IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 1^ mm u Hi Ui ta lino 1.8 U III 1.6 V] m w 'V' v: >^ 'W v CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. D D Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d6color6es, tachetdes ou piqudes Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serrd (peut causer de Tombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure) L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Certains d6fauts susceptibles de nuire d la quality de la reproduction sont not6s ci-dessous. D D D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Coloured plates/ Planches en couleur Show through/ Transparence Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes T P f 1 c a 1 f ii D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppldmentaires Bibliographic Notes / Notes bibliographiques m Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Bound with other material/ Re\\6 avec d'autres documents D D Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination Pages missing/ Des pages manquent n Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque D Maps missing/ Des cartes gdographiques manquent D Plates missing/ Des planches manquent D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppldmentaires The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6x6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de I'exemplaire film6, et en conformit6 avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — ^ (meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la der- nidre image de cheque mtcrofiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: Library of the Public Archives of Canada L'exemplaire filmd fut reproduit grdce d la gdn^rositd de I'dtablissement prdtaur suivant : La bibliotheque des Archives publiques du Canada Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont filmdes d partir de Tangle sup^rieure gauche, de gaurhe d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ;.«■ v • ; ^.O . -^ ■ • ■^i V"- ■ . '- '0' ■'■':',' • v-''i'' f i • ■• - ''' r*-l-'. ^ •: /•■ . -■/•' ■-* ^- .'' ■'. .' ' '■ •■fi;'i->-' f -y -^•^ •■:^;. ;s' ■■'■••'./ "f .K .* •/ -».,..:,■ ,./•;:'■ ■-. ■- .';■ ■'^. ;.'.,iif A'4■^.'<>^^;.:;5v:,.v^• ^1 DOMINM ' ELECTIOI. CAMPAIGN OF j.886. Em. Edward B lake's Spsedies. l^To. 13 (First. Series). Provincial Issues — The Religious Cry- Liberals and Catholics. NOTE.— See Inside Cover for List of Mr. BlaKe's Speeches in first Series. Apply to W. T. R. Preston, Reform Club, Toronto, for Copies of these Speeches. Toronto: v ^ " HUNTER, ROSE & CO., PRINTERS. / 1886. •t ■f^ r-. -:'''^ 'ft ^/v> t' ••■-••¥-■••1 : ll - — ^ J* i ..■■■•vxi;!,. i'l; 'HI . "C- '' \. ' .' ■>■■ '■''■A,:' 1'. i'-V'V'v t,: 'M., ^■.-. V ,-*■ t ■■.;^ ■• ' ■■ » , f- •'..■•^■ I -^1 ^ '. ■■ >■;%•:■ J "■ '' v > ' '1 ■'if . > .Si' : ■> ■ . '* ^' >■) "■ ■■; ■,"> ~"> >i 'J - "' '^ •*:■:/;■■• ■ r>. 'i. ' 'i":')i. /\,j- <• LIST OF SPEECHES IN THIS SERIES. ■ v «'■■' ;•»' No. I. —(London): General Review of Situation. Riel Question. ' (Owen Sound) : North- West Maladministration. Pfe'. No. 2.— (Beavkrton) : Iiui pent'encc of Parliament. The Bocdie Brigade. No. 3.— (Chesley) : Public Finances— Taxation and Deficits — Farmers. No. 4.— (MMCOE) ; Federal and Provincial Rights— Ontario— M ova Scotia. (Guelph) — Elections near. — Tory Dodges— Nova Scotia. No. 5.— (OWRN Sound): Principles of Liberalism— Duty of the Leader. (Wellanu)— Policy of the Party — Functions of an Oppcsition. (Oakwood)— Sir J. Macconald on Functions of an Cppcsition. No. 6. — ifjr/yai/j — (Gi ELPii) : Home Rule for Ireland. (Berlin): Firebrand Tory attempts to exc te Germans. (Galt & Okangkville) .- Indian Starvation Policy. (Pembroke) -, Maladministration felt at Cut Knife Hill. No. 7.— .fi'jr/rof/'j— (Kendali.) : Business Methods required in Public Affairs — Degradation of Parliament — A few Boodlers. "■'<^-; Y- <.^ii'- V ■' • (Hampton); Civil Service Reform. - -»^^ ■ ■• • ' . '(Galt) : Burden of Public Debt. (Oranokvills) : Buiden of Public Debt. (Belt EviLLE): Burden of Public Debt— The Interest on Debt. (Oakwood) : Burden of Public Debt— Our Public Expen- diture. No. 8.— (Newcastle) : Canadian Pacific Railroad Matters. (LisTowEL): Cauadian Pacific Railroad Matttrs— The last Sacri- fice of $ 10, ooij, 000— Collapse of Tory "Boom" Policy. - ^ (St. Thomas) : North- West Lands. '(HuNTsviLLE) : R.R. Policy— Sir John's Subsidies to "Guinea-Pig" » Directors — Assisted Irr-migration and Railway Frauds. ' (Parry sioUND) : Railway Policy of Liberals. ' ' '' ' ' ' (Orangbville) : Railway Policy of Liberals. (Brantford) : The Kansas Slander. (LisTowEL) : The Sea of Mountains. No. 9.— (WiNGHAM) : Blake's Tribute to Mackenzie. " • (Stayner); Blake's Tribute to Sir Richard Cartwright. (Bfantfikd) : Blake's 1 ribute to Paterson — Duty of Young Men. No. 10. — (Wellani;) : Liberal Party, Creeds and Classes. (Orillia): Leadeissnd f'ewspapers— The "Mail" Crusade. No. II.— (Aylmer) : Prohibition and Politics. ■ . ' ■' "■ ■,' . No. 12.— (Toronto) : Inteies.s of labour -The Tariff. (VVelland): To Knigtits ol i-abour. (Belleville): Lejjislation for Labour. ' / , (Deseronto) : Workingmen and Parties. « (Hamilton): Work.n^men and Parties. No. 13. — (Hamilton): Provincial Issues — I he Religious Cry — Liberals and Catholics. No. 14.- {! I n:^AV) : North-West Affair'* — Neglect, Delay and Misman- , ageinent— Race and Crpc-»»"''<"--i*---~-^->»-V<'**^''-t^;r-'^.j'» ■'i-.: 'ig' len. U and Uman- V - <<■' '■•■■'w v^■•^■^ V, •••'•'■ *jv»- " /*^.^:.-- > .;---^'.- ".'.''•• ' .••■■■•;■(•■:> -Ti^:'. ,• •- .. ••• ' , r .M .•' '. -'. V ., ; ■? "- . ■•>•■, .' .-^ 'V^ ^ ■ Nr ' '' . • ■ '. ,- ■ :\\ PROVINCIAL QUESTIONS. LIBERAL ADMINISTRATION IN ONTARIO. WEAKNESS OF TORY (/^POSITION. At Hamilton during the Local Campaign, Mr. Blake, after some preliminary words respecting Mr, Mowat and his Goveinment, said : — We must remember that Government has been in power fourteen years, and it is to be expected that in that long interval there would be some acts of the Government with which some Liberals may not agree, indeed it can hardly be otherwise ; but its general policy has been in full accord with Liberal principles, and has met with the full approval of the great body of the Liberals. My relations to Provincial affairs and Provincial politics are those of a citizen of Ontario dee[)ly interested in its welfare ; of a member of the Provincial Liberal party deeply anxious for the triumph of its principles ; and of a supporter and follower of Mr. Mowat as our worthy and trusted leader. He is our chief, we follow him ! he acts independently on his own judgment, with the advice of his able colleagues and the counf;el of his friends ; but he leads ; he frames our policy, he guides our cour.9e. And though, as I have said, there may sometimes be some matters on which we may not see eye to eye, yet, in the main agreeing, we heartily sup- port and follow him. We follow him first, because he is good in himself, and secondly, because he is better than those who set themselves up as his would-be successors. (Cheers ) And in this world, where all things are imperfect, where we cannot hope for absolute perfection, we must consider, when called on to make a choice, not merely a man's absolute, but also his relative (|ualities; we must consider whether we shall benefit by any change pro- posed to us. The relations of the leader of the Canadian Liberal party to the Provincial Prime Minister, as you will have seen, differ altogether from those which subsist between Sir John Mac- donald, the leader of the Canadian Conservatives, and Mr. Meredith, the leader of the Provincial Opposition. Sir John has declared upon several platforms within the last few days that Mr. Meredith is his lieutenant, and he has asked the confidence and .support of the people of Ontario for Mr. Meredith as in effect his Provincial Prime Minister, as his lieutenant. Sir John is thus '': i.V ,.. -t J-> ( « (13) V ...-^t.;, , '.'^ •.•:.. .':rj;-f '•Ci • .■■■■ > ■ : r \ ; ■' ./ » ^t Mf^- •I.".'* ■ ^., r. V ■ ■'A A'' ■.K'-j.-. '.. 1 1 \ V . = \ ■,:»■■ ■V; v\.. • • " ."*■' ■■ - .; ..;;,,.,_ ,^; •,>...,. 378 ;.,v --;:/'->.':- -.■•:^,.. i REALLY THE PROVINCIAL LEADER NT of the Cons'ervative party aud Mr. Meredith holds the place he occupies in Sir tPohn's room, simply because the law and his con- venience do not allow Sir John to sit himself in the Local Legis- lature. Mr. Meredith, under these circumstances, is his subordin- ate, acts under him, follows his advice, does his bidding. Mr. Meredith then is not a^ independent man, the leader of an inde- pendent Provincial party, acting in accordance with the views and in the interest of the Provincial Conservatives whom he nominally leads. He is onl}'^ the lieutenant of Sir John. (Cheers.) This is a very important distinction, when you recollect the condition for the last few years of the relations of Ontario and the Dominion. There are three great heads into which we may divide the Pro- vincial questions which are attracting our attention. There ought to be only one great head, but there are three. I will talk first of that which ought to be the only head, namely, the GENERAL INTERNAL POLICY ■-:■ K'v r-' X ,'■ .**^-. and course of the Government, whether executive or legislative. Now, you have an administration which has ruled for fourteen years, for a longer term under the same Minister than has been known in modern times ; an administration which has so ruled in the blaze of day, with a hostile Opposition, anxious to find, and establish, and proclaim anything that was wrong; with some hostile members, and a hostile press, ready to assert that there is something wrong, whether or no there be in fact anything wrong ; and yet no serious act of wrongdoing has been plausibly alleged, still less established. (Cheers.) You have an administration, honest, pure, above reasonable suspicion of jobbery or corruption;, and that, in these days, is no small matter. (Cheers.) You have an administration at once prudent and progressive, which has given general satisfaction by its course of executive action. It has dispensed such moneys as were entrusted to it by the Legisla- ture ; it has carried out the policy which commended itself to the Legislature, fairly, honestly, with reasonable liberality, and with due regard to the efficiencv and wants of the public service. You find . , NO SERIOUS QUESTION v " -, v .^■.'l^^.■, ' ' ' '■ ' " . raised with regard to expenditure. Of the many millions which have been expended, exception has been taken by the Opposition to only a few thousands. We are not to assume that even these expenditures were reallj'' questionable, simply because they chose irr ■• V (13) •: y f'-i -- mtt§m^. '^\:^i-.'.' •f-' ^-•IV. , •.■' < to question them ; but the figures show how trifling is the amount about which even those whose business it is to criticize thought a question could be raised. You find in a word that no serious fault is shown with the executive management of the Government. Take, then, THE LEGISLATIVE D^PARTMliNT. You have had a vigorous series gf legislative Acts. Legislation has been kept fully abreast of public opinion. In this democratic age when, fortunately, as we believe, the people are taking and are expected to take, year by year, a more general, a more active, and more intelligent share in moulding and fashioning publie policy, I, for my part, am wholly ojiposed to legislation which shall be in advance of public opinion. (Cheers.) I believe it be the duty of the leaders of the public mind to educate the public mind up to the acceptance of a policy, and then to bring down the legislation which shall crystallize that policy into law. (Cheers.) On the subject of legislation, as well as of administration, I believe that this Government and this party is practically unassailable. (Applause.) Then, if you come to the , QUESTION OF ABILITY, and consider their ability in council or their ability in debate, whether you consider their absolute, or their relative, ability, the administration is one of which Ontario has just cause to be proud. (Loud cheering) We have a right to be proud that notwithstand- ing the drain which is made upon us is in the walks of the pro- fessions, in the walks of commerce and business, in the larger political arena in which I happen to be a humble instrument, we have yet been able to secure a Provincial Administration so strong in talent and ability, in wise executive, and great legislative power; men so strong that Ontario would be ready to claim their full fitness to become eminent members of a Canadian Ministry, instead of a Provincial Cabinet. (Great applause.) And great as is their merit absolutely, it is far greater relatively. I ask you, I tell you to ask him to say when he comes here, who has Mr. Meredith behind him. (Cheers and laughter.) He is not first ; he is alone. Where is the second ijaan, not to say the third, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth man with whom an administration could be constructed, comparing in the elements of respectability and power with those he would condemn ? (Hear, hear.) Their , candidates for the coming Legislature have been nominated and are now before the country, and if every man whom they have put forward were elected, they could not find among them all six such men as those whom you are asked to displace in their favour. V *•• /\-J^^ T » I (13) / ■ ,■■ X^' ) :-\ i\ ' Mi •4^'-^^ u ^ ■/-•-■■'■-v ; ,J■l/•■';^ \% if; » ■' ' ■"■■ ■ . A- ■ky ^J^ 1* 380 r, '.•v'V i,^ vn (Cheers.) They could not even form a respectable Government, so far as their candidates have proved a title to public confidence. Now then, this is the fifeneral state of things with reference to the position of this Government, and of the Liberal party absolutely and relatively. On this great division of the subject their record is U7ias8ailed and unassailable, and there ought to be no doubt whatever as to the verdict of the ])eople. But I have told you that there were other heads than this, which ought to be the only head. Thj second is the IV::;: ' i:-j /.' ■' . r. "-x^^ -. It ": ?.'ar- EXTERXAL POLICY OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT. There ought to be no call for an external policy, but unfortu- nately, we have been forced, for some years back, to engage in an external or foreign policy. Happy is the Province, and happy the Dominion, which has no foreign policy at all ; as happy, as a great writer once said, is the nation which has no history ! There ought to be harmony and not discord, between the different ele- ments of Canada. (Cheers.) I am sorry it is not so. But it is not our fault in Ontario. We, in this Province, have been latter- ly forced to light for our liberties, aye, for our existence. Our boundaries have been sought to be restricted by one-half; our lands to the extent of half our inheritance have been claimed, and even at this moment are leing claimed by another power, which seeks to wrest them from us. Our northern boundary is still kept unsettled by the action of that power, which refuses to act upon the spirit of the decision of the Privy Council, and keeps open, as a festering sore, this question which might hav^e been settled fourteen years ago if the men now in power in the Domi- nion had but agreed to my views as to the best settlement of the boundary. But, no ; they wouldn't. Sir John Macdonald, when I proposed a limit, said we were so far apart that there was no use attempting to find common ground. He placed the boundary at Port Ai'thur ; I put it at the Lake of the Woods. We were too far apart, he said, to talk about settlement. We are together now. (Cheers.) Where have we met ? On what shore are we together at last ? At the Lake of the Woods. (Tremendous laughter and applause.) / have not gone to him ; I have not even met him, half way ; he has been driven to come to me. (Cheers.) We have been fighting for our rights to escheats, we have been fighting for our right to issue licenses, we have been lighting for the most impor- tant power of all, the power to legislate finally upon our own purely local affairs not affecting Canadian interests, a right which has been, and is to-day, denied to us. (Cheers.) We have been fighting for these rights in the Courts of Ontario, in the Courts of Canada, in the Privy Council at the foot of the Throne. The :*- ^;. b. "V ■: .' '''■,^^^^'*- ■^.J^^■ )^T /; • ■*.. .•.,Y t . >'■••■- 381 ■ V. * • battles have been long and arduous, the'battles have boon costly, but they have all boon won so far. (Tumultuous applause.) The great constitutional lawyer has been beaten every time. (Laugh- ter and renewed applause.) Instead of being, as ho proudly boasted in 1882, infallibly right, he has been found v: ' i , ' INFALLIBLY WRONG. '' " (Loud laughter.) And now, whatever he says, you may believe that it is juM not so. (Shouts of laughter.) His standing as a * constitutional lawyer is lost, and his reputation shattered for- ever. But he fights still. And at whose cost ? At ours. (Ap- plause.) Why, only last session, wo were called upon to vote several thousand dollars to pay Mr. Dal ton McCarthy's costs in ^ contesting the right of Ontario to the lands of Ontario, in a suit that is going on to-day, and they say they intend, if necessary, to take it to the Privy Council, so as to sweep away our lands if they can. We are fighting to-day for our lands and for our northern boundary ; we are fighting to-day against the arbitrary exercise of the power of disallowance, and in these fights these men are our opponents. They say : — There's no use talking about these things ; they are dead issues. (Laughter and applause.) Those that are in one sense dead are dead because we have won ; because they have been settled the way we have wished them settled. . (Cheers and renewed laughter.) But they want to hear nothing more about them, and they would be gla I if besides being deaa \ they were buried, too. (Great applause.) But they are not yet , buried ; and besides, their ghosts still haunt the earth, and they alarm and terrify, as they should alarm and terrify, the men who wrongfully raised these questions, who fought them as long as they could, and as hard as they could, and have been beaten so far in every struggle — (cheers) — and who want badly now to lay these ghosts. But they will not down. (Laughter.) Even if these questions have been settled, what is your duty and mine ? To consider which of the two parties in these conflicts has been the party in the right ; which of the two parties it is that has been standing up for the real rights of Ontario and the real rights of the Dominion, the proved rights of the Province and the proved rights of the Dominion. Which is that party ? The Liberal party of Ontario, led by Oliver Mowat. (Enthusiastic cheering.) Who is it that has been . . W^ ' , -I. ■ ■■ -.1 I .\ X wv ■A ■i STRUaOLING TO INFRINGE ON OUR RIGHTS, yvu who is it that, but for Mr. Mowat, might have wrested them from our hands ? It is Mr. Meredith's chief ; it is the man of whom he +1 '. '>• ''•■ (13) '^...•: rt' ■ ♦'■■ •V '.*•■: '-r"'' 382 •/ * i8 the lieutenant ; it is Six John Macdonald. (Loud cheers.) And if that be so, your duty to-day is to cast up the accounts between these two, and reward the patriot and punish the traitor. (Re- newed cheering.) These contests were not confined to the coui'ts. They went beyond the courts and reached the polls. In the last two elections so well fought, and so gallantly won, by Mr. Mowat, who was his principal adversary ? Was it Air. Meredith and Mr. Carnegie and Mr. Creighton, or Mr. Solomon White, with whom he is now traversing the country, that bright particular star he brings with him everywhere to show what brilliant colleagues he possesses, and what good material he has to form a Government ? (Laughter.) Not so. These men were not foemen worthy of Mr. Mowat's steel ; they were not worth powder and shot. (Laugh- ter and cheers.) Mr. Mowat's principal adversaries were Sir John Macdonald and the Dominion Uoveniment, with tljeir power, their influence, their patronage, their contractors' money, and the tim- ber lands of Ontario, which they fraudulently took. (Cheers.) This is the third contest upon this line ; and in this third contest whom do you find the main strength of the Provincial Opposi- tion ? They Jo not, indeed, talk much Provincial politics aloud on the platfoim ; they deal mostly in Dominion politics, but there is a large spice of Provincial politics thrown in, and they do a good deal of work off the platform. (Laughter.) Yes ; you find the great combination troupe has been traversing the whole Province seeking to influence the fate of the Provincial election. And as the polling-day approaches you find that they have separated. They can't do their work fast enough together, so they have div- ided their forces, and Mr. Foster has gone to my riding, and Mr. White once again to Peterborough, and they have dispersed over the land to put in a last good word for Sir John Macdonald, the real Provincial leader, and for his lieutenant, Mr. Meredith, in this local contest. (Cheers.) They are asking your verdict in this Ontario contest. WHO ARE THEY? ,. . .. . ■ / ^- Not only Sir John Macdonald, the Prime Minister of Canada, but also Mr. White and Mr. Chapleau from Quebec, Mr. Foster ffom New Brunswick, Mr. Thompson from Nova Scotia, all deeply, oh, so deeply, interested in Ontario Provincial affairs and Ontario Provincial elections ! (Loud applause.) They have generously come to us, poor, ignorant people of Ontario, who do not know enough to govern ourselves, who do not know what is tor our good, to teach us with all the wisdom of Quebec, and Nova Sco- tia, and New Brunswick, what is good for us ; to show us the way we should go ! (Loud cheers.) Let us receive these lessons of superior wisdom with all due humility. (Laughter.) Let us '>'■>. in in ■.. '■'♦ I,' I ' \. 383 bow before these higher intelligences ; let iis listen to those words of sweetness and light ; let us do as they would have us do ! (Cheers and laughter.) No ! not so ! Mr. Mowat has been called to attend to the duties of administration for these many years in the face not merely of 'oes without, but of traitors within. (Loud applause.) And ho las beat them both. (Great cheering.) Whether in the Legislature, with their arguments, or their money — (cheerH) — whether in the courts, whether at the polls, he has beat thorn both, and he has beat them all. (Renewed cheers.) Mr. Meredith, the lieutenant of Sir John Macdonald, acting for Sir John Macdonald, filling his place, doing his will, this being now their avowed relation, is the chief traitor within the gates. (Cheers.) And now he asks you not merely to admit him once again within the gates, but to let him into the citadel itself — (cheers.) — not merely to let him into the citadel, but to place him in absolute command of the fortress ! (Cheers and cries of "Never.") And, if you do this, considering that these struggles are not yet ended, what result must you expect ? Do you sup- pose there will be a very vigilant defence by Mr. Meredith of the rights of Ontario against Sir John Macdonald ? (Cries of " No " and loud cheers.) It is his own Ifeutenant whom Sir John asks you to put there in order to make things easier for himself. (Cheers and laughter.) If you agree with the great wolf to put the little wolf in charge ot the sheep-fold, do you think you will have got hold of a very good watch-dog ? (Tremendous laughter and applause.) You know what Sir John would do with the boundary, and of course his lieutenant will and must agree with him. Of course he will ; else he will cease to be his lieutenant. The captain will cashier the mutinous lieutenant should he not obey orders, ajid appoint another in his room — (laughter) — he will put some other of his puppets into the place. (Cheers.) And so as to OUR LEGISLATIVE RIGHTS. « ' r . ^if 1 ^'^il f )Ut oh, Irio low )ur 5co- jtbe Ions us What about the struggle against the disallowance of our purely local laws, if you have in office in Ontario only the lieutenant of him who disallows those laws? There would be no struggle! You would have peace and harmony — the same sort of peace and har- mony that resulted when the lamb was comfortably lodged.insido the lion ! (Cheers and laughter.) Sir John may ask again for your licenses ; he will ask, doubtless, for your lands ; he has wished them long, he has struggled for them hard ; he will insist on an adverse northern boundary ; once he gets his lieutenant in office he will doubtless re-assert his claims and enforce his au- thority against his subordinate. (Cheers.) I advise you to hold the fort — (cheers) — I advise you to hold your own — (cheers) — ) ,.■ (13 \ ■::'>c\ .^'' *-K'U-y-' .-•'■. . 'iV; • .'/■.:■'•'■% TvV^V' ->•-■> ^ ,^ ,^ ,^ .- -■■ •"v. '■" '-' ■ ■ " . ^V ■ 384 "'• •' " ^ ; \ . ^ I advise j ju, having rights which you value, knowing that those rights have been boldly asserted, carefully guarded, vigilantly watched, and successfully protected for these many years, to hold to the men who have met and defeated the enemy, who have en- ' \ countered all the' hostility, and repelled all the missiles of the whole of the Conservative party of the Dominion, hostility aroused and missiles Hung, just because these men were true to their Province ! (Cheers.) I advise you to see to it that these men are supported to-day as they never were supported before. (Loud cheering.) Don't set the lieutenant to fight the captain — (great applause and laughter) — else, you know, the captain may i ^ call a drum-head court-martial, try the lieutenant for mutiny, and string him up. (Renewed laughter and applause.) So much for the foreign policy under which Mr. Mowat has been fighting for Ontario's boundaries, for Ontario's lands, for Ontario's treasures, for Ontario's jurisdictions, for Ontario's legislative rights, and under which he is, if need be, prepared to tight still on the same lines should you appoint him again to the same honourable though arduous position. (Loud applause.) But there is yet another and a last head, or division, of the issues of the day. There is what they in England, when the Liberal party was fighting the election of '85, called "THE UNAUTHORIZED PROGRAMME," y and it is upon the unauthorized programme that the Tories are depending in this contest. They are depending upon the un- authorized programme of the No Popery cry. (Hear, hear, and ' applause.) Mr. Meredith disclaims it — and profits by it. (Re- newed applause.) He sees his organs create it, his followers use it, he stands on the platform and hears their talk ; he sees thousands ■ ' of tlie Mail and other Tory newspapers sent to the Liberal Protes- tants throughout the land with a view, by misrepresentations, to delude and deceive them ; he sees their precious campaign litera- ture circulated among this class, just as there was another campaign sheet of a very different kind, circulated by him amongst the Roman Catholics in 1883 — (cheers and laughter) — he sees that just as they addressed the Roman Catholic electors with false ■^ '. representations as to the facts and the relations of the parties in 1883, so they are doing with regard to the Protestants in 188G — (applause) — he sees the sinister and infamous efforts made, in / his interest, to rouse the religious bigotry of the people by these misrepresentations, and he knows that " THAT IS THE MAIN DEPENDENCE OF HIS FRIENDS to-rday. (Tremendous applause.) I have nothing tx) do with it, •) • ■: .:.: 'i; ,1 „ ; : <,n .i' 'tA 'i^ 7 '-' ./•> .i^-v :.:.l:.'' \r- ^^': .•''^' 'J./ : '(>, , f. ■'.'-' . . • '•'"1 ,■; i ? "..'•'■ 'V-"' " .vfW!;? ^•';^-- V -'■-••''. ■.>:,<■ /T-"--'V -•■.'.-■ - -^ - - .•- H ;V. .:.-:.;■ ■■>■",••-, ■ -"•■ ' ■■'■ ' ■' - ' • ••■ .;■'.' /■,-■■• :'■ ' ';■• 386 . ^' '■ ■ or some of them, spoke, and 1 believe other bodies also spoke. Eminent men amongst the Baptists and Congregationalists spoke, and in my humble way I used what little influence I could fo forward the movement. As Chancellor of the University of Toronto — one of the highest of the undeserved honours which have been conferred upon me, — it is my high duty each year to address the Convocation, and through that body the Province at large, upon the aspect of educational affairs. In June, 1884, I spoke as Chancellor upon this question of religious instruction in the schools. Let me read you what I then said : — I want to make one practical proposal with reference to religion in the schools, and I maintain that if this proposal is not acceptable to the denomina- tions it is to be regretted, and it proves in the plainest way the impossibility of such an element on any other basis. I see no reason why the heads of the various denominations of this country, Protestant and Catholic, should not unite in a selection of passages of Sacred Writ, without note or comment, which it should be the duty of the masters to set for the scholars to learn and repeat daily in the Public Schools of the land. I think it perfectly possible in the present more happy sentiment which prevails among the different re- ligious creeds for such a compilation to be made by them. The State cannot make it — it cannot attempt it ; and if those who call for religion in the Public Schools will meet together and will agree that certain passages may be learned and repeated, without note or comment, without exposition or explanation, by the master — leaving that to the pastor or parent at home or in church — then that can be done which would be of very great consequence. It is of the last consequence, not merely that the Bible should be read, but that while the memory is young, fresh and retentive, its words should be stored in the mind, which will then retain the impression. If that can be done, much will be done ; if that cannot be done, by common consent of the denominations, I ask you what can be done ? Now, a few days later the Synod of the Church of England Biocese of Toronto met in that city. I happened to be Chan- cellor of the diocese, and a member of the Synod. Another mem- ber proposed a resolution looking towards Separate Schools. Many members, including Senator Allan, the Chancellor of the University ot Trinity College, OBJECTED TO THAT PROPOSAL. I was amongst them. (Applause.) As a steadfast friend of our system of common school education, I spoke again ; and I will trouble you with what I then said, because, mark you, this was at the time when this whole scheme was in the public mind, when we were discussing it amongst ourselves, when we vTere endeav- ouring to find a plan upon which we could agree, and when there were no so-called " politics " in it. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) : — Mr. Blake said it would be unfortunate if this resolution were carried out. If, now that there was a united effort being made, the Synod were to appoint (13) .j^-« ^f^i V. , .r Ai^k vr.- -r^f, ^*^^:^'- f-'T:^rr7'}:iX^^'\.r:-^'^^ ■. ^'•^■;''i , ,v , , ■> ■ bis. Ihe rill at ken jre kit. »int ' 387 • . a committee to discuss a separatist move, they would defeat their own object. He was strongly impressed with the views of Mr. Allan and Mr. Marling. The religious bodies and the clergy who represented them wore largely re- sponsible for the apathetic condition of public opinion, which had rt>8ulted in there being a necessity for this move for more of such religious instruction as may be possible under the connnon school system. He maintained that the tirst, thing to be considered with reference to the Public Schools in thi.H connection is whether they could not got the various Christian denomina- tions, Protestant and Roman Catholic, to agree upon a collection of passages of Scripture, which should not merely be read, but which should be learned by the childroi in the schoola and repeated ihere. (Applause.) A large portion of the voluntarj' work in the Sunday school and of the preparation for the Sunday school would thus be done. The reading of the Scripture, whether by the teacher or the teacher and scholars responsively, was a good thing, but it was not enough. While the mind of the child was receptive it should be stored with the most precious passages of Scripture, which would be a treasury on which to draw in after years. (Li>ud applause.) He agreed that they could not expect to impart religious instruction after school hours. The school hours were already, in many cases, too long. (Applause. More could be learned in a shorter time. To keep the children at school an hour longer one or two days in the week for religious instruction would mean that they were to be penalized on those days. (Applause.) Let the secular les- sons close an hour earlier one (jr two days in the week, and the religious instruction be imparted in the time thus gained. Rev. Mr. Lewis said they ought to take the highv^st ground, but in confining this motion to the cities ami towns they were making a c(mce8sion to the piacticable, and he asked that the practicable should be kept in view throughout. If they advanced frankly and freely and generously, and witli open heart to the other denomi- nations on this subject, they would solve the difficulty. (Applause.) Some thought the Government should take the matter in hand. Did they suppose that any Government would not V>e anxious to carry out this reform, if it could be done 1 The difficulty was in the unhappy divisions in the Christian world. (Renewed applause.) Why could they not heal them ? He believed the possible common grtniud was wider than that now occupied. (Loud and long applause.) Now, the spirit favourable to our national system of education prevailed in the Synod — (cheers) — a motion for a committee to confer with the other religious bodies was passed. I was of the delegation, and was appointed as the spokesman of my own Church to express to the Presbyterian Assembly, and also, if pos- sible, to the Methodist Conference, our desire that there should be, on this great question, JOINT ACTION OF THE CHURCHES. The Churches approached each other ; they agreed to co-operate with each other, and I thanked God for it. (Loud applause.) I thanked God for it, because I thought it was an indication that we were beginning to sink, in some degree, our sectarianism, and to , realize our points of agreement ; to recognize more and more how much there was that we all held together of the fundamental common truths of Christianity. I thanked Govi foi' it, because I • ' (13) - - ■A V 'ill '1' I / I » . /. ■V' .'v ■: ■ ( ' ' , ', • ' -388 '■'•'., thought it pointed to a broader, more generous, more Christian feeliny: which boded ijreat <2:ood for the Church and for the world. The several Church bodies appointed a general delegation to wait upon the Government. They met the Government, and the Government, at their instiga ion, at the instigation of the Pro- testant Christianity of the Province of Ontario, agreed to go forward. Well, just at this time, when the Government agreed to go forward, a Hook of Selections appears to have been in coarse of preparation as a private venture, by Mr. Kerr, a gen- tleman of my own profession, a scholar, a Protestant, who hap- pens to belong to the opposite school of politics from mine. That compilation being intended by Mr. Kerr for general use in the education of tlie young, he thought it would be a good thing to obtain the approval of his work by the heads of the Christian denominations ; and he had gone, it seems, to the Archbishop of Toronto, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in our Province, and asked him to look at it. And the Archbishop looked at it and said he did not object to it, with the exception that he suggested the substitution of " who " FOR " "WHICH " in the Lord's Prayer. And, however bad the Archbishop's theology may be, I think you will all admit that his grammar was correct. (Loud laughter and applause.) Now hearing of the proposed action of the Government, Mr. Kerr sub- mitted his papers to the Minister of Education, Mr. Ross. He said : — I have been engao-ed on this work, and here is the result. Mr. Ross looked at it, and thought it worthy of consideration. He acted, though doubtless on his own judgment, upon the very lines I had suggested in the speech I have quoted. I had pointed out that this was necessarily a work for the united action of the Churches, and not for the Government. On this same view Mr. Ross asked leading and representative men of the various Pro- testant Churches to help him, to take the book, to look at it, to consider whether they thought it worthy and suitable, to pass their verdict upon it. And these leading, godly men, including the heads and many of the most eminent men of he Baptists, the Congregationalists, the Presbyterians, the Methodists, and the Church of England, accepted this great responsibility, undertook the task, and appointed a sub-committee of their number, who went over the book, revised and altered it, and reported in favour of the Book of Selections. (Cheers.) And thej^ having reported in favour of the Book of Selections, the Government adopted the book and authorized it. Amongst these men were those who were specially qualified, not only as great Biblical scholars, as trained Bible teachers, but also as being the responsible persons connected with the higher education of the young. They included, I BELIEVE, PRINOIPAIi CaVEN, THE HEAD OF THE KnOX PrESBY- iMI f > 389 , • - TERiAN Theological College ; Provost Body, the head of Trinity University, one of the Theological Colleges of THE Chltrch of England; Principal Nelles, the head of Victoria, the Methodist University, and Principal Castle, THE head of the BAPTIST COLLEGE : SO YOU SEE EVERY PRE- CAUTION WAS TAKEN TO GET THE VERDICT OF AN AUTHORITA- TIVE COMMITTEE. On the strength of that verdict, and judgment it was that the Government authorized the book ; and made regu- lations requiring that it shoidd be read in the schools ; and when the thing was done the Chuiclies rejoiced that it was done. They rejoiced in it collectively, they rejoiced in it individually. Keso- lutions were passed commending these results. They were deemed to be of great importance and advantage to the cause of Protestant and Evangelical religion. Nor were these rejoic- ings confined to the clergy or to the Church bodies ; the secular world joined in. Why, even the Mail came out with a strong article approving of the selections, congratulating Mr. Ross upon the admirable result, pointing out that the book contained those passages of Scripture upon which all Christian bodies could agree, stating that it might have been very easy to get into a difficulty, which Mr. Ross, by the steps he had taken, had entirely avoided; My bishop and the Synod of my Church were amongst those who rejoiced in this result. What has the effect been ? Instead of a desultory and perfunctory reading of s(;me passages chosen at the will and discretion of individual teachers, in only one-half the schools, you have regular, |)rofitable, ordei-ly, systematic read- ing of passages approved as the best for the purposes by the religious authorities ; and this in 98 per cent., practically in all the Public schools oi" Ontario. (Loud cheers.) And yet there are Protestants, so-called, men who claim and profess to be zealous for the spread of religious truth ami knowledge, for the wider read- ing of the Bible in the schools, who object to this result, and who declare that a " great evil and wrong has been done ! " What are their grounds ? The first is that these are selections, that this is not the whcle Bible, I want to know who it is who knows the book, that proposes as most profitable foi the young minds, and during the short time that can be devoted to religious exercises in the schools, that the Bible should be read from cover to cover in the Public schools ? (Hear, hear.) If there is anybody who knows the book who would propose that as the best and most edifying way of dealing with the case, I would like to put him under examination for a while. (Applause.) There is nobody, I fancy, who really and seriously proposes that. Is it done even in the Sunday schools ? You know that as a rule it is not. You know that ' - .^:'^- !"■■•.' /-^v.". . ..:■/'>■. Xi-i.-. '' ^- .•.■•>■ xV ■* ■ : "N •* 390 •I ■ I THE GREAT INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION HAS ESTABLISHED SELECTIONS, > ' because that is the practical and profitable way. Is it done in the home, in teaching the young children 1 You know that as a rule it is not. Js it done in family devotion ? I don't know how it ia in other homes, I know how it is in my own. I do not read the Bible from cover to cover in the mixed circle that gathers at my table in the morning. I know 1 make selections, and I suppose most heads of families make selections also. (Loud applause.) My wife said the other day, when she heard this rising storm — she doesn't know much about the political aspect of this question ; but she said to me: — " I wonder if I have been so wrong all my life as would appear. I have brought all the children up in their earlier years by instruction in a book of selections — not the Book of Selections under discussion, it is hardly old enough for that, but another — and I thought," she said, "I was doing my duty by them, but it seems I have been very wrong." I am afraid there are a great many more mothers just in the same predicament, ac- cording to the new lights that have arisen. (Cheers and laugh- ter.) In my own Church Prayer Book we have authorized selections which we read through year after year. There seems to me no ground for reasonable controversy. I have no doubt the best thing is the selections. (Cheers.) It is the thing which wa^ desired by the Churches, and the accomplishment of which was rejoiced in by the Churches. Now, always, you must re- member that what we can do in the Public school is only a part, and a small part, of the work. The whole religious instruction of our children is not to be carried on in the schools. Far from it ! There is the work of the home, the work of the pulpit, the work of the Sunday school. We may supplement and assist this by the reading of the selections in the schools. But even these must be expounded elsewhere, and if there are other passages for which you or I have a special regard, but which »are not to be found in the Book of Selections, all we have to do is to read those passages to our children, and to impress them upon their minds by instruc- tion and illustration. I maintain that if the selections are regu- larly used they will do much more good than any attempted reading in the schools of the whole Bible. (Cheers.) But again they say, that the Bible is banished from the Public schools. I understand it not to be banished from the Public schools. (Cheers.) The TEACHERS MAY STILL USE THE WHOLE BiBLE. I under- stand that the teachers may, if they choose, still use any part of the Bible in the instruction of the scholars, but they are also .' . , - - (13) c s V t •v ■VI SI a; (J hi to ■■vJa- . -'^:..-' ..■ ■ - ■ /' ■ ■ '^ . ■ : ' '■•■ ■■■ ■;...' 1 ■ ,' ".. '• V"--'-, •'■ . ^ ., ;891 " ,1 X; ■■ <- .,1 »• f r, V obliged to use these particular parts. They may supplement, by the reading of other parts, but those parts which are selected they must read. Therefore, thece is nothing whatever in that. But it is said the selections omit important passages. Of course they do. The whole Bible is important, and if you make selections out of a book of which every word is important, you must omit import- ant passsages. The very ESSENCE OF SEl.ECTION IS OMISSION. What sort of selection would it be that didn't — select ? (Loud laughter and applause.) But the most important and most useful passages for the purpose are what you ought to choose in selection. You must not forget that the very Bible which these gentlemen are so zealous to defend tells you : Milk for babes ; strong meat for men. (Loud applause.) And, I think, that la a principle which you may very fairly use in making your selections for the use of the children. The only question then is : — IS THE SELECTION A GOOD ONE ? f.- y: '. /. |om Ithe Ihis ese Ifor md Is^es |uc- Ited lain I (rs.) ler- of llSQ I abide by the judgment of the godly and learned and eminent men of those various denominations who met together for the single object of deciding whether these were good and lit and proper selections, whether the work was suitable, who moulded it as they thought right, and who unanimously decided in the affirmative. (Cheers.) I abide by the judgment of the various Church bodies which endorsed it. (Renewed cheers.) I know man's work is imperfect. It would be extraordinary if thei"e were no ground for cavil or objection. But we have here a great consensus of opinion of the eminent and representative men who took the responsibility on behalf of the Church bodies of com- mending the work, and of the Church bodies themselves, a weight which overbears, in my poor judgment, the strained and hysterical complaints of a few discontented men who, silent when they should have spoken, silent where they should have spoken, speak when and where they should be silent, who reserve their clamours till an election ; who cry out only when they can do harm and •when they cannot possibly accomplish good ; and who exclaim with a partiality and an injustice, a vehemence and a zeal, which savours of the earth earthy, and is far enough removed to my apprehension from a righteous and Christian temper and spirit. (Loud applause.) Then they say, " Oh, but the Archbishop had a hand in it," or a finger in it at least — (laughter) — and they seem to think that the Book of Selections is contaminated by his ;>■. i :>- I -'X-\ : 'Si- '*; :ii ::./:..M-^.; * • • S: ... ;■' ; >■"■•' I '■ '.r ti i>v;^ S ■.■' ';■ ■■ k', ■ . S92 'J <' . .•■ ■ f touch. Now I regard this as perfectly absurd. (Applause.) The ProMiitant ministers who revised these selections knew that the Ai'chbishop had seen them or they did not. If they knew it, I suppose the result would be to make them all the more jealous, to make them all the more determined to see that the general result was in genuine furtherance of Evangelical and Protestant t)rinciples. (Cheers.) "If they did not know the fact, I want to )e told in what way the unknown circumstance interfered with their freedom of action ? (Loud applause and laughter.) There they were and there they acted. If the Book of Selections be good, and pure, and beneficial, supposing the Archbishop had had no hand in it at all, has it become bad, and impure, and injurious because it turns out he saw it. (Cheers and laughter.) But they say : — Why should he see it ? Well you know my views about that. I gave them in the two speeches which I have quoted to you. I asked that the representatives of the Christian de- nominations, Protestant and Catholic, should agree upon the selections. (Loud cheers.) I say that the Archbishop should have seen it. Why ? Because OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE PURELY NATIONAL >a ':/'.:->. and we have in them, and I am glad of it, numbers of Roman Catholics as well as of Protestants. (Cheers.) Because our system of Public Schools, though there are some Separate Schools, is yet, in spirit and practice, national. (Cheers.) Because there are now being educated in the National Public Schools two-thirds of the Roman Catholic children of Ontario — 50,000 children. (Cheers.) Because I am a lover of the system of Public School education as the best. (Loud cheers.) Not that I want to force it upon our Roman Catholic brethren. Not that I want to deprive them of their stipulated rights — far from it — but I want to persuade them, so far a^ I can, to adopt it. I want to give them no opportuni*^y or stimulus to create more Separate Schools, or to leave the Public Schools, on the ground that we, the Protestant majority, are narrow or unjust, arbitrary or un- generous, with reference to the Public School system. (Loud cheers.) I want the Public Schools to grow in vigour, and in their national character. I want to see the youth of this coun- try, as far as possible, educated together. (Cheers.) I want to see the friendships of youth, which shall last through time, and I trust through eternity, formed in school days between Protestant and Catholic. (Loud and prolonged applause.) I want to see our children, our young men, and young women grow up as friends, no matter what their diversities of creed or nationality ,,.... - : ■ -■■■.-- . ", (13) -^ ^■^.r'.. '^x* nan our ►ols, ere rds en. ool rce to ant ive ols, the un- uud in un- to d 1 ant see as LUty ^1 ■ .'■V I T v,.C ' 393 may be. (Cheers.) I don't want to proselytize through this fellowship; I don't want to interfere with any man's conscientious conviction as to Separate Schools ; but ueitner do I want to in- terfere with any man's right to freely use the Public Schools; and therefore when I spoke as Chancellor of the University, and as a member of the Synod of my own Church, I spoke under the con-- viction that it would be an unjust and impolitic thing to suggest that the Protestant Churches alone should act and be consulted without any regard to the rights and interests of the guardians of the Roman Catholic High School pupils and of 50,000 pupils of the Public Schools. I know not to-day, in the midst of this con- troversy, whether the Government at any time submitted this document to the Archbishop. If they did not, then, unless the submission by Mr, Kerr were held to answer the purpose, I should say, as I intimated in 1884, a mistake had been made. (Applause.) I shoul 1 say an excuse would so be given to Roman Catholics to say : — We must build more Separate Schools, we must withdraw our children from the Public Schools, for we are not consulted as to this with regard to which the others are consulted, though there are some of our children in the High Schools, fifty thou- sand of our children in the Public Schools. (Cheers.) Now, on this subject, mark you, THERE WAS NO OBJECTION FROM ANY PERSON at the time. There was no objection until very recently ; and it is upon the eve of an election that it is made, and 1 beg you not to be led astray by the cry that is raised. Mr. Meredith may now stand upon a public platform and declare that he is for the whole Bible, and opposed to a " mutilated " Bible. I say if he was op- posed to the principle of selection, or if he was opposed to the matter of the selections, or to omissions in the selections, it was his duty to have raised that question in the Legislature, in which he was the leader of the Opposition. (Loud and prolonged cheer- ing.) I tell him it is a base, a cowardly thing, having held his peace then, to raise his voice now, on the eve of an election, in the hope of gaining over some Protestant Liberals who may be misled through misinformation and misapprehension in this matter. (Renewed and vociferous cheering.) Be not led astray. Consider our situation. Who are we ? What are we ? There are here, I suppose, in this audience, a great majority of those who think with me. There are here, I suppose, a large majority of Protestants; I hope there are some Roman Catholics. But T will address for a moment those who are of my own religious creed, the Protestant faith. I say, then, to my Protestant friends here present, that we ./ - .■■-.-/. . • ■: ■ • •• . . . (13) .. • », ' - "' .' . ■ >i»;-;' -*;:•' t . , / If . ,. ' 1- > ?-, '''!:■<. I 111. Mi N!l Tr.1. ^ 'r< *■■ \\ .s/j '■ ■'•■'." V ;cr /'■■•■-■ ■"'' ' va,.„.,,. ■ --^■^:^-^..:^.; .,'■ •' '..i' ;.-' ... • ■ V-- '.-.: .. . ••• v.- '• .., ■, .', -^ .,/••■ . are five-sixths of the copulation of the Province in numbers Vi ' ' while our Roman Catholic brethren are but one-sixth. I say to ' . my Protestant friends: — We believe, rightly' or wrongly, that our "•^.; . religion is the true one. We protest, rightly or wrongly, against i^ ' certain dogmatic errors which we think exi«t in the faith of the V, . ' Church of Rome ; and if there be five of us to every one of them \' ■ ^ in numbers, and if we have faith in our religion ; if we believe it f: , ' to be the purer and better religion, 1 want to know what arf. J|, ■ /, WE AFRAID OF? (Great laughter and applause.) Arc we going ;,v to dread the domination of this weaker minority ? I am ashamed tfv • , of this talk. (Loud applause.) If we were equal in numbers I would not fear to hold my own. (Cheers.) But being five to one in numbers, I have more faith in the power of numbers, and ^ji ,* above all I have more faith in the power of truth and in the I ' '* strength of Evangelical religion than those strong Protestants !il.'j< who believe that the five are to go down under the domination |l ;' ', ' , of the one; that what they and I think the purer and better piV* '^ ' religion is to suffer at the hands iof that which they and I think inferior and erroneous. (Renewed cheering.) Sir John Macdonald and his Minister of Justice, Mr. Thompson, very lately took what I may perhaps call the liberty of discussing my private affairs. They told the public at one or two of the meetings at which they have been endeavouring to amuse the people — (laughter) — the stocks in which they believed my money was invested, and they complained very seriously that I did not put some of it into those railways which are subsidized by the Treasury, and from which I might expect to get a hundred dollars for every dollar I put in. (Laughter.) I am not very sure that , . , it was any of their business where I put my money. (Laughter.) r |i > 1^ What I have I earned by hoNiEPT toil. (Loud cheers.) It was not derived as a Minister of the Crown, through testimonials from public contractors— (cheers) — or from great corporations '<< ■ indebted to the Treasury and asking relief, or from hangers-on of the Government who expected rewards in return. (Renewed cheering.) I did not owe it in any shape to my public position ; and I don't very well see what these gentlemen had to do with my disposition of my means. (Hear, hear.) I have nevci' asked, W: / though I might have done so with a better grace, how they have invested their testimonials ! (Laughter.) But, since they have made the charge that T lack public spirit, and am given to sordid dealings with what is ray own, I may tell you and them that all I have had is not invested in the stocks they suppose. I have tried to do my share of public good with the means with which !' V v^^^^^^^ God has blessed me. I have never spoksn of it before, but as ; both the conduct of my own affairs and my ze&l for the cause of I. :\ ' t- '^ I *,.%•■ i r ^u^iv:.:^- sV- ■»' ■ ■ »■-» , .■•- " '*. Protestantism are impugned by these gentlemen — these gentle- men 80 strict and correct themselves — such zealous Protes- tants themselves — I may say that two members of my family AND MYSELF HAVE $40,000 OR MORE INVESTED IN SUBSCRIP- TIONS TOWARDS ONE INSTITUTION CREATED FOR THE SPREAD OF Protestant and Evangelical religion, and which is DOING GOOD WORK TO-DAY IN THE PROMOTION OF WHAT WE BE- LIEVE TO BE THE TRUTH. (Tremendous applause.) 1 have never paraded our action before the public ; I should not have mention- ed it even now, but for these attacks. But I may ask you if we have not shown our faith by our works, and if it is likely that I would be disposed to do, or approve anything which would entail a danger of the domination ot those with whose doctrines we do not agree, or a risk of injury to that Protestantism which we hold dear ? (Great applause.) I have shown myself true to those principles; but I hold those men false to the principles of reli- gious freedom who would sow discord between Protestants and Romait Catholics on this subject. (Cheers.) I freely render to my Roman Catholic fellow-countrymen, first, full religious free- dom, and next their stipula ed rights ! but more, I say that being strong, we ought to be what the strong should always be — generous to the weak. (Applause.) MEASURE FULL, HEAPED UP AND RUNNING OVER, IS THE MEASURE TO BE GIVEN BY THE STRONG TO THE WEAK; and by so acting we will exemplify true Christian principles ; we will exemplify true Liberal principles ; we will do our best for the promotion of true Christianity, and for the spread of the Gospel. Let us then remove that cause for mistrust which is provoked by the exhibition of the infernal spirit, for such I call it, which has been exhibited in several of the Tory journals, notably the Mail, for the last few months. (Cheers.) LET US RESTORE THE PROPER RELATIONS of the two great portions of the population, sought to be disturbed by that party, in the effort to make us lose sight of the real, the political questions, which have divided, t.nd may properly divide, the people, and to run the elections upon questions of sect and creed, of prejudice and misconstruction, upon what I believed and atill hope were extinguished hates and dead fanaticisms. I ask you to decide these elections in favour of men who do not seek to raise or, to profit by religious hates. Put down these abomin- able cries ! Out with these infernal fires ! (Cheers.) And dis- '' . ■ -. (13) . V,.. ■■\ ■M; ■'■«).. .1 •■- ";■ ■■■ft! v'-c & m 11 .» V X * >» / , if 8- i\ ■•^i-. r»- • ■\^,h t^-^^i - »'«^,v 390 miss to their deserved obscurity the men who would raise tliem- selves to political power on the ruins of the national edifice ! (Great applause.) In fine, 1 ask you to join wi^h me and say, what I shall say by my voice and vote to Oliver Mowat : — " Well done, good and faithful servant; faithful in few things, I will make thee ruler over many things." (Loud and prolonged ap- plause.) ^i^^ ^f^f,yfij^^f^i^;^,.f^'j //?«.'!'.• rV^iW ,ir^ ^:aM-!i'-'^*'^i'4' '<'>^'K ■>•; iiv^u Wj':'.;,; :f/'-/4i iAyi,j .^ii, ■ !;:tj. ^r ^c->'i;v^,/> ;.,:H;><^^<'^-^<,t1 f^;)';.//^)';.':;;Y'*^^ ■' ;'^.v"''^^^■'' ^■'-r■'•'"'^•^/^v *''"'''^-;'>, /% V'%'' -■-'.:■' --/'^i - • ■. ';' ''. ■ ■ " ■■■,'■■ ■ •'•■■ '-* ■ i>.'K m- :e I .0(J^ 1' ■; t; ."■-),<'•>' i 'fN