IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I If m ^ 1^ IIIIIM IIIM IIIIM III 1.8 1 1.25 1.4 1 6 •« 6" !► V] <^ /2 ^. '<5. ^* <^^ // '^ M V Photographic Sciences Corporation d ^ V ,v ^^ O *% V 4> ^ 8./,. (HANSARU HKVISLIi) Mr FOSTEH.-I venture to ask the "o";';^;;;',,;'aiTus'ilMruV'a\.ri\t;v tho mmmmmmmm ?^o rcSde^atkm uj to th. .-;-'; ,!^,>'-, ^^, a m' "I'v w|u.h sunn.uMU, u ami ally, is a plain an.l sunple one, ai .1 V/''., h.^l io-'''il ii>n.' i> 'I"'' '•■^l''V' }'' ^''\ , he Ue importance Nvhich attaches to a ' \ '. '' , f,, ,, se..>.', Uo nul l.eloou U> Ih^ liieatK^n s^th it of^;^^^;^^- -^^^;, ^-^ ;^ jl^-is^ou of the Muest.on pro,.... 1 u-U rSrn^U Uiesf anit milA, a few ..nKuUs upon e^ Not a auestion of Provincial Faghts- ^ ^ ^ ^ The first of these questions wl.i.h is '>!';|'K'^' "'' Ti,''H!^orJiolnrmaal'iM Uu^ p,.o,u'b ILfore the IhLe is "-,^t «f Pyovjneu , ^ ■ . ^, '^^ ,,,,r,ian.ent to atten.p U lh:.r:^. i^.;^'^ni;]:si;o i-i-''^v^ -;-:-.;;• '-T^al^l^ |\.; ;:^. It^it. inv huinhleoi.iaiontliat 11 eaniH.t be ''^''!> J." ., „.. the ConfV.UTalion A t, Hh[^i;S-:f.:;.;!;r.^^ K °i;a:.;upiatiM:y ^[- ,-'-'-;;- !:;if.ri:;''u,;n." w- wu,.., ... ..ette.. country up to l h. pr.'sei.t ^^ ^ /; ' ^\ : ;, , , ,„ M utiio .i >-'. •" -I "^ oir- the p.iviie-e- ot 'Vr' ; en -el t tJ ■ u l.v I!k. .o,,.! inl.oa. tion, and wei-e suj.posed to hi- ^euiu d in tin k.'pl ■' hands tiie eoiisticn Not a au33tlon of Soparate S^r>3l^. ^ ^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ \noth.M-siae issue that is Ur.n.h'. up '^ '1';' ,;i':;:;i';^iiW b":^^ •• f-'-^'''' V^l' „.M;\"m^- hen.^elv.si....pP?sit.onlo,v.n. a .^ tU. question woe be r :i;,';.o, beU-ve m 'n^Sl''''''7''^i,;',"r;' ,^'1 'l ..ou.wnrhn.^uw,.llbav.. ^l>:ira'<- sehools sho iM, or s!> >uld n->t. "■ iVN, ;• bcrii ili'liiii'"' ill l-^ii'i w'i"'i ''liif "^ysli'iri .v!is .I'lopMiii for tho ]n V II,.,. Ill' Oiir.irin • ^i 1^ ,,Mc vvlii<'li mivlit ^'oll linvc liocn .1 •hatP'l ui)r»ii priiiciiil(> hi ImIT ,iim1 IsTo ss]^,.,. these scllimls were lieiie^ piriiet \lal e'i Ullfle;- the ( 'onlederat ioil Aets. Hilt it is Hill a whieh is fit stake t.o-dav in the h>ast ilc^ve ; aid, for tiiy .lun pail. 1 lielievi [MMIK'Hile . . that I have no 'Miilil loti'ke niv pfeT :)ie h'Ust nil this oeea-i'ei, l)llt that ' r^Mico nil t Vi !!riiieiple iiitd eoiisi.li. ration am n n\y e illeil npoi if a elaiise of the coiistitntion flii'l ;i 'Vise wiiich at'lses nut of i <> (leal with 1 1 III ouestioii •i|ih' \\as se lied once and for all ill re'^rafd tfi the minority's ri'.i |, ill vvhi, ii that juin- eon It fed"!- tion. in .1 lodii'd in I he const it lit io 1 1 it sidf. y the fathei's of Nil 1 GriSTie for E :t3ti3iou of Sapxrato'SchaDla. 1 side ar'.j,ii'in'nt, lint whieli intliienees some people in this House and is meant Io inlhieiiee more iieople outside this House, thai IliisislnU (he first step in It si'iia'ale sidionl einsnde. .and tJial if 1 his U'fiishil ion I a ices place for I lie pro- viiK-e of Maiiitolin. n)ion tlint rnsnlt will lie Iniilt an as^;ressiv(> campaimi for the aiiofitinii of seiiai:it<' s( liooN i i the otlu-r pro\ in<-es. 'I'hat was expressed liv m> hori. frien.i from West V ir'c ' .M r. Wallaeel: that was also txiveti voice to liy my lion. frieiKl f-.' I 'JreylMr. Spronlel who madi', [ thiiiU. a somew hat imporlaiil and a somew liat, '■(•!! nresome a ^si rl ion : and I call it to his mind now, in the interest of fair and Hist «(eii.,te. r liiid that in his address to t his Mouse, as printeil in the "Hansard,"' he m.ide this si.iti'iii lit, after advaiieinp the .MrL'timent that this was lint tlie 'irst step ill a crusjide for t he iirossiiii,' of separate sclmols upon the North-west . and I hen iqion I he ot her pin- iiH-PS : '•The Sctiool Hill pn^si'd in tlie Vorl li west ;i«se'nhly has heen held in /diexance. and has not vet reeei\ed I he .assent of I he Dominion (lovernnient. Why is it lield in altev.ancc .' Hecaiise tlie eler'jiv do not .M)inr ve i-if it." 1 ask m.s linn, friend no\\ to ..rive to thi~ House the ;rroiind foi- his assertion a.s I here mad". yir. SIMUX'T.K. The "ground '.f my assertion is a reply made by .\r(hliishop l.anu-evin at. T thiiil-'. either Piiiier. .\llieit or Kdmonlon. saying.; tliat it was not acceplalile. and that flie ^am(> nrinciiile was nt stake there as here. Mr. I'OSl'l!!!. Thi >i I \vish to lell my lion, friend tliat he iie\pr should )ia\e iiiaih' a statement of ftinl koid. The fact" that Archhishop Laimevin said in the .N'orth-west that a sc'ioo) oriliiiance was not aeecDlahle to the cleiuy may lie a fact ; that this ordinance was not .i-srntrd to by t he l.ienten.inl -( Jen ernor may lie a fai t ; hnt \\lieii mv lion, ft jiiid puts I hose t w , I acts lov,ei her as cause and se(|iience, I n isli to tell liim that ^le is not wari'ajited in doiiisj; so by any rule of louic, and 1 vtish to tell him more. I liat t her,- is mil tlie lirsl scini ilia of I rnt h in his stntemeiit. Mr. 'sPlPirLE. The renort of his sjieech must heal! wionji' then. Mr. I''()>ovt of whose speeih ' Mr. SPliOI'M'J. — .\rchb stem Laim.'vins. Mr. l'"(1STICn. -Who made that siiee(di i It is well to ask whether the speech if in.ide bv Archiiislioii [,aniievin bears out t he (diartxe of the lion, lientlernaii. Mr. ids. i refuse to look upon this ipiestion in that, li.Lcht in tlie least deijfree. Tlii^ is not a ipiestion of Catholics and Protestants, it is a simple i|uesfion of the rijiht of minoril ies. some of those minoi'ities beinic Protestant and some of t hem beinu; Cat hnlic I am sorry that nun in this Hnii-s, and men outside of the House, cannot a,i)))roa(di a sini|)le ipiest inn of la^'t nf thai Kind without import iiiu' into it ihesiiirit of that -'liscussion whi(h ratri d wiih \iiln.-nci! in past years, but which we wore hoping, in these more advanced years, would timl less food for its suslenance, and less scope for its work. ^ % ■I Not a Question of Party. 'Pliis i|iiosi imi is ;ils(i complic/ited l).v the sirifi- of p(i>'lisanslii|), and I atii not savin;; tli.it |i:iri ics on hoi li sides have iintrdiit riliiitcd to the ditlicultiivs of sell linn this (jUi'siJDii. I ha\c no licsitation in ^.lyiii^i thai Kid or "JlMl st■n^illh• men hrounht. tovtcthiT frt'f friini ihcsr >>iii<- issin-^ and iiicjiiiiiccs and puii iNan^hip, nn'tlinu lo^ii'thi'i and lai World would he poor and mea.m-e indeed. 'I'hese Lwo principles of f^ood faith .ind a liroad and Licnerous toleraiimi arc principles \vhi(di ha\e nowhere heen more s( r(Uiuiv illiisi rail''! I lian in ine grow ih, in the progress and in I he inescnt condition (d ilicereaiesi emicire in the world, 1 nie.an the Urilish i']mpire. tireat Hrilain is a nation whiih has h. en (list in'.;iiished hy tlie tenacity with which she held to every compact and eVt'iy aurccment. .She has" heen distinguished no less hy thai s]>iril of generous ,ind l)r()ad toleialion with whi.h ^.he has treated every religion, every class of naiionaliry which form the components of her great I'^nipiri'. Now, Sir. these two i)!-iiieiple.s of ■.•.ood faith aim loleratiou are Ihe very principles which underlie our coustitui ion. and especially t ho-e clauses of the ioiist it ut ion under w hich I hi )ireseiit tpu;sl ion arises, and w liich have lo do wiiii 1 he- ediicat ion.il rights of minorities in the dilleretil urovinces of i he Dominion. Is there a Compact? The lirst tiluliou under wliii hw-e live which ha.s lirst lo he cou I > m nkh'.red before wo can Klve our (locislon upon this question? Tlio answer is plain and (lelliiite. 'I'here in a coniiiucl in tlie constiliition of eonfederalioii ; tlicio is a HetioMil coriipii t ill tlie const il III ion of Miinilohu, ratilied by tlie Hritisii I'iuliuiujnt, and uitdei wliicli she bcciiinu a purl of this Dominion. Ii is (in idea wliicii liiis curiciii y in the country, that for those conipnet oliuises in llie coiistitnlion aii;nard in tlic const iiui ion. in form of an appeal clause in favour of reIi)^ious minor ities, Its re^:anls 1(1 uciuional work was not raised in any case by the Catholics of an> province which cainc iiitoconfederat ion in l.s()7. It was not a (|Uestion raised by the (ill holic peupjc of NovaScotia, it was not a (piestion raised by the Catholic miimiity i;i \e\\ Hiunswi(k. it was ncit a i|ueslioii raised by the Catholic maimity in t he prnv incc of (.^iielicc, and it was not a (|uest ion raised by the Catholic minority in the itrovim tOntario. Hy whom was it raised} Simply and solely by the I'rotestaiil iiiinuriis in the province of (Jucbcc, and that point is one that must be settled and thoroughly settled in our rniinls as beiuji a necesHary basis for the con- siderut ion of i he <|ucst ion. Ml. W.\ l.liA(Mv Permit m« to ask a (|uestioii. If it was not asked by the I'rotcstant inajority of Ontario, liow diil it become part of the constitution contrary to the wishes of Hon. (ieorge Hrown and others^ All. l'"()STi;i{. if Hie hon. ^;entleman will allow me to proceed I will answer that iiiicsiion in due course, and 1 will answer it thoroughly. ArisiiiR out of long years of seclarian and relij^ious strife under I'nited Canada, opinions ami eon- victioiis ill reference to tliis matter became fj;iMdually inoditled, aiul, when the repre- sentatives of t he four provinces came toejiaher at tiiiebee to take up, discuss and settle ail icles of confederaticjii, tlu^se convictions rapidly and delinitely resolved IhemscUes inio I he 'let ('riiii nation that it should bo laid down in the const i tut ion of I he coiiiil ry that whatever rijihts and jirivile^ti's religijus minorities had in the jirovinces al t \u' time of confederation shonUi iiiaint.iiii ch-'ir status quo and should not bechanced. A ml so the lirsL paraj^raph of i lie educational clauses of the con- federation resolutions gave by general consent to the provinces the power to deal with respect, to eilucation : " Sa\inn I he ri^ihts and privileges wliich ('atholic ir Protestant minorities in " lioth Canadas may possess as to their deiioniinalional schools at tlie time when '■ the union j^oes into operation." The only ehaii^'c which took place in that clause w.is this, that instead of its being (•onlimd to l(()th Canadas, it was broadened to iiu^lude the provinces which entered confederal ion. The Protestant Minority Not Satisfied. I^ut. .'"^ir. was that satisfactory to the I'rotcstant ininorily of the province of ',»ueliec .' It was not. 'I'lie I'roCestant minority of (Quebec, led l»y Hon. .AH-. Halt and others, refused to discuss the articles of confederation, refused to accept the fact of coiifed'-rat ion unless ->oinctliiiigel>e was done to make the Protestant niinor- iin;i <'i emueci'-iiii ion unless ~>oiiieiiiiiig ei>e wus none i o iiiiiKC iiie r i oiesiiviii iiiiiiui - ity secur(> not only in the rit^hts wliicli t Ik > possessed, for lliis security was fairly vNcIl given to tlieiii by the ciause I have read, but to thL.s;' for which they nad been agitating, which they did not then possess and which Hiey wisncd to possess. There were only two ways by which these additional (lowers cMild oe got : either by legislation in the I'arliainent of rniled (Janada before confederation came into opcratliMi, under vvhicli state of things they would have been secured liy the general clause I liave read ; or else by placing anot^her clause in the constitution, so that when they got those rights after confederation they would have them secured to them by the dominant power of conft-deralion, acting through the Federal Parliament. This was a question brought up, as I have said, by the Hon. Mr. Gait. And how was it settled in the end ? It was attenqited to be sV-ttled by legislation in the jirovincial parliament which was inomised in 18tM, liut svhich was not brought down ; which was brought down in istiti, hut which, owing to complications which arose, was not passed ; which it was then promised by Sir (ieorge Cartier and other French leaders would be enacted Vjy the Quebec legislature after confederation •(institution which should make this post union legislation secure for all time to oine i This clause which was proposed by Mr. Gait and unanimou.'jly agreed to by he other delegates reads a& follows :— 1 ^■ .4. \ > " And ill iiiiy pritvinrc wlicrc ii Myntei i (if Hcpnriift' or disspiitiiMit schodln hy law ohtaiiiH. nr wIhti- t lir Incil IcKisliitiin' iniiy lu'icufttT mloiil a sysicni of si'iiariitu hcliditN. an aiipcal ^^llall In- iiia to the (inviTiinr in Coiiiicil of llii' ^I'lnral unvi-rii- iiifhi tiuiii ilif aiMs ami ili-ciHimis dl tlic Idi'al am lictrilifi which ina> allci i dio liu^hl^ or pri\ ili'H»' • of I'"' I'rolf.-^taiit nr CalhuJic niiiiorily in the inallci'iir cil neat ion. Ami t hi- K'lit'iai pari iuiiu;ut shull have power by till' ia>.l rc^.nrl to Icyi^laie on tho HUll.ji'Cl," 'I'iic I'lI'tM-l of cinlKiilviiiK itiis clanHc in till' ('(iiiHtitiition is that aii> post wtiioii li'vriHlatioii Miili a>< ha- lucn promised to I lu' I'rult'slant iiiinoiily lon-ummatiMl alliT roiilcdi ration wnnld la- siiiiifd ihroiivih lhi'ap|,fal to I he j,'t'm lal r/uliaiucnt^ and tlu'oimli ilif doiiiiiiaul noucr in that farliuimnl, wliirh was Mi|ipc)>HC(l at that liiiic to lie Millicitoit and to III- relied upon liants of t^nela'e leiepied that selllemenl and actepted it loyally. It wiis the sine loia iion ot the l'roie>.lanL ioinoril\ nt i heir inlranee into eonfederatioii. I want t.. ...ake t hi-^ puinl aseiearas it is true, thai (^iiehecrroleslants refused to enter into cuiiredeiai imi unless w hat they regarded as e>seiil ial to t liein ill the way u( separate schools, ami \n liieh eoiild only he jri'anUil liy the (^iiehee legislature after eonfederatioii, was alr^oliilely secured lo llieiii l>y such a clause. .Now , .-.ir. I Ills, as I have slated, was an ail icie whicli was placed in the const it ii- lion iif Canada, not sniUKK'»'d into it. Inn placed in it after years y the I'loioliuL iniiioiii \ of C^ucIhc, and thai ••iiie (|ii;i non is simply, as 1 have staled, of \aliie ami worth to them, as il dejicnds iijion an a|>peal to this I'arllameiil. and the '.^ood faith and power ol t.liis r.irl lament lo protect them in the mat Ler of i li-ir apiieal. Mr. McCMi'l'll ^ . Where docs the lion, tientlem.m mean, i hat .Mr. Saiidlield Macdoiiald mo\ed and spoke al/oiit I hat .' .\l\' lecollcction is llial he was not one of the fat hers ot confederal ion. .Mr. l'"OSi'I'M{. He was not. hut, he was a memh i- of the liiited rarli.iineiit, wdiere this was discussed. .Mr. i;i)(I.VK. He was strmr^ly op|io.sed to confederat ion. Mr. KOS ri';K. -That may he hut he discussed the arti.'Iesof coiitcderal ion. He e.spressed opinions with rejianl to (hem. ami no doubt, expressed the opinions of the Homan ('.atiiolic minority in I he jiios ince of Dntario in lelerence to them. .\nd, since the hoii. gentleman (Mr. .Mct'.irthv » wishes to know what .lolin ."saiidlield .Macdonald staled, it is this : " F, as a Cat hoiic, lake the jifound tli.il I ])refcr iu\ jieople to trust to t he Kood sense of the majority in Ontario, as the minority in t^uehee should trust to the iiKi.jorily iheie, rather than to ha\e any ili\ided power on tlie(|Uestion of education." .And he moved : ■■ i'lial the follow in-- words lie added to the ori',:inal motion :-• And that it he an iiisirnciiou to the said commiit'-e to i-onsider whether .-iny const ii.utional restriction which shall e.-vvlude froin the loi-al ieiiislature of upper Canada the entire control jind dircciion of edmat ion. .subiect only tii the approval oi- dis.ipproval of I lu- ^.i-iiei-al Parliament, is not (ali-iililed lo i-reate widesjiread dissat isfact ion, and teiul to foster and cieale Jealousj and strife betueeii the various religious bodies in th.it section of the province.' That ameiidi-inent w a> itcbated. and, .Sir, the result of the debate t hat it w as lU'Ltativi-d by an almost overwhelmiiiLC majority, t he *-< for and P.") auainsl. Now, .Sir, not only was that article put in after discussion, anil ufier ,in iinlec-edeiit strife of half a eeniury but, Sir. it w;is put in liy ami with tlie full consent of men of bothshades of j poll tics, and of men of the very strongest personal f(-elin,i.c in opposition to the principle of si))arate schools. To show ilu- importance of t he (inestiiui to tlu- Quebec minority, and till' views of the stron.t;- men of tiie time let nie iiuote : Sir A. T. C.alt said : " Tills n-;is a ipiestion in which in Lower t'anadi they must all feel the ffreatest interest, .-ind in respetJt to which more misap|irehcnsion miKht lie sup|)osed to e.xist ill the minds, at any rate of the Protestant population, than in re;^ard toaiiythin^^ else connected with t lie whole scheme of federation." Mr. Hollon represent inj^ the Enjiiish J'rolestants, said: " The Kuf^lish I'rotestants of Lower Canada desire to know wlial is to he dono in the matter of education before the liiial voice of the people of this country is pro- uuuuccd on the iiuestiou of federation." in the vote was, li^iires standinj^ tiie (-oustitution in this country, ) .-A ' (. y Sir John MacdonaM roplicd : •' lifluii' cuiifcdoriitioii in adopted tin* (Jovcrnmont would hriiipr down a nicaMirc to auRiid lilt' schiKil law of Lower Canada piottJCtinK the rij^lits of the iiiinority. ' Sir •loliM Hoj^e said : " I know you imiNt satisfy them that their interests for all time to come are safe, that the iiilirests of llie minority are liedLced round with sueli salVj^nai'tls that liiose who come after us will feel that tliey an' pi'otccted in all they hold di'ar. " Sir (ieorn'e Cartii'r. a (."alholle and a l^'icnehman, in reply to a (pjest ion of Sir .lohn Ko.se. said : It is the intention of the (Jovernment that in that law ther(^ will ht- a pro\ ision that will sfcnre the rrotestani ndnority in Lower Canada .sueli mana^iement and <'ontrol over tlirii' sidiouls as w ill satisfy them. Sir i:. 1'. Tache salt! : Mr. Sanliorii fjrave t-Nprrssion to the fear that the I'roti'stant l',ii;ilish element of liowcr Canada wduld liiMn enl ial t hat vvithoiit it con federation could nevfr ha\(' taken place was ine proviMoii hy which I he separate school.s of (Jnlaiio, and the I'roiolan. dissi'iit ieiu xhimls of t^uehec, were L;nar- anteeil hy llie Iniperi.il enactment. Hut for t 111.-- heinic guaranteed, we would have had no Dominion i'arliameiit wil h its present limited powers, and no pro* incial le,m--lat ures wit h I lieii- pow ers. Hon. Alexander Maeken/ie. not an upholder of the >eparate .-chools system, s.iid when speakiiiLi; apiiiisi .lohn .Sandtield .Macdoiiald s inoi nai : Thotieh 1 am aejaiiist the >ep:(raie -^ehool system, I am willinj.; to aci'ept this tonfederatiiMi even tlioueh it perpetuates :i'Mn,il. uumlii'r of ^rpjiiale schools. L'nder the present legi-,l,it i\e union we ,iri powerless ju an> movement lor the ahi(/(^atio:; of t he sejiurale sysiein : il i> esen \t'r\ doulittnl if we couhl resist Ihe demands for its extension We will not he in a worse position under the new system, and in OIK- res|)ecl we will h.iv- .i decided .idvantaKc, in that no fiiilher change can he made liy the separate schm I ad\oi:iles. We will thus sniisiiinte certainty h)r iincerlaint\. I deeply regret thai Ihe hoii. niemher should liiive thouglit il necessary lor any jairpose'to move this rcsohUion. And .siir Alexander tialt, w i)o headed t his agital i(ai, who wa- the prime mover in hiiiiLiin.t; this (|iieNi idii lo jis dual lesiiiiLJ.- place in the const il ul ion ot t his cunntry, in his pamjihh'i. piihlishcd allerw ards, releiiine to the cirrnm--tanres, said : Much uf the principle and nioile of taxat ion. s. parali' niana,L;einent and other impoitanl ))oiiits are not secured hv the .\ct of confederat ion. nut rest iijion the provincial statute of t^uehce ; thai is'snhjecl to repeal il nol prevented hy ihe veto jpouer. And Iheoiilx eertainty h)r the eiijovnient of these privileues lies in then- appeal to this I'arliament and in the good I'aiih and dominant power ot this I'arlia- meiit. So. .Sir, what I wish to draw Irom this is t hat in t he Coulederat imi Act itself I here is this i (impact, dtdiheraleh entered into, and a<(puesced in hy men of all shades ot paity jioliiics and leligi.-iis tudief : and w hat 1 want to add to that is this, that the very essence of the IJuehee i'loleslant mliioiitv's ilemand is post union legislalion, which depends ent iiely on t he all icie of I he coiiht il ulion which is eoiicerneil in t)ie apiieal heftne us at this moment. Nothing mole tlianthe ahove can lit Iv c\cinplif\ the good hiilh and the toler .dion. leading to ((Miiproinisc and to harmlory ot till' esents which took ])l;i(e in thai northern coiinirv iir.iiie- (liately licfta'c cunrciluialion. 'I'licre was tronl)li\ That liieat wide country had been sold liy Ihi' company Uiat owned it to tlie Domiiiioii lloxcrnnient. iJiil there wasiiotonls land in thai count ry. 'I'licre was a handl'ul of innpli.' there as well l'rt>te^laii(> and I'atholics, lumlisli, Isciilch and l''rciicli lixin.Li; alomr the I!ed Kiver and till' .\-->iiiil)iiiiic Itiver ; the denizens and citizens of that lanit. who wei'c not toiKlueicd l>.\C"anada nor sold to Canada by tl.e ('om|)aii> at the time t.|ie\ sold the land to liic Dominion t'o\eiiinienr Precedent Neg^otiations. Tho>e men came into and became a part of this confederation after neui)! iat ions liad taken place, afrer those ncj^-ol iai ion.s hid resulic' sat isfactoi'il> , ami after the results of I liose iieuot i:-.t ions had l)een >etl h'd in lilack and while in t he arlii :es of coiifedeiatiou upon wlii( li Manitolia was taken into confedeial ion. is t here any doubt about that ;• .Mr. M AHTiX. 'S'es, ereal doiil>t . Ml'. I "( (."-^TI'IK. -There is doubt that iieuoi iation> i)receded the j)a^^aue of the IManiloba Act.' Mr. MAIJ'ITN. — .\obod\ represent injj; .Mau'.toli.i e\era^reed to 1 he (,'onfederat ion Act. Mr, FO.STKH. I\I\ -tatuient is true, ab>olu!ily true, that neiiot iations took place, and that the liiial issue Lesulted from the bi iniiiin;- ot those ne^^cjf lat ions to a successful and satisfactoi-y conclusion between the iie,iiotiatinu- parties. Ami, Sir. those ne,t.roliat ion-- w ere acrompanleil by distinct assulalu■e•^ ot the tJovei'iiment of Canada as to what would be done. Thoc iicL'-ot lal ions were watciied with a most ,je;ilons and careful eye by the Home (loveininenl : and the Home ( iovci'iiinent followed 1 heir course, and sanctioned them at the last, llecollect that the jieople \\ ho li\ed there were few in niimlier. and were a jieople w ho had not tlie advanlafies ol education and reliiieimnl such as we ha\e ,ii ilns iime a siiii|ile minded pi'ojile, lia\ iii.e their mo(ies of life, ilnir religious ciiNiorns, t heir si liool ]>I•lvele^e■^ : intensely suspicions as to what might happen to them it the\ came under ihc dominancy of a fi;realei' )iower aiul intensely cau'lnl thai they should know, before they were handed over lo the Dominion of Canada, that iheii' customs, ilieir rii^lits, their privileues, iheir status, should be well delincd, and should lie favourable and ^alislaclory to I hem. I liave s;iid that tliose nenel dc Sanioerry, to the I!ev, .Mr. Thibaiiil and lu .Mr. Donald A SniiUi. that is plainly s./i forth. The iiisi riict ioii> to the two tirsi -named slate : "You will not fail tojdirecl tl-.v aitenlion <.<( the mi\ed .-^ociety inhahifcin;^; the cultivated border> ut the l{cd liivei-and Assinilioiiie. to the fact which comes williin your daily knowledj^e ami observation, and is patent to all the world. Lliat in i he lour iiroviiui's (if 1 his Dominion, men of all orijiins, creeds an, I-larl Granville, while following the negotiations as they were being carried oa licio in the city of UUawa, caliled to thi! Governor-General : " iiCt me know as soon as you can by telegram the result of the negotiations with the Bed River delegates." Earl (iranvillc, on 'S4rd April, informed the Govcrnor-tieneral : " The Canadian (iovernment to accejit decision of Her -Majesty's (Jovernment on all portions of the .settlers ' bill of lights.'"' The Gfivernor-Genetal was able to cable, on lird of May, to Karl (iranvillc : "Negotiations vvitii the delegates closed satisfactorily." And on ititli March, Karl (iranville replied : " I take this opportunity of expressing the satisfaction with which I have, learned from your tek'gram of the ."Jnl inst., tnat the Canadian (ioveriiment aiui the delegates have come to an understanding as to the terms on which the settlements on the Red Hiver should be admitted into the union.'' Now, 1 think this is conclusive as to my general jtroposition, tliat the terms of the confederation were preceded and accompanied t)y m-gotiations, that they were the result of these negotiations, that they were sat isfactory to hot h sides, and so were made a part of the M.mitoha Act and tlie ((Misiitution of this comilry. Mr. MARTIN.— .Might 1 ask the lion, gcn.leman whether the hill of' rigids re- ferred to in the desijatch just read lontained any reiiiiest or any reference to the i T i^...;^! ., ............. ....... tt...f f ...-.f ............t t.. Ai.r i..f,-. ,-l.i..j .....i 1H<)7, in its iCird clause. Mr. SPROl'LI']. — It says nothing at all aliout separate schools. Mr. FOSTKR. It most certainly does. Now. lei me go one step further. When that Act came down to this Barliamcni and was discussed and 1 liojie my lion, friend from (irev (Mr. Spronle) will listen now while 1 am speaking— when that Act came down and was discussed in this Parliament, it was not put through in a lone and dark liour, when nine-tenths of the members were away and when no discussion could be raised upon it. Oiithecontrary.it was discns.sed, and ably di.scussed, in this Parliament. What was done was done in the light of day, open to the people of this conntry from one end to the other. And what took placed This very clause was debated, it was actually contested, and when lliose particular word.s in it which 1 / J 9 v«*». > ii.i.. ^ r^- ---- from possihlc iiiti'il'frciico soiiiclimc in tln' tiitMiv. That is Htro!!^; tesliinony. It is not testimony from a politjoal adherent of this (Joverniiient. Mr. SPHOM.K. lit- only «a\o it hk his Ix-Iief Mr. I'O.SrilH. Tlic lion. U'llliam .McDoiij^all, u iio was oiu' of the memt)i'rs of i'arliami-ii! in iJ^Ttl, and an actor later in liit; l)i'inj^in)^()l Munilotia into this Dominion, said ill Isili! : " \V(! certuinly intfiidcd that the Catiicjlics of Manitoha, or whichever (Icnoinin- ation initiht lie in a rninorit\, sliouM iiave the rij^ht- lo estaoiish and maintain tiieir own schools. You see t he words ' or pract ice ' wcr inscried in tin; Manitolia Act, >o that the diHiculty wliich arose in \ew IJi'iinswick, u here separate schools actually existed liut were not reco>4ni/«'(l liy law , should not lie repealed in -Manilolia. And then the right of apiieaitothe l''ederal i'arliament was .ni\eii to make assurance doiilily sure." Only an opinion, says my lion, frienrl froni'tirey dMr. Sprouh i, liut it is the oj)inion of a man who was a prime acti.r in the actual circiiiiistances of the day, and I put that as against the opiiion of even my hon. friend from (li'ey, who is livinjr some twenty-live or twenty six years later. Mr. Mc(;AHTAY.- Where did .Mjr, IMcdougaJl make that statement/ Mr. I''OS'ri''J{. — In his own house, to a n'porter, and it was published in the newspaper and was aiUhori/ed. But I do not know that I miuhl not lia\(', a higher authority still, in the opinion of my hon. friend, for I think that Mr. Dalton McCarthy, t^. I'., who spoke for and wa? the attorney fur t he proviiice of Manitoha, admitted liefore the Privy t'ouneil coiiimittee that his minoi'ity had rights, Un- fortunately, hedid not go. so far as to admit that the rights which they undoubtedly held ought to he preserved, lo them. He stoppeil short of that; but h aljsolutejy admit and confess that tliey> undoubteilly had right.- * ■ ' '■ " ' e did And he did more aosoiuieiy aiimu ami ( onress mat. riiey> uniiouoieiiiy nan rignis. ^vna ne (im more ; he confessed and admitted tliat it it had not been tor bad clerical uork ih dra'ting the> would have had still stronger riglits than they lia\e now to present to Parlia- ment auit to the count ry. For, in the opinion of \ery eminent legal men sitting in this House; whatever was the decision of the I'rivy Council in (jreat hritain, in the, |{'ii>i*tit it'i^t* ftirt tri t 111 k*ii r «• 1 1 >■ /4 lk^f/\*>ii io \it f iti I >u < • t ii •■■ I I \r iti i n ni t"i f 1 1 ^ii icli'it- E. Douglas Armour, t^.C, who sa\s; "It was supposed liiat the italicized words -that is the words ' by practice ' would save the riglu or privilege ot k''eping up separate or denominational schools. " The constitution of Manitoba did not guaraniee separate schools. It was sup- posed to do so. " The constitution of Miuiitoba was suppoHed to have estjiblislied separate schools pprpelually in .Maiiiioba. ' The only point I wi^h to make on this is one that can be given what weight it is ■wurtli—und it will have weight— that a ('ompact having been entered into, wlueh aJJ. m f ./ I .1 lO (' pr'iivi-^iuiis i)f .sL'ctioii L'-ii> a c'uiiililiuii .)f tlio union !iii>l I liDSL' who ifiiw llicir IcuishU ivc ii»<'nt to thiit Ai'l, liy wliuli it was hi\>iiLrhl iilioiii, liiul in vit'w tlic imtiIs tlicri tiiinivhonilcil. TliosL- wiio \vcrc sli|Milat,iii,ii f( UIIIIMl iUlll I llOSL' who IfilVC I heir U ^,.-,.,1, .. . ,i-^. n, n. '•foUK'il ti'ioiii, liiul in vit'w tlic iicriis tlicri tiiipivhonilcil " 'I'Ih! it'nn> njiiin wiiiih .Manitoha was to iiccoun' a inoNJnct' of this Dominion were Mi.il ti'i> of n<';;olial lou hciwt'i'ii rcpri'sfniat ivi's of tin- proviaci- of .Manitoha anil t he l)uniini(»n lio\<-i ninrnt. The tiMin^ ii^rci'd ujioti, so f,ir a^ fiincaiion wa.s . _ i . I... ...1 1 1 i;...i ... (1... .*.j...i * IS in tin- li;;hl, l.-^TO, w hid) w i.-< in I ruth a - ^ '1' ■- rtaici'i'iied, must hi' tal\fn |o hi- (-nihoiliiMJ in thr :^L'mi1 si-iMion of tin' Act of ISTD " i'lifi'i' i~. nu iluuhl I'it licr u ii.il I Ik- p(iiiil> oI ililii ri-iici- w tTc, ami it of tliix'lhii I hr 22im1 .section of thi- .Maniioli.i .Vcl ot ' " parliarni iilary conipacl, ninst he rcail. ■ it wji.s not lo he (ioul)liil lliai the o.^cci of t he lirst sniisection ^I'l Was to iillbrd protection to de noniinat ional schoui.s The Proof of Sequence. Now, Sir, I think I have j.;iven pront snUiiienl, Inil if neiu- is needed it can Ik' had fruni tile Nei|iietice o( events foUowinji' ilie jiassin!^ of tliis Ad and liie entry of Manitoi)a into t lie (■•mfederat ion. What weie I he.>e i-veiil s ? Why, .Sir, innnei I lately iipnii that i)rovince h'-inj^ formed tollow in,;j; e.Kactly njion tlie line.s of the m-;4otia- tioiis. loilowinL:; exact ly upon tei-nisuf the section of tne Manitolia Act, the h'^tisia- ttire, a.s siKtn as it was convened, adopted a system of sciiools. pri)\ idiii;j; in tliii cunipletesi inaninT for the ,-i'iiiirate scImoIs of liie mm rity which at tiiat lime wa.s found to l)e ("at holic instead ol a I 'roi extant minority. More t lian that, a si;j;nith'ant fircnmstanee took place at a latei- period. In lisTti 'he (|Uestioti was raised in Manitolia as to I lie aliolition of tlie .Senate of .Manitolia on t he j»roiind nf litvaler ecdiictm; in administ rat ion. What is the .Senate supposed lo he in this ronnlry{ What was it sniiposed to l)e. w hat was the reason for its existence in the pi'ovinees of tile Dominion { I'lie .Senate was looked upon as a (iuard auaiiist sudden impulses and passions of t he people. The Senate was liioked iipor as a protect ive jxiwer to the minorities of the eounti'y. They possessed a Seiiaie in Manitoha. Wlieii llie question as to its aholit ion was lirou^ht iiii, t he Cat holies ol)je(.ted to its aholitiim on the .ni'onnd that it >voul({ diminish their security for two thinjis, their laiiy;uafj;e and their schools. .\nd, ^ir. t he\' u ere promis.-d in the mosi explicit way l)y tlie I'remier of the jirovinee at tliat time, l>\ .Mr. laixioii. who was an iidliiential memher of tiie leuisiat nre at tliat time, andhy others, that if the> would con.seni on the ground of cc()ii()m.\ to do away with the Senate, they need have no fear that I hey would not lie amply protected" hot h as to their seliools and as to their lanjrua^e. Mr. Met '.VIM'HN'. "Dues the lion, j^entleinan think it ri.uht to make that state- ment upon atlidavits that were jmt in and afterwards witlidrawn \ Mi. l''(>STIvl{. I am not relyiiif^ upon allidavits. I am takinff tlie dehates \vhich actually occurred in the Manitoha lefiishtture. My hon. friend must not go insane over the matter of allidavits. I read liere, .Sir, the re|)ort of a dchate whicii look place Just immetliately precedent to the bill aholi.diinn the provincial Senate. I'remier l)a\ ies -mA \ " It may lie said that the council is a sat'ewuanl to the minority. He could assure the minociry that tlu-ir I'iirhls would never he tiamiiled upon in I his j)ro\'ince. There would always t)e sullicient Kntrlish spciikinj.;' memhers in this House, who would insist on Kivin^ then French fellow suh.jecls their riglits to protect lUeni." .Mr. l.nxton sjiid : " There Were some i|uestions of sentiment which lay close to the hearts of the French people, mid he could assure ihciii tli.it the Kiijilish-speakinK memtiers svould not ruthlessly deal wi(li these, if the French representatives were sullicicntly jxitriotic to supi>ort the measure before the House. They would recoi^tii/e their ccnerosity and not h.rget it." Mr. I'r.uiK ('orni.->li. then a prominent lawyer, said : " He heiieved the ip|d .-cttlers and the French would make a common cause if their rijihts were iiifiin;j;ed upon; and he could .assure them that when Ihel-'ana-
  • r\pri'>s tn anmlici' set ol' int-n. That is v\ hat •<('rni('l niitn- rstiinahlf In Mr. il'ival i h in i-vcn .\i'ts nf Pariiaini'iit. And .Mr. .Mrl\a>, spcaUinK. said ; " He was vfiy iiHicli ph-asi'd in hear llir utcni'iniis and Jiist r-niarks of tin- lion, Mri'Miitn", tin- hmi I'ikn inciil Sccrftary, and alsunl' llif Iidii. im-inhr I'nr i'ni'k wnoit, whifli jia\c till' niiii'iril y ill tlif lluusi- thai '■Diilldcncf, vn hicii i In? iniMnhi'is of I his llons)', l»y llicir vole on this Hill would •■xprc-'H. ih.n of the majority." Tin' Si-nalc was almlislicd with liii' cniiscnt of 1 1 Uirt't' years afterwards. Iiolh t hose riirlils. one of Incir lanKH^iU'', the other to tlieir cdin-ational system, were iiillile.-.i the abolition .f separates schools, that he was elected two years prior to that tiin ■ pledifed to do all he eould loabolisli separate schools ! ^F^. I''()Sri';i{. -Whether I know that or gent lenian ol honour and ;;ooil fait h can havt- reference to separate scho.ii-,, .md yet wtieii he fellow members, and ,isks t hem to v;ive up I heir o|)p'>sit io.i to the aliolil ion of t he .Maniloba legislative council whi.h they looked upon as i he jjiiatdian ol I neir special rifiiits in ian.L' uiy;e ami schools, and pled,:.; -s his word llial llu'y \\ ill not re^^rei it, thai In^willai'l like a ucnt lem.'iii and rcM|)i-(;t hi-- |)rooii>c. .Vnd today this sami! Mr. i.uNt-on is strongly in favour of resi it m imi i, > ilic minority in .M iniiobi. There was more. There was another episodi' wliieh to(jk place in Isss ; and in niciitionini^ this I am not dealinir with alhdavit^ w liicji wore put in and whicli \veie then with- di'awn. I ask the attention of thi-. House to the facts ;j;iven in a speech of .Mr. I'"islier in the le^jri-^lature of .Manilolci. ,iii ciid tiiii'' lab-ial, and a liiberal to this day. I do not intend to '^o into I be circiinisianlial i)art-- of i lie siiileiiu'iil s in this .-.peccli, they have been stated over anil over a;;ain in this llonse; but this was another instance w here lait li was pled tied in a cerl lin com est , where faith w as pled^red and a contest was rnn upon it. and a cnniol was liaiind ntmn it. and a liovernmcnt was formed in consennence of it ; where I he pledu;es which .Mr. l''isher said were nnidt^ were not ea.i'ried out ; where Mr. IMsiier wasimpilled to rise in the lejjislat tire of Manilolia, ;ind say that the schools were taken away Irom the niinorit\ by an act of l>ad faith which hi' conld not Iml reprobate, and which he ct)uld not but (lejilore. 'I'his i.-, additional I'viilence thai the plcdj^c and comp.ict in the. Maniloba Vet was something really lived upon, iscted upon, aciiuiesced in, for over !\\t'nt,\ years, until circumstances a"ose which made it expedient , in I he opinion of t he dominant party in Manitoba, to abolish llie system of sep.iijiic mIiooIs. Sir. I say that the .Manitoba compact was atiotliei' instance of toleration and comprumise, lookiiiu; tow,ird.>i [leace and harmoity. ami in i he be.-,t intei'csts of t lie pro\ ince and o{ the I)oniinion at that time, a duplical ion of the act ion which took pl.ice some years before in tlio Confe- deration .Alt with reference to the other pio\ iiiccs i.if the Uuminion. Who Raiscd^this Question ? Now. Sir, I w ish to come to another point of view. The (ioverninont i.s attacked in I his House and in the count r> for its action witli reference to t his ((uestion. Men meet me every day and say ; Why did you raise this nucslion at all' Why did you briiiji it up .' I am speaking to that class of men now |),irt icularly, when I ask : Who raised tliis ((ue-tion ? It was not laised. but seilleil by the men of IXHT, in the Confe- deration Act ; ll was not raised, l»uf, settled by the men of ISTD in the Alanitolta .\ct. It has not been raised I ly the. pro\ini'e of Nova .Scotia for thirty ye.irs ; it has not. been raised hy the pros ince of .\ew Hiunswick fu.- t liniy year;-, ; it lias not been r.'iised by the province of ')\itario tor thirty year^; it has not fjcen raised by the province of t^ueliec for thirty years, rnere is an even liarmony of peace, ami of security, and of cmitentmcnl, so far. is that clause of the Act is concerned in its relation to the i>ro\ inces. for all that period, liroken buto nee, but broken in Mani- toba, ai,d broken l)v whom ^ 'l"o day, Sir, no indif.;iiation is too strong to be hurled against 'he liiberalConservative (Joverninent and party beciuso they are endeav- ouring to settle this i|uest ion. liCt men consider a.s well why that question has to be settled by us. Let tliem clearly .>ee w hence, it comes, and "however strong their tipinion may be, give to a (Government and a party who happen to lie in power when tlii.s question comes uj) for settlemeut, their good feeling, their utmost charity, and ./ 1. / 12 th«Ir honest a!nl lu'lirty suimnrt. if thoy l>»«licv»' that wo arc hoiicHt utitl •.inciTf in uttfiiipUii^ l<> iat:et ami self It! IIiIm (nuMtloii. Raised by the Liberal Party WIUJ MliNiil it f Sif, It \MM l.ll-r 1 li\ ,1 ^iCL'mi'liI iiT ii liM-,1 jlc |iail \, I lie |iilll\ o|)|)(i hill- Id tis ; iiiiil lull for llirailinii nf llial HfUini'iil of .ilmstih' |iatt.\, t licrt'* wuiilil liiivu I lit' 1 1 III) iiiii'sl iiiti lull- III liav lor t hi' l.ilu'ial ('uiixri'\aliS)' parly li mII If, ami I'vi'ii |ii'ari' ami liarnionv iJi i In- \vt'-.t would iiavr pim' mi sjdi' li> viiji' v\ illi tin- cvi-ri |ii'a<'i< ami liarmoii\ iiicM'I> nilii'r |iro\im')' of iIim itoiijiiijoii, llow iliil iIicn riii'.iiii|il\ l»> aliolisliinn I |ii> ss si I'ln nt mIhihK w hii li w as «>Htal)ll<ii|)|ioM'i| \\ as M'l iiri'ii III I iicin, anil \\liii'li tlii'\ liail i'iijommI lor Iwi'iity Vi'ars. 1 vrni iiir to ilrploi i i lie ncl inn ol t III' .Maiiilolia ;^o\ I'l iiMirni ami l^^l'^lal iin- - 1 « i.^li III >|ii'ak s\ It li no liaislinrsf,, ji i, iml pro|ii'i' or iil'IiI for im' |o do sn. I spciiU .simply of a ipa slion of larl , ami. Mr. 1 lirnily liclifvr i hat t ln'ic ari> frw nirii in i Ins rounlry!oda\ v\ ho do not di'pliiri' till' ai't ion \\ Idrli llir .tlanitolia go\ crninrni iiml li'^isjiiinir loiili in ist'ii nil ilm i|iii'sii I liis ; " 'I III' u'o\ I'l'iimi'tit ol .Manilolia madi- a ^jiri'al niisiaki' in siiiniii.'i.rily aliolisliin^ inslrad of ri'rormlnK I In' "I'i ''I liool ''x strin. IIii'N lia\r Ihtii at \\ ar rv < i sinif |K|i(i, \\itli till' pri-.jndiri's. and Iri'lin^s, and r\) n ii'li^ioiis ronviclion- of a section of tint piipiil/Uion tli.'il di'M'i'xrd to III- irrati'il Willi I nr niniosi coiisidfrat ion. This war will ind oiils' wlnn t lii'\ niid<»' roni'i'ssioiis w liiili, to t he mussiil i ln' pi-opii' iiiiiM'csli'd, will sccni ri'asonalili'. Tlir soomr I lii'sc an' made t lir tii't trr." iNIr. I''()S'I'I';K. And to niaUi' Ids appi' il as cmpnai ir as possilili'. In' says : " Till! oinis lii's on till' piovimial t;ovi'riiniini to maki* I'oiii'i'.ssions to nn'ot llie vii'Ws of the ri'asonalili' mi'inlirrs ol tlic ajiiiirM- I minority." .'^iir, I liidii'Vi' Il IS ttiii', as I stati ami in tiie i-oiint ry tlirrr i'- a fi'i'linu' of I'cui'i'i I lull tlii'aition ol tlif .Manitolia v;<>^i'>'>>>m''>' in IHIlli was i'PIm'i taki'ii at all. or it in lion uas iak<'ii, i liat it VMi.s mil artion ii|iiiii soini'w liat dillt'ii'iil lines, and of a Irss diast ir rliai ai'ti'r. Why were the Minority Schools abolished ? 'I'lif osii'iisllilr I I'asons w hiili ai I iu'lli'iI in Ilii^ lloiisr and in tin- I'oiiiitry, aro thi'M' : l''ir-t. ttial llirs\sli'in was lanllv. liiil it is iml m'ii's>ai> to I'lit a inan'.s head iiir in iii'di-r to In-ai a sort' upon In Iiohn. 'I'lii' systi'iii « as faulty, IiuL tlial is no arnniin'iit tliat ilii' sysimi iiiusi lie alioiislu'd. ii rould lif n-rormcd ; and the Manitolia ^o\'t'rnim'nl and h'^islal iirt' lia managed, Imt llic alisoliiic power lay in tin hands ol the j^ov crnmi'iit of .Maiiiliilp.t lo see thai it w as iij.dil iy ii.aiiaKid- and all t hese nrloi ins could ha\e lieen made wiihont aholii ion. and wiihoiit loiiiraveniiiK tin' riuhls and pri\ilee:es which had liei-n enjoyed so lonj: h\ i he iniimritN. \V liy. .Sir, is it conieiided ihat sepaiale si'hool.s cannot lie made dlicient schriol.s ' 'riml contetit ion is not contirnied li\ the opinions ol men who lised in Maiiiloli.'i ukI who had somethimj; lo do with the si'h(ni|s Iff that pro\ ince. i lind t he supei iniendeiit of schools j\li. .Soinerscl made a report in isss m w hidi he said ; " In connection vsilhiis working ithel.iwi diirin^r the last seAentecii years, it may he |iointeil out that the schools of ine pro\ime have iieeii niaiiai;ed withoiii a part ii'le of t he denominational friction that has ciused disi nrhance and biiierinjss ill ot her pro\ inccs (it the ilomlnion. " The past liislor> ol the province eiicouraues the hope that perfeet jiistico Uj eac'l) interest sliall resnil in a coiit inuaiice ot i he hariii(in\ i hat iio\. exists." lie".. Dr. IJryce, of Wiiinipee-, who is no trieinl ut tlie Dominion liovernment in Ihis case, wrote licfoie l.siHi: " 'I'lie scparati school Mippoilers are viewed iu tlie liij,hl of lieiii,:^ exemjil from thej^eneial law which estaliiishes ,i nat ional syslcm of education. In Manitolia. the Itoman Catholic schools are IS niu'li national as tlie Protestant. No s|)ecial rights are K'^^'ii t*' I'ilhcr ( 'at lioliis (jr I'rotestants. *■ * ■■ The Lrovernment Hranl is voted fdf one s\s|eiii of schools, and is divided accord inn t'J l'"-' pupulaliou of children. No special rinhts are jiiveii either Catholics or f'rolestants. ^vll nn)neys are eiiuitalWy disii ilmted." * * Lord Selkirk s scheme of perfect reli,iiious ei|uality ami tolerance is that still suh.sistinj^ in Alanitotia. 'I'liere is no hone of conleiilion to disturb the inevailinii li.irmony. No churoli is giveu any place of precedence." ..I / 13 Rev. Peter Wriwlir, who takes a lively interest, in this «niostion. at Pnrtay;e la I'rai- rie, says : " III Oiitai'iii very excellent u orl< is liein^ ilnnt; in many of the "cii.uale sehools. Tint late I'i'dI', \i)tin;.', w hen In^peeliM- <>( the Hi;^li Sehouls of Onlai'id. was askvd hy till' (i()\ ernniiMil to ins|)i'cl snch separate sihoois as he coiAcnienl ly conld, I renieniliei' a conversation [ hail with him in which he lioie It^stiinoiiy to I lie excellent eondiiion in which lie fnund maii\ of I hem." Mure \('l. Let ns take the 'I'oronlo "(ikihe" of IS!;I. What (hies it •^ay ! "We ailvocate the Ontario system, not heeansc it i> a lixed const it ution, hnt be- cause we consider it to hi' a ^^ood svittin, enilmdyinL'; a sal isfaclory set t lemeiit of a vexed iiueslion. " It this province weie making m fresh start to-day, alisolntely nnt ramiiK'Hcd liy constilut it)nai I'csl fictions, wcdonot know that it couhl do belter than continue that arran.uenient uilhont any material clian;;e." Hon. David Mills, in l.-^Uli, said ; ■■ The course taken in the i)ro\inceof Ontario, on i he w hole, iiroduces the most sat isfactory results on t his conl incut , ot tlie i uu< .u .onai (piest lun 1 say tlii'ie is no public s(liool system on I his coiiiinciit , proiincinu' more sat isfactory results, and thai works out with less liiciion than the -epaiaie school sysiem ol (Ontario. ' 'i'hi'n, I say my position is abundantly proMd. ir indeed it did rerpiire to l)e proved, that it was possible for other action to lia\e tieen taken tor inetlicieni separate schools to have been made ellicieiit and worUanle, sli.ai of the abolition of those schools and 1 he I'aisiiiji; ol I his vexed ipiesi idii. 'I licse were the ostensible reasons put forward, b\ii if the lea the Liberal party ; since then it has gone aiioui and through this coiintrv . this demon of discord, blowing the winds of strife, ami hon. members opposite now deplore that state of allairs. I'he evil spirit has been sommoiu'd. Who will exorcise it ? Not the .Manitoba govern- ment, it seems, for duiing si.x years they have had the power at will to exorcise I he evil spirit and settle l he iptestion. and iu'ing pi'ace vv lit re discord reigns ; Itut they have not, as yet, taken one single step Inwards the attainnient of that t'lul. Who is responsible for it ? Hon, gentlemen opposite ami their l^arty, as a whole, are responsible for jt. Some lion. .MK.M HKRS. -No. no. Air. FO.*f Ontario, hi'causc they at lir-l declared the (iMverninent would do noitiim:, and ht'canse afterwards they feared the Dominion Parliament woul(l intervene to secure a ^<'rtlemcnt of the (piest ion. In every way they have l;h the country from that time on. The Course of the Government. Nou . Sir, what has been thecourseof the Dominion (loxeinmont with reference to that i|i)estion(' ,\nd lirsi. its le;4al cour->e. On this (|uestioii, arising; from the constitution \s Incli i he ( iovernment was swoiii to maintain and uphold, a (|Uestion wliich was thrown into tiieir midst hy this sc,unient of a liosule party, do^f,red, as every movement of the (iovernment has oeen l)\ this party, and for partisan purposes: what iias I he (roxerinoent done ? It was well aware of the perils of the voya^!;e. It knew the quicksand-, and hidilen reels, liut what t his ]iarty and (iuvern- men! did, was to nail their compass to the standaril (.if the law ami the constitution, and to steer liy that ttjwards the port of I'cst it ul ion : rc-t it ut ion. if po>-.ilile, liy the power that cotild liest do it ; restiiution, if neces>ary hy the (lOwcr m w ho>>e liands it ultimatidy was vested hy the constitution of the countiy. 'I'hey were clamoured with to exercise the \eto power. They ref\ised to exercise the veto jiower, takin;^ the consistent ^;'round that t he const it ul ioiiality of the Act shotild he fcjunht out in the courts, uu(l as they did in the case ol the New Drunsw ick schools, they >iave a sum of moiu'y for lestinj,^ the const.itut ionality of that Act. Afterwards, they souj^lit the decision of thi' courts as to their powers in accordance with thcHiake .Vet, so-calliHl. which was ac(piiesced in for this especial pnrposi- l)y lioth sides of the House ot Parliament . and jiassed a.-, a me.uis to he taken advanlai;e of, in this (;ase. and in cases of tliis kind, never sLoppinj"; in their even course, until they had the ri^ht-^ and pow c. s as to appeal, as to ^rievanco, aad as to the rest it luion in the case of these jj;rievances, carelully and full) conlirmed h\ the hijihest iriliunal in the Hritish [•jiipire; and. after ihaf, they lu-ard the ap, eal, makiiiL!: their jud<4ineiit under the reinetlial older, and sendiiij^ it forward to the province which was (diictly inteiesteil. I ask an> man here : If that w as not the course which t he < io\ . inment followed, consisteiiiiy. iind without dexiation, from the very moment this 'lUe.-ilion came into the arena I'olitii'ally, what was the action of the ( lovi'rnment ^ It lir>l invited Manitoha to redress the gi ii'\ ances complained of - and here 1 have to com plain of one t hinj^, w hich lion, jrentlcmen opjtosite. and the leadi'r of the Opposii ion. es|jecially, have distiiutiv and con.stantly ijiiiored, namely, the first communication wliich was sent hy the (iovernment to the Manitoba jrovevnnii'iit and le^islat uie on ilie-Jlth .Inly, IHsM, imit inj^ them to the coii.si wuulii take tliese matters into consuleraliou and remedy t hcM' grievances. This was done. Sir, in Isi) I. before ;he decision of the I'rivj t'ouncil. 'lliis (iovernment asked the Manitoba j^o\ friimeni, moreoxer, that they >honld lay thai re(|uest belore th«' l"jj;islal uri' ii( Manitoba. I'.ut t he t;-overn ment of .Manitoba refuseil tin; iiuil .tl ion to consider the LCrievanccs : the.\ said none existed, and the;, absolutely nejilected to la> tln' communication before the lejj:isla- tore of .Manitoba, and it has not been |iut before that lenislature to this da\ . The (iuvfrnmcnt then sent forward the remedial order, makin^i it just as wide as the grievances which were complaineil of. '1 hey conveyed to the .Vlaiiitoba j;overnmeiit, at tile s.ime time, the intimation, that tli(ai;.;h thai order was made so wide as to cover the fullest jiossible allegation of f2;rii'V ances, yet, at the same ' inie, a proposi- tion could fairly be made within the lines of tliat order winch iniKhl be reasonalily satisfactory, and which wiiuld be >atistactnry, so far as the Domniion (iovt'inment was concerned. The .Miiiiitoba ^'ov I'rnnienl refu.sed to atistytlie iniiiority. In doing llial. Sir. there was an acute didereiue of opinion in the (iovernment and in the f.V ... 15 party as tn whotlipr it wn-- \vis(' or not ; hut. for the sako of givinp! every possible clmiK-c to tlio fiovcrnint'iit (if Aliiiitoba to settle llie i|ueslii)ii, tlie aciite (lilVereiice of (ipinion, and thai (lissatisfactioii whicii arose in tlie party, was hiaved, tur tlie time heiiiK. for tile saiie of the reKult whicli all of us ss-ouldhe .u;la(l to have happened, namely, the >e| t hiiieiit of I iiis quest ion h\ Maniiolia itself. Now, Sir, liavinj^ ni^eii that delay, and liii\in,u' no answer, acceding In even a proposition upon the matter, we came face to face with this I'arliamenl. under I lie |)led;^e to le,u;isi;ite if Ihe.Slani- toha n(i\ eminent had not arr.iiij.'ed tlie mat ter. We are caiTvinvc out that pledj^e. We are asUiuL;' thi^ I'arliauient tu pa.ss the second reading of this Hill. We have staked our existence as a ( lo\ ei'unu'ut upon that mi'asure : hut even yet. in answer to the plea -a jilea of ^iTcat force that if this could he arran,u;ed by the .Slanitoba trovernment and letrishiture, it wouhl be l.ir betlei', we have still, even at this bite period, asked for a conterence and will meet in coiitereuce in oi'der that, if it is pos- sible tn arraiij^e it. the ManiioOa 'j:o\eruiuent and le^rislat tire may yet settle this "luestion. as they can easil\ d>), on the principles of I'.iii'play to the minority. I say tliat the (loveruinent. in actinji on t hcs(! lines, has acted \\ ith diu'iity. It has acted with piudeuce. It has acted u it h for iiearanee, and now, after six years, it comes to t he time and I he place, w here it thinks I hat in Just iee lo the niinoril > a.''.u to the du( ies whiih the const it ut ion lays upon us, it is iuipossihle to further post pone settliMnent, and that, thend'ore, duiin^ this session of this I'arliamenl, a dual settle- ment must be made one way oi- i he oi her. The action of the Manitoba Government. What, Sir, has been the action of the Manitoba frovernment ! They broke the spirit of the confederation compact, as I have shown, in ISiiii and ISIH. They have '^ ndused, in the least de)j;iec. to m.ike any concession to tlie minority oi' to mitigate '■ the severity of their lenislut ion with reference to th it minority. They have rcdused our imitations, refuseil to act upon the order. Tiiey have (teclared, over and over and by themselves, that they did not, in the lirst jilacc, re- Patience of the minority. .Vnd. as to the ."Manitoba niinordy. 1 nuist say it. ami 1 say it here, that the min- ority deseiAcs a meed ot jiraise for its attitude, under these Ion"; six years, of what ihey consider a .grievance and a deferred ri.i:lil. Tli.it .Maiiiioba minority waited with p.il ience the decision ot the I'l i \ y (.'(amcil, and when the decision was j^ixen, they miirmiiied a little, but they abideil t)y it. and fhcy respected it. Tl'.ey took up the second branch of what ihey thoimht was the charter of their minoiity riiihis. They carried it from the Supreme ("ouri in'anada to the I'rivy Council in (ireat/ Britain at their own cost. ;ind charges. There tlie\ ;iot this .jud;j,'mcnt, sayinjA' that Ihey had ajj:rie\aiice and a lielit (d' appeal, and tiial v\e had the jiower to remedy I 111' grievance. The\ bion>ihi iliat appiai to us : they nave wailed patiently during' t'.el.ay after dtday : ainl now , after .six years, it does not seem nioielhan littin;j; anil rif^li! I hat their pat ience and t he ! loveiniiicfit's forlx'arance should meet in a measure which may a(le(|uatel\ rest oie t hose riiihts and remedy that grievance in harmony \Nilh the purpose ot the constitution. Objections— Parliament is not bound. N'ow. .Sir, there arc certain obji'ctions nmde to this measure. One is that Parlia- ment i.s frc'i' as air and i;ot hound, ami l hat conse<|ueiitly we arc not com[)elled to legislate. .My lion, friend IVom SV'eet ^(Jlk(i^ir. Wallace) advanced that view, and he is ri^ht to . I certain extent. Parliament is free as air ami unbound. So far as this case is concerned, tliere ib no judgment of a court which compels it to do one thing or t he other. There js no superior pari lament aiy power w hiidi is able tccOen-e us. I hit 1 want to say to my hoo. friend, that as in the case of an individual, fio In the case of .society and a couatry, the lii^Le.st form ot freedom is invariably snr rounded with ttie strou^^est limitations. Above the cnmpelling jiowers of the courts of law, and abov e the compellinK power of .superior parliaments, t here is a sentiment of .justice and fair play wdiich compels where there Ib uo legal iiistriinient :- which compcN hy the 'cry lorce of t he appeal which that sentiment carries to the heart and the consciiaicc of a parli.-imeiU t hat uuj-i strained and uiu'e&tricled freedom ilk / 16 tlie interests of a minori or of any cluss'of people plainly ajiKrieved and asking redress. The Majority should rule. Hut we are told tlKit the majority sjuxild ruli'. The niajoriiy slioidd rule, says my lion, friend from I'last arc not alike ;it all. No parallel; Why not. .Sir ? Mecause one minority is I'roiest.int ;ind the other is Catholie? Is that \l '. That is not the (juestion. You jire out of court in makiii):; that distiniit ion. The rights of these minorities. \\hi( h were 1 1 co^'iii/ed as lej^al ri^lus, were settled at confederation. There was a ('atholic minority, usiujj; Catholic schools, and there was a Protestant minority nsiriu I'l'ntestant sV'hooJs. The ri^ht of e.icli was con- ceded ; under the law. as adopted, those minorities were both to havt' their protect- ion. It is too late in the day now to raise I he (pH'stion, as to w hethcr you must f^ive force to the law with reuani to the I'roiest.int minority, forsixjth ; but iniist pxu out of eourl another minority, liecaiise it isCatholie. TheCatholic minority look on their schools in a certain conscientious iuid rcli^jinus w.iy. They may not, in the opinion of some, be rijiht in that, but in the confederal ion compa("t their opinion jirex ailed, and their rijiht was iruaraiiteed to t hem. The Protestants looked on their schools in a certain way. Some Citholics may have said thev were all wronj;, and Ihey may have combatted that ideaat thetime; but the ri^rht of t he I ' olestants was conceded, and that right is protected l)y the cunstitution. YouSwillJdestroy the Public Schools. Another says: Vou are piimr to mutilate ami destroy the system of public schools in .Manitoba,. I di'iiy it. 1 ask the educationalists or t he province of Ontario to answer me this ipiest ion : Is the thitario system ot education destroyed and mut i lated because sejiarate school-, exist tliei'e .' You laniiol hnd ;ui educationalist of I'epute in I he province of l)nt;irio. or one who has inspected the system of edu(;a- lion in thai province, w bo will ui ve yon an allirmat iv c aiisvv er to t hai (piesf ion. The public school system of Manitoba, would he di'stioyed. il lion, jj;entlemen opposite had had their way. The leailer of I he (^pposii i.in. who eii her oeliev e;o to supjiort it, and that vvill maim it. How many peojile aie there in the provmc-i Some '.iiKMXX'. How many Catholics :■ Some 2l).0liu. So that only one-tenth of the pojiulal ion, at the most, could be withdraw n from the sujiport of the public schools, so far as tax contributions are loncerned. How are the Konian Catholics grouped in the prov- vince i The Rev. Dr. King, ;Moderator of the Presbyterian Synod tells us : '• A large portion of the Uoinaii Catholic poimlation is situated along the two rivers, where there are almost no Protestants. Accordingly, in nine i ases out of ten the trustees would be Homan Catholic, and Homan Catholic teachers could and ■would be chosen." The census, also, and every man who knows .Manitoba, and has studied its geo- graphy, can tell you the samething. Put .voiir system of sepaiate schools in those Ml. '.•'OSTKi;. My hou. trien these.il in front , beside the hou. yesterdav made th.il bitter aiiti ri matter out between them. It We ■% / 17 piirtsof tlic f'onntry wori- niti.- toiitlis of llic Cutlidlic lutpuliition arc coiiKrc^'ated t()K«'ther, (iiul yiiii liiivc iiol ,iii intit of (lincrcMcc in Hit- lax coiilrilnitidris. wlictluT you have tin- scpuratc school syHlcin. oi- wlit'llicr yoii Imvc iIm' pnlilii' school sssicm. Von would not liikc the ia\«'s of the Catholics )."ii hcicil io;ic| her iiloiij; i In- lijuiks of the Itt'd l!i\('r, aiKJ send iheiM In iii'aiKloii, of siiincwhcrc tisc, to swell the |Mil)lic .school coiitrilml ions, of tliul portion of the counlry, No. Thcii, I suv, cstuhlish your st'pai'alc schools, if ymi wish, .iiiil niiu" lent lis (if the minority will lie Jnsi the wiine, as rejiards the t.i\ (.'onlrihiil ions, as lhe\ will l)e ninler the pnhlic school .systi'in, hut heller why ^ Why, today, Sir, I hey hot h can \ on t hoir own mIiohIs, and jiay taxes to the pnhlic school sysicm, having,' a vrifvance, depleiinK' their i-arnintis hy payiny; a second tax inio ihcir own piivat" schools, and it is thus inipossihle foi' them to keep up scIkm)|s of at all like etljciency I hey would haxc, if thf\ did not have to pay donhle taxes out of their pockets. Son would have Ipctter .st'perale schools. Wh.it alioni the rcmainiuLC onelenth ot the minontj ? In the majority of cast's, I xcnture to say, it is so scaiu-red that in i)ractical workin;.?, of necessity, they would not form separ;ile schools hui .voiild do. as i he\ do in OntiTrio. >i() ill with the puhlic schools. Sir, this ple.i ihai >on v\(tnl.l desiro\ the puhlic school system is a perfect linuhear ;ind noiliin;; else. When yon ((ime to analsze it, a svslein )f separate schools. rri\ inn I hi- niiiiont\ tlirjr fullest i i^his in the province of Xlaiii'oha would not disati'anjit' matters niateriahs. lint wnuld make the s<'liools, on the f >eriit:;e, intjie ellicieiil in e\cr> possible \\a> and the ;irievance wuuld be fit 1 1 1< ti'ii/ ! remove(i. .But two Classes ot Opinion Huf Iheic are some stiictls l-iheiiil nliject ions. I \eulnri' to s.iy ihal in this House tliei'e ;ire just two classes of opiinons : and if iis membi'i-s were polled, it would be tound that, t hese cl.is.ses of opinion would lie in the proportion of ten lo one. One, and I he smaller class, believes in I he rcpndial ion of t he compact clauses of the ('oiife(h'ia ion Act and of the .M.iniiob.i .\ci and which, despite i his (om- pact, would doaw.iN w ith sejiarate scho..i> enl irely. 'I'heoilier, and the I ii L;er class, is made up of men whobelii\e in remedial leeisiation as n priiic ijile, eii her in the lirst or in the last a|iplical ion ; and as far as ilie principle ^oes, it does not make u bit of dillerence 'I'he disi inction bel ween the Liii. rai (onserxat i\ es who snjiport remedial le^islal ion. .iiid I he J.iber.ils w ho lo il.ay wish lo f.;i\e it the six nionths' lioist and kick it out ol I his I'.irliameni is simply a ipi. st ion as to i ime of act ion not as to principle. Did >oii lieai' wliai the 1 memlur tor V'crchei-cs (.Mr. (ieoiliioiO said ^ Did son hear w li.il l i;^al ion. let UH have a i(jmmission : let us lia\c .^lc•llliIob.■l sei I le i his t hirij;, if ^lie w ill. lUit if she will not settle it, what did thp\ sa\ ' \\ h.it will ni\ lion, friend I here (.Mr. Davies) say ^ He is fi lemedialist 111 the last aiial\~is. I reniediadsl at this ])i'esent time. t)n principle t here IS not the least ditrereiue between us. He is putt iiijj; the (|uestion o\ fi' on ,in in--ulheienl ple.i for dela\ . on the !ir it s .ould be settled now. The Present Platform. I3ut tlu' platft)rm on whi( li tlie\ stand in their plea for a commission of iiives- tifiation. Let us analyze il. My lion, friend the leader of the Opposition (.Mr. Laurier) nio\-eH the six months' hoist lo ;i iiill which emiKjdies the principle of remedial Icgisliition. '1 heielore he and hi-, pan y , 'ire opposed to that principle. My hou. friend, in llie \('ry same breat h. sa>s : I )j,o lor ;in iincst ij^at iii^ coiiiinissiou ; ind he is ajiplauded to the echo b> the lion. jj;eni leineii who sit beside liim and who follow him. And yet there can be no sl;indinii liiound for a commission of inves- tigation, unk'ss I he jirinciple of .ibsolnie rtnu'dial Isnislation niidei'lies it. What business have yon invest ijial in^j; if you do iu)t in lend lo exercise t he remedial jiower sliould the invest i-al ion eslablisli a >i-riev;ince ^ 'I'he only loi^ica! position of anti- reniedialisis is thai taken by I he (Ihihf ami by the third party, viz : to say you do not want any cominission. Hut the moment you ap])oini a conimission, on your cnvn sluiwing, you are either jiokini; \our noses into soinet liiiie' you havi' no business with, or you are standine on a piincii)le w hieh will pledge you to le)j,islate if the eonimission shows that there is :t grievance. 'I'h.ii is the (onsistent platform enunciated by a part\ which al one and I he same minute dei'lares against remedial legislation kick il out ; for hi remedi.il l.gisl.ii iou~let us have a commission of in(iuiry. In(|uir> is the general cry. The .Maniioba government raised it to call oil" publ ic'att fill ion fioin the act tlie> had committed. .My lion, friend the leader of flic Opposition raises it in oirler to keep his p.-iily in unison. .My hoii. friend from Ji Islet (.Mr. Tarte) billows bini a long way oil'. " He was not ihere a few years ago, he was not there a few monllis ago. but the crack of I he jiarly whip has been heard, and ;ii> nervous and ex( irable friend feared (he lash and came into line, and he calks out for delay and investig.il ion as sluidils as the best of them. Sir Oliver Mowjit udopted it to keep the party within line, ll is like a vast umbrella under wliicli '•* -•' Uioy nil jriilhcr iiml iirc sliollcnd fium tlif pcltin;: lahi nf criiiciNm, /in Hm-v think, liiil lifiii'ulli wliicli they c|ii;irn'l likr cuts jiiul dujjr-,. It js I'lic paitv sliililiiilctli. WlnHpiTtMl in lnwt'st toncN !•> Ilif riMiicdialiHtH it js ,i picct'driit for lc)j:isliit ion ; >liiMiii'd in ^irnturian tnno Irnin tiic lniiiM-tDp^* li\ t lie ant i irnu'dialists — il i> an idisnlnti' nt'nat ivc of t Ik- piinciplf of rfnii'diul Icvtisiat ion. What is to be InvcstiRatod. WImt is there to in\i s| j^ate / I'd \m' ii'imirr an ii:\ est itfiit Ion into fhf <'oiri- pacts? 'rhen- aru tiu' docnnn-ntH -tiic coiifcilcrai ion conipacl and tin' .Miniloliii cninpact, lit-ad thi-m.if >ou\v(inl to knowwhai tlicv nu'an. 'riiiTc arc liic pre- union riKlils, tlic pri\ ilcycs w lii( h cvcrjlKidy k nosvs c.mhi cd, t lioii^;h IcpdU llicv arc decided nol to lie, anil ^^ e throw that ont ol the i|ncslioii. 'I'liere svrrc post union rinhtsand pri\ilenes. Arc ihe.se not known? .\ndilic> were taken .iway. 'I'he law of isTll. shows what wasci^en, the law of IMMlhows wli.ir was rakcii ;iwuy and what now remain^? "Seripta nianent ' gather i hose and reail them, if you want to know what was;ii\cnand what w a* lauen aw ;iy and what remain^. |>oi's anybody donht that ! Not the .Maniioha L;o\crnnieni. >nrely. That uovei-nnient ifaxe them, il took them awa>, and it uu\c its rea^on>. ..\i)t tlie tour's. '1 hey lieard the eases, fully iii\ est ii^atcd the fact-, and nave llieir di'( isions. 'I'liere is not a iiieinlier of t his Parliament who ihn s not kno\\ the ta('i> ano who has not nnidu up his mind with refeicniM to it. There is noi an inlelli^ciit Canadian who does not know the facts; ihefactsare snlhcientl> known wiilKau in\ est iiiat ion. What are the liKts ? Thei'ewasa compaci which, il was ihoiiuhl, secnrcil ihc ndnordy pi'ivilencs, anil the miiioi il > have nol those pri\iic-cs now. There wcic -cp.iraii* s(d»oois for the iniiioriiN ; there arc none now. Thcia.Ncsof ihcCalholic minoritv formerly went to support scparMe siiinols; tlic\ now >ro lo t he piihlic schools, ami ties ides this, t he udnority ha\ e to pay tor t licii' |iri\ ate schooK. The minority liad u sh;ire of thepiilihe funds; they liave noncnoxN. 'I hc> had deiioiniiial loiial ediica tioii then; llie\ h.ive not pit it now. They h,id ilic selection of I Inir ow m Imoks and so tort li t hen ; now ihc\ ha\cii(ii. All these iliinus are known. Tlie\ arc to he toiiiid in the hooks of the staliiles; thcv aie in the reports of the inspectors of schools; they ai e in I he si at isi ics of t he sdiools ; tiny are in the census rci urns ; llie> are in t he jiioupiiiMs of poimlalioii. Appoim your (•omn!!s^. loners, send them up i here, let t hem in\ esl ijiatc, ;ind w hen t hey li.nc done tlieir s\ork aiet come hack, what will we ha\e? We will simply ha\c a codeetion of the \ery informaiioa wliieh We ha\f at hand to day. .A commissidii <.\ i\\ not hoil down all tins intorma t ion tind put it into lion pa i hie l)ills, so t hat one c.-m take t w n or t lirec, and, w it h- oiit any ellort on his pai t, ha\ e tlie w hole informal Ion spread lo his hi.'iin. Thci'e are the ilocumcnts; the) have to he examined. 'I'lie in\ «'si iuitt inn commission could onl\ ).:alhcr the liociiments which we have hefore us now, ,'ind la> I hem hefore Vou hir cxaminal ion. 'I'hat, is .all, Ihu in\ lion, trieiid w lio sits uppoMle nie nays the hill is :i had hill. "The Bill is No Good." Sir IMCIIAM) (WH'l WlilCHT.- Won hless. iMr. l'()STi;i{. He says we want a ;:oo(| Hill, if \m' ,ire to have any. Another Keiitlenian says: \'ou IjuM' "ivi'ii us tin- sluidow hut we want the substance. .\nul hci j:i'IiI Icman .'•i;ys il will produce I aw suits. Most leeislat ion does. Sir KKJIAHl) tWHi W 11 K ill 1. l!ad Iceishiti Iocs. Mr. FOSTI'Ji. What I want to say to the hon. Lieiitlem.in is that this is simply tritlin;^. The principle of remedial Icnislat ion is in t hat Hill as the ;;old is in the nUK-et. Sir HICIIAHl) (\\l!TWlM(iHT. Very refractory pild, Mr. I'OSTl'.ll. It may he so. Sir. Ihu the man who wants d(u;s nut kick aside the nut;i:el with its routth eiicascmcnl, hut liave that and, w it h 1 he help of others, I can leliiie it into I he pure eold. The man who is in javouiof remedial Icjrislation acceiits thai I'ill. and docs his best in commit ti-e to make it as etlective as he can, accord injr to his view s - 1 mean the man who is honestly in favour of it. It ne\('rh,is liccii heard ol that a Hill which does nol in> as tar as you w ish it to - >. hut still embodies the principle \ou desire to have inlopted shoulil he kicked out by ,, mot ion foi' the six monilis' hoist, because it does not eo\eri)Uiie as much as \ou wish. If you are ajzainst remedial IcLrislat ion, say so, adopt the principle uf this liill, and then '^v to woik lo make it as etlective as ;jo%>sible. "Your Parliament is Morii-unJ " .Vnother olijection is that ihis is our sixth ses -joh. rn,o we have no ri;rht, const i- tut ional or other, to le^^islatc as it proposed. We '■.' \ e every ri.uht. The law of this country ti>i^s the term of I'arlianicnt . .i duration 'if a certain jiciiod one session every year during that period and within that it is perfeclly legal for us lo act. We lo get pure gold he savs : Let me J / 1 19 nrc within the >l'llr^ timl was scitltd In tlm l'(tnf<'d" \ci, mi,| in th« Muniliilia Aft. Mv iiim, liirnd scurcd Ihf lion. Si'tn-t ; . tt( I cause lit- did not tak»' till' i|in'stioiM)f <'i(nf((lrr,ii ion iidDrc till' pco' . »f \i * ■ .la, and ask th«iu to pass iipoii ii 'I'lif lion. Kcnllcinan spoUi- In h» > ■ ioi^ftfiiliirss of the fa lirdrork of the constitution. TIumi was the tiiiii- for the pi'oplc to have li,. a chanci' to statu their roiiv let ions. 'I'Ih-x did dix'uss thf whole i|ntsl ion then, tin \ ai-iepted eonfiMterntiuu, anil wc have IomiIIv li\ed under it for tweiitv nine ye:iri. \Ve are now upon u sped- (le (a,>e wliicli (jrrows oMt of this adopted eiHiNtltntion, ami we have siitlhuent power to seilie it. .\nd our consiitneneieH inijjilit v\ell call us p iltroons if we refused to deal N\ illi the i|ue^tion here today. 'I'lie demon of discoid is ahroad hlowla^ the winds of strife, say lion. ).(eii| leineii. -And they net np. anil with tears in their eyes, deplore this strife, And yet the> want lo tliiow tlii-« ajiple of discord into tlie gen- eral I'leelioiis. and thus all the more inllaine pre.jiidiees and passlon.s. It is my heliefthat it is wise as well as constitutional to settle this '{Ueition and tako tbo lesponsihiliiy liefore our constituenlH. They are Playing a Part. Ihit, Sir, are these nentlenien opposite playing a part J I do not a.sk that in an oU'ensive seMSe. .\re they iilayiiij; a part .' l,et us see. I think they arc, and I sub- mit my opinion. The sfike that the^ are playiiiK lor I know, and so do our fricniiH here. They ari' play inj; for power. I lie> are desperate players. I do not play my- self, hut I take leave to ask those who do a (juesiion. It iley had heen playliiK ull ni){ht, and had lieen losiiiu; continually, and had K"t to the last cent they had in their nockets, would the) not liecome de>per.ite ? t'ards up their sleeves, cards in their laps, cards all around— anyihiiiK to win. These hon. Kt-'nileinen have been out for over ei^.';hleen sears. Tiiey have heen pla\ in;.; for power and they have lost every time Their list nickel i. invested. If they are desiieiate piayers, can we wonder at it ? I, -t me ask my Ihhi. frieinl from I.Ts'lel (Mr larlei is he playing a part. In IhlW he said in this House : "Can it lie true, , Mr. Speaker, that hecause the rarlianient of Canada were iinalile to liiid a coireet term to deline the riehtsof the minr.rity, this minority would h.ivi- to he crushed under feet ^ C.in it he true that the Crown in Canada has (^one that far, that it would .i\ ail itself of a clause improperly drawn up to disregard and overlook I he riwlils of t he minority i" AKiiin, in Milil, lie said : • It is a censurahle and a criminal manuuvre, not only from the pjlnt of view of the minoriiy who are now sullerinK, hut also from the point of view of the K«-*iierai interests and the most dear to liie country. " I throw aside parly lies and I call upon the (Jovernmeiit to prcHcrve the rights confessediv granted to the minoriiv hy the eonstilniional charter ■' It is (Mir duty tu defend tlieni and to take e.very pos.sihle means otrered to us hy the law and conslitnrion to preserv e them inviolate. " Our only wish is that a jirinciple id' eipial .justice to' all lie applied; that the compacts, the aj;reenn nls nunle he respected li\ holh p;iriies. lied and instead of t.ikInK a Arm stand, C.; die ■h were ai worthy of true statesmen, they refer the (|nesiioii to the courts of .jnstii^e. ■• After a solemn compact, afier arraiiKemeiiLs were accepted hy the majority tj;nii.ranteein)j; the rijihis ot the minoriiy. wiiliont any notice heiiiji given, without any repud lor the iieuot iations which toi>k place these K'l'irantets are thrown aside wliich protected the riu;hls of the minority, and tliev would have us helieve that I'arliament is iiowerless to do justice lo iho-e who siiU'er." One more. On .lanuary 2itih, IMC), the hon. jAciit leiiian said pre Go I say that the position of the Catholic minority Is no hetter as long a,s the resent (iovernuieiil remain in power, for the reason thai the members of that iovernmeiit, and nearly .ill their supporters, have deolared^themselvea for non- intervention " How is it now I ,Mav I ask my ask mv hon. friend from Lislet, when tlie Govern- iiciit and the memliiis of the Cabinet have staked their lives upon the principle of intervemionJ ^\'lu'l■e is the. hon. Kenlleiiian m w i He was not thirsting for inforniatioii then. He had no diaibts as to the (rricvances i if the minority, as to the powers of Parliament, as tu lliediuyof the Government. Did he say " Hands ofT Alanitoba"^ No, but to Manitoba he said, " Hands oil' the minority." And to the (lovcrnment he said, " llandsupun" that ma.joiily lo compel hands otV the minority. Tlic veto is the club \ou should use. btiike ! ihrutjl ! destroy 1 W hat has become / I / I 20 of tlic lion, momhor for L'Isl.'t ? Was lu' li^lit then ! If so, is lip riixht now, or h lie only iilaviii!^ a ]v,u% ^ Let inc ask wliat was said liy my lion. fiuuT IkTthiiT, and VI' will lia\c a font v:t~-\ . Mr. i,.\\ I)i';i!KI.N. - Yon will have a c'liifricnrc w it h iiini. Mr. KUSTKU.— Not nfifs>,u-ily. His opiniuns air very tr.mk and frankly j^ivoii. Here llicy are : "In the third jijaee, we conti'iid that the rime lor disaliuw anei; hiving once e.xpired, it was the dnly of (lie ( iovernineiit to enact sncli remeill.il laws as^ were (•alenlated to re.lress llie jirievaiices eompl.-iiiied or hy the Catholics ol Manitoba, iiiste ad of resoii iiiLi: to various shifis and >nhierfuL;es,'io avoid alinji' w ith llie just claims of I he lat I er." .Vi^ain, my hori. frioKl frum P.eri liier ( M r. llcan-oleih sa vs : '"I. for one. am reail\ toa-^snme my ow a share of responsiliilil \-, and to ;j;ive my siippoi't to any (ioNeinmeiit whose liiNt article shall lie the redress of the wroniis inllieted npon .Manilolia. C)nthe>ame uronnd. I wonld pledue myself (o snpport. no (iovermneni whose p'-OLCranime woiiM he to wiihlinld ji-oni the Catholics of Manitol).! the Just ireat men I I hey are eiil illcd to ;)nd w hali 1 he v .ire denied to day." A^ain he said : "On the ol her hand, should the lion, the Minister of .Instice jiledLie himself to ado|)t such renieilial leuislalion as niiuhr lie calcniated to redress the grievances complained of, in accordance with his reiioi't of (he 2lst Mm-''. IsiH. 1 am ready v.i h ii I;ii'l;c nnmlier of my friends, from I his dde ol I lie II m , ■ i.i lend him ii. loyal snpp:ii'i. Ihns in.ik-inu" np the loss of a few \'iies ;iMio;i_;- a,. ,» 11 ! riends, hrou-ht ahoiit hy I his honest- course of act ion.' That Was iipplamled by t lie leader of I he Opjiosi; ion and e\ cyy niembrr of the p.irty op|)osite. Jiist as iii\ inm. friend's (.Mr. Taile's) s;aleinehls weie applauded by the leader of the OpposM ion ,ind e\ ery ol her member (if 1 he p:!:l , wlio sjis behin.l him. Hnl let ns i.'ilce anolher. ,nid ih.it is 1 he si at I'lneiit made li\ i ne hoii. gentleman from Norili .Xorfolk (.VIr. Ch .il'.oiii, who spoke yvsierday. At lii-aeeiirid-i'. on Derember ;!rd, lS!i."i, he is re])orl ed :is follows: " Mr. Ch.irilon was received wiih lond applause. .\l iiii' outset he acceiited .\lr. llennert's cha'denj.e ami decl.-ired t lial he wonld votea_Mi,.si remedial li'u'islation next ses-ion if it wer" proposed, and e\ei> o! her session in whlt'li he .should be a member .-ind a prop )>il ini for I he roen-icui of .Manirob i sit lald !)e inl roduced. lie would I'sirrdav on I hose -aiiie lines, receive 1 the same Lilieral applause from I lie ho 1. LCenl lemeii silt injj; around niin. Lit ns take another lion, jzeiil leman who sits now ni this lliaise, but hasnot been here for a, iuiit; t line iirexiuusly 1 mean the hoii. member for Huron (.Mr. Cameroni. who. when he speaks, \ill take the same line, and vvillg-ei thehame iipplanse. At (loderitdi tli.it lion. Lientlenian said : ■' h'ir -t he irav (■ .'n explicit declaiat imi ol his stand en the Mjuiitobi seliool quest ion. ' I siiall \ ol e .luainst the remedial order, le said, "1 do not eare who is I'remier of ('aiiad.i. or who is rulin^j; the conntry. I shall vole au;ainst eoi r.'injj; MiMiiloba. Hjj,ainsi takiiiii' her by t he tin oat.' He would, if necessary, be the only one to st.iiKl up single handed lor provint al riulits. ' Hands oil' .M;i.ni|ob;i," w ,is his w ateliw Old. " Now, sir, , all of these have been apiilanded. Which was rij;lit ;■ 'I'lii' one eon- sistint utieranee that I lind ainoiitisl I hem is ( lie lit ti'iam a; of I he lion, member for HerlhieriMr lieaiisoleih, with xvliom I may ( onple ths ntlcranee of the lion, mem- ber bir ( Ittaw a (.Mr. Devlin), whose derlaralions of one or two years ago, sipiare exact ly with t heir declarations now. .Now, let us jc i ho (Mistoins, I;ingua,i;c' and rclit^ion of the people of Quebec. JVlariitoliii ••iiimnt be cumpelicil to obey the mniidfitc of Ottiiwa in e that the attempt ut coercion nui.st be futile," And attain the "(ilobe ' says: " !t will, siioneror later, appear that no eoiiivse is open but to leave the legis- latni'e of Maidtoba to maiia>j;e the public educat ion of the jji'i'vince, free from control or interference by any 'it her authority in Canada." Now . Sir. here j;"' Mint- ditl'ercnt .sets of ojiiiiions ; which are riuht I All ai'e equally iipjilandeil by the pi'.rty opposite. Why, Sir, am 1 not jnstilicd in saying that they are playin.ii; a tarcc ? 'lake an audience in a ihtNitre. They arc faeiii^; th(^ board.s. The actor cumes forward; as clown, as tragedian, as eoincdian, lie successively eoincs forward, and he receives an eipial meed .>f applause, represented as blark. or white, as Fuf^lisliman or as Frenehman, as foivigneror as native -in each character, when he comes forward, he performs his part, and in each is eipially applaudeii. That audience is there simply to be amused, and they ari' ainusiiifj; themselves. Here the .actors conn; foiward. My lion, frieini from li'Islet (.Mr. Tari.e), my lion, friend from \\'inni|)eK 'Air. Martini, and other lion, ^fntlemen. i In- '>"•• black the oilier white, with opinions as divt''seas theeipiator isdllf'"' i . ( .-. )ole, aufl they are all i'i|Uiilly applauded. Wluu is the solut ion of • l.ev -r. 'i.iply amu.s- iiifi themselves, there is no principle in the matter, 'lb' playing a part, and tiiey are amnsiiiji themselves in the play. Mr. Laurier's Position. Mr. Speaker. I had intended toadtlress a few words to my lion, friend the loader of the Opjiosition. He is not here to (la\ ; an iiietlicient substitute (Mr. Flint) I fear 1 must say. sits in his (dace ; but if he will take one nu ssajie to his chief. 1 will be f^l.id to send it. Let me take, then, the leader of the Oppositinii himself. In l.SitU he said : ■' That while on all other matters the yjow era of the Inca! leirinlature are ahnosi, iiuU'pendcnt, in the matler of eilncatioii. a super\isi>i-y pnwcr has been given to this gfivernmeiit, in so far as separate schnols are concerned. Whatever iirivilejies are ^;n,irant(>ed to one minority in a province I claim in the name of justice and fairness, for all minorities in all of the provinces." Apiin, he said : "If the .Supreme Court should decide that the Government have the power, to interfere \\ itii the lej^islation of Manitoba, aiul the (iovcrnment should not obey the lejial mandate which they themselves had souijht, t here would be a powerful and a rifj;litful a!J,it;itioii in some (laits of the country against the (Jovernnient." He says again : "The ratholic minority has been subject to most infamous tyranny, if the state- ment is true as given by Archbishop Tai'he that Protestant sidiools are being continued under the guise of public schools, and that Koman Catholic children are forced under that law to attciui w hat ar»; iu reality i'rotestaiit schools." .\gain, he says, still later : "If he cM'r reach<'d power, and he hoj»ed the time was not far distant when that would become a fact, he had reason to believe tliat this ipiestiou would be settled. "If the electors gave him smh men as Mr. Charbonne.iu in .Iac(|ues Cartier, and Mr. McShane iu Montreal Centre, and other Liberals uf that stamp, it would put him in a position to handle this ipiestiou. " We favour (christian education, but we want the parent to say which religion should be taught to their children. " The Manitoba Catholics wi're suH'ering an injustice now , because the Ottawa tjovernment had not done its I 11' f % if I 0'> re l)r()u>j;hr to tliis (ioviTiiment, say al once tii t lie Government ; It is make away witli lliis olnioxious and u'l'iitlemnn "iMi that dcclara- ■ i«"i hii:'at ion and delay, .oM the six months' spparatc selinols, and thai thoy sliould Kd those separate sehools. All these, taken toj^ethei', form a strong coiiimeiitaiy on his position today, when the (Joverninent haviofi introduced a measMri' tnf iistorinu those riglH s and removin)^ that jjrievance, lie meet> it with a six months' hoist. Sir, this hon. v.'entleman has argued in favour of the veto, and he has arfj:ued aj^ainst the veto. Ih- has lieen af^ainsi any delay and he has rated the (ioverrmeiit tor delay ; yet to day he is in favour of delay. He ha,s said tliat Invest i^iaf ion is neiessary ; and he has deelareer tlwit invest i}z;atioii is not neic^ssary. In an exactly parallel case, what is his statement ^ "As you know, we have in Qiieliec no schools hut relifiious schools— Roman Catliolic schools and Protestant schools. Sujipcise the legislature of t^uehec were to-morrow to altolish the system of separate schools existin;? there, so that the Pro- testant population would have either to send their childre-i to the Human Catholic schools or hrinjj; them u[) in ij;norance or tax theiiisclves a sicond lime to estal)lish schools of their o\\ n. ".Sir, if under I he circuinstanees, iin appeal we is there a man in this House who wnuld not your bouiuleii duty at once to interfere and tyrannic.il lejjislat ion." There is an exactly parallel case here; but the i)on. tion liot from his mouth, now atlirms I hat we must I'' and that remedial legislation nuist not he give- , i hoist. 'Phi' hon. gentleman made a si)eech at the opening of the debate, in reply to the ScH'rt'tary (d' State, a speech that haslieen much lauded anil much lead; but a speech which, in my huml)le o))inion. will not bear very much dissection. I wish to direct attention to three or four points in it. The lirst statt;menl he made was that to j)roceed with bill and make it law ■■ Would be a most violent wrench of the [)riiu'|)les upon which our constitution is based." .\nd yet I ha\c read to this House siateineiit after statement in which the hon. gentleman acknowleilged the niidoulite'' right and .jurisdjet lua of this I'arlianient to so legislate. How can you wrench the constitution by adopting action that is sti'ictly within the powers wlileh t he ronsi itut ion gives? The hon. gentleman went into a long dis(iuisitioTi as regards the excellence of the I'nlted ."States constitution, jiarticularly oic the line, that under the Inited .States const It ut ion the state legisla tion \\iv\ not sujiervised liy the federal legislation, and biiK'rness was fherefoi'c not imported in such (|iu'si ions t here, and while lauding that feature of the United States (■(institution he called our own "a very great mistake." I"'or what juirpose ? A mil. ute afterwards he declared : "Hut tne remedy (d' interfereiute is found in the constitution, and being there it must be applied by them who lovethe constitution," Why was he talking aiiont the beauties of the I'nited .States constitution as distin- guished from those of our own ? We are not living under the I'nited .States constitu- tion ; and !)■■ himself when he came back to his subject had to discuss it in the light of the Canadian and not the I'liiled Stales constitution. Further on in his speech he said : The minfirity have a right to h.ive their own schools, that I admit. If then we live under the Canadian const ittition, if this constitution gives a remedy that should be applied, and if the iniiiorlty have a right to their own sehools what ttieii was the object of taking this matter up at all ! '1 he hon. gentleman then went on to say tiiat we nmst not force |»ublic opinion. He said : It is the part of the statesmanshi]) not to force upon the peojile the views of anjf section, but to eiuleavour to liring them all to a uniform standard and <'onceptlou of what Is right. And live minutes afterwanls he came to the c(jiu;luslon that A time wiiidd ;irri\(', sonii' time, when >on must legislati-, and you must legis- late for the majority and against the miimrilN. Again, he said thai we were guilty of dece|)tion in the statemeid of the case which was submitted to the .Imlicial t;"ommlttee o( the Privy Council, inasmuch as \\e asked their opinion upon a state of assumed facts. Does the iion. gentleman e. rherc are i-ccli'siast ical opiiuoMs, and ecelesias- tienl opinions, and tiu'iv are also opinions whiili ar'c not ecclnsjastieal, Itnt whicli are iiein^ mannfacttired a-ainsi us in the countiy and hnaifilil to hear on t.-vcry indep<'! d -nt memhci-. We ini;^hl all make onrsclvcs niartvrs if we wi.shel to Li . TMf ■,iil,\ rs ex cry time wi- rt-ceivi'd a si rony; ictlcr or si ronK resolution threateu- In^; lis wit li pains and penalties if wo. did not do thus and so. A Word to Conservatives. One word more, if .sou [jleasc, .Mi'. SpcaUu', and that is a word to the Consor- vati%-t.'s in this House and outside of the House. .My woid to the ("onservatives in simply this .• l''or eij;liteen years we Im\ e supported a ceriain policy ; we have j^ivi'ii to it our means, we have jj;iven to it our eiier;;le>. we have worked out that uoliey in t he country, and we ha\ e duriii;; these eighteen ye;ii s allinned nur full faith in the elleets of tlial policy and its suiieiiority to anv other policy. l''or eip:lueen yeai-s we liave seen progress and di'vidopnienl inlliis country under that jioliey and under the adininistratiou of the I.ilieral t'onsei-\ ,it ive parly, and we helieve that, a eontinuation on the same lines i^ the hesi for th" future of this country. You see the corni)ai;ts of HM'u and ISTii and know how tlu'.\ arose. Thes are vvrilf.en into the (constitution, they face your tlo\ernmeiit as well as yourselves. They would have tested any (iovernment that had hieii in (lower. You st'c the appeal, the decision, tlu! ^nievanee, the jiower of restitut ion deiiiied by the hiuhest court of the land. That lii.i;hest eoiiri has remitted ti> your ( lovei'iiineni, wli.cii yuu have supported, a (piest ion which w. IS not asked for liy them: a somerliiii'j; which arises out of (he eoiistittJt ion, anil l>y circumstances over which t hey have no control, this (|nestion was throw 11 ujiou them fur siilutioii, \retliei-e not other putt ions of the i.iheral- CoiiseiN alive |)iilicy of some inipoi'lance as well a> this '. Is it not well for (.'onser- vatives ill this ll(ui>e. and outside of this House, to take the broader, and K«'eater, and wi(U'r interests into coii--idiral ion. and. at llie same lime, to ask themselves whether it is worth wliih', foi a p liiii of well iield sent iiiie;ii , for a point, may he, e\'ei;, of w e|j held princiiilc on a siiiuU. position, to ^ro a.:.iinsi the party and the i»olic\ whiihthev have siipioiied for ei^iiiecii >cai's, atil winch they lielieve li;is Vieeii the lii'st party ami polic\. and i- lo-day tlie liest pirty and pidicy for tiiis eonnlr>. Yon see the Lilieral parly rJlerly dl-iredited in the ciuntry. You see that party without aii\ iiolicy wliicli can apjical to tine hu^ine-s interests and the solid eommon sense of the " elect oi's of Canada, ^'ou see tiiat i.iheial party to-day, marching u)) to a test heforetlie peo))le of this country, and their .vhole hope of \ielory-l say it earnestly and lumestly is that liiey may ^'et into power, not hecaiiM' of the sinuwdi ,,1' ilieir own amis and hatteries, hut hecause they hope for some desert ioii> from the citadel of their opiionents, which shall >ally out to their help, and enahle ihem to take the position to which Ihey aspire. What answer is it to the coiiiil ry"s hesi interests, if \\v lio hack to them w ith a defeated policy and a defeated (iovernment, ]uittii.j,' into power a politioi).i; thoimli it be. U'l the .trreater ^'ood, the Ijiriier policy, the more valuable and the inoi'c (irecious interest of the v holi-. What will it have prolited us, e\e:i we nain a point of sentimci't or of t""' ..1' • in one respect : what will it have prolited us, if wc lose the sdiiI of a "• ,, . ;■ iic\ and a wir,e adinin- istralioii of atl'aiis. After si\ \ears, sir. we stand lit re under ' . amstances srch as I have detauen. What is it. then, foilhis I'ailiament todo ? On tlie miehaiid. there isa wellfounded repn^'uance to intcilere and do what, even thoiiLdi clearly within our rij^ht to do, the province can do more easily and far better than oursidves. There is alon^r ^\it'i tliat a numlier of subordinate reasons arisiri'-'. either from considi'iat ions ot principle or of iteisoiial concern, or of jiarly interest, that t( nd to in luce some to vole aj^ainst this Hill and against i-emedial lejiislat ion. (Jn the other hand, wliai is there ; There is the ^renins and spirit of the eonsU^ tutional coiiiiiact of this ((.niitrv. There is the splendid lesson of toleration and of eomproniise which has lieen reiid to >ou in that const itut ion, and which has Ijeen evidenced in its harmonious workinjis for nearly t hirtv years. There i - the cry ol the niinoritv. small in the area of those who directly sull'er. but larize, let me tell you. in ihearea of those w ho sympalhi/e with it in this country Ironi one end to the otlier. There are the miiKuilii's in other iirovinces demanding- of you where tli"V shall stand, and how thev shall be trealeil. if in future years their time ot trial eonies, and thev will have to ap|)tal to this same Iiiuli court ot raiiiament. ami invoke this sanie jurisdiction. There i-- the i'arliament. Sir, invested, knowin^'ly. 24 f1.;linil.>Iy, positively ii,\CKtc(l h.\ the f.iflicis of contVd.Miil ion in ilio coiivi ii utioti with 111.; innMliclioii to iiiiiiMiuiii ilicsc ri^'hi-, aiKJ to i«.nIo.c ihciii ilthi'v iirr iiikcn asvay. Iliis niili.tiiHMit is appealed to. It is ..vatcii.'d l.v CainHla, it is waK hed l.v the worl.l. On >.'ruiMids .,1 eMiiia-e, on vrroiiiids of Jnsiiee. on ^romids of ouod faitli, nuike your answer to iliosewlu) appeal, make voiu' unsu er k. Canada uliieli is \\atchinj;yoii. and to the world wliieli nnIII iii niukin^ itself those eveniful -lays. .>^hall the eh.ipterl)e a reeord nl nohlene.ss and ade.inae\, or u reeord of weakness and in.ltieienev ? .^hall we stamp ourselves a- petty and provincial, or shall we he ree .rded to future a^es as n.agnaniniousand imperials !,et us plant our fe.'t in the linn pal h of const it ut ional eonipaet and a«reeinent. of ^^ood faith, and of le.nesi, rair d. liin-. Let us take and pass on that KU'aunnu toreh of prudent eornproinise und.-r wIk.nc kiinllv li-ht the ratlu'r.s of eonfi'deratioii nian'hed safely throii-h in times far nmre trouhfous ami far less advuneed than ours, into ai> era of hannony and eonti.iiird peace. Let us do .justice lo a weak and patient minorif v, und thu- settle forever tfie 'lueslioii of the suUicicMcy of thejjuarantt'esof eonfedeiat ion. i,et u.s follow with flieertul emulation the shining example of our i;rea.t mot eh r count rv, whose found iitions were laid on the .solid granite of ko'"! faith; and whose world wide and wondrous super-strueture has been joined toKftlier with the i ement of u stroiiu and Keneron.s toleration. Let us prove ourselves now. in the tliirtietli rear of our e.\i.slence. as in the Ntress of ournatal days, n people tit for Empire, and worthy to rank ttUioiiK.st lb» Ujst and greatest of nations.