iihh tiiHi'ttic, tlic ('ndi'iiiiiUKcxpcnililiii'c hIic 
 liaH made and in making' hIic Iiuh, in ti'iiifi.tlic niuin 
 intcMCNt, an intcrcHt far Hiii'|iaHMinK tliat (if the few 
 |i<Mi|il(! wild aid niiw tlii'i'c. lint f(ii'tnnat(dy fur did 
 ('anada, and fiirtnnatcly fur tlidHc |i('ii|il(\ it \h a 
 ('(ininiiin inti^icMt. 'I'licit' Im nut tlicHJiglitcHt diver- 
 XmiciMif intt^ vat. 'I'licrcniay liciliUcicnit'Mdf (i|iiiiidn 
 iiH t(i what Mi', iho lit'Ht nicauH (if aiUaiu'iii^ that 
 int(!r(!Ht,iint ilut inttTCNtN arc unc and the Name ; t hi^ 
 jir(m|i('iity df the Ndrth-WcHt In the din^ intercut (if 
 iKith ; and the |irii|ierHlc|> tii take in di'ih'i't(iadvan<'(^ 
 that |ii(iH|ierity \h tint (jncHtiiin Hulmiittcd Id linth ; 
 and n|i(in that (jneHtidli the I'arliaincnt of Canada, 
 in the (ireNent. cdnditidn df tln^ Niirth-WcNl and (if 
 th(^ |icii|ile (if that eiiuntry, miiNt Hpeak ; I will nut 
 Nay witli a(li!N|idti(' Vdiec, I will nut at all Nay with a 
 vdice regai'dlcNN of the dpiniiin (if Iht^ TciiiturieH, 
 hut Htill at this mimicnt, having thiM'eNpdiiNiliility, 
 with a ileeiHive and imtcntial voice, N'dw, inidcr 
 thcN(! eircimiHtaiuu.'N, 1 Nay, wv. .■ihdidd meet the 
 (|ueHti(m when it cuincN, The him, nciitlenian 
 liaH HUL'gUHted that we have heard the dpitiKin of 
 the North-WcHt, I Nliduld ha\(^ K'''"^'> 'h(iii),di 
 nnt iibHdlntely (leciHive regard to that c.xpii'SNiiin 
 tlcliburately andcdiiHtitutid.ially reaehed,li\it I deny 
 that wo have yet heard it, 'I he North-WeHt As-ein- 
 lily had no cdininiHHion or authority from thiN I'ai'- 
 liament, its ereatorw, to deal with thiN (|ueNtidn :i.t 
 all ; and the eleetdi'H to thai> aNNcmlily had not he 
 fore them, when tlie aNNcn lily wim tdc^^ted, any 
 liropimitioii upon tluH Hulijcait. Sn, neither was 
 there an authdrity in tlu; h idy, nur was thciu^ a 
 mandate from the eonHtitui.' ley. It may lie, it In 
 iiuite ]>o8(iihle, that even upon a full and calm eoiiKi- 
 (leratidU, after the interval'if time which in tiudajwe 
 hetween now and the next ajipt^al to the people, it 
 may be that there may b'j a very Htiiing expriiNHion 
 of opinion there, as to '.vhat In for their interc«t» ; 
 hut in the meantime it '.h not to be entirely forgottciU 
 that the condition in i/uly tluH, that the Parliament 
 of ('anada vtiteH out ct Canadian re.sdurccNa trilling 
 sum annually for the ])ayment of the jirinting in 
 the two languages of thi^ir ordinanccH ; and that 
 if they choose to elect a Frenchman to tins as- 
 seinbly, that Krenchnmn has what, 1 am afraid, 
 woulif be a very barren jirivilege, the right 
 of expressing his sentimunts in that asNcnibly, in 
 what, CO the majority of them, I am afraid, would 
 be .loniething like an unknown tongue. There is 
 the condition of things. No particular grievance, 
 therefore, now exists, and the condition upon which 
 you ore to deal with the (piestion is to be settled, 
 as I have said, in the future. If, when you have 
 tried the experiment, if when you have used all 
 fair exei'tions, if when you have given all fair 
 inducementH, you still find that country is, even 
 to the extent to which ii now is prdjidrtidnately, an 
 English country, why the (juestion will settle 
 
 itNelf, If, w*iat I would rejoice to huii in the fiieo 
 df all that KaN liccn N.iid in my I'rovinci- and eliie- 
 u here, there Hhiiuld be a large immigiation of 
 l''r'('ii('liiii('n to the Nditli U'cNt, and that Hcltlu- 
 iiriit nIkiuIiI be mixed, the iiinditinn might Iki 
 piiictii'iilly the sjiiiii'. If that Mcttlcmcnt were, what 
 I Wdidd mil pi'i'fi'i' m\Nelf, iHnlntcd, it might ireate 
 a ('(inditidli nf lliiigN dciiiiiiiding dill'crt nl treat- 
 Micnt, Lc! UN deal »illi il when the cdiidilion 
 ariscN and aN Ilic ciindilinn cxInIn ; and when wi* 
 lid deal with il, let UN deal wit\\ it, niil aNxiiciated 
 with the cMoi'Ih \\lii(h have been made, the aji- 
 prehenNidliN which have been raised, the lidNtili- 
 tics which have bei'ii excited by tlu^ jii'dcccdings 
 (if which thiN Kill In the liiNt oulcdmc, but cntiicly 
 (liNNdciatcd fidin all tlicNc, having meantime linally 
 and altogt^ther ncIIIciI, aN fai' aN tlu^ (ipinidii df the 
 Parliament df Canada can Nc tile, thc(ither(|\ieNtidnH, 
 till' greater i|U(iNlidnN, the moic impurtant (pies- 
 tidUN ill regard tii which IIiIn Hill NceniN td be but a 
 Ndi't df pildt liallddii. Sir, I have endcaviired td set 
 forth in the draft ot an amendment such a form of 
 Wdl'ds as, withdUt at all being wtnlded td that 
 precim' fdiln, nccuin Id me to indicati! the most 
 appi'opriate Nolutidii of thiN (|ueNtiiin, and, if t\w 
 iippiirtiinity iNdllcri'd tiiinc in tlu^ cuniNe of this (IIh- 
 ciiMsidii, by any pidccsN, I shall lak(^ li^av(! tii sidiinit 
 that pi'iipiiNitiiin tut he chamlK^r ; and in order that 
 lion, membei'N may know what thi! proposition 
 which I atallcveiitN wiiiild very rcNpectfuIly submit 
 for their cdiiNideratinn, I Nhali now, with your per- 
 mission, Mr, Speaker, vvui[ it : 
 
 "This IIoiiso (NviiiKit, liaviuK regard to tim lona piin- 
 tiniii'd iiHcotMic L<'reiu!li lanuiiuKe in iilil Canada, aiid tdthn 
 (MivciiiiiitN nil lliiil Nuhjcct ('inliiiiil(Ml ill tlio Jlriliiili North 
 Amcricii. Ai'i, iixii'c to lliu ihudaralimi ciintaiiu'il in the 
 Hiiid ItilliiKllir liii^i.i llii'rciit, lliiil it in exiuMlieiit in the 
 iiititrcHi (if till' natiiiiial luiily of the UiimiiiKiii that tliore 
 hIkiuIiI lie ciimniiniity lit liiiiKiniKe ammiKHt the iiuoplu ef 
 Cniiiiilii, 
 
 "That, on lliu roiitrary, thin IIiiiiso dcplares itB invidl- 
 olilu lullu'rciiiM! Ill lliu riiveiiiiiilH ill r(^»|iect tii tlio UHe ef 
 the B'ruMch laiiiriiiiKc in (^uiliee iinil Canada, and itx 
 ilutcrniiiialidii Id resist any atluiuiit tii inipair tli(»<o 
 covuiianlH. 
 
 "That IIS to such uso of the French lanttuaKO in tho 
 Niirlh-Wost TorritdrioM, iih \k imw iiriiviiled hy law, it is in 
 tho best iiiterenlsdfCiiniiiliiat JarKnand of the Territories 
 ill ^larticular lliiit iiiiUiiuMnunls slmuld lie held nut to tho 
 oiiiiKraliiiK.iuliabitaiitH of oiich of tho I'roviiuK^s to '<uttlo 
 ill tlin Terrilorii^s, wliosie uruate.it want i ' ,ii4>n!ntidii. 
 
 "That the cxiiiniKiMK of the iiriivisloiu dliiviiiK the use 
 of the Fri'iK^h laiiKiuiKo in tho rorritorios ' : ■'. ro(|uirc(l 
 to remedy any iiriiclical Krievaiieo at tl' - time, and 
 would, unihir (^xisliiiK circiiinhtaneeH, lesson tho chancoH 
 of a Fronidi Canadian iinmiKratioii. 
 
 "That it is oxiiediont to loavo thoso provision.x undin- 
 tarhcd, and toih^feraiiydvidsidii ns to tho ultimato mdu- 
 tiiiii (it tho niie.stioii until lime shall have furthor dovcl- 
 o|iod tho conditions of Norlli-West sottlement." 
 
 On these lines, (ir (in lines like these, I would 
 invite this Moust! In act ; to these considerations, 
 however feebly .set forth, I wov.ld invite the earnest 
 and dispasHidnate attention of my fellow-ctnintry- 
 meii. This I feel is fur ('anada a turning jioint, I 
 see but dimly ; I may nut see aright ; but, if I at 
 all discern the signs i,f the times, until Canadians 
 on such lines agree, there will be for (Canada 
 neither progress, prosperity, nor peace. 
 
 Ottawa :— Printed by Brown Chambkrlin, Printer to the (Queen's Most Excellent Majesty. 
 
 2b