IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /y ^/ ^.^ M^ '4^ i< i/. fA 1.0 I.I l^|2£ 12.5 1.8 H, IJ5 U. Ill 1.6 ^ 6" — ► Sdences Corporation «^ i S: Li>^ V fv 23 WEST MAIN STRUT WEBSTiR,N.Y. 14S80 (716) •72-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notas/Notas tachniquas at bibliographiquas Tha Inatituta hat attamptad to obtain the baat original copy available for filming. Featurae of thia copy which may be bibiiographically unique, which may alter eny of the imegea in the reproduction, or which may aignificantly change the uttual method of filming, ere checlted below. D D D D D D Coloured covera/ Couverture de couleur I I Cover* demaged/ Couverture endommagAe Cover* restored end/or lemineted/ Couverture restaur^ at/ou pailiculAe Cover title miasing/ La titre de couvertui couverture manque r~n Coloured mepa/ Cartes gAographiquas en couleur □ Coloured Ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encr^ de couleur (I.e. autre que bleue ou noire) |~~| Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ RailA evec d'autras documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La r9 liura serrie peut ceuser de I'ombre ou de la distortion la long da la marge IntArieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within tha text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blenches ajouttes lors d'una restauration apparaissent dans la texte, mais, lorsque cela itait possible, ces pagea n'ont pas 6t6 f llmtes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmantaires; L'inatitut a microfilm* la mailleur exemplaira qu'il lui e it* possible de se procurer. Les d*talls de cet exemplaira qui sont paut-*tre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une imege reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m*thode normala da filmaga aont indiqu*8 ci-dassous. □ Coloured pages/ Psges de couleur B Pages damaged/ Pages endommag*es r~n Pages restored and/or laminated/ The* toth Pages restaurtas et/ou pellicul*es Pages discoloured, stained or foyat Pages d*color*es, tachet*es ou piqu*es Pages detached/ Pages d*tach*es Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualit* in*gale de rimpresslon Includes supplementary materU Comprend du met*riel suppl*mentalre r~^ Pages discoloured, stained or foyad/ I I Pages detached/ r~> Showthrough/ IT^ Quality of print varies/ I I Includes supplementary material/ Thai poae of th filmii Origi begii theli sion, othei first sion, or ill! D D Only edition available/ Seule *dition disponible Pages wholly or pertially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. une pelure. etc.. ont *t* film*es * nouveau de fapon d obtenir le mellleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction re Jo checked below/ Ce document est film* su taux de r*duction indlqu* ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X V 12X 16X 2DX a4X 28X 32X The I shall TINL whic Mapi diffei entin begii right requ metl TtM copy filmed h«r« Hm b««n r«produc«d thanks to th« o«n«rotity of: Mttropolhin Toronto Library Canadian History Dapartmant Tho imagM appaaring hara ara tha bast quaiity possibia conaidaring tha condition and lagibility of tha original copy and in Icaaping with tha filming contract spacificatlona. Original copies in printad papar covers ara filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or iiiuatratad imprea- sion, or tha back cover when appropriate. All other origlnel copies ara filmed beginning on the firat page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or Iiiuatratad impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^»> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. IMaps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: 1 2 3 L'e»emplaire filmi fut reproduit grAce k la gAnArosltA da: Matropolitan Toronto Library Canadian KMory Dapartmant Lea images suivantas ont At* raproduitas avac le plus grsnd soin, compta tsnu de la condition at da la nattet* da rexempiaira film*, at an conformiti avec ies conditions du contrat da filmage. Lea exemplairas originaux dont la couvarture en pepier est ImprimAe sent filmAs en commandant par la premier plat at an tarminant soit par la darnlAre page qui comporte une empreinta d'impression ou d'lllustration. soit par la second plat, salon la cas. Tous las autres exemplairas originaux aont filmAs an commandant par la pramlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'iiiustration at an tarminant par la dernlAre pege qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles sulvants apparaltra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, seion le cas: is symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartas, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre film As A des taux de rAduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA A partir de i'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de heut en bas, en prenant la nombra d'images nAcessaire. Las diagrammas suivunts lllustrant la mAthode. 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 *>k .'t Toronto Public Library H ' liiini l i l n Ou t Kui i uii) I A D^ ):'*\, i.-_( \\v^. Vd\\^V«A \-.'8LVtV\fcV OV\ AVx '^;*\ c^u.»\« o v> '-tLT? ^^^»\i ( V* 1 ra>' r >*i»l%^ ¥h^ m •Ml '^ '^m H^ ^k -f * f r . 1;,, • •V , ' v'' ^ V 4 J 1 V-. K" \ '''<>';!'' €:"'.. . *.^ ' > » m-zn « ^*S \ i- ' ^ KMm -f . ■■I IJ •SPEECH OF MR. WILFRED LAURIER, M,P., ON THE RIEL QUESTION. Delivered in the House of Commons at Ottawa^ March IQth, 1886. Mr.LAUBIER,who rose midst cheers, said : Since no one on the other side of the House has the courage to continue this debate, I will do so mysf If. The Min- ister of Public Works stated that the Qovemment were ready and anxious to discuss this question, and this is an evid- ence of the courage tbey pretend to possess. Sir, in all that^has been said so far, and that has fallen from the lips of hon. gen- tlemen opposite, there is one thing in which we can all agree, and one thing only — ^we can all agree in the tribute which was paid to the volunteers by the Minister of Public Wovks when he entered into a defeiiuse of the Qovernment. The volunteers had a most painfhl duty ta perform, and they performed it in a most creditable manner to themselves And' the country. Under the uniform of a soldier there is generally to be foond a waim and merciful heart. More- over, our soldiers are citizens who have an interest in this country ; but when tiiey are on duty they know nothing but duty. At the same time it can fairly be presumed that when on duty the heart fiaels'and the mind thinks ; and it may be fairly presumed that those who were on duty in the Noi'th-West last spring, thought and fdit as a' great soldier, a geeat king, King Henry IV of Fraaoe, thought and felt when engaged in battie f or many years of his lue in fighting his rebellious subjrjts. When- ever his sword inflicted a wotmd he used these words : " The King strikes thee^ Ood heal thee." It may be presumed that perhaps our soldiers, when fighting the rebellion., were also animated by a similar spirit, and prayed to God that he would heal the wounds which it was their duty to inflict, and that no more blood should be shed than the blood shed by themselves. The Government, however, thought otherwise. The Qovemment thought that the blood shed by the sol- diers was not sufficient, but that another life must also be sacrificed. We heard the Minister of Public Works attempting to defend the conduct of the Government, and stating that its action in this m*tter was a stem necessity which duty to our Queen and duty to our country made in* evitable. Mr. Speaker, I have yet to learn — and t have not learned it from anything that has fallen from the lips of gentlemen oppoeite^-that duty to Queeri and country may ever prevent the exercise of that prerogative of mercy which is the neblest prerogative of the CroAvn. Th9 language of the hon. gen- tleman was not the first language of Jbho same nature. This was not the first oc- casion >»hen responsible or irresponsible advisors of the Grown attempted to delude the public, and perhaps themselvM as well, into the belief that duty to Queen aad coonuy required l^tKxl, when mercy was a possible ^fH^egOBf ■%■■ ";u;v£5rv:|%^. 2 \^H' jr> , Vo ^) tive. When Admiral Byiog wd, of the Mail lorgans against 11 not import icrimony than simply quote a \Iail — and one ich will show attacks made December last, peaking of the back at the they should he operation of they choose lo interests of a though he may lo calumny. I ilaim this for i'rench origin nd anywhere, 9> quiet and 1 this for my I origin — and any of those ved amongst lults may be, ) shield, con- ue that upon 'h Canadians J^mpathy for ost his life I November ' conclusion, influenced rejudice, if They were opinion by i :--7|- vaoe . prejudice, than were the foreign ipapers which ^(,, Deprecated the Execution ^ofbieL It is a fact that the foreign press, the American press, the English press, the French press, almost without any exception, have tak^n the ground that the execution of Biel was unjus- tified, unwarranted and against the spirit of the age. Certainly, it cannot he charged against that press that they were influenced by race feelings or pre- judices, if you choose to call them such. And in the same manner, I say, the French Canadians, in the attitude wluah they took, were not impelled by race \\e- judices, but by reasons fairly deducible and deduced from ' the facts of the case. But if it had been stated that race pre- judices, that blood relations had added keeneas and feeling to a conviction form- ed by the mind, tha£ would have been perfectly true. I will not admit that blood relations can so far cloud my judg- ment as to make me mistake wrong for right, but I cheerfully admit aad I will plead guilty to that weakness, if weakness ■ it be, that if an injustice be committed against a fellow-being, the blow will fall deeper into my heart if it should fall upon one of my kith and kin. I will not «dmit anything more than that. That race prejudices can so far cloud my judgment AS to make me mistake wrong from right, I do not believe to be true. Before I go further, I desire to say this : It has been stated, time and again, by the Mail newspaper and by other Tory organs, that it was the present intention of the French . Oanadian leaders to organise a purely French Canadian party, to lay aside all party ties and to have no other bonds of party in this House but that tie of raca - I protest against any such assertion. Such an assertion is unfounded, it is calculated to do harm, it is not founded , on truth. It would be simply suicidal to French Canadians to form a party by themselves. Why, so soon as French Can- * adians, who are in the minority in this ' House and in the country, were to organise as a political party, they would compel the mt^ority to organise tf a political party, and the result must \)0 disastrous to themselves. We have onW one way of organising parties. Thui country must be governed and can be gov- erned simply on questions of policy and administration, and French Canadians who have had any part in this movement have pever had any other intention but to organise upon those party distinctions and upon no other. In order to lay this question at rest, I cannot do better than to quote the language of the hon. mem- ber for Hochelaga (Mr. Desjaixiins) at a meeting that took place recently at Longueuil. That meeting took place in January, I believe. Mr. Benoit, the hon. member for the county, had been in- vited, but had not put in an appearance, and the fact had been commented on, by some speakers who had addressed the meeting. Ilr. Desjardins spoke as fol- lows : — " Mr. Benoit has perha m done well to hesi- tate, bticauae I have myaelf hesitated, seeing Bt the hea 1 of the invitation I received, ' Parti National.' If it be understoofi by ' Parti Na- tional' that it is a party other than those already existing, I am not of that party ; bat if it be underst^d that Liberals and Conserva- tives shall unite in the same idea and present a united front when their national interests may be imperilled, I am of that party. In our movements we have not desired that a criminal should escape death be ause he was a French Canadian ; but because as regafds J«okBon and Riel, if the first had his life saved, the second should have hai it also. We do not want any more privileges ; we are strong Enough, bat what we want is justice for all. A Single Life Valuable. It has been said by sober-minded people that the execution, even if unjust, of the man who was executed and who is believed to have been insane by those who sympa- tise with him, does not make thisacasefor the outburst of feeling which has taken place in Quebec on the occa^on of Kiel's execution. I difler from that view. In. our age, in our civilisation, every single human life is valuable, and is entitled to protection in the councils of the nation. Not many years ago England sent an ez- pediti(m and spent millions of her trea- sure and some of her best blood simply to niea« prisonna whow Utm were in the hukdi of the King of Abyisinia. In the nune manner I lay that the life of a single tubjeot of Her Majesty here is valuable, and is nbt to be treated with levity. If there are members in the House who believe that the execution of Biel was not warranted, that under the ciroumstanoes of the case it was not judicious, that it was unjust, I say they nave a right to arraign the Govern- ment for it before this country, and if they arraign the Government for it and the Government have to take their trial upon it, it must be admitted as a con^e- anence that certain parties will feel upon Ike question more warmly than others. It is not to be supposed that the same causes which influenced public opinion in Lower Canada acted in the same man- ner with all classes of the community ; that the causes which situated the com- munity at large wera identical in all classes of the community. Some ther^ were who believed that the Government had not meted out the same measure of justice to all those that were accused and who took part in the rebellion. Others be- lieved that the state of mind of Riel was such that it was a judicial murder to execute him; but the great mass of the people believed that mercy should have been extended to all the prisoners, Riel included, because the rebellion was the result of the policy followed by the Gov- ernment against the half-breeds. That was the chief reason which actuated them, and it seems to me that it is too late in the day now to seriously attempt to deny that the rebellion was directly the result of the oonductof the Government towards the half-breeds. It is too late in the day to dispute that fact. Yet we have heard it disputed in this House. By whom ) By the last man who, I should have expected would have disputed it — hy the hon. member for Frovencher (Mr. Royal). He gave us the other day his version of The origin of the trouble. Everybody is respomdble for the rebel- lion exof pt one body. The Oloh« is re- «pon«ible for it ; the Fanner's Union is responsible for it; the white settlena are responsible for it. Everybody you can conceive of is responsible for it, except iYiti Government. The Government is perfectly innocent of it, as innocent as a new-born child ! Such was the statement made by the hbh. member the other day. But if the hon. member is now in earnest as to that matter, how is it that the half- breeds alone have been prosecuted 1 If the 01ob« is the cause of that rebellion, the Glch* should have been the first to he indicted. If the white settlers were the instigators, the white settlers should Mh\e been indicted also. There is more l^an that. The counsel for the Crown received authority and even instruct i<»i8. specially to proceed against the instigators of the rebellion, the white settlers, who certainly would have been more guilty than the half-breeds whom they had in- stigated to rebellion. Here is part of the instructions given by the late Minister of Justice to the counsel for the Crown : "It must be, and from the inforination which the Government have, it se^ms prob* able" It seems the Government share the opin» ion of the hon. member for Provencher, and they profess to act accordingly. "It must be, and from the inlbrmatfon which the Government have, it seems probable that the rebellion has been encouraged active* ly by whiter, particularly in Prince Albert. Nothing in the whole duty entrusted to you is, I apprehend, more important than thatw6 should, if pos3ible And out some of the men v/ho,with far better knowledge than the* half* breeds, stirred them up to rebellion, and your special attention is asked to this point." The hon. member for Frovencher (Mr. Royal) does not seem to have given any help to the counsel for the Crown, notvnthstanding the knowledge which enables him to say on the floor of Parlia- ment, with the responsibility attaching to his utterances, that the white settlers are responsible for the rebellion. If they are, how comes it that no white settler has yet been indicted — that every white set> tier is at large ? What are we to infer from this ? Are we to infer that the Gov- ernment has receded from the position which was here taken by Sir Alexander ^hite lettlflvs [erybody you for it, exoept »verament is I innocent m » [the statement le other day. low in eamest that the half- iouted? If Ihat rebellion^ the first to settlers were [settlers should ^here is more for the Crown (n instraotions the instigators be settlerp, whO' more guilty they had in- Ire is part of the late Minister of the Crown : the information I, it se^ms prob> I share the opin~ ror Provenoher, cordingly. I the inlbrmation , it seems probable ncouraged active- a Prince Albert, atrusted to you is, vat than thatw6 ;some of the men Igethanthe'half- ibellion, and your this point." ^rovenoher (Mr. lave given any ir the Crown, lowledge which floor of Parlia- ity attaching to hite settlers are n. If they are, ite settler has very white set* e we to infer er that the doY- a. the position Sir Alexander Campbell t Or are we to infer that the statement of the hon. member for Pro- venoher is only one of those wild asser- tions made as a last expedien in the defence of acts otherwise indefensible 1 The hon. gentlemen went further. He not only charged the white settlers, the Furroer's Union, and the Globe newspaper, but he also held responsible the Mackeu/ie Adminis- tration. He said that the Administration of that Government, from thy time that they took otKce to the time they left, had been a i^erfect blank. Well, Mr. Speaker, it is a charge which cannot be '^'.ade against the present Adminislration. Their Administration was not at all one blank. Blood, blood, blood, jirisons, scaffoldj, widows, orphans, destitution, ruin — these are what fill the blank in the Administration of this Government of the aifaira of the North-Wost. Mr. Speaker, there might be something to say, as the hon. gentleman will appre- hend, upon the Administration of the hon. member for East York (Mr. Mac- kenzie) of the affairs of the North- West Territories, but the present would not be a seasonable time, and the occasion may arise hereafter. Let me however tell this to the hon. gentleman : If the Ad- ministration of Mr. Mackenzie was blameable for its treatment of the affiUTd of the North- West, if they were Temiss in their duties, how much more blameable must be The present Administration, which have not yet done that which should have been done by their predeces sore t But I forget ; the hon. gentleman has nothing, or, at least, very little, to say against the present Government. It may be possibly that they have not been altogether diligent in the duties they had to perform, but still they have shown a great deal of good will — at least, so says the hon. gentleman. Here is what he says: — " In 1880 Sir John Macdonald took the first oppoj^UDity he bad, in order to bring in a Bill in this House — he himself, the leader of vlhe Conservative party, introduced a Bill in Parliament to extend the same privileges and rights to the half-breeds in the territories as thuso enjoyed under the Manitoba Act by the half-breeds in the Province of Manitoba." This statement is correct, exoept with regard to the date which should have beeh 1879 instead of 1880. Sir Joha'- Macdonald, as ho says, introduced a Biu" to extend to the half-breeds of the North* West Territories, the same privileges as had been granted to those of Manitoba. That was done in 1871), and the Act which I hold in my hand reads as follows : — , "Tliat llio following powers are hereby di'legatod to llio Govornor in Council to tatisfy any claims existing in ooniicction with the oxtin(,'ni9liment ol' the Indian titles preferred by tht! haif-bniods resident in the North-Wost Teri'ilories, oulsido llio limits of Manitoba previous to llio I5lh day of July, 1870, by grunting land to such porsons to such extent and on such tornn and conditions as may from lime to time be deenvjd ("xpedient." The provisions of this statute wera re- peated in the Act of 1883. But before we proceed farther, it may be important to at once define what were those privi- leges and rights which were extended to the half-breeds of Manitoba. By the Act of 1870 it was decreed as follows : — " And whereas it is expedient towards the extinguishment of the Indian title to the lands in the Province to appropriate a portion of such ungranted lands to the extent of 1,400,. 000 acrei< thereof for the benefit of the families of the half-breed residents, it is hereby enact, ed that under regulations to be from time to time made by the riovernor General in Coun- cil, the Lieutenant Governor shall select such lots or tracts in 6uoh parts of the Province as he may deem expedient, to the extent aforo. said, and divide the same amoag the children of heads of families rettiding in the Province at the time of the said transfer to Canada." And by a further Act, the Act of 1874, the samo privileges were extended, not only to heads of families but to minors, the children of half-breeds, as defined in section 32 of that Act. These Acts, as they were administered, assigned, first, to each head of a family the plot of land' of which he happened to be in possessum at the time of the transfer, to the extent of 160 acres , and, besides ihat; ) ' The Half-breeds were also granted, for tbe extinguishment of the Indian .tiUe, 160 acres of land or scrip for 160 k$re« of land ; and each minor, 240 Mres or scrip for that quantity. In 1879 the First Minister took power to extend the same privileges to the half-breeds of the North West. It will be seen that the half-breeds of Manitoba were treated aa a special class. They were not treated as Indians ; they were not treated as whites, but as partioipeting in the rights of both the whites and the Indians. If they had been treated as Indians, they would have been sent to their reserves ; if they had been tr'^ated as whites, they would have been .granted homest»?ad8; but aa I have said, they were treated lU 4 iipecial class, participating in both righta of whites and Indians ; as whites they were given a homestead of 160 acres on the plot of land of which they happen- ed to be in possession ; as Indians, they were given scrip for lands to the extent of 160 acres for each head of family, and 240 acres for minors. In 1879, as I have said, the Government passed a statute similar to the statute of Manitoba. Did they act upon it ) When did they aot upon it 1 when was the first thing done by the Qovernment of Canada to put in force the Act of 1879 1 The first thing ever done by the Government of Oanada to put in force the Act they themselves had passed, was on the 28th January, 1885. Six long years dapsed before they attempted to do that justice to the half-breeds, which they had taken power from Parliament to do, at the time. During all that tim^ the Govern- ment was perfectly immovable. The hon. member for Provencher ( Mr. Boyal ) told tiB the Government had done their duty by the half-breeds. Sir, if the Government had done their duty by the half breeds, how is it that the half-breeds so often petitioned the Government to grant them th^ rights t How is it that they so often ileluged the Department with petitions and deputations f How is it that they so ^ften appealed tO the' hon. member for Provencher himself? How is it, for in stance, that on the 19th of November, 1883^ Maxime li^pine, now a prisoner in the Manitoba penitentiary, Baptiste Boucher^ wounded in battle, Oharles Lavall^, wounded in battle, Isidore Dumas, killed in battle, and several others, addressed Mr. Duck, the agent at Prince Albert, asking him to try and induce the Govern- ment to grant them their rights, repre« senting at the same time that they had petitioned, and that their petitions had been supported by prominent n>en, amongst others the Hon. Mr. Royal, the mem'her for Provencher, and all without avail ? H ow is it that these men, in order to obtain The rights which were denied them, have gone through such an ordeal as they have, if the Government did justice by them 1 An agitation was going on all the time in the North- West, and the Govern- ment were perfectly immovable. The hon. member for Belleobasse (Mr. Amyot) stated the other day that the Government during all those years were slumbering and snoring. I believe the expression was none too sjtrong, because* we have evidence of its truth in the' Government's own blue book. Would' you believe it, Mr. Speaker, we have evidecce that the Department had for- gotten the law which they themselves- had placed on the Statute book ; we have evidence that the Government actually forgot that tlie half-breeds were entitled to special privileges. The thing is almosb incredible ; yet here is the evidence of it. There was a meeting held at Frinoe> Albert of the settlers of the locality, to take into consideration their own griev- ances and the grievances of the half-breeds us well ; amongst the resolutions carried was'the following, the third one : — 3rd.— "Moved by Mr. Miller.seconded by Mr. Spencer, and carried unanimously: — •Wherea& the Indian title in this district or territory has not become extinct, and the old settlers and half-breed population of Manitoba •were granted scrip in commutation or such title, and such allowance has not been made to those resident in this territory— ResoLvec^ that bore lUrs.l wUh ThiJ hallj treaj 1 it, for in 'ber, 1883, 'erin the ' Boucher^ JM, kiJIed addrensed f« Albert, |e Oovern- fts. repre. r they had fionn had '* men,, /oyai, the I* without men, ia denied 1 as they istice by >n all the Govern- le. The 'e (Mr. I^hat the *w were ieve the because' in the 'e have ad for. ' * Dselves: e have •tualJy Qtitled ilmosti of it. Prince 7.. to jriev- reeda rried KMr. ireas has and rere tie, 'to that the right hon. tho Minister of the Interior be rei|iiHst»(l to grant such scrip to (uch »ut- tlcrs, thus placing thum on an equal fooling with their eon/rire» in Manitoba." This resolution simply asked that the hall-breeds of the North- West should bo treated just as Ihe Ealf-breeds of Mbnitoba ' were treated — ^jufet as the hon. member for Provencher said they should have been treated ; and what was the answer of the Department 1 The answer of the Department will show precisely what I have stated, that the Department at that time in 1881, had forgotten the tenor of the , statute they had placed on the 8ta tute book before. Here is the answer, ad dressed to the Hon. Lawrence Olarke, w ho had transmitted the petition : " Department of the Interior, Ottawa, 22nd Nov., 1881. " Sir,— By direction of Iho Minister of the Interior, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of memorial handed in by you, of cor- tain resolutions passed at a meeting of the in- habitants of the district of Lome (which you represent in the North-West Council), held at Prince Albort on the 18th October, 1881. •• In reply to the questions iovolved in the several resolutions copiained therein, I am to ^ay as follows;^ ^ * » « k • ♦ * " Resolution No. 3. As by treaty vith the Indians their title to any portion of the terri- tory included within the district of Lome has been extinguished, this resolution would need explanation." Here was a resolution calling upon the Government to give effect to a law passed by themselves — to give the half-breeds the special rights to which by law they were entitled, and yet the Qovern(pent declares that this resolution requires explanation. Well, the explanation came, and it was not long in coming. Mr. Clarke answered as follows: — "Carlton, N.W.T., 25lh January, 1882. " Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nfi Novem- ber last, embodying the reply of the right hon. the Minister of tae Interior to a memorial, handed in by me, of certain resolutions passed at a meeting of the inhabitants of the district of Lome, held at Prince Albert on the 18th October, 1881. '• With rogord to resolution No. 3, it it re- marked that : « 'As by treaty with tho Indians, thnlr title to any portion ofthe territory includo Govem- whioh 18 sttlement the half, re reottU Biehalf. , first, a ich thej «8each, 9 second title. te mA hmi'ti hnSfy, and kncl or lor^ to the ooctMit at 2mO aerM for «y«^ Wffi"- ^^ ^ to^ be the ■ettlemetit widoh iraa to be giTen by the GiQiyenimflili und^ fircler of 2Mk Jaauaiyt i,mj it WAfl vfo/tiitadl call to witmen upon this pcnnt the UuigwMp q>oken by the Ffiat Minister .hiiouelf on the 26th Ifiurah limt) when this matter oame before this Hoose, On ^t oceMJon he sidd : "As a whole the half-breeds have been told Uiat If they desire to be considered as Indians there are most liberal resonres that they oov' 1 go with the others; but that if they desired to be considered white men they would get 160 acres of land as homesteads. But they are not satisfied with that ; they want to get land a*1nreedB iktid aerip to the eztont of 160 aoiia^lor aaek head of fiimily and 240 aeraa to aaoh miaoii No;- the tongnage aftltoliraiMiniaMrahawB that he wia oppoaad to their baiw treated in Urn way. Heaaid: <« If tikey wanted to he treated aa IndiaiB% tt«y Qodd go on the Naarfaa ; but if tlMViwantod to be treated aa Riidlaai thay ooaJd have ahomeataad UlttOthat)i»yftiak'' Tharafoaa 1 bluurtip ^ dbf9«nuiient wiiik thiik that whan th^ paaMd tihe ordav (ie28th^aii«ary»il8a6t it waa aafc thair ip to n t ioBt to{ afaid the aame jvaliae to theivhalf-hraada «f the North-Weaft Xvintoriaa thai had! baen aflhcdad to lilhopa of Manitoba. The kUtm- lia«a thm iiyfnaaii! is tha hngnage IhairajiiaiqiiatadfrfmtlMKrat Mink, ^r wiw»i«inriad oii|iiiur days later, on «M SOth UMdl, wiMn anotlwf CMw Ik OooBoa waa Muiiedi and how did tli«t •ider in OonnoU rsadt It laad m toUowa: — "The Minister of the Interior la af the opinion that it is expedient that thoae etehas should be satisfied by grantiag: Vfrslt'to each half-breed head of a family resident bi the llorth.West Territortes. outside ef the Ihnits of Manitoba previous to the ItlhJaly, 1870, the lot or portion of land of which he b at prasMBt in hmm JU$ and undispntad eeciqia* tioa by virtue of residence upon and caltiTa- tion thereof, to the extent of 160 aorss» and if the lot or pcHTtlon of land for which he is tn bona fide occupation u afinresaid* should he less than 160 acres, the iaaionen to do oiharwiae than toeaiif ehit tha profia i ona contaJniH in tHa tmim, Thfff iuul no anthflfity to go toamf naa* tar length than th^ waia aatMciaad by that order.. Th« oommlMlail ifM taMMd toBfr. Street, Mr. Owlet MUr. liMat, and aa aoon aa they aama to tha Nortb-Weatk aa aoon aa tbegf aaaa to V. ■ ', I i(ll#a#%id|o«yi^4Uiil»< pMMMd rMttil»^ MntNMRillfbeVittflrilttilMMMiJi^ aiiall; tla« th« ludf-breeds would be stUl diflBftlMM^ mMjkmMi Mt^MMjAeraoiii tte Mimstier of tlHflbMi^, ia!. ywo wish ; lao . to ; give: ■itif IhlitienwtMtoni wiUitajto evjjlen«e.j^, alAiiMi( other iJlbut; those oC fajOf-bre^T Mmexfoncan iir^t «itggeHy>n< V I ( , , ii j ownw jovt^ ilM')(>rd^ ioft! 0(Haeil,r.!Jlihe Gb^HMtatt^M giV^' lititi^iiigytd this htOf' lis l^ter followed np t)ie teleigram ymtH l4ftegwt>^(MM(yiMiutiaiy\ atut^polai HwyiitNlnJii Mp4to ( ibiiJteiiW JQPO< wia(^ m^ j&l^{QvW(fli%ol'«Ho«.«KC.» Vm i^^mm ilAfaoifidWi tllBaiithoi*}ijRfe vM iwsaaairwe tnfrocaBn^n^«M^l]¥did8'b<«)^ that wbicb any ordinary settTeBfdnDcliaii;|ai|« noth^ff for the extinguishment of his Indian ' fiJ(lii"iMJl liiilliiili\ffiliTTrnrr''"T fUUy with us ana concarraaintDe ao^sabil- r— ^Jy iinirui«fer flftHhorffttWtf iftbvtMIII,^ ii^a(MBfl»n<««o ih§f^i\A ^_ for4)f9j|60 ot itMlMitbe cmmvi ki^ 8b#'a| ttdl ljM^^IAtMIio«a't»'{fivMti|(lft^ m 0^, tMFW]&t'VaA<'tfab ai^^t^l' rveirfdllb^^ttiiy tbM»<^4v%KUdMissidi \^§ti'd^fi«d bf tbdnf;*' '*' At' laai' juMiiMt had 'been glirMt'td'tlMiP petitioned, and petiti^M itt^ri^' Ott tli»Mtk M4^i the £niiie Ifinutor ii^ b«ifi|MbiA avifaiv ptUiwf^thae tbwenun' #tei n6t MrtUledt tioMqir tapeeAd'piiTilegesr tiMtii tifey taUf norirtidi rightii- as weie gtrentf^^HUMil^ ^MMl^^rB^in^faiBtobi^ tiM^tttey weired t^ b9!tr^tod liot : a#*faiM4iMRhi?«no«^M' •. apeeialvoialb^dbiriV ei«li9rw{ IxidUsar'^ wMle^nt Ati'lalrt ■ jiirtwb>' irai^ mibiw H tU«nt AiiUlfiHui* ti^grtaa beoa^iwr Utiofah^^lor lio naa^fjiHunr'' i^i cjtdfa^ ta4h8nv«na wiipt! wva^ ibinjdMie ^ 'V Ooil«i»j> reftHb|l for yiw^lknd'i^ «k Idiifc attsm^ bteir ttdk, tiMfartlimbe Mtf UbtttiAvv van Itiiiir/.lniiftiji jmU alnkMi a»lGkiveik)meiifcf.balil«><>da9Plii 4iii)<|fliv«i them what «lii^i«Aib ^ s:ii?iWW kiwid BritMFh«lirtdf A# MMefQ^^li^ bwi(/p4llli«ibin|^iflbr jf^urlftrttlifHghli^ ani-itiitee iMb Ifiivb ii«« onl^'iglMdt b«l>lUky0»)Hni 4ibl«lfiimd)<*wMl^^eitf nHU'liM thiiirUteiivflttlr Mili ^^mil thaw nidi, 'irMiii<o, Jjpkywgo^/pow« to aW- the pQ^tiimB: ,ti|M»t,^ WP J»W* rlsP t^^flW > , )^e men .who, v^Iwm* 1^7 ii*re Mj^fd' ,|pr ;a , J9fl,ujgive «a i/|feosk^ ^Tfee j^n. !«»«* i;»|V4oVl|ip»l^ ,.«;fjiP4 )iaff i^mmifmiA M^-)^ mmms^ , i» i;^ j;iha¥jBtflBen,tbo.4w w!»W».*e oThe ^ lMl*«ld fdr^alL ofilbh((>6s WmniW' t md He isay ^ -^ - muon Jbeqause ^t dom.inot a iSlultbW 8f theNortVWWt dif ^ was ju8j4^. .^^i^i^LniMHllAilWS ju§tifiea, was not the second rebellion (^iS^ifii^^P l^jyi^^i^Cd^ie Jthe ilialfrbtieMto torday il4Avhad iMki b(Miiof>r itiul vaMlionlr .W5oiitdtrtMy.i»iii»iriitoip- •d>t)M^rii(ht«dw]MUtJ^MV^ AMii^ta^ «I ,fliy^ir^,tt»tjthedyite iTniirMniMit Atogds dOonmiOtBd : ) 9I uMvlDg g iyiri Mh i ^t nipref|;«t«»i«tt4£thi^a|^1iie«dB^ ind ,o£;banngiactHillyj|oMMtl- ttoiiiini^rwi- '»l«tfecti«9> lik^peaAlt, swdbuAre liy lifit^inMntSt^Midjr 4>tftettiipin jilhiwiMitr. iI/lm-l^..iam hJoiM4 the lum^ (he to this d»7 ^ ihis tlil« ftb ten. fitt their the lojal to the theOover- iMople, their trbodfeeimd \»f diet toot wenid have tt with «g|^ ipreeepittitiTe M shoulder lid iidc they nuu&illBeto^ * ontintie the s Ainoe this 'Of, we' JBnd he Nfttionsl bje'sted that igenerons to (ht posribly a* the oool oh the tronie ; this is 1^ day to saarU itau oos)Bee> ^M their > to^y to tf h teds tjoyBieiit of iiiee British Ifroedi hilt oekedwhen who^ in the iheir lights , receive any •rith sttdi a tMt, audi laeliinyoiie txpeetedof iMeatrvmeta ^teoted and M) ^ be hremaMBt, ttMindby / '' 1 Mi • British ioUeok, b«i my leyaHy is not ef the lipsi. |f hon. gentlemen oppe* rife triU read Ustoiv, they wiU find that ^.j alaeesto^l^ in all tiMfapstrua^lesagrinat the British drown in the past, nev. venunent are shocked, and their friebds profess to be shodmd, because those men ehdm thrir rights and demandlMl thetn With bullets. Have the Oovemment been l0Y ef ustipe, Bii' Alexander Oani]^ll. In the very first worda.he qpeaks as folloWs : « The qppi)B ito . .Mia > iwoyie. !Jlm in i» )«ra^>lixi^inin«jt)ie f^tifin ((^(tlM-Jli^VV'Wii- ■TiiaMit I ^M« himiiif ■ nwif 'iJin i«||ralBlM«WH.M«gB»# 4»>^4t^««)f the ||ii^li|W4)<^iJi|«)yi9e ^ ||iM]»ireriinto .the oaoaes of ihftjfdM4M9#r. 1^ ifp,^(^e requimMnte of the law would nofc be wA. tm.Tm»A iOuL Uo thi»g Ja Wib hehind tMt wa letcLto tliM jafMnd end,! Aad (iim#qiMUgr rlviijl. .o]i«|r, 0B|tlMi0alrtaHqr, Ah*tiitlti«i»xme i4if ,1^ie#rauiidsi» nU^fel ara^gn itj^ii tfmtrnritfrl It i^nMHtheir 4»tor when tk«y cmoui^o Auiifiderrirhilk- er the death iMItenie dbMlldibeje^plid out gn Riel, to consider whether Ji* M taUVed i W^ooi& ibr'^ nSd s^dTimvujg M^ |;p do jp, tl^e shYm^i Wfy»t. on t^eir ^own opP^fifl^ ,f(j^ ^jRulty of ^ymgf^Igd^in.a .dftty^^Mflh ,p!0|^^,f^Jtheinost js^ ^l^t.evfr^ 9g»)[d jppt adhere to, jit (ip Jihe, iMt. .iB^lJ^ )^f$»e Sir AlwMer .V^iWDeU?4^ rei^rf t^ end of J|^^ fiMrt^ dpiped hw l^eory.J^r ,jifi tfte jt^ry.fep,^^ hashed Wuh deuh i&a question . upon wBigh (Mier r«iDtiti'%lislkil4Iw»y8jha«%een %MiMg ooLvtUi^'iiatiois, tM JtighestATaU eriifaet ; hui «iMMmY)9^Aq^^ rJI#io|anpe mm Jje treated and disposed of by the BxeoutiT^ Oo- V(ramentttpn eir all the attendaikl 'cir^uih- 'stanies. In this parlibular insttace, it i^s a'sioond olMice, iaH', as t<|^ th« lifkt ooearion." ■ 'T' " '"■ '^ '■'■ ' ju» i^Mk i^ittto (the ^eaosss )#hioh had )JAdiM«d>^the vebe^n;; he ^ ff^"^* but he no less oonvttfi^uj looked into 'fiMt)that tliis WM aweoikXtffmd*. aaiLiiidlb#1lMB«Mid|liB^thd«aSmirmB(i^t W M% lif vken>. >Kati»e' had .-eaiUM^- «d ikiik tK^ caattjr ibiHllisiit -qtMtt. (iti«ay> hkM nat«MMi|idl*''*4e«ib4'iMk'<>tflilt ^sbjprsih^^iUtity' wibhoat whMk,istl a^r 4ualiiies,* hMniver htfUlknt^ aM ^of »o iMwif. 'Nafcvire^hpd^ideikied'hltt aiwefl- ubalaaoeditniiid. Atlhis uranfftihie ttigti^^ mmhidbl i i-JiMMtlMir whether Ji« »Hll profiffigly trail eriifaet; ^iQ«j)mit 1)6 ixeoutira Oo- i|i(twl,ttyal\ill rdafkt cijr^tiiii. Maoe» iiihia , alia ^im-n ip^^rtitoameheN) iHtM^iyd^itt the) eiblysummitt'.or'his il^ig«%iid'«yylikgs" i«' the Ndrfh^W^ irtJMlhju)mee, yhk hiii^y possible; but rememoei^ ibtt h(j vm as an dternative a thfilm ii^o)iiriii Mtfebth: feasible, and' it wOs'lbiiieaf liitai; He asli!di' this altemMtiv^ uiidw bath': . «11iat unless t^e PpveirT^em, of tbif oouof t^ 6r t6t8 honiorabie court do provide the means with which to secure thd attehduro^ of tii««lwv^ttMMd wltsMwai taaim tbtoeonrC, It it efftntfaU to mv defenoe that the vailoiu IMipara, wrttlnf* tnd doeumttnts t«k«c from no •t the Ifaho of ity tuiirender to Oonenil MkUUotOB, uid tokm by bin oad his oiBoert ttvmmy houM subsaquaDtlT.ahooldhoplMod in tho hands of my oouasel for their fzamina- lion tnd ooosiderstion, previous to being put upon my trial.'* Riel'8 unflij^ trdfttment Bir, 70a leethetiNatiDent of the aoooifid on ^kb oooaaion ; he asked one of two things. He mid «ithev prooaro ma the attendance of oertain witnesses, Gabriel Dumont and lliohel pumas and others, pr if you oan> QOt or will not do that, give to my counsel the papers taken (kom me at Batedie. Was there ever a n^we moderate or ve?«onable j^ition presented to a court of justice f When this man simply said : I do not a«k those witnesses ff you caA- not give them to me, but there is one thing you can j^ve tp me ; you can give me communioation of my pfipers wnich were taken iErom me at Batoche. Why were they pot given f Reasons of State I Wiffi these papers, have been moved for in thu Ipeaent Sesf^on, andf the Gtovera- anewt f*it"'l^ ^ inotion without ^aJ ofqeotimi. l,'lian> could not, therefore, be any reafon ^f State. True, th^y Imvo not been brought down yet, but the reason fxf $tiate which was invoked at the tr^ ii not brought foirward in tUb Itoiip, and why i Because such a le^apn woi^ never have stopd discus- sion ipi this public Parliament Yet witji ihp iijjperfeot trial ihe jury re- tninmenaed lum to ^le meroy <^ the oouri 'Th« Minister dt Public Works M^d the QlhtMr day that it was nothing unusual fpr JQxies to bring in verdicts with re- oommendatioia to rQeroy. J^^y it is not Qi^|isual, but what is very unusnfl i* thi^t ti« Oo!«erii«|4nt /diQ^ld give no heed to ^ reoon;up9nd(itioii. 'I hat was thann- ipjnial thing 4?Qe on thia occasion. Aft^ we trial i^as oyer the conviction was so 4eepbr , feated ii| the minds of many fris^ « t^e Qoyemment that amf>le. put oBt put ofl^ nntd the very week that preceded the executioi^ And then uie commission — was it a com- missioni I dp not know what kind of a thing it was, what kind of instruptions were given we do not knpw. But we dp know that upon the 8th November, 18^5, just a week before the execution, two medical gentlemen from the emt.were at Bpgma and examined the prisoner, WfBjre ^ose gentlemen sent to Begins with the object of advising the Govern- ment whether or not the sentence should be omnmutedl I say emphatically, no. I charge this against uie Government agaiiky that when they sent this sO'Oalled oopi- mission to Bpgina to examinp the state of m|nd of Loiiis Biel, it was npt with a view of determining tha questaion "frhethi^r, thf sontenoe abpuld be carried oiit pf commuted, but it was to throw dust in the eyes of the paUie ^and pivihle the Government to say afterv/ards, we Wve Qonsnlted specialists and they have ire- ported in lavor. of sanity.; 3ttt», Hr^ Speaker, we have ^ on reoonjl that w}sfB^, this commission was sittiiig in Bagfa^, when on the 6th, the 7th »M the 8th of November,, Pf:^ Xiavell and Pr. yala4p were examining Bipl to see whether he was insane prnot, at that time the Goveriifnent had deter- mined to hang Biel ; and this ^aot stancta to the ahftine of the Gpvehitieiit^ perl haps more than anything, else^ becawe at that time they were sin^iJj playing « comedy ; they ware not acting with A view to justice ; th^ -^ere simi^y. 9^ tempting to blindfpld the jpepplje-— tp. dp^ cttve the peppjie. , Why> ^v, the Qrdtr in Ooundl contajiijiiig the de(4l49>i ^ the Goven^nentwaspmaedonithA l^ Pf Npvemhinr,,but long, before ^^hat timii,t|^i Qpvemment h«dVoome tp^thfiroonolfL* lien., iFhe hon. Minister c^ if^i^tfft about any «skit •there! SI 'than- fortl send «onvil the of insanl time,[ cidedl objec( 17 ml (nrero- week And oom< pdof a rnotiona we. do , im, in, *wo were at iriaoner^ Begins Ck>vem- Bghoold ^, no. I (itagai^ ed oopn- he atftte t with a ,whe(4w I out qr dust in ka}>le the we W*e haveiTO- ^ut^Hi;.* hat1lrlae^ Rigin#, and the yell apd Biel to ) (IT not, tad ^ief' aotstanctill liMiK^ pep* l»eoaiiMiit playing a log wittfia aimply fft- ^B— todjB^ *• PrdMP ifir oaaK^fL' ilij^aibwi that time taaAe a trip to the North- West. He arrived at Winnipeg on the 7th or 8th of November, so that he must have left Ottawa about the 3rd or 4th, or the 2nd of November ; and before the hon. gentlemen had left Ottawa for W;- "' oeg, the sentence, if not recorded, had been decided upon by the advisors of His Excellency. We have the Evidence of the Premier himself as to that. Here is a letter which was sent by the hon. Prime Minister to the hon. Minister of Militia : "Ottawa, 20th Novomber, 1885. "My Dear Gabon, — You say you are charged with having left Ottawa before the deCiSion of the Governor in Council was ar- rived at with respect to Louis Kiel, and as if for the purpose of avoiding being party to the decision. "This is not the case, the Council had come to the conclusion that it was necessary, in the interest of justice, that the sentence should be allowed to be carried into elfect, in your presence as a Member of the Council, before you left for Winnipeg." Sir, we must give the Minister of Militia his due ; he has had a full share in the hanging of Louis Biel ; let him have what really appertains to him. Betore he left Ottawa, the sentence had been decided between him and his colleagues. Let him have his full share of the merit, if merit there be, or the shame ; let him have also his full share of the comedy which was Afterwards played before the public. For, I ask it of any man in his senses — I ask it of any man on the Opposition benches I ask it of any man in this country— us •there ever a more Shameftil thing enacted by a Government, 'than — after they had decided to execute for the purpose of blinding the public, to send a commission to enquire whether the nvic^ was insane or not ) What was the object of enquiring whether he was insane or not, if the Government, at that time, had made up their minds and de- cided that he should be hanged) The •object was to do what has since been done — to say to the people of Canada : We have consulted medical officers, and they have reported, and upon their report we have acted. Sir, it was not upon this report that they acted ; this report was a false note, and they did not act upon it, because when they got it their decision had been arrived at; and upon this I arraign the Government of the couutiy, not only as being guilty of a cruel act, but as being guilty of an attempt to deceive the people of this country. Sir, if the Government had been desirous of learning whether Kiel was insane or sane, there was no need of sending a commission to examine him. It would have been sufficient to look at his history ; it would have been sufficient even to look at his record in the rebellion. We have it now as a fact of history that while Eiel was inducing that rebellion, he chose as his chief adviser and secretary, a man notoriously insane, William Joseph Jackson, who signed his letters and Orders in Council. Will it be pretended by any man that if Kiel had been in his senses, if he had had a sane and discerning mind, be would have accepted an insane man as his chief adviser? Wliy did this not strike hon. gentlemen opposite? One of the things which we in Lower Canada have felt as deeply as we have ever felt any- thing, is that we have believed that the measure of justice which was extended to Louis Kiel was not the same measure of justice which was extended to William Joseph Jackson. Jackson was put upon his trial, and I am bound to say this, in duty to the Crown prosecutors, that upon that occasion they did their duty, lliey acknowledged at once the insanity of the prisoner and directed an acquittal The trial of Jackson took place on the 24th of July last. Mr. Osier, counsel for the Crown, in opening the case, spoke as follows : "The prisoner is charged with having par- ticipated in the recent rebellion, with having acted In the capacity of private secretary to Louis Kiel, the leader of the rebellion. He is charged here now formally with ^his cr^ne, but it is understood tbat the counsel for ,the prisoner, Mr, McArtbur, will be able to give TfJ 18 yon Mtitfactory evidencA of the Insanity of the prisoner, and that he is not really rospon> slble, and was not rosponsiblo tor the acts committed by him. The Crown do not pro- pose to c6ntest that contontion on the part or the prisoner's counsel. *rhe evidence, in Tact, comes Trom the medical men who have ex amined the prisoner on the part of the Crown, and evidence that has como to the knowledge oC counsel for the Grown, during the course of preparation for othor trials, is conclusive that, at the time he committed the acts, he was not responsible for them." Evidence of Intermittent Insanity. Now, Sir, it is important to look at the evidence which was adduced on that oc- casion. Dr.^ Jukes was examined : "By Mr. Osier— Q. Is he so insane thai it would be unfair to say he was not responsible for his acts? — A. There are occasions when I would consider he would be quite re- sponsible; to-day he spoke and reasoned with me in a manner that was very clear, but only three days ago he was dazed. Bis mind seemn to be dazed. ( do not think that, to bring him at a moment's notice, he would be capable of conducting his trial, or of doing justice to himself in any manner. " Q. To a considerable extent, your opinion is, tbat he could not control his actions ?— A. I have never seen anything about him to give me th6 tmprdssiort thftt hiB aetion? w?re un- controllable. It is rather hts mdntal halla- cinaMon!>i bis ideas. He holds peculiar ideas on religious matters In connection with this tirouble, and in connection with the new reli- gion of which he thinks that Louis Riel is the founder, and 'which he thinks it is bis duty to sustain. "Q. Would this be consistent with his committing crime ? — A. If he spoke rationally I would think so, but he does not. "Q. Then you would not hold him respon- sible for acts done in connection with these ideas ? — A. If he committed any acts in the condition he is now, I would not hold him responsible. The slightest excitement pre duces a great efTect upon him." Well, Mr. Speaker, I ask any fair-minded man if this applies to William Joseph Jackson, would not every line of it apply equally to Louis Riel ? Is it not a fact that these two men were deluded on the same subjects f Jackson spoke rationally, but he had hallacinatious, just as Riel had ; •ad yet one of these men is acquitted, is aent to an asylum, and is then allowed to escape, while Louis Rial is sent to the gallows. Jackson is free to-day, and Riel is in his grave. I therefore cannot come to any other conclusion than that upon this occasion the same measure of justice which was extended to one man was not extended to the other. I do not want to raise national pi-ejudices, but prejudices are not always the out-growth of ignoble passion ; sometimes they are simply the outgrowth of a noble passion ; national prejudices may be the outgrowth of national pride, and when ^he people ef Lower Canada found that the one prisoner was treated in one way and the other in a different way, there was occasion, at least, why they should feel as they did upon this matter. But we nevev knew, until the Minister of Public Works spoke the other day, what was the true reason of the execur tion of Riel. We have it now ; he haa spoken and we know what was the Imo inwardness of it. The Government had written a pamphlet in order to justify themselves. The utility of that pamph- let is gone ; it never had any ; not one of the reasons it gave for the execution of Riel was the true reason. It nevei; had any usefulness at all, except, perhaps ^ f^ffo^n^ to the Government Job print- ing to Settle the WaveringrOonscfenoes of some of their followers. But now we know the true reason why Riel was ex*^ ecuted, and here it is in the language o£ the Minister of Public Works : "We had this before us, we had the fact that Louis Riel had, fifteen years before tbis, committed an act which was considered at the time one that should havo been punished In the most severe way. > .'le prisoner, Louis Riel, at that time was not condemned to a severe punishment; he was allowed to re- main out of the country for Ave years, and he was not brought before a tribunal to be tiied, and.punished or absolved, for the death of Thomas Scott." Here is the reason — the death of Hiomas Scott. Since I have named Thomas Scott, let me pause a moment. The Minister of Public Works said the other day that those whe sympathised with Riel could not condemn the Government for " hi. for def< the gov< rea8( Riel is a ( consi deatl for 01 prese death ways most] red in of thoi possib] now hi sound, of soui If cruel I Scott \ ment /acto gr of judio Whethe »de,fae manha< gentlem we resp tion of memory iheDuI momoryl Louis ~ IVenoh Admira] Oovei know to-day. Whether the act of Riel was the act of a de, facto Government or not, if that man had been responsible for his acts, as gentlemen on the Treasury benches are responsible for theirs, then the execu- tion of Scott would be a stain on the memory of Riel, just as the execution of the Duke D'Enghien is a stain on the memory of l^apoleon, as the execution of Louis X YI is a stain on the records of the French Convention, as the execution of Admiral Byng is a stain on the English (Government of that day, as the execution of Mary Stuart is a stain on the memory of Qu^n Elizabeth, and as the execution of Riel will be a permanent stain' and Sbameozxthe present Goyem- ment. The death of Scott is the cause of the death of Riel ixyday ! Why, if the hon. gentle- man trunks tiiat the death of Scott was a crime, did he not punish Riel at the time 1 Scott was executed in the early days of 1870, tbe Qovemment remained in power natil the fall of 1873, yet they never J did anything to bring that man to justice^ who had committed such a crime as they tiktj now he committed. 1870-7 1-72-78^ almdt four full years, passed away, and yet the Government, knowing snob a crime as it has been represented here had been committed, never took Any step ta have the crime punished. What was their reason 1 The reason was that the Government had promised to condone the oflence ; the reason was that the Gov- ernment were not willing to let that man come to trial, but, on the contrary, actu*^ ally supplied him with money to induce him to leave the country, and Sir, I aek any man on the other side of the House, if this offence was punishable, why was it not punished then? And if it was not. punitihabl^ then, why should it be> punishtrd now ) The language of; the hon. gentleman is obvious, it is plain,, it is transparent, it was spoken with the view of reaching the feelings of a certain section of our countrymen ; but I recijl to hon. gentlemen the language which' was spoken by the Minister of Militia^ who showed that this offence should haver been fully pardoned at the time. Well, if the offence was to be fully pardoned at the time, is it fair to bring it as a charge against the offender now 1 Is it now fair to base a condemnation of death against him, upon it 1 Sir, I say it is one of the greatest mistakes — not a mbtake alone,, but one of the gravest wrongs against the rights of mankind that ever was per- petiated by any Government. Yet I must say I was not altogether sur- prised at the language of the hon.. Minister of Public Works. We had heard something of that before. The Secretary of State visited his county in the month of January, and he also spoke of this event and the execution of Louis Riel. The Minister of Public Works would not meet his accusers except upon the floor of Piarliament. The Secretary of State did not object to meet the people, but not his accusers. Still,, he went to Terrebonne, and here is the manner in which be spoke of 20 » Th0 Death of Soott : " I have my •ympathies Tor the hair breeds, ^nd I hive proved It ; I htve proved it berore to-day. In IH74, when AmbrolBo Lupine was accused of murder, I travelled over 5.000 miles to defend him. I did not go round passinn my hat for subscriptions to pay me for defending the iiccusod. I did it mantully, without any hope of reward. (Cheers.) The insurrection of 1870 had a color of an excuse. Men highor than I am in politics havM gone fo for as to say that thero was iustillcation for the rebellion of that day. It was the assertion of the rights of nationality against the fiO'Sion of territory by supremo power. I defended my ciionl and during thit d-jfenco I liad proof, and the best proof, too, that the killing of the unfortunate Scott, was one of the most atrociou.s murders ev.-r cc imilted. That atrocious murder was without the con- nivance and without tiro approval of Lfipiao, but it was the result of the seldsli vengeance of th< then dictator of the Norih-Wost— Louis Rlel" Such was the l«uguage spo'cen by the hon. gentleman |on that occasion. He was speaking something like ten years after he had gone to the North- West to defend Ambroise Lupine, and after he had ac- quired that knowledge which enabled him to say that the murder of Soott was one of the most atrocious murders ever <:ommitted. Yet, scoroelj a few weeks after his return from Winnipeg, where he had defei)ded Lupine, the hon. gentleman moved in the Legislature of Quebec, a resolution, in which he thus chanMterises the act which he now repre- a&nia m one of the most atrocious mur- ders ever committed : «The troubles in the settlement of the Reid River, now the Province of Manitoba, in 1366-70, unfortunately produced a conflict of such a nature as to develop into a rising of 'Considerable magnitade. The leaders of that movement then constituted themselves into a ^government, and one act to be deplored, pei^ petrated under the assumed authority of that government, was the execution of one of the subjects of her Majesty. • * • • While Jsowing to the verdict rendered against one of the actors in the movement above mentioned, public opinion in that remote Province of Manitoba, as well as in other Provinces of the Doininion, and even in England, has been «trongly impre8smi8ed Treasurj courage e courage alto tlie thoy had iredyean (ieantime» ^nd more Ontario, Quebec, people of people, o£ 'he people a V should I i«' '^ M take its oourse ; the peopio of Qaebeo de- BMUnded that the promises of the Oovem- BMot should be osrried out ; and between the two Provinces the Oovemment hsd not the courage to do anything, and they allowed this bitterness of feelug to grow uitil it became a public danger, which they had not the courage to face. But when the €U>vernment of my hon. friend the member for East York came into power, they grappled with the ditlioulty and settled it in a way which must ever be a credit to them. They sailed their followers from Ontario and their followers from Quebec each to give up a oer> tain portion of their pretensions for the oommoa weal, each to sacrifice upon the altar of their country something of their pretensions and to unite upon a common course ; and upon that they united, and the result has been what was stated 'by the hoa member for Rouville (Mr. Qigault), that at last peace pre- vailed which had been unknown for many long years. This issue of the death of Thomas Scott has been long dead, and now it is raised by whom 1 It is raised by members opposite— the last men who should ever speak of it. Sir, we are a new nation, we are attempting to unite the different conflicting elements which we have into a nation. Shall we ever succeed If the Bond of Union is to be Reyenge, if we are to rake up the old sores and lannoh them at the heads of one another) I am sorry that the Government upon this occasion did not take a leaf from the bode of our friends to the south, of us. After the civil war was over, there were men who, when they then fully learnt of the outrages at the Andersonville prison and other places, demanded that, if an amnesty was given to political offenders, a^ least those who were guilty of those outrages should be brought to justice ; but Not a Drop of Blood was Shed, rot a trial was had, and it is manifest tole for K^ rtillery , acked, ted by nbrace private o• 1 *' v.. \..' jk. V 'i •v.^; i?%fA % * i ■■'^t i Ifmr-^: XI •i ;<,> - t