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 92 
 
 surprised at the amount of dollars that will be therein spent, for we have 
 no conception of what it is to reconstruct an edifice like that. We can 
 compliment Messrs. Berger, St. Louis and Cousineau on the fact that they 
 display taste and care in the work and that they will make the interior of 
 the Court House something entirely modern." 
 
 There is the whole story of this so-called scandal ! It is a Liberal 
 mess, cleared up, as best they could, by the Conservatives. 
 
 I 
 
 THE OUIMET-DE LA BRUEEE-CHAPAIS AFFAIR. 
 
 I 
 
 Another terrible scandal that the Liberals try to build up ; tLey call it 
 the Ouimet-de la Bruere-Chapai.s scandal. -^ 
 
 Here is the sum and substance of it. 
 
 In 1895, Hon. Mr. Ouiraet, who was Superintendent of Public Instruc- 
 tion since 1876. asked to be retired, and he obtained the superannuation to 
 which he had a right. " - 
 
 Hon. Mr. de la Bruere., Speaker of the Legislative Council, was named 
 to succeed him, at a salary of $8,000 ; Mr. Ouimet's salary was $4,000. 
 
 Hon. Mr. Chapais, who was leader of the Government in the Legisla- 
 tive CoiTucil, and minister without portfolio since 1893, was then named 
 Speaker of the Legislative Council to replace Mr. de la Bruere. 
 
 So far we see nothing wonderful in all this ; and the Liberals might 
 yell themselves diim.b before they could show anything loose, irregular, 
 or dishonorable in hese appointments. Mr. Ouimet surely had the right 
 to his superannuation after 19 years of faithful service. 
 
 The appointment of Mr. de la Bruere was approved of by the best men 
 in our ecclesiastical and civil circles, and as to Mr. Chapais, his elevation 
 to the Speaker's chair, in the Upper House, met with universal approval, 
 and w^as even a subject for congratulatory speeches by Messrs. Starnes and 
 Archambault, who were the directing spirits of the Opposition in the 
 Legislative Council. 
 
 But the Liberals say, since Mr. Ouimet was too old and too sick to 
 remain superintendent, why was he appointed to the Legislative Council 
 in the place of Mr. de la Bruere ? 
 
 Yes, the Conservative Government thought well to make that appoint- 
 ment, and, here again, it can defy the aUacks of the Opposition, for a man 
 like Mr. Ouimet may well find the difficult duties of superintendent A^ery 
 heavy, aiul yet be perfectly able to give his experience and his knowledge, 
 as a benefit, to the Province during the six or seven weeks of each session. 
 There is no anomaly in that. 
 
93 
 
 Mr. Ouimet was a former Prime Minister, a former Attorney-Greneral, 
 and his entry into the Legislative Council was approved on all sides. 
 
 But the Government is accused of having given Mr. Ouimet his super- 
 annuation while naming him to the Council. 
 
 There is nothing contrary to law or justice in that course. It must not 
 be forgotten that the superannuation was Mr. Ouimet's right, since he had 
 paid into the fund, during three years, 5 per cent, and during 16 years, 3 
 per cent of his salary. 
 
 Unable to find fault with the above arguments, the Liberals cry out 
 that the Council of Public Instruction, in recognition of Mr. Ouiraet's ser- 
 vices in the caixse of education, voted him a gratuity on his retiring from 
 office. But the Government has nothing to do with that gratuity, for it 
 does not come within the Government's province. 
 
 This simple statement of the facts shows how childish and ridiculous 
 is the attempt of the Opposition to construct a scandal out of such meagre 
 material. Accusations must be scarce or we would not be treated to such 
 an absurd specimen. 
 
 THE " IIARAS NATIONAL." 
 
 Oue of the Mercier f^overumeiit Contracts. 
 
 Every T iberal voter speaks of the " Haras National," (National Stud) 
 ; a scandal. It is their usual cry when they touch on this question. But 
 ho is answerable for this contract ? The Mercier Government of course. 
 
 Take the Journals of the Legislative Assembly, at the date 26th Decem- 
 ber, 1890, and you will there find a resolution moved by Mr. Mercier 
 grauting $6,000 per year, during five years, to the Haras National 
 
 Then take the report of the Commissioner of Agriculture, for 1891, 
 signed by the Honorable Honore Mercier, and, at page 7, you will read 
 these words : 
 
 " In virtue of the contract passed since the last session, with the Haras 
 National Company, six agricultural societies, selected by lot, have each had 
 the use of one of the stallions of the Company, during the season just 
 trapsed." 
 
 As we said before, this report is signed : Hnnore Mercier. So if there 
 were any scandal, any extravagance, any act of maladministration in this 
 Haras National affair (all of which we do not admit), it is the Mercier Gov- 
 ernment that is responsible. 
 
94 
 
 II 
 
 The Opposition is ever ready to find scandals, concerning the different 
 affairs that we have proven to be perfectly regular, and regarding which 
 the Government is, in every case, above censure; yet it still may be noted that 
 the Liberal speakers and writers have never brought even the shadow of a 
 proof to uphold their criticisms. And above all th'^ Opposition has never 
 dared ask the House for a regular enquiry into any of the transactions that 
 they call scandals. 
 
 Set at defiance, on several occasions, to risk their seats by launching 
 definite accusations against this or that minister, they always remained 
 prudently silent. 
 
 NO EVIDENCE. 
 
 No luTestigations. 
 
 What a contrast with the Conservative party, which, under the reign ■ 
 of Mr. Mercier, multiplied its demands for investigation, and proved before 
 the lloyal Commissions the boodling, the cheating, the thieving, which 
 stirred up the public to an indignation felt all over the Dominion. 
 
 The snarlers of the Opposition barked loud but never tried to bite, for 
 they felt that their teeth had been drawn. 
 
 The Liberal press pretends that they once tried to start an investiga- 
 tion to establish a scandal. They mean in the case of the French loan. 
 On that occasion, they say, our friends in the House tried to bring Mr. 
 Barbeau before the Public Accounts Committee and to question him so as 
 to get at the truth. This pretention is as puerile as any of the others that 
 they have made. 
 
 It is true that they asked to have Mr. Barbeau heard before the Public 
 Accounts Committee, as he had been sent by Mr. Taillon to France to 
 finish the negotiation of the loan. 
 
 It is also perfectly true that Hon. Mr. Flynn, before the Committee, 
 objected to the asking Mr. Barbeau certain questions, but not for the pur- 
 pose of hiding anything loose or wrong from the House or the public did 
 he so object. It was simplv to protect the public interests by avoiding 
 certain questions and answers concerning the conversion of the debt, for 
 which steps were then being taken and which might be injured by pre- 
 mature disclosures. It was a simple matter of business and prudence 
 which everyone acquainted with financing understood. 
 
95 
 
 But if the Opposition, instead of limiting itself to the asking of ques- 
 tions right and left to Mr. Barbeau, had brought a formal accusation of 
 conspiring, or of wrong-doing in the French lean transaction, against Mr. 
 Taillon, or against anybody else, at once the Conservative Premier would 
 have asked for an investigation to confound his caluriniators. But the 
 Liberals were too cowardly to risk their seats in such an adventure. 
 
 They were too cowardly to formulate a direct accusation. Set at defi- 
 ance by repetitions of the statement that someone — be it the Premier or 
 some person else — had speculated in an illicit manner with the loan, the 
 Opposition never dared take up the gauntlet, and once more it gave evi- 
 dence of its innate con action of the integrity and honor of the Conserva- 
 tive Government. 
 
 SUPERANNUATIONS. 
 
 One of the Liberal war cries is " Superannuations," and " Under the 
 Conservatives the superannuation figures are higher than under the 
 Liberals." " In 1891," they say, " the last year of the Liberal adminis- 
 tration, the amount for superannuations was only $28,H(39.08 (see Public 
 Accounts for 189 L page — ), and in 1896, under'the Conservatives, that 
 amount reached $41,012.06, or an increase of $12,342.98." 
 
 It must not be forgotten that this is a branch that cannot be con- 
 trolled at will. "When employees die, according to law, a pension must 
 be paid to their widows. When employees become too old, they have a 
 right to their superannuation. Finally, the good of the public service 
 sometimes demands that certain employees be superannuated. And it is 
 the same under all administrations. 
 
 But the liberals err in making so much noise on this subject. In 
 truth, the last year of the Eoss Government, in 1887, the Conservatives 
 had paid for superannuations $13,93168. And when the Liberals went 
 out, in 1891, they had reached the sum of $28,669.08. 
 
 Let us understand it well : ' 
 
 Civil Service superannuations, Pub. Acctb., 1891, p. 203.$ 28,669 08 
 
 1887, p. 12:. 13,937 68 
 
 Increase 1 14,731 40 
 
 The Conservatives, therefore, saw the superannuations, under their 
 owm administration increase by about $2,000 less than did the Liberals 
 see their increase under their sway. 
 
06 
 
 First point gained. 
 
 The second point is still better than the first ; the Liberals did not 
 abolish the superannuation fund while they were in power, whilst the Con- 
 servatives abolished it. 
 
 See the statutes of 1893, page 41 ; there you will find a law in virtue 
 of which no employee appointed after the 1st of January of that year can 
 draw from the superannuation fund. And since then, and for the future, 
 the pension system has been abolished. 
 
 Therefore, as regards this superannuation question, the position of the 
 Conservatives is ten-fold better than that of the Liberals. 
 
 Kec< 
 
 It w 
 
 that Mr 
 Secretary 
 the G-ov 
 ostensib] 
 but in I 
 
 SCANDALS OF THE LIBERAL ADMINISTRA.TION. 
 
 The Robberies of tbe " Clique." 
 
 > ;. 
 
 We have proven the ridiculousness of the little scandals that the 
 Liberals have tried to build up against the Conservative Government ; now 
 we will stir up the ashes of the past and show in its true light the purity 
 of the Liberal party as demonstrated in the few shameful pages with which 
 it has darkened the political history of our Province. 
 
 They talk of scandals ! "We have seen with what success they tried to 
 saddle the present Qovernment with their own misdeeds. "Well ; we will 
 now place them face to face with their own abominable doings of 1891, 
 and once more prove the truth of an old proverb : " that often it is the thief 
 who cries out ' stop thief.' " 
 
 It would take too much time and space to recite the history of all the 
 Mercier administration's scandals, all the shameful transactions of that fac- 
 tion which the people swept from power in 1892, and the miserable rem- 
 nant of which again tries to lift up its head in the expectation that its 
 crimes are forgotten. 
 
 It is well, before the electors give their verdict on the 11th of May 
 next, to recall to their minds the incredible rapine, the gigantic robberies 
 of which the Liberal party in our Province had been guilty from 188t to 
 1891. 
 
 Of the 
 Mr. Arn 
 money i 
 Royal C 
 
 F( 
 
 Foi 
 
 Fo 
 
91 
 
 THE BAIE DES CHALEURS SCANDAL. 
 
 Kecoisuized an the Afo^i tilKautie Operation of the **Cllqae 
 
 It was proven before a Royal Commission composed of three judges 
 that Mr. Ernest Pacaud, Premier Mercier's" right bower, and Provincial 
 Secretary Charles Langelier's factotum, caused, through his influence with 
 the G-overnment, $175,000 to flow from the treasury, despite the law, and 
 ostensibly to pay a subsidy to the Bale des Chaleurs Railway Company, 
 but in reality to wrench a good sized carrot out of the Provincial garden. 
 
 Of these $175,000, it was proven that Mr. PacaUxi extorted $100,000 from 
 Mr. Armstrong, the contractor for the said railway, and the use of which 
 money he explains himself, and with an unparalleled cynicism, before the 
 Royal Commission : 
 
 "For Messrs. Mercier, C. and JP. Langlier and Senator 
 Pelletier, all Liberals. Payment made to take up 
 three notes made by Mr. Pacaud and endorsed by 
 them, the amounts of which were devoted to politi- 
 cal purposes. Notes for which they were all respon- 
 sible, collectively and individually $15,000 
 
 For Messrs. Mercier, C. Langelier, C. A. P. Pelletier and 
 Tarte, all Liberals. Payment made to take up two 
 notes made by E. Pacaud and endorsed by them, the 
 amounts of which were devoted to political purposes. 
 Notes for which they were collectively aud indivi- 
 dually responsible 8,000 
 
 * 
 
 For Mr. Mercier : 
 
 Payment made for and on account of Mr. Mercier 6,788 
 
 For Mr. Langelier, minister 9,291 
 
 For Mr. Duhamel, minister 100 
 
 For difierent members 1,582 
 
 For Messrs. Langelier and Tarte 2,000 
 
 To help Mr. Tarte to prosecute his McQ-reevy inves- 
 tigation 1.900 
 
 To certain newspapers 4,850 
 
 Sundries (election purposes) ... 5,586 
 
 ill,. I 
 
98 
 
 !l 
 
 For Pacaud personally : 
 
 House 8,000 
 
 New York architect 1,000 
 
 Quebec architect 300 
 
 Decorations 2,548 
 
 Eeward to endorser ValliereF 1,000 
 
 His lawyer 1,260 
 
 Trip to Europe 3,340 
 
 Share in mine 1,136 
 
 Eeward to Mr. Armsti'ong 2,000 
 
 Steamboat to go to Malbaie 100 
 
 To pay cheques the objects of which are not explained 4,243 
 
 For unexplained expenses 2,987 
 
 arandTotal $83,065 
 
 . Money in hand % 44Y 
 
 , Discount security at the Banque du Peuple 3,000 
 
 UuionBank 90 
 
 Union Bank (Savingp ""Jranch) 55 
 
 ' Merchants Bank 62 
 
 National Park Bank, New York 20,000 
 
 Cash 1,800 
 
 , ^ . Total $25,000 
 
 In t 
 1891, wl 
 Pacaud, 
 sum fro 
 brothers 
 Langelic 
 of 1692, 
 
 Mr. 
 
 T 
 
 "D 
 decided 
 copies 
 cents ($ 
 dollars i 
 the esiii 
 session 
 
 These are the facts as stated in cold blood and based on proof. They 
 show us simply that ministers of the former government caused $40,000, 
 from a job that cost the Province $140,000, to bs paid for them. 
 
 It was in presence of these facts that the first Royal Commission drew 
 up an interim report that placed the Lieutenant-Grovernor under the obli- 
 gation of discharging the Grovernment, and as a consequence, dissolving 
 the Parliament. 
 
 We could cite hundreds of pages of comment upon that unclean 
 transaction, indignant comments of even Liberals. Let it suffice to recall 
 the fact that Mr. Tarte wrote that " Mr. Armstrong had no right to receive 
 half a cent," and to quote the words of the Liberal chief, Mr. Laurier : 
 
 *' As to the Bale des Cbalenrs scandal, I do not hesitate to say tliat 
 it was a fraud, an unfortunate transaction, ttaat must be unliesitat- 
 Ingly condemned, tbat cannot be defended/' 
 
 FI 
 experts 
 or ben( 
 
 T^ 
 to mak 
 
 T( 
 cellars 
 
 Tl 
 piece 
 
 A 
 (page 
 
 i> 
 Notre- 
 
99 
 
 THE SYLVICULTEUR SCANDAL. 
 
 In the midst of a Federal election, during the month of February, 
 1891, when over flOO.OOO of boodle was secured by the clique, Messrs. 
 Pacaud, Langelier and Lauglais came to an arrangement to extract a large 
 sura from the treasury, for the purpose of helping their friends and 
 brothers. On the 10th February, in most beautiful handwriting, Mr. 
 Langelier wrote the following billet doux to Mr. Langlais. (Royal Coram, 
 of 1892, page 69) : 
 
 "Provincial Secretary's DePxVetment, 
 
 " Minister's Office, 
 
 "Quebec, 10th February, 189L 
 " Mr. .T. a. Langlais, 
 
 "Bookseller; Editor: 
 
 "Dear Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that the G-overnmev*- has 
 decided, in accordance with your request to purchase fifty thousand (5v/,000) 
 copies of the work entitled ' Le Sylviculteur Illustre,' at the price of fifty 
 cents (|0.50) per copy, the whole forming a sum of twenty-five thousand 
 dollars ($25,000). An item representing the said sum will be placed in 
 the estimates for the next session, and the said sum will be paid after the 
 session to the holder of this letter bearing your eudorsatiou. 
 
 " I remain, 
 
 " Yours very truly, 
 
 (Signed) "CHS. LANG-ELIER, 
 
 " Provincial Secretary." 
 
 FIFTY THOUSAND copies o. a technical work, which, according|to 
 experts, would have received all the publication that would be of any use 
 or benefit in an edition of three thousand copies ! 
 
 TWENTY-FIVE TFiOUSAND DOLLARS for a pamphlet ! Enough 
 to make the fortunes of cen good farmers ! 
 
 To-day, even, thousands of copies of the Sylviculteur are piled up in 
 cellars of the parliament buildings. So much money extorted and wasted. 
 
 This wonde^'ful bargain was either an act of pure madness or a master- 
 piece of boodling. . •: 
 
 After receiving this letter of credit, Mr. Langlais endorsed it as follows 
 (page 59) : 
 
 " Endorsation : Please pay to the order of the Caisse d'Economie de 
 Notre-Dame de Quebec. 
 
 "(Signed), J. A. LANGLAIS." 
 
 * 
 
 r: 
 
 !!■: 
 
 ■P- 
 
100 
 
 In the inquiry before the Royal Ooramission, Mr. Marcoux, teller of 
 the Caisse d'Economie, gave this evidence : 
 
 " A.S I stated in ray first deposition, the Caisse d'Economie does not 
 discount. "We have made loans on collate al securities of letters of credit. 
 The Caisse d'Economie, on the 11th February, 1891, made a loan to J. A. 
 Lauglais of !|22,500, guaranteed by a letter of credit signed by the Honor- 
 able Provincial Secretary, dated 10th February, 1891." (Page 58.) 
 
 Mr. Lafrance, of the Banque Nationale, bei.ig in turn questioned, made 
 answer as follows : 
 
 " In the month of February, one thousand eight hundred and ninety- 
 -one (1891), three cheques were drawn by the Caisse d'Economie to the 
 order of J. A. Lauglais, one bearing the number 19,028, for the sum of 
 eleven thousand one hundred and twentj^-five dollars ($11,125); another 
 bearing the number 19,029, for the sura of eleven thousand one hundred and 
 twenty-five dollars ($11,125), also, and a third bearing the nuraber 19,030, 
 for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars ($250), forming in all twenty- 
 two thousand five hundred dollars ($22,500)." (Page 68). 
 
 One of these cheques of $11,125 was traced as follows. Mr Dumoulin, 
 .of the Banque du Peuple, being heard as witne&s, swore in these words : 
 
 Answer : " This cheque was deposited, less three thousand dollars 
 <$3,000), to the credit of Mr. Pacaud, the 10th February, one thousand 
 eight hundred and ninety-one." 
 
 Question : " Were the three thousand dollars deposited in your bank ?" 
 
 Answer : * No ; he deposited the cheque for eight thousand one 
 hundred and twenty-five dollars ($8,126), and he drew, immediately, three 
 thousand dollars ($3,000) in money." 
 
 Just $11,125 of boodle for the toll-keeper ! 
 
 THE MONTREAL AND OTTAWA $14,900 SCANDAL. 
 
 In the first weeks of February, 1891, the fatal month, the Quebec clique 
 pillaged the treasury of the Province to secure Mr. Laurier's triumph in the 
 Federal elections. 
 
 Mr. Greoffrion was treasurer of the Liberal party in Montreal. 
 
 Money was badly needed, and at all cost several thousand dollars had 
 io be found for the election. 
 
 These pure politicians were not long at sea ; they laid claim to a sub- 
 sidy of $:}7,5O0, voted by the Legislature in favor of the Montreal and 
 Ottawa Railway Company. 
 
 Mr.. 
 seems tn 
 transfer \ 
 service, c 
 
 The 
 
 Provincif 
 pay this 
 he left fo 
 
 Betv 
 Mr. Geoti 
 
 The 
 a letter i 
 bois, a c 
 order of 
 sent, at ' 
 
 The 
 Shehyn 
 bring di 
 
 Bui 
 Machin. 
 cheque 
 Mr. Chi 
 
 T\^ 
 
 ,M 
 
 
 ButM 
 
 Tl 
 
 M 
 seen ii 
 
 theP 
 Autho 
 
 A 
 
 sign 
 gave 
 
 the'a 
 
101 
 
 Mr, Alphonse Charlebois was tho oontractor for the (jompauy, and it 
 seems that the company transferred him this subsidy ; in any case, the 
 transftjr was not served on the Treasury Department, which, without legal 
 service, could not pay the subsidy to others than the Company. 
 
 The Tth February, a Saturday, an Order-in-Council was passed by the 
 Provincial Cabinet authorizing the issue of » money order for $37,500 to 
 pay this subsidy. Mr. Mercier was present at that Cabinet meeting and 
 he left for Montreal the same night, the 7th February. 
 
 Between the 7th and the loth Mr. Alphonse Charlebois transferred to 
 Mr. Geoffrion, treasurer of the Liberal party. $14,900 of the $37,500 subsidy. 
 
 The 10th February Mr. Mercier, then in Montreal, gave Mr. Geoffrion 
 a letter informing him that in virtue of the subsidy transfer by Mr. Charle- 
 bois, a cheque would be issued by the Treasurer to his order, or to the 
 order of any person whom Mr. Geoffrion would indicate. Mr. Mercier 
 sent, at the same time a copy of that letter to Mr. Shehyn. 
 
 The same day. the 10th Febnaary, Mr. GeolFrion himself wrote to Mr. 
 Shehyn begging him to hurry up the payment, as one day of delay might 
 bring disastrous results. 
 
 But in the Treasury Department was the honest and inflexible Mr- 
 Machin. the type of a faithful employe. Mr. Machin refused to issue the 
 cheque to Mr. Charlebois' order, because no transfer from the Company to 
 Mr. Charlebois had been served on the office. 
 
 Two days went past, and yet no cheque, no money. 
 
 / Mr. Geoff'rion was in a dilemma. 
 
 On the 12th, he telegraphed Mr. Shehyn to hurry up, for God's sake. 
 But Mr. Machin was as immutable'as a rock. 
 
 Th^ influence of the great master, the autocrat himself, was necessary. 
 
 Mr. Mercier went down to Quebec on the 13th February, as may be 
 seen in VElecteur of the morning of the 14th February. 
 
 " Honorable Mr. Mercier arrived in Quebec yesterday afternoon by 
 the Pacific line." 
 
 And, on the 14th February, a memorable day, the Premier's sovereign 
 authority put a new face on the situation. * . 
 
 On the formal order of Mr. Mercier, Messrs. Machin and Verret had to 
 sign the cheque for $14,903 and to hand it to the great chief himself, who 
 gave the following receipt : 
 
 " Received this 14th February, 1891, from the Honorable Treasurer, 
 > the'above mentioned sum." 
 
 " (Signed) H. MERCIER." 
 
 M 
 
 \m 
 
 li 
 
102 
 
 The cheque rau thus : 
 
 "Province of Quebec, Treasury Department, 
 
 Quebec, 14th February, 1891. 
 
 To the Montreal Bank ; • 
 
 " Pay to the order of the Montreal and Ottawa Railway Company 
 $14,908 and 50 cents. 
 
 ^ Countersigned, 
 
 $14,908.60. 
 
 (Signed) A. H. Verret, Provincial Auditor, 
 H. A. Machin, ABsietant Treasurer. 
 
 Mr. Mercier then had the $14,908 cheque in his pocket. "What next 
 took plavje ? 
 
 The boodling superintendent, Mr. Ernest Pacaud, naturally appeared 
 on the scene. When there is a money deal to be made you always find, at 
 the exact and right moment, the pitiful and sugar-coated face of the insati- 
 able Ernest appear. ' ' 
 
 The 14th February was a Saturday. The banks close at one o'clock. 
 
 Mark this well : t I ■' 
 
 Before the cheque was ready, and Mr. Mercier had received it, Mr. 
 Pacaud went to the Union Bank. He informed Mr. Webb, the teller, that 
 this famous cheque was being brought into the world at the treasury de- 
 partment, that it should be discounted that same day, on account of it being 
 immediately required, and he asked Mr. "Webb to keep the bank open until 
 he came back with the cheque. 
 
 He then 'hurried to the department, went in search of his illustrious 
 accomplice, Mr. Mercier, who gave him the cheque that he had, himself, 
 just received. Pacaud set out for the Lower Town at full gallop. 
 
 He presented his cheque. But horrible disappointment ! Mr. "Webb 
 refusei' *o pay it because it had not the endorsation of the Company. "What 
 was to • done ? 
 
 But Pacaud is use'^ to turning sharp corners. Like a flash, he offered 
 his note for |14,940, at eight days' endorsed by Mr. Mercier, and guaranteed 
 that the official cheque would be endorsed in the meantime. 
 
 Mr. "Webb accepted that proposition. Pacaud gave his note for |14,940, 
 endorsed by Mr. Mercier. The Union Bank immediately paid the $14,940 
 to Mr. Pacaud, who gave an order to transmit, that same day, the i4th 
 February, to Mr. GreofFrion, the treasurer of the Liberal party in Montreal, 
 the sum of $T,000. 
 
 As to 
 went to a 
 
 Atth 
 back end( 
 cheque. 
 
 Isth 
 
 Istb 
 
 Istl: 
 
 Is^" 
 action sv 
 
 The 
 
 The 
 
 Mr 
 latter f 
 secure \ 
 
 An 
 
 after th 
 stroke > 
 
 of pett 
 tions, 
 
 ^ 
 
 over, 
 
 and 
 ing 
 
 colli 
 
 decil 
 
 nexf 
 
 unc 
 
 pull 
 
103 
 
 xt 
 
 led 
 I at 
 
 ti- 
 
 As to the balance of the $14,000 tho " old boy " alone can tell where it 
 went to and what Mercier and Pacaud did with it. 
 
 At the expiration of the eight days, the cheque sent to Montreal came 
 back endorsed, and Mr. Pacaud's note was paid with the product of that 
 cheque. ' 
 
 Is this clear enough ? 
 
 Is the conspiracy sufficiently manifest? 
 
 Is the crime evident enough ? ' . 
 
 Is Mr. Mercier's active and predominating participation in the trans- 
 action sufficiently proven ? 
 
 The documents are there. ' 
 
 The sworn testimony of Messrs. Webb and Machin are there. 
 
 Mr. Mercier received the |14,900 cheque, gave it to Pacaud, then the 
 latter failing to Lave it paid, Mr. Mercier with Pacaud made a note to 
 secure the money ; the note was paid with the amount of the cheque. 
 
 And all this occurred in the midst of the Federal elections, a few days 
 after the $25,000 stroke of the Sylviculteur, a few days before the $60,000 
 stroke of the Langlais stationery. 
 
 Are there not numbers in the penitentiary who have only been guilty 
 of petty thefts compared with these robberies, y^'ith these misappropria- 
 tions, "wuth these pieces of wholesale brigandage ? 
 
 We ask the electorate of Quebec : Are you calmly prepared to hand 
 over, once more, the reins of power to these bandits ? 
 
 i* 
 
 THE $60,000 LANGLAIS STATIONERY SCANDAL. 
 
 But this is not all. On the 22nd February more money was needed 
 and recourse was again had to Langlais. Mr. Mercier wrote the follow- 
 ing letter (Royal Commission, 1892, pp. 20 and 27) : 
 
 Quebec, 23rd;February, 1891. 
 
 Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that, after consulting with my 
 colleagues, ^■"'e been authorized to tell you that the Government has 
 decided tc . . you, for the term of four years, from the 1st of March 
 
 next, the sup^'^ying of all the necessary stationery to the public offices 
 under our control. An order to that effect will be at once given to all the 
 public offices at the Legislative building, at the Prothonotarv's office, at 
 
 wim i iWMiiWii il B ll A- - 
 
 
 JL 
 
104 
 
 that of the Sheriff' and of the Police Court, at Quebec, and at the offices of 
 the Prothono.'ary, Sheriff", Police and District Magistrates, at Montreal. An 
 order will also be given to the Registrars of the different districts of the 
 Province, as well as to the Government printers, to purchase from you, in 
 future, the special ofhcially marked paper. You|will be paid for this paper 
 according to the current price. 
 
 I refer only to the paper necessary for the departments and public 
 offices above mentioned, and in no way to the printing of such paper, 
 which will be done wherever the Government desires. 
 
 I have the honor to be, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 ' J. A. Langlais, Esq,., 
 ' Stationer and Bookseller, 
 
 Quebec, P. Q. 
 
 HONORE MERCIRR, 
 
 Prime Minister. 
 
 This simple letter created a four years' monopoly that amounted ta 
 
 $»oo.ooo. 
 
 Mr. Langlais, who is an adept in business, answered as follows (pp. 
 21 and 28): 
 
 Quebec, 23rd February, 1891. 
 Hon. Honors Mercier, 
 
 Prime Minister, Quebec. 
 
 Dear Premier, * 
 
 I have just received your letter dated to-day by which you confide to 
 me, for the space of four years, from the first of March next, the supplying 
 of all the necessary paper to the public offices under the control of the 
 government. 
 
 As the fulfilling of that contract will demand considerable advances 
 on my part, 1 desire to ask you the favor of facilitating for'^me the means 
 of securing credit in the banks. Would you be good enough to tell me, 
 considering the importance of the contract, what amount you could advance 
 me, and at what time ? 
 
 You will infinitely oblige. 
 
 Your devoted servant. 
 
 in 
 
 J. A. LANGLAIS. 
 
 I 
 
Mkuoapi 
 
 105 
 
 Generous Mr. Mercier replied thus : (pp. 21 and 28). 
 
 Quebec, 23rd February, 1891. 
 
 Sir, — I have just received .'"your letter, dated to-day, asking me to 
 facilitate for you the means of "obtaining necessary advances, from the 
 banks, to permit the execution of^your contract, demanding the supplying 
 of all the necessary paper to the public offices under our control. I have 
 no objection to m^^l your vievvs. Taking into consideration the import- 
 ance of the contract, as well as the average sums paid for the same purpose 
 in the past, I can inform you that the Grovernment will pay you, or to 
 your order, the sum of thirty thousand dollars (1*30,000), six months from 
 that date, that is to say from the first of March next. 
 
 I have the honor to be, 
 
 > Yours very truly, 
 
 HONOR E MERCIER, 
 
 Prime Minister. 
 Mr. J. A. Langla-is, 
 
 Bookseller, Quebec. 
 
 The same day, Mr. Langlais" appetite being sharpened, made another 
 request, (p. 22) : 
 
 Quebec, 23rd February, 1891. 
 Hon. Honork Mercier, 
 
 Prime Minister, 
 
 Quebec. 
 Dear Premier, — 
 
 I have just received your letter, in which you are good enough to tell 
 me that the Grovernment will pay me the sum of thirty thousand dollars, 
 in six months, from the first of March next, for the supplying of all the 
 necessary paper to the public offices. I take the liberty of calling your 
 attention to the fact that at the txpiration of the six months the Government 
 will certainty owe me a much larger sum than the thirty thousand dollars promised. 
 It seems that yon. could, without compromising the G-overnment's interests, 
 allow to be paid me, at that time, at least the sura of sixty thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 Hoping you will agree to my just request, 
 I have the honor to be, 
 
 Yours devotedly, 
 
 J. A. LANGLAIS. 
 
 Mr. Langlais, who asks for another $30,000, had only, so far, paid out 
 111 705. But this did not prevent Mr. Mercier from thus answering him 
 (p. 22) : 
 
 |; 
 
 .<"'■ 
 
 
 ;|ii:i 
 
106 
 
 Quebec, 23rd February, 1891. 
 Sir,— 
 
 I have just received your letter, in which you tell rae that you find 
 the promise of a payment of thirty thousand dollars (|30,000), in six 
 months, on account of your contract, insufficient, and you ask me to 
 double the amount. 
 
 I regret to say that I cannot grant your request. In my opinion, the 
 sum of thirty thousand, dollars will be sufficient to pay for what you 
 shall then have supplied to the Government. I have no objection, how- 
 ever, to tell you that the Government will pay, to you or to your order, 
 an additional sum of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) in one year from 
 the 1st March next. 
 
 Hoping this may suffice to allow you to faithfully fulfil your contract, 
 I beg of you to believe me. 
 
 Yours very truly, ^ 
 
 HONORE MERCIER, 
 
 Prime Minister. 
 Mr. J. A. Langlais, 
 
 Bookseller, Qnebec. 
 
 A memorable day was that 23rd February, 1891; the monopoly for four 
 years grauted to Mr. Langlais ; first letter of credit for $J$0,000, signed in 
 favor of Mr. Langlais ; second letter of credit for $S0,000. signed in favor 
 of Mr, Langlais ; $60,000 in two strokes of a pen ! ! 
 
 A day that must have swelled the fund of the Liberal Committee, at 
 Quebec, for the Federal elections that took place on the 6th March. 
 
 Mr. Langlais had the two letters of credit discounted, 
 over his signature in tbe following document : 
 
 He admits it 
 
 Department of the Provincial Secretary. 
 
 Minister's Office, \ 
 
 Quebec, 29th December, 1891. 
 Mr. Jos. BoiviN, 
 
 Assistant Provincial Secretary, 
 
 Quebec. 
 Sir, 
 
 On the subject of the letters that passed between the ex-minister, Hon. 
 Mr. Mercier, and me*, on the 23rd February last, for the furnishing of paper 
 during four years, and the two letters of $30,009 each, I desire to inform 
 you tnat the two letters were discounted at the Caisse d'Economie de 
 Notre-Dame de Quebec, which advanced the $60,000. 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 J. A. LANGLAIS. 
 
 Most 
 
 man 
 
 i 
 
le 
 
 107 
 
 Iii fine here is the statement furnished by the supplier-in-chief, estab- 
 lishing what he had furnished since the month of March : 
 
 Statement. 
 
 Amounts furnished to the different departments, since 
 
 the month of March, 1891 $ ll,t05 93 
 
 11,705 93 
 
 The above amount represents the value of all that had been furnished 
 and delivered by me, in virtue of the letters that passed between ex- 
 minister, Hon, Mr. Mercior, and me, the 23rd February last. 
 
 Q'^febec, 28th December, 1891. 
 
 J. A. LANai.AIS. 
 
 That advance of $60,000 for |1 1,000 worth of supplies, delivered 
 durinj^ six months, was as ingenious as it was an audacious method of 
 swelling the Liberal electoral fund from the Provincial treasury. 
 
 A letter from Mr. Grarneau, Prime Minister ad interim, dated 15th May, 
 1891, to the different departments, ordering them to take their stationery 
 from Mr. J. A. Langlais, bears the following endorsation, by order of the 
 Premier : 
 
 " nth November, '91. The Secretary decides that the binding should 
 not be given to Mr, Langlais. The question of supplies, although not 
 mentioned in the contract, is optional ; but the intention of the Govern- 
 ment is to deal liberallp with J. A. Langlais.'^ 
 
 What a fine expression ! 
 
 The intention of the Q-overnment is to deal liberally with J. A. Langlais, 
 Most certainly ! ^ 
 
 To pay, or cause to be paid, to a man the sum of $85,000 in fifteen 
 days ! That is surely liberal dealing. 
 
 To give a gentleman two letters of credit for |30,000 each ; $60,000 
 in one day ! 
 
 To buy 50,000 copies of a book, at '^*IS>,000 \ 
 
 To buy 10,000 copies, English version, of the same book, at |5,000 ! 
 
 man ! 
 
 That is what you may call dealing liberally (user liberalemcnl) with a 
 
 Those ex-ministers banged creation 
 
.08 
 
 Here is what the Globe, the leading Libera) organ of the Doniinion, 
 said concerning the Langlais scandals : 
 
 1 " The revelations made before the new Royal Commission at Quebec, 
 demand a prompt explanation from those who are immediately implicated. 
 The Canadien and the Patrie, two papers friendly to Mr. Merciei, give the 
 following explanations: Mr. Mercier, in February, 1891, made an arrange- 
 ment with a bookseller, named Larglais, for the purchase of a certuiu 
 book and a large quantity of paper. 
 
 " Langlais received then and there $85,000 by letters of credit that 
 were discounted by him. The 23rd February he drew by cheque a sum 
 of $65,000, product of two letters of credit for $H0,000 ; and he gave |25,000 
 to Ernest Pacaud, who, on the 24th February, handed them into the 
 Jacques-Cartier Bank, to Mr. Mercier's credit. Mr. Mercier was then speak- 
 ing in the County of Richelieu. Mr. J. A. Mercier, his brother, was au- 
 thorized to look after his business, and he drew the |25,000 from the 
 Jacques-Cartier Bank and handed them to Mr. C. A. G'eofFrion, who ack- 
 nowledged having received them- Mr. Geoffrion was the treasurer of the 
 Liberal electoral fund in the district of Montreal. According to the evi- 
 dence, it appears that no Order-in-Council had been passed authorizing the 
 contract with Langlais, that there is no mention of the contract in the 
 books of the Executive Council, and that the arrangement was made pri- 
 vately by Mr. Mercier and Mr. Langlais. But in leaving aside these irre- 
 gularities, the fact that strikes at first sight is that |25,000 public money 
 seems to have been stolen and turned over afterwards to the electoral fund of the 
 Liberal party. 
 
 " For the moment the Globe is disposed to await the explanations of 
 the accused and until the day that all the facts shall be placed before the 
 country. But it is forced to state to-day that it will denounce the misdeeds 
 of its friends with as much energy as it has denounced the faults of the 
 Ottawa Tories. The duty of every honest man, under these painful and 
 shameful circumstances, is to candemn and punish the public robbers." 
 
 It was proven, at Quebec, before the Royal Commission : 
 
 That the Langlais contracts were given without an Order-in-Council ; 
 
 That despite the Langlais contract, for which |60,000 had been paid, 
 the cliqus continued to buy stationery from other dealers ; 
 
 That purchases of stationery were made from other dealers, since the 
 date of the Langlais contract, to the value of $12,000 to $15,000 ; 
 
 That despite the $60,000 paid to Langlais, everything purchased in his 
 establishment was paid for again ; 
 
 That, even on one occasion, Mr. Duhamel, Commissioner of Crown 
 Lauds, caused a fresh advance of |6o0 to be paid Langlais ; 
 
109 
 
 That the discounting of the two Langlais letters of credit gave |56,- 
 772.83; 
 
 That out of that sum Mr. Baptiste Langlais only got $7,272.38 ; 
 
 That $24,500 went to the toll-collect:^r, Ernest Pacaud. 
 
 That $25,000 went to Montreal to swell the corruption fund of the 
 Liberal party for the Federal elections, as the follow ing declaration of Mr, 
 GeofFrion proves : — that is to say they robbed the Provincial Treasury to 
 fight Mr. Laurier's election battle. 
 
 There you have, in short|space, and in all its nakedness, the $60,000 
 Langlais stationery scandal. 
 
 If the Liberals had remained in power in 1892, these $60,000 would 
 have been paid by the Caisse d'Economie to Mr. J. A. Langlais who had 
 discounted the two letters of credit for $30,000 each. 
 
 The rate payers of the Province of Quebec may be sure of one thing, 
 if the clique came back to power, after the 11th of May next, one of the 
 first things that Mr. Pacaud and Mr. Langlais would do, in concert with 
 their friends Grilbert Dechene & Co., would be to secure payment from 
 the Treasury — that is from the ratepayers — of the $60,000, which the Con- 
 servative Government, composed of honest men, refused and will always- 
 refuse to pay. 
 
 THE WHELAN SCANDAL. 
 
 On several occasions the Conservative press accused the Liberal crowd 
 of having made use of Mr. Whelau to get hands on the public money. 
 This gentleman was a contractor; he had claims ; and casks of wine and 
 exorbitant commissions, for election and personal pu'-poses, were extorted 
 from him. Naturally, in the end, the country paid for all this. 
 
 In vain we laid charges and asked for investigations. Nothing 
 resulted. Mr. Mercier and the clique were silent, or else gagged some of. 
 their accusers. 
 
 However, on the 10th November, 1891, the Toronto Empire published' 
 a despatch which Criused a sensation ; it was as follows : — 
 
 "Montreal, 10th November. — The Empire's correspondent has several 
 times alluded to the enormous sums that Hon. Mr. Mercier, his Ministers 
 and his political friends, for four years past, drew out of Mr. John P. Whelan, 
 the wealthy contractor for the Quebec Court House. And still, it was 
 only since a day or two ago that he is in a position to fully understand 
 the extent of this robbery, the greatest one of all. As the Empire and other 
 Conservative papers left it to be understood, the total sums thus extorted 
 
110 
 
 by the Quebec Liberal leaders amounted to $67,000. Yet, large ao that 
 figure may seem to those who do not know the ' inside,' and who are not 
 posted in the stealing capacities of the Quebec clique, a sum far higher 
 than the one which Pacaud extracted from the Provincial treasury — let ns 
 say the word — was stolen from the public in the building undertaking 
 above raentiont'd. 
 
 " This morning the Minerve publishes this at the head of its puge of 
 general articles ; — 
 
 " Is it true that Mr. J. P. Wholan paid $113,000 to the big guns of 
 the Liberal party from his contract .for the Quebec Court House ? 
 
 " This question has been so often asked, always without obtaining a 
 satisiactory answer, that your correspondent started out,v determined to 
 learn the truth, and only the truth, re^^rding this matter, which interests 
 and concerns not only the people of our Province, but the citizens of the 
 whole Dominion. While the honorable judges of the Eoyal Commission 
 were studying the s<;andalous details of the i3aie des Chaleurs Railway 
 transaction, and the majority of the electors consoled themselves in the 
 hope that the country had got to the bottom of the trickery and rottenness 
 of the Mercier-Langelier- Pacaud administration, the Empire, which has 
 ever been in the vanguard, denouncing the corrupt actions of the Rom.an 
 Count, that Empire is to-day in a position to throw full light on another 
 scandal, the most shameful, perhaps, of all the scandals that have become 
 known to the public during the few years of the National administration 
 in the Province of Quebec. 
 
 " The following is a detailed and authentic account of the sums paid 
 by Mr. John P. Whelan to members of the Mercier and Laurier party, for 
 personal and political purposes. These sums, it goes without saying, were 
 paid out while the contractor was building the edifice in question or since 
 the Legislature authorized his claim for extra works : 
 
 can( 
 
 Eon. H. Mercier a $13,750 
 
 " H. Mercier and C. A. Beausoleil, M.P 23,500 
 
 " H. Mercier and Ernest Pacaud 17,000 
 
 Achille Carrier, M.P.P. for Gaspe 2,550 
 
 Hon. C. Langelier 2,500 
 
 " P. Grarneau and others 4,950 
 
 " A. Turcotte, ex- Attorney-General 2,650 
 
 Law firm of Mr. Prefontaine, M.P., of which Hon. Robi- 
 
 doux was a member 18,500 
 
 Hon. Jas. McShane, mayor of Montreal 7,100 
 
 Different Liberals 8,000 
 
 Federal elections (1887) 14,500 
 
 « 
 
 Grand total $115,000 
 
Ill 
 
 " "Wo now see tnat Pacaud had a precedent to follow, when, in con- 
 cert with his masteis, ihe Quebec raiui-'ters, he .sysieraatically pillaged the 
 Provincial Treasury to help Mr. Laurier iu tiie elections of 1891 ; an 
 equally audacious and criminal operation having been successfullv carried 
 on in 1881 
 
 " In order to avoid any chance of error on the subject, he Empire adds 
 the following details : 
 
 Paid to Perreault $5,000 
 
 " Matthew Hearu, candidate in Quebec "West 1,000 
 
 " H. T. Cloran, Montreal Centre 3,600 
 
 " Mercier (per D. F.) 2,500 
 
 " Senator Pelletier 2,500 
 
 Making a total of $14,600 
 
 which the Quebec gang wrenched from Mr. Whelan to fight the battles of 
 Mr. Laurier and of Riel in 1887. The perfectly authentic information that 
 the Empire's correspondent possesses, shows us that the sum of $8,U00 
 which appears in the first of the abore lists, was divided amongst the 
 small fry of the party ; that, at least, this sum served to personally and 
 politically help them. The names, moreover, are in the Empire's possession, 
 and can be had at a moment's notice. We may, however, say without 
 further ceremony, that $2,500 went to secure the election of Mr. Charles 
 Champagne, in Hochelaga, and that $65n were given to Mr. F. X. Leraieux, 
 candidate in Levis. 
 
 The second trip taken by the Empire's correspondent was to inter- 
 view Mr. J, P. "Whelan himself It would be hard to imagine a man more 
 surprised than was the celebrated contractor, when he saw the foregoing 
 figures set down before his eyes, and when he was asked if they were 
 correct and if he would give any additional information. 
 
 " "Where, under heaven ! did you get your hand on all this ?" was his 
 first exclamation when he had sufficiently revived from the shock to speak. 
 Then, seeing it was impossible for' him to get out of it, he consented to be 
 interviewed, and the following dialogue took place : ^ 
 
 Are the figures I have just shown you correct ? 
 
 Yes. I am sorry to have to admit that they are substantially correct. 
 
 Eegarding large sums, like the $13,*750 for Hon. Mr. Mercier, the 
 $23,500 for the same and his law-partner, Mr. Beausoleil, M.P., and the 
 $16^000 to Mercier and Pacaud, is it possible that you gave so much money 
 to these men ? 
 
 It is, alas ! only too true. 
 
 Pl;| 
 
112 
 
 Was t'aat money used for elections ? 
 Yes, and tor personal end.4. 
 
 What compensation could it be supposed that you could receive from 
 Pacaud, Beausoleil, Charles Langf Her and Carrier ? 
 
 They all acted as agents to help me with the Government. Langelier 
 was not a minister at that time. 
 
 Tell me now, Mr. Whelan. about that sum of $7,100 that you are sup- 
 posed to have given Hon. James MeShaue. You must be aware that our 
 immaculate mayor one day called Sir Charles Tupper a highway robber, 
 and your reply cannot fail to create a special interest amongst the people 
 of Montreal. 
 
 Well, that sum was paid for electioneering purposes, partly to himself 
 personally and partly to his order. (In all justice to Mr. McShane, 
 although this may not place the ex-Minister of Public Works in any better 
 light before the country, the Empires correspondent should say that $3,000 
 of the above mentioned sum were paid to Mr. Mercier himself, in the Gov- 
 ernment offices, on St. Gabriel street. All the same, Mr. McShane knew 
 the long and the short of the transaction.) 
 
 Is it not a known fa(;t. Mr. Whelan, that when Mr. McShane was 
 Minister of Public Works, he asked you to subsijribe $20,000 to the election 
 fund that he had the spending of, giving you to understand that a pending 
 claim that you had against the Ross-Taillon Government would be settled? 
 
 Yes, it is true, and when I refused, he said : " Whelan, you'll regret 
 this, the half of that sum was intended for Mr. Mercier." I replied that if 
 Mr. Mercier was in need of money he could ask me for it himself, that we 
 were not strangers to each other ; moreover, he had often asked me for some 
 in the past. 
 
 Did you never hear any more about that atitiir ? 
 
 No. McShane and his Montreal friends often reproached me with my 
 refusal of the $20,000 and the first minister, Mercier, who, apparently, did 
 not believe that McShane had not received the haul, asked me afterwards 
 if I had given that^amount, or part of it to Mr. McShane. 
 
 We will say a word now about the $14,500 that the gang seems to 
 have extorted from you for the Federal elections of 1887. Be good enough 
 to throw a little light on the item of $5,000 for Perreault, and to tell me 
 who this Perreault is ? 
 
 Louis Perreault, printer, to whom 1 gave my note for $5,500, as ever, 
 for election purposes. Another well-known viontractor had agreed to pay 
 a part of it ; but, finally, he refused, and when the note fell due I had to 
 
113 
 
 iillKiHi 
 
 pay it, and I might add that I paid it iu accordance with Mr. Mercier'a 
 instructions. The latter had heard, one day, that a certain note had not 
 been paid, and supposing for cfrtain that h was the Perreault affair, he 
 came to blame me. It was then that I replied to him : " Mr. Mercier. you 
 err, the Perreault note is settled, and the unpaid one is one of $2,500 
 intended to help Mr. Champagne's election iu Hochelaga." This note was, 
 notwithstanding, paid a short time afterwards, and with interest included 
 it formed the sum of $2,6b8. 
 
 Is there anything special in the payment of the .$3,600 for Montreal 
 Centre ? 
 
 No, except that I was never even thanked for having helped to fight 
 my old friend Curran, who, thank God, gratified us with a gigantic defeat. 
 I quarrelled with him on the Riel question, but we are now great friends, 
 and 1 intend to remain so. 
 
 Continuing the interview, Mr. Whelan said that the first sum of $2,500 
 on the list of Federal election expenses consisted of a note given by Mr, D. 
 Ford to Mr Mercier, endorsed by the Honorable Messrs. Mercier, Shehyn 
 and Garneau, discounted by a boot and shoe merchant well known in 
 Quebec, and paid by Mr. Whelan to the Banque Nationale. 
 
 And the second sum of $2,500? 
 
 It is cash given to Senator Pelletier in two sums, $1,500 and $1,000 • 
 respectively. 
 
 Could you tell me what elections were going on when Mr. McShane 
 put his fingers on the nugget that we referred to ? 
 
 I think that part of that nugget was intend jd for the bye-elections 
 going on in the counties of Laprairie and Ottawa. 
 
 Now, Mr. Whelan, I am going to ask you a very delicate question. 
 Although you are of Irish origin, you have the Scotch cuteness well 
 developed. Tell me, did you expect to see the Ross Government go out of 
 power 'i 
 
 Yes, I expected nothing else ; but what are you getting at ? 
 
 Is it not an admitted fact that in August, 1886, in presence of two 
 other persons, Mr. Mercier promised you to settle your claim when he got 
 into power, and that, th'^re and then, he asked you for a certain sum to 
 help him to carry the elections ? 
 
 " The contractor closed his eyes for a moment and then replied :— 
 
 " Yes, he did that and a bargain was struck, but I decline to tell you 
 the nature of it." 
 
 |!^ i 
 
114 
 
 " Frightenod by the effect of these declarations, Mr. Meroier pretended 
 to sue Mr. Whelan and certain journalists, but it was only a flash in the pan. 
 
 ' He remained under the shadow of these accusations. 
 
 " Later on, the Royal Commission, composed of Messrs. Mathieu, 
 McMaster and Masson, went to Mr. Whelan and hold a sworn investigation 
 of the facts related above. 
 
 " The questions touched upon the items, the facts and thn circum- 
 stances which preceded, accompanied or followed the gifts, loans, advances 
 or payments of the following sums by John Patrick "Whelan, or by the 
 firm of Whelan & Ford, or by Patrick Ford, to wit : 
 
 1. To Hon. Honore Mercier, formerly Prime Minister of the Province 
 of Quebec, $13,750. 
 
 2. To the said Hon. Honore Mercier and to C. A. Beausoleil, M.P., 
 $23,500. 
 
 3. To the said Hon. Honor6 Mercier and to Ernest Pacaud, journalist, 
 of Quebec, $17,700. 
 
 4. To Achille Carrier, M.P.P., $4,580. 
 
 ' 6. To Hon. C. Langelier, formerly Provincial Secretary, $2,500. 
 
 6. To Hon. Pierre Garneau, $4,950. 
 
 7. To. Hon. Arthur Turcotte, formerly Attorney-General for the 
 Province of Quebec, $2,(559. 
 
 8. To R. Prefontaine, M.P. and his partners, $18,500. 
 
 9. To Hon. James McShane, M.P.P., $7,100. 
 
 10. To said Hon. Honore Mercier, $2,500. 
 
 11. To Hon. C. A. P. Pelletier, Senator, $2,500. 
 
 12. To Ernest Pacaud, aforementioned, $10,000. 
 
 t 
 
 13. To Ernest Pacaud, aforementioned, $5,000, 
 
 '• At the opening of the session, Mr. Guerin, made an objection. He 
 disputed the right of the Commissioners to question Mr. Whelan under 
 the circumstances. 
 
 Judge Mathieu replied to him : '■ We will hear Mr. Whelan anyway, 
 and if you get a court of justice to decide that we have no right to auestion 
 him, we will not consider his e"^idence in our report." 
 
116 
 
 Mr. Wholan is, therofore, ordered to reply to the questions. 
 
 First question. —It is said that you had paid $13,750, for some 
 years back, to Mr. Mercier. Is that true ? 
 
 Mr. Whelan, referring to his papers, answered : Your fifj^ures are not 
 quite exact. 1 paid $16,840 to Mr. Mercier, from the month of June, 1886, 
 to the month of September of the same year. 
 
 Q, Under what circumstances did you pay that sum ? 
 
 A. I mt't Mr. Mercier one day in Quebec. He said, " I need money." 
 I gave him $350 ; I think this was in the month of June, 1886. A few 
 days later I again gave him $500. 
 
 Q. Why did you give that money ; did Mr, Mercier tell you that he 
 was sure of coming into power? 
 
 A. He left me to understand it. 
 
 Q. Did you pay any other .suras? 
 
 A. In the month of October, 1886, I gave Mr. Mercier $4,000, in a 
 room in the rear of the St. Lawrence Hall. 
 
 Q. Were you a G-overnment contra(!tor then ? 
 
 A. Yes. 
 
 Q. What reasons were given for asking that money of you ? 
 
 A. I was told that if I were liberal enough I would be well treated 
 by the Government. (This was the 30th October, 1886.) Hon Mr. Mercier 
 asked me for $20,000 to $25,000, but I only gave $10,000. 
 
 Q. Why did you give so much money ? 
 
 A. Once more, I tell you that I was assured that I would be well 
 treated if Mr. Mercier came into power. 
 
 Q. These $10,000, were they returned to you? 
 
 A. Not that I know of. / 
 
 Q. You had a claim at that time against the Groverument ? 
 
 " A. Yes, and I always understood that the amount that I gave for the 
 Liberal election fund had had a great weiaht afterwards in the settlement 
 of that claim. For the Federal elections in Chambly, in 1886, 1 subscribed 
 $1,000 to the Liberal fund. 
 
 (liii i 
 
 % 
 
116 
 
 The 26th Septomber, lf^86, I gave Mr. Mercier |1,000. A lew days 
 after I gave Mr.Beausoleil $1,000. In October of the same year I gave 
 Mr. Mercier $500. 
 
 " The 26th October, I gave another large sura. 
 Then came the *' smallgifts " of |50 to $200. 
 " In December, 1886, I again gave $500 to $800. 
 Q. Were the elections over then ? 
 
 A. Yes. Mr. Beausoleil told me it waa a good investment. 
 - Q. How much did you pay Mr. Beausoleil ? 
 
 A. On the question of the contract for the Quebec Court House, 1 had 
 to pay Mr. Mercier and Mr. Beausoleil, $15,000 first, and $6,000 afterwards. 
 Perhaps I paid other amounts. 
 
 " The 22nd October, 1886, I paid #700 to Mr. Pacuud in front of the 
 Post Office. 
 
 " Mr. Whelan continuing his evidence, said : the 21st December, 1886, 
 I met Mr. Ernest Pacaud. He said to me : ' 1 am hard up, I want some 
 money.' I gave him $20. (Laughter). In the month of January, 1888,"I 
 gave $100 to Mr. Pacaud, who appeared to be more hard up than ever. In 
 the month of February, 1890, I was more generous, and I gave $10,000 to 
 Mr. Pacaud. This time, it seems, it was for election purposes. 
 
 Q. Do you know what Mr. Pacaud did with the $10,000 ? 
 
 ; A. No. 
 
 Q. Did you speak to Mr. Mercier about the settling of your claim ? 
 
 A. No ; I never spoke to him personally about it. 
 
 Mr. Macmaster. — Did you tell Mr. Mercier that you paid $10,000 to 
 Mr. Pacaud ? 
 
 No ; but I saw the telegram addressed by Mr. Pacaud to Mr. Mercier 
 telling him that I had given $10,000. Mr. Pacaud came afterwards to ask 
 me for $5,000 but I refused. Mr. Pacaud informed Mr. Mercier of my 
 refusal 
 
 Q. Is it true that you gave $2,600 to Mr. Carrier ? 
 
 A. The figure is not exact. I gave $2,650 to Mr. Achille Carrier. Mr. 
 Carrier came to me, one day, and told me that he was broke. I gave him. 
 $500. 
 
 •\ 
 
117 
 
 "The Hth February, 1H89, 1 gave him $1,500. 1 alterwards gave him 
 other Hmall Hums. 
 
 " I gavo $;5.000 to I Ion. C. Langolier. 
 
 Q Did you pay anything to Hon. Mr. Garnoau r 
 
 A. I firstly gave Mr. P. Garneau 11,500. in the month of November, 
 "}86, for election expenses in Quebec; county. 
 
 " The balance was paid to Mr. Amyot. 
 
 " I also gave 18,000 to the firm of Beaudet, Lefebvre & Garneau. 
 
 Q. Is Mr. Garneau, a member of that firm, '•elated to Hon. P. Garneau|? 
 
 A. He is his cousin. 
 
 " In 1888 I paid firstly $400 and then .f 2,000 for Mr. Turcotte's elec- 
 tion in Three Rivers. The amount should reach $2,000. 
 
 " I paid $18,500 to Mr. Prefoutaine for professional services, and^also 
 in the hope of securing his influence with the Quebec Government in get- 
 ting my claim settled. 
 
 " In July, 1887, I paid $2,500 to Hon. James McShane, then Minister 
 of Public Works. I afterwards gave him $500 for the St. Pi rrick's Day 
 banquet. 
 
 " Mr. M«Shane came to me and asked me for $3,000 for Mr. Mercier. 
 I had not the required amount. Mr. James Baxter, who was present, 
 went out for a few minutes, and came back with the $3,000. I don't 
 know to whom the money was given, but Mr. Baxter told me later on that 
 he had given the $8,000 to Mr. Mercier himself. 
 
 " I also gave $2,500 to Hon. Senator Pelletier for election purposes. 
 
 Q. Could you produce the orders, cheques, telegrams, letters, etc., 
 regarding the money paid, through Mr. McShane, to Mr. Mercier ? 
 
 A. When Mr. Mercier came back irom Europe, he sent for me to go 
 to his office, and he told me that " things went bad with McShane," and 
 he asked me to give him all his papers, seeing that grave accusations 
 were launched against him. I gave him these papers, and I saw him my- 
 self place them in his safe, in his house on St. Denis street. It was under- 
 stood that these papers were to be destroyed. I never saw them since. 
 
 Q. Did you consider these papers to be compromising ? 
 
 A. They must have been compromising for Mr. Mercier and Mr. 
 McShane. 
 
118 
 
 " Mr. Whelan's examination being closed, an examination that unveiled 
 a host of astonishing facts, and that we have been able to reproduce, a 
 scene took place that was amusing for the Conservatives and which caused 
 the handful of Liberals present to smile. Mr. Cloran wished to open his 
 heart and show his indignation. Speaking to Mr. Whelan, he said : Ac- 
 cording to your evidence you paid large sums, but did Mr. Mercier or any 
 one of his colleagues tell you that in giving that money your claim would 
 be settled ? 
 
 " As Mr. Whelan, through delicacy, no doubt, and not wishing to betray 
 ' these gentlemen,' with whom he had had former relations, hesitated to 
 answer, Mr. Cloran repeated the question and insisted on an answer. Mr 
 Whelan, pushed to the wall, arose and said : ' You absolutely want me to 
 speak, well ! so much the worse, I will speak, and in answer to your ques- 
 tion I say : Yes ; one day I met Mr. Mercier, in the elevator of a large 
 building in this city. He said to me : ' Well ! Whelan, your affair is not 
 settled yet V ' No.' I replied. Then he said : ' Pay what we asked you 
 and all will be correct, we will settle your affair.' 
 
 " Since that time, added Mr. Whelan, I subscribed largely. 
 
 " This answer had the effect of a sledge-hammer blow on I.Ii. uloici^'s 
 head. The boiling young advocate became more audacious and asked Mr. 
 Whelan if he had not paid money to persons other than thoseJie had men- 
 tioned. ^ 
 
 A discussion then followed, and after a few minutes it was decided 
 that Mr. Whelan should prepare a list of the persons who had received 
 money, from the 27th January, 1887, to the month of December, 1891. 
 
 " Addressing Mr. Cloran, Mr. Bisaillon said : You have only to limit 
 yourself. We limited ourselves to a few names, but since you wish it, we 
 will go further. 
 
 Mr. Cloran — It was said that I had received money from Mr. Whelan. 
 I defy anyone to prov ^ it. 
 
 Mr. Whelan — I subscribed 2 to S3,000 for your election. , 
 
 ;>^ Mr. Cloran — I did not get that money personxlly. 
 
 Mr. Whelan — That matters little. You profited by that money, and 
 you knew well who furnished it." 
 
 The perusal of these two extracts suffices co al ow that Mr. Whelan 
 was c splendid cat's paw lor the Clique to extract money from the treasury. 
 
 v^as an 
 
 To 
 to pay 
 
 To 
 Pacaud 
 
 To 
 to Mr. 
 
 To 
 had to 
 
 Tc 
 Pacau( 
 
 Tc 
 
 to pay 
 
 T. 
 had to 
 
 T< 
 favor, 
 
 T 
 
 Seneci 
 
 T 
 Mr. G 
 
 M 
 
 whic 
 
 I 
 that 
 they 
 Carri' 
 
119 
 
 THE TOLL GATE 
 v^as an institution in the days of the " clique." 
 
 To secure the payment of its subsidies tho Temiscouata Company had 
 to pay to Mr. Pacaud' over $25,000. 
 
 To obtain a desistment in appeal, Mr. W. Fraser had to pay to Mr'. 
 Pacaud |2,000. 
 
 To obtain the payment of certain subsidies, Mr. Armstrong had to pay 
 to Mr. Pacaud $5,000. 
 
 To obtain the settlement of a claim, that was not due, Mr. Lockwood 
 
 had to ^ ay to Mr. Pacaud $5 OOO. 
 
 To obtain the sale of his Si/lviculteur, Mr. Langlais had to pay to Mr. 
 Pacaud, $11,000. 
 
 To obtain the monopoly of the stationery supplying, Mr. Langlais had 
 to pay to Messrs. Pacaud and Mercier, $50,000. 
 
 * I 
 
 To obtain the settlement of p claim that was not due, Mr. Armstrong 
 had to pay to Mr. Pacaud, $100,000. 
 
 To obtain, he says, the maintaining of an item of the budget in his 
 favor, Mr. Whelan had to pay to Mr. Pacaud and Mr. Tarte, |I5,000, 
 
 To obtain the sale of an edition ol the Municipal Code, Mr. Eusebe 
 Senecal hac. .o pay to Mr. Lomer G-ouin, Mr. Meroier's son-in-law, $1,'700 
 
 To obtain the sale of a collection of coins, Mr. Breton had to pay to 
 Mr. G-eofFrion, treasurer of the Liberal party. $1,500. 
 
 We would never . end were we to go on enumerating the cases in 
 which the toi^l-gate was used. 
 
 If the electors of Quebec desire to have that toll-gate set up again, and 
 that the payment of tribute to the deity " Boodle " should recommence, 
 they have only to return to power Messrs. March and, Dechene, Turgeon, 
 Carrier & Co. ! 
 
 / 
 

 120 
 
 HOW THE LIBERALS VOTED 
 
 When They Were in Power. 
 
 They Approved of the Expenses and the lioans. 
 
 We have several times stated that the majority of representatives in 
 the Liberal Opposition, who cry out so loudly to-day against ta"^"" and 
 loans, were the pillars of the Administration which, through itf- lish 
 expenditure and its extravagant policy, rendered necessary the nev. axes 
 and created the floating debt for which loans had to be made. 
 
 We will now recall certain motions and certain votes to prove that the 
 Dechenes, the Turgeons, the Grladus, the Pinaalts, the Bernatchezs, the 
 Ch^neverts, the Girards, the Lemieuxs, the Lalibertt'S, the Parents, the 
 Shehyns, the Robidouxs, the Tessiers, are all responsible for that orgie of 
 expenditure, and for the burden of debt inflicted on the people by the 
 Mercier Administration. 
 
 The 29th December, 1890, Mr. Nantel, then only member for Terre- 
 bonne, moved the following amendment : 
 
 " That all the words after 'That ' to the end of the question, bo erased, 
 and that they be replaced by the following : This House is prepared to 
 vote the supplies to Her Majesty, but it regrets that in the space of less 
 than four years, the GoA'-ernraeut, the principal members of which ener- 
 getically declaim against the amount of expenses of the previous (xovern- 
 ments, has carried the ordinary expenses of administration for the term of 
 1889-90 to the sum of $3,881,672.95, say, a difference of f 849,065.t0 from 
 the ordinary expenses of administration for the terra of 1885-86 ; 
 
 "That this difference grows still larger with the sum of $206,786.15 
 paid in 1889-90 for special expenses really imputable to the revenues, and 
 which constitute, in the course of three terms alone, a toffd increase of ordinary 
 expenses of $1,055,851.85 in a budget of scarcely four millions of dollars ; 
 
 " That this increase of expenses, unparalleled in our financial history, neither 
 accords with the requirements of the public service, nor with our reguJar 
 revenue, nor with the advancement of the Province, which can scarcely i)e 
 perceived by the farming class, scattered more than ever through emigra- 
 tion to the United States, and which is at a standstill in the colonizing of 
 the public domain ; 
 
 "Tl 
 tutions, 
 budget, 
 Industrie: 
 of natio: 
 
 "Tl 
 
 of the c 
 Federal 
 that evt 
 Provini'i 
 
 Anc 
 being ca 
 
 Yea: 
 G-renier, 
 Owens, 
 
 Nay. 
 Cheneve 
 Gosselin 
 Marcotte 
 Robidou 
 Watts. 
 
 "Th 
 lative As 
 
 In V 
 approval 
 system f( 
 rendered 
 
 The 
 moved tl 
 
 Tha 
 and that 
 
 "Tl 
 with the 
 ment of 
 
 "Bi 
 
 "Cc 
 |21,448,i 
 
121 
 
 "That this increase of expenses endangers still more our political insti- 
 tutions, and threatens the credit of the Province, lohich, to equalize Us ordinary 
 budget, is obliged to have recourse to foreign loans, and to tax different important 
 industries, such as mines and the timber trade, one of the principal elements 
 of national labor and of public prosperity ; 
 
 "That this improvident policy is calculated to check the development 
 of the country, to impoverish its inhabitants already responsible for the 
 Federal debt of Canada and the municipal, school and parochial debts, and 
 that eventually this accumulation of public obligations must lead the 
 Provincial administration into most serious financial extremities." 
 
 « 
 
 And the amendment was voted on, the. House divided ; and the names 
 being called, they were as follows : 
 
 Yeas. — Messrs. Beauchamp, Bedard, Blanchet, Duplessis, England, 
 G-renier, Hall, Leblanc, Lessard, Marion, Mcintosh, Nantel, Normgind, 
 Owens, Robertson. 
 
 Nays.— Messrs. Bazinet, Beland, Bernatchez, Brunet, Cardin, Carrier, 
 Chenevert, Cote, Dechene, Desmarais, Duhamel, Fitzpatrick, Girard, 
 Gosselin, Laliberte, Lalonde, Laugelier, Lemieux, Lovell, McShane, 
 Marcotte, Mercier, Mouette, Morin. Parent, Piuault, Pouliot, Riufret, 
 Robidoux, Rocheloau, Shohyn, Ste. Marie, Tessier (Portneuf), Turgeon, 
 Watts. 
 
 "Thus the motion was decided in the negative. (Journals of the Legis- 
 lative Assembly, 1890, vol. xxv., p. 321). 
 
 In voting against this amendment the Liberal members voted their 
 approval of the unlimited increase of expenses, of the recourse to the loan 
 system for the purpose of making up the deficits, the imposition of taxes 
 rendered, before hand, inevitable. 
 
 The 23rd December, 1890, Mr. Milton McDonald, member for Bagot, 
 moved this other amendment : 
 
 That all the words after " That," to the end of the question, be erased 
 and that they be replaced by the following words : 
 
 " This House declares itself ready to favor a railway policy in accord 
 with the means of the Province, the needs of agriculture and the advance- 
 ment of colonization ; 
 
 •• But considering that the floating debt is to-day $6,762,033.86 ; 
 
 " Considering that the consolidated debt of the Province is actually 
 $21,448,666.67 ; 
 
122 
 
 " Considering that in June, 1886, the floating debt was only 
 12,256,222.38 ; 
 
 " Considering that at that time the consolidated debt was only 
 118,283,863.54; 
 
 " Considering that at that date the Prime Minister of the present Gov- 
 ernment declared, regarding certain resolutions before the House, concern- 
 ing the granting of new subsidies to assist in the construction of railways, 
 in a motion of want of confidence directed against the Grovernment of the 
 day, that which follows : 
 
 " That it is evident that in contracting new obligations which the 
 " Government wishes to impose on the Province, the latter will be forced, 
 " in the very near future, to make new loans of six to seven millions, which 
 " would carry our consolidated debt to about twenty-five millions, and 
 " would augment our interests and our annual deficits by from three to 
 t' four hundred thousand dollars." 
 
 " Considering that the party of which the honorable Prime Minister is 
 leader had endorsed that policy ; 
 
 " Considering that, since that date of the month of June, 1886, namely, 
 in the month of July, 1888, fresh resolutions, granting subsidies to certain 
 railways, amounting to over three millions and a half, were voted by this 
 House ; 
 
 " Considering that the actual floating debt is 16,762,033.86. 
 
 " Considering that the actual consolidated debt is $21,448,666.6*7, 
 which constitutes a total debt of $28,210,700. 53, without taking into 
 account the new undertakings mentioned in the Speech from the Throne. 
 
 •' Considering that, from the month of April, 1885, the honorable Prime 
 Minister, in a motion of want of confidence, moved against the Ross Gov- 
 ernment, in the Legislative Assembly, affirmed that the Province was, from 
 that time, exposed to financial disaster, which would lead it to direct tax- 
 ation or to bankruptcy ; 
 
 " This House regrets to state, that, in spite of the present serious state 
 of our finances, the Government persists in augmenting all the ordinary 
 expenses of the administration, to such a degree that we can foresee no effec- 
 tive way to put its policy into practice without having recourse to too 
 heavy taxation on certain special industries, and on the people in general" 
 
 And the amendment was put to the vote ; the House divided ; the 
 names were called, and they are as follows : 
 
 Yeas — Messrs. Beauchamp, B6dard, Blanchet, Desjardins, Duplessis, 
 England, Grenier, Hall, Johnson, McDonald, Mcintosh, Marion, Martin. 
 Nantel, Normand, Owens, Poupore, Kobertson, Spencer and Villeneuve. 
 
123 
 
 ft 
 
 Nays — Messrs. Baziuet, Belaud, Bernatchez, Bisson, Boyer, Brunet, 
 Cameron, Cardin, Carrier, Ch6nevert, Cote, Dechene, DeGrosbois, Desraarais , 
 Duhamel, Fitzpatrick, Grosselin, Laliberte, Lalonde, Langelier, Lovell, Mc- 
 Shane, Marcotte, Mercier, Monette, Parent, Pinault, Pouliot, llaiuville, 
 Rinfret, Robidoux, Rocbeleau, Rochon, Shehyn, Ste. Marie, Tessier (Port- 
 neuf), Tessier (Rimouski), Turgeou and Watts. (Journals of the Legislative 
 Assembly, for 1890, Vol. XXV., p. 24(5). 
 
 In voting against this amendment the Liberal members voted, equally, 
 their approval of the augmentation of the debt, the Increase of expenditure 
 and the final recourse to new taxation. 
 
 And it is the members who gave such votes who shout to-day against 
 a Government which has diminished the ordinarii expenses by over $S00,000 ! 
 
 We need not multiply citations, but we feel it our dutv to give another 
 sample of the manner in which these gentlemen vote. 
 
 The Liberal press and speakers make a great noise about some Con- 
 servative lawyers' fees, which they c 'isider far too high. Yet, these law 
 accounts are for professional services really rendered to the Province in 
 cases that concerned it. 
 
 But just think of the famous bill of $3,000 paid by the Mercier Govern- 
 ment to Mr. Franfois Langelier for having said nothing in an affair that 
 in no way concerned this Province. Still those Liberal members voted, in 
 1889, their approval of that account. Here is an extract, from the Journals 
 of the House, which proves this in a most positive manner : 
 
 " The House, according to order, continues the adjourned debate on 
 the amendment moved, to-day, on the question concerning, — That the 
 Speaker do now leave the chair (in order that the House may again resolve 
 itself into a Committee of Supplies), which amendment states that all the 
 words after ' That,' to the end of the question, be erased and that they be 
 replaced by the following words : 
 
 " This House is prepared to vote the Supplies to Her Majesty, but it 
 regrets that the Government has paid to Mr. Frs. Langelier, Q.C., the 
 following account, namely : 
 
 Quebec, 11th January, 1889. 
 '• The Government of .Quebec, 
 
 Dr. to Honorable F. Langelier, Q.C. 
 
 " In the matter of the crossing of the Mount Pembina branch of the 
 Pacific Railway by the Red River Valley Railway. 
 
 
124 
 
 *' 1888, Nov. 2ud. — Interview with Hon. Mr. Meroier and 
 
 discussion of the Constitutional Question $ 50.00 
 
 " Nov. 3rd. — Interview with Hon. Mr. Mercier and discus- 
 sion of the Constitutional Question 50 00 
 
 " Nov. 4th to 9th — Fees for preparing the case. Inter- 
 views with Hon. Mr. Mercier, correspondence with 
 Hon. Mr. Mowat, researches of authorities, correspon- 
 dence with Ottawa agent, etc , 2,000.00 
 
 " Nov. 19th to 25th.— Trip to Ottawa for the pleading of 
 
 the case 600.00 
 
 " Expenses of trip and outlay , 300.00 
 
 $3,000.00 
 " Approved this 12th January, 1888, to be charged to general sundries. 
 
 (Signed) HONORE MERCIER, 
 
 Prime Minister. 
 
 And 
 the name 
 
 Yeas. 
 Desjardin 
 Leblanc, 
 Picard, S] 
 
 Nays 
 David, E 
 Ooyette, '. 
 Murphy, 
 Tessier, T 
 p. 364.) 
 
 " Moreover as our Province had no interest in the matter in question, 
 and seeing that the account is exorbitant ; the documents laid before this 
 House show : 
 
 " 1st. That Mr. Langelier had to busy himself with this ^case only 
 from the 2nd November to the 25th of the same month. 
 
 " 2nd. That for this case he was only obliged to be absent from his 
 office from the 19th to the 25th of the same month. 
 
 Weh 
 of expene 
 recall a fe 
 ment of c 
 the secon 
 
 " 3rd. That he received the case fully prepared by Hon. Mr. Mowat. 
 
 " 4th. That he played the part of a dummy before the Supreme Court, 
 although that Court offered to hear him, to which ofl'er he replied that he 
 had^nothing to say. 
 
 "5th. That, apart from a little study that he may have given the 
 question, all his work consisted in writing a few letters to the Hon. Prime 
 Minister of this Province, letters in which he specially labors to review the 
 work of others. 
 
 " 6th. This House is of opinion that instead of being represented by 
 Mr. Fran9ois Langelier before the Supreme Court, in a case between the 
 Province of Manitoba and the Pacific Railway, the Grovcrnment would 
 have done better to have used for colonization and agriculture the sum of 
 $3,000 paid to Mr. Langelier for pretended professional services that were 
 of no use to the Province." 
 
 'I a 
 before th 
 Province 
 resources 
 economic 
 tain respt 
 I appeal 
 this undc 
 fear. Th 
 fear ; we 
 patriotic 
 
 "la 
 the genei 
 because c 
 
125 
 
 And the amendment being put to the vote, the House divided ; and 
 the names being called, they veere as follows : 
 
 Yeas. — Messrs. Baldwin, Beauchamp, Blanchet, Bourbonnais, Casgrain, 
 Desjardins, Duplessis, Faucher de Saint Maurice, Flynn, Hall, Lapointe, 
 Leblanc, Legris, Lynch, Martin (Bonaventure), Mcintosh, Nantel, Owens, 
 Picard, Spencer, Taillon and Tourigny. 
 
 Naps — Messrs. Basinet, Beruatchez, Bisson, Beyer, Cardiu, Champagne, 
 David, D6chene (I'lslet), DeGrrosbois, Dumais, Forest, Gagnon, Grladu, 
 Goyette, Lafontaine, Laliberte, Lareau, Lemieux, Lussier, McShane, Morin, 
 Murphy, Pilon, Rinfret, Robidoux, Rocheleau, Rochon, Shehyn, Sylvestrc, 
 Tessier, Trudel and Turcotte. (Journals of the Legislative Assembly, 1889, 
 p. 364.) 
 
 ^ 
 
 n 
 
 • 
 
 THE HARBINGERS OF TAXATION. 
 
 OplnioiM of rJWcssrs. Hfercier, iihehyn, etc. 
 
 "We have just shown how the Liberal members voted for the increase 
 of expenses and the increasi^ of the debt. It may be opportune to here 
 recall a few statements of their leaders, which were simply the announce- 
 ment of coming taxation. Here are extracts from speeches delivered during 
 the second session of 1 890 by Mr. Mercier and Mr. Shehyn. 
 
 MR. MERCIER ON TAXATION. 
 
 ' I am sure that if I were before an audience outside of this House 
 before the people, I would be understood when I say to the citizens of this 
 Province : ' We ask to impose neiv burdens upon you in order to develop your 
 resources, to allow of your transporting your produce more easily and more 
 economically to the large markets. It is true you will pay more taxes in cer- 
 tain respects, but for each cent that you give you will receive twenty-five. 
 I appeal to your patriotism, and I ask you to support the Government in 
 this undertaking.' The people would reply : ' Proceed, go ahead without 
 fear. The moment the money is spent in the public interest you need not 
 fear ; we are sufficiently intelligent to understand you, and sufficiently 
 patriotic to support you.' " (Debates of the Legislature, 64 Vic, 1890, p. 489.) 
 
 MR. SHEHYN AND TAXATION. 
 
 " I admit that it becomes more and more difficult to limit the cost of 
 the general administration, on account of the increase of the interest, and 
 because of the extension of the Public Works operations, and of others that 
 
126 
 
 correspond with the increase in the population. New demands are con- 
 stantly arising, and moreover, it is almost impossible to resist the pressure 
 brought to bear on the Government by the people who desire a generous 
 policy, and one in harmony with the requirements of the country. How- 
 ever, let it he well remembered that it is impossible, with the frtdls atone of our or- 
 dinary resources, to meet the exigencies and the needs which such a policy must 
 necessitate. The country and the House are in favor of a vigorous policy 
 tending to hasten the development of our resources, but we must not forget 
 that these things cannot be done without certain sacrifices on the part of those 
 who will profit by that policy. After that, let no one come and blame us 
 if the expenditure is not as restricted as it might be, for it happens often 
 enough that they who contribute a large share in the augmentation of the 
 expenses, are often the first, once their object is gained, to forget that which 
 they pre ached. (Debates of the Legislature, 54 Vict., 1890, p. 234.) 
 
 " We must not ha-^e any illusions, it is impossible to help large works 
 of public interest, the result of which is the assuraj e of a greater material 
 progress, without that the country be called upon to make certain sacrifices.... 
 
 " Once more, I may be allowed to say, as I have already stated under 
 many circumstances, that the public is in favor of an energetic and vigorous 
 policy, but that such a policy cannot be worked loithout entailing some 
 sacrifices on its side. Thus, in granting subsidies to railways, iu building 
 iron bridges, in subsidizing freely the educational cause, in comforting the 
 afflicted, in helping agriculture and colonization, in constructing new 
 buildings, tbj utility of which cannot be questioned, in making improve- 
 ments all c t'-er the Province, we only continue the policy sanctioned by 
 previous Legislatures and necessitated by the real needs of the country. 
 Such a policy cannot be put into practice withoixt the ways and means. 
 
 "The country must understand, as it has already, for that matter, 
 understood, that to ameliorate its condition must cost it 
 (Debates of the Legislature, 54 Vict., 1890, p. 249.) 
 
 something. 
 
 " We have increased the debt, that is beyond a doubt, but it is equally 
 well known that if we have to-day a floating debt sufficiently large, the 
 reason for it is easy to find, or in other words, its origin. The railway 
 policy plays a large part in it ; a policy looked upon by all the Province 
 as almost indispensable. Let it be well remembered that it is impossible 
 to execute such extensive works without that it costs something. If the 
 country wants railways — and it does want them — it must submit to sacrifices 
 for their c&nstruction. And the sacrifices which such a policy demands are 
 nothing compared to the advantages that must flow from it, since it should 
 contribute so powerfully to the development and the augmentation of our 
 national wealth " (Debates of the Legislature, 54 Vict., 1890, p. 509). 
 
 The 
 Charles L 
 beginning 
 
 "By 
 } jperty i 
 mitted, ac 
 
 "Ane 
 departmei 
 
 $ 83, 
 
 1263, 
 
 "By 
 property i 
 mitted, ac 
 
 " Ans 
 palities, e 
 cities of C 
 (Journals 
 
 Tbat the 
 
 We 1 
 since its i 
 ruins left 
 
 We 
 under the 
 given to 
 branch oi 
 
127 
 
 MR. LEMIEUX'S QUESTIOIT. 
 
 The following question by Mr. Lemieux, and the answer by Mr. 
 Oharles Langelier, are also very significant. It was the land tax that was 
 beginning to show its horns. 
 
 "By Mr. Lemieux — In 1880, what was the total value of the taxable 
 } jperty in the Province of Quebec, according to the evaluation roll trans- 
 mitted, according to the law to the Provincial Secretary ? 
 
 •' Answer by Hon. Mr. Langelier — According to the reports of my 
 department the following appears : 
 
 $180,197,001 for rural municipalities, save 13 municipalities that 
 
 did not send in their reports. 
 $ 83,014,995 for the cities of Quebec, Montreal and Three Rivers. 
 
 $263,211,996 total for the Province. 
 
 " By Mr. Lemieux — In 1889-90, what was the total value of the taxable 
 property in the Province of Quebec, according to the evaluation roll trans- 
 mitted, according to the law, to the Provincial Secretary ? 
 
 " Answer by Hon. Mr. Langelier — $1*72, 541,848 for the rural munici- 
 palities, except 227 municipalities that have not sent in their reports. The 
 cities of Quebec, Montreal and Three Rivers have not sent in any reports." 
 {Journals of the Legislative Assembly, 1890, vol. xxv., p. 38.) >^^ 
 
 THE CROWNING WORK. 
 
 A Beneflcent and Triiimphant Session 
 
 That the Flynn Government Held for the People of the Province. 
 
 We have studied the work done by the Conservative G-ovt^rnment 
 since its return to power in 1891, and the manner in which it repaired the 
 ruins left by the preceding Administration. 
 
 We have brought the benefits of that Conservative Administration 
 under the eyes of the people, the restoration of the finances, the impetus 
 given to agriculture, the order and honest working re-established in every 
 branch of the public service. It now remains for us to take a glance at 
 
128 
 
 what may bo called tho crowning work of the present Government. "We 
 refer to the last session of tho Legislature, which every one agrees in pro- 
 claiming to be one of the finest and most fruitful ever hold since Confe- 
 deration. 
 
 During that session Hon. Mr. Flynn developed and prepared all the 
 sections of his programme, and did so with an ability, a broad-mindedness 
 and a success which challenged tho admiration even of his adversaries. 
 
 No other session has been as beneficial to the people of 'the Province. 
 
 Wo will take a bird's-eye view of the different measures that marked 
 that session, and that will remain as luminous pages in the statutes of the 
 Province. 
 
 THE HOMESTEAD LAW. 
 
 The Thirty .Vfouths Re«4ervation ibollHhed. 
 
 Protection lor €oloni«tt(8. 
 
 One of^e best and most benefic^ nt laws, that the Government passed 
 during last session, is the law of free homesteads. 
 
 The change in favor of colonists, brought about by this law, in our 
 legislation, is simply a radical transformation of the mode of acquiring, of 
 conserving and of transmitting lands secured by the Crown. 
 
 Any person who, in future, purchases from the Crown one or two lots, 
 not exceeding 200 acres superficies, who fulfils the actual conditions of 
 settlement, and obtains a patent or property title of his lot or lots, becomes 
 proprietor of a Homestead, which, with all the objects, cattle, household 
 utensils, and working implements enumerated in the bill, will be protected 
 by the present law. 
 
 We cannot better convey an idea of that salutary law than by quoting 
 a passage from a speech delivered bv Mr. Nantel when he proposed this 
 bill. 
 
 " It is true, Mr. Speaker, that our laws protect, in a very large measure, 
 the moveables of the colonist, but scarcely is he in possession of the patent 
 for his lot, than this latter may be seized and sold for old debts, contracted 
 long before the unfortunate debtor conceived the idea of becoming a 
 colonist. 
 
 sake. 
 
129 
 
 " And what is the use of this protection for the colonists' moveables^ 
 when the land, the ground that should yield the fruits indispensable for 
 his existence, is taken from him ? 
 
 •• There is no doubt that a large number of colonists neclect to take- 
 out their patents for their lots, merely on account of the fear tney have^ of 
 being seized and sold. 
 
 sake. 
 
 " Generally, Mr. Speaker, a man does not become a colonist for pleasure 
 
 " Too often, and most often, it is dire necessity that pushes him to that 
 extremity, when crippled with debts, incapable of starting his children in 
 life, forced to quit the old native parish, he goes and hides himself in the 
 forest. 
 
 " If the lot once patented can be seized and sold by the authorities, 
 unless he is protected, what happens ? Ac(;ording to the striking language 
 of Leon Donnat : the family receives a blow to its very existence, the 
 different members of it are cast upon the street, young and old find them- 
 selves through the failure of the head, not only without means, but even 
 without shelter, the home-hearth is often destroyed forever. 
 
 " There is what takes place when the lot is patented to a colonigt^'who 
 is in debt before the land is taken possession of 
 
 • 
 
 "But when the lot is not patented, the colonist does not feel at home, 
 judgments rendered weigh heavily on him, crush him and hold him in a 
 state of perpetual unrest, the next thing to hard slavery. His courage 
 sinks, all ambition, all pride, all progressiveness, and all spirit of enter- 
 prise vanish from him. 
 
 " Under the law that I submit to the House, Mr. Speaker, it could not 
 even flash on a creditor's mind, whose claim is anterior to the occupancy 
 of the lot, to look for something that might be seized at the colonist's home ; 
 for the hunt would be useless and the cost of it would fall back on its 
 author. 
 
 " The colonist, feeling himself free from all anxiety in that regard, will 
 work with courage, energy and a confidence in the future. , 
 
 *' Knowing that evexy blow of his on the forest trees will turn to- 
 his benefit, will insure after his death the livelihood of his family and the 
 independence of his children, he becomes a new man, animated with a 
 zeal and an ardor capable of great achievements." 
 
 So good and favorable to the people was this Homestead Law, that the 
 members of the Opposition did not dare attack it. 
 
 6 
 
I'M 
 
 Never belbro did a government do as much as the present one has 
 done for the colonists. That gilt of the homestead was the crowning of 
 the work which the government commenced in 1892 by abolishing 
 
 THE THIRTY MONTHS RESERVATION. 
 
 The Mercier Government passed a law in virtue of which the colo- 
 nist, who settled on an uncleared piece of land, was deprived during thirty 
 months of all that helped him to reap the nsward of that courago which 
 led him into the forest. During thirty months, the lumber merchant could 
 go on the lot and cut the wood, and consequently take away a great deal 
 of its value. And, we know that the poor children of the Province, who, 
 instead of going off to the United States, start with their axe to settle on 
 some uncleared lot of land, require the help of the Government, and 
 certainly they have a right to draw as much profit as possible from the 
 wood that is there, as long as they are honest colonists and that they do not 
 take lots merely for the sake of the wood. What advantage was there, 
 according to the Mercier admini.stration's law, to go and take up land in 
 the forest, when the colonist was obliged to wait for thirty mouths the 
 pleasure of a lumber merchant V 
 
 When we came into power, the Hon. Commissioner of Crown Lands, 
 ■who is now Prime Minister, caused a law to be passed abolishing this 
 thirty months reservation and giving the colonist the advantao-e, when the 
 conditions of settlement were fulfilled, of using the wood that was cut 
 for the payment of his lot. This law was passed in 1892. (Statutes of 
 1892, 55-56 Victoria, chap. 18, pp. 49-50). 
 
 facts, I 
 shouV 
 
 1 
 
 presc 
 pose, 
 to as 
 ■was 
 
 delf 
 so 1 
 
 fu 
 w 
 
 u 
 
 THE CONVERSION OF THE DEBT. 
 
 Anti-Patriotic Conduct of tlie OppoHltion. 
 
 The Provincial Government's project to convert our debt is one that 
 has received the approval of every person who has at heart the welfare of 
 the Province. 
 
 At present we pay 4, 4J and even 5 per cent, of interest on our obli- 
 gations. This is due to the fact that, when we contracted those obligations,, 
 money, finding easy investment, was more scarce, and, on the other hand, 
 to the other fact that our credit, not being sufficient, left doubts in the 
 minds of capitalists as to the Province redeeming them in the form of 
 increased interest. But, since then, our credit has been re-established, 
 money is easier to find, and the rate of interest has decreased. Taking these 
 
I 
 
 '♦ 
 
 
 131 
 
 facts, should we continue to pay 4 and 6 per cent, intorcst if we can secure 
 mo'^oy at 8 and 3J per cent. ? No serious man would pretend that we 
 should. 
 
 In order to reach sutih a result it is necessary to make a trial. The 
 present Government did try. The Treasurer went to Europe for that pur- 
 pose, and after three mouths of observation and interviewing, he returned 
 to ask the House to take another step and to try to realize this plan which 
 ■was destined to reduce our annual interests by $125,000 to $150,000. 
 
 And what have we seen ? 
 
 We beheld the Opposition raovinf^ amendment after amendment, to 
 delay the passage of that law and to embarrass the Government. And why 
 so ? 
 
 Is the Opposition against a saving of $200,000 V 
 
 Why that irrational hostility ? 
 
 The Opposition pretended that it wns because the Government did not 
 furnish sulhcient details to the House. But, all those who exacted details 
 were the very men who in 1888, declared that a Government that is pre- 
 paring such a project should not make its negotiations public. 
 
 The reason and the only true reason of the Liberal party's opposition 
 to that project, was that it fully saw all the advantages the government 
 would de-.:Ve from the operation. 
 
 By diminishing the yearly interests the government would strengthen 
 still more its budget, an equilibrium of the expenses and receipts would be 
 insured and even it could count on a larger amount of resources to con- 
 tinue the development of the various industries of the Province. 
 
 It was the crowning of its redeeming and restoring work in regard to 
 the finances of the Province, 
 
 It was a fresh claim upon the confidence auj gratitude of the public. 
 That is what turned the opposition's stomach. 
 
 It understood this a little too late, when after its successive amend- 
 ments, it sought to shirk the vote by crying out, " adopted on division." 
 If this trick had succeeded, the opposition would have gone before the 
 people and have stated that it did not oppose the project in itself, but it 
 simply wanted to have it more strongly guaranteed. But the Prime 
 Minister forced a square pronouncement on the subject, and, putting their 
 party spirit above their public spirit its members voted against the very 
 project by which the government wished to save |200,000 to the Province. 
 
 ^ 
 
132 
 
 Here is that vote 
 
 The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion of Hon. Mr. 
 Atwater, that the resolutions reported by the Committee of the whole, 
 concerning the conversion of the Provincial debt, be now read a second 
 time. 
 
 The principal motion was presented and voted on, and the House 
 divided as follows : 
 
 Yeas — Messrs. ^xllard, Atwater, Aug§, Baker, Beauchamp, Bedard, 
 Bouffard, Carbray, Cartier, Chateauvert, Cholette, Chicoyne, Desjardins, 
 Poyon, England, Flynn, Girard (Lake St. John), Greig, Grenier, Hackett, 
 Lacouture, McClary, Magnan, Marion, Martiueau, Nantel, Normand, Pan- 
 neton, Parizeau, Pelletier, Petit, Eioux, Savaria, Ste. Marie, Simpson, 
 Spencer and Tetreau. — S*l. 
 
 Nays. — Messrs. Bernatchez, Bisson, Caron, Cooke, Dechene, Girard 
 (Rouville), Gladu, Gosselin, Guerin, Lalibert6, Lussier, Marchand, Morin, 
 Pinault, Shenyn, Stephens, Tessier (Portneuf), Tessier (Rimouski), and 
 Turgeon. — 19. (Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, December, 
 1896, pp. 103-103.) 
 
 The Liberal members are incapable of defending this bad vote. 
 
 Electors of the Province, remember these men and their names''; 
 remember the men who approved of all expenditure when they were in 
 power, and who voted to prevent the Government from economizing the 
 sum of $200,000 of the people's money. 
 
 THE EAILWAY SUBSIDIES CONVERSION. 
 
 Another important act of the last session, another of the progieesive 
 and wise measures of the Flynn administration, is the conversion of the 
 subsidies to railways. 
 
 Here is the purport of that measure : 
 
 Two statutes were passed, one in 1882 and the other in 1886, relating 
 to the land grants which the Province accorded to the railway companies. 
 The statute of 1882 only gave grants of land ; the statute of 188G gave the 
 companies the option of converting those grants in land into grants in 
 morey. But the land, for the purposes of the Act, was estimated at "70 
 cents, and the companies were firstly to receive only 36 cents in money, 
 according as they complete their works. The second 35 cents was only 
 payable when the lands would be sold by the Government and paid for 
 into the treasury. Now, the companies say : Where are the lands that 
 represent our second 35 cents ? Those lands were never laid out nor sur- 
 
133 
 
 veved ; therefore, we do not know where to End them. Cause the n. .es- 
 sarV surveys to be made, and give us what belongs to us ; otherwise, 
 when you voted the statute of 1882 you were not serious That law was 
 onlv an illusion. If vou were in earnest, show us our ancis. To point 
 nn those lands what was necessary ? They had to be located and sur- 
 veyed, whSmels very great exp^Lses. Would it not be better to come 
 lo an arrangement by which the Province wouk^ be^reed of a portion of 
 these liabilities? This was the question that the Governmen asked it- 
 self, and that it answered by causing, at the last session, a law to be 
 adopted by which it was authorized to mr.ke an arrangement with the 
 companies b7 which they would renounce the thirty-five cents per acre of 
 laXoTd and accept instead, at most, the half of that sum in cash. 
 
 Our opponents tried to stir up public opinion against this wise policy 
 They pretend that the Government is going to pay $1,000,000 in cash to 
 settle an obligation that does not become due for a very long time The 
 Flynn Government answers this by saying that the companies had the 
 right to have the lands, that were voted them in the House, laid ouc that 
 the surveying that the Government wou d consequently be obliged to 
 have done would cost over eight hundred thousand dollars, and that more- 
 over in keeping the lands that are to be redeemed the Government secures 
 an annixal revenue much higher than the interest on the |1,500,000 that 
 vv'ould have to be paid. 
 
 Hon Mr. Flynn's pretention is well founded. Let the Hon. Mr 
 Shehyn, the Liberal ex-Provincial Treasurer, reply. In his Budget speech 
 Mr. Shehyn stated, in referring to the land grants : 
 
 "But to deliver these lands to the acquirers of them they must be sur- 
 veved, which costs 17 cents per acre in taking the average cost ot such 
 work For 5 126.500 acres at 17 cents the acre the cost of surveying would 
 form a sum of |871,505." (Budget speech of 1887, p. 36.) 
 
 Here is the first point gained. The surveying of 5,126,500 acres would 
 cost over eight hundred thousand dollars. 
 
 And in 1897, thanks to Mr. Mercier's munificence, the Companies have 
 a riffht no^ to a five millions ot acres, but to 9,415,000 acres. According 
 ?o Mr Shehvn. the government would thus have to spenc^ on surveying 
 sLply to fulfil its obligations towards the Companies a sum equal to the 
 $1,500,000 that we are giving for the redeeming ot the lands. 
 
 In the same speech Mr. Shehyn again said : 
 
 " Bv selling these lands you still further diminish the receipts from 
 woods and forfsts. In calculating upon the data given in the report of 
 Te Commissioner of Crown Lands for 1886, you would take a revenue of 
 191 gsTaway from the treasury. Capitalized at 5 per ce^t^ hat revenue 
 Represents a principal of $1,839,099." (Budget speech of 1887, p. 36). 
 
134 
 
 Here is the second point gained. 
 
 If five millions of acres are worth 1 1,839,088, it is evident that nearly 
 ten millions of acres should be worth about $3,600,000. It is this property 
 that the Flynn Grovernment wishes to conserve for the Province by paying 
 $1,500,000 ; and in so acting it conserves to the Province an annual 
 revenue of about |175,000 — according to Mr. Shehyn. 
 
 These are the acts that the Opposition — including Mr. Shehyn — is 
 obli' d to condemn to-day simply because it can find nothing else to 
 critK ;e. 
 
 THE EDUCATION BILL. 
 
 Elementary Instruction Huconraged. 
 
 A Popular and ProKressive Measure. 
 
 i 
 
 ized 
 
 One of the first items in Hfu. Mr. Flyun's programme is the encourage- 
 ment of primary instruction, and he has determined to fulfil this part of 
 his programme as effectively as possible 
 
 The law. which he caused to be voted during the last session, after 
 having delivered a master-piece of oratory, which won him the enthusiastic 
 applause of the whole House, was greeted with joy by all the friends of 
 education in the Province of Quebec. The Premier's aim was to come to 
 the assistance of the children of the people and to place at their disposal, 
 to a greater degree than heretofore, the incalculable benefits of instruction. 
 
 At the same time, the Prime Minister wished to help the too much 
 neglected class of teachers, by granting to the most deserving of them 
 certain premiums which would at once constitute a material aid and a 
 significant honor for the winners. 
 
 To raise the standard of teaching, assist the poorer municipalities, 
 extend more and more the benefits of primary education, give a fresh 
 impetus to our school system, such has been the aim of the first minister, 
 in conceiving and enacting this law. . 
 
 It is useless to enter into any lengthy details concerning this measure. 
 It has created for primary education a dower of 1,500,000 acres of land, the 
 price of which should form a fund, which at 4 per cent, will give a sum 
 of $60,000. This capital and the revenue thereof will constitute a fund 
 for the benefit of elementary schools. 
 
136 
 
 Clause 3 of the Act speaks ""or itself: "The revenue from the said 
 fund shall bo used to develop elementary education in the poor munici- 
 palities, to help the schools which are destined to benefit the working 
 classes in cities and towns, to ameliorate the condition of elementary 
 school-teachers and model school-teachers, to supply free class books, and 
 generally to extend in a more effective manner elementary instruction 
 throughout the Province." 
 
 Until that fund is 'established, the Treasurer of the Province is author- 
 ized to take each year from the consolidated revenue fund, a sum of 
 $50,000 to be applied for the above-mentioned objects. 
 
 The Prime Minister has further declaiod that, so soon as the resources 
 of the treasury will permit, this sum of $50,000 will be raised to $100,000, 
 and even to $150,000. 
 
 As is readily seen, this is essentially a progressive measure — a measure 
 in the interest of the people of this Province — a measure that does honor 
 to the statesman who conceived it and to the Government that has set it 
 at the head of its programme. 
 
 All the leading papers of the country have applauded this splendid 
 educational policy of the Quebec Conservative Government ; even many, 
 who had unfairly criticized our institutions, were forced to pay homage to 
 such a movement. 
 
 THE ELECTION LAW. 
 
 War Against Corruption. 
 
 PnriAcation of Suffrage. 
 
 The election law which was passed at the last session was a startling 
 revendication of the worth of our suffrage, for unhappily, in the large cities 
 like Montreal, Three Rivers and Quebec, the electoral lists were most 
 outrageously made, so much so that we might call them a menace against 
 the liberty of the citizen. 
 
 A vast number of unqualified persons were on the lists, and a multi- 
 tude of real electors were not on them. The Government resolved to 
 remedy such a scandalous state of affairs, and the honorable Attorney- 
 General, Mr. Pelletier, by a bill that he caused to be passed, permitted 
 
136 
 
 those large and important electoral districts to have lists by means of which 
 a frank and loyal expression of the sentiments of the electorate may be 
 flecured. 
 
 This law was the compliment of the one which the former Attorney- 
 General, Mr. Casgrain, had passed last year, and which is a regular declara- 
 tion of war against corruption and fraud in all their forms. 
 
 Never before in this country has a Legislature passed a law as severe 
 upon corruption as is this one. 
 
 If laws can do anything to uproot this cancer which consumes the 
 strength of constitutionally governed countries, surely the election law of 
 .the Province of Quebec should destroy it forever. 
 
 In any case, the Conservative Grovernment has given evidence of its 
 -desire to have political honesty sway the elections when it passed such a 
 severe and unbending piece of legislation, and these two measures, the one 
 of last year and the one of this year, constitute one of the best claims the 
 G-overnment has upon the confidence of all honest-minded citizens of this 
 Province. 
 
 1 
 foreg 
 fortl 
 ofth 
 
 of tl 
 disg 
 
 yea) 
 
 THE DEPARTMENTAL REORGANIZATION LAW. 
 
 The law providing for the reorganization of the public departments 
 has also been a proof of the progressive spirit which animates the Conser- 
 ^yative Government. 
 
 A special department for Colonization and Mines has been created by 
 taking from the Departments of Agriculture and Crown Lands, both of 
 which were overweighed with business, certain important branches, and 
 by abolishing the portfolio of " President of the Council." 
 
 Thus the number of Ministers has not been increased, and the interest 
 which the Government has taken in colonization — a branch that every 
 patriotic citizen should wish to see encouraged — is most strikingly demon- 
 strated. 
 
 This is another evidence of the solicitude of the Conservative Govern- 
 ment in regard to the farming community. 
 
 We would never end were we to enumerate all the important meas- 
 ures that mark the course of last session. The abolition of the tax on 
 transfers of property, the adoption of the Code of Civil Procedure — a most 
 practical and popular work, which will render much less expensive the 
 administration of justice for those who are obliged to have recourse to the 
 •courts — and several other important laws, to which we have referred 
 already, constitute, in all, a mass of legislation which alone should suffice 
 to cause every class in the Province to bless the Conservative Government 
 
 th 
 ai 
 in 
 
 o 
 
137 
 
 
 iN iPPBAL TO THE ELECTOEATE. 
 
 for that people *« no^ s ^^ ^^^g. 
 
 of the Province during nve y ^^^ ^ 
 
 of tto Province ^"J^Vfrom 1887 to 1891 ; . 
 
 disg. a<=ed and robbed us ^^ ,1,500,000 m ftv 
 
 VMch iucreased the oxdmary expenses y 
 
 ^'"''' .. floating debt of over .13,000,000 ■, 
 
 VMch created a floatrng „,„oO,000-, 
 
 Which increased the oonsolrdated debt by 
 
 , c i „t «! 45S,O0O.OO ; 
 ■Which left us a deficit ot 81,* ^^^.^^ to 
 
 • ^ tv,e credit ot the Province that it « a ^^ ^^^ 
 
 tdC condS ?hat are equivalent Oi 
 
 interest; money in a most>candaloUB manner ; 
 
 Which squandered the public men -^ ^^^^^ ^^^ petratiou 
 
 Which allowed, -^Mni^nH^^^^^^^^^ lamples of boodling . 
 
 of these formidable robberies 
 
 0ftheBaiedes0haleurs«OO,OOO; 
 
 Of the Unguis stationery ««0,000; 
 
 Of the Sylviculteur 835,000; 
 
 Of the Montreal and Ottawa n4,»eO; 
 
 Of the Temiscouata Railway »80.000; 
 
 OttheLockwood»5,000; 
 
 Of the Hereford Railway 830,000; 
 

 138 
 
 Which gave the country the spectacle of a toll-jjatc almost in open 
 and public operation, forcing tribute from all who sought to obtain con- 
 tracts, favors, positions, the payment of claims, etc. ; 
 
 Tu a word, which drove the Province to the brink of bankruptcy, and 
 which made Quebec an object of shame in the eyes of the Dominion. 
 
 If so, you have only to vote for Mr. Marchand and his candidates, 
 many of whom, like the Dechenes, the Carriers, the Robidouxs, the 
 Pinaults, the Bernatchezs, the ChSneverts, the Tessiers, the Morius, the 
 Lemieuxs, and so on, were the accomplices and the criminal abettors ^in 
 that orgie of squanderings, scandals, and spoliations. 
 
 BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, if you desire to have your affairs 
 still administered by a government like the one which has repaired the 
 ruins that the " clique " government spread on all sides ; 
 
 "Which has diminished the controlable expense by $816,000 ; 
 
 Which has increased the revenues, independently of the new taxes, 
 by $420, 417.03 ; 
 
 Which has turned a deficit of $1,458,000 into a surplus of $280,- 
 
 ooo 
 
 Which reduced the debt of the Province by $2,000,090 ; 
 
 Which has paid off the floating debt of $13,000,000 left to us by 
 Mr. Mercier, without going beyond the power to borrow ten millions, as 
 decreed in his law ; 
 
 Which has given a heretofore unknown impetus to our agricultural 
 interests, through the agricultural circles, the founding of the dairy 
 schools, the lectures on farming, the premiums for the exportation of fresh 
 butter, and through the wonderful circulation of the Journal of Agriculture ; 
 
 Which has re-established the credib of the Province to such a degree 
 that we can obtain for our bonds a premium of 5 per cent, that is to say, 
 to receive $105 for every $100 bond given by us, a thing that has never 
 taken place before, not since Canada has been discovered ; 
 
 Which has governed so honestly that not a serious or reasonable 
 accusation has ever been brought against any of its members ; 
 
 \ 
 
 f 
 

 189 
 
 Which reserved the place of honor in its pftgramme for the encour- 
 agement of instruction amongst the children of the people ; 
 
 "Which has protected and encouraged, through its wise and progres- 
 sive laws, the farmer and the settler; 
 
 In thai case, vote for the return to power of Honorable Mr. Flynn, a 
 statesman whose prestige is to-day unrivalled in Canada, and whose col- 
 leagues labor with all their energies and talents to assist him in the execu- 
 tion of his patriotic plans and the carrying out of his progressive policy. 
 
 Electors of the Province of Quebec ! reflect upon the responsibility that 
 rests with you ; remember that your most sacred interests, your property, 
 your prosperity, your happiness are all at stake ! 
 
 Vote, under the eye of Heaven, for economy, good order, honesty and 
 progress, against administrative blundering, extravagance, boodling, shame 
 and national ruin ! 
 
\ 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 THE PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS OF 1897. 
 
 f 
 
 V 
 
 Pages 
 
 A RedeeminfT Policy 1 
 
 Finances of the Province 4 
 
 Deficits and surpluses 4 
 
 Expenses of Liberal administration 6 
 
 Expenses of Conservative administration ,« 5 
 
 Expenses of the two ftdministrations Y 
 
 A few Conservative Government economies 9 
 
 Sessional expenses of the Legislative Assembly 9 
 
 Legislative Council 11 
 
 Maintenance of the Legislative Council 12 
 
 Civil Services 18 
 
 Administration of Justice 14 
 
 Crown Lands Department 15 
 
 Mr. Marchand and Economy 17 
 
 An Opposition subterfuge 21 
 
 Taxes 26 
 
 Mr. Fitzpatrick and the taxes 31 
 
 The Taxes were removed 82 
 
 Tlie Loans — Why they exist — Of what use they have been 82 
 
 Sums paid out with the products of the loans 38 
 
 The Liberals increased the net debt by $13,000,000. The Con- 
 servatives decreased the net debt by $2,000,000 44 
 
 The Conservative Government's Agricultural Policy 47 
 
 The Agricultural Circles 47 
 
 The Journal of Agriculture 51 
 
 The Circles, the " Journal " and the Agricultural Lecture .... 66 
 
 The Dairy School 66 
 
 Premium for the making of Butter in Winter 67 
 
 Dairy Competitions 58 
 
 Premium for Butter Exportation 69 
 
•V 
 
 142 
 
 ( 
 
 Ij 
 
 Pages. 
 
 Etoqvent Figiires 69 
 
 Tlie Tivo Administrations and their Agricultural Record 61 
 
 Colonization encouraged by the Conservatives 64 
 
 Liberal Accusations 6*7 
 
 Tlie Vullih-e Contract 68 
 
 The Char/ebois Affair 72 
 
 The Beauport Transaction 76 
 
 The French Loan Question 81 
 
 7he Montreal Court House 86 
 
 The Ouimet — de la Bruhre — Chapais Affair 92 
 
 The Haras National 98 
 
 No Evidence — No Investigations 94 
 
 Superannuations 95 
 
 Scandals of the Liberal Administration 96 
 
 The Baie des Chaleurs Scandals 97 
 
 The Si/lvicullenr Scandal 99 
 
 Tlie Montreal and Ottawa. $14,900 Scandal 100 
 
 The $60,000 Lnnglais Stationery Scandal 103 
 
 Tlie Whelan Scandal 109 
 
 The Toll Gate 119 
 
 How the Liberals voted when they were in power 120 
 
 The Harbingers of Taxation 125 
 
 Opinions of Messrs. Mercier, Shehyn, etc 125 
 
 Mr. Mercier on taxation 126 
 
 Mr. Shehyn on taxation 126 
 
 Mr. Lemieux's Question 127 
 
 The Crowning Work 127 
 
 The Homestead Law 128 
 
 The thirty months Reservation 130 
 
 The Conversion of the Debt 130 
 
 The Railway Subsidies Conversion 132 
 
 The Education Bill 134 
 
 The Election Law 135 
 
 The Departmental Reorganization Law 136 
 
 An Appeal to the Electorate 137 
 
 ll 
 I 
 
 wmsm 
 
i\ 
 
 % 
 
 f 
 
 t^^B 
 
61 
 
 ..36,147 
 .. 16,447 
 
 .. 19,700 
 
 8,916 70 
 
 12,019 GQ 
 
 15,997 04 
 
 48,339 
 ... 16,447 
 
 .... ol,o9i^ 
 
 67,220 32 
 22,919 66 
 
 44,300 66 
 
 52,775 
 
 16,447 
 
 36,328 
 
 73,842 90 
 22,919 66 
 
 50,923 24 
 
 .ECLERC. 
 
 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 The Journal of Ap^rfcuKure has miido a wonder I'ul advance und<*r the 
 I Conservative adminiNtration. I'^rorn 7,510 .subscribers, in 1892, it had 
 reached, in 1896, the high number ol' ♦5a,0«0. 
 
 Blindness alone can deny proc^rees in that direction. lu our day, in 
 a<,n-iculture as in every other sphere! of social activity, men must educate 
 themselves, must read, must keep abreast of the times and be conversant 
 with new systems and new methods ol" work. Progress is the cry of the 
 : present. -^^: ij^. r^'-,^^ wf 
 
 Yet, amonf^st our adversaries, there are to he found men, sutliciently 
 blinded by the dust of partyism, to deny the beneiits conferred by the 
 i Journal of Agricullure. Here is what one of these opposition chatterers said, 
 last autumn, in the county of Champlaiu;. ., ,. . .. .;, ......;. 
 
 "The Honorable Commissioner of Agriculture, in his rt^marks at 
 .Nioolet, spoke of the Journal of Agriculture. He stated that this paper, 
 which, in 1892, had not more than 7,000 subscribers, boasted to-day over 
 oJ.OOO. But he forg'et to state that in 1892 it was optional to subscribe to 
 t he Journnl of Agrkullure, that the farmers were free to receive whatever 
 l>:iper they pleased; but that since 1892, this papier is forced on all the 
 riK'mbers of agricultural circles, and on every hundred dollars voted by the 
 gorernment for the agricultural circles, *i0 cents were retained to pay the 
 subscription to Messrs. Senecal & Co., the publishers of the Minerve, the 
 liiends of the government. He forgot to say that we have paid a sum of 
 $18,341.30, during the year ending the 30th .Tune, 1895, to Messrs. Senecal 
 «.V Co., for the printing of the Journal of Agriculture. What does this Journal 
 [Of Agriculture contain'? ..j, . 
 
 
 i'hi 'k'>Y\:- 
 
 " It is filled with articles taken from foreign treatises on agriculture, 
 [from foreign reviews, which are more or less applicable to farming in this 
 [climate of ours. I do not propose discussing any further the worth of this 
 IVrovince's Journal of Afiriculture.'' i ,. , ... ., 
 
 ons tripled ! the 
 lind partisan tf 
 our industries 
 idministratiou 
 
 This is entirely a tissue of falsehood?, and presents the finest tangle of 
 
 Srrors imaginable 
 
 ^i 
 
 '.V»^:< 
 
 In the first place, as regards the subscription to the Journal of Agricul- 
 ture, the above speech contains a well-constructed falsehood. Mr. Dechene, 
 I for he is the gentleman in question, found this out later on, and attempted, 
 |in a most pitiful way, to rectify his mistake. He sent the following note 
 t to the Electeur : ;; >y,;>.-; ..-..,,;>,.. 
 
Iti'^i, 
 
 18th October, 1896. 
 
 " In my speech published yesterday, under the sub-heading Journal of 
 Agriculture, yo^x make me say that for each hundred dollars the government 
 retains 70 cents, ior the Journal of Agriculture, It is 70 cents per dollar that 
 should be staied.'-^':if0^x"W''^r'^ 
 • #:-i ^ ti} 0^,f^S&:iXo\irs ^r\x\y^^0^''/k-::': F. M. Dechene." 
 
 Mr. Dechene would "fiave done better to have remained quiet, for, in 
 correcting, he only increased the falsehood of his statements. 
 
 In the above-cited passage, he agrees that the paper's circulation is 
 52,000. If the subscription were 70 cents, as he claims, the government 
 would have to pay the publishers over $3i3,000.00 ; yet Mr. Dechene admits 
 that they only received $13,341.30, for the year ending 30th June, 1895. ^^^^ 
 
 Mr. Dechene should spend a few more years in an elementary school, 
 where arithmetic is taught. When he shall have obtained that necessary •, 
 
 instruction, and have learned the A-alue of truth, he may undertake to ^ 
 deliver speeches, with some hope of producing an effect on the public. 
 
 With regard to the Journal of Agriculture, as in every other part of its 
 administration, the government has followed a policy beneficial to the 
 Province. 
 
 J r 
 
 r,s!!- 
 
 :^^f.:jn. . 
 
 :.'I2MB1 
 
 Under the Mercier administration the Agriculture Department paid to 
 Messrs. Senecal & Co. an allowance of $1,800.00, and the farmer, who 
 received the publication, paid 30 cents subscription, apart from his regular 
 subscription to the agricultural association of which he was a member. 
 Since 1893, under the present administration, the $1,800.00 allowance was 
 cancelled, the size of the paper was doubled, while the subscription 
 remained at 30 cents, and not 70 cents, as Mr. Dechene pretends. That 
 subscription is paid by the Government from the grants voted for agricul- 
 ture and agricultural circles, so that, to receive the paper, the farmer pays 
 only one dollar as his subscription to the circle, or association, instead of 
 $1.30, as formerly, when he was given a much less important publication. 
 The condition of the Province and that of the farming population have 
 been ameliorated in a marked degree ; yet this is the state of things that 
 Mr. Dechene criticizes! "^W ■ 
 
 " The Journal of Agriculture is no good," says the worthy representative 
 of L' Islet. On this point we can fairly crush him with an avalanche of 
 authorities and testimonials. ^ *" ,. ,y 
 
 Amongst others, we will take, firstly, the report of the Maria Agricul- 
 tural Circle, in the county of Eonaventure : 
 
 " Having need of a variety of oats, for green fodder, that can produce 
 a strong straw, capable of holding the grain and shell from falling, we *^ 
 
■, 1896. 
 
 g Journal of 
 
 government 
 
 dollar that 
 
 HeNE." 
 uiet, for, in 
 
 rculation is 
 g'overnment 
 bene admits 
 ne, 1895. 
 
 itary school, 
 xt necessary 
 ndertake to 
 public..., 
 
 ■ part of its 
 icial to the 
 
 [nent paid to 
 farmer, who 
 1 his regular 
 
 a member, 
 lowance was 
 subscription 
 ;ends. That 
 
 for agricul- 
 farmer pays 
 n, instead of 
 publication, 
 ilation have 
 
 things that 
 
 jpresentative 
 avalanche ol 
 
 aria Acfiicul- 
 
 can produce 
 I falling, we 
 
 53 
 
 ■■feUlight that called the ' Banner.' The result was satisfactory, the green 
 ifbdder surpassed in a great degree that of the previous year. 
 
 ' Thanks to the land-clearing 'bees' organized by the Circle, a con- 
 sideiitble extent of ground, heretofore considered to be useless for cultivation, 
 now produces good crops. 
 
 |B " Before the formation of this Circle, turnips and Siam cabbage were 
 «Pry cultivated, for table-purposes, in a corner of the garden ; this year 
 (Jrtl95) at least two thousand bushels were gathered iu this municipality. 
 
 " Over 60 sheds and a number of pits were constructed to preserve the 
 manure. 
 
 " Old methods have nearly disappeared, we put into practice the 
 teachings of the Journal, of Agriculture and of the lecturers. 
 
 : " I deemed it well to give you an idea of the progress made in the 
 parish since the establishment of the Circle. 
 
 " (Signed) ANDRE LOUBERT, 
 
 " Secretary of the Maria Agricultural Circle.'' 
 
 Let us take the report of the Caupsapscal Agricultural Circle : 
 
 " There is certainly progress here, which we owe to the reading of the 
 Journal of Agriculture and to the lecturers. Every one speaks of improve- 
 ments and forward movements." 
 
 In the report of the St. Philemon Circle it is said : 
 
 " We feel able to say that there is a general progress, which progress 
 is attributed to the establishment of a dairy and to the reading of th'.- 
 JourwU of Agriculture, which the circle encourages." 
 
 Let us now take the report of the Boucherville Circle : 
 
 " This year, there has been considerable improvement in the produc- 
 tion of green fodder, as summer feed for cattle ; every one raised it, and every 
 OJfee was satisfied. Hence the remark of Hon. Mr. de Boucherville : 'Even 
 had the Journal of Agriculture, which is circulated by this energetic circle, 
 obtained no other result, this alone would be a grand step in the direction 
 of progress.' " 
 
 The Lake Weedon Agricultural Circle's report states as follows : 
 
 " For some years back we have noticed with pleasure, that, encour- 
 aged by good results, the farmers cultivate a great deal of green fodder. 
 
54 
 
 and quite a number have taken to weeding. "We Iiope that soon, even t 
 most hardened in the old- fashioned ways, will accept the evidences of t!; 
 progress made by the members of the circle, and will follow their exami 
 
 '• Our c. ole is destined to do immense good amongst the farmers, ai 
 the Journal of Agriculture contributes not a little to this 
 revival." 
 
 agricultur 
 
 There would be no end to the citations if we were to continue. 
 
 It seems to us that the farmers, who are members of the agricultur 
 circles, are better judges in the matter than can be the young member! 
 L' Islet, whose agricultural capabilities are rather doubtful. 
 
 Here is another piece of evidence. Rev. Father Gerard, a Trappi- 
 and agriculturist of highest scientific qualifications, made the followii 
 statement in the masterly address on farming, which he read at the 01: 
 convention, last August : 
 
 " Among the reviews, we cannot too highly recommend to the farm 
 the Journal of Agriculture of this Province. According to our view, it is n 
 of the most complete, best informed, and most instructive publications of its kind 
 the whole ivorld. Even an able agriculturist will be pleased with tl 
 reading of it and will find something new to learn from its pages. "VVii 
 stronger reason must that reading be useful and profitable to the ordiua: 
 farmer. It is thus he will develop his theoretic instruction, little by lilt 
 and without fatigue, and that he will keep up to the level of his duty." 
 
 Between the opinion of Father ^ /ard, who is deenly read in agricu 
 tural science, and that of Mr. Grilbert Dechene, a choi e is not difficult : 
 make. 
 
 Now for a few foreign testimonials. They are very numerous. 
 
 Mr. E. Castel, Secretary of the Dairy Association of St. Hyacinthe, sn 
 to the Journal last year, the follow iug extract from a letter written by 'M 
 E. Rigaux, agricultural professor at Mende, Lozere, France : 
 
 " I still receive the Journal of Agriculture and find it very interestiii. 
 The issue of the 15th June, page 365, etc 
 
 " At the end of this same number, there is an index of contents for ;. 
 the issues since the 1st January, 1894 ; it is a regular encyclopaedia ; li 
 18 numbers combined would form a magnificent and interesting voluni 
 As I only have the collection from number 5, I would be much obliged 
 you, if you could possibly secure me the missing numbers, that is from 
 to 4 inclusive. 
 
 " Mende, 15 July, 1895." 
 
 "E. RiaAUX. 
 
 «5; 
 
soon, even t! 
 ridences of t! 
 their examp! 
 
 le farmers, at 
 is agricultur 
 
 ontiuue. 
 
 ho agricultur 
 mg member t 
 
 ird, a Trap pi - 
 the followii 
 •ead at the 0^ 
 
 id to the farm| 
 XY view, it is oii 
 ons of its kindm 
 eased with tli 
 ts pages. "Will 
 to the ordiuarl 
 n, little by litt' 
 of his duty." 
 
 55 
 
 Here is an extract from a letter written by Mr. Emile Keller, former 
 deputy for Belfort, in the French Assembly : 
 
 " I thank you in advance for the agricultural documents that you are 
 .TBen(lin<.;. I have already received here the Journal of Agriculture, which I 
 fiud admirably made." 
 
 Take the following letter ; it speaks for itself : 
 
 " Sir, — I beg to subscribe for one year to your excellent Journal of Agri- 
 culture ; I would like to try and popularize its views in Brittany. 
 
 " 1 will pay you as best suits your convenience, by order or bond. 
 " Please accept. Sir, 
 
 " The expression of respectful homage, 
 
 " La Gruerche de Bretagne, 
 " Ille de Vilaine." 
 
 " ABBE FELIX TROCHU, Vicar. 
 
 read in agricu! 
 not diflicult 
 
 iimerous. 
 
 Hyacinthe, seE 
 : written by MJ 
 
 m 
 
 Enough of citations ! Our readers should be sufficiently convinced that 
 [r. Decliene's criticism cuts a sorry figure in presence of such testimony 
 the foregoing. 
 
 The Conservative Government, and, in particular, Hon. Mr. Beaubien, 
 Ihould feel proud of the success that accompanies the Journal of Agriculture, 
 ^pf the good it is doing and of the wonderful spread in its circulation. 
 
 In 1892 it had 7,516 subscribers. In 1896 it had 52,000 ! Fifty-two 
 thousand subscribers who await, with expectancy, the regular visit of this 
 agricultural professor, and who derive untold benefit from its presence in 
 their homes. 
 
 What a splendid result ! And how narrow the mind that cannot ad- 
 lire it or rejoice in its existence ! 
 
 irery interestid 
 
 THE CIRCLES, THE " JOURNAL," AND THE AG-RICULTURAL 
 
 LECTURES. 
 
 ■ contents for ii|B We could not produce better evidence of the importance of the agri- 
 lyclopffidia ; tl^Hcultural circles, agricultural lectures, and the Journal of Agriculture, than in 
 ?resting vQlunif^tho words of Rev. Mr. Marquis, agricultural missionary, addressed to Hon. 
 nuch obliged f^Mr. Beaubien, and which are to be found on page 315 of the Commissioner 
 s, that is from T^of Agriculture's report for 1896 : 
 
 RIGtAUX ^ " ^^ ^y humble '^ pinion nothing has more aided our agricultural ad- 
 
 •ivancement than the creation of agricultural circles and the spreading of 
 
 lagricultural knowledge by means of lectures and through the Journal of 
 
56 
 
 Agriculture. The circles jj^ave birth to a corporative spirit heretofore unknown 
 amongst the farmers. The agricultural meetings have taught our farmer; 
 to come together, to unite their forces, and to seek out the new highways 
 to success in their various iiudertakings. The study of the Journal knockec 
 out many old prejudices which obstructed improvement, and we havt 
 reason to hope that a better knowledge of the art of farming will even 
 tually wipe out the old-fashioned methods. 
 
 " Several priests and missionaries, at different times, have told me how 
 much they regretted being unable to establish agricultural circles in theii 
 respective parishes. The great diihculty, for the latter, was to conform to 
 the dispositions of the law governing these circles, and, for the former, to 
 stir up the apathy that existed amongst the farmers of their parishes. 
 
 " The Assistant Commissioner of your department, having given me a 
 few hundred sample copies of the Journal oj Agriculture, I applied to th( 
 priests, in whose parishes no circles existed, to have thsse papers distri- 
 biited, as specimens and as an encouragement, by some of the more intel- 
 ligent of their parishioners. My hopes were not vain ; this step broughi 
 me the congratulations of several parish priests and missionaries, who, at 
 the request of their parishioners, asked me to help them in forming agri- 
 cultural circles, many of which are now in full activity." 
 
 These words are too eloquent to require comment. 
 
 The 
 nurs 
 
 leav» 
 
 that 
 
 THE DAIRY SCHOOL. 
 
 ferre 
 thin] 
 tang 
 form 
 agric 
 gove 
 polic 
 
 To give life to our dairy industry, the only one that in the past seemed 
 to, and in the present and for the future, secures to us our principal source 
 of revenue, and our prosperity, to infuse new life into that industry, we 
 required good butter and cheese makers, as well as well-established butter 
 and cheese factories. The government applied to the Dairy Association, 
 and was answered that it had not enough of inspectors for the needs of the 
 country, and that there were not, even, enough of butter and cheese makers ; 
 that we were obliged to import from abroad. 
 
 The government at once agreed with the Association's idea and 
 founded .the St. Hyaciuthe School, by causing to be voted in the Legisla- 
 ture a sura of $10,000 for that purpose (see Statutes of 1893, p. 24). Witness 
 the success of this attempt. In the first year (1892-93) that school had 214 
 pupils. 
 
 In 1893-94 it had 268. 
 
 In 1894-95 it had 312 ; and last year about 300 ; in all, for the four milk 
 years, 1094 students. and 
 
 men 
 
 Here we must recognize, and we do so with pleasure, the services oF the : 
 the specialists who helped in placing that school upon an excellent footing. 
 
 the I 
 Hon 
 
 dair 
 
 faauj 
 
 the 
 
 somt 
 
 my ( 
 
 impi 
 
 amo 
 
57 
 
 fore unknown 
 it our farmer; 
 .ew highways 
 urnal knockoc 
 and we haw 
 will eviiii 
 
 Ug 
 
 told me how 
 ircles in their 
 to conform to 
 the former, to 
 )arishes. 
 
 ig given me a 
 applied to the 
 papers distri- 
 le more intel- 
 step brought 
 laries, who, at 
 forming agri- 
 
 He government intends to leave no stone unturned in maintaining that 
 rsery of butter and cheese makers in a degree of perfection that will 
 re no room for us to envy the neighboring provinces. 
 
 ;M The government has, so far, devoted the following sums to the use of 
 toiit school : 
 
 Aid for the building of the school (Public Accounts, 
 
 1893, p. 157) 14,031 00 
 
 Allowance for construction (Public Accounts, 1894, 
 
 p. 155) 2,000 00 
 
 Aid for the building (Public Accounts, 1895, p. 148).. 2,000 00 
 Supplementary allowance for the Dairy School of 
 
 St. Hyacinthe (Public Accounts, 1S96, p. 173)... 1,318 00 
 
 Allowance for enlargement of School {Ibid) 2,900 00 
 
 Regular allowance (Public Accounts, 1896, p. 174)... 2,000 00 
 
 
 iii;U,241 00 
 
 The creation of this school has been one of the greatest benefits con- 
 ftHired on the farming class by the Couserrative government. "When we 
 thilik that, during the last four years, it received 1,094 farmers' sous, and 
 taught them the numberless methods of butter and cheese making, we can 
 foi^ an idea of how such remarkable progress has been made in the great 
 a^cultural industry of our Province. All honor to the Conservative 
 government ; and all honor to Hon. Louis Beaubien, for their patriotic 
 policy ! 
 
 e past seemed 
 incipal source 
 industry, we 
 )lished butter 
 y Association, 
 e needs of the 
 leese makers ; 
 
 ii's idea and 
 
 I the Legisla- 
 
 24). Witness 
 
 chool had 214 
 
 PREMIUM FOR THE MAKINa OF BUTTER IN WINTER. 
 
 In 1892 the Conservative government decided to grant a premium for 
 ila,f fabrication of butter in winter time. We read in report issued by the 
 Bttaorable Commissioner of Agriculture for 1892 ; 
 
 '■ I thought that I should, from the amounts voted last session for the 
 dairy industry, inaugurate a special system of premiums to induce our 
 fad^mers to increase the milk production in winter time and to thus prolong 
 tli^ butter-making season. This new policy became known to the public 
 sdinewhat late last fall ; despite everything, however, the reports sent to 
 my department show that the farmers greatly appreciate that important 
 improvement At the present moment reports are still coming in. The 
 amount paid up to date is |946 67. 
 
 " Here is the form of the premium , 5 cents per hundred pounds of 
 , for the four milk delivered in November, 10 cents in December, and 15 cents in January 
 and February, to be divided between the proprietors of dairy establish- 
 ments and the furnishers of the milk, in the proportion of 80 per cent to 
 le services of the latter and 20 per cent, to the former, 
 client footing. 
 
58 
 
 " In view of the satisfactory results this year, I purpose continuinc 
 this system for three years to come." ♦ V ^ 
 
 Here are the amounts of the premiums granted by the Q-overnment the r 
 
 titioi 
 
 Ie. 1892-93 (Pub. Accts., p. 15*7) $2,527 agem 
 
 In 1893-94 (Pub. Accts., p. 158) 4,924 those 
 
 In 1894-95 (Pub. Accts., p. 146) 9,205 titioi 
 
 The results obtained are most satisfactory. Hon. Mr. Beaubien, afto: ^ ^ 
 three years of this protective policy, could well say, in his Nicolet speech petiti 
 of the 4th October, 1896 : Prod' 
 
 " During three years the G-overnment has granted a premium for th 
 making of butter in winter time. In that space of time the production n 
 butter tripled. You remember, a fact well knr>wn in this town, that th 
 Messrs. Houle declared that, despite the great distance, they had double, 
 the product of their herds by bringing the milk to the butter manufactor and t 
 all winter. years 
 
 of ch 
 " In 1893, the first year of the premium, there was geied 
 
 made winter butter to the value of $ 31,537 00 Also, 
 
 In 1894 to the value of 60,094 00 this ^ 
 
 In 1895 to the value of 118,013 54 quen 
 
 prem 
 
 " The industry was established and could be left to itself, we have als man\ 
 
 directed our eflbrts to assist the new industry." buttt 
 
 conc( 
 There is certainly one of the Conservative Government's best claims o; with 
 the gratitude ol the farming class. best 
 
 is no 
 alont 
 
 DAIRY COMPETITIONS. tics ( 
 
 Engl 
 
 ber 
 
 To encourage the butter-makers, the department has instituted coin ' 
 
 petitions, and they are carried on after the following system : ^ithoii • 
 previous notification the butter or cheese-makers receive a message froL_^.j 
 the department asking for a cheese or a firkin of butter, to be sent the ii^^^ j^s-, 
 day, or the day after, to a certain address in a certain town. This cheos 
 or firkin is purchased by the department. Specialists examine iL^j, 
 Medals, diplomas, or prizes in money are accorded to those who secure tL^^i 
 greatest number of points ; inferior articles receiving no prize. To thoi 
 who make defective articles, instruc^tions, advice, and even censures ar 
 given, but they alone know of these remarks. The successful ones, whi: 
 the others are making good resolutions for the future, have the prize li- 
 published, and scatter abroad the information concerning their products 
 We may, therefore, say, that these competitions, which can in no wa^W, 
 injure any one, not even the manufacturer of a poor article, for they stimv - 
 late him to greater exertion in the future, are calculated to raise tli. 
 
continuinn 
 
 rovernment 
 
 .$2,527 
 . 4,924 
 . 9,205 
 
 I 59 
 
 /■ ■; 
 staiidard of our butter and cheese. This is one of the rpsults of the trip 
 taken to Europe by Messrs. Gigault and Leclerc, and on which Mr. Hague, 
 thi manager of the Merchants Bank, has congratulated us. These compe- 
 tillons were only inaugurated this year, but it is easy to see what encour- 
 atfijmcnt they afford the makers of good butter and cheese, particularly 
 taOBe who are anxious to learn and advance. The judges in these compe- 
 titions are selected from amongst the leading exporters of dairy produce. 
 
 'aubien, &h&-M Last year the Conservative Grovernment devoted $2,500 to these com- 
 icolet speech lotions, in order to create an emulation amongst the dealers in such 
 piiWucts, (Public Accounts for 1896, page 175.) 
 
 raiura for tli- 
 production o: 
 town, that th-| 
 had double: 
 raanufactor 
 
 PREMIUM FOR BUTTER EXPORTATION. 
 
 31,537 00 
 
 60,094 00 
 
 118,013 54 
 
 The small amount of capital needed for the building of cheese factories, 
 
 0^ the high prices which that commodity commanded in the market a few 
 
 y<i|rs ago, induced a great many farmers and others to go into the business 
 
 of chrese exportation. The extravagant output of cheese necessarily endan- 
 
 lejed the trade, by reduction in prices and the over-stocking of the market. 
 
 , ever since 1892, the Department of Agriculture feared the danger that 
 
 tWSl ever increasing production of cheese would entail, and sought, conse- 
 
 qipntly, to draw more attention to the making of butter, by granting special 
 
 piiputtiams. This wise movement had for etfect the establishment ot a great 
 
 f, we have als niOliy butter factories, and even the changing of some cheese factories into 
 
 bt^ter-making establishments. In 1895, the Provincial Grovernment, in 
 
 O0»cert with the Ottawa Grovernment, inaugurated a totally new policy 
 
 8 best claims oiVfjifh the aim of secmring the exportation of our butter to England in the 
 
 ,biH|t; possible condition. The results met the expectations, and our butter 
 
 is liow most highly appreciated on the English market, while, in Montreal 
 
 alone, the exportation has doubled in two years. According to the statis- 
 
 of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, 145,512 firkins were sent to 
 
 fland from the opening of navigation, last year, to the month of Novem- 
 
 while the year previous only 64,861 firkins were exported. In cheese 
 
 §markable improvement has also been recorded ; 1,561,396 boxes in 1896, 
 
 lust 1,426,193 boxes in 1895. We have now over 400 butter factories, 
 
 , "iiH^ist in 1890 we had about one hundred. The vigor imparted to the 
 
 )e sent the no5^y industry had an effect on the butter trade, of which product England 
 
 n. l"is cnet^yj^jy ]^J^yg ^y^^ sixty millions of dollars worth, and it checked the too 
 
 com 
 
 instituted 
 item : Withou' 
 I, message froii. 
 
 ts examine i: 
 who secure th 
 rize. To thos 
 in censures ar 
 sful ones, whi! 
 e the prize li- 
 their product 
 !an in no w 
 
 ^dly increasing cheese-making business, by keeping it within the limits 
 the market requirements have drawn. 
 
 ELOQUENT FIGURES . 
 
 Do you want to see at a glance the advancement made in consequence 
 f ii, f Plfel^*' general measures adopted in the interest of agriculture and the 
 tor tney s ^"^'mimerous industries that are attached thereto? Just take a look at the fol- 
 ed to raise tl.,::^^^ ^^^^^^ . 
 
M./ 
 
 tU 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 60 
 
 In 1890, we had 111 butter and 617 cheese manufactories ; a total of W 
 
 In 1895, we had 307 butter and 1,467 cheese manufactories ; a total J 
 1,774. An increase of 1,0 16 in the number of factories. According to thj 
 reports of 1891, the production of butter and cheese, in 1890, did not reacj 
 |a,000,000. 
 
 In 1894, according to the answers given by the butter and cheestj 
 makers, the production of the two articles gave over i|7,500,000. 
 
 By comparing the production of these two articles during the yeart 
 above mentioned, we find that in 1893, the farm-class, handled FOU| 
 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS more than in 1890. 
 
 Let us quote from the commercial columns of the Herald, of the 2l| 
 -September last : 
 
 » 
 
 " Exportations this year, up to date were : for cheese, 1,058,172 casej 
 
 " Last year 1,052,593 cases. 
 
 " Increase 5,679 cases. 
 
 " For butter, up to date, 90,636 firkins or boxes ; last year 30,944 boxeJ 
 or firkins. 
 
 " Increase 59,962." 
 
 Therefore, the output of butter has nearly tripled. 
 
 To show how useful the Department of Agriculture has been to th 
 butter and cheese makers, Mr. Hague, general manager of the Merchanl] 
 Bank, in 1895, said : 
 
 " The Government of this Province, sent last year, a commission t| 
 Denmark, to study the question of butter-making. The report that it madl 
 or extracts from that report, should be in the hands of every farmer, nJ 
 only of this Province, but of all the Dominion." 
 
 That commission consisted of Mr. Gigault, Assistant-Commissioner 
 Agriculture, and Mr. Leclair, superintendent of the St. Haycinthe Dairl 
 School. The report which Mr. Hague praises so highly was distributed t, 
 all the agricultural associations of the Province. 
 
 We have quoted Mr. Hague's words. 
 
 Here are other testimonials in favor of the Government's agriculturi 
 policy. Mr. Wolferstan Thomas, manager of the Molson Bank, a Liben 
 in politics, said, on the 2nd December, 1895 ; 
 
 :;^ia 
 
and cheesi 
 
 61 
 
 •' There if no Province in which prosperity is more manifest than in 
 J Quebec. This is due to the prudence and economy of the French-Canadian 
 farmers, and to the enlightened policy of Hon. Mr. Beaubien." 
 
 Last winter, the n presentative of the large firm of Gault Brothers, of 
 Montreal, w^hen affairs in the commercial world were more or less troubled, 
 said regarding our Province : 
 
 " Payments are made regularly enough, and in that respect the Pro- 
 vince of Quebec is at head of the Dominion." 
 
 Not bad testimonials for our Province. 
 
 One of the members of the firm of James ,Iohi.son & Co., was asked : 
 I" In which Province are payments most easily made ?" He replied : " In 
 [the Province of Quebec, firstly, and secondly in Nova Scotia." And he 
 padded : " The agricultural future of the Province of Quebec is very 
 [promising, and the Commissioner of Agriculture has caused groat develop- 
 ment in the dairy business." 
 
 THE TWO ADMINISTRATIONS AND THEIR AGRICULTURAL 
 
 RECORDS. 
 
 ommissioner 
 
 it's agricultuii 
 
 In presence of the splendid impetus given to agriculture by the Con- 
 servative Grovernment, the Liberals try to hoodwink the electors by pre- 
 tending that this Government spent less money lor agricultural purposes 
 than did the Liberal Government. 
 
 Hold on ! In this section of the budget, and only in this one, can 
 ["we claim the prize for expenditure. 
 
 Here are the figures that the Liberal organs cram into their columns 
 to prove that the Con.servatives did less than they did for agriculture : 
 
 Mercier Administration. 
 
 Budget $175,500 00 
 
 " The year ending 30th June, 1888 
 
 1889 
 
 " 1890 
 
 1891 
 
 " Including $100,000 for iron bridges. 
 
 ^ 
 
 294,100 O'O 
 261,219 00 
 360,906 00 
 
'V 
 
 r 
 
 62 
 
 Supplementary Estimates Voted for 1893. 
 
 " To the 80th June, 1892 : Budget $240,687 50 
 
 "Special Expenses 119,600 50 
 
 The " Taxees' " Administration. 
 
 " To the 80th June, 1893 $179,019 25 
 
 1894 201,400 00 
 
 " » " 1895 239,090 00 
 
 «' " " 1896 249,900 00 
 
 " (.'ompare and Judge." 
 
 Now, we declare that all this is false and calculated to throw dust in 
 the public eyes. 
 
 In the first place, the Liberal press displays a very poor method of 
 calculation in takinjr the budgets instead of the public accounts as basis 
 of argument. From the budget an approximative figure may be obtained 
 while awaiting the publicatir:; of the public accounts. But once these are 
 published, evidently they constitute the source whence the exact figure.s 
 of receipts and expenses are to be drawn. 
 
 The Liberal p ress is thus guilty of a monumental fraud. 
 
 But that is not all. In order to swell the sums that they expended on 
 agriculture they include expenses that belong entirely to the chapter of 
 public works. It is thus they calculate, in the agricultural budgt^t, 
 $100,000, $76,000, and $50,000 for iron bridges. They might as well in- 
 clude the railway subsidies, under the pretext that farmers derive an 
 indirect but real benefit from railroads, on account of the facilities they 
 afford for the transportation of farm produce. 
 
 So absurd is this system that we need say no more. 
 
 Let us take the official figures of the Public Accounts. 
 
 Under the heading " Agriculture," we find the following : 
 
 Liberal Administration. 
 
 1887-88 (Pub. Accts. p. 9) $97,700 00 
 
 1888-89 (Pub. Accts. p. 9) 94,061 93 
 
 1889-90 (Pub. Accts. p. 9) 98,636 54 
 
 1890-91 (Pub. Accts. p. 10) 112,737 09 
 
 $403,135 56 
 
687 60 
 500 50 
 
 63 
 
 Let us reverse the medal 
 
 r 
 
 Conservative Administration. 
 
 019 25 
 
 too 00 
 
 ,090 00 
 
 itOO 00 
 
 1892-93 (Pub. Accts. p. 9) $115,4'78 17 
 
 1893-94 (Pub. Accts. p. 9) 159,097 00 
 
 1894-95 (Pub. Accts. p. 9) 200,330 66 
 
 1895-96 (Pub. Accts. p. 9) 166,404 09 
 
 1641,369 92 
 
 row dust ill 
 
 From these official and undisputable figures, we learn that, in four 
 ^ears, the Conservatives spent $238,234, morj than the Liberals, in the in- 
 srests of Agriculture. 
 
 r method of 
 its as basis 
 be obtained 
 ice these are 
 xact figures 
 
 Now, for colonization, during certain years, the Liberals spent more 
 lan did the Conservatives. But they gave a lesser impetus to colonization 
 lan the Conservatives gave. 
 
 In the aggregate, under the heading of A^riciiUure, Immigrntinn and 
 '^olonizafion, the Conservative administration still comes out ahead. Here 
 ifis wh^t the public accounts say : 
 
 expended on 
 le chapter of 
 .ral budget, 
 t as well ill- 
 's derive au 
 icilities they 
 
 
 rAft*; 
 
 Liberal Administration. 
 
 1887-88 .$192,500 00 
 
 1888-89 225,808 93 
 
 1889-90 249,652 07 
 
 1890-91 295,628 89 
 
 $963,589 89 
 
 Conservative Administration. 
 
 7,700 00 
 
 i,061 93 
 
 3,636 54 
 
 2,737 09 
 
 3,136 56 
 
 1892-93 $201,328 17 
 
 1893-94 242,864 01 
 
 1894-95 290,636 00 
 
 1895-96 286,814 09 
 
 $1,021,642 27 
 
 ^ From the foregoing the falsehood and audacity of the Liberal assertions 
 ^jlre patent. 
 
w 
 
 ^ggftiiimji','*. 
 
 ppflf^P'fiiiPiiP 
 
 
 \ 
 
 64 
 
 COLONIZATION. 
 
 £ucoa raxed l»j Ibe ConMerTatives. 
 
 Let the Liberals shout that the Conservative Government has done 
 nothing for colonization ; they are only losing their breath, and they cannot 
 deceive the public. 
 
 During the present year the Conservative Government spent |1 56,000 
 for colonization purposes, an amount which in none of their fiscal years 
 did the Liberals equal. 
 
 Truly there were other years in which the Liberals laid out moro 
 money than the Conservatives on coloniza Ion. But, we repeat, they pro- 
 duced less elFoct in the colonizing movement than did the Conservatives. 
 And we will prove it. 
 
 How much laud, under the two administrations, was sold for coloniz- 
 ing purposes V Judge lor yourself: 
 
 Mercier Administration. * 
 
 Acres of land sold 
 
 July, 1887, to 30th June, 18H8 104,654 
 
 July, 1888, to 30th June, 1889 118,088 
 
 July, 1889, to 30th June, 1890 129,014 
 
 July, 1890, to 30th June, 1891 137,829J 
 
 489,5851 
 
 Conservative Administration. 
 
 July, 1892, to 30th June, 1893 156,925J 
 
 July, 1893, to 30th June, 1894 148,484^ 
 
 July, 1894, to 30th June, 1895 165,556| 
 
 July, 1895, to 30th June, 1896 125,680 
 
 Conservative Government 696,646J 
 
 Mercier Government 4S9,585f 
 
 Difference 107,060^ 
 
 These statements are to be found on page 10 of the report of the Com- 
 missioner of Crown Lands, for 1896. 
 
G5 
 
 This means that lor colonization purposes the present ffovernment sold 
 |07,0U0 acres of land more than did the Mcrcier government. 
 
 Consequently the coloniKls looked upon the Conservative poliojr as the 
 liore advantageous and more favorable to their interests. 
 
 Is another piece of evidence recjuired? We have it at hand, and an 
 lofiuent one it is. The number of acres granted free for colonization pur- 
 koses are as .follows : 
 
 Liberals. 
 
 1887-88 
 1888-89 
 1889-90 
 1890-91 
 
 ........«i>iVA,;»»^; 2,093 
 
 
 i.k\» «V;i;»5r»,i» iyj- 
 
 200 
 5., 205 
 
 CONSERVATlVESv-;; 
 
 
 1892-93 
 1898-94 
 1894-95 
 1895-96 
 
 So Mr. Mercier, the great friend of the colonist, only madt}. fr.ee,g;r4iits 
 )f 5,789 acres of land, while the Conservatives gave 133,535. ;C "'''^f!^:^l^':.' 
 
 Let the colonist say which are his best friends. .-^'^yV'-!^^-''^^^''-'-^ 
 
 The answer we can an 
 Present administration. 
 
 ticipate ; . Qol:Oi;Liza.tlou has doubled .nliider the 
 
 A few additional details may serve to shpvy .JD(iO,i;e^. (^^^^^ that the 
 
 ;!onservative partv has done for coloiiization^Fv*^''''^'?^^^^ 
 
 LAKE ST.^K)ltte.tc;^ ,ft-;^'C'i^'S--%''.- 
 
 In 1892 the Trappist Fathers established themselves at Lake St. .Tohu. 
 
 )ver one hundred families now constitute the little colony on the shores 
 
 lof Mistassini. .■.'-■::•' w--.;-:;- '■■.•■^a :•■■,.■>:•■■■,: . :■; ..•.":-.,;■.■ 
 
 Bridges were built over the'lafge trmutaries 61 this Lakfe, &hd over the 
 jSagaenay ; the Gran'le Decharge. Mistassini, rAshuapmouchanan, or St. 
 Felicien, Tikouape, or St. Methode, and Lake Bouchette bridges. These 
 {bridges cost 143,000.00. . v^:-:^;-.^^-^^: ; :;-:v;' ■ v „ 
 
-wmmm 
 
 V ■*; 
 
 '^■■■ 
 
 A 
 
 .•,;''f:v,<A::y.;v."i3;* 
 
 66 
 
 A steamboat plying on the rivers Ashuapmouchanau, Peribouka and 
 Mistassini, goes up twice weekly, aft'ording communication to the colonists 
 with head of the railway line at Roberval. The (5-overnment assured the 
 construction of this steamer, which is comfortable and convenient, by a 
 grant of $5,000, and assured its continual service during iive years, by an 
 annual grant of $2,000. All this is apart from the roads improved and 
 
 opened put each year, as usual. 
 
 NORTH OF MONTREAL. 
 
 V^;«!->>lfV?\;,''^: 
 
 ; Northwest of Montreal the Chapleau highway has been made suitable 
 for carriage trafBc; this road runs from the railway terminus, at Chute aux 
 Iroquois, to the Lievere river, a distance of 54 miles ; this route, most part 
 of which ,i#4t9^ only marked out, constitutes a principal highway ; it is 
 actually the continuation of the railroad. 
 
 The roads in the townships of Clyde, Joly, Miuerve, Marchand and 
 Loranger have been made suitable for carriage travel, and new roads have 
 been ppened in Turgeou, Mousseau, Kiamika and Campbell townships. 
 
 Let us not forget the Trembling Mountain road, four miles in length, 
 fanning through the forest from the railway to ihe place selected for the 
 now much talked of "sanatorium." We hope this undei caking will be 
 a success and that numbers of colonists may Hock thither. This road was 
 completed at ouee.. „ 
 
 " ■ --- . V- ■ :'v' ■^-'i-rj^'Adil^^'v ■■■;■■ 
 
 ; • '••.'';->■' .rj^^j^g TEMISCAMINGUE. 
 
 At Lake Temiscaraingue, a road twelve feet wide, intended specially 
 for winter travel, has been opened out ; in summer time communication by 
 water is more convenient. This road is 52 miles long, and joins together 
 Baie des Peres and the fertile townships of Guigues, Duhamel, Faber and 
 Laverlochere, with the Gordon Creek, where the railway ends. A bridge 
 Rosting a coi.ple of thousand dollars had to be built over the river Kippewa. 
 Moreover, all the roads in these townships have been improved, and ener- 
 getically opened out.f^ ' ' ' " 
 
 ^*^v~^ 
 
 
 ':X'"^ 
 
 vv^v;-^;-::;^-;'c:S;S^^ the matapedia valley. 
 
 Operations ha^e been commenced by erecting two large bridges over 
 the river Matapedia, one at Causapscal, and one at St. Alexis, and by open- 
 ing up roads to meet those bridges. 
 
 Last year another large bridge was built at St. Ludger, in the county 
 of Beauce ; the only one that, on the Chaudiere river, successfully resisted 
 the spring floods. 
 
 ;!cV>". ••*••: 
 
■^ 
 
 67 
 POPULATION MOVEMENTS. 
 
 We will just give a few figures regarding the movements of popula- 
 tion in the large centres. 
 
 The colony of Mistassini has already over 100 families, with a chapel 
 and a school. This may give a fair idea of the increase in population 
 throughout thr *;ownships around the Lake. 
 
 Mr. Christin. Crown Lands agent for the north of Montreal, in his 
 report of the 5th December, 189r>, says that the year previous, 300 familie.s 
 settled in nine parishes situated in the district under his jurisdiction. He 
 bases this report on a house to house census. 
 
 Mr. Carufel, colonization agent in Montreal, in his monthly report of 
 last September, states that 285 colonists were passed through his office, 211 
 going north of Montreal, 54 to Lake Temiscamiugue, and 20 to Lake St. 
 John. 
 
 Mr. Carufel adds that the best olf colonists come from the United 
 
 States. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Therieu, pastor of Baie des Peres, states in a report made to 
 the department, that 60 families have established themselves at Temisca- 
 miugue. 
 
 Mr. Michaud, Crown Lands agent for the Matapedia Valley, sold 194 
 lots during the months of April, June, July and August last. We may add, 
 concerning this region, ihat Mr. Piueault who represents Mataue in the 
 Local House, and w^ho is an opponent of the Grovernment, stated, during 
 last session, that 300 families had come recently into the valley and estab- 
 lished themselves there. 
 
 In a number of other localities colonization goes on with marked ad- 
 vancement and in a manner to awaken the brightest hopes for the future 
 of the Province of Quebec. 
 
 fes over 
 
 LIBERAL ACCUSATIONS. 
 
 Despairing of finding any ground for reasonable criticism, as far as the 
 (lovernment's financial administration and its agricultural and coloniza- 
 tion policies are concerned, our opponents attempt to draw off the public 
 attention by the cry of "Scandal"; all about the most clear and simple 
 matters, so much so that their efforts are more worthy of pity than con- 
 demnation. 
 
 They have striven to show that the Conservative administration had 
 its .candals, and each attempt, on their part, was a miserable failure. 
 
68 
 
 You read in their press and you hear fron the lips of their orators, 
 fearful denunciations of the Valliere scandal, the Charlebois scandal, the 
 Beauport Asylum scandal, the French loan scandal ; and when they ar(> 
 asked for proof, when they are driven to the wall, when they are urged 
 for details, when they are asked to make clear and more precise accusations, 
 they grow wild, they hesitate, they mutter out something or other, and 
 finally they collapse and admit that they are unable to substantiate their 
 assertions. 
 
 "We will examine a few of their accusations and the reader will see 
 how ridiculous and baseless they are. 
 
 THE VALLIERE CONTRACT. 
 
 It 
 1 
 
 9100,000 Saved. 
 
 And the Uberals Call tbat a Scandal! 
 
 The Valliere Scandal ! How often have we not seen this flaming 
 heading in the Liberal organs. It is like crying out " stop thief," in order 
 to gain time, for escape. For there actually was a Valliere scandal, but it 
 was in the days of the Clique's administration, under the rule of the toll- 
 collectors and boodlers. 
 
 "Who held the reins of power in 1891? The Mercier government, of 
 course. 
 
 That government was given to doing everything in grand style. It 
 had to repair the Montreal Court House, erect Normal schools, etc. 
 
 Naturally, furniture was necessary to fit up all these edifices. On the 
 13th February, 189lj,jthe month in which the Federal elections took place, 
 Mr. Garneau asked, through Mr. Lesage his deputy, from the Montreal 
 Court House architects, a list of all the articles they would require to 
 furnish the building. 
 
 Three days later Mr. G-arneau wrote to Mr. Philippe Valliere the fol- 
 lowing letter : 
 
 "Departa^ent of Public Works 
 
 " Quebec, 16th February, 1891. 
 " Philippe Valliere, Esq., Furniture Dealer, 
 " Quebec : 
 " Sir, — As the Government requires a certain quantity of furniture and 
 utensils for the Montreal Court House, to which a new story is being added 
 at present; for the new prison in the district of Montreal, and for the 
 
69 
 
 McGill and Laval Normal schools, at Quebec and Montreal, the construc- 
 tion of which will soon be commenced, I am authorized by ray colleagues 
 to inform you that the making of such furniture and the purchase of such 
 utensils have been entrusted to you, jointly with Mr. James Walker, a 
 Montreal merchant, and that you will receive, from time to time, precise 
 and detailed instructions in this connection. 
 
 " The furniture must be of the quality that the Public "Works Depart- 
 ment will indicate, and the prices will be the current market prices, subject 
 to the approval of the Department, or, if necessary, of experts. 
 
 " I should, moreover, inform you that a reasonable sum, according to 
 circumstances, will be paid you as soon as the supplies are voted at the 
 next session. 
 
 I have the honor to be, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 " Ordered by the Executive Council." 
 
 P. G-ARNKAU, 
 
 Commissioner.^^ 
 
 P. G. 
 
 Mr. Valliere went to work, as was very natural, and he made furniture 
 on furniture to such an extent, that on the 22nd July following, before one 
 piece of that furniture had been delivered, Mr. Mercier telegraphed from 
 Ste. Anne de la Perade to Mr. Garneau : 
 
 St. Anne de la Pkrade, 22nd July, 1891. 
 Hon. P. Garneau, 
 
 Quebec. 
 
 I beg of you to settle the Valliere affair, if sufficient necessary funds. 
 
 MERCIER. 
 
 Mr. Garneau evidently had the funds, for the next day, Mr. Mercier's 
 request was complied with, and on tha demand made by Mr. Valliere for 
 $60,000, Mr. Garneau wrote to the Accountant of the Public Works 
 Department : 
 
 Mr. Accountant, 
 
 Please prepare a cheque in favor of Mr. Philippe Valliere for the sum 
 of sixty thousand dollars, that should be paid him, on account of furniture 
 that he is to make for the Montreal Court House. 
 
 'm: 
 
 (Signed) P. GARNEAU, 
 
 Commissioner. 
 
70 
 
 This all took place ou the 23rd July, 1891, under the Mercier admin- 
 istration. Mr. Valliere had his |60,000 and the Government was not yet 
 ready to receive the furniture. In September there was no room to lodge 
 this furniture, none in December ; finally it was only the following spring 
 that Mr. Valliere's articles could be utilized. 
 
 Meanwhile, Mr. Valliere had his articles of furniture insured, but, 
 when the policy ran out, on the 25th November, 1891, he refused to renew 
 it, because he could not get a promise of renewal of the contract, in case of 
 loss by fire. 
 
 The government undertook to have these articles insured for $50,000. 
 but it had not time to carry out its idea. Mr. Angers had already decided 
 to send these evil-doers before their judges — the people. 
 
 There is the whole scandal ; it is the work of the party which Messrs. 
 Decheue, Lemieux, Turgeon, Tessier, Laliberte, Girouard, JBernatchez, etc.^ 
 supported, and at whose doings Mr. Marchaud only winked. 
 
 The scandal consists in the fact of having given, while a Federal 
 election was going on, an iinlimited contract for the making of furniture 
 that was not used until the spring of 1892. 
 
 The scandal was the paying of $60,000 before Mr. Valliere had asked 
 for it. 
 
 Why such haste in giving out a contract for the furnishing of build- 
 ings that were not yet erected, and which are not even constructed to-day ? 
 
 The fact is, that, in the month of February, 1891, money was needed 
 to corrupt the electorate, and that, in order to secure the, money, it was 
 necessary to bleed the provincial treasury. It had been stated, more than 
 once, that Mr. Valliere gave, on that contract, the sum of i$50,000 to the 
 electoral fund of the " Clique," and that statement has never yet been 
 denied. 
 
 Moreover, it must be remembered that the copy of the order given to 
 Mr. Valliere was only sent in to the department on the 17th December, 
 1891, after the Mercier cabinet was dismissed. This shows the want of 
 order in the administration of affairs at that time. If this contract was 
 really given by letter, on the 16th February, 1891, how comes it that such 
 an order was only returned to the department a year later, when the Gov- 
 ernment had been dismissed from office and that it saw no escape from the 
 publication of its misdeeds ? 
 
 Once more, there is the whole scandal, and that scandal was commit- 
 ted, executed, accomplished under the Mercier administration. 
 
 This was the state of affairs when the Conservative Government came 
 in. Mr. Valliere had 160,000 of the Province's cash, and the Province had. 
 nothing in return. • 
 
71 
 
 The repairs commenced in the Montreal Court House were con- 
 tinued, and soon the new offices required furniture. What was to be done V 
 To sue Mr. Valliere for $60,000 and have the furniture manufactured else- 
 where, or else come to an arrangement ? Hon. Mr. Taillon went to see Mr. 
 Valliere, intending, if possible, to come to some agreement. Mr. Valliere 
 stated that his contract gave him the right to a 1150,000 order, and that 
 not one chair would leave his establishment before the Government had 
 fully recognized this claim. '■ G-ood day," said Mr. Taillon ; " on such con- 
 ditions we can come to no arrangement." And Mr. Taillon had a protest 
 served on Mr. Valliere at once, and he had a declaration drawn up to serve 
 as basis of an action at law. 
 
 Seeing how matters stood Mr. Valliere softened down, and he agreed 
 to give up his claim of a $150,000 contract, in order to come to an agree- 
 ment. 
 
 That agreement was as follows : 
 
 The Government should take the furnit ure already manufactured, at 
 the price fixed by the Mercier Government, and if more were needed the 
 additional articles should be paid for according to the valuation of arbitra- 
 tors. And Mr. Valliere should deduct from the total price of these pieces 
 of furniture the sum of $60,000. 
 
 Certainly, had the contract never been given by Mr. Mercier, had Mr. 
 Valliere not already got possession of the $60,000 of provincial money, and 
 if the prices of the furniture had not been fixed by the Mercier Govern- 
 ment's arbitrators, the whole furnishing could have been done much more 
 cheaply. 
 
 But since the arrangements, real or otherwise, of the Mercier Govern- 
 ment existed, concessions were necessary. 
 
 Moreover, Mr. Fitzpatrick, one of the Liberal leaders, stated that, in 
 equity, the Government should continue the contract with Mr. Valliere. 
 
 Taking this fact into consideration, did the Conservative Government 
 protect the interests of the Province ? If it protected those interests, in- 
 stead of the censure of its opponents, it deserves the gratitude of the elec- 
 torate. Let us look into this. Mr. Valliere pretended to have a contract 
 of $150,000 for the furnishing of the Montreal Court House. The Conserva- 
 tive Government made him abandon that pretention, and with little over 
 the half of that sum, say $9*7,038.76 it furnished the Court House in Mont- 
 real as well as those of Hull and Pontiac. 
 
 This means that out of a scandalous transaction, an unlimited one, 
 which might have as easily cost $300,000 as $150,000, ordered by the Mer- 
 cier administration, the present Government made a regular transaction by 
 which it saved the Province $50,000 for the Montreal Court House alone, 
 
.:r 
 
 t: 
 
 72 
 
 and $100,000 if the furnishing of the Hull and Pontiac Court Houses is 
 taken into consideration. 
 
 And the fellows of the old " Clique " call that a scandal | " Because," 
 they say, " you renewed a contract that you had denounced." 
 
 "We denounced the contract of $150,000, given at hap-hazard, for build- 
 gs that did not yet exist and partly paid before the furniture was needed, 
 all for the purpose of electoral corruption. We denounced it, and we still 
 denounce it. 
 
 But the subsequent arrangement completely changed the nature of the 
 contract. The Province saved $50,000 on the furnishing of one building 
 alone, and from |95,000 to .$100,000 on the furnishing of the three Court 
 Houses put together. 
 
 Who is the honest man who cannot see in this an energetic effort to 
 economise the public money ? 
 
 " Because the prices of the furniture are the same," say the Liberals. 
 
 That could not be helped. You fixed the price, the furniture was 
 made, and it had to be taken as it was. But for the balance, the prices 
 were fixed by arbitrators, and the articles were made at as low a cost as 
 was possible, of course, harmonizing them, as was necessary, with the 
 articles ordered by Mr. Mercier. 
 
 Anything irregular, scandalous, or extravagant in the contract, was 
 done in 1891 under the Mercier Administration ; and, as usual, the task, 
 that fell to the lot of the Conservative party, was to repair all that was 
 loose, foolish and scandalous in the famous Valliere contract. 
 
 THE CHARLEBOIS AFFAIE. 
 
 i'. 
 
 Another affair, concerning which the Liberals try to cry out "scandal," 
 is the payment of $40,000 to Mr. Charlebois, contractor, for certain works 
 consisting of the building of a stone fence around the grounds of the Legis- 
 lative buildings. 
 
 Here again, the Conservative Grovernment had only to get through, as 
 best it could, with a sample of bad administration originating with the 
 Mercier Government. 
 
 "We will relate the facts as briefly as possible, and, in so doing, we will 
 take our data from an official document, the report of the Committee of 
 the Executived Council, dated 9th June, 1894, and approved, the same day, 
 by His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor. This document is to be found in 
 the Public Works Department report for 1894. 
 
73 
 
 Uuder the Mercier Government, on the 9th August, 1887, Hon. Mr, 
 McShane, then Commissioner of Public "Works, addressed, without other 
 formality, the following letter to Mr. Alphonse Charlebois : 
 
 " You will please to begin work at once for the erection of a new stone 
 wall or fence all around the Parliament Buildings. Also provide the 
 material necessary for the construction of the same. The conditions and 
 price will be the same as for work done by you by the day for the 
 government. 
 
 "P.S. — You will please to do this fence or wall according to plans 
 shown to me and my Premier, Honorable H. Meroier." 
 
 The 2nd of September, 1887, the same Commissioner of Public Works 
 sent the following letter to the same Mr. Charlebois : 
 
 " You will please to provide for all the wrought iron gates required 
 for the stone fence all around the Parliament Buildings, according to 
 design shown to you in my oiRce by myself and the Premier, or any other 
 design that may be selected by the government that will correspond with 
 the stone fence, on condition, however, that you will execute and complete 
 all the iron work required for said stone fence for a sum not exceeding forty 
 thousand dollars, and no extra shall be allowed under any consideration 
 whatever." 
 
 Note the manner in which this minister of the " Clique" cabinet gave 
 orders for such important works. No order-in-council, no tenders, no con- 
 tract, no legal or regular form, no administrative regularity, and nothing 
 in the Department of Public Works to indicate that such an order had 
 been given to Mr. Charlebois. Not even copies of the letters, whereby the 
 minister ordered such work to be done, can be found. 
 
 The fence was absolutely useless, and it is a monument to the extra- 
 vagant spirit of the Mercier administration. 
 
 It was only long afterwards that the officers of the Department learned 
 of the existence of the astonishing letters, from the Commissioner of Public 
 Works, whereby a public contractor received, on the wing as it were, a 
 contract that might run into the $100,000 figures. 
 
 This is the starting point of the whole affair ; one of the most disgrace- 
 ful that even the " Clique " Government ever gave to the Province as a 
 legacy. 
 
 When the Conservative Government came in the works on the stone 
 fence were interrupted and Mr. Charlebois had two claims, for general 
 works against the department of Public Works : one for $51,638.92, the 
 
'<5'' 
 
 Tl 
 
 74 
 
 other for $31,623.40. On the Slst May, 1892, Mr. Charleboie, himself, 
 wrote to the department : 
 
 " These claims were fyled in the department on the 1st May, 1889, and 
 were referred to the law officers who reported favorably upon them. The 
 28th June, 1889, an advance of ei<>hty thousand dollars was made upon 
 these claims as also on the works done and being done. The 29th October 
 the G-overnment decided to charge that advance of eighty thousand dollars 
 to the claims only, and to make a new advance of seventy thousand dollars 
 on the works." 
 
 (Signed), "A. CHAELEBOIS." 
 
 This means that, apart from the |80,000, Mr. Charlebois claimed 
 $51,638.92 and $31,623.40 ; a total of $83,262.32. 
 
 The fence was, at that time, unfinished and the materials to be used 
 covered the surroundings of the Legislative Buildings. The Conservative 
 Government gave Mr. Charlebois an order to complete, as quickly as pos- 
 sible, what would have to be done to use up the materials upon the ground 
 and to finish the portions of the fence that he could not leave unfinished 
 without disfiguring the place, and it refused to recognize the other claims 
 of the contractor. 
 
 Finally, when Mr. Charlebois had completed the works in question, 
 he claimed a sum of $52,681.85, and the Government refused to pay the 
 amount. 
 
 Mr. Charlebois took out a petition of right before the Superior Court 
 at Quebec, and, after having received from him a new proposal, by which 
 he abandoned $12,681.85 of his claim, the Government, in order to end this 
 business, for which the former cabinet was entirely responsible, thought it 
 better to accept that proposition, and bound itself to pay the $40,000 in 
 question, on Mr. Charlebois accepting the following conditions : 
 
 Mr. Charlebois should renounce : 
 
 1. His pretended right to continue the construction of the wall when 
 it would reach the expropriation of the Ilearn estate and St. Julie street ; 
 
 2. Whatever rights might be his on account of Hon. Mr. McShane's- 
 letter, date the 2nd September, 1887, above quoted : 
 
 ■' You will please to provide for all the wrought iron gates for the 
 stone fence all around the Parliament Buildings for a sum not exceeding 
 forty thousand dollars." 
 
 3. All that he pretended to be due him according td his claims pro- 
 duced the 31st May, 1892, above quoted ; to wit, $51,638.92 and $31,623.40. 
 
 4. All damages resulting from the delay caused in the execution of his. 
 works since Slst May, 1892 ; 
 
75 
 
 5. The sura of $5,000 which he owed the Crown Lands Department 
 and which he sought to have included in the final settlement that the 
 Government should give him. 
 
 Mr. Charlebois remained indebted to the Crown Lands Department to 
 the extent of $5,000. 
 
 In fine, the Conservative Government got out of the mess by making 
 Mr. Charlebois renounce all rights that might flow from the order given 
 him by the Minister of Public Works under the Mercier Government. 
 
 He renounced all his claims for the remainder of the works under- 
 taken by him and he a-'cepted the sum of $40,000 instead of $52,681.85, 
 which he formerly clai.nel. 
 
 There is the whole scandal ! 
 
 The Conservative Government closed, in the most favorable manner 
 possible for the Province, a bad business, commenced in criminal careless- 
 ness by the Mercier administration, it saved the Province a considerable 
 sum in freeing it from very troublesome claims, and by avoiding a law 
 suit that, from a pecuniary point of view, might have resulted to the 
 Province's great disadvantage. 
 
 This is the affair that the Liberals have the impudence to denounce, 
 when they should blush at the very thought of their Liberal government 
 engaging the Province in transactions that might draw, without any 
 plausible excuse, large sums from the treasury. 
 
 The argument which' they try to use, in discussing this matter, is that 
 in answer to Mr. Charlebois' petition of right, the Department of Public 
 Works disclosed that it owed nothing to this contractor ; but that is an 
 allegation based on certain calculations which would be difficult to sub- 
 stantiate before the courts. 
 
 In reality, the fact of obtaining from Mr. Charlebois the renunciation 
 of all the advantages that he might have held, constitutes a compensation 
 more than sufficient for the sum the government consented to pay him. 
 
 As we have seen, this scandal is a very simple matter, and altogether 
 creditable to the Conservative government, which proved itself, in all its 
 relations with Mr. Charlebois, a faithful guardian of the public interests. 
 
 No more than in the Valliere affixir, the Liberals did not ask for a Com- 
 mittee of Inquiry to establish the looseness or wrongfulnes in the govern- 
 ment's course upon this subject. 
 
 The Liberals acted wisely, for an investigation would have proven 
 that the scandal was entirely on their side, completely on the side of the 
 Liberal administration, and that the Conservative cabinet merely protected, 
 as much as possible, the public interests which had been compromised by 
 our opponents. 
 
 m 
 
! ' 
 
 76 
 
 THE BEAUFORT TRANSACTION. 
 
 l|jl»20.0OO Save«l. 
 
 liiheral €aliiiiiiii«N. 
 
 
 Mr. Chiiioyno, speaking, in the House, about the malicious insinu- 
 ations fired by the Opposition against the Grovernment, point blank defied 
 the Liberals : " I am here," said he, " to judge the present administration 
 by its acts ; bring a direct accusation, I will vote for an investigation, and 
 ii you substantiate your accusation, I will join your ranks." 
 
 Half reclining in his seat, and almost asleep, the leader of the Oppo- 
 sition was stirred up a little by this energetic language, but his best effort 
 resulted in muttering, in a listless tone of voice : "The Beauport transaction.'' 
 
 " Yes, the Beauport Transaction," replied Mr. Chicoyne, "I was one of 
 those who were prejudiced against that contract, but after having examined 
 the facts, T became convinced that it was most regular." 
 
 The Opposition remained silent, and no more was heard, during that 
 session, of the Beauport affair. But now, the Liberal bawlers, more ven- 
 turesome than of old, commence to repeat the same cry : the Beauport trans- 
 action ! 
 
 Well, then, let us see what this Beauport transaction really is ! It is 
 well that we should have its history ! 
 
 Up to 1892 the keeping of lunatics at Beauport was confided to laymen 
 at the fixed price of $132 per head yearly. This system gave rise to discus- 
 sions. It was said that the price w^as too high, and that the patients did 
 not receive all the care necessary in their sad condition, also that the 
 afflicted would be better off if confided to some religious community. 
 
 The Government decided to make the change, and, a few months 
 before the existing contract expired, the proprietors were notified that the 
 care of the lunatics would no longer be confided to them. At the same 
 time the Government asked the Sisters of Charity, of Quebec, if they would 
 consent to take charge of the lunatics at the price of $100 per head, per 
 year. The Sisters accepted. Then it became a question of finding an 
 asylum wherein to lodge the patients. The Beauport asylum existed It 
 is a splendid building, situated in a most suitable locality, on ground 
 surrounded by trees, verdure and llowers, embellished and improved by 
 
77 
 
 twenty-five years of work. As fine a property could not be found else- 
 where. Under the circumstances, everyone admitted that it were better 
 to conserve the asylum, moreovc^r, as the formiir proprietors had certain 
 claims on the frratitude of the Province, inasmuch as they were the first to 
 provide protection for the mentally alUicted. 
 
 Then came the question of purchasinj]^ the asylum. The Sisters refer- 
 red the carryiuf? out of the transaction to the Governracpt. An arbitration 
 was decided upon. Thf^ Q-overnmcnt named Mr. Pt>tcrs as (expert ; the 
 proprietors named Mr. Peachy, and these two named Mr. Berlini^uet as 
 third arbitrator. After having examined the property, Mr. Peters valued 
 it at 1311,000, and Messrs. Peachy and Berliniruet valued it at i$709,000, 
 commercial value, and at $607,000, intrinsic value. After this evaluation 
 the proprietors, adopting the valuation of the majority, asked $000, 000 for 
 the asylum. The Government advised the Sisters not to pay that sum. 
 Further neij^otiations were entered into. Finally, after several (consulta- 
 tions, the Sisters and the proprietors came together on the sum of $425,000, 
 and the bargain was closed. The care of the lunatics was then confided to 
 the Sisters at $100 per head, per year, for 1,000 patients. There is in a few 
 words, the whole history of the Beauport transaction, about which so much 
 noise has been made by the Liberals. 
 
 Before this contract existed, the Province paid $132 per annum for the 
 keeping of the lunatics; to-day it only pays $100 ; there is, consequently, 
 a saving of $32 per year for each patient, or $32,000 for 1,000 patients that 
 are in the asylum, and $320,000 for ten years, the term of the contract. And 
 vet the Liberals are not satisfied. Evidently all that does not fall into their 
 hands counts for nothing. 
 
 They accuse the Government : 
 
 » 
 
 1st. Of having favored the former proprietors ; 
 
 2nd. Of having forced the Sisters to pay $425,000 ; 
 
 3rd. Of having bound the Province for that sum, when the Sisters 
 offered to build an asylum without cost to the Province ; 
 
 4th. Of having conspired to ruin the religious community. 
 
 In the first place, how did the Government protect the former proprie- 
 tors ? The majority of the experts fixed the price for the asylum at $600,- 
 000, and the Government said to the Sisters .• " Do not pay that sum-" Then 
 the proprietors lowered their demand to $500,000, and the Government 
 again said to the Sisters, " that is too high." Finally the Irovernment, by 
 itl stand taken, caused the price to be reduced to $425,000, the sura asked 
 by the proprietors. Is that the Liberals' method of favoring people ? Let 
 the public judge and answer. 
 
78 
 
 Is it true that the Government forced the Sisters to pay $425,000 ? 
 The answer is to be found in a letter oi" Mgr. Begin : 
 
 Quebec, 28th October, 1892. 
 
 Hon. L. P. Pelletikr, 
 
 Provincial Secretary, 
 
 Honorable Sir, 
 
 The Sisters of Charity of Quebec are prepared to pay four hundred 
 thousand dollars for the Beauport Asylum, and I am ready to ratify the 
 contract on these conditions. 
 
 Since, therefore, the proprietors of the Asylum consent firstly to come 
 down, and in an official manner, to the four hundred and fifty thousand 
 dollars, you may otfer four hundred thousand. 
 
 If, perchance, the proprietors will in no way accept this offer, ask them 
 to divide the difference, so as to reach four hundred and twenty-five 
 thousand dollars. In that case, you wwA only telephone me and you will 
 have an allirmative or negative answer almost at once. 
 
 I wish to have this affair settled, one way or the other, as soon as 
 possible. 
 
 Please accept, Honorable, Sir, the expression of my best wishes. 
 
 L. N. ARCH. OF CYRENE, 
 
 CoadJ. to H. E. Card. Taschereau. 
 
 So we see that the Sisters, froip the 28th October, 189?, were authorized 
 by Mgr. Bej^in to offer $400,000, and to split the difference between the two 
 if the proprietors asked for $450,000. 
 
 We remember having read this letter in the House, and the Oppo- 
 sition, through Mr. Fitzpatrick, then a member of the Legislature said : 
 '* Had we known that before we would not have said what we did say." 
 So much for the second accusation. 
 
 The pretention that the Asylum w^as bought by the Province and not 
 by the Sisters is most ridiculous. The Sisters bought the property through 
 the Government, and the Sisters pay for it. But, as the former proprietors 
 required sureties, the Government consented to pay, from the moneys that it 
 oioed the Sisters, the annuities by means of which the Sisters are clearing off 
 their debt. How Hoos this endanger the Province's credit ? We defy the 
 Liberals to show as. 
 
 They pretend that the Sisters can abandon their contract at the end of 
 ten years, and that the Province will then have the Asylum on its hands. 
 
 They 
 iirst t. 
 
 B 
 
 of losi 
 of am 
 the pi 
 of tht 
 in no 
 decli'i 
 wouli 
 to be 
 posit i 
 ernni 
 other 
 repeiv 
 is to 
 quest 
 abou 
 folio \ 
 
79 
 
 They need not fear anything of th<? kind, siaoo the Sistew wanted from the 
 lirst to have the oontract for twenty years. 
 
 lUit even admittincf the pretention of the LiberalM, the rrovince, instead 
 of losing, would gain $320,000 of savings by the contract, and $1H(J,000 
 of annuities paid by the Sisters during ten years, which would cover well 
 the price of purchase. In other words, the Province would l)ei;ome owner 
 of the Asylum for almost nothing. The credit of the Province is, therefore, 
 in no way concerned. Had thi' Misters built a new Asylum, which, as they 
 declared, they could not have done at their own expt'use, the Province 
 would have had to guarantee the amount necessary for such construction, 
 to be repaid from the sums paid for the maintenance of the lunatics. The 
 position would have bet'u exactly the same as to-day. Finally, the Gov- 
 ernment is accused of having forced the iSistcrs to pay a high price ; in 
 other words, of having conspired to ruin the Sisters. This insinuation was 
 repeated by Mr. Gladu, member for Yamaska, during the last session. He 
 is to be thanked for it, since it started a correspondence that has .settled the 
 question forever. Mr. Girard, member for Lake St. John, tired of hearing 
 about this injustice of the Grovernment towards the Sisters, addressed the 
 following letter to the Superioress of the Sisters of Charity : 
 
 Rev. Sister St. Theodore, ' 
 
 House of the Sisters of Charity, 
 
 :' ,, Quebec, 26th November, 1896. 
 
 ■: r- ., .^^::^■■v•.^■^■■?;^, 
 
 ■ iy.^\j- .;.-';tV'. 
 
 
 ■''■""■'■^^fh!. 
 
 Rev. Madam : * ■'■..■."' ^■■•■. v' -, 'ivv.;.; - ■;;..vi^^,.,^\.^v'"\,-'-^--r':^' 
 
 The question of the Beauport Asylum contract, which has now beea 
 nearly four years closed, has again, incidentally, caused a debate in the 
 House during the present session. ...:;. 
 
 It seems to me that this question had been settled, when the debates 
 upon it took place some years back, but Mr. Grladu, member for Yamaska, 
 states again that you had been forced by the Government to purchase the 
 Asylum, for the sum of $425,000. .- • :• , - ■■7; ' ' •• 
 
 Would you be kind enough to write me a word to say how the case 
 stands, and I will be infinitely thankful. .. '/. ..• \.' ' >^. .:/;:;/ o,-?. y. .^;; 
 
 I have the honor to be, Madam, ^ 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 . ., ., JOS. GIRARD, M. P. P. 
 
 J- 
 
 ■ll 
 
. ■'•''Jlht'x.'. /'■ .•'■''' \ 
 
 \:-r^i*- 
 
 •V '*■ 
 
 
 '%:■ ::••••( :vAC;;;Hqxjse of the SisTKite.o«^ Charity, Quebec. 
 
 ^-■■l'^i'^#::^-^'^'S^'^:;r^ Quebec, 3bth November, 1896 
 
 Mr. Joseph GtIRaep, M. P- F-^;^;; 
 
 ^^/:,:;\'^5/:iegiislaUv6' Assembly, 
 
 ./■y.'"-VM' 
 
 ri.; ■" 
 
 '.f'.',* 
 
 •^■"^^sV 
 
 , iSir,—-! received your letter conceruiuj:^ the purchase of the Beauport 
 Asylum, and after submitting it to the Council of the community, I am 
 authorized to answer you thus r^-;^^.: ; ^ , ,. 
 
 
 ■%^ 
 
 "We were surprised to receive your letter, for it seems to us difficult 
 for anyone, whosoever, to pretend that our coraniunity:^.%9..,,fQr.Cjj,d to buy 
 the Beauport Asylum. .■:.., '■■■:f'[!;-v'^\^-^''^^K''''''':'f^ 
 
 Honorable L. P. Pelletier, who was Provincial Secretary when this 
 transaction took place, made a speech in the House, which we had the 
 satisfaction of reading in the public press, and which presented in an exact 
 and faithful manner all that took place concerning the subject. How 
 could anyone impose the purchase of the Asylum on us, if we.did not want 
 to buy it? '■':-A^:^%-'^:ty: 
 
 Our letters and those of His Girace, Mgr. Begin, which Honi Mr. 
 Pel letier quoted in his speech, were, we think, sufficiently clear on that 
 point to obviate even the slightest doubt regarding the matter. The docu- 
 ments in qviestion should be before the House, and we beg of you to refer 
 to them. You will find in them tliat on the 28th Octobej, 1802, His Grrace 
 Mgr. Begin auihorized Hon. Mr. Pelletier to close the bargain for ue at the 
 price of $425,000. Later, on the 12th December of the same year, we wrote 
 to His Grace Mgr. Begin, who was about to leave for Europe, to have his 
 written authorization to close the bargain in his abovnoe, should the pro- 
 pi 'gtors of the Asylum accept the price that we were prepared to pay. The 
 next day, 13th December, His Grace M;;r. Begin wrote us giving his 
 written authorization to pay $425,000, if the proprietors agioed to it. I do 
 no* cite all those documents in full, for, as I have said, they are fyled in 
 the House, and I doubt not but you can secure copies of them if you so 
 
 desire.. ,^ . _, .:.-.,■.: , .-^ ^ ;.-■:;.■...;.■■.. ■.:■■, ■,.,...;-■■■,:.;.-'.■■■;■.■.-■..•:... 
 
 We purchased ..^i- Asylum because the Government wished to confide 
 the care of the lunativ^s to the Sisters. We have only congratulations to 
 express concerning our relations with the Honorable Provincial Secretary 
 of tb t day, and wit^ the Government, on this subject. 
 
 Since that time, we have striven to carry on that' new work, and we 
 have reason to hope that^ with the help of Providence, "^e have succeeded 
 in giving satisfaction to the Government and to the public, while, at the 
 same time, saving the I'rovince the sum of $33,000 each year ; which 
 
 repre 
 priet 
 
 and 
 
 ^tKJ. 
 
 ■jHy 
 
81 
 
 
 represents the differeuce between the amount received by the former pro- 
 prietors and that received by us. 
 
 Please accept, Sir, the assurance of the good wishes of our community, 
 and believe me, %ri :^-' 
 
 Your very humble servant, ■y-'^'rv^^:;:- j.;.: 
 
 
 SISTER STE.-THEODOKE, i^ 
 
 >'.•.*• 
 
 I ■ ■■'■i.i ' •■•■ •■ ■••'^;' -I'V- ■.■■.• ■>';'*;'*i-''t i v^-v^."' ^-B >.■?-►, I-...,,. T^rfinvurfY 
 
 ■■■■ !■. ,/,•■'•'•: ,'.'•■ ■,;,■•? ■.'.•■.»■■•.. .'•.■•>.<■.■. .:v-.' ;' -i".: .fi'i;.'v.*>,-.y.r,. ■ •. . j. reuburtr. 
 
 >■:■•> There is the last Liberal calumny, concerning this Beauport affairi; 
 annihilated by the Superioress of the community io question !v\B*;::>v: i'^'" ' 
 
 .■;-.}«, 
 
 
 
 ;-'''ii"«'*^ y ' ..^ •■■.■ ,*.j 
 
 ri.-;r To summarize ; the Beauport transaction gaA^e the Government the -^'^'i;^^ 
 
 chance of saving $300,000, whilst iinproving the lot of those unfortu.nates 
 ,^ whom society is obliged to protect.: i.>^;:.7/./;cv\A-.:; ^ •;;/:•• '^ 
 
 ;V; : : The credit of the Province is in no way concerned; the Sisters pur- 
 chased, and the Sisters pay, through the Government. They only paid the ";',;.; 
 price that they were authorized to pay, by their Ordinary, and that price is, '>•- j/^ 
 very reasonable, since the majority of the experts, named to value the prp^^'^^ ^ :-; f; 
 perty, fixed the price at $600,000, and that competent judges generally 
 admit that an asylum fit to hold 1,000 patients should cost at least a , 
 V million. In a word, all interests were protected, but above all the interests 
 of the Sisters and those of the Province; a^V;-;-,,;^^^^^ -^ '/-o>? ' 
 
 l^??^:^-'^^;^^'' Jl^''>'( THE FUENtiH XOAf 'Qtf ^STfON:.c^v' :|" J3S^"n<^^ 
 
 ,^}- 
 
 
 
 '■' The Liberals imagined that they had found a great battering-ratnrto ' 
 be used against the Conservatives, in the loan contracted by Mr. Taillon 
 in 1894, to consolidate the loan contracted by Mr, Mercier, for two years, 
 in 1891, and consolidated by Mr. Hall in 1803. ^^ _ ^ ,^ ^ . ::.,v,/v . . --^^ 
 
 ••;, Mr. Taillon, as we shall see, contracted that loan at an interest to 
 which our Province is not accustomed, that is at 3 per cent., instead of 4 
 and 5 per cent., which were the rates of interest paid so far by the 
 Province for its loans^vv' ••■.'■■?■•■' ;■ ~t .' ■■■^■'Wi- ■':--^ '--'^ ■?'■:■'':'■■ '''\'--::-r.^'-}}^'-^-'''-j^ 
 
 ■^"- It is readily undei;3tood that we could not pretend to borrow at as 
 low a rate as 3 per cent. >vithout making some sacrifice A capital. The 
 question is very simple when studied in rood faith and without party 
 
 spirit. ^ ./■-.■'\--.. -■:'.:■..: :.■.:.:-.. ...:.-.. ;,;, ..'..■.•.■.;..■;;:.•;■,,-.: ■;.^■■;^^■.-■v■ •-.:■■ 
 
 If you agree to pay for a loan a rate of 5 p r cent, you obtain, for your 
 obligations, a higher figure. If you only wish to pay 4 per cent, you 
 obtain, for yorr obligations, a lesser amount than were you paying 5 per 
 cent. In fine, were you to pay only 3 per cent, you obtain an amount still 
 less for your obligations. The question is to know whether or not. t]he 
 

 ■i;v 
 
 
 
 82 
 
 difference in the rate of interest is a sufficient compensation for the sacri- 
 fice you make in the amount you receive in return for your subscribed 
 obligation. 
 
 In the Taillon loan, for each |100 obligation, the Province only re- 
 ceived 177.32 ; but, instead of paying 4 per cent, interest, it only paid 3 
 per cent. Now, the difference in the rates of interest, at the end of sixty 
 years, the term of the loan, re-established an equilibrium and compensated 
 lor the diminishing of the capital received. For this reason, the most 
 famous financiers, basing themselves on mathematical calculation, declared 
 that a loan of 3 per cent, at 77 is equal to a loan of 4 per cent, at 98 and 
 a fraction. By the difference in the rate of interest Mr. Taillon saved 
 annually for the Province about i$7,000. These $7,000, at compound in- 
 terest during 60 years, which is the term of the loan, are equivalent to 
 ^"^^i^ilhe augmentation of the capitaLf!^:..;;.«^5:^;; 
 
 vjX; Quite a number of countries made' similar traiisactions, and not later 
 
 • than 1891, Russia, which is one of the most powerful nations of Europe. 
 
 ; contracted, in Paris, a loan for 3 per cent at about 77, even as did the Pro- 
 
 ■vince of Quebec, and the finance journals then declared it a success. Here, 
 
 in the Province of Quebec, the Liberal papers are not afraid to leave their 
 
 party on this subject and to declare that the transaction operated by Mr. 
 
 "Taillon was really advantageous to the Province. We would like to here 
 
 ,^/';*; quote an article from the National of Montreal, a Liberal organ, published 
 
 
 ■m- . 
 
 f'v. '■»"'■ 
 
 "' .;iu the course of October, 1894. and ^n which Mr. Taillpu's loan is squarely 
 ^;^i.approved of. Here is what the National said :H^ ■^>f^^^^;*'i &ri''i^'v^/i*-- ;t;-^ 
 
 .■■ , "'"Wg^gdt V6ry 'frightened at the increase of theprovifiiciaildeibtm^'fc ' • 
 '': sequence of the loan that Mr. Taillon secured in Paris, and it was said that 
 :"/t; he would have done better to have borrowed, at a rate of 4 per cent inter- 
 est, the four millions that he required. "We are of a different opinion. Ac- 
 cording to our view Mr. Taillon carried out a splendid operation, and the 
 :^ Star, the Witness, et tvtti quanti that find fault, should go-i^tb:; school and 
 
 one of $4,106,461. The difference seems small at first sight ; but we.'.lvv^ili^^^^^^^ 
 Ki?t'''li?S show, later on, that it is a considerable one. ' ' " 
 
 ^-j<' '■'•'■■'■ .'•■'•^'' "r ■"• -y ■ ■■■• !-•'./■■>■" -'.>';-S ,f .:•:•■',•-/+:;..' T-i ',."■, ■ V",' ' . Jc -S : -• 
 
 ''»>\;y^ -•-'"? " Secoridlv. could the (TOVflrnTnpnV Kavp sfXMirorl ct^r,an 
 
 
 
 Secondly, could the Government have secured a loan at 4 percent at 
 
 par? Mr. Hall tried in Paris last spring, and could not obtain anything 
 
 •better than 94 per cent for a loan at 4 per cent interest. Let us hear no 
 
 :■. more about a loan issued at par. However, let us try a few sums in simple 
 
 arithmetic, while siipposiug a loan issued at 4 per cent at par. -. r. ..;, 
 
 . : v "The sura of $4,106,461, borrowed at par, for 4 per cent, interest, gives 
 
 v^ aa annual interest of $164,260. . ';: • '"^ '.';>! ;■ vV .'. - v 
 
 ■■;t . 
 
 ■=vi «•' 
 
 
 ■J. 
 
 -v., '■•>',.». 
 
 V. ..>-.. ■..■•■■' 
 
 !'v-:.; 
 
 ?>^,-;'t: 
 
 'i ^,M /•t"] 
 
 an int( 
 
 (I r 
 
 year. 
 
 II r 
 
 will hi 
 had to 
 
 jiar. 
 
 "] 
 sand ( 
 ^1,065, 
 
 W 
 
 metic 1 
 
 cent., ■ 
 
 ivm, 
 
 cent., 
 added 
 neat to 
 
 •of $5,1' 
 pay in 
 succee( 
 
 ■'■:V.v .■■■" 1 
 
 \^-;'.;> 
 
 '>^^•'>■Tt 
 floated 
 At the 
 cent. 
 
 ■■■i:. TV ' 
 
 ■■^■■\'-. ■ 
 ^i|o issu» 
 
 J^fltt 4 pe 
 
 r'thaU'; tl 
 
 ;••».' ■'.^ ■>■■■. -1 
 
 :-'-•'',■ «i t 
 ■■f-i,-;.:. ■...-, i 
 
 'riKese $ 
 rifiind \ 
 i^>,433, 
 
 - -■ ■ c 
 
 of intei 
 ^■tiiiles, 8 
 
 "I 
 •;f hough 
 
 1-^ ,-. 
 
 TV-*-. 
 
 iS' 
 
sacn- 
 ribed 
 
 y re- 
 aid o 
 sixty 
 sated 
 most 
 lared 
 J^ and 
 saved 
 d in- 
 )ut to 
 
 later 
 iropi!. 
 ^ Pro- 
 Here, 
 
 their 
 jr Mr. 
 • here 
 iished 
 larely 
 
 83 
 
 "The sum of $5,172,412, borrowed by Mr. Taillon, at 3 per ceut., gives 
 an interest of |156,172. 
 
 " The difference of interest in favor of the Taillon loan is $9,078 per 
 year. 
 
 "Thus, thanks to that so-rauch-criticized transaction, the Province 
 will have to pay, during HO years, each year $9,078 less than it would have 
 hud to pay, if it could have secured a loan of $4,106,461, at 4 per cent., at 
 par. 
 
 " But, it may be said, it is scarcely worth talking of those nine thou- 
 sand dollars, when at the end of sixty years we will have to return 
 11,065,951, over and above the $4,100,461 due to-day ! 
 
 "Well, then ! Here is exactly where the mistake comes in. Any arith- 
 metic will tell you that a revenue of one dollar per year, placed at four per 
 cent., will produce in 60 years $238. Consequently this little sum of 
 S!\078, that we would have had to pay had we not borrowed at four per 
 cent., will produce $238 times more; that is to say, $2,160,564, which^V^.v.>^^^^^^^ 
 
 piayable iii tJU years 
 of $5,172,412; the future generation, thanks to Mr. Taillon, will 
 pay in sixty years $1,094,613 less than it would have to pay had 
 succeeded in borrowing at four per centvi...;^^.^v./>v^>;- ;•;; i-^rCv*/ ' ' 
 
 have i(y^;'-S''^"^m{ 
 Mr. Hall--^-;.:iS:^^^ 
 
 V',, .; V ■■d-t •; vA- :/f-;:^- f-^;:;.;-^-^^ . ;'• --VvV ^:;.:^K:.:^-^M^£>^. 
 
 -.^>>,:'. :■ -IS llilo Clcal t;uuuyu..»r.v. v;\-^-.. r/'jt,-.; ••. ,'.;».».•,!'->:.)."■-*. Cir^^ .V*^•^ ■•■*■"- <■r/'-'•''^ \'-"''' '-'V'vr 
 /■'«'... '. . . . ^ ..... J.. . .... .. '>^ j.. '.;-."'.' i ■..,'». rj/*^ jj^' 
 
 >v;*.^These calculations are made under the supposition that Mr. Hall had;:':^';'!:'^^>^;^^!o 
 floated his contract of four per cent, at par. A Florida-water supposition^'-- 'iV- ;(yr-i^^ 
 At the.beginniug of this. year he could not find a^ rate higher than 94^pe5y ^LVv^^^^^^^ 
 cent..':;-:.v>.-\;-5-;;'3i-j:^,;.tO-,, -: .:»-^:.-:;'Vi' - -^ ^■u'-'--^:>^:.:\-^/^:'i^:'.:^.\--:^yJ'-::v^ri-.^^ht. 
 
 •-^§ii<iiV^tli^^e tnS^ would'h^v^l'iiS:^':^^-^^- "^'-^ "-^ 
 
 of interest obtained by Mr. Taillon;'audJ^hich:'the S/flr laughingly ridi-^^^ 
 li«ul^;:as if the result was a trifle unworthy of iptteiitlon.,^,;!:.:v.^>^^,y^ 
 
 ^^'•^"Mtr. Taillon maybe a Conservative, tlie: iVci/towrt/ is not ridiculous ''/r^r^vV 
 enough to censure him while he is saving the Province's money;'*;;;^ -...^^y^ ,■ .■• 
 
 , . ...... . . . ,. .; ■, ? ■■••'i'v*"'"'' '''. .•'■■>'' 
 
 :'':'y-'-:c' ■-•:;-:'■', sV.-.;.*/: :yv. <'•>•-. ,,v^v; i•;E^;^;J • •<-;vv v. %>>, .-:;;v'^ 7'.; ,; V/;^*- ':..■• r'". ■ ; 
 •'.■..■■. :,- 'l '■" -.'.^ , ■ ••*, : ■ i/ .■..- ..■ .-...■.•. ,- ' ;».".. •...•,•;•- -,'•".•■■ >'.■. 'i '■:•->. .-A^, ■ ■ . ■■■■■ . n.'.':; ,.' ■ ■ 
 
 ^~ ■"-•■■■■•' -■'■ 'V.vt.,'..- i\v. <••.;.■;;"' -'-■■■ •■■■ •• '■■ <:v'•?'■■.^^•^■.■'<^ *■ : ' ' ' 
 
 m 
 
 
t imz 
 
 
 84 
 
 It is a Liberal organ that thus squarely approves of the loan that the 
 Liberals tried to make a scandal out of against the Conservative Grovern- 
 ment. 
 
 This avowal on the part of an hostile press is a peremptory answer to 
 the diatribes of our opponents 
 
 For the population of a country, the weight of a loan is always calcu- 
 lated by the weight of interest. Even though you tell me that the capital 
 of such a loan is higher than the capital of such other one. if the annual 
 interest which the people must pay for the second is lower than that which 
 must be paid for the first, it is an evident advantage lor those v/ho pay. 
 
 It is true that in 60 years the future generations will be face to face 
 with a somewhat higher debt than had the rate of interest, paid each year, 
 been higher. But if we calculate the value represented by the decrease of 
 interest during sixty years, we will be convinced that the second operation 
 must be more advantageous to the Province. ;>.i.y; 
 
 Let us take an example that will more clearly explain the compar- 
 ison. Two farmers borrow |1,000 each for ten years. The first only 
 receives $90 for each $100 obligation, but he only pays 3 per cent., the 
 other receives flOO, that is at par, but he pays 4 per cent. The first loses 
 $100, it is true, of the capital, but he will save $10 per year interest, or, 
 for the ten years, $100 that the second will pay pyer and above him. 
 Which one makes the better bargain ? 
 
 
 V in.-- 
 
 
 
 .^V 
 
 , i 
 
 The loan is virtually equal in both cases. This is the whole secret 
 of the,TaiU4)n Iqaniat $77 (3 p.c) and qf.th&M^^^ (4 p.c.) 
 
 V.lv'I^lhrs^^^ of Mr. Taillon had for effect the elevation of the 
 
 Province's credit, inasmuch as it placed the Province in the rank of the 
 countries tha,t .can,, borrow at low rates of interest. :,/-,.>':,;;;: 
 
 At first start, we had to make a slight sacrifice to obtain this result, 
 but the value of all our other operations remained, and, when two years 
 later, we had to contract the last loan to complete paying off the floating 
 :;debt left\B5^' Mr. Mercierf''\^e; obtained for our obligations bearing 4 per 
 cent, iaterest a figure, that had never bt^fore been obtained by our Prov- 
 ince : that is $105 for each $100 obligation, in other words 5 p.c. premium. 
 This shows that Mr. Taillon's transaction of 1894, instead of injuring the 
 credit ol the Province, only raised it. : V'r,'4i 
 
 One of the arguments used by tlie Liberals against the Taillon loan 
 in 1894, was that we could have used the seven millions that the Pacific 
 railway owes the Province for the purchase of the North Shore road, and 
 on which, since then, we had to agree to a reduction of the interest paid 
 by the Company. 4.Ci'''^:\'^r';/-''S^:''-''' ' :; :'-V-'/'-' ■'■,'' 
 
 t^ . ■ .. ^' . i \ ■(''.'''' .', f" ■'''■ 'T \ ."'-• '*"'v- * -.*.!,'■' rf ■■ - 
 
 -■,■•.-. . >' ^'- 1* '■"*•■• ■ .*■»■■;■,'•* 
 
 '*-'i ' '. »■■ ■ ' " ■ ' ' '. ';■■'' t". '^.'" •<*''• fc l.'-"'\ -'.■■."''* .' ' ' '''"■•»'•'.■,*■''*:■! '•*,' ■'■'-* 
 
 ■•'■■--■ ■■T 
 
 .forth 
 
 ■^.'irthe sn 
 
 'ist-tjbonds 
 
 r°fbrme 
 
 ' ra 
 
 ■:■ 'J ■K.--::.-'^.' 
 
t the 
 vern- 
 
 ver to 
 
 alcu- 
 apital 
 
 Liiuial 
 vhich 
 
 y- 
 
 ) face 
 
 year, 
 
 ase of 
 
 ration 
 
 mpar- 
 only 
 t., the 
 ; loses 
 it, or, 
 him. 
 
 secr(?t 
 
 .•■>sT.- ■■■;., '-i 
 
 ■r-: ■■': '- :■ 
 5f the ■ 
 >f the,^ 
 
 85 
 
 Here is the solid reason why we refused to apply these seven millions 
 to the payment of Mercier's loan : These . $7,000,000 were effected by the 
 statutes of 1882 for the wiping out of the loans of 1874, 1876 and 1878. 
 Read the clauses of the law (Statutes of 1882, p. 106). 
 
 " Her Ma-jesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislature 
 of Quebec, ordains as follows : ? ?S'-: 
 
 " 1st. The price of the sale of the two sections of the 'Quebec, Mon- 
 treal, Ottawa and Occidental railroad/ shall be used for, the payment of the 
 consolidated debt of the Province. ;;?Av'.^ vi;v^^xl'-v^'-'r^^''i^tt^-^'^^^^ 
 
 " 2nd. That price will enter into the fiinas CresitM' fer otf 
 
 of the loans effected in virtue of the Acts 37 Vict., chap, 2 ; 39 Vict., chap. 
 4, and 41 Vict., chap. 1. :^^^:\y0 ■:i'^^^0^/f:^M:fi^ 
 
 ;;»•- v.yu gj.^ ipjjg g^j^ Q^ three millions of dollars, payable according to thi^.';?:^^%-"Wi1" 
 conditions of the contract of sale of the Western section, after six months'^ ; ' :|^:> ; ^/ 
 notice, or after the expiration of the twenty years, by the Canadian Pacific';::*vij;^);v5^^ 
 Railway Company, will be employed for the payment of the three milliou^^^'v?/? ^^: 
 dollar loan, made in virtue of the Act, 41 Vict., chap. 1, which will cotiif^?-r-i^<l^'^^ 
 plete the sinking fund created for the redeeming of that loaii;-i'?vv't:1i-'p<>^y--^'^ 
 
 ^ix;?- 
 
 'X.v';: 
 
 ^*4th. The sum of three millioii^^five hundred thousand dollar^J^^ays^".; .. 
 
 able at term, according to the conditions of the contract of sale of the'^^'i^; - -^i-y^^ 
 
 ■ ^Eastern section, by the Northern Railway Company, will be employed aifij^yZ^;^;)-:^.^; 
 
 well for the payment of the loan made in virtue of the Act, 39 Vict., chapv^s;.-:t..^V^^^^ 
 
 4, and the sum of five hundred and fifty-nine thousand seven hundred ani|> >^,i^;-^^^^^^ 
 
 ■f seventy dollars and thirty-three cents, will be taken from the balance of' -'--f:^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 '><'» 
 
 •esult, 
 years 
 )atiug- 
 4 per 
 Prov- 
 aium. 
 ig thm^ 
 
 -.'v. 
 
 .' '' ' y.: ' 
 
 I loan 
 
 'acific 
 
 I, and 
 
 paid 
 
 ■ ■'^^gmployed for the payment, so fur, of the loan made in virtue of the Act, S^Tv i/t*vf/^ 
 Vict., chap, 2, and will constitute part of the sinking fund created for the ;/;!^^^^^ 
 
 redeeming of that \oa;ti^\f''::^fyr(/.^.-y^.:,,'y-^ .^V-- '•"; ,:::"'^''\;- ,:';;.'K ■■:.■•''■.::'. •:v^^ : :'^li:^'^^: ■.['■'■ •^:. 
 
 ■V:- ;:: TtisifrvreryMeki^^^ of the PaGiiic:ar6;(destined, by a laAATyS^y. ;;• 'v^ 
 
 for the payment of the loans of^^THv 1876, ^nd 1878. Aiid at the tin^;0fj>g,;Cj^ 
 
 >.'>,the subsequent loans, as an encouragement to the purchasers of our new;v!v•;05^ 
 
 '^rjbonds, the Province plumed itself on the ia<^t that the sinking funcl fpr therV ^'jl; :%:';;'^ 
 
 '''former loans was solidly established, thanks to these !|7,rOO,000;;':;>^-;;^|;^.^'(j ^^^^^ 
 
 This consMeration must' fiiix^ ciiused'tttariy sraall cajyitaiists fo pur-: /;■ /^ -r>: 
 chase our paper. So that the good faith of the Province demands the ^ ^ ' ;" 
 respecting of the 1882 law. Who cftn. tell what damage might not be 
 caused to the Province's credit by a rnisappropriation of the sinking fund 
 thus effected by the 
 
 
 
 le statutes of 1882 ? Such, a course might raise a storm, on 
 
 [y^'V-'-'' -y^^'y^^-i^^^^^^ ■■■''"■ 
 
the IParis and London markets, and the holders of biir debentures might 
 have accused the Province of Quebec of having diminished the guarantees 
 in consideration of which they had loaned their money, and of not keeping 
 
 Certainly our adversaries will say : but you pointed out, yourselves, 
 
 y>;tf^..r^^^^^ intention by your law of 1893. To this we reply : by the law of that 
 
 ^!^|;v"'Si?ession we desired to secure a legal right which we would be at liberty to 
 
 |(;||j|iiiise or not use. If our 'iredit would not have permitted to otherwise meet 
 
 ;^:;*^:fthe $4,000,000 when due, then, to avoid dishonor, we would have over- 
 
 tM;|'^V''leaped all objections, and of two evils, the non-applying of the sinking 
 
 >l^';^^«;fuud of 1882, or bankruptcy — we would have chosen the lesser, that is the 
 
 P^I^^>B':?ion-applyiug of the law of 1882, But as the Government could do other- 
 
 ^^^^Jmise, it was its duty 4o^r:efrain:'fIX);p, turning, i:ji^^v|5^/00 
 
 |fe.d>8tatut0^..,cha^ 
 
 ".^^i^/v^'^i^^ all others, the speakers and newspapers of the 
 
 ^'!^^fi;^;/;.MLiberal party make a loud noise, but despite all their bravado, they have 
 
 r^^ll^/tliVSfhever dared formulate an accusation against Mr. Taillon, or against any 
 '%H:^^v;f':^^j3ona else. They confined themselves to shouting, but when there wa.s 
 ^J^^^;l^^^"v■f4^^*^^^ anything that could touch the honor or integrity of 
 
 
 -.i.t^.y.:'. -• 
 
 x&'W^^t^M^m^M'S^i^MK}':^. 
 
 
 .tii.. 
 
 ■■"■ S'"<;;'''^'.: 
 ••I)."" "yi-** •'" • ■•;'" 
 
 r^te''."-!-.-'" $>■' 
 
 of enlari 
 the lega 
 say the 
 lor Witt 
 bniei of <'i 
 were qui 
 
 ^^ :Sev 
 $249,00 ( 
 Andrew 
 was to 
 their tci 
 drew's 
 ; furnish 
 ,v.S(3S8iona 
 
 ;I]^^lMei 
 report o 
 a recons 
 lieW ten 
 
 ■:'.-''Ho 
 
 1890, n( 
 
 ^% 
 Cr 
 
 Bn 
 
 .Oiw<e4''1^''l>Jt^'t^ 
 
 ^inixed up; affairs, one of the most incomprehensible, a,nd one of the nastiest •■^: 
 
 
 »i^fi;^/ iv>;;'. ^riieht had ^4^^ and improvements in tha:F 
 
 «^»i^vv^''"':>v ;■ b sum ara^:tQ-.::bft found $18,178.35 paid for the pur- 
 
 ;^;;^/|.;:: chase of a small church, situated-;- iiigatf : the Court House— the intention 
 
 ^iv^f^^il^^Cy.:, .being to extend the Court House iti that direction. That was the original 
 
 |>i|^?^j|;;yv<':plan, otherwise + he purchase of that property was unnecessary, and the 
 
 |r.'^?IV»^^^Sv:^P"^^ paid for it was lost money to the Province. After having spent over 
 
 |i^y?ftji^?.'f(^^^^ in various repairs (see Journals of Legislative Assembly, 1893, 
 
 ' - .1 -- - - ivoyk. 
 
 .V -■-■•■ 
 
 ^;;tOhartra 
 
 ;'i:Berger'; 
 
 '^Hother^^ 
 
 .'meiltip; 
 
 ' " .i- / ■ ." ■ ;■*■■■■ 
 
 of Berf 
 
 M 
 
 ■ Ts 
 ,&.Co'? 
 
-m:^:?s- 
 
 might 
 mtees 
 oping 
 
 elves, 
 )f' that 
 rty to 
 meet 
 over- 
 nking' 
 is the 
 other- 
 
 sment. 
 
 of the" 
 have 
 it any i 
 3 was ' 
 dty of ■ 
 : into 
 
 Wx'^Mf^'^M^'^K'''^' 
 
 •i>^' ■< 
 
 oronlarg'ihg me Court Hoiise; whi'cii liad loiig since Been aslced for by all 
 the legal fraternity ; but, instead of following the original plan, that is to 
 say the utilizing of the ground bought for that purpose in 1887, and paid 
 for with $18,178.35, the Liberal Government abandoned that project for 
 one of enlarging by the addition of .ajtoy^^^^^^^^ 1890, tenders ;;;, ^; 
 
 were. called for. C'^^y-'"' yk^'^-\^':''-'^^''-i^ :,:'>';&?■:; 
 
 SeveTarcontTactofS tefide^^^ 
 
 
 
 ■-?% 
 
 ■■•••." * . ■ . ' 
 ■;■ : V •• • r'f 
 
 wors^:^' 
 stiesl;^':] 
 esent 
 
 vernC^! 
 
 th£rir^\ 
 
 pur- 
 ation 
 ginal 
 I the 
 over 
 1893, 
 vork 
 
 their tender, the steel to be furnished at 5 cents per pound ; in Mr. ■AjirfrJi^^^iJ'.^^^U 
 drew's case, he oftered to deduct $1,100 for the woodwork, and offered tpvji.vVr-s;^':'^- 
 furnish the steel for 6 cents per pound. (See document Noi:v4!7i;pp^1l^6/li,r'"'^^j^fj;!^ 
 Sessional -Eapera,.^6L^ 2^^II,y: 189Q). ■ ■. ■ ... : ;;^ -;;, .. ■:.. ., ■:. ■.. ^ M'^-^xi:^^'-':''! '':<A:r^P^-:^^^^T^W^ 
 
 ' Messrs. Perreault a,hd Mesiiard, ^tfie^goveriimeDt architects, niade aH'rl'<SS'^5'«*^^' 
 rt on these tenders, but not agreeing iti their cstima,tes they suggested;;-^ "iC'!-^^^^ 
 
 ; R. 6hj!,rtrand 
 
 H. Bbvirgoih &r 
 
 ;■ C. Berger & Co,i-.^'sf^^^;if,^'^l-:^f\^^iy-^i^'-^i 
 - Brunei, Laurier " '" 
 
 :" (See Document 
 
 ''^Ohartrand & Co. was in accordance ;>^iththe:-G6nd^ ^^^!:^£^ 
 
 y less the guarantee clause which was left blank, iand that the teMer of Dh^ '"'" ''^.^ 
 
 Borger & Co. was in all respectsin accord- with their eStimate.^^; A^ to the .,^, ^ ,_^'^?^ 
 
 f- others the architects seem to ha^eerosseiif^tli^e^^ nol^ ^l^lil, 
 
 ^Imeiiti^: the names pf^lhfe; 8ub-coutractpf|8^^(^;_^ise:^ ^$^''^^W 
 
 i;^i$;! -f'-There tlii^'^q^J^-'^^^?^-^^ ^^^ Berger brider8..j5'.>?v'^-:i^ fSP^ 
 
 "v\4vl^^e M^rcier^^ lea{)ed on the higher of the tv^c>,^at. 
 
 of Bergerv^(3ix,i:'y^i6h^^8ked 1194,999. ;--r;i>iJ;;:^^^ %.: •■^''•:> ^:^ 
 
 :•, -^ Why spT3-v a■^^c:^ :^:?^/:.., 
 
 M^ 
 
 ¥" 
 
 ^'1 
 
 ::^;M 
 
 •?W;. ,:^'' 
 
 ^!;<i^ 
 
 
 1|il 
 
88 
 
 The Chartraud tender was absolutely identical with the Berger one, 
 except that it was |lo,09i) lower ; as to the securities, a cheque for $10,000 
 accompauied each of the lenders as evidence of good faith in the tenderers. 
 
 The difference between the two in price was suificiently large to cause 
 the government to rellect and to ask other securities from Chartrand & Co. 
 if the $10,000 cheque was not suflicient. 
 
 Not at all ; the 1st September 1890 (see the same document p. 20) the 
 Government accepted the Berger tender and passed a contract with that 
 firm for the enlarging of the Montreal Court House, leaving aside a tender 
 equally as regular and far lower in price. — This is the first enigma. 
 
 :'.: 1, The contract called for the completion of the work on the 1st Sep- 
 ^M&r'i'^- iieniber, 1891, giving one year for the execution of the work. The estimate 
 f#>^"'v^ P to the contract mentioned all that was to be done, except the heat- 
 
 Why was this omis- 
 
 v;;..t'/fing, stairways, ventilation, plumbing, and drainage. 
 ':^!V^il^sion made ^ Enigma number two. ^-'^'-yi^-^ 
 
 •^&: 
 
 li^M'i tn^^lrl-'tst^^ any Ga,se the work was commenced on the 3rd December. 1890. 
 ''''ff;^^\^;::)^'^pver a year afterwards, instead of having the work completed, Mr. Berger 
 ^''C, •? '^^^^^^^^^^ a claim for damages, pretending that he had been prevented 
 
 '-jg*"^-'t,->^from carrying on the work bv different difficulties arising from sundry 
 ^..i#:/''?^teauses (see Document No. 48. p' 17, vol. 26-27—111 1892). ', .- ;i^ 
 
 ■f^-!:^\!^':'--:.'-- ■/ The mess was now at its worst. A contract was given to tear^down 
 
 iS^D%''^;;'S>?' part of an old building in order to add a new story to it. Men in the 
 
 l?j?,3>f"l^!i:>'^business should know that if they can tell where such a work is to begin, 
 
 a^^M^'"^' they never can state where it is to end. So it was with the Montreal 
 
 ^' 'l't.<:-..'iv QP^^t House. An old building, the inside of which had been divided and 
 
 ^i^y'y:(siMilif-'0p'^i7i every imaginable way, it was impossible to know what the 
 
 :!v''lV'^l^^^^^ walls hid under its coating. In his memorandum, submitted 
 
 ■:;?^^>^'V-^" 1892, to establish his <'laim to damages, Mr. Berger said, that 
 
 ^ij^i?-'^' •if^^;/he was obliged to demolish and rebuild whole walls, for he perceived that 
 
 '^.^ir'i;- •"- ';*.ijh^^ state would endanger the rest of the building. And so it was 
 
 „•.» ■'•/r^i^i^i — 4-„ *!,„ — A So much so, that of the old building the four stone 
 
 v:>^Tight on to the end 
 
 the archi 
 Mesnard. 
 Committ 
 
 As w 
 beat out 
 
 The 
 
 Co., to st 
 original 
 III. 1892 
 
 The 
 conform 
 the princ 
 page 14) 
 contract, 
 which th 
 in his tes 
 were pur 
 
 Und 
 
 ters stoo 
 Mr. Nan 
 best arch 
 Mr. Step 
 ined and 
 iu what 
 hal f of .y 
 tioned:0' 
 tell 
 
 the 
 
 m^^(^- 
 
 :^^^ixf^frr plugged up, walls to be torn do wn,^ pillars, to be,,replji!C^!d;,,in..;a.yrprdi, it -■; 
 
 :irj^':-/^;'^'r^'^-- was the quintessence of chads, -r^; "' u ' ''■ l^S''-':''--'\y:/'\'"^i^.^:'^"\'":i^^:^''- -'^^^-^^ ■'■.■'■ ip 
 
 ^ ,^^.i^>^ Of that sum $147,000 had already been paid to the contractori^, v^; 
 
 ^l^^\..y-''^y':''^''S^TgQT & Co. But there were extras, or additional work done to the value 
 of $100,000, namely, $45,237 82, plus $9,500, plus $55,289 99 certified to by 
 
 t;drirjdd5 
 I %bie#i 
 
 1-4*0 :;■ QU( 
 
 I im>Tk die 
 
 ■•. ''X Ci ; ■'■■•; 
 ■i:-l .•:•■• -'•' 
 ■■•■: '■"'■ ■'"•... ,1,.: 
 ■ '■,;,•;■-■ ' 
 
 o^y-' 
 
 h thiat^Ty'e 
 . brokeaj 
 
 (the fou: 
 
 i. 
 
one, 
 0,000 
 erers. 
 
 cause 
 Ifc Co. 
 
 3) the; 
 1 that 
 ender 
 
 ;Sep- 
 imate 
 heat- 
 omis- 
 
 1890. 
 erger 
 jnted 
 ndry 
 
 lown 
 1 the 
 egin, 
 treal 
 and 
 L the 
 itted 
 that 
 that 
 was > 
 tone ' 
 lew. 
 
 tor a- < 
 
 , it.'.Vi, 
 
 llue:<^: 
 
 > by 
 
 89 
 
 the architects named by the Mercier Government, Messrs. Perreault and 
 Mesuard. (See deposition of Mr, Perreault before the Public Accounts 
 Committee of 1895, in answer to Hon. Mr. Nantel). 
 
 As we see, things were badly mixed up, and the extras threatened to 
 heat out the principal contract. 
 
 The 8th February, 1892, Hon. Mr. Nantel, ordered Messrs. Berger & 
 Co., to stop all extra works and to keep strictly inside the limits of the 
 original or principal contract. (See document No. 48, p. 13, Vol. 26-27— 
 III. 1892. 
 
 The 12th February, the Messrs. Berger replied that they were ready to 
 conform to these orders, but they remarked that they could not work on 
 the principal contract until certain additional works were completed. (Ibid. 
 page 14) ; the extras, therefore, became more necessary than the principal 
 contract, which shows the ignorance, not to use a stronger term, with 
 which this contract was given. Mr. Perreault had evidently a right to say 
 in his testimony before the Public Accounts Committee, that many iten^s 
 were purposely omitted. -?f<({>^-^:. '^^•■^^'VfOr^-Ji^^/^-p'. 
 
 Under these circumstances it became necessaty "to fl!na out how mat- 
 ters stood, what had been done, and what remaincid to be done, and Hon. 
 
 Mr. Nantel commissioned Messrs. Hutchison and Raza, two of Montreal's ?^^*^%r ..^j 
 
 best architects, one of whom, Mr. Hutchison, had been recommended by ;;.■ ;»|' 
 
 Mr. Stephens, Liberal member for Huntingdon, to have the works exam- ^„.Jy;.;;v 
 
 iued and to see how much remained to be done- Would you like to know vV?«^: 
 
 in what state these gentlemen found the Court House, after a year and a :'^:<'^'^^, 
 
 half of ■ -..--..- ^ -, „ ..V..S,.,- 
 
 tioned on 
 tell yoit^iV,''. 
 
 torn dpwiii and broken up, eyBtt'i^^rtain parts were damaged, and props hajdj^:. 
 
 ■ '■■■.'■■Chr-u-:. 
 
 '%roken^;rotteJi, and the ,b«jlding,\yas yer^.o\d^,':'r:ii'i:.M^^^ "-".■' ^'Ic'i t^'jHvv--^'^ 
 
 > "^>''''''Me8ti6ii ?■ /'^ ;^^ 
 
 ■f ■ 
 
 '•v-;-^.^: 
 
 ^M^l^&)'^:) 
 
 •• *"■; 
 
 l'I. .*" 
 
 . ■•■'•■';■.■'■'.''.•■■• "■■ 
 
90 
 
 Answer: '•! think that the cost was about twenty-eight thoupand 
 dollars ($28,000). In any case, the exact account is to be found in a special 
 estimate, made expressly for that purpose." 
 
 Question : " Were you obliged to repair certain work done in thf 
 building, in the; cupola V" 
 
 Answer : " Yes, when we came to do the plastering in the cupola, Wf 
 noticed that the dome sank, in certain parts, seven inches, and that the 
 beams which supported it in the centre had sunk four, live and six inches, 
 and that the columns supporting the dome were not strong enough." 
 
 This should suffice to prove that the Berger contract was a farce, 
 intentionally or not, that must cost the Province a handsome sum. 
 
 All that could be done was to make the most of it, and that is what 
 the Groverument did in continuing the work, with all possible economy. 
 But the business was badly started, and the effects of that start were felt 
 lor a long time afterwards. 
 
 The whole affair cost 11,166,240 00 
 
 Of that sum the Mercier Government is 
 responsible for the following : 
 
 Paid before 21st December, 1891 $ 192,086 23 
 
 .;y.;i": .' Paid since that date up to the 15th 
 ..:'•;";' November, 1894, for workt: author- 
 
 ized before the 21st December, 
 yr'^:-, 1891. (See Report of Commissioner r^<vV^-s:i;,>;^i;';^;-<^^ 
 
 ^i^^: of Public Works, for 1894, p. 188.) iM,2&l2j6^§;^; 
 
 ^r on the first . /.-.,.,,.: ;v.>-r^5^'v'!;;c,,, .,,...,,,.:;, . 
 the MercieiJ^vy^-^^|?^,{;^v;;-^/X* 'i^^^^^i^iA^p 
 
 ■ lll^I6-^i:^3f^?i{^f;^4'^:^ '-^-'^^ 
 
 *;|^ . •:■;» '..-ViV'-A ol Public Works, tor 
 
 .m¥^-^^^-ii^.^'i^;0^m of Mr. Chas. Berge 
 ' ^T- ^%^A^-j*i^^ ;' "^^ given by 
 
 f %S^:£^-jM';^?^ee answer No. 49 to ^'^m^^'dfM-i^^^^-^^r^'^-M^ ' 
 
 M:-::i^;0'^-'-'''^'i''^^^^^^ House dated 9th January, 1897). ^\j^;(;-;;':^,:l^>(:.^v^-/v;-rf^^ 
 
 •;H''' ;'..v •■■,• ■ 
 
 ■•"-■■rt ■.. ■ *^. . . . ■ .• 
 
 Church and other repairs undej.; : X ^. ''f 
 
 ''-k'-Wr J^^ Mercier,. U-ovemment. .,..*-..»..v:;]-'-'i^^^^94^':*r8 '''''-- ■■'--'^'^-■^'':^:' 
 
 m:-:;y^ym'''^mMm'5^^^ 531.632 ts^i^t 
 
 ;^;- ■' ^'lle- ainbtiiif of ' ' wofk-''a^ 
 
 The 
 evidence 
 of the " ( 
 
 Thef 
 Mercier ( 
 must de(] 
 Mercier < 
 
 Sotl 
 the best 
 
 The 
 
 architect 
 
 It C( 
 
 Wh( 
 demolist 
 spent, 
 had to h 
 at heav> 
 
 The 
 Mercier 
 good arc 
 its archi 
 
 The 
 mittee, 
 
 Let 
 which,: 
 July, 18 
 
 buildin< 
 from th( 
 four w a 
 
 .•.■•vGases; ti 
 
 ...-■■' -"- ■-■:*1' ■ 
 
 will be. 
 interior 
 form an 
 Court P 
 
 ;|^■|v;>•V;<^■^4^t:';/^;;■;^^;:j; paid lor by the present ,^ G-oxern-v::'-;:'o;:' ^'VJi^r^j' ■'■:'^^^^ , .thecou 
 
 ^^^' '. v'^; '■■ .-:•:' ;■ ■ /: ;"i:V-'''-'^®"* ^^ consequently:^^y.;;;;U^ii,iV;>f^^ . $ 634,607 70^'^^. a-'^ ; ■S^^i'^^^: 
 
zs:. 
 
 ' I:: 
 
 • ■■*.' ■* 
 
 ■^' 
 
 
 
 ■'■.iy 
 
 ■■■'Ti,. 
 
 Dl 
 
 The Mercier Government spent |531,632.t5, and accordinc? to the- 
 evidence of the architects nothing almost had been done for it. The hand 
 of the " Clique " had surely left its impress there. 
 
 These figures, moreover, provo that for a contract of $194,000, the 
 Mercier Government had already spent !|45:>,038.02, wh",n it fell,— for we 
 must deduct from the sum of 1531,632.85 the $89,000 also spent by the 
 Mercier Government, but anterior to this contract. 
 
 So that in this case, as in others, the Conservative government made 
 the best of a bad job. 
 
 The Liberals call this a scandal, bjcause it all cost dearly and that the 
 architects were dear. 
 
 It cost dearly because the undertaking was badly commenced. 
 
 When the Conservative government came in everything had been 
 demolished, and almost nothing built up, yet nearly $300,000 had been 
 spent. It was necessary to recommence, and the judges and court officials 
 had to have offices. Much of this work had to be repaired at night time, 
 at heavy expense, so as not to delay the courts. 
 
 The architects were paid a high price. Less, however, than under the 
 Mercier government. Moreover, it was impossible to secure the work ot 
 good architects at low prices when the Mercier government had granted to 
 its architects the full tariff, or, in other words, whatever they asked.,., •'i;:^?... 
 
 The Liberals sought for this scandal before the Public Accounts CoiB.;p:,'( 
 mittee, but they found nothing. i^^ii~^;i^y:ii{---'\^^^>.'^:^i^^ 
 
 ■/■•*» i 
 
 Let us close with a quotation from the Palrie, a good Liberal organ, 
 which, after visiting the Co'"rt House as completed, stated on the 13th 
 
 '■0Cr;'*sWe must say that the work being done in the reconstruction of this 
 , btiilding is immense, herculean ; so much so that all has been made over i.. 
 
 ^;l^^v^^ 
 
 
 
 
 i^^^yi,:^K, 
 
 ;-vcase8, the offices of the employees, the Patrie adds: l:y^y.\^-:-.f^-*r^''rV^^:--'^':^^^^ 
 
 iii;:' "Finally," air the liMe details show how ihipiortaht the irnprovements ; -^^v^^ 
 'ilwill be. Nothing old will be found, unless it be the external walls ; the ^^^p^^)';:{-li<:\ 
 J interior walls have all been made over in the new, and it would be hard ^<>P':;^''j^V'f!fy:^- 
 ^"^ form an idea of the amount of work necessary to complete these changes. This^v;;v:^:*^-t-:. >, 
 V Court House undertaking is not the most advantageous in the world for : 
 ;■ the country, for it will swallow up a clear million. But we need not be ' 
 
 ■ •-.■■''"■ ■■ ■■.ik 
 
 ^•v'- 
 
 •■■■}■■ 
 
 xj ■;■,■■■ '■■■■ ■>■' 
 
 '.'.'■ H, . " 
 
 
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