IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. Vu '•LP' <' WJ. .^^ i^ Mi- / %i( 1.0 :i:»"- l.l 1.25 1^ 124 Ik U 1.4 2.5 12.0 1.6 V] <^ /] 7 ■^ <^ "^C W^ '/ /^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/IC^-H Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut canadl^in de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. □ D n Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d6color6es, tachetdes ou piqudes Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serrd (p^ut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int^rieure) L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. 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The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grfice d la g6n6rosit6 de I'dtablissament prdteur suivant : La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reprodultes en un seul clich6 sont filmdes d partir de Tangle supdrieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le ncmbre d'images n6cessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 THE POSITION 4 OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, IN Till'; DOMINION OF CANADA. SPEECH OF THE HON. J. A. CilAPLE.AU, SECRETARY OF STATE, I»KI.I\'KRK1> IX TIIK lli'CSE (iK roMMONS (i.N 'I'llI'; I! KSi il,l Tl' i\s riMV'nUNti I'l.u SI liSIDfE^i T(» l.i'C'.VI. ll.MI.W \VS, lUMJi APUII^, 1884- O F F 1 C I A L REPORT. GAZETTK FEINTING COMPANY. 1884. V'/^^-g* THE RAILWAY SUBSIDIES. QUEBEC'S FINANCIAL POSITION. SPEECH OF THE HON. J. A. CHAPLEAU. Thr follnw'iij; JH thf Hftnsrtr' 'inestions which il comprises, and has dealt witli them in a manner no Ickk lucid than ( om- prehonKivc. I will leave to thoKe ot my col- JeajjncK to whom that task hclonjjK to reply to the charge of undue ])reKKure exerciKed by the go"Prnment, accfirdinj; to the hon. mem- ber ffir West Durham, on the repreKentatives of the f'rovince of t^ueliec. 1 w<)uld, uevcr- theless, inform my lion, friend that he lias re- vealed only one aspect of that jieriod ho full ofanxiety, and I will try and show liim what the other is. It we b<)liev( die lion.meni- lier, "the jjovernment awaited witli anxiety, when the great Pacitic question came before the house, the attitude which a portion of the members would assume rejjardiuK if- Kvery- one was asking what woul ' happen ; parlia- ment was not sitting with its ordinary num- ber of members, ai>d th<' dfiinuieiiunt was axiously expected. After interviews between the ministers of the yueb(H' Government and the members of that province — after inter- views between the lieads of the Canadian government and the repreHentatives of tlie Province of yuebe< — the result was an- noimced. Faces brightened \ip, jieace was restored to the camp, and the Pacific bill was voted." My hon. friend should have said that it was on the side of the ojjposi- tion tliat the faces of members betrayed most anxiety. The smallest rumours that eseaoed through closed doors were eagerly caught up, and whatever secrets were thus exposed were immediately transmitted by telegraph, cor- rected and enlarged to the great organ of the Jibwal party in Ontario. On one occasion that iouriial announced that the members of tlie Province of (Jiiebec had thrown them- selves into the open arms of the leader of tho opp<>' '• >n who, in return, promised (hem an era <• osperity before unheard of in that provii e. Milt the denouement soon destroy- ed that hope; the hian was voted and the faces of the opposition fell ac< ordinuly. It is a wfimler the lilolif did not come out in mourning the next day, as if for the loss of a political friend. Certainly its cherished dream had faded away iiitcj thin air. Kor the fact is that all those conji'i tiires were false. The conservative party had remained faithful and united as in the past. The leader of the opposition may be assued that the (Jdiebec conservatives were unanimous in following the government on that great ijuos- tion. It iii true that a certain number of members had asked that all the ipiestions connected with tlie Pacitic should be settled at the same time, and it was quite legitimate fwr them to en(iuire if the govoinment Jiad the intention, not to purchase their votes, but to make good a claim width had been made constitutionally by • he (juebec cabinet aiid wlii( h had alreatly been for several days be- fore the Privy Council. THK VUEHEC CLAIMS. What! Mr Speaker, will the hon. chief of the opposition deny that th!> l'ri(viii(f (il Vii'Ih'c' 'I'lmf |iro\ iik c IiimI IrtitI itN > iHiin licl'iiK' till' lininiiiinii iiiillidiitii's. 'I'lli' |-'cil('llll (iii\i'illllli'llt)llllil < ntx llliicfl ridt only III ^'i\i' it ittlvnllon, (nil to Uiki' it into fuviiiuiitilc ciinKiiii'iHtton, imtl tliiit in tlit! biiHincKR wliiih (Kriipinl the attention of tl»! ro- vincial governments had, in tlieii desire for progress, e.xposed the linancial means at their difiposal. Mr. Speaker, J would not on this occasion havi; broken the silence which I maintained since I have been a member of the house, that is, during the almost two years that f hive been one of Her Majesty's advist^rs in tht^ I'rivy (!oun- cil of Canada. In keejiing a silence, which is not at all my wont, t must have disap- pointed the expectations of ray friends and no less the curiosity of my opponents. More than one person must have said : What has become of that former vivacity, that a»perity in debate which provoked combat ratiier than remain at rest. (itbi is may have thought it the result of calculation. No one that I know ol islikel\ to huM' altriliiited it to fear, and with that ((inclusion I am satistied. I am the youngest iiie>nber of the Council, and I tliiiik it my duly to piactic*; here what 1 preach elsewhere — siiliordiiiation. I have kept silence, which is useful at times, Ijiit, r miiNi say, it Ik also tiroonie. 'I'o-day if I think it right to engage in this dis( iission, it is liccause the i|ueNli(in that oci iipies u.^ is one that iiiteresls the province wiiosc allair^ I administered as head of the cabinet for in(>i'e than two years. This i|uestion not imly interests tint provineo from which I v'oine and which I more espee- iaily represent in the I'rivy ("oiiik il, hut it also concerns not a little the administration of which I was tlie liead. I would gladly set aside my (»wii personality in the observations whicli I have to make. Ibit I cannot do so. My nann' and my adminiNtiation are con- sUtntly coming up in the dis( iission of this (|uestion. The hon. member of Durham has asked for THE UKA.SON OK THE (^UKIlEr CLAIM. He said the source of it seemed to him to be the extravagance of the government that had the direction of this province, and if he has not brought forward all thi; objections that are made in the press, perhaps, some of his friends ma) do so. ! think it my duty to reply to the atta( ks that have been made and which have not only stirred up, but, it may be, de- ceived jiublic o|)inion. During the last (eighteen months there is no charge that could be brought against an administration that has not been jirefei red against that of which I was the head, especially in relation to that ipiestion of rail wins which is now before us. In the jiress 1 have bt-en subjected to all kinds of ill treatment, not only by my natu- ral enemies, who ar(! logicaliy impelled by theii position to make war againtt th<-»se who difler tVom them, but even in the circles where 1 hail reason to expect to tiiid friends. The I'lovince of Quebec has a •'ight to the subsidy which the government gives it, be- cause it has i'i<\ iiii'i-N iliiiii any oIIh'I |>(irtiiiii III' till' I'liiiiiiiliiii. niK < IIAKI.K IlK 1 KNTHAI.I/,Arin\ Bc'lnrc i'IiIiIIIk; nil (llis Kllliji'i i, Mr. SpcakiT, III nil til' |ii'milttri| tn lllilki' ;i plii- t*'s| iij;iiiiist mil' III till' ai I iiMil Ji>ii-> iiiaili' l>v IIk' Iiii'IiiIm'i I'm |)iii|iiiiii — iiii arriisiiliiin Willi h lias lirt'ii till' Hiiiiii' liiiii' iiiaili' a |iirli'\l I'ur aila'.ks mi (In- fiuvrrniiii'iit ul I aiiiula — till' .iri'iixadoii of iciiliali/iiif: iml oi\|\- nil till' lorri's liiil rvi'ii all ilic |i(nvi'i- of the iiii'iiiImts of till' rmifi'ili-iiitimi. l>y ali- Horliiii^' I l);lits that jiiKtIy hrlmit; to t!ii' jiio- NiiHi'H I liclirM' It liiv illlly to |no|i'sl a;^aiiist tin' rhar;^'<'. It li.is lin'ii sai of r''iitiali/;aiioii — wan ini'liii' il, in lact, to- wardK li'nislali\i' iiiiion, ami yet lie pioli'-'tfil )'loi|ii('iitly a^Mihst llii-hc Very li iiiii-iirifs liiinscll not VI ry loii^' r^iiiir. " lliw roiiM I.' said III', "allllo^l,|l tin iIom- of my |iii||. tiiiil caii'ir, atlrr liaviiiu rir,itrx<'i'otis to tin' wlioli' nation, distiov witli my ii liaiids iln- ftthric trcclcd wit il till' toil of so many M-ais ' How, we niav wrll ii'in'at, nnild that old IfiidiT, lii'ld Ml \rni'iiition liy all. dchtioy tin' glorious woik wliirli lie airom|ilisli('d in and tor till' loiiiitiy. I low I iiuld In sai lilii r his ri'liiitatioii and llir ii;.,dit wlin li lir has won to the unititiidf of finnir ;;rnrialioiis • Ifstineil to M'l' in liiiii ihi' fmindiT of a ^crrat nation mi this i oiiinimi ' How roiild 111' williilly pioM' iiMii-ant. to till- mission whii ii he inidi'itook and so Wfll disiliai;;rd hy dcinolisliin;: his own cili- ticv't No, Mr. S|H'aki'r. And the hi'sl ri'idy to Kiii'li a charj;!' is loiind in tin' K''ii'Mdiis, lihi'ial and pati'iti;il ini'iisnii' whjiii is just now lu'lorc the lioiiso. and wlijrh, hv aidini; the pro\ i.'.ti's in tliiir iiiaii'iial di v^'iopiin'iil, fniiiislii's iii'w giiarantfi's loi thiir aiilonomy. If III' had hern disposi-d to fon'o the piovim cs to |)art with some of llnir po!itiLiil rights in •'xtlian^e for material advantaiti'^, the mo- ini'nt roiild not liaxrlni'ii hctter I'hosi'ii. He had only to relnse them what they asked and which he now so generotisly f,aaiits them. I'fiOI'OSAI, [•'Oil CONSTITITIONAI. CHANi.KS. Tlie nmi. niemher for Dnrliam said that it wan jjerliaps time to tliink of revisiiif? the CODBtitution, so as to ol>taiti for the dit- ! t'erent iHovinees a political loinpiomisc hy the rieatimi of conditions inore lulvaiitaKeons. I think, .Mr Sjieaker. that iie-lead ol iiciipt- iii;; that piopo.^al il is the duty of each of lis I to lepndiale it as an iiiiio\ation ilaiiixeroiiK ' and meniicinK to the riKlitK <•!' the prnviiiceM. (Ml any oecaNimi that presented ilnelf, I l»- Inve tli.it the minisliy was fniind npniiiiitni); any I cnti.di/inu tenilcin y. Korinyown part, I lia\e heeli lli'i Used o| hein;,'' too |edciall>t or aiiti-i entl.lll/.ili;;. I ha\e not Im'i'Ii too nincli ; I have merely liecii siillicieiil ly so I am of tiiose who think that the .intonoinv ol each province is one of the most solid fmindationri of the confederation. When I uaspretnierof •^lieliei , I was I liai^;iii, slianue to sa\', with a disposition to \ idd to tlio federal power what oii.L,'hl (o lielmrj; to till' proviiici's, and since I liav" heeii in the hominioii ( 'ahniet I have somehow had the I lliillle in lellain ipiaitein o| In inu; too devoted I to pro\incial iiiHiitnlimis and not lieiiiK in liariiioiiN with my collea^'iies on the ijnestioii ' of federal aiithorlt\. Well, Mr. Speakei', uheii I had the ilireciion ol affairs in <,Mii'hec I was opposed to all dorti liies that jeopa' - di;:eil the Jie.tcc allioli;^ the dlfleient t;ioll|iH that I misi jiiite mil ciiiili lie atioii. Now that I am a pri\ y conniillor, I i oiisidei it mydiitv to respect the interests of the provilicex, whose liaiiiiony with each other forms the liriiicst :;ilaiaiitc<' o| vitality and feenndil) in the I I'litlal powei. 1 1, when I was at l,lili'l>ec, I conleiiiplate 1 ni\ duties as a cili/.eii of ( 'anad.i. Iia\ in^ come to v inielliKeiit patiiolisiii. 'I'hai is my I political pro^'iainme and I have iievei had any other, iim' shall I ioiii|ilain if tliev accn.'-O me of practising' it. That sentiment of luo- viiicial autonomy is one which calls lor dis- trust in so fai as, heinj; iialinal and leuit'in- I ate, it may easily had lis to an i'\a|i;.;eiation j which mi^lit lia\e ileplorahle couscipiein cs. I And yet wi' must not repudiate it, tin from it. I Hill to avoir! falling' into c.\ag;;ei'ation, it I lii'iiooves every iiiemher of this limise, I'll in wh.-itever part of the Dominion 1 he may come, to study t' dilferent needs of each of the provinces, an ..ays to hear in tiiiiid that the other provinces iia\ c as iniicli I i^ht as his ow n to the protection of ihe cen- tral power. Thetioveniineiit of Canad.i, Mr. Sjieaker, is rij;ht in j^iviiifr to eiieli province i of the Hoininion an much latitude as possihleV 6 in thn excrciRe of Hh righti*, and whmerer tli«' nHKfin))l)'i| iiii'tnlicrM hu^i' Ix'i'ii iiskiit to fHX'oiii' liy rriiTjii'lK ii< tion Mk xciirriil iiitiT- CHtK iif tli<^ I'oiiiiti V, till- <'ii-i>|i<-rMtiiiii III itll (lie pri>\ irio'N liitK iifv not niohl iiii|>oi'iaiit hs ti"i< Ihii^' tli<^ rcHoiin t'H (if III)' Ddiiiiiiiiiii Ni'ittjt'i till- IvHtllT of tlic (.'I'VCI'IIIIirlil lit'iiil upon ii piirly wIikIi is UK iiit<'lliK<'iit >iH it Ih loviil. \'y tin- luloptiun ol that iin-aNiiii, the K'*<^'*'>unii'nt wi.slu'il to prove lo our iieii;lilii>urs at loss the frontier that thi.s eotiiitiy iloes not tear the tinancial niaihinatioiis ot Wall street brokerx, and that when the government ol t'lUiailH makes Hii appeal to the intelli^rnceand patriot- iKniofthe picivinieK, it liinis a I'aithliil echo whenever the ohjei I is to maintain the crt-'ilit of the nation anil the huiioiii of the (;overii- raetit. IMIoUHFSsrM! ItiFAM AMI I'OI.ICT The leader ol the jcoveinmeiit has been ftocused of 1 ndaufjiering the exist- ence of the nation l>v imposing upon it by Huch legislation a hiinlen whii h it was nnahle to liear. Me has been told that he vvi»K mistaken in his estimate of the lesnurcos of the country when he thought them capable of extinguishing so enormous a debt. Ibit he was not mistaken, or if he was, it was on the right side of the account, on the side of hojio, of confidence, of ideas of progress , and it is with such ideas, with such hope and confi- dence that a peopii! becomes great. I prefer {hat ho who has the direction of a nation's destinies should err in the direction of its gieatnoBS, by showing an exaggerated sense of the national progress, to seeing a peojile cramped and held back by a policy of timid- ity and distrust. That poliey fears no comparison with that of the opposition. On the one liand the aim is great- ness, prosperity, national happiness, while on the other it is a mean peddling calcula- tion and a belittling of the country's re- ■ourcHM rathrr tluiii » launching out on the broml jiatli of piogreni*. Nations grow great b\ I onlideiice in the future. 'I'here are dif- feut e.xpreHHionH in the vocabulary cif difler- eiit nations for iende:ing tlii' same idea. Thus ill Kianie there is < hauvinisni, in Knf<- land there is jingoism, while our iieighbourN i have their Npri>ad-eagUM''ni. In othei worilH, I what is meant is the national piidi- and ion- I fideiice in their own livili/.ing mission of the Itritish |ieople . the optiinisni of the French, and the •annting go-aheiulism of the Yankee. 'I'lioHe are faults. it Ih I tru>'. but venial faults, for they have their soini e in a profound national senlimenl. We must not for- get that It is with that exaggeration of the national feeling, that it is \>\ the contidence I of iiations|in their own star, that they hav« I become great in the world, while the system I of blackening one's country has never led to I anything but bankiupti y and ruin. I iii.>n(mv OK ycKUKi- s r'i..MM^. ' It is a long time now sin< e the claims of the I'roviiice o( l^uefiec Were lirst presented to the feilenil government, although the member for West IMirhain atlnts to regard the question as a new one. The demand, it is true, wa.s not previously invested with that ollii iai iliaiai ter which it has to-day, but it lias not the less oc(ii|iicd the attention both ol the jireseiit governnieiit and their predecessors. My lion, friend is strangely mistaken if he thinks the claim of the I'loviiice of Qiiebot only originated in the ditticiilties of the government doring the present session. My tirst duty wh .1 J took in hand the reins of power at <,iuebec was to insist on the federal goveriicient granting compensation to Quebec foi the sacrilices iiieuried by the construction of what was destined to lie the most important link in the I'acilic Railway. My lion, friends of the oilier side can hardly forget the de- feat which they brought upon Sir (ieorge ('artier in IST'i in connection with the Pacitic terniinu.s (|uestion. Sir (Ieorge Cartiei, at that time, tlrt' colleague of the jireseiit pre- mier, openly declared in the electoral campaign of that year that the I'acitic ter- minus was the harbour of Montreal. 1 did not forget those declarations, when on the i;nh of May, IH80, I addressed an official memorial to the federal government claiming its co-operation in the cost of constructing that road. It was not a refusal, but an en- couragement that (Juebeo then received. Our itulllllllti WAX Hot. Hcrrft, tol till' IfdII. Mr. KoIiciImi'II, lit liiiit tiiiif tniMiiiii of tlic |>r(>v- iiK f, Maid III luH hiiil^'i't h|>*'<'< li *>r 'liiiic li:tli, IHMO : — '• 'I'lio •^iu'Ik'1' ciiliiiK't liiiM iiiikIi- n|)ri'- 8ciitatiiiiis to tlif ti'iliTikl KitviM'iiiiii'iii with n*- Klil'll to oMI I'liill'oiul, \VC IlliVi' li'|il'<'Hi'lltri| to till- tWIi'iiil ){o\'i-iiiiiii-iit tlmt it liuIM IIIJlc to till- I OllStnil tloti ol'il lUll't of till* ( 'itiiiKiii Ccoti'iil Uiiili'oiul ill Diiturio at tim I'XiK'iiHc ot' our |iioviiu'i' uh w.'ll iih of till' otIici'H , that tho liiH- will till III part ol thtt (,'itiiiiiliiiii I'lkrilii' ; tlitit tlio Intri- roioiiiiil WHM hiiilt and otlni lim-s |>iir< liii.i'ii ill tilt' iiiiiritiiiii' proviiiii'H for then nju'i iitl uu, till- LCicat wi-Ht ami Kritinh t'oliiin- biu iiiiiHt liuvi' till' Caiiailuiii I'arilir to o|i<'ii it|> thru tfiritori'-s, iitui that it will in- likr wirtt) built lit tlif K<'"i'''iil ••xiii'iisn ; tliatotlii'i pi'uviiii'cH liml heiii'litcd, (iiul would Htill beiii'tit hj' linen for whii'h wu hud cotitiihut- t'd , and, iiiiir<;(ivt'r, li.at for thi' lines built in this province siiKc I HUT, liiid |Mirtirulitrly for the North Shore, deHtined, lis well uh the Cuiiiidii (Jentritl, to foiin ptirt ol the L'an- Hndiiiit i'ui'ilic, we did not receive a flingln cent, ulthough we had thus contriluited to lines in the other provinces. We liiive accordinifly made those lepreseiitutions to the federal novi-rnnient. 1 insist that we have as luiich ritrht to i e aided at Ottawa for the cost of our railway ii.s the Canada <,'eiitral had The building of that line may be ad- vanta^ieous and, no doulil, is so to the North Shore Unilwiiy, but this jaiter is of eipiiil necessity, as it oilers the shortest and inost direct route from the West to the ports ol St. John and Halifax, ami has eipial rights to a subsidy fiiiin the fedinil authorities. We therefore wish one of two tbin^ts , either that the Doniinioii take over the ij!uebec, Mont- real, Ottawa and Occidental Itailwiiy or that we be paid a subsidy per mile equal to that paid to the Canada Central. Those ipiestions aro now tinder consideration at Ottawa and we await a decision. Jly opinion, after careful deliberation, is that we ant sure to succeed." And Mr. Kobertson still t'urtlier emphasi/ed this detnand in hisspe^jchof May ;!0, 1H81 ; — "I ulso subl last year that the (.iuetiee ifov- ernnient had nu'iiiorlall/ed that of (Ottawa tlial justice lie reiitlereil us in the matter of the provliielal railvay. It eaniiot be doulitiil that the sister Province of Ontario received from flie federal liovernnieiit, at I lie i'xi)eiise of tlie other provinces, siilisidles for llie eon- striu'tlon of railways wliieli were not grunted toliuobfe. (Hear, hear.) In this respect, we l»av«* not received Justice from tlie federal >;ov- eriinient, and we are not ilUpum-d to leave the liiiilti'r In Its iii-iHt'lil iiimallsraelor.N' iMttltloii, ll may lie reeullid that Ihe linn. Mr .Mm'- ketl/le, when h" wan |M'i'lllie| nl Ilie 1 1< iiiilliloli, ri'lilled to a ile|iiiliitl'4 III ijlH txe the Maine Miiliilily thai hud heeii' Kranli'd to oiilurlo, thai our piiiV luce oiiKllt III reeelM', and should receive, Ihe di'Mlri'd id loo extravu|{ant, I aiise its Kovern- nii'iits hud shown themselveH iinwor. I thy of sill h assistance. I will nut reply to peisuiiul i|iiestions addressed to admiiiis- tratioiis, but I will reply to those who say that the i'rovince of i^uebec has no rixlit U> that Just claim. If Quebec's debt were diiti : to maladministration, I would say that those leproai lies were just and that its claim of indeiniiity mi^ht not to be satislied. Itiit I the contrary is the truth. With less re- I Sources, i^iiebec has been able to do more in [ the Way id' proj^ress than any other province. I and to-day, among the motives that should ] induce IIS to Vote for the resolutions, it is I well to recall thit Lower Canada has always I shown broad views and has never been ani- 1 mated by a sectional spirit I'OSDITIONS AT THE INIO.S oK IH40. Ill 1840, with a population of 'i,'JU,H72 I souls and a surplus on hand of :;ilM'.i,:tiiij, I it accepted tli>- union on a lootin|{ of eipiality ! with Upper Canada whii h had a population I ofl'J7,441 souls and a debt of $,"),It2.'),7"i). If I >;ive these tifjures, Mr. Speaker, it is from I no desire to discredit the I'rovince of (intaiio I wliiili has succeeded in gaining so enviable a position in the confederation. It is simply to make good my argument that the I'roviuce of •.Quebec has a right to expect, especially in the I'rovince ol Ontario, the liberality, the spirit of justice and the consideratiiui which it deserves to havt^ The ligiires that 1 have given, Mr. Speaker, I will allow myself to support by a citation which, perhaps, will bu new to some nicinbeis of this house. In 1840 Lord Svdenham wrote these lines : — ' In the summer of 18H0 I'pner Caniul the eve of bankruut<'y. Wltli an iiiini Canada wait i on the eve of iiankruut<'y. AVItli an iinnual re- venue ol not ' more than tTH.OOO, Ihe Interest on the delil umounted to £Uj,UUO and the ordinary exiien.ses of the government uinounl* )>il 1)1 iiin.tHMI. iliii^ li'iixliiij an iiiiiiiml ili'llrll III' I. r.'.tMMi, whili' ())•' iili«i'iii'<' III II Mi'ii|M)i't ili- lii'lvril II III iiii' |iii\vi'r III iiiiutiii'iii iim lt-< II- M'liiii'x li.v I III' iii'iliiiiiry mill Ii'ms niii'iiiii-< iiii'iiMt III llii|Hisliiu Iiimh." Ill II li'lli'i, wiilliii ill S'livi'iiiliii, \h:\'.>, I. mil Syili'iiliuiii liiiil ^iiiil ' "Till' III • nil' >llll iiiiii'i' i|lla|ililali il lllilli U lii-lli'M'il ill Ivimliiinl 'I'lii' iiiihiial ill' llrll Ih itlliaily i:7 i.lMlil, ami i'M-itiU IIii ii'- M'litlr. All till' iMililli' s\i>ik> ail' sii^lK iiili'd. Till- I'llllijcralliill ll'iilll llli' lil'iiN llii-i' linrs iltl l'a|>iillv Mini III ui'i'iit liiiinlii'i'x. 'I'lii' Miiliili ttlli'lx till' iinl> iiiiaiiM iilMlihiiu llii' lliialK'i'x, lliii^tiiiirli ii> il will ill III mini' l<)limaliil III alil r|i|»'i I 'aiiailii III mill- i'iii|il,v I ii'a-.iii'.\ ." Siirii was till' |>i>siiiiiii III IHil, iiis (|i's< ril ' lliiil r|i|>i'i' Caiiiulii ill INII was ih a i|i'|iliii'alili tinaiii iai riMnli- tinii. wliili- l.iiwn Caiiaila was iiilvaiila^'i'iiiis- l\ Kltiial) il. Itiit llif'M' larls raiilml lir I'llai fil rimii mil liisltiiv, anil .nr nut In I niiiji'iiiii- c(| to iil'livlmi lii'iaiisi' (hi'v an' I" mn advaii- tl^(«^ Sine)- till- iiiiimi, il Ik ihf I'litviiice of Dndtriii that \\ii> llu' lai'^<"'l sliari' in tlii-Hiiins ••\|ii'n<|i'i| Im |iiilili(' wmk- AihiIIh'I inattii t<) wliirli it is wfll III iliaw atti'iitimi, Ih that tlii'li, as tii-ila>. allim-l all tlir t'liiitiK — mill llify Will' cmisiili'i- hIiIi'-— tlial wi'i'i- )'\|M'iiiii'il Im' iiii- iiii^'ratimi writ- ^ixi.-n in 'iniaiiu iiiiiil witliiii till' last li'W yt'iiis. ami to tin- lu-w proviiH'i's iiimi- iccciidy. 'I'lic l'u>\ incc of t^iiflici' lins liaiilly liail any sliair in tliusi' Kiiiiits. Amlyi'l i.iiicIm'i' lias ih'Mt ilicitiiiiii of iiiaUiii^'' a |>. i\'al(' :;i'ii'\ aiH'i' mit ol lliat|iai- tiality. CllSllirmNS IlK VI KHKl'S I. How III Less (laiini; in luismrss tliaii tin- iiu r lir- HJilc wliirli il livi's. ilii' l''ii'iiiji rat r lia.-. Ihtii ini|M'llnl liy lis cliaiarli'l III otiiri' illii'i timis ol cllmi. It lias siiincwliat nc^'ji'cti'tl llu- iiiatriiai. lint il lias shown fiii-M jiKluiiii'iit ami iiolitical iiisi;;lit. Nm- must \\r lo.sr sight (it the ilittii'iilt londitioiiH in whii li it was ili'V('li'|n'(l. At till' ioiii(iii st, th.' iioliit'ssf, all ot tlii'iii w ho roiilil I Mill tlirir |ii'o|ii'i'ly iiitu iii(im'> ,anil a loiisiili'ialili' I'mtion ul' tiic ilcr- gy ri'tiiiiicd to I'lam I', so that only a lianil- i'lil ol (.'anadians, witlimil iiiiirh ii'soiini's iind almost without I'dm ation, ii'iniiuu'd in IIh- coiiidiy. 'I'lii-' |>o|iiil;!tioii had to nliicati' it- Hidl in a roni|ni ri'd coiintiy, icccivinn' no iiiori- from the mothci' cmiiitiy the aliini'iit of thoii^thl. and iiiialiji' to rt'ci'ivc this alinu'iit from Ihi' iirw mi'tio|ii lis whose lanuiia'^i' il did not iiiidcisiand. (iiilv mu' I'lcnu'iil ol strength w«.s left to the |ieo|)k'. the few inem- lieiN III the I |crir\ who reiiiiiiiieil in fanmlM Itiil IhoHe Irtlt' Hlieplienli «• nieli Wire ei|linl to the tusk. 'I'liey Kalliered together the Nialteri'd fia>;inenl>« of lie' de< itnitled • ■iinmiinilt and li\ theii own ellortM iiiiule and ki |it lliem I mii|iai I and iiniteij 'I'hoKe Willi sjieak of the i^'iiorani e in which the i'h'r;.'v has ke|il the liowei I 'iiiiadiaiis do not know what they ^ay, for it wan the i Icikv who, liv dint lit oiieioiis saeritleeK, founded and inaini.iined oiii ^reat ilaMHii'iil oiHtitn. tiiiiis It was a task, slow, |iainfiil, i rule- fill, hilt il ;,'a\r a sure dirertimi to idi ikiid , nil i'iiIh Neiihi'i '/,eal nm good will was Wanting to the t'aiiadiaii i li'i'g\ ; what il Niiileii'd frmii was \m k ol means aral nieii. As il was reel tilled from tin- |io|iiilu- tion itself, ediiratliiii lierame geiu'ial, and manners and ideas iiii|irovt>d. lio into oiir roiintry iilarex where ymi will tind lieaee and eonlentinent, and if yon eonsiilt the |i'gisli'i» of the i ivil ailtlioi illeH ymi will I set that, tliaiik> In the artioll of the <.'|i>rgy, ' mmaliiv wlmh. in other eoiiniiies, t'atholie as wi'll as riolesiant. seems lodi!i!,nish with the jiiogress of ('i\ ili/.ation. has followed an ' ii|iwaid |iatli, until to-day it has rem lied a ' |iiiiiil of reinaikalile |iiii'ity. And now that I the task of the I'lergy has iitlaineil siuli a Miness, and that we can Imast ol having ' joined with llie sister |iroviiii i s in the dmnaiii ol edllrallull, il does not hesllale to throw itsell into till' iiiiivenieiit ol iinliisti ial |iro- ' gress ill whirii the others hav-' dis- laiiieil it. Needless to say that I share with all my heart tint praim^H accorded to that great pioiiioter of railroads, 1 to that apostle ol colmii'/alion (as clergy and laity have united lo call him), who has done so much Im mir province, I 'mi' I.ulielle. This digres-iiiii was necessary lo estahlish my asseriimi Ihat i,iiieliec, instead tif heingin the rear, has always, in the domain uf ideas, ; answered to the llrsl a|ipe,'tl, and through a j piirespiril of (hivalry has defended the great projei Is with more eiiergv than material in- j teresls. I.OWKIt CANAliA AM) CdNKKIlKKATUlN. iJiirintr the crisi.s trmii ISi;o to IHiM. when the two great provinces were waging war ' against each other, l^ower ('anada had I p|"'i <')iii<>k iiK'iiii>*t Kd'Ik h itiiiitiiiiiliiiii tiii^'lit liuvc ilH rractiiiii mi oiii l«trt, >xritlii».' till- |)ic|iii|i< I- III niiiiif iiii•'• to I"' 'ill oil- i)t«i If to tlic riitiiiiitioii ol li ^ii'iil <'iiiiiiiliHli iiiitiiiimlii)'. WliiMi (III- Hi-iK III K"^''''''i*"'"' WUN (III llicit tu !>•■ lixftl lU IpiM'l I'llllltlilt tti«*ri' wiiM Ni'ui'i'uly Ik iiiiitiiiir W'lu-it tin' Iti- ti'iroloiijiil i|iii-Htiiiii niim ii|i, iiowt'i' I 'iiimilti llfVi-l tllollKllt ol (i|t|MiHliiK'il ptojirt tlllll I'illi'i'll tweiit> million^ ^tt tlii- (IimikisuI of tin' iiihii- tiiin- inoviiirfH. Till- liiNt iricH in fiivoiii ol tlx' r.ti ilii < aiui^ liiMii i.owiT < 'uiukIii, uI. Ilioii^li it wiiri to I itiisr (III- i>\|ii'iii|i(urc lit hioi-i-s ol iiiiliiotiM oiitHiilf of tin- I'roviiii'i' of •JiU'bi'c, hihI aitlioilKli tin- roiul was to oi'i-ii up H ti-ri'ituiy that woiilil kooii lie it^ loriiiiila- lili-'iival. 'I'lii' , poliry ot |iiotertu»ii oiiKi- iiati'il id (Ik- I'loviim- ol (^u>-li>'i , .tt ii tiini* wlii-ii uliiiosi all oiitaiio Inlil tin' Hiitisli Vi<-WH on till- i|i|i-Htio||. 'I'll'- I'l iviiiri- ot l^ui'lii-r tills, ill fact, l)i'i-li tin- ri-li(lt-, tin- xtiL'iiKtIi, tilt' lift' ol all (In- Ki<-at iilitaH tliat huvi' nuuio tilt; ('Hiiadiaii t (mtt'tlfiatitm pros, piroiis. 1 nit'iitioij tlu'Si' tliiiiKx to provi- tliiit the I'rcviiK t- o| (^lu-lii-t; Iuih fioiu tin- lirHt umli-istooti tilt.- < oinititiilionai i(.'^in)i-,tliat it is woithv of tin- I onrnlf.-ii I' which tin' UK tro|ioliN pliii 0(1 HI it in giaiit- iiiK till! hooii of rcspoiisihli! 1,'oviriiinent, ai d that it lia i initlici ictardid the pronit'Ks of tin- nistt-r iiroviiici-H nor heiii in any way a lauHo of if^Tet to them. I In loyalty totht; British (Town has hctJii Uiialttn- alilt-. It dft.ndi-d tin- HiitiHh Hhk in nvri and in IHl'J, with all the uion' dirtinterfstfd- iK'HS that it never receivt-d a cent for its kci- vicc-H If the otlnr provinces un- proud of their Kpirit of initiative, of th manner, m tin- lui^ioii (il politico, all the Nta^es in the I o||i|iitiNt of lilt llhertk (vhicli we now e|ijo\ liHte heeii iiiai'ki'd hv Fieiiih < iknailiitii nanii!*. Is it MirpriHiiiK that, w ith this cliiviklioui < harai - lei, tills ahtii'uiition, that has niiide it cvitr loth to I liiiin its just sliate, thix doiiiinanl hreadlh o| view, mo coimpicMoiiH in its whole career, Lower raiiitda. when inspired hy tin) sudden desire loi railway di'\ "lo|iment shoiild Imve thrown ilsell into the work of I oiiHtiintion with ( ImiacteriHtii ardour' 'Ihii ditliiidtie-^ III which (In- pioviiin- liiidn itnelt to-day prove iiodiiiiK auaiiiHl its aptitiiduu It was never favoured like iiiitario ONTAKIO AN» gl'KHKC \S \HH:j7, !;i(;,:«)l ill Lower Canada, showi'in ii dillerence iiKaiii't the latti'i of 4if7,-J'J,;, 1 4'.i. These aii- tlniitir tigur s are taken Iroiii the sessional documents n| IHHT. To thoBe statements we may add the following - Ualaiiee in hand lu l>ower Canada In 1 Mil .$1H9,UOO lU'iit of I'pper Canada itHiiuined hy (he Culon 5,ii'.'5,77» Tu(al $0,116,085 1 iiiav say, therefore, witliout fear of con- (radicdoii, that in IHOT Cpper Canada had over Lower Caniula the totlowiiui; enurmouu ailvantau:es — Surplus n'i:elvi-(l troiu l.,<>wer C n.". ikIu and <.l(-lit ol Upper Canatla . $B, 116,080 Hurplus ui w'lrks eoiii|»U'te(l In l'|>- per Ciinaila ti.v the Koverniii<>iit 9.UUa,710 Hurplus or works (-(Mistriieted hy I lie liiiiH-rlal Kovernmenl or by private capital 47,4ll'J,149 Plus excess ot" works Iiefore 1841 $iiU, 1100,954 i.:j;i'j,;»io Ualauee aifaliist Lower Canada $U4,ti40,'iu4 10 Such are the enorniouN atlvHiita^t's that in Ih')" Upper ('iiiiadji wiis toiiiid to hiivf over Lower Ciiimdu. KXPK.NniTIIRK HfSCK ('OSKEI>KRATI(lN. Sine* (.'onl'i'deriition there was spent \>y tlie government up to .hine, ISK'.' . ylK.HEC. Halt ways (Iniercolonlal. $ S,40(),000 CanalH U ,000,000 ;iil9,400,000 ONTARIO. RnllwHvH $1;;, 100,001) (.'unals •2l.ooo,((0o $:i4, 100,000 AtJdwinee \HH'l. Works on llic Pacific In Ontario . ..•}; '.',500,000 $;<(i,(;oi»,ooo Quebec 10,400,000 iJllterence In ftivonr of Ontario . . $1 ",'.'00.000 Seventeen millions ! ,\n important tactor in the tinai rial economy ot a yonng pro- vince ! I'OHT Oh MiMINISTHATIOS l\ gl'EriEC Mr. Speaker, the mivernnient has not in the ordinary miinat;ernt-nl of its iittairs ticen convicted ot' extravaj.',ance. Since c(n federa- tion, in tjict, with a suhsidy of over three hundred tliousand dollars less than that of Ontario, wit.i an administration moreditlicidt and more costly than Ontario, it has shown the tollowing sui pluses : — lHt;7-0S j; '20:1, 5IIS i8t!8-(i!i ; ar)0,iti;) 1 809-70 7'J,0!)1 1H70-71 .'iT.inO lH71-7'2 . "Oti,7r)ti iH7'J-7;! ;tjH,i()i i87;j-74 ni.is'.i Maklni? a total lH2.B;to I might add to the amount the sr if $fTi,''i,- 000 which had remained of the fud snhsidy itself in the f lands ofth(^ Ca.iadian Ci ernment and was i)aid into the provincial treaHury as follows : — Drawn oy tlie Joly (Joverinent in 1 878-79 »,500,000 An,000 l^GSD.OOO Never have the ordinary expen.ses exceeded the ordinary revcnin- in the Province of (jnehec. On the contrary, there has always been a consideraliie balance on the side ot receipts. 1 will have occasion later on to examine the circumstances which imposed a • debt of SI9,000,000 on the province. I only make alluHion to it now in ordei to obHerva that, were it not for the chligation to pay in- terest on that, di'lit, a chai;,'c which lias noth- ing to do witn ordinary expenses, tin pro- vince would always have miwntuined a sur- plus. The itiiir or live figures following show this to he the case : — From 1807 to 188'.'— Kxpeiises , .. .$3H,9«8,413 Receipts ;;;<,fi94,'297 .apparent dell. -it $ ;I74,110 ! Jnteresl on ilebl rrom 1875 tol88*J 1,897.738 ileal surplus !ji l,ft'2iJ,ll'-J3 HAILROADS IN VURBBC ANf» ONTARIO. The Province has incurred an onerous debt, because it stood in absolute need of railroadn. It must not he forgotten that In I HUT however, (Quebec had oidy the following lines ; — Mile.s. Grand Trunk from Klvlere du I.i~5 miles Quehei' possessed, giving a surplus of 818. 14. It was in these circumstances that the Pro- vince of tjuehec hail to make sacritices amount- ing to nearly $19,000, 00(» for railways. My hon. friend the member for West Durham has quoted at random, i^ would seem, the sacri- fices made by each province for its rail- ways. He regretted not to have oom- ^' i I f 11 i)l«te and exart HtatiHticH on the Hiibject. I have timlt'Hvoiucd to Kiip|>|y tlic want as till as ifganlK anies, the toial aniMinitint:; to $4, Ut!, KM. 1)4 in money, and ,'"),s.i;»,(MM)a< resollanil. In estimat- ing th>- valne ot those lands, on which my lion. I'lKind would not put any estimate, at Ijl an (ure — and tiiat is certainly not exau- geiated — the l()tal nt the snlisidies irranted hy iae pn)vinc:u tor the encouragement of rail- road construction hy privatt; i onipanies up to the 1st of .July, IHH.!, amounted to $9, '.H7,- OUH.St'.t. At that liate tlierehad heen paid of the subsidies in money a sum ot ."5^.1,4111,- 441.54, so that there remained d.ie to those subsidised companies';*! ,7.'i7,.M'V. 4.'') in money and 5, 82'.', 000 acns of land, 'i'hese statistics relate only to railways l)uilt hy i)rivate com- panies. To those we must add the amount paid up to the Istof.luly, IHHi!, for the con- •structiou of the (juebe(% Montreal, < >ttawa .<; Occidental, namely, |1 ■J,r):i7,',t.^o.4.s (more than a (piarter of a million has been added to that amount since then). As 1 liave alread) said, on the 1st of luly, 1882, there remained due of the snb.'idies granted to those companii's $1,757,507.4,". in money and 5,821", tlOii acres of laml, or, in all, a balance representing' $7, 580, 597. 45. Hy adding these dittei'eiit sums, we shall tind that at the alio\-e-iMi-n- tionuddate the amount of the debt ct)ntracti'd by the province of 'Juebee for the construc- tion of railways, was, if one add ihe interest on the sums paid, a total of $25,H47,542.14, thus divided ; — Monev really | '"d ,$l7,7f.0,lU4 lUI .Siibslillestopay l,7r).j,.Mt7 45 Making a tot id of I'.i,.')! H.54J 14 Uuulat$lan uert^ o,8i;ii,0tl(i o(i Making In all $2,'.,;f47,ri4L' 14 These figures clearly prove that the ditieient Kovetnmeats that have administered the af- tiiirs at Quebec since |8(;7 havi^iot shrunk from sacvifices in order to place the provita e in a position worthy of itself, worthy of the lutf which it is called to play in the confede- ration, an72 '-'1.17 1 3i?l,'_';!;i 1«8,(I88 i,;i51(,0'J7 ioi,7;m l,92:i,a28 1 0. 7 5 ;u.;t7 :ii.02 itii.i.t •-•tt.47 34 1, ;((».') N. W T .•-',«(;i'>,2.->'.' 49,4 ■■9 0,8'JO.IO i>(;,44(j 549 724 ytl7 7r.lt 600 991 I>oniiiii>)n of t'itnada :<,470,;J02 4,224,810 420.19 .-.L'l The pioportion of the Province of Quebec compared with the otluM- piovinces was as follows-. Prince, Kdward Island, 198 miles of railway ; Nova Scotia, t;08 miles ; New Ihuiih- \vi(k, S7i; niih's; Ontario, ,!,S4:! miles ; Que- bec, 1.812 milc^; Manitoba, 504 miles; Bri- tish Columbia, 50 miles, and the Territories, 22<; miles making at that date a total for the Dominion of Canada of 8, 147 miles of railroad. THK Ql-KSTION OF TA.V.^TION. Hut, said my honourable friend, following those who spoke befcc him, why does not the I'rovincoot (,iiie ii part nf tluiir cIkh- hiikhkc. act.-r. It liHH Ix-.Mi Kuid that «.• Khoiild, iiH cai.ltiil uf l.aiiks uii.l ivwrv^ ruiid..$4f.,O0i>,iKM) thfv d(i ill I'ppi-r Canada, tax tlif iiiiiniriptili- Bank 'li-posits 55,000,000 ties for EXI'ENSKH OK .11 STICK. VVliy adt«i>t a plan which wduUI leave the iinpr(;tssii)n tliat coiifcdciation Itad iiiadi- oiii positiiPii iimrc iiitolciahh- tliaii it was tit-fort; '.' [n 1H(!0, ht'foii' conft'deratiou, Tpptir Canada ha7 ; Lower Canailii had 'ilnatly ;*u:^,HM:i. The ailniinis- tration was cmitMion to lioih i)roviuieK which fbrnietl tlie united province ot Canada, and still the expenses of administering jus- tice in Lower Canatia were much m»re coiisidurahle. It was conchuleenses. Although tht; population of (Jntano is larger than that of Ciuehec, tin umstances multiply business in the latter province in a manner out ol pro- portion to its population. Almost all the commt-rcc itf Ontario has to |)ass throufch the Province of <^Ui;liec, and to stop on the way at Mtmtreal t>r 7, and ot Ontnrio, f41,ii!tO,TtlO. The exports frtun Quebec weie $38,'.t72,121, and those of Ontario, $-10,7i)5,- 921, making a tt)tal Ibv Quebec of $92,077,- ;i78, and for Ontarii, of $82, l.'ii^tlHI , a sur- plus in favour of Quebec of $!t,(J20,fi97. The caiiital embarked in oceanic navigation, con- Histing of from thirteen to f'.'urteen lines t>f steamships, and which is almost exclu- sively centred in Montreal, and to some extent at Quebec, amounts to at least $1 .0, 000, - 000 and tjieatesa business of at least$l(),000,- 000 a year, the freight alone amounting to $1,- 000,000 per annum. The capital of the banks imposes on the I'rovint e of Quebec an- other class of busintiss in the courts of con- sitlerable importance as may be seen by the following .statement : — Olsi'oiuU ii nil loans 8l,U00,uui> il.N'I'AKlo. Capital or hanks aiiit reserve I'unil. $25,000,000 Hank deposlls 40,OUU,UUO lilseounl aiitl ItianN tJ2.000,000 srui'i.i's. Capital III hunks ttiul reserve In nd. .^'JO, 000,000 Hank ik-posUs 16,000,000 Distoimt ami loans U»,000,000 VVf obtain, thcrel'ore, on lliese points alone the following stattmieut of business wliich tJu- tario has nothing to meet and which cifates consitlerable jiitliciary expenses . — .Suplusoriniports am' i-xporls $10,000,000 Capital anil husiuess ol ocean sifamsliiii eonipanies 10,000,000 HankluK inisine.ss 19,000,000 $39,000,000 OKNeRAL KXl'K.NOITl'KKS yUEHBC. Thus, Mr. Speaker, the general expenses of the I'lovince of Quebec are necessarily greater than in the other provinces and it i.s not surprising if it is not in the same finan- cial condition as the other provinces are. We must also bear in mind that (^utsbec is inhabited by a mixed jiopulation and that there is thus ticcasion for more considerable general expenses in order to satisfy the min- ority ■ — We have, For the lA'glslattve Council from ISi;? to 1SH2 $050,000 For the samt' period lor parliamen- tary translations, prinltuf; in botli laiit'uages, tloulile suhsidies to edu- cation and etiarity (the last t'roni IStiT to lK8:i) .$700,000 Total $1,350,000 THE RESULTS OF THE AKBITRATION. 1 will not speak here, Mr. Speaker, of the portion which we assumeil by arbitration after 1807 In fact, on the division of the assets and liabilities in 1807, it would seem that the least that should have been done was to give us each in the same proportion. Far from that, however, our proportion of assets was augmented, so that our debts, the assets b(lH AmouiiKlu.' ;i,107,i;i'- HurpluH of anH<'ts lor Ontario $l,t>OH.l «ver $j(.i:^,0(i(i. 'J'his amount is sutlicieid to show that in the respective situation of Ontario and (Juebec since confederation, our pro\ince has been ;>!iiced in a position of inleriority which uives it a riglit to look for ti>e good w ill if not the liberality of the other provinces. THK eUOVINCIAIi 1>KHT. The debt contracted in the I'rovince of Que- bec during the period from 18711 to 18rt:i is here set tortli : — Loan ol 1874 $5,8!":!, :!;!:{ 1870 4,iH5,;<;{5 1878 :<,00(t,000 1880 4,'J7r..8u:! " 188*2 :^,0()0,000 " i88:i r.oe,oo() .$iH,8r>4,r)-Ji The dates indicate the obvious responsibi- lity of each governmeid. 'I'he government of M. DeBoucherville augmented the debt by $8,078,(;(i8 ; the govi-rnment of Mr. .Joly, $:j,OO0,()OO, and that of wbi( h I had the direc- tion by $7,770,8r):i.Such is the responsibility of the DeBoucherville, Joly and (Jhajileai; govern- ments respectively, in regard of the railway debt. The following Hums were paid tor the Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and 0(;cidental liailway by the governments specified : — TUe iK'ltoueliervllle (ioveiiuneiif— 1875 , $ t!5(»,700 187(1 l.:f.".',Of>,'i 1877 ;i,2o;t,i:to 1M78 2,141!, 108 $7^»'Jl,iti»« ,loly tjovernment-- 187« $ Hti,78tl 1 879 1 ,il00,l)80 1880 200,000 $2,187,706 The t«tal expended for the year ending .liine .■f0,l88(), was$Jt;8, rj'.t,but there was a sum of $G8,12'J chargeable to the ( hapleau (govern- ment, which came into power at (lose of 1879 : ('hapleau (jovernnienl— ISSU $ 08.129 1881 2,20(!.;{28 1882 8;>7,391 .t;:!,9.".8,727 I have not to justify the adniiuistiations of Messrs. de Houchcrvillt! and .loiy, which are not att4icked,biit 1 mav justify myself against the attacks that have lieen made on me, and which have served as a pretext for those vyho are nali>' opposed to granting (Quebec her claims, i'lic expenses of the administration of which 1 liad the direction, the em- ployment of all the sums that were liorrowed under it, have been veriti<'(l dollar for dollar. Besides, the acconids and state- inents of these expenses are i.t (Quebec and aciessiblu to everyone. I defy any person to point out :he expenditure of a cent that was not legitiniiite and piolitable. But I will spare this house the enumination ol lignres that would weary it. Nevertheless, I had thought it proper to bring them together in such a way as to be able to give any de- sired iiifoiniation in the most complete man- ner ])ossibIe. 1 will for the present content content myself with a mere recapitulation. Then; was paid for the railroad . By .^Ir. DeBoueherville .•87,,t2 1,999 HyMr. .lolv 2,187,7ti7 By Mr. Cliapleau ;!,i)r>8,727 Mr. DeHoMelierville contracted tins tirst uUliuiition uii'J spent 7,321,000 Ksliinaleil expenses lor completion and for engagements incurred at 2, SKI, 955 •iiil, 838,974 Mr. .ioly, on assuming charge of tlie road, spent $2,187,705 Lt>ll ennageinenls incurred for 2,113,314 .$4,301,081 Mr. Olmpleau completed the roatl lor $3,958,727 fifss engagements left by Mr, Joly 2,1 13,314 Itesponsihility of the Chapleau gov- ernment , $1,845,413 14 Kt)i- (•omi)lt'ting tlio wnrkH, Inr iDlliii^; stock ami tiii'iiiHliiiii^rH (tlir IhmI liiivjiig uddcil $:|,2o(i,ij((i) to (he viiluf >>( till- Kind, llmt valuiitidti liiiviiiK l)''<'ii act <'|>lt'd \>\ llic I'm i- lic compiiny.) TUB SALK uh IHK 1( All.tt AV. Mr. Sjit-akcr — Tliu culiiimt of whirh 1 waK lii'wl lias i)ciMi lilaini'd toi having' sold the railroad, and the lioii, lucini'iM lor \V<-st Dim- ham iias waid that tlii' . Mr. fS|)eak(U, that from the very beginnin.(of my parliamentary career, Hince my earliest utterances in tln^ Legislative As- sembly, 1 have had two ohject.s in view : 1 matle up my mind that the Province of Que. bee shouiil he a manufacturing as well as an a^cricultural community. A coun- try which for li\'e months in the year is ciivered with snow can not be exclusively aRricultunil. A>;ri- ciilturit shoidd always have the first plac((, foK the returns of the soil are the siu'est and the most considerable, and their abundance or their scart itv deter- mines whcllier the year shall be one of pros- parity f)r of gtaieral crisis. But 1 always .-•aid that in the province of Quebec tlie efforts of legislation shoulil be turned to- wards the development of its industrial and uianufacturinn wealth. Wi^ have a couiitrv ol splendid watei' powers. In the advan- tages which it thus oilers for industrial ope- rations, it is second to none. All that it needed was railways, and these it behooved us to give it at any cost. Anothtjr object that I hiwl in view was that the region north of the St. Lawrence, even as far as the Lau- rentides, a region whiih if (^'cr evil days should come again, may be the bulwark of our liberties, should be devi'loped aufl cciunected with the great ceidres of population. For that end it was necessary to build a railway from Quebec to Ottawa, along the north shore of the great rivers St. Lawrenct^ and Ottawa, with branch(!H towards the interior. I differed, however, from those who thought that the (ioverninent of Quebec should undertake that work. l'Ot.M'V OK (HIVKIIN.MKNT OW.SINU BAII.WAYS. When in |h7.') the lion. .Mr. DeMwiicher- ville uudeitook the consiruction of the Que- bec, Montreal, Ottawa and Oc( uleittiil Kail- way, I thought, with one of the couipanieri that ((immeiired that enterprise, that the Quebec government caight not to assume charge ol it. M the time 1 wrote an article, which 1 have since luul occasion to rjuote in the house, asking that tln' construction of tbe load should be left to the Northt^rn Colo- nization Kailroad Company, of which Sir Hugh Allan was president. 'JMie Hon. Louin Beaubien, who has changed his mind, was then ot the same opinion as I \>as. We asued the government to givt^ an aiiditional subsidy of .iil.uiiUiOuo ti> each company rather than undertake the ' oustruction of the road itself 1 ilo mit mention this to exonerate myself from the responsibility resting on the J>e Bouchervillu and succeetUng gov- ernment. My ailvice was not followed, and then, seeing the generous effort made tor the construction of the road, I su|)i>orted tho Dt; Bouchervillc administration, and to-day I lake, as I took then, upon n>e, both by vote and utterance, till the responsibility of the construction of thi- line. When the ijuestion of theadvisabilitv of keeiiing and operating the roai liiiii tlmt lir lias tin; <\>ns(. i(iii8in'sH 111 li(i\ iiij: iImh; In.. i|iit\ Tlu^re is i)i»f ri'iuiiik I Wd'iM like to iniikf iu ilfftTiKC of tli»' <lii|iiillV, alinllii'i to a Nviiiliciili', wa>< iiiiuli' on i omlitiniis not only iKlvaiilapMiiis, Imt siuh as (oiilij oiil\ oci 111- lit llic time \ "ii llu' sale was flVectt 1, F iiiiiy say witli- that our road did not bring; its full value. THK SAI,K OK THK NonTH SlIOHK. Some have retorted that if the east sidi' from Montreal to (Quebec had been sold for $4,.")00,000— 5;4,OO0,O0(i in money, and !?."iO(i,- 000 in works to be completed — how is it that the purchasers re-sold it to the (iiand Trunk with an eviilent profit of a million of dollars. 1 must Hsk tbe himsc to pardon me this digression which is of a personal nature L am obliged t* establish my position bti'ore this house and before the country, and 1 do so to-day because it is the first opportunity that I have had. When it was .said that the part of the road between (.^uebei and Mont- real was sold for $4,000,000 by the gov- ernment, and that the purchasers re-sold it for 15,000,000, one thing is lost sight of, and that is that after the nale the piirchaserH had finished works at Montii'al valued at over $|iMi,iHHi, on the -oad foi over jTrijiMMi, while at i^iiebec they bad s|)ent ,i;'J.".0,0(io to cliant;e the roi.te and tianster it by getting along the St. C'hniles. Nor did the objei tors t.|ate that the puri'hasiug ciim|iiiiiy made the iKipiisi- lioli at the City of l^licbec of HilO.IKlO feet of land that had been offered to my govrmmfnt at the rate of a diillai a foot. Il is not sur- prising, then, that all those iici|nisitiiins and improvements should have increasi'd the value of the road, and that the owners made their estimate in accordance with tlii^ fac t. lie- sides, the prolit, if it exists, is not a pioht in money on the price of the le-sitb', bill the auiiiiiiil of debentures issued on the road — (IcIh ntiires whose rcali/.atioii will greatly de- pend on the state of the market ot railway projKity — debentures, moreover, foreseen in the legislation act authorizing the wiles, and the piolif of which was to serve for the coiniiletion of the road. In fiu t, there was no re-sale o( the road. Those who control it to-day have only assunieil the ic- sponsibililies of the debt «if the fust .iiipiir- ers lowards the go\crnment. They have given, it is true, their guarantees to the d>.'- bentiiics .iiilhorizcd by the act, and have us- siimed the interest by means of a new traltic, augmenting by so much the productive value of the road. In vain has prcjiidire tried to j)lay upon the popular credulity. It was well enough that the holders ot the bonds, eager to tind Ijuyi'is in tl)>' lOiiropean markets, would not contradict the fabulous value ascribed t > them. Once more ( reneat, I defy my detraitors to tind a man idmpctent in railway busin. ss to say that the road did not receive the highest juice the government could then obtain, and higher than could be got to-day if the road were in thf same condition as when it was sold to syndi- cate. REASONS FOR THK K.M'LAN ATIO.NS. Tf I take SO much time in explaining this matter, it is because circumstances have as- sociated me with the tinancial des- tinies of the j)rovin(:e, and that my past share in its affairs iden- tities mo in a manner with its present condition. It would have betm well nigh imjioswible for me to explain the situation of the province- without occasional reference to the administration which I had the honour to hwl before being called to the post which I occupy at present. It must be well known H] ttiiit ill nil tli)> iittrnks direc ted aidiitiHt tho I)it)viii((' cf (.^iiilicc it Ik llic pi'iiod of my ad- iiiiiiisliatinii i's|ii'riitlly timt is in ijiii'Mhoii, Hlld I wlinlll tlli-V I'lllllXi' with lirill^' l<'.s|;(i||- hililt' tor till' di'lii itn im tlic |)n>\'in( iiil Imd^fl. Ill fact it is Willi this liitsc |ii-'i(iicc thui my fiicinirH tritd to dcslioy my ri'imtiitioii imd to ruin nil' in thi; piii'liiimrnl whcic I hiid uli- t4Uiii'd II -'lit. I tiioii^ht, thiTt'liiit'. Mr. SpciiluT, tlmt I woidil not lie iiliiiNJiiK y<»iir ^iiod will iiiid thill w.m<'mhi'i'K in this house It' I [iruliti'd hy liiirs occaHion to vindi< lite my |ti'i'soniil honour iind |>oli(i(al I red it in the loimtiy. I liavc iiotli- iiii; to coiK'fiil ; nothing to t'i'ai'. I iirvfr hiokcd lor the !i|>prol>Htioii ot' I'vcry OIK'. Ill till' iiuini'Kius iind t-a^ir poli- ticiil IriiyK of whirh niir piovinci! has hccn til"' thcairi', wt' had to tfikc Mows as well us ^ivi' tliciii. I have had my shaic of wounds, hut thi^ only oih's that iaiik!< d wcii! liiosc in- flirted liy my own frifiiils. It was my il|- fortiimi to he atlackiMJ in my own camp. I deplore and still I'l't;!'' t this di\ ision. |{|it I declare that in spite oi those attacks, m spite of the naluial impalii'iice which they liave caused me, tlier*' lenuiins in m\ mind iieillier bitterness nor reseutiui'iit, Ilaviii;^ never acted through passion, I can speuk without bitt(!iiiess, and it is with the desire and tiie hope of liriiiging those who comhat ine to Sentiments niiu'c just repirding me that I have entered so minutely into the details of that railway i)olii'y on whicli they have based their attHckti. HUMMAHV OK TlIK AHUI'MENT. So much for the railway policy of the '.Que- bec administration of which J was the head, and so much for the (losition of the Provinct! of Quebec on that question. T have showe which is ciffc'ed to it by to-day s measure. iMK cAVAUA I lATHAi, srusinv. My hoiKiiirable trietid, tiie member tor West iMirham, tries to maintain that the sub- sidy given the railroad fnun I'emliroke to Lake Nipissiiig represents an expenditure in t.'ivoiir of Queliec, the eijiii valc'iit of wliic h was devoted a collide ol years ago and last year to the liiiilding ot the lira\ <-iihiirst and < 'allan- clei line, which is intended to direct the coin- iiieiie ol the West by the I'ac ilic into the I'lKvince of (inturio. 1 beg to ditVer from my hoiioiiralile friend. What was spent on the road trom Lake Ni|iissing to I'einbroktf wat< spent ill (iiitaiio aiul sei\es the local traihc of that iirovince. Aceording to the argument of the hon. member the harbour of Montreal Would be no prolit to the Province of Quebec because its immense trader is to a great ex- tent that of an inlirfinl. Hut no, the geo- gia|ihical position is what should guide ns in the distribution ol public im- provements. Moreover, if the territory in dispute between Ontario and Ottawa falls ultimately to Ontario, the portion of the Pacitic built in tliat province will be doubled and its local trade benelittv; in the same pro- portion. Even if an indemnity of ?! 2,000 a mile had been given to the! jirovince on the line from Quebec to Montreal, it would not ha\ e been unjust, The government, in its solicitude, would have given a portion of that subsidy, under the form of useful works, to the part of the province that extends from Montreal to the port of (inebec, with the as- siiraiice that in a near future the latter would be the terminus of the Pacitic. It is not for me to reproach Ontario for its demeanour in dealing with this part of the question. I have only tried to appeal to tlie sense ot jus- n tico of the mcnilMTH of Hint pnivirKc 1 tin> ^liul tn Niy lllllt tllllt K'ICIlt |M^;|•t'K« tllllt it llllH in llifVdl, liotll III itH own iicdit ami to tlir prolit of tin- wliolt; Dominion Ami I iiin Kure tliiil my iip|>«.iil will not liiivf Ix't'ii iniuli' in vrtin, that we nmy rrly on tlir k<""' will, (liu Hpiiitof ••<|iiiiy nnd liluriilit> ol'lliohf nn'inlu'is. Ami now. Mr. Spciikii, I iliiiw lo II clos.' witii the ic- miiik tlint tin- motion of (he lion, mcnilit;!' for Wi'Kt Diirlitiiii \x oik; tlmt oii^ht to In; re- Jt'itL'il liy till- Ontario mi'niticiH, to wlmm pupiM iiilly It is iiililrcKscil. Ah for tlit' nimi- timt- iirovimt.'i^, tin; ^fovcrnnu'nt liiis kIiowii tlicm lilieriility. Ontnrio, riilicr, iiml Ix'ttt-r piidowi'tl with llif fostfdnn lielji of thr liiKt Imlf rtinliiiy, would l.c liii kinu in jimtiir if it how told till! (,'ovniiinifiii tlint it would not Kiipport it-* jxilicy iinlt'SK il n rcivcdan etniiva- Icnt to (^iiflncH Miltsidv- That province in wealthy, itn trt'fwury in well filled, and no ohf Ih iy laisiiiK stelional prejudiees lllidel the disguise of equity. It is essentially unjust in its eharaeler. And for that very ri ason il will he reje. ted l.y this hmise in favour ol the eipiitalile resoliitioim 1 whieli lire now siihmitled. The lion, >;enlle. 1 man was freiineiitly applauded dm in^ the »le- I liverv of his speeh, and reMimed his seat 1 amid unthusiastic applause.