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ADMINISTRATION. ffi SPEECH DELIVERED BEFORE HIS CONST JTUE2^'TS ! ^ AT WOODSTOCK, THURSDAY ENENIKG, , ,' J ;' ; , r DECEMBER 12th, 1878. ; '^ .T f ■ . . f-fi.f.rr jvr ■ ■,.'/ The Hon. Oliver Mowat, Premier of Ontario, addressed a meeting of his constituents of North Oxford in the Town Hall, Woodstock, on Thursday night, 12th December, 1878. Mr. T. H. Parker, Mayor of Woodstock, presided, and in addition to Mr. Mowat, Messrs Thos. Oliver, M.P. for North Oxford, John Douglas, President of the Ueforra Association, liev. W. T. McMulleh, and llev. W. B. Parker, occupied seats on the platform. 1 he Chairman, in introdnoing the sjieaker of the evening, remarked that though some people had little faith in the speeches of politicians, iio was sure all present would agree with him when he said that they were fortunate in having as their representative a thoroughly honest and upright man. (Cheers.) After they had heard the plain un- varnished talo that he would deliver as to the work himself and his colleagues had done, they would, he was satisfied, agree with him that Mr. Mowat was the right man in the right place. (Loud cheers.) Hon. Mr. Mowat, on coming forward, was received with warm and hearty cheers. After briefly thanking his constituents for the kindly greeting which thoy had given him, he said : — It is recognized as a litting thing that a representative of the^people should, from time to time, appear before his constituents to give to them an account of whaJ; he had been doing as their representative, and it is fitting also that he would appear amongst them on other occasions. I havo endeavouied i? 4 to (liscliarf^'o this duty, and rorjrct cxccejingly tliat I have not been ablo to visit you more ri'C(j^ucnily. Dominion and Local Politics. Tho mutters under discussion did not rolato to but 1 was doubtless quito within my lino of duty DnruK^ tho last gen oral election contest Thad tho pleasufo of address- ing Hovoriil meetin(,f8 in North Oxford, though 1 attended but one meeting elsewhere. Provincial atlairs ; when, at tho rcqiiestof my conatitucnti, i appeared at those nioetin^s. Opposition newspapers and orators pretend that I was wrrmg.iu doing so. Tlioy s;iy in oIFect that I came too often to North Oxford ; and my visits during tho Dominion elections are urged as forming ono of the strongest reasons why tlie coniidencoof the people of Ontario should be withdrawn from me. It happened that my views upon tho so- called National Policy coincided with the views of my constituents. (Hear, hear, and cheoi's.) Tlio question, whichever side was right with regard to it, was, in the view of all mon, a question on which tho future of this country greatly de[)ended. I5y universal admission tho prosperity of Canada wonhl bo seriously aiiected one way or tho other, whatever conclusion tho people should arrive at in regard to it. In such a case I hold that it was most proper for mo, as a citizen of Ontario, as one interested in its well-being, to appear before my con- stituents, or any others, for the purpose of expressing my views on this great public question. (Hear, hear.) It is quite true that tho Local Government ought to bo independent of the Dominion Govern- ment ; but tliough tho two Governments may be wholly unconnected, yet there is no reason wliy the members of either should not take a lively interest in important concerns with which they have not utlicially to do. (Hear, hear.) In becoming a representative of tho people in the Provincial Assembly, and in taking the position of Premier of tho Local Government, I did not forego the legal and con- stitutional rig'.it which a private individual possesses to take part as opportunity oli'virs in all matters of public interest. The people of Canada liavo declared that in this country there shall bo no connec- tion between Church and State. Does this debar an officer of the State from taking public part in the affairs of his Church '} Does my position in tho State foi'bid my attending Church meetings, to diiicuaa there questions in Avhich I may feel an interest ? There is no reason why I should abstain from taking part in matters relating to tho general welfare of tho Dominion ; and nobody really thinks there is any incongruity about the matter ; the objection is sot up only because those who make it feel that there is no solid reason why the people of Ontario should withdraw from my colleagues and myself that confi- dence which they have extended to us in the past. Our Con.<3titutlonal System. ' V: .M It is now more than eleven years since our prcF-ent constrtutibnat system was established. That event was one of groat importance to our country, and a groat triumph to those whose persevering oflEbrts had brought it about. Before that time other great battles had been fought, and other groat victories had been won, in the interest of the people of, Canada, Tho obtaining of responsible government, tho secularization 'of the clerfty rcsorvc>', tlio cstabliHlnnont of nmnicipal institutions (in spito of the charge luiulo a.^ainst thorn that they woukl be mere " sucking repubUcs "), wore the results of severe and long struggles, and all were victories of great vahio. ]^ut not less diili- cult or less important than these was the establishment of the system which put an end to French Tory rule in the local atlairs of 'Jntario— j ' (cheers^ — placed the management of our local allairs in our ovmi liands, and gave to the Province representation in proportion to our - population in all things of connnon concern. It took a long time to accomjdish these victories ; but now all men, wheif tliey look back, wonder how measures so advantageous to the community, and bo necessary, could have been opposed by anybody. Our new system! has on tlio whole worked with a success surpassing the cxpecta-j tions of its friends. y« The subjects agitated at the late Dominion elections aro snbjccta which do not belong to Provincial jurisdiction ; and in the approaching local elections yon will have n(jthing to do with these subjects. The questions which stirred the country then aro not involved, directly or indircctlyj in the general election which is now drawing near. The Local Legislature has nothing to do with tho tariflf. We can not rai'^o it or diminish it ; iior can wo alter any- thing contained in it. We have nothing to do with Customs duties or Excise duties — nothing to do with tho duties imposed on any articles which we consume, whether made in tho country or out of it. Wo have no power to pass a prohibitory liquor law.] The Dunkin Act is a matter entirely beyond the jurisdiction of tlioj ^ Provincial Legislature. We have no right to repeal it; we have no' right to add auything to its provisions ; avo cannot oven creato by law additional machinery for the purpose of giving legal effect tc its provisions in those localities where the people favour such a law. All these important matters, which occupied attention during the late elections, and on other occasions, we shall have nothing to do with when we come to consider the issues involved in our Pro- vincial elections. But the Provincial Legislature has very large powers. When you call to mind the various branches of jurisdiction which it possesses, you will perceive that they include those subjects with which the great bulk of legislation in Canada before Confederation had to do, and with which tlie great bulk of legislation in free countries generally has to do. Wo have exclusive jurisdiction to regulate our own local constitn-ii tion, except so far as ahects tho ollioe of the Lieutenant-Governor. It > is for the Provincial Legislature — your representatives there — to pay of how many Houses the Legislature shall be constituted, whether as now of one House, the Legislative Asseud)ly, or whether of two Houses, as is the case in most of the other Provinces, It is for the Provincial Legislature to say into how many constituencies the coun- try shall be divided for Provincial representation ; what the qualifi- cations of the members shall be ; what the qualifications of the electors shall be ; and how the controverted elections are to be tried. All matters of this kind affecting the Provincitil Legislature, the Provincial Legislature has fxclusive jurisdiction to deal with. We have §;^clu,sivc ^urisiIicU^n over the subject of the administration of lustice. 6 the most essential function of . every Government. The* Provincial Legiiilature has exclusive jurisdiction over the great Bubjecis of property and civil rights. It has exclusive jurisdiction over all mat- ti^rs afl'ecting our municipal institutions — institutions to which the country owes a large measure of its past prosperity, and on which its future prosperity will likewise largely depend. ITie Provincial Le2 V-.' . ' /' ' The Bonndary Qnesitlons. Another inter-provincial matter that had been left for a Eeform Government to deal with, was the unsurveyed boundary line, between the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Very shortly after Mr. Blake's Government was formed, arningements were made with Lower Ca- nada for running this line. The survey was entered upon promptly, and has been completed to the satisfaction of both Governments aa far northerly as the case required. And thus this iiitor-provincial difficulty was removed. There remained the question ox the boundary between Ontario and the Dominion on our western and northern sides, and in this matter tho difficulty was immensely greater, and the land affected of enormously greater value, than in the case of our eastern boundary. Little pro- gress had been made towards the solution ot this problem before Mr. Blake's Government came into power. But immediately upon his assuming the reins of office, he took stops for its settlement. I suc- ceeded him in the work. Exhaustive reports from able men familiar with the subject were obtained. Some of the questions involved i;x the controversy had been in debate for two centuries ; the docu- ments and papers bearing upon the subject were scattered over hundreds of volumes ; nearly ab mpny old maps had to be conault- :# 10 ed ; and documents, bpokd, and maps had to be searched for and examined in London and Paiiau Washington and Albany, Ottawa and Quebec. We managed to collect from all these what was material, and to comprise in a single volume of nounm^nageable dimensions the whole evidence on both Sides of the question ; and we had a map pre- pared which gave at a glance the material results of all the maps which had been consulted. This preliminary work was great and tedious, but it made ultiniate decision easy and prompt. We arranged with the Government of the Dominion that the matter should be submitted to aibitratiou. Objectors declared that we were sure to fail before arbitrators, and that what we should do was to carry the case to th« Trapei'ial Privy Council, instead ^of arbitrating. We did riot concur in that view. Though we estimated highly the ability and learning of the Jtidges of the Privy Council, we thought that on our own side of the Atlantic might be found men as capable as any elsewhere, to decide a case of this kind. Three arbitrators were therefore chosen. The Province of Ontario selected Chief Justice Harrison, who lias since gone to his final rest after a short but brilliant career, and whose death is a great public loss. (Hear, hear.) The Gov- ernment of the Dominion selected Sir Francis Hincks, a resident of Montreal, whose ability and fitness for the post all acknowledged as soon as his name was announced. The third arbitrator selected Tvas the British Minister at Washington, who had been concerned in similar inquiries before, a gentleman of great ability, and in whose judgment and impartiatlity all parties could have confidence. I believe that the general seniment was, that it would not have been possible to find three gentlemen, either in the Privy Council or elsewhere, vrho were wore likely than these were to arrive at a sound conclusion, or who&e conclusion would be more generally accepted as satisfactory. You know the result ; hy the award of the arbitrators a large addition has been made to the territory over which Ontario had theretofore ex- ercised jurisdiction. Among all the important questions which the Government of Ontario has had to deal with since Otmfederation, none was of greater moment to our future than this question of the boundviry between Ontario and the Dominion ; and the award that we have obtained gives to us, not aU that we asked for, and not all that we could and did give pretty strong arguments in support of, but all that our people really desire, and as much as the Province can make bene- licial use of. (Applause.) And so another of the important and dilfi- cult problems which the Government had to deal with was settled, and settled satisiactorily. Consolidation of tbe Statntos. J Again — the statute law of the Province was in a state of chaos when we took office It was many years before that time that the statute law of Canada had been consulidateil. Since that consolidation annual volumes of statutes had been making their appearance ; these repealed some of the laws as tliey stood in 1859, when the first consolidation took ] (lace, and altered and amended others ;dead law had necessarily become mixed up with living law in every volume ; and no volume except the last of the series showed or could show which of the enactments in it were still in force and which were not. If you wanted to know what the statute law was on any subject, you had to consult perhaps twenty It indexes and twenty volumes before you could be reasonably sure what the law was ; and it was with fear and trembling that even a lawyer gave his opinion on any matter of statutory law with which he did not happen to be familiar, lest there should be some enactment somewhere which had some bearing on the matter in hand in some way, and had escaped his attention. The form of the law, facility for as- certaining what the law is, has been said by jurists to be as important as the law itself, if not more important. Then in the Consolidated Statutes of 1859,, and the subsequent volumes up to Confederation, laws now within the authority of the Provincial Legislatvire and Jaws beyond our authority were necessarily intermingled. To pro- vide a remedy for the state of things which I have described, wo appointed a Comuiiasion (of v^hich I was myself a member,) for the purpose of assisting in the coi:»solidation and revision of our whole statute law, striking out everything that was dead, and everything that was seen to be beyond Provincial jurisdiction ; collecting the scattered enactments upon every subject, and fusing them into one chapter ; classifying the Acts thus consolidated ; arranging them in the most convenient way for easy reference ; and providing one index for the whole, instead of the twenty indexes attached to the existing volumes. One of the absurd charges made against iis is, that we employed a Commission for the purpose of doing, or assist- ing in doing, this work. There never yet was an important consolidation r revision of the laws of any country that was not done by a Com- mission, and it is impossible to discharge work of this kinc) otherwise than by a Commission. A majority of the Commissioners held judicial offices. I may say further, that there never was a Com- mission for revising the statute law of any State or country which, in view of the comparative extent of the work, cost nearly as little as our Commission cost. The work too, I may add, was done as well as the work of the best paid Commissioners that had ever similar work to do in any country I know of. (Cheers.) Upwards of twelve hun- dred public general statutes had to be examined, compared, and arranged, and these were ultimately reduced by consolidation to two hundred and twenty-four. In the course of the work the whole body of the statute law underwent legislative revision, as well as consolida- tion. And so we disposed of this very important matter ; and the people are in possession of the results of our work. '" Otber Legislation. .^ -- "When the Reform Government took c *Hce there were many sub- jects on which prompt legislation was needed. Legislation was needed in regard to the arrangement of the constituencies ; m regard to the election laws ; in regard to the courts ; in regard to our muni cipal institutions ; in regard to our laws of property ; in regard to tho solemnization of marriages ; and in regard to a great many other sub- jects : and we have dealt with them all ; and I venture to say we have dealt with them satisfactorily, according to the judgment of our friends and of very many who were not our political friends. Indeed, most of the Acts which have been passed were not even objected to by our opponents, or were objected to very slightly and by very few. 1 have the satisiaction of knowing that our legislation has been more success- ful than the most sanguine of our friends seven years ago had looked - •■ • ''• 12 for, and has frequently received the express approval of both onr friends and others. (Cheers.) Legislation is the chief work which a Legislature meets from time to time to perform.' . ' ' Tbo Finances. • v , ,' I wish now to sav somethisg more respecting our finances, and how it was deemed best that the money at our command from year to year, and the revenue accumulations of previous years, should be employed. Mr. Sandfield Macdonald was the first Premier. At the time he took office it was impossible to foresee, with that degree of certainty necessary for action, what would be the normal revenue under Provincial management, or what under the new system the annual wants and requirements of the Province would be. The amount of the debt for which Ontario and Quebec were liable to the Dominion was also unascertained. For these reasons it was necessary at the start to be very cautious in expenditure. Mr. Sandfield Macdonald was also a man who in public matters loved not to spend, (Hear.) IIo was a personal friend of my own ; we had been on the same .side of the House during the whole period that I was a member before accepting a judgeship; and I was for a time his colleague as Postmas- ter-General when he was Premier of Canada. When the temporary Coalition Government was proposed, to which we are iixdebtedfor Con- federation, he attended the Reform caucus previous to the formation of the Government, and was one of those who voted that three repre- sentatives 5f the Reform party should go into that Government, though he did not wish to be one of the three. I was selected as one ot them; but shortly afterwards I left political life,and I had no part in those subsequent contests in which Mr. Sahdfield Macdonald and the majority of Reformers differed from one another. But I had al- ways a ve»*y great respect for Mr. Macdonald, from what I had known ot him while politically his ally or his colleague. I knew how careful he was in (amongst other things) all matters of finance ; indeed, the saving of money in pt^blic matters had with him been almost a passion. To such causes in part it was owing that he commenced the Provincial expenditure on a very low scale ;but even with him the annual expendi- ture was constantly increasing. For instance, in 1868 his expenditure was $1,192,356 ; in 1869 it ran up to $1,444,608 ; in 1870 it was $1 ,580,663 ; and in 1871 it was $1,816,866 ; all these sums left a con- siderable unexpended surplus of revenue. Now, what should be done with this surplus ? That was a matter upon which there was a good deal of discussion before Mr. Sandfield Macdonald lost power ; and the discussion continued afterwards. Mr. Macdonald made up his mind in his last year that a million and a half of the surplus should go to railways. Railway Expenditure. Unfortunately, however, in setting aside that amount he was in- duced to take into the hands of the Government the decision as to the particular railways to be aided. The Act setting aside that sum pro- vided that the selection of the railways should be by the Lieutenant- Governor in Council, not by the Legislature, not with the sanction of tho Legi8]ature,not oven after notice to the Legislature or to the public, The appropriation to a railway might be made, and the money might be expended, long before either Parliament or the country would know - ^^' thing about the appropriation. There was no practical restriction k 13 upon the power of the Government in the matter, except that the amount per mile was not to be less than $2,000, and was not to exceed $4,000, but between those sums, what the bonus should be was left entirely to the Government of the day. No notice had to be published in the Gazette of what the Government was doing, no return was even required by the Act to be made to the Legislature. The recital in the Act professed to restrict grants by the Government to railways ivhich should lead to our free grant territory,or which shoi^ld lead to in- land waters,or which should run through thinly settled tracts of country. What part of Ontario,needing railway aid, would not come within one or the other of those descriptions? The people disapproved of that large power being placed in the hands of a Government; and it was on this ac- count that at the next general election the Government was unsuccess- ful, more than for any other act or omission with which the Govern- ment had been charged. Such an assumption of authority was con- trary to the spirit of our constitutional system. It was contrary to the spirit of representative government that so large a power should be given to any Government as was provided by the statute. I cannot but suspect that it was not by Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's own desiro or suggestion that this power was taken by the Govemor-in-Council. His Government was a Coalition. The members of it did not belong to the same political school, and had been opposed to one another upon the old issues. Of course, coming together in a Government, they had to give way to one another.. I can well understand some of the colleagues of Mr. Macdonald desiring this large power to be taken by the Govemor-in-Council, but it was so contrary to what was to bo expected from the whole political life of Mr. Macdonald himself, that I have little doubt this feature of his railway scheme was one of thos e matters in which he in his turn gave way to some of his colleagues, as in other matters they gave way to him. There must always be compromises of that kind in such a Government; and those who knew Mr. Macdonald well in the olden time can have little doubt that this error in his Railway Act was cpe of the compromises. Except in this a|ll-important respect, his Railway Act was a very good Act, and, after being divested of its ob- jectionable provisions, it has since been worked with great public advau- tjige. In the first session after Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's Government fell, his successor, Mr. Blake, who had always fully recognized the value of rail^^ays in developing the resources of the country and in augmenting its wealth, induced the Legislature to increase the appro- priation from $1,500,000 to $1,900,000, and also to appropriate $100,- 000 a year for twenty years for the same object. Additional appro- priations were made in my time. Up to the last day of December, 1877, we had paid in aid of railways $2,035,900. (Cheers.) These pay- ments were made to railways which had already received the approba- tion of the localities through which they passed, as shown by their previously contributing to the same roads upwards of seven millions of dollars ($7,089,480), being more than three times the amount which the Government has so paid. By this means upwards of 1,000 miles of new railway in various parts of the Province had been built by the end of 1877 ; and the total expenditure since 1872, from all rjurces, in respect of the railways aided by the Province, including the bonuses which I have mentioned, was nearly $22,000,000. 14 • » ,^5-. >,,. ....-: Why the Doprossioa fell lightly npon ne. Tlie period during wliich this large amount of imoney was ex- ! psnded was a period of depression, arising from causes whioh have been discussed considerably of late, which most of you axe now ■ familiar with, and which did not afFect one nation only, but af- , fected the entire commercial world. It is a remarkable fact that : though Ontario shared in the depression, it suflered less than most other countrief^ did ; and one cause of that circumstance un- ' doubled ly was, that during that trying period these twenty- two , millions of dollars were being expended in the building of the local railways of the country. (Hear, hear.) It was not only the pjjending of that large snm that made us feel the depression loss thati it was felt elsewhere. The railways so built increased values generally, as fast as the railways were completed. They in- creased, in the country thi'ough which they passed, the value of farm property, of farm labour, and of farm products ; they diminished the expense and diflficulty of bringing products to market ; they led to the creation of new viUages, and they increased the prosperity of vil- lages and towns already existing. These railways served, too, to facilitate the settlement of our unoccupied lands, to promote com- mercial and social intercourse, and in various ways directly and in- directly they added to the wealth, the comfort, and the general well-being of the people. (Hear, hear, and cheers.^ Our railway expenditure, leading as it did to so many direct and so many inciden- tal advantages, constituted a very important factor in the cau' 3S of the comparative freedom which this Province enjoyed from x>he distress that prevailed in other countries. ..,,;... ^, , The Surplus Distriliution. ' ; • rji ; -i- ' Eut our railway expenditnre was not the only expenditure of Pro- vincial funds which contributed to that condition of things. I have abeady stated that in the set llement of the Municipal Loan Fund Diebt question we relieved, either wholly or partially, as the case re- quired, important sections of the country from debts which for yeai» had been weighing them down, and in various w.ays retarding orforbid- ding their prosperity. Besides that relief, we made a large expenditure in order to compensate unindebted municipalities for what had been done for indebted municipalities. If the Legislature relieved the latter, it was simple justice to all those municipalities that were not in debt, and had long been assisting in paying the debts of others, that they should receive some compensation ; and the compensation provided by the Legislature on our recommendation was, an allow- ance to every municipality in the Province of $2 per head of their population, and an additional allowance on a fixed principle to those mxmicipalities that had already spent money on railways. Under thia scheme we had paid out to the unindebted municipalities,up to the end of December, 1877 , more than three millions of dollars ($3,11 7,225) ; and this money has been employed by the municipalities in various ob- jects of public utility selected by themselves. The statute setting the money apart required that it should be employed in the respective localitie.s, either in the paj'ment of debts, or in objects of per- .in4Jient uBefuluess, and not frittered away in current expensQg An< it In Id 15 caa 3s ' And how did the municipalities expend the money 7 They expmded it as follows ; — In Roads and bridges 51,168,746 34 In paying debts caused by granting aid to railways 963,734 50 In paying other debts incurred for permanent works not speci- iied 28,579 56 In educational purposes, including schoolhouses built, school debts paid, and investments for school purposes...; 652,053 82 In building and improving town halls , 145,114 22 (72 town halls have been built or paid for, and a large number ...^ of markets and lock-ups) -. In town and village improvements, by construction of water- ^r/y works, making sidewalks, planting shade-trees, and buying steam fire-engines 76,432 65 In making and improving harbours 40,947 19 In drainage 27,362 27 In paying share of cost of county buildings and aiding in the erection of mills and manufactories 11,382 50 In buying and laying out public parks and agricultural society grounds 4,598 00 In the purchase and improvement of cemeteries 1,917 02 In aid given to unorganized districts, in making roads and bridges, and building schools 6,352 50 Total.. 83,117,325 07 This large amount has thus been employed in works or for purposes which either would otherwise not have been undertaken, or would have been undertaken by an increase of public burdens, and by the di- rect taxation of the people of the municipalities making the expenditure. Another item of Provincial expcmiiture which contriliuted some- thing to lessen the depression in the localities affected by the expen- diture> was the sum of $328,380 advanced from Provincial funds for municipal drainage purposes, and the purchase of drainage debentures. ' '-■• General Financial Results. This sum, together with the amounts previously mentioned as paid to railways and in surplus distribution, make a total of upwards of 5^ million dollars ($5,539,565) expended since 1871 in these ways for the benefit of the people. There is no ground for saying that these ex- l)enditure3 should have come, or were intended or supposed to have come, out of the annual revenue. Our whole scheme of surplus dis- Btribution was founded on the fact of possessing an unexpended surplus. And so with regard to the railway expenditure, whether as projected by Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's Government, or as carried out by the Governments which sacceeded his. The aggregate sum under the three heads which I have specified ex- ceeded by upwards of a million of dollars Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's unexpended revenue surplus. If avo had no surplus now, and if in that respect we were now no better off than any other Province is (for not one of them hcs a surplus), the mode of employing the surplus was such as to entitle my friends and myself to look for a renewal of the confidence and support of the people. (Loud cheers )- We did not think it a good thing, and it would not have been a good. 10 thing, to hoard up the money which was in the public treasury, (Mr was coming into it ; and we theroforo employed it in ways that were far better, and more beneficial to the people, than hoarding it in banks would have been. (Hear, hear.) If we had not only employed every cent of the old surplus from all sources, and had nothing of it now remainingy but if we had also used up the whole annual revenue of every If year in necessary or useful annual expenditure, we should have been justified in asking you for your continued confidence, on the ground that the expenditure was wise and proper — was such as the country has derived more than corresponding benefit from, continues to derive such benefit from, and will continue to profit by for years to come. (Cheers.) But, apart from these items which I have thus mentioned, our average annual expenditure for other purposes has been within our average re- venue, and the result is, that there is a surplus, and a large surplus, still. : Newspaper writers and stump speakers talk occasionally about our having annual deficits ; and they make a show of proving it by mix- ing up figures which ought to be kept separate. Those who so mix -ftp ^'! Wby tbe Bxpenditnre was Increased, j^ Having funds in hand beyond annual necessities, and having to con- sider from year to year how best to employ these funds, besides the expenditure that I have mentioned the Legislature have thought it right to increase several of the customary grants. The expenditure for purposes of Bduoatioa Was one of these. The average annual expenditure by the Govern- ment for educational objects up to 1871, Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's last year, was $337,923;the average annual e::penditure since has been $491,- *018 ; for W^ bv'liev^d that we could not employ public money more use- 18 f f uHy than in promoting the educati jn of the people. (Cheora.) Educa- tion advances the general interests in every way — economically ,sooially polticaily, morally, .and religionaly. The education of the people is in fact the most important object which can receive public atten- tion ; and there is nothing, as I rejoice to see, which our people mora prize than educational facilities for their children. (Louda pplauso. ) They have shown that feeling in many ways, and among others in this, that, while we have been assisting in this great work with larger grants than before, the local expenditure by the people for the same ob- ject has increased far more than ours has ; they expend year by year far more money on educational j^virposes than such sums as they receive from the Government. For example, the local expenditure oil Public and Separate Schools and High Schools for 1876 was not far from four millicms of dollars, viz., $3,099,546. The Province only contributed $524,493 (part of which sum is included in the local expenditure). The people have built and are building better schools, they are paying better salaries to their teachers, and they are availing themselves of school appliances of all kinds of an improved description. Our expenditure on education has in- creased from $315,887, the amount in 1871 — Mr. Sandfield Macdonalds* List year — to $549,792, the amount in 1877. But the people's total, ex- penditure for the same object has increased, in respect of teachers* Biilaries from $1,191,476 in 1871, to $1,838,320 in 1876 ;' and in re- pocfc of school sites, buildings, repairs, &c., from $611,819 in 1871, to i^l,168,134 in 1870. I name 1876 because I have not at hand all the figures for 1877. Education is one of the objects for which, since we liad the money, we have felt it a duty to recommend a more liberal expenditure than previously. I shall mention some others (for time does not admit of a full enumeration^, that you may judge, whether, having money to employ, we were right in giving to the various objects of expenditure which were within our control, more than l^ad been given to them previously. Thus, upon ^^ Colonizntion Roads -.' - the average yearly expenditure up to 1871 was $41,848 ; the average yearly expenditure for the subsequent period up to 1877 inclusive was $97,280. So for iv u'' k'v ,;»:t.jion. *' 1« i;.'ito.ui,ft3ip.vi fjpvtit' . J>^0,^;/:^{o .V-f '■0 Public Works ■ ;i! 'f*-';u-.>7q "f vV-f the average expenditure up to 1871 was $270,870, and for the subse- quent period, $311,832. In the -i ;.. i .^-^ :. •u'fv ■:■-■:■ y-A'-T.C- Maintenance of Asylums' ''''"'^ f'' "'■'"^^ M^^r^h and public institutions, the average expenditure up to 1871 was $158,158 ; new institutions have been established since 1871; additions have been made which increased the accommodation afforded by the old buildings ; and the average expense since has been $315,533. There has been a larger, number of unfortunate occupants of these institutions, and of course increase of exp^mditure necessarily followed. All the institutions referred to are conducted with the greatest possible economy consistent with their efl3.ciency, and now pomyavQ favourably with similar institutions iji othey countries, fof 19 Bduoa- looially people 1 atten- e more ilauBo. ) lers in L larger ^me ob- jy year receive lire oh ras not rovince (led in luilding sachers, dnds of has in- lonalda* otal. ex- eachers* i in re- L871, to all the nee we liberal ar time hether, various lan had V. V . ■ i average iive was > subse- ^71 was Editions I by the 315,533. laiits of cessarily ivith the md noy?" ries^ ■ for both 'efficiency and economy. In all respects they are a credit to our Prorinco ; as visitors competent to judge are constantly testifying. Again, in reganl to Agrionltaral, xaurary and Solentlflo Soolotled, the average annual expenditure up to 1871 was $75,746, and the aver- age annual expenditure since, up to 3877 inclusive, was $89,})S2. I do not know any purpose to whichwe could have applied this anunint of our extra funds (as we had extra funds) uioro properly than in the increase we have made in that item. In the same manner I am prepared to account for, and to justify, every particular of increase which has taken place since 1871. Some increases have been from causes beyond governmental control; and every increase was in the public interest where the matter was within our control. j^,,., Allogod Defloita. You see it sometimes stated in Opposition newspapers that we have been expending more, annually, than we have received for the year of the expenditure ; and to a certain extent that is not only true, but we intended and proclaimed it from the first. Thepeople could not have had those large sums expended amongst municipalities, and for railways, and so on, if we had absurdly and weakly determined to spend no more in a year for any purpose whatever than we should receive in that year. The position of the Province was this ; We had a sur- plus revenue from other years, and it wai avowedly upon that surplus that we were drawing. But what has been the practice of these opponents of ours, who talk and write so glibly about our so-called annual deficits 1 I have a mem- orandum here which has been taken from a return made by tlie officers of the Dominion as to the practice of Sir John Macdonald's Governfnent during his day. And what does this return show ? Why, for the year ending 3l8t December, 1858, he spent mere than the revenue by $3,375,317. , ... . - ■-. ... In 1859 by $1,494,744. - V, r.-' V- '^o^u.i^t. In 1860 by $1,973,989. :^ i - i •.• : .v< ..{i '/' /.aifuH -.M • • v. In 1861 by $1,999,008. ; .^t ..s^j .^m wlj : In 1862 the excess was $2,064,-331. And in 1863 the excess was $870,490. For this last year my friend Mr. Sandtield Macdonald was the Premier, and he and his Govern- ment were responsible. The reference of our opponents to so- called deficits is made chiefly, 1 suppose, to confirm credulous followers of their own ; but the figures which I have given ought to convince even them of the fallacy of the talk about our deficits. Indeed, one cannot but wonder at the simplicity of those who make it a charge against the Provincial Government that we have sometimes expended more than was received during the year, as we had it to spend ; while their own friends Ubed to spend far more than the revenue, though they could only do so by borrowing the money. (Cheers.) \imbt' hah Affiioultnral Legislation. Some of our expenditure and some of our legislation have had to do \r\ a special way witlj the> farming community. Our general 1 ! 20 exponflituro, like our gonoral lo^iiiilutu/ii, directly boncfils all claBses eqxially ; but our iucroHHed exjiendituro ou iiiattura which have a special interest for farmers has been a portion of that gen- eral increase with which we aro absurdly charj^od as mani- festing thereby extravagance and incapacity. In 1871 the vote for Agricultural Assnciatlons, »fcc., was $05,100; in 1878, our last year, it was $97,00 J for the same objects. As we had extra money, why should we not give some ol' itto those objects? We have advanced 50 per cent, on the vote which I have mentioned. Let us look at some of the particu- lars included in tliis item. The Legislature voted for dairy associations in 1874, $700, and since 1874 $2,000 a year. In 1872 there was voted for the first time for sundry services in connection with agriculture and the arts, such as the investigation of the diseases of animals and crops, the ravages of insects, and other objects not otherwise pro- vided for, the sum of $1,000, and ever since 1874 the vote has been $2,000 a year for the same objects. luast year we a^jpropriated for a bureau of agricultural statistics, $1,000. ' We have doubled the amount voted before our time to the Fruit- Growers' Association. We have added 60 per cent, to the customary grant to the Entomo- logical Society, established for investigating the habits etc. , of insects — a subject unfortunately only too important to our farmeis. We have provided for the expenditure of $200,000 in the purchase of drainage debentures to encourage the draining of portions of the country, through the Municipal Councils, by buying from them the debentures issued for this purpose at the low r.ato of interest of five pc^r cent. The sums which we have paid in that way for the purchase of drain- age debentures under an Act of our own, and for drainage works which have been executed by the government in diflferent localities under an Act which was passed in 1871, and which provided for the repay- ment of these sunis to the Province, amounted up to 31st December, 1877, to $328,380. With this money there have been 200 miles of drains built, and ftn area drained of 203,100 acros. • x Last session the Legislature went a little further in the same direction, and appropriated the further sum of $200,000, on our recom- mendation made at the instance of leading farmers in the House and out of the House, who were connected with agricultural associations and otherwise ; the money to be expended in tile drainage. The sums . advanced are to be repaid to the Province by annnal instabnerits in twenty years, and are lent at the low rate of five per cent, f/^ Then we have for some years paid nothing towards immigration in the way of bonuses, except to farm laborers and domestic servants. There has always been, with the exception of a short period during the spring of the present year, a demand among our farmers for a larger number of farm laborers than could be supi^lied ; and all of you know the difficulty of obtaining domestic servants, particularly iuthe country. We have also made provision for giving the franchise to farmers' sons, and the propriety of doing so will be obvious to' those who are acquainted with agricultural life in Ontario. We had already provided an income franchise, by which residents in cities and towns were chiefly benefited. Now, it is the well-knoAvn custom in this country for one or two of a farmer's sons to remain on the homestead, after 9oming of age, to assist their pareuta in. working and managing th^ ,t gon- mani- oto for ^'ear, it ■ - ■« farm ; an oxtromoly cl»»flir;iblo ntratiffomont, and ono to ho pticoitrft^ea both for tho comfort of tho old people and tho benefit of the sons. Theao farmer's soiia aro, as a class, woll educated, und quilo as intolli<;jent as either inconio voters, or as thoso who live on farms of their ovfix ; havinpf had tho advajitago of our excellent school system, which perhaps their fathers had not. The Legifilature thought, therefore, that no snlUcicnt reason existed why that class of persons, living aiid working on their father's farms, and being practi- callj* partners therein, should not bo permitted to voto^ though they might have nc se| n-ate jiroperty. •* **,''.',""!'".. Wo hard also, in the interest of farmeTs, Kn Agticiittiipal College and a Model JTanu, iu successful and bencticlal operation. ,. r ,ili?ii{t ' Gott Of Civil Oovsmmentt In dbiincicWon with tho matter of expenditure. Opposition journals point to the cost of civ*il government as having been greater since Mr. Sandfleld Macdonalds time than it had been in his time. But it id manifest that as a, country advances, as its population in- j creases, as its wealth increases, a,nd as its public affairs extend and | beoomio com])licatod, tho cost of civil government must increase, and ! always does increase every where, (Hear hear.) To illustrate this,, take a single fact connected with tlie expense of the governmental departments in tho ol»l Province of Canada. In 185IJ, the year before Sir JoW A. MacdonaUl and his friends obtained the power which they held so long, tho expense oi. the governmental departments was only $144,415, but it' ran up thenceforward year by year until in 1802 it amounted td more. than three times that sum. or $486,020, audit cannot be protendied that ours has even doubled in amount. You see, therefore, how absurd it is for ihose who believe in the men und^r whom that increase took place to pretend, or to consider, that it is a decisive argument, o^ any argument, against a Government that there has been an increase xu tho expense oi" Civil administration. There aro various reasons wh';^ some increase would have taken place in On- tario, even if there had been no ihci^iso in the business done ; but without dwelling upon these, and assuming that there had been no in- crease in the cost of living, that wo had been able to retain in the service every officer without any increase to his salary, and that there was no reason why tho same amount of work should not continue to bo done at the same cost, I affirm that the increase in the work has far exceeded the increase in the expenditure. If you fa,rmers or ■ merchants, brother employers have to get double the work done, you expect (cither thmgs being the same) that the cost of doing it will bo in creased likewise. If you cbuld manage to get double the work done, while only increasing the cost of it one-half, I think you would con- sider yourselves pretty f ortunato men. To what extent has the work of civil government increased i Take for instance the N' / 1 M J • rill " i ■ "i ' iv-^Ajf iki I *M ^ . •* Department of the Attorney-General H and the Executive Coiineil. You will easily understand that there must have arisen a largo amount of new business from (for example) our surplus distribution,, which was one addition to all the old classes of work. All the municipal by-laws had to be examined to ascertain that they corresponded with the Act. and this often entailed a great deal of consideration and correspondence. Tli^n the aid given from time to time to railways was the result of an examination of every case in wliitJi aid had been asked for. We have to eiamine in every case, the capabilities of the road, and all other facts which bear on the pro- priety of assisting it Railways apply to which we give no aid, but the rejected applications as well as the successful applications involve lab(mr to several of the departments, including my own. From these and various other causes the work has greatly increased, both to the head of the department and to its ofScers ; to what extent you may understand from one or two facts which I will mention. There is a separate official file kept for every important matter which' passes through my department ; one file may embrace a large number of documents and papers. In 1871, the last year of Mr. Sandfield Mac- donald*3 administration, the number of official files in this department was b06, tij.enext year it was 1,454 ; and in 1877 it had risen to 1,707. Orders in Council in 1871 numbered 237 ; the following year 298 ; in one year of my time the number was 703 ; and the average duriRg the period subsequent to 1871 has been double what it was before that time. Again, the comparative number of letters written in a department or office or business in successive years is generally a very good index of the comparative amount of business done. In 1871 the ofiicial letters of this department covered 230 pages, in 1872 they covered 1,133 pages, and in 1877 they covered 2,594 page?. These figures demonstrate if anything can demonstrate, that the amount of business done in the office of the Executive Council and Attorney-General has more thaii ! doubled since Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's time. Now has the expense doubled ? Far from it. In 1871 the expense of the department was $10,241, and in 1877, instead of being twice the aralount, or $20,000, it was only $14,690. (Cheers.) In other words, though the business had more than doubled, the expense had only increased by one-half. Again, the i( Admlnlttratlon of Jnstloe is another head of expenditure in which there has been an increase ; and it is one of those matters which to a large extent are not under the control of a Government ; but, on the contrary, depend on circumstances which the Government cannot influence in the slightest degree. That the work must have enormously increased, cue comparative number of commitments to the gaols will help to in* dicate. In 1869 the number was 5,656 ; in 1870 it was 6,379 ; in 1871, 6,615 ; and it has gone on increasing year by year, till in 1877 the numbei' had reached 13,481 . This inerease, I may observe, is no doubt partly owing to the hard times ; it is found by experience in all co\iutrios, that during havd times the number of crimes of all kinds greatly increases. I have said that in 1877 the number of commitments was 13,481, being more than double the number in Mr. Sandfield Mac- donald'a last year. From this you will see how impossible it would bo to administer justice under such circumstances w^ithout some increase in the expenditure, and you would no* be surprised if the expense had doubled. Other facts which I might mention would lead to a like conclusion. But has the expense doubled ? Far from it. In 1871 the expense for the administration of justice was $182,621, and in 1076, instead of being double that amount, or say $365, 000, it was only $286,591. I will give you another illustration from the 23 Provincial Soci'otniy'E Ofllcc, From a vavioly of canaos a f(rc;it dcnl more v.-orlc hnshpcn doiiO tlicrc also tlian tlierc formerly w.n. Sonu; of tlio lf;^'isl;ili.«u vhifh has taken place, ami whitrh lias received llio approljatinu of tlio eonii- try, involved a conaiderablo amount of additional labor on the pari, of tho Provincial Secretary ami Ids Departmfnt. The matter («f municipal iitaiistica was formerly in charge of tho Donnnion Cinvern- mont : they abandoned it in 1874, and it has since been amom,' the duties of tho Provincial Sccrctaiy. Then tliere was a change of tho law with regard ' marriage licenses, which were also formerly attend- ed to by tne J)on\inion Government. That subject was taken in hand b}'' the Provincial Government in 1874, and 850 issuers of licenses in tho Province have been appointed, with wiiom tho Provincial Secretnry has to correspond. Tho number of licenses issued from tho Dejiart- ment in 1877 was 12,957. Tho Provincial Secretary had the jileasuro of making nearly that number of couples happy in that year. Tho Departmental work incidental to this legislation is work tliat Jilr. Sandficld Macdonald'a Government had neither tho pleasure nor the trouble of performing. There arc charters and commissions issued from tho same Department, and perhaps some other work occasionally done, for which fees are paid by tho parties interested. Of these fees Ihcrc were received in 1871, §2,283 ; but in 187G, §5,431 ; and in 1877, §5,235, being an increase of more than 100 per cent. Another occasion of increased work was the new Act passed to aflerd increased facilities for persons to become incorporated by obtaining letters ])a- tentfrom the Lieut. -Governor, instead of having to subimt to the delay, expense and trouble of getting special Acts of Incorporation froju Parliament. TJio consequence of that legislation has been, that a far. large number of i.he.^e charters has been obtained than formerly, through the Provincial Secretary's Department; the time of the Legislature has been saved; and tho country spared tho o>penso which tho old method involved Tho number of letters patent issued for tho Incorporation of Companies, under tho general law which existed before ours, was 120 for the ten years, from 18G4 to 1874 ; while during tho years subse- quent to tho passage of our Act, say from 1874 to 12th of Oct., 1878, the number was 212, or nearly twice the number in four years and a few months, that had been issued in the ten years previous. In other words, during the former period the annual avorago was 12. while in the subsequent time the annual average was more than 40. Many other Associations have been incorpt»ratcd under our Act respecting Benevolent and Provident Societies, liut for these Acts and our policy of opposing special Acts when unnecessary, there would probably have been an addition of more thaix 50 statutes to every volume since 1873, Again in 1871, tho number of returns niado trom thisoOicoto the other departments of the Govcrnn\ent was 912; but in 187G the number was 2,979, or three limes as many. 'J'he nmuber of reports from other Dej^artments in 1871 was 47<', and in 1870 it was 1,288, or neaily throe times as many. Tlio number of lettcr.s received in this Department in 1871 was 1,090 ; and in 1870, 3,300 ; or nearly tlouble. The number of letters sent in 1871 was 1,230, and in 1^70 it was 3,240, or noarly three times as many. You will see by these figures that the amount of work in this Department is at the very least J i u (lou^jlo whfit it Was in Mr. S.iiiflfielJ Maaloiiald's time. And h;i:} tlio expenditure also moro than doubled ? No ; lor in 1871 it was $1'J,170, and in 1877 it was only .S22,5r)2. (Hoar, liear.) In fact, the increased revenue from one small branch of tho work in tho Provincial Secre- tary's oflico, ns mentioned a moment ago, is abo\it §3,000, and therefore, has nearly covered tho whole additional expenditure of the Department. So that notwithstanding the dnormous increase of work, the country pays about the same for tho adrainisti'ation of thd Pi'ovincial Secretary's Department as was paid in 1871. I may review elsewhere tho case of some of - . Tho other Departments .- iBut I think I raust have satisfied everybody, from the statements •which I have already made, that an increase in tho expense of civil government was absolutely \inavoidable, and that tho wonder is, not that tho increase of expense has been bo great, but that it has not been far greater. (Hear hear, and cheers). Kno<\vJng tho amount of neces- sary business that we liavo been doing, I am greatly surprised that wo have been able to accomplish so much with so little additional expense. AVo should not have been able todo so but that I have able colleagues in all the departments, and that tho ofRccrs in tho various departments havo been becomhig more and more elficiont. As they become more efticient and entitled to an increase of salaiy, we havo recommended that they should receive the increase. If we had refused it, we could not have expected useful officials to remain ; or if .some remained, wo could not expect them to work as heartily as tho public interests require that they should do. Most of these ofticors were appointed by our opponents, snd the sjTupathies of most of them havo been with our opponents. But for their increased salaries they have done more work ; and, as a rule, tho increase in tho work that they havo done has been equivalent (o more than the increase of tho ealarios which the Legislature has given to them. So much for tho finances of tho country. ;^ Our IiCglslatloa, I have already referred to our legislation, and have spoken of some of the subjects which havo occupied our attention. I had some thought of givin;' you to-night an enumeration of our principal measures, and explaining soivie of tliem; but it would be tedious to do so now. "\Vo liavo not, I think, been charged with inactivity as legislators ; we have not been afraid of largo questions ; we havo not refused to deal M-ith important subjects ; we liave not shrank from ditlicult ones ; the whole history of our legislation showa thi.s. At tho last Provincial general election, so thorough had our previous legislation been, so completely had we exhausted tlie subjects v,-liicli our people had theretofore been interested about, that I think tho only charge of legislative omission which our oiJiJonents protended to make was, that we h;id not up to that time passed a lusv for tho payment of Crov/n witnesses in criminal cases ! Tliat was vatlier a strango charge to bring ug.vinst us as a reason why tho peoplo ehouldnot place confidence in us ; for our opponents or their lead- ers had liekl the Government of the country in their hands almost continuously from 1S51 uiitil 1872 ; and they had failed all that timd t( out of BO anx out by for the tal out admit, had n( lature ] as soon collect( guards always amoun has fe countit have n Sin that hi either preaen we ha^ munic the sti cantui portio exemf to do given againi ' longei Theq terost withii the q\ now c sion, Muni( subjei regar< we n meet p.irti( ii sal alreai dicati labori I whid that timd to deal with the subject. But some time after their party went out of power they began to represent such a law to be so urgent, so anxiously demanded by the people, that it should be thought out by us, and framed, and passed, at once. But one can account for their eagerness. There was nothing substantial to make capi- tal out of ; and for the sake of not admitting, or nut seeming to admit, that such was the case, they brought the charge that we had not provided for the payment of crown witnesses. The Legis- lature has since passed such a law. We framed a Bill for the purpose as soon as we had thoroughly considered what was necessary and had collected the needed information ; and our Bill provided such safe- guards and restrictions that, though considerable apprehension had always been entertained that a very large sum would be required, the amount under our Act has turned out to be so moderate that nobody has felt it a burden. The amount is paid, partly by the municipal coiinties and partly by the Government, and in proportions wliich have met with approval. Bzemptions ftom Taxation. Since the last election we have disposed of almost every subject that has been suggested as demanding legislation. We have done so either by legislating, or by making clear that the subject did not at present demand legislation. There is but one agitated subject whicli we have not dealt with ; and that is, l.e existing exemptions from municipal assessment. The present law on that subject has stood on the statute book in nearly its present form for over a quarter of a century. The party of our opponents was in power during a large portion of that period, and they did not attempt to put an end to th» exemptions or even to modify thorn. Even supposing we should fad to do so, even supposing that we have been wrong in not having given due attention to it hitherto, certainly no point can be made against us on that account, since our opponents had been very much longer in power than wo have been, and they did not dispose of it. The question of exemptions is a difficult one. It is one of especial in- terest to cities where Government property is situated, and to towns within which county property lies. Lut thero are other aspects of the question which are of more extensive interest, and whicli we aro now considering. A committee was appointed by the House last ses- sion, at the instance of the Government, to collect information frOm Municipal Councils, and from all persons taking an interest in tho subject. This Committee has obtained and reported informaticn with regard also to what has been done in other countries; and I hope that we may be able to devise and submit some measure which may meet tho difficulties of the case, and give satisfaction to all parties. But when there is but one general measure which it ia said we ought to have brought forward, besides those which havo already beon placed on the statute book, the fact is a pretty clear in- dication that we have not hitherto neglected our duty as legis- lators. ' I have touched on some of the most important of tho affairs which the present Government has had to do with, and I do not feol that I have the strength to occupy much more of your time to-night. Personal. :! •.^^ dH'*f i-ii^^ij O.^ Ja-utJ't It comifineH to be sometimes said that I did an unjustifiable thing <^' when I gave up the office of Vice-Chancellor in order to take upon nio the office of Premier of Ontario ; and my acceptance of this office h still spoken of occasionally as a descent on my part. I do not regard it as a descent, but the contrary. Political life has been spoken •<= of in this connection as a slough, by some who attack mo on account of having left the Bench for public life. It may be a slough to those who make the charge (hear, hear) ; but in nny judgment there are no duties more important than those that belong to one occupying the position which I now occupy. I left tlie office of i!» Vice-Chancellor with great reluctance, because I liked its duties ; ami 'V it was a permanent office ; a good salary was attached to it ; and ii • pension for old age ; and it was an office which secures for its holder the respect of the people. For personal reasons as well as others, I left the Bench with reluctance ; but I ieel now that I did well iu leaving it. (Loud applause.) If the position which I took involved, as it did, some personal sacrifices, I think that by good fortune I have been enabled to do a larger amount of good to my country than 1 could have done had 1 remained Vice-Chancellor. (Great cheering. ) It is *. i a country of great promise, ,.....-,- « ^ .->.-. ;. .;, . . ...,i . ,., ■• ■'' ' • :a^,-^;i';^'•! '{■■' JmlJiii. • \ 'V .i.,1 r. ;•»,;... THIS OXTAEIO OJ* OURS, ;: ] i^iusioi) iivfuhiv, (chaers), and its present good government is of great importance to its future destiny, it is my own native Province ; it is the Province with- in which my interests and my affections lie. It is the richest, and the most populous of all the Provinces of Canada. Its territory extends from the Ottawa on the east to the Lake of the Woodson the west ; and reaches from the St. Lawrence and the great lakes on the south, aAvay back to Hudson's Bay on the north. (Cheers.) Its extent from oast to west is upwards of a thousand miles. Its area is more than twice that of <3reat Britain and Ireland together. It has unbounded undeveloped wealth in its woods and forests, its fields, its fisheries, and its mine:?. (Cheers.) Its population is increasing with a rapidity that is almost wonderful. At the time of the union with Lower Canada our popula- tion was not half a million. In ten years it had doubled ; in lonother ten years it had trebled; in 1871 it amounted to the larfje nuni- '|ber of 1,G20 ,851 ;and it has been increasing ever since. This population is from nearly all the countries in the world. A large proportion arc* natives, like myself, of Ontario ; a large proportion also are natives oi the old lands. The sturdy Englishman, the thrifty Scotchman, ami the warm-hearted Irishman have a large representation among us. \\ o ' have many who came, or whose fathers came, from Germany, Franco ,a:"i other countries of Europe. There are no people in the world bettt-r 'tbed. better fed, or better educated than the people of Ontario aro .• immigrants are, as a rule, the more energetic and sanguine of t :. ...xK rides to which in the old lands they belonged. (Hear, hear.) - " ere is no conntry in the world better adapted than Ontario is Lk eloping a thrifty, hardy and energetic race. Our Province has '" thus a glorious future before it ; ftn immense population is yet to occupy its territory; and in the position in which your confidence and the confi- dence of the people of Ontario have placed me, I have done my best, jrld bettt-r hitario aro 27 In conjunction with my colleagues, and those who have given to us theii* support in the Legislature, to develop the resources of this country of our aflfection, our pride, and our hope (cheers) ; to administer ef- ficiently its public affairs ; and to provide good laws for the govern- ment of its people ; and for the prosperity of all its interests. 1 ven- ture to think that, in the judgment of our friends, and of a great, many who aro not our political friends, we have not been entirely un- successful in this work. And for myself, with whatever increased efficiency experience has given me, I purpose, with God's help, to pursue in all respects the same course in the future, that I have fol- lowed in tiie past. (Loud cheers.) '! I At the conclusion of Mr. Mowat's speech the following resolutioh, moved by Mr. John Douglas, and seconded by Mr. Henry Parker, was carried with enthusiastic cheers : — That the ra^ip lyersi of North Oxford at this meeting as' ^ibleil express the pleasure that we have felt iu list Jiiing to thtt cluar, able, and couvmc- ing exposition which our ropre-jentative, Hon. Oliver Mowat, has given of the policy of his Oovdrnmeiit, and oar perfect confi'lence in liis ability and the intCijiity with which he has administered the affairs of this Province, anil wo pledi^e ourselves to do all in our power to maintain in (jovvur the bcist uuil purest administration that Ontario has ever had. We desire to ha lie him for visiting his constituents at this time, nod to express the id.vsarci waich we alw.ivd feel iu seeing him in our midst. The meeting was concludedVith the u&Uil cheersr. K ,..v ■UW^' 1 ■ <:Vi, ^ f *. » " ; i» 1 i " -'■■ * * ■ -• ■ ;; "^■■^k ■ t ■:• T .\i\ .?ii(;»' '"■■ ¥ , ,' '',( • 1. ! ;.-.'l) ■:-^^\ y'-^.'h % til : ;m;,v •if : ,• .1! V.' VA ■•! ■ 1 ■t/i i ■> * "' ' 1 1 -}..■ .'i ;!.;•*• \ ; .- 1 . f ■ ' » ' ^ » ' i '■■ >'. ■ ii >■ !5i no h^-ip)'') »»'•. ^■'*o V ■'. J, ; ^ , . t "},1V . -: r • ■■ ■■•W;*.(ii ■ - itSJrf'sr ■I)''*' >• '•'"Hvu: -! n ,1 ■ * ,,.. ., ■■; • ■ ''- , ;^ r '^* ', :^%'JH it')?! i *. '* : -■■: '•■' . ' \ "• .% i r- , ■■■:, -id 'tt^- •>>">tVt^j^'.» wA V -■t.---< ' f- ■■~.X\- .'. •' ,*:. T ' - ii* i )''■':' « * ■ • -. »ljfjMf 1' ' ^ -^ ' ^ - ■ '^ V ; ■ ' . .— ■, ..,.. i'Jjj,!-! ■-•••. "' • •■ .■"-!- ' ■ .ri.H»- ,. >»,»v '.■ i*id> .'M» 1 ; 7 THE PREMIEE'S SPEECH BEFORE THE TORONTO YOUNG MEN'S REFORM LITERAR! AND DEBATING CLUB' ^^BDNESDAY EVENING, JANtJARY 8th, 1879. :ii a j^ -»<^»^»*- The following ia a full report of a speech delivered by the Fremiei of Ontario on Wednesday, 8th January, 1879, before the Reform Literary and Debating Club in Toronto: — ^>'--~ » ; Hon. Mr. Mowat, on coming forward, was warmly cheered. He said : — Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, — It gave me very great pleasure some time ago to accept an invitation from your President to be present at one ol your meetings and to say something to the Reform Literary and Debating Club, and I regret exceedingly that circumstances trom time to time pre- vented my naming for this purpose an earlier day. I rejoice to learn that the Club is in a flourishing condition. I am glad to know that you have been zealous in acquiring political intoriuation, and in acquiring the skill to set it forth, that you may be able to render greater service in the cause of gcort government than you could otherwise do. I understand that many of you were active in the recent Dominion elections ; I hope that at the next general election for the Local Assembly your work will be more successful than it was then. (Cheers.) Of course the issues are entirely different. Those things which led many of our friends on that occasion to vote with their former opponents were matters with which tlie Local Legislature has nothing to do. There is not the slightest reason why those friends who so voted on that occasion should not vote with their old associates in politics at the coming Provincial elections, and I hope that they will all be found doing so. (Hear, hear.) As ons of the objects which you have in view here is to get familiar with the subjects which will be under discussion at those elections, I suppose that I cannot do better than to avail myself of this opportunity to review some of the legislation accomplished under Reform Government in the Province, and to say something' of our administration of public affairs. ^ The Importance of Legislation. ^ You do nothehrbr read much against the legislation of the ileform party. More is said in regard to our administration of public affairs; though 1 venture to say that there is as little reason for attacking our ad- ministration as there is for attacking our legislation. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Legislation is quite as important as administration. (Hear, bear.) Our legislative jurisdiction is large. It embraces the subjects to — .j-t.i»i a ■ ^1 ^ -» 'aU^eaST/a^tSik^iirr-^mT^ ^2. -.v..—*!. -^ 20 which the greater part of the legislation of all coimtrieg relates, and nearly all the subjects embraced in the civil codes of civilized nations. We are in a new country; we are surrounded with now circumstances; and no Government does its duty which does not keep a walchful eye fur all ameliorations of law which may serve to promote the well-being of tlie people. I purpose occupying your attention for a little while to-night in Hpeakiug of what wo have uoue in the way of legislation. 1 will particu- lavi'Ao a few of our measures, and I shall do so that you may be reminded huw extensive and benetictal the legislation has been ; for as it is not a tiubject of attack, i)eople are apt to lose sight of it. (^Hear, hear.) They may be familiar with those things which are kept before them b}' con- uuver^sy, while those matters which are not discussed are apt to be over, looked, though they may be the more important of the two. Perhaps the most important Provincial session under Keform rule was that in which Mr. Blake was the leader, after the fall of Mr. Sundfiuld Macdonald's Government, Oi the important measures then passed I may refer Urst to tha •/ ^ Abolition of Dual Representation. the disqualifying of members of the House of Commons from being mem< hers of the Provincial Assembly. The two jurisdictions are distinct and unconnected, and demand so much time that it was thought impossible tor the same person to discharge satisfactorily the importaut amies of both. That was strongly felt by the people, and something was done by Mr. i3andfield Macdonald to remove the grievance. He procured the passint; of a law that no iSunator or member of the Privy Council should be a member of the Provincial Assembly, and that no member ot the Bouse of Commons should be a member ot the Executive Council of the Province. He stopped there, however. Under Mr. Blake's leadership the Legislature went lurther, and passed a law disqualifying members of the House ot Com- mons from sitting or voting as membr^rs of the House of Assembly alter the then next election for the House of Commons. (Hear, hear.) Before that time arrived, and to prevent Mr. Blake and Mr. Mackenzie from remaining in the Local Assembly for another session, Sir John Macdonald and his party passed an Act disqualifying members of a Provincial Assem- bly from being even candidates for the House of Commons. There is nothing more importaut than to secure by every proper means the «% <* ' Independence of the House of Assembly; and the abolition of dual representation had some effect in that way. An- other of the measures of the session was directed more closely to that ob- ject. It has in all countries and at all times been found by experience 10 be unfavourable to the independence of a representative of the people, and therefore to the public interest, that he should hold an office under the Crown yielding any coMsiderable pecuniary advantage; and while some officials had been disqualiried belore Mr. Blake's time, there were others who had not, as, for instance, officials who were paid by tees, such as registrars. The public sentimentbuing strong that placemen of this class . should, no more tHan placemen paid by salary, occupy seats in the Assembly, Mr. Blake swept -iway the last vestige of the evii relerred to. (Hear, hear.) Anotner beuehcial Act of that session was tho "^ Power given to Committees of the House to Swear Witnesses. The duties of such committees are very important ; a large part of tho legislative work depend:; on the effijiency of the committees; and we can hardly underc^tand Iww sy long a time Wfts suffered to elapse in this 80 counfry — "nd tho same observation applies to tho Old Country — without piving to committees power (subject to reasonable restrictions) to ex- amine witnesses on oath. Under tiie former system they called witnesses ftiul examined them ; but, tljough it might bo essential for getting the truth from some of them that thev should be sworn, yet that common safe, guard, recognized tor other purposos to bo necessary, was not permitted, and witnesses gave their testimony without any sucn guarantee of ver- mitv. Another measure of tliis session ot mucli practical value was tho authority given to tlio Government to invest a considerable sum — $200,- 000 — lu tho purchase of municipal draiuagu debentures for tho purposo of Enoouraglng tbe Drainage of Wet Districts. These debentures ore erood securities to the Government, and th« disposol of them enables municipalities to increase the value of the farms ana otiier lands in their territory, adding to tho wealth of tL-fi^wner , and, at the same time, making the country more health v. Another vaiuabie mea- sure of the sumu sesiiion was that concerning the Rights of Married Women, with respect to their property. You know how barbarons the old English laws on that subject were. They had been modified from time to time lu Canada, but until this time a married woman was not entitled to her own earnings ; a dissolute, drunken, or thriftless husband might tako tho whole, unless she went before a magistrate, proved her husband's miscon. duct, and obtained an order of protection. That was a proceeding which fcXi)ciience showed tiiat few women cared to take, even though they wore great suiierers, and it was unjust to require that a poor woman, besides tlie misfortune of having a bad husband, should be compelled to exposo to tl)e world the uniiappy condition of herself and her children. A law was therefore passed wnich removed the injustice, and gave to a married Woman a ri.u;lit to her own earnings without that previous process. (Hear, bear.) Other useful and benuticial measures were passed during the samu SL-Sriion. ^ My Piemib<-ship followed Mr. Blake's, and during the period I have occupied this position, the Legislature has continued the work of reform . (Loud cheers.) I will not dwell upon our measure lor settling the didicult question of tiie Municipal Loan Fund debts ; nor upon our measure lor dis- trilmting several millions ot tlio surplus funds of the Province amongst the municipalities, to be expeude:"ng with their parents^ working on their farms, practically their partnoxs, ^-.nd intended to be the inheritors of the land, may have a vote althiuq/'i they have no separate property. By means of these two acts we haVo enlarged the electorate of the country. -^y The Voters' Lists Act. '- ' There used t!b be great difficulty at elections in knowing with cor. tainty who were entitled to vote; and much fraud was the result in vari- ous ways. Honest men of both parties felt the evil, and were anxious that some remedy should be found for it. We, therctore, prepared a Voters' Lists Act, and provided in it machinery for judicially settling the voters' lists before an election, and for having questions decided beforehand by as impartial a judge in every county as it was possible tor us to find, viz., the County Court Judge. That measure received the approbation oj new let ion |«ighc ad- Itbese IS in kbia to be sfTect ^d we )ith« tiOQS. 33 ftll pfirUoB at the tim«. A moro stiinffcnt Act wag «ub(!equ«ntl7p»nii«ed.in coiiHcqiumcd ofitn beiiif^r found by tlio proceedings in tbe Lincoln cjiko Unit liwtlior Ifginlution waH ncccssaty to uccorapliRh the end in view. Ti)o dtliiy in tiiut caso was iu spite of our llrst Voters' Litits Act and nii^lit luivn bi'on moro easily accomplinbod by the liliprants if that law liiid not Uuuu la uxiotuuce. Dut sometijing muio was uuedud iu the saiuo dirtcliuu. Flnalty of tbe Lists. To moot the diffioulty wo passed an Act making these voters' lists finab and tliureby nmking impossible sugh scandal as had occuired in the LtD< cola case. (Cbeeis.) We nave jiassed various Acts lor Improving tho M:>ahinery of the Courts, for prcvcntjnc unnecessary dela. • for removing old anomalies, and for diminishing the danger ot cases being disposed of upon matters of form instead of on their merits. We have passed an Act also for Itxo Paymont of Witnesses in criminal cases. Until timt time witnesses in such cases bad to bear their own exponses unless they wore too poor to do so. The effect was mat tho administration of justice was often hindered. Personn avoided giving evidence, because of the expense put upon them for, that purpose, and the ends ot justice were tiius sometimes frustrated. By caieful pro- visions we have been able, while removing this evil, to make tlt« burden ot bearing the expeuse much smallei; than had been expected. Wo have also <»-' J.-. ,.,.. >,.. . . r ■ : rn Repealed tbe Stamp Dntles » on proceedings in the Division and (^outity Courts, to tbe great relief of the suitors iu tliose Courts. We have passed an Act Respecting tbe Blaglstraoy, removing their liability for acts done by them in good taith, but which turn out not to bo strictly in accordance with the law. This relief had had special reference to questions of jurisdiction between the Doniiaion and t\kv Pi'oviucti. ".,;,;_, Revision of BInnlolpal Law. •• = •». .y;^':w In the first session we mado provision for facilitating the work of self-gor. ernment by collecting all the various Acts relating to our municipalities. These Acts were scattered through the statute books of several years; con- siderable difficulty was consequently experienced by the people, who were not lawyers, and who had to carry out these laws ; and it was evident that the simplest law possible on the subject was desirable. My colleague and friend, Mr. Crooks, undertook that work, and during the first session, of my Premiership a new Act was passed consolidating and revising all ^ the old'Acts, and producing a result of which, in connection with the Assessment Act, the late Chief Justice Harrison — who probably was more faiuiiiar with the subject than any otlier lawyer or judge — said " that these Acts were the most complete and perfect code of.the kind that he know of in any country ot the world." (Cheers.) |.».. Revision of tbe Sobool Laws. '^' In the second session a similar work was performed for the School Laws« which had been in a similar state ot chaos. An «xtensivo revision of those laws was then made, so tliat tho Chief Suoerintendeut, liov. Dr. Byerson, though he did not approve of some of our amendments, yet pub- licly stated that he regarded the additions and changes which wo had made as on the whole so important and valuable as to constitute a new era lu iichooMegislation, \ ' . ■ , •* t ■ ' *, •■*.•* - %^-« ■- "I d4 II, ■ > i^* i f; ^! /" Appointment of a Minister of BdneatloB. Rincc then, on the recomnjendatjon of Dr. Rverson and others interesfej in the work of education, we took the responsibility of havinc: a Minister ot Kdiicatiou instead of a Chief Superintendent; and all the proceedings of tlie Education Department are now subject to bo challenged in the Hou8<\ and there the Minister ol Education must defend whatever he does or omits to do in regard to school matters. We selected tor Minister a R(Mitleman of ability ; of hip:h moral character (cheers) ; and ia every other way litted to be the head of tne educational system ot the country. (Hear, hoar.) Mr. Crook« is a graduate of the Provincial University, and had taken hii;h honours in his university course. His administration of his Department has received public approbation ; it has given satisfaction not to liis own party oniyt but to all parties. (Hear, hear and cheers.) The school law has been further extt^nsively revised under bis advice. Training and Model Soiiools have also been established at a small expense in almost every county. The management of the Provincial University has likewise been popularized ^y giving to its graduates a voice in its government. Laws for tbe Benefit of tbe Working; Classes. Wo have pfissed laws securing to mechanics, labourers, and others a lien for their pay on the property on which their labour is expended or'their materials used, so far as this seemed practicable without preju'iica to per- sons not oonoerned in the transaction. We have passed laws, in the in- terest of masters and workmen, for facilitatintr acreements between them lor sliarltio: tlie profits of the business in which they may be engaged. The objuct ot that law is of great importance to the working clasues. It is by huch means that tlicir status is to be raised. Those who have given atten- tion to tiiir, subject seem to be unaware ot any method by wtiicb so large un amount of good can be looked lor to the great mass of our working 'population as some method which may enable them somehow to share thu jirolits of the business in wliich they are employed. (H< nr, hear.) In iraming those laws we had the advantage of what had b..en done eise- wiiere, and we have placed on the statute book tbe best laws that the ex- ample or «;xpcriuuce of otlier places enabled us to devise. We have also passed a law to facilitate, by meaps of a machinery found usefii» .Isewheru, tbe amicable settlement of disputes between employers and employed. Perhaps I may mention in this connection that, having in view the well- being ot the people, we took .in early opportunity to reduce the Provincial tax on muiriage licenses — (hear, hear, and laughter)— so that instead of $6. the only fee now is $2 to the issuer. To the rich this difference is no- thing. To the labouring man, at a time that his expenses are to be in- creased, the sfving ol $4 is an oDjt;ct. We have kept in view thw import- Hiico of enct iging .mechanics' Institutes everywhere; and while ilie grant tor that purpos^e in 1871, the year before Mr. Blake became Premier, was $10,000, so many new Institutes have from time to time since been estubiisliod all ov<>r the country that the legislative trrant had risen tw $123,000. (Hear, bear.) General Incorporation Aota. Ikfore Confederation Reformers made it a prominent plank in their platfoim that general laws should, as far as practicable, bo p;uised to mo. vide for the establishment of corporations, insteaa ot special Acts being Ironi time to time obtained. \Vh have carried out tnaC sound Reform ^am- iple, and have passed various Acts tor tbe purpose. Tiie object of these genonil Acts of Incorponuion is not only to prevent the expense aud delay iucidcni to obtaining iocorporatiou in the old way through the 35 inistcr edings in the le does ister a other (Hear, d had of bis on not The fining almost kewiso nt. Legislature, but is to avoid other difficulties which are independent ot these two evils. In connection with these Acts, we adopted the policy of resist- ing special Acts wherever the parties calling for a specialAct might be- come incorporated, with the powers needed, uuder a general Act. We passed a new Act for the incorporation of companies bv letters patent ; a new Act for the incorporation of Benevolent and Provident Societies with- out letters patent ; and an Act for establishing Immigrant Aid bocioties. By means ot these Acts a large number of companies and hocieties have since been incorporated, and much expense.has thereby been saved to the parties and the ProvlQce. I may say a word here with reference to Tbe Orange BUL We were of opinion that that influential Association, the Orange body, should obtain its incorporation under the appropriate general Act, as others have done since our Act was passed, instead ot insisting on a special Act ; and we have therefore resisted a special Act in their case as we have resisted special Acts in other cases, leaving the parties to obtain under the general law the advantages for which a special Act is sought. In order to make poUtical capital, the leaders of the Orange body have refused to take advantage of this course, and have diligently endeavoured to create ihe false impression that the Orange Societies are suffering some griev- ance at our hands, while the truth is that the object in view could be served just as well by their becominf; incorporated under the general law as in the way their leaders profess io preter. There is no special Act in- corporating these Societies in Great Britain or Ireland ; none that I have heard of in the United States: and but one instance ( so far as I know;, and that a recent one. in any other Province or country. r r The Marriage Law.. We have passed Acts amending tho marriage laws. There was an increasing number of marriages in the Province which were probably illegal in consequence of irregularities unknown to the parties at the time of marriage. Tbe evil was well known ; it had long been before the Courts in some of its aspects. The doubt was not only as to the legal status of tbe husband and wife, but as to that of their children also. The attention.ot previous Governments had been called to the subject in vain. We had the good fortune by a few simple provisions to meet the whole difficulty in regard to both the past ?ind the future ; aud the result of our legislation is, that for the first time in the history otour country, marriages by clergy- men ot all denominations are now on precisely the same footing. (Cheers.) Then, by various Acts we have provided for the Besnlatlon and Uanagement of onr Provineial InstitntionB, most of which were formerly carried on in a hap-hazard way, without any legisla Jve direction. We have passed laws regulating the management of the !<)eaf and Dumb Institution, the Institution for the Blind, aud the School of Practical Science, and providing for the inspection of charitable institniions receiving public aid. We have passed an Act also revising and extensively improving the former Acts as to our lunatic asylums. Grants to Cbarltles. « ' A large sum had annually been granted for many years before Confederation and afterwards to various hospitals and public charities, but the grants were made on no fixed principles, and as tue necessary consequenco, it was apt to be importunity and influence which regulated rvhat institutions should receive aid and how much they should receive. That was an objectionable state ot things, and we applied ourselves to the task of devising a remedy,. The public svntimout was against withdrawing tho 86 Ik, '- r ■ \ Ai grants— Jind I entirely Bympathized witli that sentiment —from these humane institutions : but we adopted a system by winch the amount to oe received bv each institution should depend on the amount ot worK oon© and the amount ot contrioutions recei vea Dv the institute irom other sources. Sitjco xno passing Ox our Act for this purpose all increases of the former grants have been made on the principles laid down in the statute, and tavouiitipm as to amount has thereby been put out of the question. There art» a very few of these institutions which were not entitled after the Act to so large a sum as they had previously been receivinf?, but we have not thought that it would be well to reduce the amounts during t. lime ot depresftion, and when the poor and afQicted would be the only sufferers. (Hear, hear.) The Public Healtb. Then we have passed Acts niakinsr legislative provisionlor maintaining the public health when contagious diseases threaten the country; and last gfcssion we had a iSanitary Committee, to enquire whether there might not with advantage be further legislation and assistance for the all-im- ix>rtant ooject of promoting the public health at ordinary times as well as in seadous of special danger. (Cheers.) We have given X ' Kepose to Land Titles. By materially shortening the period after which a man's title to the property he possesses mav be free from danger. It was constantly happening that defects were discovered in a man's title to property oi which he had been in possession for many years, and the man and his family were in consequence suddenly deprived of, perhaps, their all. To V>revent such hardships Statutes of limitation hart been passea irom time to lime. In England the period had lately been reduced from twenty to twelve years ; wo reduced it from twenty to ten years ; and the result is that every man possessing property holds it now more securely than he did before. An equally short p:;riod has beeu adopted in various other colonies, and in some of the United States. We have passed laws to give greater Security to Policy-Holders, - u . . in consequence of the Courts finding that some insurance companies had adopted unjust and unreasonable conditions, and had sometimes taken ad- vantage ot theSe after a fire to raise objections which it was unjust, in th« iatcrest of the public, that, they should be permitted iomake -, ^^ ^^ Settlement of New Districts. • While most of the matters to which I have referred are matters affecting- every part of the country equally, wo have feiven special attention to the outlying and unsettled districts, with the view of increasing the facilities for thelj* bettleraent and also ot rendering them sources of increased revenue. Just before 1 came into the Government, there was considerablo territory which had for the lirst time been placed under license. Bonusos ^ere obtained amounting to something like halt a million of dollars, and the sales added to our annual revenue about $40,000, besides the timber dues. The transaction took place at a most favourable period, and much higher prices were obtained than could have been got oefore or since, iio Katisfaetoiy in that respect was the transaction that one of the Opposition Joailers has' declared that the Province had got more than it ought from the puicliaseis, and that in fact it was a fraud to take so much. (Cheers and laughter.) One advantaL'e which we had from the sales was the crea- lion of an interested and unpaid agency which would be helpful in prevent- ing fires in the territory. Large sums of money have been lost to the Pro- vince through tires in these districts, and uf course it is the interest of all 1 these n\int to "K oon© ources. foinier te, auci estion. Jd after n>?, but duriritr 10 only '■in.4 37 licensees that these fires should be prevented as lar as possible from occur- ring. We passed a special Act with the same object last session. In a word, I may say that under every head of legislative jurisdiction which we possess we have been active, wherever thcie was any law by which the well-being of the country could be advanced, or any defect in the existing laws which could be removed, or any provision that could be made by which the security of our people and the safety of their property miglit be secured. We have been so active and careful that it has very seldom happened that any plausible objection has been made to what we have done. (Cheers.) Our opponents, as well as our friends are getting from year to year and from day to day the advantage of our work. (Hear, hear.) So much in regard to our legislation. X siiall now occupy a little time in talking about ». Our Administration of Public Affairs. The position ot our public aflairs, and the prospects m connection with tljcm. are such as to give ground tor joy and hope on the part of our whole people, whatever political name they may bear. It requires but a very slight consideration of our position to perceive the accuracy ot that statement. I might contrast our position with that of any of the States of the American Union — and I refer to them because they are near us, we are in constant communication with their people, and these States are often referred to as models of economy; but I claim that our system of government is a irood deal better than theirs, and that our affairs are conducted with a truer economy (Cheers ) X^'ow evcrv State of the Union has to i,40vide by direct taxation Avhaiever is necf^ssary tor carrying on its atiairs and for the erection of its public works and buildings. That is the case also to a ceitain extent in otner countries. The Position of the Provinces of the Dominion was from the outset verjr much in advance of that. At Confederation each of the Provinces started with the ownership of all its ungiantea lands, forests, mines, and minerals. These under the American system belong to the General Uovernment. Then, by the Britisli North American Act, we receive annually about $1,333,569 from the Domiuiou, %n The Revenue *" which we derive from all sources, and which we have to dispose of from year to year, is somewhere about $2,500,000. This revenue is far ; more than sufficient to pay for the cost of tne great governmental purposes of legislation, civil government, and the administration of Justice. In tfact tliess — which alone are essential functions of Government — do not take up much more than one-lifth ot our revenue. What should be dono with the balance? What was the best thing to be done with it? It would bo the absurdost policy in the world for the population of the present day to reserve permanently the whole of that balance in order to benefit our successors at our expense. (Hear, hear.) The couutrv is getting richer, there will be a larger population in it by and-bye, and the generation to come will be better able than we are to bear whatever expense it may be necessary for that generation to incur. (Applause.) There is another reason why we who are poorer siiould not be hoarding money in order to give it in the form of money to those who will bo richer — a wise employment of our money not oniv benelits ourselves in the meantime, but beuclils our posterity more than it we hoarded the money for them. If we spend nioney on public works, railways, and like useful objects, not only tho population of to-day but the population of ten years hence, and of a longer period than that, will bo richer tor tho wise employment ot public money now, and will be bunehted more, than if we had hoarded the money 38 Iti that they might spend it in their day. (Cheers.) That is the view acted upon iu all couutries iu the world. « Tbe Surplus. II is not to be forgotten that a large permanent surplus Is an anomaly, an exceptional state of things, and that in all self-governed communities it is telt by all classes of the people and by all parties to be in genc- FHi a wise thing to expend usefully from year to year the whole revenue. I say to expend usefully, for itwould beabad thing to expend uselessly any part of what we have. Butiftiie whole is useluUy expended, and with requisite care, we have the testimony of the world that ii is bettor that tlie annual revenue should as a rule be employed and not hoarded. (Ap- plause.^ Tlie testimony of tl)e nations goes further. Nearly all the countries of the civilized world find it for their interest, not only to expend all their revenue from year to year, but for the sake ot adequate public ob- jects to incur debts, and debts oiten of great magnitude. Take the Ameri- can kStates . Wiien they incur these debts the debts have to be paid by direct taxation, yet I do not tltink there is a iState in the Union which has not for the sake of public improvements and other public objects incurred large debts. I am npt aware of a single British colony that has not done the same thing (with the exception ot Western Australia, which has a population of some 24,785 only, and has no debt). The same observation applies to the various independent ccninunities of South America and elsewhere ; and It is our own experience too. Perhajis our people are too much inclined to go into debt through their municipal Councils, but still, to a certain extent, it is often a wise thing to do. Most of our counties incur debts for public objects; and so do our cities and towns. Many of our town- ships act upon the same principle. The common sentiment ot the people everywhere is^ that not only is it prudent to expend the whole of the annual revenue, provided it is spent useiully, but tliat it is often for the permanent good of the country that money should bo borrowed for this purpose. (Cheers.j What is i,,. • Our Position In that respect? Immediately after Confederation had been formed, the Legislature ot theProvince granted sums to various objects — sums as large as had been giv«n to like objects in former years by the Province of Canada. Not only was there from the first abundance of money in the Provincial Treasury to pay for the three essential objects of Government already re- ferred to, and to make othercustoniary grants, but there was also more than enough to build and maintain various new institutions — the Institute for the Blind, the Institute for the Deat and Dumb, tiie London Lunatic Asylum, the Central Prison, &c. — and after all thig had been done, there was left from year to year a considerable part of the revenue unemployed. There were various reasons for such a state of things. Borne of them related to the peculiar character of Mr. Saudlleld Macdonald as a public man, as for example his aversion to spending public money ; and there were other rea- sons. Mr. Macdonald never intended to keep the whole of his surplus unemployed, and he stated on various occasions the reasons why he, for a time, delayed disposing of it. His policy is constantly referred to by our oppouents as if in this matter it was the opposite of ours ; but that was not BO. I will show you that he never had the slightest intention of perman. ently maintaining the surplus which had accumulated from tbe unemployed revenue of his four years, and that he retained his surplus for temporary rea- sons only. One of these was this: By the British North America Aet the dobii; of the various Provinces were assumed by the Dominion of Canada. borne of tlie Provinces were largely in debt, while others owed but little. «*--^'.''f''»*.',R*/mif Tr A 89 The principle of the Act was to treat them all with equal justice. The Province of (Canada owed moretlian itsproportionofthe debts to bo assumed by the Dominion, and the new Provinces ot Ontario and Quebec had to repay to the Dominion the difference. The amount wljich these two Pro- vinces had a right to be relieved from was $62,500,000. It was doubtful how much l)eyoi.d ttiis sum the old Province of Canada owed, and ttie reason that Mr. Kaudfield Macdonald ^ave for not expending the whole revenue from year to year on public objects was. that he did not yet know what the debt of Ontario was, and that it would be unwise to expend all before it was ascertained what amount Ontario would have to make good. There was an arbitration between Ontario and Quebec, and it lab'<'Xl » considerable time, but by means of its Investigations before the award was made it came to be discovered pretty nearly wbat the amount of the debt was. Ultimately it was found to be about !l)10,568,080 over the $62,500,000. Thisis the snm ittated in a statute passed on the 26th of May, 1873, which was after Mr. Macdonnld's time. But from what was known on the subject previously to that date, that gentleman proposed in his last year that $1,500,000 of his su.plus should be expen'^ed upon railways. It was contended by my friend wbo is in the chair (Hon. Mr. McMurrich) and others that lirovision should at the same time be made cut of the surplus to benefit other portions of the country which did not want new railways. How did Mr. Macdonald meet that contention ? In the debate which took place on the 1th February, 1871, and which was reported at the time in the newspapers, Mr. Macdonald mude these observations : — -^ ' ^ For the firnt time in the history of this country the Honee had to dear with a surplus which bad accumulated in the Treasury of Ontario. • * • * The position on the wikole was an anomalous 4ne. and the task of distributing the sttrplua was a formidable one. * * The GoTerunient had been blamed for not disposiUR of this surplus before, but they had felt it would be very liazardous to anticipate in advance the ascertainment of the liability which this Province would be exposed to as respected the j' reputable sum of the public debt as assumed by the Dominion Government. iyt That was the reason Mr. Macdonald then gave for not disposing ot his sur- plus — because it would be hazardous to deal with it until the amount otthe debt was ascertained. He continued — The Government had ascertained that its proportion of that debt was not so large as to justify the withholding of that portion of the surplus which has to be devoted to the development of the resources of the Province, commercial and agricultural. There being such a surplus on hand, the House would be recreant to its duty if it did not provide means for opening up the country. It had been urged that a portion of the surplus ought to be appropriated to purposes other than those proposed Tliere were, no doubt^ a number of other things which were worthy of consideration, * • As to the other questions which hon. members in the interests of tlieir constituencies had brought under the attention of the House, while he admired their zeal, they must not hope that the Government would be in a position this year to deal with these other matters. The feeling of alarm wiiich would be justifiable if it was proposed to devote the whole of the surplus to aiding railways, had no real ground, since it was proposed only to deal with a portion of the surplus, and still leave ample mean^ wherewith to treat these other claimants with full liberality, and meet every contingency. « • «> l mean to divide all I can this year, but I do not know with sufficient accuracy what our public debt is to apply it all.'* His speech shows that while he was to apply a million and a halt to railways then, he meant at a future day to dispose of more of the surplus. That was his position and that of his Governi^ent. Mr. E. B. Wood was then Treasurer, and he spoke for his Government in the same way. He said: — They had $3,600,000 ready cash now lying in the Treasury. * * They had in trust funds over $3,000,000, making $7,000,000 lying in the Treasury, by means whereof, with the aid of l^videnoe, and by a judicious expenditure, to make this Province — as it ought to De — one of the greatest countries in the Dominion, and a rival to the great Republic lying to the Goutb. * * * The six millions they had now in the Treasury was owing to this Province having got its rights at last; and now they had this surplus, let them expend it HO that it would lea\e behind a monument worthy the first years of this growing and pro- ■peroiu Proviuoe, 40 II: We have expended a portion of the surplus with that very view — namely, for the permanent benefit of the Pi-ovince. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) But the surplus must, in the public interest, be dealt with cautiously and dis- creetly, and for permanent objects; and we have been acting on that policy. ^ Otber Uses for tbe Surplus. Havinf]; a balance M ^he former surplus, and having an annual surplus be- sides, what have we been doinp: with them? Beuides the large sums granted to railways and Municipalities, we have, with the sanction of the Legisla- ture aud the approval of the country, been usinj? the money in part for bailding and enlarging our public institutions, giving increased accommo- dation for the deaf, the dumb, the blind, the insane, etc. These objects commend themselves to tbe humanity of our people. The existing institu- tions were not capable ot receiving all who needed to have entrance to them, and, having the money, we made provision for as many as possible uf these afflicted classes to receive the benefits which tlie institutions were intended to a£fordi We gave more also than had previously been given for tbe construction of colonizstion roads in the territory from which much of our revenue is derived; as well as more to hospitals and charities'; to We need not iiavedone all this, but we considered .: "on of the money than it' we had-left it in the ' ock with it; and no part ot the public with- < :y. (Cheers.) Kotwiihstauding all expendi- tures out of the annual revenue in our time, there was au uuoxpeaded surplus every year up *-^ 1877 inclusive : — nnsavki y mechanics' institutes, etc that It was a better i^ppl' banks or bought Lomv held their approval of ^i Inl873 .$1,212,791 "1873 ..., 602,10$ " 1874 „ 804,283 " 1876 444,.i68 " 1076 225,703 " 1877 88 271 .a («Rw I iltit*' Two or three items or heads of expenditure are ppecially laid hold of by the enemy as affoiding reasons why tlie public should withdraw lb ir^eon- fidence from the Keform party and Government. Such items are civil government and the administration of justice. T may say with regard to these that they must increase as population aud wealth increase. It is so in all parts ot the world, and under every kind of Government, and it is a deceptive pretence to say that such increases are a proot of want of good government or want of economy. The Provincial Treasurer of Ontario speaking for his Government in 1868 declared with truth, "Our expenses will increase every year, do what we may to prevent them," (Hear, hear.) Double tbe Work at Increase of balf tbe Cost. . I', I wish, however, to say, with regard to civil government, that the work done by the various departments of it greatly exceeds the increase of ok- pense, and that, instead of extravagance, the facts show that, having reftr- ence to the amount ot work done, we have been more econouiical than our predecessors. (Cheers.) If we do twice the work, while the expendituie iias increased one-halt only, can there be better proof, ot our econoiiiy ? (Hear, hear, and cheers.) In my Woodstock speech the other day I illus- trated the increase of business by givinsr facts relaiitig to the Provincial Secretary's office and my own. On this occasion I will give you au ilius- tratiua fioui the Crown Lands Department. "^^ In discussing this subject our opponents sometimes point to the adop- tion of a system of free giants, and to the consequent decrease in the bums received from the sale uf Crowu lauds ; and that fact is suggested mi 41 namely, But and dis- tijolicy, ins bc- gmnted Legisla. part for omnio- objects insiitu- tance to possiblo )n8 were iven for much of ties-; to nsidered it in the lie with- expendit xpeadcd (fa sflW ♦ <»■■.' •.'j.'!f.if-ir Old was 304 in 1871, against 680 in 1877. 1 luigiit give you various other figures illustrating the same thing, but what 1 have said will suffice to show you the increase in the work. Legislation is another head of expenditure which has been increasing, and in the Opposition newspapers reference is constantly made to the Increase in tbe Allowance of MemberSf which is ovie chief cause of that increase. Apart from the propriety o* that increase — which I will not discuss to-night — anything more unrea- sonable than the conduct of our opponents in endeavouring to make foi their party political capital out of the fact, I can hardly imagine. (Heat hear.) You have had the matter under discussion at one of the meetings of this club, and X would like to have been present to hear what was said. 1 speak of the conduct of the Opposition outside the House as most unrea- sonable, because the increase arose from a demand made by the whole House, includiug the Opposition members, leaders as well as followers. (Hear, bear.) The general idea at the time was that the public would ap- prove of the increase. The country had approved of giving $1,000 to the members of the House of Commons, while the increased sum for the members of the Assembly was only $800. There is little or no more time taken up by the deliberations of the House of Commons than by ouik, nor is the time of its members more valuable to themselves, nor are iheir ex- penses as members greater,, But if members of the Ontario Assembly were wrong in supposing that the people would approve of an indemnity to them of $800, there is no more capital to bu made of the error against one bide than against the other. Blr. Cameron's Opinion. I will read to you some observations that were made by Mr. Cameron, leader of the Opposition, alter that matter had been forced upon the Oot- ^rnmeut by tbe almost quauiuious opinion of the House* A Qoycvnvaeat 4S m must respect a reprcsenttttion made by tho whole Houce. Mr. Cameron said, in regard to Mmibters' salaries and members' indemnity:— In consequencs of c«rtain gtatements in the pvpsa, ho confliclcred ithin duty to state thikt he himself had suggested the increase of Miuiste.ra' nalurics. He believed tha* the iriembers of the Government were not »ufllciently paid. 1 may observe liere tliat the Ministers' sala-iics were increased at the instance' of the whole House ; and had been uiyed npon us repeatedly be- fore we acted on the suggestion. It was well known tiiat the expensdfl attending the office ot Minister were very largo, and a strong opinion was expressed on both sides of the House tliat tho lucroaso should bo mado. Mr. Cameron contiuufd : — With reference to the indemnity to mcmhers, $8(1 > w.is, in his juflgment, not more than adequate tocorapunsato tiiem I'or tliuir labnm- and nttendunce, and in many caDes it was too Jittle. • * • In every othc^ resiioet, ho diil ao» consider $800 too niuoli. 'J'herefore ho wished to nssuiuo auy rubpousibiiity that attuuhud to tUu Govoru> meat with reference to the matter. The other leaJers of the Opposition, including Mr. Meredith, Mr. Scott, Mr. Creighton, Dr. Boulter, and Mr. Macdougall spoke to tho same effect ; and Mr. Lauder concurred in tho observaiions of his colleagues. Our own friends spoke in the same way. I am not giving you those extracts as of themselves shov/ing that tht» increases were light ^for that point I do not now discuss;, but to point out the absurdity and injustice of those who, in face of the facts, endea- vour to make a point against one side for the political benctit ot the other side. The increases would never bavo taken place unless boih parties had desired it and approved of it. . m Maintonance of Public Institutions. ^ Reference is sometimes made to iho lucreHsed expense m maintainini? our public institutions. One sutitioiunt reason of tiiat increase is that wo we more institutions to maintain ; that those previously in exislonce nave been eniaigeU ; and that our institutions contain a greater number of inmates than betore. I will give you a iaw i-^ares shov/iug such to bo the case. These figures our opponents say notliing about. The number of in- mates in the asylums ior the insane in 1871 was 1,3G6, and in 1877 it was 2,027. In the institution for the blind in 1871 thu number of inmates was 11, and in 1877 it was 130. The number of inmates in the Deaf and Dumb Inietituto in 1871 was 124, and m 1877 it was 238. The nutn- her of prisoners in the Provincial llelormatory in 1871 was 155, and in 187'? it was 203. The Central Prison, anew institutiun altogeilier, x-eliev- ing largely the gaols and lightening expense to counties, contained at the date ill 1877 up to which the last report was mudo 343 iumates. Uui? ' opponents are fond of pointing to the mere fact of these increases, as if that alone constituted extravagance. But expenses of this kind uecussaiily ad- vance no matter what ecunomy Is practised. Comparison with otiicr Countries. With respect to the general subject of the cost of legislation, I may ob« serve tnal tlio direct cost is less in some of the States of the American Union than in Ontario, though in others it is more. In iMassachusetts, with a population of 1,457,357, the cost of legislation iu 1871 was $326,- 762; ours, with a mucn larger population, was $122,301. In New Toik tile expense of legislation iu 1875 was $G03,060. i give the figures for these years because 1 have no otiiers at hand. But the indirect expenses of legislation m most of the Anierican iStates appear, by the testimony of their own writers, to be enormous, and fionicauses iruui which, happily, •wo have hitherto been nearly free. ^ To illustrate tho BUbject further, I vvilr take, for the benefit of our |t'( 43 opponents, the case of commuuitieR in which the Government stm of tlieir own political stripe. In the Province of Quebec the cost of le|fi«. lation in 1871 — I take 1871 because that is the year with which our op. donentd are fond of comparing our present expenditure — was $128,921, Hrid in 1877-8 it wttB|156,969. The coat of Civil Uovernnient in 1871.2' was $128,673, ard in 1877-8 it was $165,273. The Administration of Jus- tice in 1871 cost $271,212, and in 1878-9, |409,790 . .> Take, again, tno Province of Cunada during tlie time that it was under Conservative Government, and wo find the sanio thing. I have some figures which I have taken from documents which were published in 1862, and wliich I believe to be correct. Legislation cost in 1853 — the year before Hir John Macdonald came into power — $264,949, and it ran up to $432,. 048 in 1862, when Mr. Sandtield Macdonold became Premier. The Pro- vincial Penitentiary cost the Province $28,000 in 1853, and it ran up to $155,612 in 1862. The Governmental Depaitments cost $144,415 in 1853, and went up to $486,620 in 1862. The collection of revenue from Cus- toms and so on cost in 1853 $366,345, and it ran np to $832,391 in 1862. In 1853 the aggregate expenditure tor ordinary purposes was about $4,000,. 000, including capital expenditure, and it ran up in 1862 to $10,218,863. Pcriiaps some of those increases by Kir John's Government were too iargtj; perhaps they partly arose trom extravagarice j but no doubt some increase was unavoidable, and our oppoueats have always assorted that no part of it was extravagant, bo much for thesit particular items of expenditure. Let us look for a moment at the aggregate expenditure of the same period. When Sir Francis Hincks left oHica in 1853, he left a surplus of $5,188,- 136, which had accrued from the ordinary revenue of the Province after l)aving all ordinary expenses. When Sir John came into power that was changed. There was tlionceforword an annual deftcit, which in 1862 Mr. Gait estimated at $5,000,000, and there were besides large increases to the taxation. But the expendture in 1862 exceeded even the increased rev- enue by $9,311,000, which had to be made up by borrowed money. Our exi>endituie in Ontario is simply drawing upon the revenue of the year, and to a certain extent upon the surplus revenues of former years. Again, the Provincntl debt under Conservative management rosein six years from $29,922,748 to upwards of $70,000,000. I am not at present disputing the propriety of any part of that expenditure ; I am only calling your atten- tion to the fact that under Conservative Governments there was also an increase, and I hope tiiat it can be accounted for as satisfactorily as the increase in Ontario m our time. (Cheers.) I have hero details which show that the experience was the same dur- int; the period from 1862 to 1868, and again from 1868to 1874. There •was constantly an increase in the aggregate, and an increase In the various items which 1 have mentioned. The ag^jrogate figures from 1862 up it Confederation appear to be these • — For year ending Slst December, 1?62 $ 9,441,497 Do., 1803 9,472,»o4 Kext six months 4,423,2Sl lor year ending 30th June, Ii3u5 U,!>63,9a7 Do., 18i)6 10,831,612 Do., 18u7 11,381,960 Beaig an increase in five yeai b of 1,940,403 Again, take Canada under Sir John, In 1867-68 his aggiegate expenUiture was $t,%480,092 ■ 1868-69 14,(i38,i)»4 l8b9-70 14,34.0,509 1870-71 : •• lu,<'^3,06i 1871-72 17,68'J,4U« 1872-73 19,174,047. . 1873-74 „M,{»;e^3nj 1. , -■' w-^ m'^ 44 , I The increase between the fliat vedr of Confedemtion and the last for which Sir John took a vote was $9,830,224. I believe that the responsi- bility of Sir John's Government for 1873-4 is now universally conceded tlioufrh it was for a time disputed. But whether or no, Mr. Tilley's esti- mates In the session of 1873 and the statutory Increases of expenditure show provision made for an aggregate expenditure against revenue of $23,- 685,000, or $370,000 more than was actually expended. The table which I have read to you excludes sums expended on what is called capital account. Adding these, and we have an aptrregate of $14,076,243 for 1867.8, and an aggregate of $19,768,847 for 1872-3, the last full year of Sir John's administration. liook at some of those items at the same date in Canada which cor- respond with the items as to which the Ontario increases are absurdly and falsely denounced as unnecessary and wanton : — 1867-8. 1871. 187S-4. Civil Government $694,411 $642,300 $883,686 AdmiDiBtra'n of Justice , . . 291,242 814,411 469,037 Immigration and Quarantine ,00,396 71,700 818,672 Take a few more items of a special uharacler fur the first and last of these years : — \ ^ 1807-8. T873-4. Customs .•..'. $47.5,603 $668,299 V Excise 78,9.S9 206,935 Culling Timber 69,4.30 82.886 Post-office 616,802 1,387,270 1 presume I have now given you as many figures as you will be able to retain in your recollection. (Laughter.) And perhaps I should avail my- sclt of this opportunity to say something about A Certain Pamphlet which was distributed in very large numbers in this city during the late eleetion, to help Mr. Morris. (Hear, hear.) The pamphlet bears the name of a certain Hich Tory Senator, who, when it suits his purpose, claims to be a no-party man. The pamphlet professes to be written in no party interest. But it is rather extraordinary in that case that the pamphlet should come out just before the late election, in which Mr. Leys ought CO have been the successful candidate, and very nearly was the successful candidate. (Cheers.) I hope that at the next election he will be the successful candidate. (Clieers.) In truth, the Senator is one of the most pronounced party men in all Canada. (Hear, hear.) With all his professions, I do not know a man who is more blinded by party feeling than he is to the merits and measures of his opponents. (Hear, hear.) In this pamphlet he grandly declares that he has an "appalling revelation" to make in regard to our local affairs, that he has discovered something which will " astound the people to learn," and that he regrets that the duty of making it known to the people has devolved upon him. (Laughter.) I wonder what my late opponent, Mr. Cameron — who has now reached the Bench, which I have no doubt that he will adorn — 1 wonder what ^« thinks of this charge against him of ignorance and incapacity, or unfaithfulness. (Hear, hear.) According to the venerable Senator, there was a great wrong being done before Mr. Cameron's very eyes, and it ap. pears that, po^" fellow, he was unable to see it ; it was reserved for a very ^ Amateur in Provincial Politics ^ to perceive the wrong and to reveal it. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) I wonder what Mr. Macdougall thinks — who has left the Provincial Assem- bly for a higher sphere — I wonder what he thinks of the slap in the face which the Senator administers to him 7 Mr. Macdougall has hitherto bcUevcd himself able to perceive what was going oq and to explain an4 45 dettotince what deserved condemnation ; but money was being publicly Avaflted by a Government which ho was elected to oppose, and it seemH that he never knew ot the waste or told it to the country. He left the appalling fact to be "revealed" by the tormer representative of Saugeeo. And 1 wonder what Mr. Meredith, who is expected to be the new lender ot' the Opposition, or Mr. Scott, or the other lights on that side of the House, will say to the charge of blindness and stupidity which is brought against them, iiut what is the '* appalling " discovery made by Mr. Macuherson? Why, that the surplus now. after all the expenditure out of it, is not what it was in 1871. (Laughter.) I do not know who but the Senator sup- poses that that assertion is new. I do not know what intelligent politician iu all Ontario has not long been aware of all the facts in reference to the surplus. The Senator had no other means of learning the facts than tho public had been long in posf "isionof. The Public Accounts were pub- lished every year; the members received copies; the newspapers received copies ; the accounts were from year to year discussed in the House und in the country; the very subject of the surplus and the effect of our legislation on it were an issue at our lust general election, and have been a matter of fierce debate during every session, and of invective in nearly every Opposition newspaper, from the year 1873 to the present time. (Hear, hear.) The Public Accounts have from time to time given tables of comparison much more full and minute than the tables which the Senator has compiled or got compiled from them, in a form that (he thinki:<) may serve his party tor electioneering purposes. The i'ublic Accounts for 1871 gave such a table of comparison for the years 1868 to 1871, The Accounts for 1872 gave \ like table of conjparison between the expenditure of 1871 aud 1872. ^rhe Public Accouutii of 1873 gave a similar table ot comparison bt^tiveen the expenditure ot 1872 and 1873. In 1874 Mr. McKellar got tables prepared and printed unofficially, and distributed, showing the comparition for all the years 'i.r. from 1868 to 1873, and giving also the railway expenditure and surplus ,! distribution. The Public Accounts for 1874. 1875, and 1876 had tables '. of comnarison similar to those ot 1872 and 1873. These tables of com. parison were of the annual expenditure in respuctof the annual appropria- tions. Tlie exuenditure on railways and /or suiplus distribution was not inciuaeu in tUtiSe tables because they were not annual votes ; but they were known to everybody; the particulars appeared in other oJaces in the Accounts; and there liiad been no expenditure in tiic early years with . which to compare tlie sums paid under these two heads iu.t^o r.ubsequent years. In a table laid before the House by the Provinoial Treasurer in connection witli his last budget speech, and afterwards published iu an appendix to his speech, there was given a comparative statement from the year 1867 to tiie year 1877, inclusive, of most of the items of expen- diture, and of the annual average for the two periods, viz., Mr. Sandlield Macdonald's administration and the subsequent period to 1877. This table included the administration of justice, colonization roads, asylums and public institutions, municipalities, hospitals and charities, <>^ / ;ul- ture and literary and scientific institutions, education, public bu'.'ngs aud works, railways, and surplus distribution. (Hea»-, hear.^ Another statement printed with the same speech gave the assets, including the surplus, and unpaid appropriations, and liabilities. Similar information had been given from time to time in previous years.(^>Vet Mr. Macpbersun fancies that he is the first to have discovered the'true state of afiairs. (Laughter.) He thinks, innoceat gentleman, that the people had never before been told that the surplus of 1871 was not all in hand still, and ho suggests that the people have been under a delusion as to the fiuaucial III 46 n^Tairs of the country. Sir, tho peopio have Deen unr.cr Do delufllon. (Hear, hear, and cheer«.,» It in Bermtor Alucpher«on who is Jindei- a deluHion. (Renewt'd cheers.) Ho has (liRcoverea a marc's n«»t. He has been fancy- mi? that to DO a novelty to every one which was a novelty to no ono but himself. (Hear, liear. ond laUf^hter ) After havinj^ read the pamphlet, I should not bo Hurprised if I HhonJd t^oinetinio hooo read in tlie proceediny;^; ot gome grave and ienrniid l)()dy, that Senator Macplierson hud read a imper to annonnci? aa aHtartlini? discovery of his that tlie ami rose in tiie eaHtiiiid set in the west. ^Loud lau;> liter.) The Senator in a publislied leltir speaks ot my colleagues and myself as bein^f " political pigmies." I am afraid there is somebody else who belongs to that category. But what A poor set of rnen, according to this great Senator, tijero must be in public lite hero. Ontuio must b« in a very bad wav. Its Local Ministers uie mere political pigmies, but they are |?reat wronfj-doers ; aiid the Opposi- tion leaders are such Lilliputian pigmies, (laughter) that, while all the cor- ruption and extravagance, which tliis amuveuv in Provincial politics lias discovered, have been going on under their eyes they have not known it. (Hear, hear.) But the cliarao is a mere piece of presun»ption and vanity on the part of the Senator. The Opposition leaders are not chargeable with any such ignorance or incapacity as his pamphlet implies and as- sumes, and as made him fancy that a necessity e.x.i8ted for obtaining a new Opposition leader in the person of the new member for East Toronto. 1 houe that none of tho Opposition leaders may soon get into office; I hope that the country will not have the misfortune for many >ears to be governed by any of them, oi by politicians of their stripe. (Cheers. > But I must say of them ail that they are wiser men and better informed men than Mr. Macpherson is. He is a tyro in Provincial politics, while they are veterans. The reason that they have not succeeded in making tho people believe that they have been badly governed is that tho peopio know the facts. ^y "'! The Senator pays a good deal ot attention to me in his pamphlet, and he invites me to discuss his charges on the lloor of the House. Well, I do not think that the pamphlet is worth discussing there, and I do not purpose accepting the invitation which he gives mo in that respect. (Hear, hear.) in this pamphlet of his he talks a good deal about party- ism and Its undehirableness. Amongst other things, referring to the period of Confederation, ho says that Partylsm, Wiokod, Solflsb Partylsm ^ (laughter) ?*ad done much to mar the happiness of Canada, and that tho good men of ail parties hoped that its discordant voice had been hushed." There was a goodly number of men sent to our Local Assembly in 1867 who had no confidence in the Government which had been formed, and who therefore, in accordance with the opinions and wishes of their constit- uents, did not hold it to be desirable that tho old party lines should be destroyed — who believed that, in our system of Government, opposition was a necessary and valuable feature, and that the old historic parties afforded a basis for tliat opposition which should uot be disrciiarded. (Hear, hear.j The Truly "Good" Men. ^ But these constituencies and th§ir members were not "good" men. (Laughter. ) They were not " good" men, like Sir John — (renewed laugh- ter) — or the Senator himself. (Hear, hear and laughter.) True my friend Mr. McMurrich, who is presiding here to-night, was one of those members, and if he were not present I would say that people generally regarded him as one of our very best men. (Cheers.) But he does not belong to the class of "good" men, such as Sir John and Mr. Macpherson. (Laughter.; 47 . (Hear, Iclurtion. ri lancy- ono but iplilt't, I 1 a imper eaHtiiiul (I leltii- " I ntn jut wlmt li puliliu stt;r» ai« Opposj. the coi- itics lias nown it. d vanity inrgcublL' aitd Hs- ng a lU'w •onto. 1 V, I hopo ,1-8 to bo Cheera.; infornied C8, wliilu I mailing iO pecplo hlet, and Weil, I I do not respect. lit paity- ig to the 1 that tho hushed." vin 1867 med, and r conKtit> jbouid bo ppoaitioa ic parties •c^iurdcd. d" men. ed laugh- tny friend members, irded hiui ng to the au^hter.; Mr. Bhike vftxa also a parly man, he was leader of the Opposition in IM rtrHt AsHenil>ly, and liirt cliuiacter in a npotluHSone — (loud gIimms)— theio JH not tiio Mlinhtest Btaiu upon ii. lint he iM not a «' good " man, U8 S'r John and .Mr. Macphi-rson are. Mr. MauUenzie alno was a memlier of tilt' UppoHJtion in tiieJionil AKHcr.jbly.and is u man against whoHe lionenty and iiitt'};rity no onu hut iiiri political udvcrwariuH hanever utt« red awoni. (Loud theerH). Hut he Ih not one ot tlio "j;o()hertion. (Hear, ht-ar, and iauyhler.) All those w|»o sent Mr. Mc- Murrit'h, Mr. Biakc, and Mr. Mackeuiiiu to the legiiflativo Assembly — and all the mLinbors of that body who voted with them there, and uU their consiitiionts likowisu — must have been bad men too. (Renewed lauKhLir.) I venture to say that the testimony ot thu future will bu the roverne ot all this. (Loud clieers). Mr. Macpherson, though a no-party man, euIoKisog the Conservative party leader. Sir John ; and what tor? itecause 8ir John did all cuuhl he to prevent u division ot the people into parties after Confederation. And why? That all parties might bupport him. (Hear, buur, and laughter.) I do not see much patriotism in that, though thu Senator does. I do nut know what party leader would not willii^Ay di«puuse with partieit on the jamo terms. (Ihar, hear.and cheers.) ^ A little farther on tho Senator gives a so.ctf''led hifclory of the proceedinga which led to the fall of tho tirst Local Govurn.^ient and to Mr. Blake'a acces- siou to ofiii e, and he ascribes the change to " the absence ot a number of membt'i's who had gone to their constituents for re-election." (Laughter.) It' he had looked at the Joinnals he would have found that Mr. Sandfield Macdonald's c;ovRrnment didnot resign until there had been a vote against them ot 44 to 25 — nearly two to one. The House consisted ot 82 members, so that a majority ot the whole House had voted against the Government — (hear, hcnr) — and during the subsequent proceeding, . of the session, after the gentlemen who had gone to their constituents liad relurned to the Hoube, all the mensuies ot Mr. Blaku'ii Government were supported by im- mense miijoritiea. (Hear, hear.) Wixo GovoniB the Government. '' Mr. Macpheraon is very fond of stating that Mr. Brown is the head of tlie Provincial Government, and was tlie head ot Mr Mackenzie's Government. (Laughter.) Now Mr. Brown has many admirers, and if he was the head of either Government, or believed to be, it would perhaps add to its slreiigtti. But I may take this opportunity ot mentioning one or two things bearing on Mr. Brown's occupying or desiring to occupy such a position. Duiine the time that 1 have been Premier iVir Brown nas never once even asked me for an appointment for anybody. (Cheers.) He has never even intimated to me an opinion, so tarns 1 roJollect.as to any appointment. (Hear, hear.) Further. 1 do not recollect any matter of Provincial policy with regard to which he has even spoken to nio before our policy had been decided upon and publicly announced, with the exception perhaps of his favourite subject ot agriculture — I have had several conversations with him on that subject. (Cheers.) Of the vast number of other subjects with which we have been occupied, I don't think there was one in regard to which he has ever endea- voured ia conversation or by letter to press any paiticulav view upon mo. (Hear, hear.) But he has given to the Government a generous support in his paper, as all the lieform press have done. (Loud cheers. ) Tub Globk has supported us for the same reasons that other Reform journals have ; and apart from his paper, Mr. Brown has supported us for the same reasons that other leaders of tlie party have done so. (Cheers.) Now, it is one of the blessings of a Retorm party that Reformers aro independent thinkers — i m m \ ■ 43 (hear, hear) — and it \% one of our difficulties and weaknesses as a party tliat we are apt to speak out our ditterences when they exist. In that respect we diifer from our opponents — (hear, hear) — who make little of their dififerencert or conceal them. My colleagues and myself have not always been fortun- ate enough to have our views concurred in by Mr. Brown. He has had his independent views and we have had ours. When our views differ, we take our course, anrf he takes his. (^Cheers.) But we don't qua,rrel if we do not on every subject think jurtt alike. We passed a Farmers' Sons' J^'ranchise Act; Tub Globr opposed that measure with its accustomed viKour and ability. Our school legislation had the opposition of Thb Globb in several respects^ while it had the support of Thr Globb in other respects ; and I might enumerate various matters in which we have not adopted nis views nor persuaded him to adopt ours. I do not know whether you think that when we differed he was right or we were right ; but it is not inconsistent with holding a high opinion of Mr. Brown, or with feeling gratitude for his pndt public services, that one should not think that everything expressed in T.is Globb by Mr. Brown and his writers for the last 30 years and more has beon correct or to be approved. It would be strange indeed if, during that lons^ period, many things had not been said, and argued for or contended against, which some or other of his fellow Beformers did not at the time agree with, or do not now agree With : but there is no room fur doubt that all the great reforms which had been accomplished in this country for twenty- ti ve years or so before (/ontederatiou wde hastened by his able and vigorous advocacy. There is not one of those reforms that we would have gvt so soon but for the powerful support of Mr. Brown and Thb Globb. 1> j last great retorm which was accomplished — the prtting an end to Frenoo Tory dumination in the local affairs of Ontario, and the principle of representa- tion by population in matters of common interest — we would not have got fur years to come Due lor nis persevering, zealous, and selt-denying ezer«i tion4. (Cheers.) In view of these services Mr. Brown is entitled to the graliiude of all the people of this country, and even of those who do not hold, who are far from holding, in all respects the same political views as he does. But to say or insinuate that he directs the Ontario Government, or shapes its policy, or is its head, is to ascribe to him a responsibility which is utjjuat to him and for which there is not the slightest foundation in the facts. I have no reason to doubt that the case was tue same in t'egard to the Keform Government at Ottawa: though o^ course I cannot speak as to it from personal knowledge, ^ Mr. BXaopberson and tbe N.P. ' I had always thought that the reason the late Dominion Government was unsuccessful at the elections was because of the National Policy. It IS to that cause that our friend in the chair, in his opening speech, ascribed the success of Sir John Macdonald and his party at the late elections, but Mr. Mucpnerson wrote a book auring those elections daughter), and he does not appear to at all agree that it was the xSational Policy to which Mr. Mackenzie's defeat was owing. It was " because the public would not bo any longer imposed upon Dy the professions of spurious Reformers" ; for you see his book had made these known. (Laughter.) The Senator is very angry because during those elections I attended a meeting in the county ai Glengarry where l>uminiou subjects were discussed. He says : — '* A rail- wav is beiux; built through that part of the country to Uttawa, ana is pcr- uaps dependent tor its completion upon receiving further aid from the Province of Ontario. Will Mr. Mowat say that he did not listen to representations or applications from the promoters ot the railway lor additional Provincial aid?" I suppose thr.t Conservatives who read the in we , fort hea mat assc objt no exc( pasf nas oft, are SeoJ deit fort obrr owi fartj appJ tJUef Th< five! X %#>. pAinphlet may think the fact to be as in insinuated in that question. But tlhe trath is, that not a single word was said to me about railway aid during all the time I was in Glengarry, nor did I say a word about it to anybody. (Cheers.) I did not knoM^ «nen, and do not know now, that the friends nf the railway were or are looking for an increase ot the railway bonus already voted. (Cheers.) And it never occurred to me, in connection with that visit or otherwise, to give an impression to anybody that the chance of receiving further railway aid from the Government would be greater if the county elected one mnn rather than another, and the subject was not even (Spoken of. We go on no such principle in our railway grants as this pam- phleteer suggests (Cheers.) In every instance the grant maae to a railway had been as much desired and as earnestly asked by Conservatives as by Reformers. There is not one railway that we have aided which has not had among its promoters both Conservatives and Reformers. What we look at IS whether ot not the railway is one to which it is tor the public iuteiest to grant aid, and we a«t accordingly . (Cheers. ) The Senator has a good deal to say about tho , ,A ' . ,.71 Admlnlstiration of Justice. Amongst other things^ he states that the Reform Governments at Ottawa and Toronto have " created two Courts of Appeal — the Court of Error and Appeal for Ontario, and the Supreme Court at Ottawa." What will you think of such a statement wheu I tell you that the Court of Appeal was established as long ago as 1791 ? — (laughter)— and that the Actecitablishiint; it provided for nearly the same classes of appeals from the Oburt of Kiug'ii Bench as now ? The Court of Chancery was establisL ed in 1837, and it was then provided, 30 years ago, that there should be appeals trom that Court; to tho same Court of Appeal. Some years later (ld49) the Court of Common I'leas was establiKhed, and an appeal was at the same time provided tor from that Court to the Court of Appeal, which then received the name of the Court of Error and Appeal, and retained it till the old name was restored in my time. Thus, part of the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal wiiich we are said to have created had its origin over eighty years ago, part of it forty years ago, and part of it more than a quarter of a centuiy a^'o. (Hear, Hear.) Tbe Senator expresses the valuable opinion that the law allows too many rehoarings or appeals, aud he intjinuatus^ if ho does not positivel;^ asReit, that we were the parties who hud made the law to which he thus objects. You will hardly be of that opinion when I tell you that siuce 1851 nu important classes of appeals have been sanctioned by the Lugishituru except those which Sir John added— I do not say wrongly added — by a law passed in his time. So that the whole matter of appeals in ordinary cases nas been in existence substantially as it now is for many years betore either of the assailed Governments was in power, and some parts of the system are owing to his friend Sir John and his Government ; aud nobody but tho Senator iu his pamplilet has hitherto condemned them. The Senator con- demns the Reform party also fur the ai>peals allowed to the Supreme Court, forgetting in his partisanship that tlie Act cstiibliuhingtbe Supreme Court, oorrespoiided in that respect with the Bills previously brought in by his own friends, and that the Act of the late Government not only did not go farther than was done by tho Bills of Sir John, bet cut vft one expensive appeal which the Sonatoi-'s friends wished to retain, namely, an appeal from tjUe Supreme Court to the Privy Council inEuglaud. In 1874 it hau become necessary to increase the ^ ; Number of Judges. There f.a,d been no increase, in tbe number of Superior Jud:£cs tor twenty^ five year»» During that period there hud been a large inurease la tho I 50 population of the Province, and in its wealth and its transactions, and the consequence was that the business of the Courts had so increased that the judges were unable to overtake their work. Hence the business was falling into arrear. The judges were laborious and able men ; but there was a limit to their powers, and sometimes suitors were in attendance at Court Hfter Court before they could get their cases tried or disposed ot. The delay and expense occasioned by this state of things were great evils, and acknowledged by all to be so. Justice Is not justice unless it is rea* sonabi; speedy. (Hear, hear.) We proposed, tberefoK', the additions of a certain number of judges, and our proposal was approved of by the Opposf. tion leaders as well as by our own friends. Our opponents fully admitted that the measure was one which the public interests imperatively required. We called the new judires "judges ot appeal," and made tne bearing ot ap- peals their special duty, though the other duties assigned to them were greater than their appeal duties. Mr. Meredith, in his speech on our Bill, declared that the arrangement we proposed of making these judges ap- peal judtces was probably the best arrangement that could be made. 1 do not know tl)at I need remark further on what the Senator says when the members ot his own political stripe who were acquainted with the subject, which he is not, have expressed strong opinions in favour of tho very measure which he iguorautly condemns. (Hear, hear.) Tavern Licenses. ' * ^" -^^ * ^ The Senator says that we have " diverted into the Provincial Exchequer a portion of the revenue derived from tavern li.'^enses," and that thereby I "may be said to have inaugurated direct taxaiion for Provincial pur- poses ;" while the fact is. there has been a tax on tavern licenses for Pre vincial purposes for more than eighty years, and it wap inaugurated in the first Parliament of Upper Canada, instead of being inaugurated by me. I hud noted, for the purpose of remarking upon, a number ot other state- ments in the pamphlet, but I have occupied so much time already that I cannot continue much longer. (Cries of «' Go on.") Mr. Maopberson's Charges. IV' > The pamphlet is chiefly directed against me and against my colleagues. Mr. Macpheison entitles his pamphlet, "A trenchant exposure" — very modest, is lie not?—*' of extravagance, incapacity, and corruption." He says, I " know what is right," but •♦ can be persuaded to do what is wrong." (Lauubter.) He pretends to think that I ••yield readily to unscrupulous men." He charges me, in common with my colleagues, with "making the wildest misstatements," with " misrepresentation and abuse," with ••unscrupulous efforts," with "flagrant wrong-doing," with "defending acts" which we "must have known to be scandalous." Ho accuses us with [ "sacrificing consistency, dignity, and duty." He says we are a ••nariow- ' minded and selfish clique," and •' incapable and reckless." He speaks oi our accounts for what are called contingencies as the "corruption fund ot' unscrupulous Ministers." I have not at hand two letters which he pub- lished in the Mail, and which, I believe, contained more in the same strain Yet ho does not seem to think that any ot this language is abuse. (Hear, hear.) And he implores me not to abuse him. (Laughter) His pamphUti may deceive the uawary, but to anybody that studies it, it is enough to coudumu him without any abuse on my part, or by any one else. As tu the things which he says of me, I do not dispute with the Senator their applicability to one ot us. I leave those who know me and my publiu conduct to judge whether they apply to me, and I am content to leavu his pamphlet, or the pamphlet which he claims as his, to tell whether or not they apply to him. (Hear, hear.) The Senator uundescends, in the midsi of all his abuse oi xue, to iutruduve a Suuuuve to the t&uat that he believes I am " personally upright." For my part, I do not see how u man can be as bad as he says that I am, and yet bo personally upright. But he and I evidently belong; to di£ferent schools of ethics, as well as to difterent schools of politics. (Cheers.) While this gentleman ex- presses so bad an opinion ot me, he thinks a great deal of himself. He claims to be " intluenced solely by a desire to promote the public welfare and to purify Canadian public life." I am afraid that if the public wel- fare and the purity of Canadian life depend at all on him and his pamphlet, they stand a very poor chance of promotion. (Hear, hear.) He pronounces partyism to bo " selfish and wicked," and speaks of it as " pr«judiced and pestilent," and as «' inexorable and dwarfing." These are strong words. There may be a partyism without any of these things. There may be a pilre and patriotic partyism ; but the Senator's partyism deserves all 'Che opprobrious epithets which he uses. (Hear, hear.) And here, for want of time and strength, I must leave him. Much as this Tory Senator abuses the Reform party as represented in the Ontario Government and Legislature, and bitter as henceforward until the elections the contest will be between his friends and tba Liberals of the Province, I am glad to know that our legislation and our adrainistra. tion of public affairs have oeen beneficial to the whole people, and to our bitterest opponents as well as to our best friends. I hope that v?'^ may be in a position to do good to our political enemies (in spite ot themselves), as wfll as to the rest of the country, tor another term of tour years ; and I do not doubt that the Reform Literary and Debating Club of Toronto will render good service in bringing about that desirable result. The hon. gentlemen, on resuming^ bis scat, was heartily cheered. i # NoTB — Mr. Macpherson has issued a new and revised edition of the Pamphlet, with a lon^ appendix, dated 14th of January, 1879, and a differ- ent title page ; and it is said that a large edition is being printed at tho Senator's expense, for distribution in every part of the Province, under the hope on his part of thereby influencing the coming elections and obtaining some fame for himself. Mr. Mowat, in his speech before the Toronto Reform Club, gave some specimens of the Senator's misleading statements ; and the facts mentioned in his Woodstock speech, as well as in other portions of his speech at Toronto, afford incidentally an answer to other statements in the pamphlet, and to thH false inferences of extravagance which the schedules were prepared to lead the unwary to make. Expenditure is not necessarily extravagance ; nor does increased expenditure necessarily imply extravagance ; on the con- trary, increased expenditure may be economical, as well as prudent and wise. Mr. Mowat has pointed out, that for the essential piirposps of a government, the expenditure under the heads of Civil Government, Legislation and Admin- istration of Justice is the only expenditure necessary; and that it does not in this Province amount to much more than one-fourth of the Annual Revenue ; that the balance of our revenue may either be kept unemployed, or be em. ployed in some useful and beneficial manner in the public interest ; that the cost of of Civil Government and Administration of Justice always and everywhere increases unavoidably with the progress of a country ; and that, the aggregate cost of Civil Government in Ontario, including all increases of salaries and all contingencies, is far less proportionably than the increase of business done since Mr, Sandfield McDonald's time. Again, the chief item of increase under the head of Legislation is for the increased indemnity of mem- bers, and the Senator speaks as if it was incurred against the opposition of his own party, and was therefore a ground for preferring his to the liberal party ; while the fact is> as the Senator ktlows woU^ that his liiends and 52 ■■■;■ I leaders were active parties in bringing about tho increase, and in inducinjj the government to assent to it, and that the same leaders and their support- ers have always defended the increase as jnst and reasonable, whether it may or may not be deemed expedient to continue it. Apart from the three heads of expenditure which have just been men- tioned, and which do hot amount to much more than one-fourth of either the revenue or the aggregate expenditure, Mr. Mowat has pointed out that the other expenditures of a country may be much or little, according to the means of the country and the wishes of its people ; that in the case of Ontario, — the revenue having been from the first more than was neces- sary both to defray the essential expenses of government, and to en- able the Legislature to make the various other grants which had been customary before Confederatioii for objects, now within the jurisdiction of the Ontario Legislature, — Mr. Sandlield Macdonald's Government deter- mined to build a new Government House at Toronto, a new Lunatic Asylum at London, an Institute for the blind at Brantford, an Insti- tute for the deaf and dumb at Belleville, and a Central Prison at Toronto ; and the same government decided in its last year to appropriate a million and a half dollars of the s'urplu^i of previous ye^rs for the encourage- ment of railways. The works so determined upon by that government were partly executed in their time, and what was not completed before the change of government has been completed since ; but the objects mentioned did not employ the whole remaining revenue or accumulations of revenue, and the Reform Party are responsible for employing further portions of accumulated and ac- cruing revenue for other ol)je.ot3. They distributed upwards of three millions of dollars amongst the municipalities for local objects of a perma- nent nature ; and upwards of two millions of dollars for encouraging rail- ways to which the people in the various localities were contributing still larger sums. The Asylums and Institutions established before Mr. Blake came into power having become inadequate to ajBFord accommodation for the afflicted classes for which these Institutions were designed, it was the public desire that a furth^.r part of the money should be employed on en- .ilarging and extending the respective buildings, so that there should be room i| for all. This was do; a. Was it wrong ? IS' obody said so at the time, and / nobody ventures to say sojnow. The Central Prison was also greatly enlarged for a like reason, and the gaols were thereby relieved of an additional number of their inmates. More also was done for colonization roads and other Public VVoiks ; more for Education ; more for hospitals and charities for the relief of the iufum and the poor ; and more for various other objects of I'ublic interest or advantage. When our Institutions were enlarged and contained an additional number of inmates, a corrosponding increase in the annual expenditure for the main- tenance of these Institutions was a matter of course ; but the cost per head is less at each of them than at simiiar institutions iu any other part of the North American Continent, The pamphleteer endeavors by his tables, and his references to them, to create the false impression that more has been spent for what could and should have been as well accomplislied for the smaller sums employed in the earlier years of (,'onfederation ; but the contrary is the fact. The Senator has manipulated the tables in several respects, in order to facilitcte this impression. Some illustrations of this manipulatiou have been given in the newspapers, and iu the debates in the Assembly on the answer to the Lieutenant vjiovernor's Sjietch ; and a more full account of tht Senator'.') oriors and mialcuding statements will be giveu hereafter. \ en men- either ited out scorditjg in the ? » iiTDEss:;. ■ " ♦»t- DOMINION AND LOCAL POLITICS. .^^^^f taqh. Members cf Provincial Governments interested as oitizens 4 OUR CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM. / ....;-_:/ _^.rL