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Lee diagrammee suivanta IHustront la m4thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 e MKROOOPV MMUmON TBT CHAIT (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 1.1 u 133 m 1125 lU 116 ^^S mll^Bi !■■■ A /iPPLOD M/C3E Inc tU3 Eoit IMn SlTMl MeetiMMr, Nm Yarti 14aM USA (71«) 4U - 0300 - nwn* <71«) 2N-MM-F«i ? )t 1 I I f.V--?S7- fa-?." - -'.^Sk^ .f ■^10fi. ;j Lie PUBLIC LIFK -ADA 1 Bfc!N<., K: Mi OF PAKLlAMhNT 'NCT A*' rO THi ' "MNG EVENTS WHICH LtD •' BRITISH NORTH > I HE DOM NA'ADA I.. ». . jAMKh \ "'»■ ami TOHON I 1902 .1- PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA BEING RECOLLECTIONS OF PARLIAMENT AND THE PRESS AND RMBRAriNc A SUCCINCT ACCOUNT OF THE STIRRING EVENTS WHICH LED TO THE CONFEDERATION OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA INTO THE DOMINION OF CANADA BY JAMES YOUNG l-at. m.mb«r of ih. Dominion and OnUrio Parli»m.n.., Provinci.l Ti«i,u«r. .nd Authorof the Hi.tory of G.lt .nd Dumfri«," E««y» on the " Reciprocity Trwty.' " Imperi«l Federation." " Commercial Union," etc. TORONTO VHIL iAM BRIGGS 1903 i U9%9 n BfiMnd ■ccordlng to Act of th* PwUammt of CMMda, in th* y6M OM thoaMiid nine hvndrad and two, by J*«i«8 Yooho, at th* Dapartmtnt of Agricultun. TO THE Don. £dwiir6 Blafte, luc, AD.p. WHOSE lUU ABIUTY, UHSWKRVIKO PRM.CIPLB, HIGH 8INSB OF HOWOUR, AND DEVOTION TO TBI FBOPU^ IN THE PARLIAMENTS OF CANADA, SHED LUSTRE ON CANADIAN PUBUC UFS, AND SET A NOBLE BXAMPU TO HU nLLOW-COUNTEYMEN, THIS VOLUME IS (■V ntMIMION) RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED *<^ V- II V I •' Preface In writing this volume my aim has not been to produce a work of history in the strict sense of the term. I have sought rather to embody my recollec- tions of the principal men and events that came under my observation during a lengthened connection with Parliament and the Press, in such a form and style as may quicken the interest of the reader in a momentous period of our history within the memory of many still living. My connection with the Press began when the relations of Church and State and several other questions deeply affecting the happiness and equality of the people were still unsettled, and when the long political struggle between Upper and Lower Canada under the ill-starred Union of 1 841 was becoming more open, bitter and irreconcilable every year. The most prominent champions in this memorable political conflict were the Hon. George Brown and the Hon. John A. Macdonald, the leaden respectively of the Reform and Conservative parties, although the Hon. George E. Cartier and the Hon. Antoine A. Dorion, of Lower Canada, were also conspicuous. Both Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Brown were great men, who have left their mark on things Canadian for all time, and not only their bitter political battles, 5 PREFACE but the striking personal characteristics of these two eminent statesmen possess deep and growing interest And when the union between Upper and Lower Canada became absolutely unworirable— when dead- lock became king— and Mr. Brown and Mr. Macdonald trampled their personal antipathies in the dust and joined hands in the Coalition Government of 1864 to extricate their country from its dangers artd bring about Confederation, they set an example of patriotic statesmanshi|) and self-abnegation sometimes por- trayed in political romance, but seldom met with in the sober anrials of every-day politics. Whilst not overlodlcing important events In Great Britain and the United States, and using an author's prerogative in expressing opinions wise and other- wise, one of my chief aims has been to give a suc- cinct account of the stirring political event* in the late Province of Canada which ultimately led to the union of British North America, under the name of the Dominion of Canada— in other words, to tell the story of our great Canadian Confederation. With thanks to James Bain, D.C.L, of Toronto Public Library, Avem Pardee, Legislative Librarian, and George Johnson, F.S.S., Ottawa, for courtesies extended, I submit this volume in the confident hope that my generous readers (to adapt a familiar couplet) will " Be to my virtue* very kind ; Be to my &ultt a little blind." " Thornhill," Galt, Augiut 15th, 1903. James Young. Contents PACE 19 CHAPTER I The Passing of the Stage-Coach Rough ontline of the {diysical and social condition of Canada when Tor narrative b^ins — The early pioneer days drawing to a cose— Passing of the old stage-coach with iu " shriu echoing horn"— Population and trade of Canada in 1851— Wonderful transformation of the country in half a century — It recalls visions of " Aladdin and his WonderAil Lamp ". . . CHAPTER II Dawn of the Railroad Era Dawn of the raibroad en— Hon. Francis Hincks, Prime Minis- ter, visits Great Britain — Inception oi Canadian railways — Waiiam Jackson, M.P , W. L. Betts, M.P., and Robert Stei^enspn, M.P., the great engineer, visit Canada— Rail- way and political magnates on their travels — Brightening pro^)ecU of Canada— EffecU of the Crimean War and the Reaprodty Treaty— Extranrdinarv commercial and financial " boom " — Iu rise, expansion and collapse — Fortunes made and lost in a day 24 CHAPTER III Early Struggles for Responsible Government Early straggles for Responsible Government— Sir Charles Met- calfe's opposition thereto — Its patriotic vindication l^ Messrs. Baldwin and Lafontaine — Cancer compels Governor Metcalfe to resign— Arrival of Lord Elgin— Responsible Government triumphantly sustained in 1848— The Rebellion Losses Bill— Bummg of the Parliament Buildings in Mont- real—The Hincks- Morin Ministry accedes to power— Diffi- cult questions dividing political parties— Canadian sUtesmen prove equal to the occasion , 30 CONTENTS CHAPTER IV Dr. John Bayne. "Fathbr of the Free Church" P'^^^rJ^^ Zy%S:^Z' of Tohn Knox CHAPTER V George Brown in an Old-Time Election CHAPTER VI Career and Fall of the Hincks Ministry bulent «*nA_rrhi^„^? . . ^""* J°'" hands m a ttu. CHAPTER VII Unexpected Turn of the Political Crisis. PACK 39 49 6i PACK 68 79 CONTENTS Formation of the CoaLtion Government by Hincks and Macdonald— Sir Allan McNab becomes Prime Minbter — Many Churchmen a^^eved at its terms— The Reform party temporarily wrecked— The course of Mr. Hincks— His defence CHAPTER VIII Macdonald and Brown as Rival Leaders A decade of political agitation— The strug^e between Upper and Lower Canada intensifies — Lord tigin's departure — Success of his administration of public affairs — Arrival of Sir Edmund Head — William Lyon Mackenzie advocates dissolution of the Union — His character and strange career — " Richard's himself again "—The session of 185c— Mac- donald and Brown the principal parliamentary gladuators— Fearless course of the Reform leader — Parliament removes to Toronto— Progress of Canada at this period— Two colossal railway celebrations CHAPTER IX Snap-Shots of Political Celebrities Parliament assembles in Toronto— First impressions — Snap-shots of the leading political celebrities— The many able sUtesmen then in public life — The session proves long and stormy — Sir Allan McNab has the gout but won't resign— Macdonald and Brown as political rivals— The Penitentiary Commission charges— Mr. Brown completely vindicated— Sir Allan Mc- Nab meeU his Waterloo at last— A pathetic and touching scene— Hon. E. P. Tach6, Premier, but Attorney-General Macdonald the real leader of his party— A stormy and singular session 03 CHAPTER X Conflict of Upper and Lower Canada The demands of Upper Canada— Reform convention— Political platform adopted— The Government stronger and the session *«"»?— Forma- but delighted ^!.?". ^"^""'"ent-The countiy astounded 210 CHAPTER XIX Horace Greeley and Henry Ward Beechbr Xaiw°S?u?erL2*'i''"*-r'^"'^«^ Cemetel^ Mlemni. n?Kc5*-Mt ^Za"" ';"'=.»«"«i')g. elevating and Greeley-'Sir^rrry'h^SiS'^J^SraJii:' career as founder of the THSiL-Di^^^TlT T ^T" —Henry Ward lWrK« .,7: Tj^" '""" » broken heart «?ty KlSf ~ _ f^ ."! °f American orators-Old Ocean" CHAPTER XX Memories of a Tour in Enoland la aao . CONTENTS at Palmerston, Gladstone, Disraeli, Hartington, Salisbur}- and other eminent men — Gladstone the greatest and noblest of British statesmen —The House of Lords in session — Im- pressions of the gilded chamber 233 CHAPTER XXI The Land of Burns and Scott Glasgow and its saut market — Edinburgh the beautiful — Stirling — Queen Victoria and the Princess Alice at the city of Perth — Recollections of Her Majesty— Scotland's scenic beauty— Kelso, Melrose and Abbotsford— Sir Walter Scott— The Lomonds, Lake Katrine and the Trossachs— All Scotland made famous by the genius of Bums— Scotchmen should erect a new national monument more worthy of the poet's fame— Famous clergymen— Messrs. Bonar, Guthrie, Cnand- lish, Blaikie, Nomuui McLeod and Cairns, of Scotland- Dean Stanley, Canon Farrar, Spurgeon, Gumming and New- man Hall, of England— Spurgeon the greatest preacher of his day— Impressions of Great Britain 245 CHAPTER XXII Confederation the All-absorbing Topic Return to Canada— Confederation the all-absorbing topic— The Chariottetown Convention— Mission of Macdonald, Brown, Cartier, Gait, Macdougall, McGee, Campbell and Langevi > — A joke which helpea the Union cause — Festivities in No. a Scotia and New Brunswick— All British America in Confer- ence at (^ebec — Confederation formally decided upon — —Difficulties in drafting the new Constitution— Nominated life senators— Hon. John A. Macdonald prefers a Legisla- tive to a Federal Union— The Conference closes completely ■ successful— "The Fathers of Confederation" received with congratulations and rejoicings- Southerners abuse Canadian hos|Mtality 360 CHAPTER XXIII Dark Clouds Threaten the Union The Coalition Government meets Pariiament— The struggle over Confederation— Brilliancy of the debates— The speeches of the Conservative and Reform leaden specially conspicuous — Holton, Dorion. Sandiield Macdonald, Dunkin, Joly de »3 CONTENTS Cartier and Gait ^„^. ? ' 'o M— Macdonald, Brown, PACK 275 CHAPTER XXIV Reciprocity Vainly Sacwficed on the At. noN Altar tr^V ^Srfv *?*••" P«>*e the immense succea of S scene-Detroit', mSSKTi^ S^liS^viff '"?SI CHAPTER XXV Split in the Cabinet-Groroe Brown Rksions Death of Premier TtcM^Minuterkl cfi«i»-The ll.f««. I a Government removed from Qnebecto OtuSfT-f? a '° hold the rival chicfOT^^lM^^ISl^trpt off«jd office, bu. declineaon. A.TF^^S.S'nS a88 a97 CHAPTER XXVI Pkospbcts or Confederation Brighten The second Reciprocity miidon-It &ils, but prove.. bl«d«. in dugui^-Leoon. which boih the UnSS siSTSf 14 CONTENTS PACK Canada much needed to learn — Prospects of 0>nfederation brighten — Stirring events in Nova Scotia and New Bruns- widc — High-handed course of Lieutenant-Governor Gordon — Both Legislatures adopt Union resolutions — The Fenian Raid — General O'Neill and hb forces cross to Fort Erie — Battle of Ridgewa^ — The Fenians ignominiously scuttle — First and last meeting of the Provincial Parliament at Ottawa — Threatened rupture between Lord Monck and his advisers — Mr. Dorion's motion — A dangerous precedent — The Union at last in sight 309 CHAPTER XXVII iMPniAL Pakliament Passes the Union Act The Atlantic cable finally successful — Its history — Queen Victoria congratulates President Johnson — Important Union banquet at Hamilton — The final struggle over Confederation now shifts to England — The Colonial Conference in London — DrafUng the British North America Act— Nominated life Senators not fiivoured by Lord Carnarvon — Mr. Macdonald overruled by the Eari of Derby, Prime Minister, in re^ud to the name *' Kingdom of Canada"— Hon. Joseph Howe tries to prevent the British Parliament passing the Confedera- tion Act— His inconsistency — Hon. Dr. Tupper champions the Unioa cause— The great measure founding a new - >tion, composed of one-half the whole North American Con..nent, Parliament with little debate or attention 337 mt( the CHAPTER XXVIII PuMiBK Macdonald Forms his Cabinet Queen Victoria gradonsly receives Messrs. Macdonald, Cartier, Gait, Tapper and TiUey at Windsor- The colonial dele- ates return home much elated— Lord Monck chosen to be he first Governor-General— He infomu the Hon. John A. Macdonald that he would entrust him with the formation of the first Dominion Cabinet — Patronage so vast as to be idmost danling — The Conservative leader proposes to ex- tend the Coalition to the whole Dominion— Hon. George Brown raises the standard for party government— Messrs. Howtand, Macdougall and Blair agree to join the new Coali- tion— Rerorm Convention called to consider the situation— The new Premier finds unexpected difficulties in forming his Cabinet *... 341 PACK CONTENTS CHAPTER XXIX tion Governn,enuKoS«2?r^ Jesolunon against Coali! Messrs. Howland and M?cdoui^llte*''°"~'^''«^ «""• address the convention ST- .'"'^*'^ '« attend-They and others reply-SuTkW .Ww . ^*''^''''"*''=' ^.F'-R, 'eader's '.peech'^MoSon Zinst S,.,1"""K 'K ^^fo"" unanimousIy-The leader^STnf Ik u i""" """""^ a'most able scene when Mr Sn ^thllii ?' V"^"^"'"'''- f«ked to continue in PrrHament Th "' •"' "^r^"" ""'' '•"-fu> of enthu^asn, JtllSTrsTSioSSrs. I^'^ ^o CHAPTER XXX Thk Nation's Birthday Lord Monck sworn in-.^'*^"^"'"""*"''" at Ottant— Dniper-RoynS,o„« StSin";!"'"' *'>' Chief jJSdce V.ctrria-Th'LmS^onh??^ ll^T^''^ °^ '^"«-« take the oaths of office-The?r nTn. '^'"L ^"^""""e"' was bom the CanLtiaHation?" "tT\?";^ offices-" Thus tion bttilded better tK??L;rTL'^*;*'''J°fConfcder«. a second imat oo^il Z f^l^. '"""dations laid of fi«ture . . ^..^ ", ,'" ^°"'' America-A vision of hi APPENDIX I APPBNWX II "''cSS&r'£5?^'r'!"«r.T'" '^-•"« the APPENDIX III 364 371 376 ''""J'p.y .?tiSi?l.JS"„^^^^^^ .865. in 16 383 CONTENTS APPENDIX IV Pacb The v»)ies in the ["Brliament of Canada adopting Confederation . . 389 APPENDIX V Speech of the Hon. George Brown in reply to the Hon. John HUlyard Cameron's motion to submit Confederation to a vote of the people, March 13th, 1865 39, APPENDIX VI Names of the delegates who registered at the great Reform Con- vention held in the Music Hall. Torontoron the a7th June, ' 396 APPENDIX VII A complete list of the '• Founders of Canada " who have died up to the 3i»t July, 190a, with the dates of their births and 40s «7 .! ! I ! Portraits and Illustrations I Parliambnt Buildings, Ottawa . . Frontispiece Hon. Francis Hincks . , John Bayne, D.D. . , Hon. Gborgk Brown . . Sir Allan McNab . . . SirJohnA. Macdokald . William Lyon Mackenzie . View of Toronto .... Sir George E. Cartier . . Hon. Wm. Cayley . . Sir E. p. Tach^ .... How. Robert Spbhcb . . Hon. Joseph E. Cauchon . Sir Oliver Mowat . Hon. John Sandfield Mac- DONALD Hon. a. a. Dor ion . . Hon. L. T. Drummond . . Hon. L. H. Holton . Hon. D'Arcy McGbb . . Eoerton Ryerson, D.D. Abraham Lincoln . Sir Wm. P. Howland. . Pace Hon. Wm. Macdougall Hon. L. V. Sicotte . . 25 SiRjoHN J. c. Abbott . 40 Hon. M. H. Foley . 58 Hon. Alex. Mackenzie . 64 Hon. Arch. McKellar . 73 SiB Alex. Campbell . 8s Hon. Hector Langevin 9a Sir Alex. T. Galt . 105 Sir Narcisse F. Belleau ids Hon. Joseph C. Morrison los Horace Greeley . . . , 105 Hon. L. S. Huntington. 105 Right Hon. W. e. Glad- 117 stone View of Quebec . . . . 117 John Hillyard Cameron . 11 J- Hon. Joseph Howe . 117 Ottawa, from the Dcf- 117 FERIN AND SaPPERS' 130 Bridges 14a SirChaplbbTupper . . 160 Hon. Leonard Tilley . 184 Lord Monck 18 Pagc . 184 . 184 . 184 . 184 . 234 . 205 . 3l8 . ai8 . 218 . 218 . 218 • 223 • *n 24a 279 290 3«6 3J8 346 365 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA CHAPTER I THE PASSING OF THE STAGE-COACH My acquaintance with public men and public life In Canada dates from my first connection with the press. This was in August, 1853, on the loth of which month the first number of the Dumfries Reformer, Gait, was issued under my management I was then only a youth of eighteen, but brimful of enthusiasm for everything connected with the press and public life, which was tinged with a couleur de r§st so deep and fascinating that, although rather dim and faded now, it has not entirely vanished, notwithstand- ing all the varied vicissitudes which bridge the chasm between that period and the present. When one thinks what the Dominion of Canada is to-day, and what the scattered colonies composing British North America were less than half a century ago, visions of " Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp " recur to the imagination, so remarkable is the trans- formation throughout the country which has since taken place. «9 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA The largest and most influential of the colonies was t>ien designated the Province of Canada, beine composed of the two provinces previously known as Upper and Lower Canada, and now as Ontario -^nd Quebec. The Imperial Parliament united them under one government on the recommendation of the emment but unfortunate Lord Durham, who was sent T !.'«^'^' commissioner to report upon and heal the difficulties in connection with the Rebellion of This union was consummated on the loth Febru- ar>'. 1841. but hardly fulfilled the glowing anticipa- Uons of His Lordship and the many British and French citizens who shared his views. It resulted it IS true, in a moderate increase of progress and development, and at the close of the first decade in 185 1, when the census was taken, the population was found to number 1,842.265. and the annual commerce with other countries had increased to $34.399.5,2 But It must be admitted that the generaltn^n of the Province of Canada at that time, though not without encouraging promise in the future, presented nn^ "^ T'T' *° '^"^ ""^^'^ prosperity, enter- prise and dazzling outlook which distinguish the Dominion of Canada at the present day. Throughout Upper Canada the difficulties which confronted the early pioneers had been largely over- come, and much of the vast tracts of fertile land encbsed by the three great fresh-water lakes. Ontario. fnA T^A^T\^^ *^" ""^"^"^ *"^ cultivated, and yielded abundant crops. But the old log-house, 20 'I THE PASSING OF THE STAGE-COACH unstumped field and undrained marsh were still largely in evidence, and even the long settled and prosperous districts— such, for instance, as the town- ship of Dumfries and the village of Gait, populated by many of the grandest men, physi^illy and men- tally, I ever knew— still retained not a few lingering evidences in forest, field and road of their primitive condition. The old-fashioned stage-coach, with its " shrill echoing horn," was still the chief mode of travel. It was clumsy and slow, but jolly. It generally carried Her Majesty's mails, and its arrival and departure in the villages through which it passed were considered the events of the day. The trans- portation of produce and goods was a still more tedious process. Everything produced on the farm or manufactured, which required to be exported, as well as all kinds of groceries, hardware and goods of every description imported into the interior of the country, had to be laboriously teamed by horses or oxen to and from tide-water. Teaming was then an extensive industry in all parts of the Province, and the toil and difficulty of these now obsolete mixles of transportation can be fully realized only by those who experienced them. Houses of stone or brick were still the exception in the country, but large bank bams were becoming the rule, and the people generally had begun to take a warm interest in all political institutions and pro- posals for the betterment of their homes and sur- roundings. This was greatly sUmulated by the •I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA introduction of municipal councils in 1852, and the' increased powers given by the Legislature to the people to elect boards of trustees to manage and improve their educational affairs. In the ear^ days of settlement the Public Schools were comparatively few and poor, but it deserves to be recorded to their credit, that many of the early teachers were men of such force of character, and so practical and con- sc.ent,ous m their teaching, that they turned out better scholars than very many of those who enjoy the more learned and ornamental system of the present day. Nevertheless, the surroundings of all but the wealthy classes, and especially of the farmers, were rude and backward judged by present standards. The houses of the latter were scantily, often indeed roughly furnished, and a bit of green sod. or a clump of trees or shrubs, or a bed of flowers to brighten up the front yard, was a veritable oasis in the desert At harvest time the scythe and the cradle had not generally g.ven place to the mower and reaper. The han necessities, and on looking back and remember- ing the immense crops of wheat then raised-it bein^ wheat or nothing in those days-it seems marvellou! how 1 could have been all cut by hand with such unwieldy tools. At church, at weddings and otier social events imported goods were rapidly coming in for wear, but in the countiy Canadian homespun the old-fashioned woollen mills were still generally 23 ! 1 THE PASSING OF THE STAGE-COACH patronized. Luxuries of all kinds were scarce. Musical instruments, for instance, were exceedingly rare even in towns and villages, and almost unknown in the counti/. Life as a whole was harder and more prosaic then than now, and although the people generally were healthy, happy and hopeful, there was neither the wealth, the conveniences, the comforts nor the pleas- ures which are now enjoyed by the great mass of Canadians in all the well settled sections of the Dominion. Such is a rough outline of the physical and social condition of affairs when our narrative b^ins. The prospects of the whole Province, however, were on the eve of being considerably brightened and bettered. We were about to enter upon one of those " growing times " which have periodically marked our country's career, and which did much to obliterate the memory of the hardships and dulness of the pioneer days of the past and inspire all classes of the people, whether the British settler or the French habitant, with brightei hopes and stronger confidence in their country's future. n CHAPTER II DAWN OF THE RAILROAD ERA THE years 1853-4 marked an era in Canada's material development and prosperity. Several differ- ent causes contributed to this result. Prominent among them was the ^awn of the railroad era. A few years before. George Stephenson, the eminent engmeer had demonstrated to a committee of the British House of Commons that railways were prac ticable, and silenced one of the principal objectors b> his famous bon-mot: "So much the worse for the n coo. The whole worid was thrown into ecstasies by the success of Stephenson's great invention. It revolu- lonized the old modes of land transportation, and the honour has been claimed for Canada of being the first to introduce the railroad into America, the short Ime connecting Laprairie and St John's, near Mont- real, having been completed as eariy as 1836 This was followed by the opening of the Northern Railway from Toronto to Bradford in 1853. and by the rapid work of construction on the Great Western Railway to connect Niagara Falls with the town of Windsor on the Detroit River, a distance of 229 miles. The mam line of this road was completed and opened for 24 DAWN OF THE RAILROAD ERA traffic on the 27th January, 1854, and the large expenditure of capital upon the work, the influx of engineers and railway officials, and the increased demand for labour, made up a new experience for the Province and had a wonderfully inspiriting effect. The Grand Trunk Railway, a still more ambitious project, was also under construction at this time. The Hon. Francis Hincks, Premier of Canada, visited Great Britain early in 1852 witti the Hon. E. B. Chand- ler, of New Brunswick, in the hope of promoting the construction of the Inter- colonial Railway at that time. Failing to enlist the support of the Imperial Government, he took up the construction of a trunk line through Canada, and conducted, if he did not conclude, arrangements with the eminent English contractors, Messrs. Peto, Jackson, Brassey and Betts, for the construction of the Grand Trunk road. The company was incorporated the same year. Parliament approved of a government guarantee being given to the extent of about ;^2,5oo per mile, to be paid in the proportion of $160,000, as each ;^ 100,000 was expended upon the line.* Messrs. HON. FRANCIS HINCKS * " Canadian Year-Book," 1894, page aia I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA son''MT?hfr """"^"' '^ ^'^' Stephen- 8» ,„ ; , ?T' '"^'"~'' "^"«1 Canada in 1853 to complete the arrangements, and a sueeestive at that time by the memorable trip they made through the western peninsula, accompanii^ Zl number of leading Canadian politicians^raiiway the best route for the proposed undertaking. A J ft"^ ''""'^ * '="8= ^^ ■■"■posing one Jacton mT w ," f'^Phenson, M.P., William Jackson, M.P., W. L. Betts, M.P., Hon. Francis Hmcks, Chancellor Blake Hon IS »^ L H. H. Killaly, Mr. A. M. Cchi f Ingt^ „?re proposed «ilroad, .nd Mr. Walter ShanfyTng7n«r of the Toronto and Sami, section. AcconJing " Ilr'T"K°' *" "">' " '«"< *■« four-hlr^e of Sunday, the ,8*"^° ' Xf ;^--" ^;:^J, '"'•'-•;•<«"« *«y proceeded ^ L^of When travelling they made an imposing cavalcade accompanied a, they often were byTocaf SS 10 iJMoHi, b, „, „, |,^ r~? <"^ ''^r*' "^"ii* " "■" I« DAWN OF THE RAILROAD ERA on horseback, a \d \'ery naturally created a mild sensation in the tcv/ns and villages through which they passed. They were met and entertained in many of the larger places they visited, and more or less criticised in all. Opposition to Mr. Hincks and his ministry was at that time getting to a pretty white heat. The Oppo- sition press saw in the new railway, or at least thought they saw, an adroit move of the Premier to prolong his lease of power, and their caustic references to the expense of £iSO for conveyances, £2$ per day for expenses, and the impropriety of Sunday travelling, must have slightly detracted from what, considering the good roads, charming weather and lovely foliage of our Canadian summer, should have been a delightful and exhilarating trip. However this may have been, the arrangements of the Government with the British and Canadian capitalists were speedily completed, and by the summer of 1853 the Grand Trunk Railway, including the world-renowned Victoria Bridge over the St. Lawrence, which made Stephenson famous, were in rapid course of construction, augmenting still more the spirit of enterprise and hopefulness which had so quickly overspread the land. Then in 1854 the Crimean War broke out. The famous manifesto of Napoleon III. of France to the Russian Emperor Nicholas appeared in March, and war speedily followed. The Turks won the first victory, at Silistria, before British and French armies could reach the scene of operations, and the bloody »7 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA battles of Alma and Inkerman, and the memorable s.ege and fall of Sebastopol, during which Shand French veterans fought side by side, ultimately led to Russia's defeat and the restoration of peace effect It had in promoting Canadian prosperity Be fore harvest time was over farm produced' kimt: suddenly shot up to fabulous pri^ Wh " t ' „. flour especially w«e in great "^demand^;;;^ seldom pn=viously attained, the former fo . le^T cned penod hovering about $,.&, per bushel !nd r^r;"" :Zh-"f,'^ "'f " *-°^ These 'i^ war prices, combined with the laige expenditures being made on the Gieat Western L G™d T™^ always, soon m«Ie themselves fel, to thT™^^«t bounds of the Province. remotest Still another factor combined to increase the ore vaibng prosperity-the famous RedpS T^,^' between the United States and Ca^ST^ilT^ been negotiated chiefly through the sMful d^^'^ tjeneral of Canada, who joined Mr Hin^i.. \.. «cond visit to Washingtin^ 7he S °"tk" treaty was signed by the Hon. Wi«i^m'^„I*: Secretary of State) and Lord Elgin ^nXhalf?, t'h' fo^itinTyj;:"' ""° °'"""™ '»'«-- -j* b J:g;t: c^.'^.rrzTT.z^r'-' commcial and financial inflatiCrvl/t'^^fS DAWN OF THE RAILROAD ERA in any country. For a time business was so brisk, prices so good, and money so plentiful that everybody began to dream of becoming rich. Farmers indulged in new houses and lands ; business men rushed into new stores, manufactories and other enterprises ; and all classes seemed to feel that the " good times " had at last come and were going to stay. Property in town and country in some cases doubled, and in others quadrupled, in value. Sales of building lots were of daily occurrence, and thousands . of them were sold on back streets of country villagesi at fabulous prices! New business enterprises, both public and private, cropped up almost every morning, and fortunes were supposed, in some cases, to h%ve been made and lost in a day. In short, an unmis- takable and dangerous " boom " had overspread tHe entire Province, and the people generally had beop seized with a spirit of wild speculation and extravi^- gance which subsequent experience could not possibly justify. When this memorable "boom" collapsed, which it did rather suddenly, whilst fortunes had been made by many, most Canadians found they were not so rich as they had supposed, whilst many were left much poorer than when it began. Nevertheless, the change throughout the country from a state of tardy progress to one of business activity, enterprise and even wild speculation, was on the whole beneficial to Canada, and very much needed by all classes of the people at that time. I CHAPTER III EARLY STRUGGLES FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT The state of political affairs in Canada at this time was somewhat anomalous, but deeply interesting. The excitement and bitter animosities of the Mac- kenzie-Papineau Rebellion had largely disappeared. The old Tory Family Compact, whose oligarchical rule, coupled with the bumptiousness and blundering of Sir Francis Bond Head, then Governor-General, had been the main cause of all the strife and blood- shed, had been dethroned and discarded. Lord Durham's famous Report, as already mentioned, re- sulted m the union of Upper and Lower Canada, but the wise recommendation of this enlightened states- man m favour of conferring upon Canadians a full measure of Responsible Government remained for several years in uncertainty. Under the governorship of Lord Sydenham and especially of his successor. Sir Charles Bagot, this great reform was recognized and partly introduced. The latter gentleman, although Conservative, held to the principle that the majority in the Legislature should rule, and finally invited the Hon. L. H. Lafon- tame, the Hon. Robert Baldwin, and several of their STRUGGLES FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT Reform colleagues to accept office, so that his govern- ment might be brought into harmony with, and command the support of, a majority of the people's representatives. His Excellency's offer was finally accepted, and the first Lafontaine- Baldwin adminis- tration was installed in power amidst many signs of popular gratification. This was the position of affairs when Sir Charles Metcalfe arrived from Jamaica to assume the gov- ernor-generalship in March, 1843. He had been trained in the arbitrary rule of India, knew little of parliamentary government, and, secretly prompted, it is believed, by Downing Street reactionaries, whose stupidity and blundering had long been proverbial, His Excellency arrogantly began to exercise the pre- rogatives of the Crown, not only without the consent of his constitutional advisers, but without even con- sulting them. This action of Sir Charles, whether inspired by Lord Stanley, then Colonial Secretary, or by his own arbitrary ideas, involved the subversion of Responsible Government, and the country was im- mediately plunged again into violent political excite- ment over the old question whether popular govern- ment should be upheld or subverted. It was a dangerous crisis, but Messrs. Baldwin and Lafontaine, the Reform leaders, rose equal to the occasion. True to the people and their principles, when they found their advice no longer accepted by the representative of the Crown, they patriotically resigned their offices in the Government, a course whose constitutionality and dignity has been univer- S* ; ( ,; PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA sally recognized. Then began the final battle for Responsible Government in Canada, the bitterness^ and violence of which hardly can be realized at the present day. The result has long been a matter of history. Sir Charles Metcalfe unconstitutionally ruled the Pro- vince for nine months, without any Government at all; then he partially filled up the offices under the premiership of the Hon. W. H. Draper (afterwards Chief Justice), and, backed up by the Tory party, a temporary advantage was gained at the general elections in 1844 through means of bribery and violence previously ynparalleled. The voice of the country was temporarily stifled by these devices, but not altered or subdued. The bitter struggle went on in Parliament and throughout the country until that terrible disease, cancer, caused Sir Charles to resign, and his successor. Lord Elgin, was sworn in as Governor-General at Montreal, on the 30th January, 184;. His Lordship was a man at once sagacious and eloquent, courtly in manners, and friendly to constitutional principles. The Drape Administration was still sustained in the House of Assembly by a small majority, and con- tinued His Excellency's advisers throughout the year. But at the ensuing general elections, which came off in January, 1848, Messrs. Baldwin and Lafontaineand their Reform supporters swept every- thing before them at the polls, both in Upper and Lower Canada, and the long and bitter battle for Responsible Government was at last and forever won. 32 STRUGGLES FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT When Parliament assembled the Draper Ministry was promptly defeated, and resigned. Lord Elgin thereupon se"t for the Hon. Louis Lafontaine, and entrusted him and the Hon. Robert Baldwin with the formation of a new, homogeneous government, to be composed entirely of Reformers, and fully recog- nizing, as Her Majesty's representative, the principles of Responsible Government as the only basis upon which future administrations should be formed and the business of the country carried on. Thus this dangerous conflict happily ended in the enlargement of popular rights as well as the signal triumph of the Reform party, more especially of its eminent leaders, Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Lafontaine, whose ability, moderation and dignity, in carrying the agitation to a final and successful issue in the face of the most violent antagonism, forms one of the brightest chapters in the political annals of this country. The second Lafontaine-Baldwin Administration, though firmly seated in power, found the political caldron still boiling. Their Tory opponents, though reduced to a small minority, made up : i bitterness what they lacked in numbers. When, therefore, the Administration passed the famous Rebellion Losses Bill in 1849, and Lord Elgin came down to give the Royal assent thereto, as he felt constitutionally bound to do, their rage and vexation burst all bounds, and Montreal was soon at the mercy of an oi^anized Tory mob, whose violence culminated in the mobbing of Her Majesty's representative and the burning down of the Parliament Buildings I 3 33 '• PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA This criminal outrage did much to complete the ruin of the old Tory party, and still further strength- ened the Lafontaine-Baldwin Government, who have been called " the Great Ministry " in consequence of the splendid volume of legislation they passed, " much of which survives to the present day, and is a fitting monument to the justice, rectitude and broad statesmanship of its members."* The Lafontaine-Baldwin Administration continued in office all-powerful until the fall of 185 1, when its distinguished leaders grew weary of the political strife in which they had so long been engaged. Amidst universal regret Mr. Baldwin resigned in August, and the Hon. Francis Hincks, already con- spicuous for financial ability, became leader of the House of Assembly in his place. Mr. Lafontaine could be prevailed upon to linger behind his col- league only until October, when his retirement also took place and brought this famous administration to a close. It had been arranged that Mr. Hincks and the Hon. A. N. Morin should reconstruct the Cabinet and become the Upper and Lower Canada leaders •• The Great Ministry ! Yes ; for everything in this world is relative, and when the work of the second Ufontaine-Baldwin Min- Utiy is fairly contrasted with that of other Canadian ministries of its epoch, it must be acknowledged to have been great at least by com- parison. No administration known to our history has ever effected so much during an equal space of time. None has contained so many men whose abilities entitled them to rank among colonial statesmen as compared with mere politicians."-" Canada Sinft tht Unitn of t84t," by fohn Charki D*Ht, Vol. II., pago njS. 34 STRUGGLES FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT respectively. His Excellency the Governor-General selected Mr. Hincks as Premier, and the second Reform mi>:i=t»j' was composed of the following gentlemen : Upper Canada, the Hons. Francis Hincks, Dr. Tohr Rolph, W. B. Richards, Malcolm Cameron and James Morris ; Lower Canada, the Hons. A. N. Morin, L. T. Drummond, John Young, E. P. Tach^ and R. E. Caron. The Hincks-Morin Government had been nearly two years in power when my connection with the press began in 1853, and to give subsequent events their proper setting, a brief rhumi of the position of political parties towards each other at that time and the important public questions at issue between them will be found necessary as well as useful. There were then three distinct parties represented in the Legislature and the country. There were, first, the Hincks Ministry and their Reform supporters ; second, Sir Allan McNab and an active remnant of the Tory party ; and third, Mr. George Brown and a section of the Reform party, chiefly Upper Canadians, who had withdrawn their support from Mr. Hincks and his colleagues. Lord Elgin's enlightened policy had firmly estab- lished Responsible Government, but a considerable number of other questions of vital importance to the peace and prosperity of the Province had attained prominence and were awaiting settlement. Promi- nent among these were the secularization of the Clergy Reserves, the abolition of the Rectories, the termination of the French Seignorial System, and 35 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA the substitution of a L^islative Council elected by the people for the antiquated system of Crown nom- ination. Besides these measures the tide of agitation had already set in for non-sectarian education, no grants of public money to ecclesiastical corporations, and representation by population — or, in other words, that the representation in Parliament of Upper and Lower Canada should be based on the number of their respective inhabitants. Mr. Hincks and his ministry claimed to represent the Reform party, and were admittedly pledged to settle the Reserves Rectories, Seignorial Tenure and L^islative Council questions. Like their Reform pre- decessors, however, they had delayed l^islation on one ground and another until many Reformers became weary, and doubts of their sincerity began to be enter- tained. Sir Allan McNaband his supporters constituted the regular Opposition. They denounced the proposed abolition of the Reserves and Rectories (which had in the days of the Family Compact been set aside from the public lands for the establishment of the Church of England) as little short of spoliation and sacrilege, and stigmatized the Reform leaders, especially Premier Hincks, as being, to use the language of the time, " steeped to the lips in corruption." The dissentient Reformers, led by Mr. Brown, based their opposition to Mr. Hincks and his colleagues on the ground that they had broken faith with the Reform party, that they were either unable or unwilling to carry the great measures of reform to which they were solemnly pledged, and that, among other ministerial abuses, 36 STRUGGLES FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT they were encouraging the introduction of Separate Schools and aiding ecclesiastical corporations at the dictation of their French Canadian colleagues and supporters. The Tory and Reform wings of the Opposition, as will be observed, were wide asunder as the poles in their views on all the great political questions then dividing public opinion. Neither had they anything in common personally or socially. Nevertheless, the old adage that politics makes strange bed-fellows was again exemplified, and for a considerable time Mr. Brown and Sir Allan McNab, though preserving separate camps, acted more or less together in oppos- ing the Hincks-Morin Ministry, both in Parliament and throughout the country. This subjected the latter to a somewhat galling cross-fire, and brought about a political situation decidedly singular and interesting. The position of public afTairs was by no means satisfactory. Twelve years had elapsed since the union between Upper and Lower Canada, and the future was not unclouded. As we have seen, there was still a formidable array of complicated political questions before Parliament pressing for settlement They profoundly stirred all classes of the people, for they involved not only the questions of a State Church apd religious equality, but others which might easily fan into flame the racial and religious suscepti- bilities of the British majority in the West or the French majority in the East. How such difficult l^islation could be peacefully 37 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA and successfully accomplished in a young province so constituted — one-half being British and Protestant, and the other French and Catholic — made up one of the most formidable tasks ever imposed upon any country possessing representative institutions. It may be safely affirmed, therefore, that it reflects the highest credit upon the public men and public life of Canada that, despite much deplorable party strife and rancour, our statesmen proved equal to the occasion, and before many years all these difficult and danger- ous questions had been manfully grappled with and on the whole satisfactotilv settled. 38 CHAPTER IV DR. JOHN BAYNE, "FATHER OF THE FREE CHURCH " I BARELY had got seated in the chair editorial when brought into contact with one of the most remarkable men I ever met — the Rev. John Bayne, D.D., one of the first ministers of Gait. He was bom in the west parish of Greenock, Scot- land, on the 1 6th November, 1806, and came to Canada in 1834. His father was the Rev. Kenneth Bayne, A.M., minister of the Gaelic chapel in that city. On his mother's side he was also of staunch Scottish Presbyterian stock, and was educated at Glasgow and Edinburgh universities, where he passed a very brilliant academical course. After preaching in St. Andrew's Church, Toronto, during the absence of the Rev. W. T. Leach (afterwards the Venerable Archdeacon Leach, of Montreal) in Great Britain, he was called to, and became the minister of St. Andrew's Church, Gait, during the following summer. On his first arrival in the then little village he re- sided for some time in my father's house, and I there- fore knew him from childhood. I was, however, brought into contact with him in a special manner at this time, in consequence of a lecture he delivered for 39 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA the Mechanics' Institute of Gait on " The Evidences of Design in the Works of Creation." It combined science, philosophy and religion, and excited so much interest that there was an urgent demand for its pub- lication. Here was an opening for journalistic enter- prise, but the difficulty was to get the reverend gentleman to write the lecture out, something he very rarely did, not a sermon in manuscript having been found at his death, out of all the long and able discourses which marked his ministry. Keying up my courage to the requisite point to meet the august Doctor, I shortly afterwards pre- sented myself at his house, a two-story stone dwelling still standing at the foot of High Park. Having knocked timidly at the door, the housekeeper and servant (they were generally united in one fn those days) quickly appeared. " Is Dr. Baync in ? " I inquired. " Oh, yes," she replied, " come in " ; and, with the brusque courtesy of the period, she ushered me into the sitting room without knock or ceremony. Here a surprise awaited me. The room was cloudy with smoke, which was enriched with an odour which could not be mistaken. JOHN BAYNB, l).l>. 40 DR. JOHN BAYNE Having just come in from the sunlight, I could not at first see clearly about me. Whilst peering through the murk, however, a human figure gradually took form and arose from a lounge at the other end of the room. As the figure advanced I saw it was Dr. Bayne, who, although evidently a little ruffled at the unceremonious way in which I had been ushered in, took my hand so genially, and with words and manner so kindly, as to soon place me comparatively at my ease. After the usual interchange of civilities the Doctor excused himself for a few minutes whilst he went into an adjoining room. During his absence the light and my vision im- proved, and I soon discovered the cause of the unusual smoke on my entrance. On the mantel, the window sills and other more curious places I counted no less than nineteen clay pipes, many of which looked new, and all were white and clean. Some were full and some were empty, but the impression left on the beholder was, and I afterwards learned this was correct, that the Doctor commonly filled them all together and then smoked as circumstances called for. He evidently regarded smoking and drinking in a very different light. He was one of the eariiest clergymen within my knowledge to take a decided stand against the liquor traffic, and it was much needed among the eariy settlers in those days. But is was no secret that he enjoyed a smoke. From the numerous evidences counted around the room I con- cluded he could hardly have been excelled by Milton, 4i i til I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Dryden, Coleridge, Goethe. Carlisle or Tennyson in his love of the pipe, which, although justly losing ground in these modern days, was in the past, and indeed, still continues to be, a characteristic of many of the bnghtest and noblest geniuses the world has ever seen. Dr. Bayne broke up these reflections by his return to the room. This afforded an opportunity to ex- amine him more critically. Although his health was no longer robust, I was struck with his fine, distin- guished-looking presence. He was slightly above the medium height, erect and lithe in form, and neat almost natty, in attire. The face was distinctly oval,' the forehead broad and massive, and the nose well formed and straight; the predominating features, however, were his finely-shaped dark-grey eyes, at once so calm and penetrating that their glance once seen remained a memory forever, and his finely, formed mouth and lips, which mingled firmness and gentleness to a wonderful degree. His portrait, still to be found in many of the homes of Gait and Dumfries, although not perfect as a work of art, is very like him as he appeared in his clerical gown, and not inconsistent, I trust, with the brief literary snap-shot of his appearance here attempted. My interview proved successful, and a short time afterwards I found myself in possession of what was one of the ablest and most brilliant lectures ever delivered in Gait, but the most diflScult MS. to decipher which ever fell to any poor printer's lot I quite renewed the acquainUnce of my earlier >'ears 4« DR. JOHN BAYNE with Dr. Bayne before his neat-looking hieroglyphics were all comprehended, the proofs corrected, and the interesting and instructive production placed before the reading public. It has always been a wonder to many how Dr. Bayne ever found his way to the " wilds of Canada," for wild, indeed, the country was in those remote days. His talents were .so great, his learning so wide and deep, and his tastes so cultivated and re- fined, that it is surprising that he ever left the intel- lectual centres of Great Britain, where he was well equipped to win renown either in college or pulpit. The secret is doubtless to be found in the intensity and fervour of 'lis religious convictions. His preaching afforded ample proof of this, as it was exceedingly remarkable, being characterized by a zeal and passionate eloquence rarely equalled. " So impressed was he with the mighty import of the mes- si^e of the Gospel," to use my words on a former occasion, " that he was known to preach for two hours and a half, and sometimes his Sabbath services con- tinued from eleven o'clock till after three in the after- noon. His style of preaching vividly recalled the old pictures left us of John Knox preaching before Queen Mary,* and although probably a .hade too austere, • •• Mr. Bayne, In the judgment of hit congregation, was a preacher par »x€tll*mt. In preaching he would begin in a ilow, deliberate lone, but ai he proceeded his exprewion became more rapid : then the whole man would preach. Tongue, countenance, eyes, feet, hands, ttody— all would grow eloquent. Under his able and energetic pastorale the coi^;regation soon became strong and vigorous."— Mj/*n<-a/ Sktlik »J A'w.r Churtk, Gait, i^ot. 4$ E I i PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA was characterized iiy an earnestness and at times religious vehemence which exercised a powerful in- fluejice over the community among whom he had cast Many memories of his ministry crowd upon the mind, and a characteristic one may be mentioned. In early days in Canada, as elsewhere, the battle be- tween. Calvinism and Arminia-.iism ran prett> high Dr. Bayne was a very pronounced disciple of the Swiss theologian, and as the Methodists began to push their views of the plan of salvation very zeal- ously m Gait, the Doctor determined to discuss the subject fully. Without indulging in a sectarian or controversial spirit, and avoiding as far as possible anything offensive to others, he gave a most masterly description of. and argument for, Calvinism and the doctrine of Election, the series consisting of no less than thirteen consecutive sermons. The«5 discourses were, of couree. the talk of the whole distnct. which was considerably augmented by the closing words of his last discourse, which were in substance as follows : " Election or no Election, be- LT i?*" ^"* J""'' ^^"»* and thou Shalt be saved These words afforded some satisfaction to the adherents of the Arminian view, who rather adroitly argued that if he had used fhem at the be- ginning he might have dispensed with all the rest of his sermons. The Calvinists. on the other hand, as stoutly maintained that these closing words made a grand as well as scriptural ending of a most able comprehensive and convincing exposition of God's 44 DR. JOHN BAYNE revealed purposes and methods in the salvation of the race. How vividly this incident recalls the warmth of the controversy, in full swing at that time, between the two great exponents of these religious views, which everyone then deemed vitally important, and which in some cases degenerated into absolute, unchristian bitteifiess! And how it should moderate our bitter- ness in modem controversies, religious or political, when we see that, warm as the battle raged even forty years ago between Presbyterians and Methodists, many in both communions are now warmly advocat- ing the organic union of these two great churches in Canada, and no longer consider views entertained of the doctrine of Election an urmountable bar to their uti..ed and hearty co-operation as one body in the great work which the Master has given all Christians to do. No man of the acquirements and inu 'duality of Dr. Bayne could fail to be a power wherever he cast his lot He was held in profound respect wherever known throughout the Province, and in Gait and the surrounding districts, many even beyond the pale of his own congregation, especially among the young people, entertained for him feelings still deeper — bordering, in fact, upon awe. Many evidences of this might be given, but one is especially well remembered. In the pioneer days it was a common custom for the settlers to gather about St. Andrew's church doors on Sunday morning and converse tc^ether — not unfrequently, it must be 45 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA admitted, on the news and gossip of the settlement The manse was situated about four or five hundred yards from the church, with an open grass common between. As the Doctor was occasionally fifteen, and sometimes even twenty minutes late, since learned to have been generally caused by temporary indisposi- tion, these church-door gatherings were on such occasions correspondingly numerous and lively. But at the words, « There he comes ! ' as the Doctor emerged . from the manse door and b^an to walk across the green, the gossipers would disperse as if by magic, and be devoutly seated in their pews several minutes before he mounted the steps which led up to the sacred desk. So strong and general was this feeling towards Dr. Bayne that a sort of audible h-u-s-h, rising and falling in regular cadence, would pass over the audience as he entered the church or any congregationarmeeting. Nevertheless, he was greatly admired, and even loved, and when he unbent in the privacy of his own home or in the limited circle which he visited, he not only enjoyed a good joke, but his conversation and manner were genial and often sparkling and pleasing in an eminent degree. Dr. Bayne was commissioned by the Provincial Presbyterian Synod to visit Scotland in 1842 to obtain ministers and missionaries to supply the rapidly increasing settlements in the western penin- sula. He remained there all the ensuing winter to observe and take part in the Disruption Movement in the esteblished Church of Scotland, which was DR. JOHN BAYNE then at white heat and culminated the following summer. Upon his return to Canada he entertained hopes that by a compromise, involving no sacrifice of principle, a split in the Canadian church might be avoided. When the Synod met in Kingston in 1844, how- ever, the majority would not consent to modify in any way their connection with the Church of Scot- land, whereupon twenty-three ministers and many elders, under the leadership of Dr. Bayne, resigned and formed themselves into a new Synod to be called " The Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Canada." It was generally called the Free Church after its namesake in Scotland, and it soon became apparent that a large and influential section of the Presbyterian body throughout the Province warmly sympathized with, and approved of, the movement Dr. Bayne was from this time justly r^arded as the father of the Free Church in Canada, for which he worked enei^etically and successfully. His influence among Presbyterians became widespread throughout Upper Canada, and would doubtless still further have increased, but in the providence of God this was not to be, as he very suddenly and unexpectedly passed away on the 3rd November, 1 859. He arose that morning intending to preach a Thanksgiving sermon for his friend, the Rev. Mr. McLean, of Puslinch. He had his overcoat on his arm ready to depart, when he suddenly complained of illness, and ultimately had to retire to bed. After the Thanksgiving service in Gait, his assistant miO' 47 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA ister, the Rev. A. C. Geikie, who recently died in Australia, much honoured, entered his room and asked him to partake of some refreshment This he declined, and on Mr. Geikie looking in at the door sometime afterwards he found him apparently asleep and thought it best not to disturb him. Towards five o'clock, thinking it strange that he did not arise or ring for anything, Mr. Geikie again entered his room and approached his bed, when, to his surprise and sorrow, he found that Dr. Bayne had peacefully and silently passed away. His attitude was so natural that he appeared to be only sleeping, and traces of a faint smile illumined his features as if he had unexpectedly caught a glimpse of the glory unspeakable. CHAPTER V GEORGE BROWN IN AN OLD-TIME ELECTION The press of Canada was conspicuous at an early date for ability and independence. Even fifty years ago there were many well-conducted newsfKipers. They were, of course, far behind those of to-day as regards size, appearance and news — especially foreign events — having neither railroads, telegraphs,- tele- phones, linotypes nor eight-cylinder presses to aid them. But editorials and local news were generally well and correctly written, and quite equalled if they did not surpass, these departments in out modern broad sheets, some of which are so "yellow" in colour, that it is difficult to tell what is fact and what is fiction. Conspicuous among the newspapers of that period were the old Quebec Gazette artd the Montreal Herald, the latter long and ably edited by Mr. Edward GoflT Penny. In Toronto the chief Conserva- tive paper was the British Colonist , published by Mr. Hugh Scobie. It was a vigorously conducted and excelli nt journal. The Examiner was owned by Mr. James Lesslie, was written for by Mr. (afterwards Sir) Francis Hincks, and also by Mr. Charles Lindsciy, 4 49 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA who became editor of the Leader when it was started in 1850, and who still enjoys a green old age as one of the registrars of Toronto. The British Whig of Kingston and the Journal and Express of Hamilton, the latter conducted by Mr. Solomon Brega, were then prominent journals. The Whig is still to the fron^ and is, in fact, more vigorous now in its old age than it was in its youth. The Hamilton Spectator, which was a model typographically, was started by Mr. R. R. Smiley in 1846, and the North American, which was edited by the Hon. William McDougall, appeared in Toronto four years later and aroused considerable interest by its semi- Republican platform. Mr. Geoige Brown and the Globe were already powerful throughout the whole Province. His father and he emigrated in 1838 from Edinburgh, Scotland, to New York City, where they became connected with theAldion newspaper, and subsequently started the British Chronicle on their own account Early in 1843, George, then a young man of twenty-four, made a tour of the Northern States and Canada in the in- terests of the Chronicle, but had such inducements held out to him by the Baldwin-Lafontaine ministers and others to commence a newspaper in Toronto, that on his return to New York the whole family decided to throw in their lot with the British provinces. They immediately removed to Toronto, and on the 1 8th August following the Banner appeared. As much of this journal was devoted to Presbyterian and ecclesiastical news, sufficient attention could not be 50 GEORGE BROWN IN AN OLD-TIME ELECTION given to political and secular aflfairs, and consequently the Globe was started early in 1844. The period was favourable for these literary ven- tures. The disruption in the Church of Scotland and the final struggle with Sir Charles Metcalfe over Re- sponsible Government were then burning questions, and Mr. George Brown took the side of the Free Church and the Reform party with much energy and ability. He was ably seconded by his brother, Gor- don Brown, upon whom the principal editorial work finally devolved, and who, barring a tendency to be a little too autocratic, was one of the best all-round managing editors I have ever known. Through the success and influence of his newspaper, Mr. George Brown soon became widely known and influential. His racy and powerful, though rather cumbrously constructed editorials, were a principal factor in bringing about the overwhelming Reform victory at the general elections in 1848. For many years his relations with Messrs. Baldwin, Lafontaine, Hincks, Price, Lesslie and other Reform leaders were of the closest character. He gave them a warm and consistent support until 185 1. About this time, however, a large section of the Reform party became dissatisfied. The Government had made little or no progress in settling the Clergy Reserves, Rectories and other questions en which they had secured the con- fidence of the electors. This naturally caused dis- satisfaction, and Mr. Brown and other prominent Reformers had for some time been earnestly protest- ing against the course of the Administration, and $« [I > PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA insisting on its pledges on these important questions being fulfilled. Such was the political situation when a bye-election occurred in the county of Haldimand. Mr. Brown was tendered the Reform nomination and accepted it, but announced himself as an Independent Reformer. His chief opponent was the famous William Lyon Mackenzie, the recently pardoned rebel leader, but there were two other Reformers in the field, Mr. Horace Case and Mr. Jacob Turner, and also a Tory candidate in the person of Mr. Ronald McKinnon, of Caledonia. The fight was really between the two genUemen first named, and what between the attitude of the Administration, who rather dreaded Mr. Brown's advent to Parliament as an Independent, and the strong sympathy felt for Mr. Mackenzie as having suffered in what was generally considered to be a just cause, the rebel and exile of 1837, upon whose head a reward of ;^ 1,000 had been set, found himself at the close of the contest elected once more to the Canadian Parliament. This defeat widened the breach between the Gov- ernment and Mr. Brown, and during the ensuing fall, when Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Lafontaine retirod and the Hincks-Morin Administration was installed in power, his opposition became more decided and open. At the general elections in November following (1851), Mr. Brown accepted a nomination tendered to him from the counties of Kent and Lambton, which were then united. Rather strangely, the gentlemen who took the chief part in bringing him out as a can- 52 GEORGE BROWN IN AN OLD-TIME ELECTION didate, were Mr. Alexander Mackenzie, of Lambton, and Mr. rchibald McKellar, of Kent, who then became acquainted with each other for the first time. Both of these gentlemen soon afterwards found seats in Parliament, and became Mr. Brown's most trusted lieutenants until the end of his life. They were sometimes called the "Reform Triumvirate," so unitedly and successfully did they act together for many years. Mr. McKellar was conspicuous for his humour and drollery, and during the closing years of his life, when residing in Hamilton as sheriff of the county of Wentworth, he related to me many laughable inci- dents which occurred during his long career as a political campaigner. Not the least amusing of these occurred during this Kent and Lambton contest. It proved to be a three-cornered fight, and a good illustration of our old-fashioned Canadian elections. Besides Mr. Brown, the other candidates were Mr. Arthur Rankin, of Sandwich, who was the Hincks Reform candidate, and Mr. A. Larwill, of Sanaa, who was brought out by the Tory party. The Hon. Malcolm Cameron, who had recently been appointed President of the Council, was then an influential man in western Canada, and he threw all his energies into the contest to defeat Mr. Brown. He declared be would give the latter « a coon hunt on the Wabash," and boldly confronted him on the public platform, the war of words often lasting for seven or '-'-'ht hours on a stretch— occasionally, in fact, till near daylight Canadians in those early days were deadly in earnest 53 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA in their politics, and elections were almost invariaUy marked by much excitement, bitterness and occa- sional rows. This contest proved conspicuously ex- citing and bitter,* for it was the first straight fight between the Hincksites and Brownites, and many life-long Reformers for the first time found themselves arrayed against each other. Several of these stories centred round an old High- lander, whom we will call Donald Mactavish, who was a well-known character in the riding, a staunch Reformer and successful farmer. He could neither read nor write, but his mental sharpness and forpe of character were such that, by getting his family to read to him, there was not a man for miles around who understood current politics better than he did. He had become an intense admirer of " Ceordie Broon," as he was then frequently called, and was very anxious to have him stay over night at his * Some liffht b thrown on the character of our early elections a' the following ipedmen of numerous private letten drcuiated by the on. M. Cameron duriiythia contest : (Private.) Saknia, Nov. la, i8ji. Dear Sir,— Mr. Geome Brown is to be at Warwick on the loth, at Donnelly t. at lo a.m. Now take a day in the good work of setlinB h m a good meeting. I will be out, and we will diow him up, and let him know what stuV Liberal Reformers are made of, and how they would trMt fanatical beasu who would allow no one liberty but them- selves. - — we will Uawns' _ Yours truly, (Signed) Malcolm Cambron. treat fanatical beasu who would allow no one liberty but them- , Let everyone that hates "a stag and a traitor ''come, and ",.*"? «7'«.*'.' ^^^ " ^ *° •>*"»" »»y'«- T>»« " Bouchaleen t "t of WarwKk will wake him up. Now see to it. t "Omw Ike way," the cry of iha Wk|t« boyi on leir.g Into a icriaiiMM. tTlwWUMboyi. S4 GEORGE BROWN IN AN OLD-TIME ELECTION house. This request it was considered good policy to comply with, and when the party reached the Mac- tavish homestead, it was found to be a large one- story log building— consisting, however, of but one large room, the eating and sitting part being at one end and a series of beds at the other, guiltless alike of partitions or curtains of any kind whatever. There were some sixteen people, big and small, to sleep in those beds that night, and Mr. McKellar used to laugh himself into tears as he told how Mr. Brown, although worn out W!th speaking and travel- ling, kept t m all up for hours after they wanted to retire, because he was too embarrassed to undress and get into bed under sucii unusual circumstances. It was only after taking Mr. McKellar outside for consultation, and being gravely assured that it would be a gross breach of Highland hospitality if he did not conform to the customs of the country, that Mr. Brown got his courage screwed up to the sticking point to undress, and, to use the words of the droll narrator, " finally made a plunge for his bed, so wild and ungraceful that it might be Imagined but could never be described." Another incident connected with Mactavish gives an idea of the humour of the times. The Tory candidate, Mr. Larwill, had been a tinsmith in his early days, which trade many Highlanders looked down upon on account of their unsavoury recollections of gipsy tinkers in Scotland. A young Scotchman named McLean, who was well connected in Toronto, was in the riding canvassing for Mr. Larwill, nnd spoke on 5S II .'I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA his behalf on the day- of nomination. His remarks quite excited the ire of Donald Mactavish, but after- wards Mr. McLean was introduced to him, and sought with all the art in his power to conciliate the irate old gentleman. He particularly claimed his friendship on the ground that he was a Scotchman like himself, to which Mactwish, with rising blood, replied : " Yes, that's joost it That's joost what makes her feel so pad at the nomination yesterday, that anypody calling herself a Scotchman could be found to pro- pose a tinkler to sit in Parliament" The elections throughout the Province resulted in favour of the Hincks-Morin Government but Mr. Brown was returned, as were also several Reformers who shared his views. Both in Parliament an ^ the press he soon afterwards burned his bridges behind him so far as opposition to Mr. Hincks was concerned. The Ministerialists feared the dissatisfied Reformers more than Sir Allan McNab and the Tories, who continued weak and unpopular, and during the fall of 1853, Messrs. Hincks, Morin, Drummond, Rolph, Cameron and other ministers made an extensive political tour throughout Upper Canada, being ban- queted in many places. Their chief atUcks were centred upon George Brown and the Giobe, and the friends of the latter vigorously responded by a series of similar demonstrations, not the least important of which were a great political meeting and banquet the former to be held at the village of Glenmorris in the nftemoon, and the latter at Gait in the evening. The interest in these gatherings became intense through- GEORGE BROWN IN AN OLD-TIME ELECTION out all the surrounding districts when it became known that Mr. Brown would be met and opposed at Glenmorris by Mr. David Christie, then member of Parliament for Wentworthf and a Reformer as strongly supporting the Hincks Administration as the former opposed them. The day of battle and of feasting — the loth Octo- ber — at last arrived. It proved beautifully fine. The atmosphere was clsar and bracing, the woods ablaze with autumnal colours, and the chief combatants and their friends were early on the field. Mr. Brown and Mr. Christie were not unevenly matched. Both being Scotch, born the same year (1818), educated alike at Edinburgh High School, and both ambitious poli- ticians in the very prime of early manhood, they doubtless felt, with Fitzjames and Roderick Dhu — " Such pride as warriors feel In foemen worthy of their steel." 1 was not present myself, being still innocent of the political craze which Swift describes as " the mad- ness of many for the gain of a few," but from the lips of many of the early settlers — now alas, nearly all gone "across the bar"— I learned what a memorable political battle this was. Both gentlemen acquitted themselves admirably. Mr. Christie proved himself a formidable antagonist He was an effective public speaker, and surprised and delighted his friends. Mr. Brown was powerful, convincing, and at times elo- quent. It was, in short, a famous battle, during which the politics of the day, and especially the divisions 57 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA which were then rending the Reform party asunder, were handled with much force, ability and skill on both sides. When, during the following year, the Hincks-Morin Government was defeated, the causes of difference between the Reformers of the Province almost entirely disappeared, and Mr. Brown and Mr. Christie became fast political friends, which relation was never after- wards broken. During their long friendship they doubtless enjoyed many a quiet laugh over the battle of Glenmorris and its exciting incidents. Evening found thQ Commercial Buildings, Gait, a blaze of light for the banquet in Mr. Brown's honour. The chair was occupied by James Cowan, Esq., Clochmohr, afterwards member of Parliament, and the vice-chairs by Robert Ferrie, Esq., Doon, who also became member of Parliament, and Dr. Samuel Richardson, of Gait About three hundred Re- formers were present, and loud and long were the cheers which greeted the guest of the evening as he rose to reply to the principal toast : " George Brown, the Member for Kent' Very few of those prest nt had ever seen the speaker before, myself among the number, and I well remem- ber the eager glances and thrill of interest on the part of the audience as he straightened himself up to the full height and uttered his opening words. His was a striking figure. Standing fully six feet two inches high, with a well-proportioned body, well-bal- «nced head and handsome face, his appearance not S8 HON. A doubtful propriety on the part of one holdiii-; . o exalted office of Prime Minister, and on the strength of this and a few similar speculations, the Opposition made the hustings ring at the elections with charges of jobbery and corruption against Mr. Hincks and his colleagues. Some idea may be obtained from this brief outline of the public issues of this political contest, but it is more difficult to understand how oddly political parties and the electorate generally were divided and mixed up. As the contests which took place in the county of Waterioo afford a good illustration of the political situation all over the Province, they are worthy of citation as ca.ses in point. In the north riding, Mr. Michael Hamilton Foley, barrister, Simcoe, had been sent by the Hon. Dr. Rolph to contest that riding as the Ministerial Reform candidate. He was a clever Irish Canadian, stoutly built and good-natured, with great readiness and wit as a public speaker, and, occasionally stopping for a moment to wipe his spec- 5 65 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA tacles, was an adept at making it hot for his op^ ponents, even if he had once in a while to take a little liberty with the facts. His opponents soon learned when he wiped those spectacles to look out for a wipe of a very diflferent character. Soon after Mr. Foley's arrival in Berlin, the sup- port of the Reformer was asked in the North Waterloo contest by a gentleman I had never seen before. He was evidently young and ambitious, in suture tall and graceful, with a fine oval face and features— a decidedly handsome native Canadian, whose whole appearance and address were manly and pleasing, although slightly marred by an occasional dash of coldness in his words and manner. This gentleman in after years took an active part in bringing about the Confederation of British America, and became the Hon. William McDougall, C.B. He was on his way to the north riding to enter the lists as a Clear Grit Reformer against Mr. Foley, and as he was opposed to the Hincks Government, I readily promised him such assistance as my newspaper could give. He was soon in the field, proved himself a remarkably fine public speaker, and Mr. Foley and he were soon at it hammer and tongs. In South Waterloo the contest was equally mixed. Mr. George S. Tiffany, barrister, Hamilton, appeared as a Reformer on behalf of the Government, and Mr. Robert Ferrie, one of the Ferries of Hamilton, but who then carried on a large milling and store busi- ness at the village of Doon, was the Opposition Reform candidate. He was brought out by a requisi« 66 CAREER AND FALL OF HINCKS MINISTRY tion signed by both Clear Grits and Tories, but all the four candidates in both ridings were Reformers, and old political friends soon found themselves divided from each other and mixed up with former opponents in a manner never before experienced. When the election ended it was found that honours were easy, Mr. Foley being returned in the north riding and Mr. Ferrie in the south. As it was in the Waterloos, so it was generally throughout the whole Province. Most of the elec- tions were more or less of a political muddle. In some ridings a Reformer was pitted against a Tory as usual ; in others, a Brown Reformer against a Hincks Reformer and in others the Hincksites, Tories, Clear Grits and even Independents all had candidates in the field. In not a few localities the Tories supported Clear Grits, in others Clear Grits supported Tories, and both generally united to oppose the Hincksites. The latter, too, had in some cases to choose between voting for a Tory or a Grit, and were puzzled to decide as to which might prove the most dangerous opponent In short, political disunion stalked abroad, and the differences among old Reform friends — even among members of the same families — in almost every riding in Upper Canada, combined with the strange medley of former Tory and Clear Grit opponents working together in others, made up one of the most singular and unsatisfactory general elections which ever took place under our representative system. CHAPTER VII UNEXPECTED TURN OF THE POLITICAL CRISIS The smoke of the political battle throughout the country had scarcely cleared away when the new Parliament was called together. It assembled on 5th September. Both the Government and the Opposition claimed to have the majority, and the opening of the session by His Excellency Lord Elgin was marked by much excitement The election of the Speaker afforded the first test of strength. There were three candidate proposed. The Ministerialists put forward Mr. George E. Cartier; the Rouges, Mr. L. V. Sicotte, and the Clear Grits and Tories, Mr. John Sandfield Macdonald, who had been the previous Speaker. On the first vote the Ministerial candidate, Mr. Cartier, was defeated by 62 to 59 — a majority of 3. The second vote was on Mr. Sicotte, and his chances seemed poor. But in order to defeat Mr. MacdonaM, who had ceased to be his political friend, Mr. Hincks adroitly arose at the lant moment and threw his own vote and that of his supporters in favour of Mr. Sicotte, thus turning his small minority into a majority of 35. The Gov- ernment had received a severe check, but the ready 68 I UNEXPECTED TURN OF POLITICAL CRISIS tact of its leader foiled the Opposition and partially concealed its dangerous character. Two days afterwards, however, the Administration sustained a direct defeat on the Timothy Brodeur election case, and it soon became apparent that they no longer controlled the House and its action. On the morning of the 8th, Mr. Hincks and Mr. Morin waited upon the Governor-General and tendered their resignations and those of all their colleagues. The political situation thus created was quite a difficult one, and placed upon His Excellency Lord Elgin no easy task. The three parties into which the legislative Assembly was divided numbered nearly as follows : Ministerialists, 65 ; Clear Grits and Rouges, 40; Tories, 25. In many respects they were all bitterly opposed to each other, and it was difficult to foresee how any government could be formed able to command a majority. It was natur- ally supposed, however, that the reins of power would remain in the hands of the Reform party, which, although divided, numbered about 105 in a house of 130. There was much surprise, therefore, when the Govemof-General sent for Sir Allan McNab to form a new government, as the group under his leadership was the smallest of the three In the House, numbering in fact not more than one-fifth of the people's repre- sentatives. Mr. Brown and his supporters regarded a Tory Administration as impracticable. They hoped for a new Reform ministry with Mr. Hincks out. and pledged to the immediate passage of the great 69 ^i I'ti PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA measures which had sundered the party. The latter's Lower Canada colleagues, however, had warmly sided with the late Premier during the party's quarrels, and George Brown and the GMe were already being held up before the French Canadians as the enemies of " our laws, our language and our race." Their relations had been further embittered by the events of the recent elections, and in their hour of defeat Mr. Hincks and his colleagues were evidently determined at all hazards to thwart Mr. Brown and the Reformers acting with htm. They consequently approved, and had doubtless advised. Lord Elgin's course in sending for Sir Allan McNab, and it soon began to be whispered in the corridors that they had formally proposed to assist the Tory leaders in form- ing a Coalition Government if the latter would agree to pass the Clergy Reserves, Scignorial Tenure and the Elective Legislative Council measures announced in the Speech from the Throne, and which the retiring ministers had already in a forward state of preparation. Had a bomb-shell been exploded in the legislative chamber it could hardly have created more surprise than when this secret was revealed, and the public learned that negotiations for a coalition between the Tories and the Hincksites were actually in progress on the basis mentioned above. The leaders of both these parties had so long and bitterly denounced each other that many were Incred- ulous as to the possibility of such a union. Sir Allan McNab, Mr. John Hillyard Cameron, Mr. William 70 UNEXPECTED TURN OF POLITICAL CRISIS Cayley, Mr. Ogle R. Gowan, in fact the whole party had been battling for nigh a quarter of a century for a State-endowed church, and against the abolition of the reserves and rectories, and not long before the legislative chamber had resounded with frantic cheers as one of their number had made an elaborate attack on Mr. Hincks as a second Walpole who was " steeped to the lips in corruption." The boldness of the proposed new combination, therefore, rather staggered these gentlemen at first more particularly those of them who were good churchmen, and they temporarily hesitated. But in the isolated and almost hopeless position of the Tory party at that time the offer of power and office was a strong temptation, and as the after developments proved. Sir Allan had ceased to be the real leader of his party, and had either to go with the tide or be left stranded on the shore. The real leader of the Tory party in this memor- able crisis was a comparatively young man, who had joined their ranks a decade before and was rapidly forging his way to the foremost place. He was bom in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, on January nth, 1 815, and, when five years old, was brought by his parents from Scotland to Upper Canada. He received a goo.: Grammar School education, and was trained to the legal profession In 1844 he was elected to Parliament, and in iH^y became Receiver-General in the moribund Draper A'! ministration, which position he held until his party fell in 1848. He possessed far greater political sagacity than his aged colleagues 7» PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA and although still lacking in official experience, he was not less forceful and accomplished, and even more adroit, than the retiring Prime Minister, Mr. Hincks, who had been nicknamed by some of his opponents " the Emperor," on account of the almost autocratic power which for several years he wielded. He was, in short, a born political manager, and was already the master mind and moving spirit and the rising hope of the Tory party. I need scarcely say that the gentleman referred to was the member for Kingston, who afterwards became the Right Honourable Sir John A.Macdonald.G.C.B.,* and who was destined to play such a long and distin- guished part, not only in the government of the Province of Canada, but of the whole of British North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. When Hincks and Macdonald agreed to clasp hands across the political chasm which had so long separated them, the proposed coalition became possi- ble. The difficulties were admittedly formidable, but their master hands forcibly grasped and skilfully overcame them, so far as that was possible. Sir Allan McNab's hesitation ended in the acceptance of the commission of Her Majesty's representative to •Mr. Macdonald's family was of Highland extraction. His grand- father had been a successful merchant in Dornock, Sutherlandshire, and his father, Hugh Macdonald, became a manufacturer in Glasgow. His mother's name was Helen Shaw, and the family numbered five : Margaret, who married the Rev. fames Williamson, Professor of Mathe- matics and Natural History, Queen's University, Kingston; John Alexander, the future Canadian Premier ; James and Louisa ; and another brother, William, who died in childhood. 72 t MK |i>||N A. \I \( IMIN \| |i UNEXPECTED TURN OF POLITICAL CRISIS form a new Administration, and on the nth instant the arrangements were all complete, and the first famous. Canadian Coalition Government was sworn into office. It was composed as follows : Upper Canada.— Sir Allan N. McNab, Premier and Minister of Agriculture ; Hon. John A. Macdon- ald, Attorney-General West ; Hon. William Cayley, Inspector-General ; Hon. John Ross, Speaker Legis- lative Council; Hon. Robert Spence, Postmaster- General. Lower CANADA.-.Hon. A. N. Morin, Commis- sioner of Crown Lands; Hon. L T. Drummond, Attorney-General East; Hon. P. J. O. Chauveau, Provincial Secretary ; Hon. J. Chabot, Commissioner of Public Works; Hon. E. P. Tach6, Receiver- General. The announcement of these new and unexpected political combinations created quite a sensation throughout the Province, and in the agitated state of public opinion at that period, produced not a little recrimination and bitterness both in the House and the country. In Parliament the Opposition de- nounced the Coalition as immoral ; in the country the people were much puzzled and divided. Both the Tory and Reform parties were deeply stirred. The great body of the former were elated that from an almost helpless position in the cold shades of Opposition, they had suddenly obUined control of the Government and its patronage. But aaany influential churchmoi were deejdy incensed own pfjiitic* friends had hiu^ained (in 7.1 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA their opinion) to wound the Church of England by agreeing to confiscate its endowments— feeling like the eagle in the famous simile, which grieved the more to see that one of its own feathers tipped the shaft which was drinking its life-blood ! The criticism of the Reform party chiefly fell upon Mr. Hincks. He was roundly condemned by Reform- ers all through the West, except the limited but respectable minority who adhered to Messrs. Ross, Spence and himself, for making the resuscitation of the Tory party possible— having acted, as they alleged, on the principle of " rule or ruin." He de- fended himself manfully, however, giving, as was his custom, blow for blow. His chief ground of defence was that the great measures he had announced in the Speech from the Throne would be faithfully carried through Pariiament by the new Administration, and that the seats held in it by his late Lower Canadian colleagues and his two Upper Canada friends, Messrs. Ross and Spence, were the best guarantee that good faith would be kept in every respect in passing these measures into law. Whoever was to blame, the Reform party was evi- dently wrecked. Many charged th:s result to the personal ambitions and antagonism of Mr. Hincks and Mr. Brown. To the credit of Canadian public life, however, there were other and stronger reasons. Questions of vital im- portance, as we have already seen, then agitated the public mind. It was of lasting importance to the people of Canada and their descendants that they 74 UNEXPECTED TURN OF POLITICAL CRISIS should be settled forever, and it must be admitted that the Reform leaders opposed to Mr. Hincks were amply justified in their course by the long and exas- perating delay in the fulfilment of the promises made to settle these vital questions. This is amply attested by the fact that the great body of the Reformers of Upper Canada sustained their course at the elections, and as soon as the Coalition Ministry was formed, Messrs. Rolph, Christie, Foley and others who had adhered to Mr. Hincks up to that time, immediately held a meeting and decided tb unite with their fellow Reformers and the Quebec Rouges under the leadership of Mr. Brown and Mr. A. A. Dorion, of Montreal.* When these events occurred my political sympa- thies were all with the Clear Grits and against Mr. Hincks. But time and experience often modify and improve opinions, and investigations in after life led me to regard the latter as not nearly so black as he was painted at the time. The difficulties in the way of settling the Clei^ Reserves question were much greater than were generally supposed. Conscientious •The gentlemen who signed the resolution oiganizing the new Oppo- sition were : Messrs. W. Hamilton Merritt, L. H. Holton, A. A. Dorion, George Brown, A. T. Gait, J. S. Macdonald, John Rolph, S. B. Freeman, Joseph Papin, John Fraser, Alanson Cooke, John Young, John Scatcherd, T. M. Daly, M. H. Foley, M. F. Valois, R. Macdon- aid, J. B. E. Dorion, Jacob DeWitt, A. J. Ferguson, Joseph Hartman, Robert Ferrie, D. Mathieson, JosejA Gould, Chas. Daoust, G. M. Prevost, J. O. Sanborn, W. L. Macken/Je, W. Mattice, Amos Wright. John M. Lumsden, D. McKeriie, A. Laberge, Noel Darche, F. Bou- rassa, J. B. Guevremont, J. O. Bureau, and J. H. Jobin. 75 MnumoN im cnait (ANN oMl «0 TCSr CHAITT N». 2) 1.0 U|2£ lU ■Mitt 12^ i u L" ^ ^PPymjM^GE Ine tWi tail M*i Mrw* (7l«)4«i-OJ0O- (7t«) MS • MM . PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA objections on the part of Mr. Baldwin, the hesitancy of Mr. Lafontaine and his Quebec colleagues to inter- fere with church endowments, and the tardiness of the Imperial Government in passing an Act to authorize the Secularization, which leading lawyers considered necessary, and which was only obtained shortly before the elections of ,854, furnish some explanation and excuse for Mr. Hincks' failure to fulfil earlier his political pledges to the people at the polls. His unexpected alliance with the Tory party— whose opposition to him had been both violent and long-seems much less excusable. In saying this I feel bound to mention that I was informed many years afterwards by a member of Parliament whom I deemed reliable, that in order to prevent disaster to the Reform party, Mr. Hincks, on one occasion, pri- vately offered to Mr. Brown and his friends to retire from the leadership in favour of Judge John Wilson, of London, if that would restore peace and harmony, which offer was not accepted. If true this would place Mr. Hincks' conduct in a better light But I never heard this story confirmed, nor do I remember its currency at the time when all classes were stirred by the formation of the memorable Coalition, and when Reform condemnation of their late leader swelled into a chorus as the far-reaching consequences of his action became more clearly discernible. A very few weeks of the session sufficed to show that the Coalition Ministry had been formed on a solid, and what was likely to be a lasting, basis. Its 76 UNEXPECTED TURN OF POLITICAL CRISIS comer-stone was Lower Canada, and for many years that province was destined to be paramount in shaping Canadian policy and legislation. Several of the new Administration, too, were able men, conspicuous among whom was the Attorney- General West, Mr. Macdonald, and they applied themselves with much energy and assiduity to carry out the policy they inherited from the Hincks Gov- ernment, and which policy they were pledged to crystallize into legislation. Sir Allan McNab manfully announced to Parlia- ment that his party would no longer oppose, but would submit the measures promised in the vice-regal speech to settle the Reserves, Rectories, Seignorial Tenure and Elective Legislative Council questions, which had been repeatedly declared to be the will of the country. These promises were in the main faithfully kept, and the measures were submitted and carried through Parliament as rapidly as could reasonably be expected. The Clergy Reserves Bill contained monetary concessions to the State Church party in possession of these lands not acceptable to many of the people of Upper Canada, but the measures of the Government proved successful in settling and removing all these vexed questions from the politi- cal arena, forever establishing in Canada religious and political equality, and carrying the ship of State safely through this remarkable crisis into smoother and safer waters. Before the following session closed, Mr. Hincks who had long played the leading rdU in Parliament,' 77 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA resigned his seat for Renfrew. Soon afterwards he was appointed by the Government of Great Britain first as Governor-in-Chief of Barbadoes and the Windward Islands, then of British Guiana, and was honoured by being made a Companion of tne Order of die Bath (1862), and a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St Geoi^ in 1869. 1 1 78 CHAPTER VIII. MACDONALD AND BROWN AS RIVAL LEADERS The decade extending from the formation of the first Coalition Government (1854) to the dawn of Con- federation (1864) was one of continuous pohtical agi- tation. It quickly developed into a struggle between Upper and Lower Canada, in which British and French and Protestant and Catholic ideals clashed, and as it advanced and intensified, any stable Gov- ernment became almost impossible, and the opinion rapidly grew that either the legislative union between the two provinces would have to be dissolved or some other remedy found and applied. Notwithstanding the unsettled state of politics however, the country continued to gradually develop and advance, and not a few interesting circumstances occurred which it would be inexcusable to overlook. Among these was the departure of Lord Elgin His governorship had been marked by many impor- tant and exciting events. His firm establishment of Responsible Government, the attacks made upon him by the Montreal Tories, their burning of the Parliament Buildmgs,* and subse quent hoisting of the Annexation •••At the time of the agitaUon ih the Province of Quebec, and specially in the dty of MontreU, in con«qu«nce of the puMge rf Ae 79 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA flag, his triumphal tour throughout Upper Canada, and his successful negotiation of the Reciprocity Treaty with the United States— all these circumstances had contributed to make him universally known though not universally popular ; in fact, till near the close of his mission, it might almost be said the Reformers loved him like an angel, and the Tories hated him like a devil ! His Upper Canada tour, however, proved how much admired and popular he was with the great body of the people. I recollect quite distinctly Lord Elgin's visit to Gait at that time. It was in 1849. He was conducted from Paris to the Swan Inn, the half-way house, by the citizens of the former place and vicinity, and there two large processions wi- h banners flying, one from East and the other from '.Vest Dumfries, met and conducted him into Gait. The village was pro- fusely decorated with arches and evergreens, and had appended to the principal bridge over the Grand River a skilfully executed representation of a spider and its web, recalling the famous incident in the career of his ancestor, King Robert Bruce of Scotland. Rebellion Losses Bill, when Lord Elgin, the Governor- General, was threatened with violence and much abuse, in consequence of having sanctioned the bill, the Reformers of Ontario approved of the legisla- tion and of the course pursued by Lord Elgin, and a deputation was sent on behalf of the Reformers of Upper Canada to assure him of our sanction and support of the course which he had pursued. That deputation was composed of the Hon. George Brown, the late Col. C. J. Baldwin, and myself. When we presented our address to Lord Elgin ke wuso much affected hy it that ht actutdly shed tears. He was evidently much gratified."— Z«//*rtf/ Sir William P. Howland to Toronto GMn, igoi, 80 ; MACDONALD AND BROWN, RIVAL LEADERS Lord Elgin was not tall, but strongly and well built, with a broad, intellectual face, large beaming eyes expressive of the orator, and wonderful grace and suavity of manner. His face was brightened by broad smiles as he drove through the streets in a car- riage drawn by four beautiful grey horses, and his eloquence and affability captivated all hearts long before his entertainment in Gait concluded. He was afterwards escorted to the Wellington county line, where he was conducted to similar honours by the people of Guelph and vicinity. Lord and Lady Elgin's career in Canada closed with brilliant festivities given by them at Spencer- wood, Quebec, and the day after the close of the first session of the McNab-Morin Coalition, the i8th De- cember, 1854, His Excellency resigned his charge as Governor-General into the hands of Sir Edmund Head, a nephew of Sir Francis Bond Head of rebellion fame, and a gentleman of undoubted attainments, but cast in a very different mould from his courtK pre- decessor. Three days later the people of Quebec regretfull>- crowded its narrow, rugged streets, as Lord Elgin and suite, himself with bared head, walked to the shores of the St. Lawrence, on whose mighty bosom he bid adieu to Canada forever. His popularity was evi- dently undiminished in the ancient capital, but recent political events had produced some curious changes on the point in Upper Canada-the Tory party hav- ing at last discovered his virtues, whilst, alas for con- sistency, not a few Reformers had soured a little on 6 81 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA fteir former idol. Fortunately, this latter feelinK was only ten,pc,rary, and all classes of Canadians hlw long agreed that Lord Elgin was not only one of tte mostcharmmg governor. Canada ever had, but that h,sadm.„«tra.ion „f public affairs was co,^s,^ uous :^zr:^:^. ''" ^-^ "-■^■^ - «^4 and The last session of Parliament to be held in the c.ty of Quebec before the removal of the s^at of Go^mment to Toronto-it having been d^id^f after the burning of the Parliament Buildines to alternate the capital between these two ciUes «e^ four years-was open^ by the new Govemor.&neraT S,r Edmund Head, on the .3rd February ,855 Dunng the recess Mr. Morin had retired to the B^nch and Mr. George E. Cartier had become the W ^w:ti Th';"" ""= *'°™™'"'"' continuJ^:;: powerful. The session was noticeable mainly in accentuating the dilKculties and bitterness e"stin" between Upper and Lower Canada, the end of wh ch -J^began to fear but none could see their ^ to the^Hon""!! '"]"»*' f'"'"'""" '" Parliament were the Hon. John A. Macdonald and Mr. George Brown They were surrounded by not a few able men, but ^rnT^' If ^ K "'«'8="*l™"' were then in the ^r K . *• "".* •»''""««a,y orators of a high order but m method and manner essentially differed Mn Macdonald was alert and skilful, qufck ,0 s^' and take advantage of any weak point in hU adveT 8a I' I MACDONALD AND BROWN. RIVAL LEADERS Miy's armour, and ever ready with a Uh. Mlly. Mr. Brown was ea™.:. * ' " "'"y sive. with a force^f ^^ra„r ™ """ '"■P"'" to withstand. '^''^'"B and invective difficult *» ^ghts,^xi: ^^htTh^ :zt^""- known. He boldly demand^ B "^ ^ ^"^^ Population. thesetLSofth J"*'*".**"™ ''y question «mained far tnset^'^^'r'r-"''"* opposed the SerarJ. = """^^d-and fearlessly grants to ^clesiastical c'orpo^tn" ^°™"'""" cro^ednimt „Xh«; a"'';i^ .°^ '^'T"'^ "- of that day often fnformi. '"«'• ""^ "■*""*« nothing couWexl^rr "" '" ^^'^ y^'^ *« which Mr. Cwn ^^'""T f^ "''^"™« «"* ing justice fo?Up«r? "L""^ ' t'*"'' "«"" "'*«>»<'■ majority on theX o^fte aaX"^ "/ * """"'^ hostile auditors in the »^ll2r^' """ '"" "■""* indeed, did public fJinl *^ *'*""• ^o high, fears ^ere entertailS ?f,r °" '""" ""^'o"^. *« friends occasS !tst ' a'T"?*' ^'''''- """ "« dehates-lasting „};jn" r^^n?^^r -^ accompanying him to his lodgiL" ftroT^ « 7^" wndmg struts of the ancien? cfniul H ' ''"''• spnally fearless, and to the crX „f n T" P"" Canadian public life th™,Lh .k ' ^^*^ ""i cussed could not M . "^'' *" "r"™' "ten dis- «>feious rancour, 't I^^Z iT'' """' -« offisred to him. "^ "°'™« "as ever »i PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA The commercial relations of Canada and the United States were completely revolutionized by the Elgin- Marcy Reciprocity Treaty. This enlightened measure was brought into operation on the isth March, 1855, by the issuance of joint proclamations by President Pierce of the United States and Gov- ernor Head of Canada. Its term was for ten years, but thereafter either of the signatories could terminate it on giving twelve months' notice. Great interest was manifested on both sides of the international boundary, especially along the Niagara and Detroit frontiers, during the first weeks the treaty was in operation. Its beneficent character was immediately established. The trade between the two countries increased considerably over 50 per cent, before the year of its inauguration ended — during a period, in fact, of only nine and a half months. The statistics prove, as we shall see later on, that before its close it had more than quadrupled our international trade, and aggr^ated the magnificent volume of $673,000,000 as the result of eleven years of (com- paratively) free commercial intercourse between the two countries. A measure producing such remarkable commercial results was evidently bom of the most enlightened statesmanship, and immensely benefited both the United States and Canada. Time proved, however, that its commercial blessings counted for little when national ambition and jealousy came into play. What a fearless, incorruptible, time-scart«d political veteran William Lyon Mackenzie was ! I never met 84 « ! MACDONALD .K'D BROWN. RIVAL LEADERS him till hi. closing .ears. During .he fall of ,855 mTJ7" T"'^ *"'" °f "ee, his restless amb Hon ^.h.T 1"' ""'^ °f P""'""^ "'«""g'' to agitate wl^Sr rr'"" be-een^ppef a^'J nounced a meeting for Gait on the afternoon of the loth September. This locality had btv n among his strong- holds prior to the Rebel- lion of 1837, and not a few copies of that news- paper curiosity, MacJi^mjste's Weekly Message, continued to be taken by some of his early sympathizers. Mr. Mackenzie's first visit to Gait had been as "''"'*" "'^'^ Mackenzie early as 1833, on which occasion ui. t tried to break up his m^HnrK '^."^^""^"'^ He spoke from the soXnd ""' T '''I"^ '^'"•^^• hotel the then li'de b^ckw^s n"" °' '^' °"'^ and about the middle oftir^ "^^^ P^'^^^' with a blackeneS^ fai .V r P''°^^'"&« ^ Person appeared on'Thfsttt "rrW^^^^^^^^ ^"^^^'^ effigy, which was inZ:7'tZ:re^T:^''-'r' and contained a small oarr^i ^P*^^^ '^^ °''^'°^' figure was well go tl up "S IT'^^'"''- ^^^ were fitted up with a go"^ i^^^^^^ were ..c^nized as belon^ngTa eldin^'l"'"' who wore a style and n,ty. 'wading Galtonian ^'^ *""* ossible. To be njalized it must have been seen. What with banners, paintings, mottoes, fountains, crowns and other devices made bv "!*J".?,.°^8JfJyht, the ball-room presented a scene so bnlliant that common mortals almost fancied thev had been suddenly transported to some enchanted 1 MACDONALD AND BROWN, RIVAL LEADERS palace by the magic wand of some modern magician. About nine o'clock the immense room began to fill, and ere ten o'clock most of the guests had arrived. About this time it was estimated that there were about five thousand people present Music was sup- plied by the Rochester Band and the Band of the Royal Canadian Rifles, to whose thrilling strains many tripped it on ' the light fantastic toe ' until day- light, when the gas was turned off and the brilliant scene closed forever." »« CHAPTER IX SNAPSHOTS or POLITICAL CELEBRITIES s.orC«„ t":!"^"" "l."'"'^- "■>" *« ten. ■"•d Lo^r Ca^ nTh"" ^''^ ■»* '" ^PPer theParliamenfrJg/d 'PP^'Wnfi ««fon of The Houses met on the icfh j?^u customao^ military display and r l!?'*7 ^''^ ***« looked from the r^Do2 !^' u ' ^^^ ^"' "*'"« ' bled wisdom'-^Srjth'L"':^" ^!^^ "^'"- are vividly recalled Th. . "' impressions •nd cpacfty of C«,adia„ lXto« ^hT'liJ'l"" iMmentBuildines still .»i..-i "" °^ ^"■ «em«i an i*Sg!l«« "f *'"'VT'"»'«'' the inside of fte Chtmi!^ *c»e early days, and pleasing. '^''•""*' *" ^ """ctive and spm^^^..rht, isr"" ""*^« °f «'• appean^nce. dignity and inhJcJltCcL^r pressed me more favourably A« L . f ^"• himself to his full Zi2^ a ?* ''°'*''>' ""^"^ full height, and quietly but firmly 8 u SNAPSHOTS OF POLITICAL CELEBRITIES said " 0-r-d-a-r-e," you might have heard a pin drop, so well had this cultivated French gentleman the Assembly in hand. Sergeant-at-arms Donald W. Macdonnell, a strikingly handsome man, with his sword and cocked hat, who held the office for over thirty-seven years, and the Clerk of the House, Mr. William Bums Lindsay, in his official gown, were also conspicuous figures on the floor of the Chamber, as they would have been in any deliberative body. The greatest interest naturally centred in the leading members of the Government and Opposition, the number of distinguished men in so comparatively small a legislative body being highly creditable to Canada and its electorate. Probably at no time had the Reform party more able leaders compared to its numbers than in this parlia- ment At the principal desk sat George Brown and A. A. Dorion, the former stalwart, the latter small in body but large in mentality, courage, firmness and courtesy. At an adjoining desk were Luther H. Holton and Alexander T. Gait, both large and strik- ing men. Then there were John Sandfield Mac- donald, who afterwards became the first Premier of Ontario under Confederation; the Hon. Dr. John Rolph, who had been a member of the Hincks Minis- try; and John Young, widely and favourably known as the special representative of Montreal and Canada's commercial interests. This gentleman dashed up the stone steps leading into the Pariiament Buildings as I was also about to enter, and as he hurried past I thought I never had seen a larger or grander-looking 93 PUBLIC MEK AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Stif^MS-^n^'""'""' "^ "=« "■'o David Han,n on Merttt an'Z:"'/"*?!' ""^"■*"' W">- Papia ^'''- '"<•■'"' •»" "»' '^t. J<«eph The latter gentleman was a ull well h,„I, . j promising young French Canadian He wtco„^'' eous as we 1 as eloauenf tu • courag- Quebeche h«^ o , °?f "^- T^e previous session at Vueoec lie had astonished everyone hv K«i^i sp^.X'^^XrLiorrf^f Dcned to be on the first afternoon I wks present ?. House af tim-c . ^'^^"ment and humour, the bright spirits, he dMyl^^-l^:^„'"Tl°"''*^'' firmament an/S^t^;^,--- *= ■»«"-' knteh,!,m T"""^"' ''''= "" ""f »nd jolly old kn,ght of D„ndum.Sir Allan McNab,wasabsin.ff™m 94 SNAPSHOTS OF POLITICAL CELEBRITIES Of the House was m the hands of Attorney-General jokingly described himself as a " rum 'un to look at but D«rael, g,v,„g h,m an undoubted resemblance to *wi„Te';i' Bri«f ««esman, whon, I ,(t.r.lX saw in the House of Commons spirit''in"th!''nt ""^ '""^P'^o-'^'y the leading spmt m the Coal.tion Government, and a very little observation sufficed to show what a clever IctM and w,ly parliamentarian he already was. Tfe Hon Turof '^'^ "" P-l^Wy the handsomest of Ae group of m.n,sters ; Solicitor-General Smith with w! ™b,cund countenance and tangled head-gearttemo jolb-lookmg, and Robert Spence the most studToJs Tj'r-n^"'"; ?"■■»■"-«. Cauchon andclfe fo™ *\P"!"='f' Lower Canada ministers. The fonner with h.s clean-shaven face looked youthful and accomplished, and was quite oratorical, at times even ^lightly dramatic, in the deliveiy of his s,«^T^ He toueagues. Both the latter were clever exceerlin^i. eneigetic, and ambitious, but nature had den^S Mr. Drummond's pleasing appearance and ma™" In appearance they were short, swarthy and ~ fevourahlv "■ '\P»«'''"'»--. ''M no, at iirst Tht favourably impress the observer. His hair was fu, 95 PUBLIC MEN ANP PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA short and stood erect above his forehead, his voice was rasping, and his blunter opponents declared that his restless, jerky manner reminded one of a snappish terrier dog; nevertheless, he was quite pleasant and even jolly in social intercourse, possessed latent ability of a sterling order, and rapidly rose to the Lower Canada leadership of his party. This in- fluential position he held till his death, after Confeder- ation, practically dictating the policy of the Coalition and of Canada whenever he saw fit to assert the power of the Quebec majority behind him. Among other notable men were the Hon. John Ross, long known as the close friend of Mr. Hincks ; Ogle R. Gowan. the Orange Grand Master; and John Hillyard Cameron, probably then the most eminent practising lawyer in Canada. The Ministerialists, like the Opposition, were a fine body of men, and the Parliament as a whole was highly creditable to a young country like Canada, which had been in the enjoyment of Responsible Government only for a few years. This session proved a memorable one. The Gov- ernment was embarrassed by the illness of Sir Allan McNab, its leader, and most of his colleagues, one ex- ception being Mr. Cayley, desired his resignation. But the sturdy old knight would not resign. Like Napoleon's old guard at Waterloo, he might die but would never surrender. Meanwhile signs of trouble appeared. The rivalry between John A. Macdonald and George Brown had been steadily growing for some time, and under the 96 SNAPSHOTS OF tOUTICAL CELEBRITIES sting of one of the powerful attacks of the Reform leader, the former retorted by making his famous charges agamst Mr. Brown in connection with the Kingston Penitentiary Commission, of which the latter had been a member and secretary. They con- stituted if true, a deadly blow at Mr. Brown's per- sonal character and popularity, for Mr. Macdon7ld in a reckless mood declared that, in order to find grounds on which to dismiss the father of Solicitor- ^h^ri rT'^J" superintendent of the penitentiar ■. he had falsified evidence, that he had suborned pe'r- iH'TlT !"'^'i^^* ^^ ^^^ P^^^°"^d <^°nvicts. and that he had pardoned murderers that they might give evidence against the old man." Mr. Brown indignantly denied these terrible charges as without any foundation whatever, and immediately demanded a special committee of investigation, which was granted after some delay. Without going into all the particulars, the special conimittee. who were mostly opponents, had to com- plete y vindicate Mr. Brown, as he fortunately was able to produce a copy of the evidence and findings of the Penitentiary Commission, the only copy of which was supposed to have been burned with the Pariiament Buildings in 1849. and these proved the baselessness of the charges made. The Reform leader came out of this inquiry without a stain, and although during the bitter three days' debate which took place on the committee's report. Mr. Macdonald's friends contended that he was justified in making the chames from the evidence within his reach, public opinion ' 97 [i ' PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA was almost unanimous that these reckless charges exceeded the bounds even of partisan warfare, and should never have been made. Two other circumstances occurred which helped to increase the prevailing excitement The first was the defeat of the Government on a motion of John Hill- yard Cameron, an independent Conservative, who moved for a copy of the charge made by Judge Duval at the St Sylvester murder trial, held a short time before in Lower Canada, where a Protestant named Corrigan was killed' by a Roman Catholic mob in open daylight, and the ringleaders acquitted. The Government resisted this motion, and was defeated by a vote of 48 to 44, The second was a motion, carried mainly by Lower Canada votes, that the city of Quebec should be the permanent seat of Government This resolution aroused a wild commotion, and the press throughout Upper Canada teemed with demands for the repeal of this motion or a dissolution of the Union. The spirit aroused is well exemplified by the concluding sentence of an article in my own newspaper at the time, which was as follows : " Let ministers learn, and the fact be impressed on the Lower Canadians, that if they proceed further and carry their end, they will arouse a storm throughout Upper Canada which will only be silenced by a dis- solution of the Unions Por once, at least, the Legislative Council, our second chamber, proved a blessing, for it refused to pass the Supply Bill until the dangerous motion in Quebec's favour was withdrawn ; but both these un- 98 SNAPSHOTS OF POLITICAL CELEBRITIES fortunate circumstances gave colour to the charge of Lower Canada domination, strengthened the demand m Upper Canada for representation by population and added fuel to the burning issues now disturbing the two provinces. While these events were transpiring, gout still held Sir Allan McNab in thrall, but dismount from the premiership he would not. He had thus far baffled several "well-laid schemes " of his colleagues to effect his resignation, but his Waterloo came at last. Taking advantage on June 20th of the Government being left in an Upper Canada minority of six on a motion of want of confidence, although sustained by a majority of the whole House of 23, all the colleagues of Sir Allan resigned the next day. leaving he gal- lant old veteran "like the last rose of summer" blooming alone ! The Premier was powerless, there- fore, to do aught but resign also. This was quickly followed by the Governor-General. Sir Edmund Head entrusting Receiver-General Tach^ with the formation of a new Administration. The latter immediately called Attorney-General Macdonald to his aid. and before the circumstances were generally known throughout the remoter parts of the country, all the former members of the Cabinet had been reinstalled m office, except the late Premier and the Hon Mr Drummond, who declined longer to act with his late colleagues. The crisis was then seen to have been a dexterous rust to displace Sir Allan McNab, in whirh the com- plaisant attitude of Her Majesty's representative did 99 i ;1 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA not escape observation, and friend and foe alike traced throughout the proceedings the skilful hand of Mr. Macdonald, henceforth to be openly acknowledged, as he long had been privately known to be, the real leader of his party and actual though not nominal Premier of the country. Whilst these ministerial changes were in progress Parliament was the theatre of a quite unusual scene. The Houses had adjourned till Friday, and when they met on that day the usual excitement of a crisis was increased by the appearance of the deposed Premier, Sir Allan McNab, well buttressed with cushions, in a large invalid's chair, which was wheeled into the Legislative Chamber by the attendants. The old gen- tleman was still quite ill, but with remarkable pluck had arisen from his sick couch, and, evidently in no amiable mood, awaited an opportunity to express his indignation at the turn which affairs had Uken. When Mr. Speaker Sicotte had taken the chair. Sir Allan asked to be allowed to speak sitting. This request having been granted, he briefly reviewed the crisis, contending that with a majority of twenty- three the Government had no just ground for resigna- tion. It was probably fortunate that nearly all his late colleagues were absent, as he assailed them with much bitterness for the course they had chosen to pursue. Solicitor-General Smith, who was a ..ost the only mini^fr present, promptly moved an adjourn- ment till Monday, doubtless hoping to prevent further discussion. But this did not suit the Opposition, who prolonged the scene for over two hours, during which 100 SNAPSHOTS OF POLITICAL CELEBRITIES «Ucks on the minister, and sympathy for the late Premier were profusely intermingled. P-I^fnVl "'""' ^'"'^'"■»" °f 'he old school, and S^TaL mT; ' '"""^ °' '"*"8* 'oW^ party, ^r Allan McNab was at least patriotic. He was a^Z '"'':,.'»*"« cireumstance, stfongly fi^a^ h^^""*"*? °f '"""""■ent and the cojn try, and helped to make this one of the most touch mg scenes in our parliamentary history. the Sh?M"°J"",r' °" '""""'"y *<= -ne-nbers of U^- *°'°"'''' Government were in their w,tt, the wo exceptions already mentioned. T^ new ministers taken in to fill the vacancies were Mr noT h, 1 ^?""^- Attomey-General Macdonald exlnatii^ ."l''"' """"^ "»«« *« "•infateri. wlnt of Z J " "^ P"""P">' ">« by a vote of want of confidence, moved by Mr. A. A. Dorion and r:rfo^trtrkrtr"r«* ■' Op^ition having nr ^^^0 "sir'^^- def«t „f""th/'- ''™"""°"'' •"« "« '■"••"d^Se aeieat of the reconstructed coalition was e»™L.,-! sustained b/a^i.^^^^^^^^ -^ '^^e^ -re It was a narrow escape, and althouifh left in «n Upper Canadian minority of fift«. . double the number "hev had ^^^"-'"^''^ ^^a" umoer tftey had resigned upon the lOI PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC UFE IN CANADA previous week — they seem never to have thought of resigning again. On the contrary, they utilized their slender majority so well that it sufficed to carry them through the remainder of the session, at the close of which the heated political combatants found themselves almost equal in numbers, and much uncertainty prevailed not only in ird to the stability of the administration but of the union of the two provinces. Taken as a whole, this session (1856) was one of the longest, stormiest and most singular held since the Union. It lasted nearly five months ; it embraced several defeats and more than one political crisis, and it is not too much to say that from George Brown, John A. Macdonald, A. A. Dorion, John Sandfield Macdonald, L. H. Holton, Hon. L. T. Drummond, A, T. Gait, M. H. Foley, Robert Spence and other members were heard a succession of very able and eloquent speeches — speeches excelled in few legislative halls — though possibly more denuncia- tory and bitter than we are accustomed to in these less turbulent days. The sessio'.i kept up its stormy character till the end, the L^islative Council, as already stated, having in its closing hours thrown out the Supply Bill rather than approve of Quebec being chosen as the per- manent seat of Government — an act of independence as serviceable to Canada as it was unexpected. lOfl •^l/^ CHAPTER X CONFLICT OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA The holidays of 1857 were scarcely over before the political battle was renewed. This took the form of a provincial convention of the Reform party It met in Temperance Hall, Temperance Street. To- ronto, on the 8th January. It was called by a cir- cular ^gned by Reform members of Parliament and journalists. The names of the M.P.'s appended to .t were as follows : J. C. Aikins. David Christie. S. « ii ,^ ' -1°^" ^^'P'^' J- ^""'°'' George Brown BUla Flmt. Robt Ferrie. M. H. Foley. JoJph Goulo H. Munro. Wm. l»atrick, J. Scatcherd and A Wright Among numerous journalists who also signed the circular were J. Gordon Brown. William McDougall, Joseph Blackburn and Erastus Jackson. The object of the convention was to make ore- parations for the general elections, which were thought to be imminent on account of the weakness Hon A^ ^S ^^"^ '"'^^'^^ ^'^ ^»"«J to order the Messrs. f? ^"^T "''^ "'"*=**^ ^»'«'""*"' »"<» Messrs. J. Gordon Brown and William McDougall 103 I I PUBLIC MEN ANi) PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA joint secretaries. There were over two hundred dele- gates present from all parts of Upper Canada. The names of the movers and seconders, and the resolutions finally adopted by the convention as the platform of the Reform party, were as follows : (i) For Representation by Population— John White and the Hon. John McMurrich ; (2) Legislation, when- ever practicable, to be for both Upper and Lower Canada— W. Allan and M. Gillespie ; (3) Against Sectarian Legislation— George Barron and Archd. McKellar ; (4) For Improved Schools— T. McConkey and W. Tyrrell ; (5) Free Trade and Strict Economy —Joseph Blackburn and Wm. Osborne ; (6) Against Expenditure without Pariiamentary Sanction— A. McKinnon and K. McLean ; (7) For Registration of Voters— William Notman and Oliver Blake; (8) Acquisition of Hudson Bay Territory— Billa Flint and P. McCuUum; (9) For Formation of Reform Alliance— A. Farewell and H. Moyle ; (10) Details of Amalgamation— J. W. Rose and C. Draper; and (1 1) J. Climie and S. Alcorn; (12) Thai an Address to the Electors be issued— A. Hamilton and R. H. Brett This was a creditable platform. "P-p. by Pop." as it was commonly called, and Non-Sec«:arian Edu- cation and Non-Sectarian Legislation were the burn- ing issues around which the battle between Upper and Lower Canada chiefly raged. The Free Trade and Protection struggle had not then commenced, all parties still favouring taxation for revenue only, but the plank in favour of the incorpr ion of the Hud- son Bay Territories was a deci. -u step in advance. ««4 SIR (iKOKlJK EIII.NNK CAKTIKR. HON. WIIIIAM CAVI.KY. SIR KTIKNSK I'. TA( Hi:. IIUN. ROHIKI SI'KN( K. HON. Jo WCIMI KIIOI! ARK CACCIION. I'kOMIMAT Mi;\ IN T.MIIK-M.UDONAM) MINISTKV. CONFLICT OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA This was due, as indeed much of the whole platform was, to the political foresight of Mr. George Brown, who early pointed out the absurdity of one-third of the whole continent being kept a mere hunting- ground for the benefit of a private company, as well as the immense benefit it would be to Canada and the world if opened up for settlement A political convention embracing all Upper Canada was then a novelty, and I well recollect the sarcastic and humorous references of the Conservative press to it as the "Dark-Lantern Convention" and the "Tem- perance Street Conspiracy." This was, however, only political chaff, and the political platform adopted by the conventionists, although likely to consign the Reform party to the cold shades of Opposition for many years, was well adapted to promote the welfare and good government of Canada, and most of its planks have been placed on our statute books with almost universal acceptance. To the surprise of many, when the new Tach^- Macdonald Government met Parliament six weeks later (the 26th February), though weak at its birth it had grown and strengthened wonderfully. The majority of four had increased to twenty, and although the struggle between the two sections of the Province was still gathering force, it was evident that che Coalition was more secure in the saddle and carried its measures through the session with a firmer hand. The principal of these were the appointment of Chief Justice Draper as Commissioner to Great Britain on the Hudson Bay question, and the appro- 105 f' I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA priation of ;f22S.ooo for buildings at a permanent seat of Government, the choice of which was to be left to Her Majesty the Queen. sviL'm'^fT^^"^ T ^^'^ '^^' '^^ perambulating system of havmg Toronto and Quebec four years alternately as the seat of Government oujrht to cease but Mont,.al. Toronto. Quebec, Kingston and o""' aties an wanted to be the capital, and it was found impo^ible to secure a majority in Parliament for any one of them The Ministry, therefore, sought to find a way out of the difficulty under cover of a choice by Her Majesty, which, after some vicissitudes, which will be narrated later, ultimately proved successful. Th,s session was signalized by the resignation of the Hon. Joseph Cauchon from the Government, but in other respects it was the least exciting for several years. ** " One of the darkest chapters in the world's his- tory was the general verdict on this year as it drew witnessed such a series of terrible misfortunes and disasters. I have already alluded to the wave of prosperity which swept over the world, including Canada, dunng the earlier years of the decade During the fall of 1857, however. thi„ prosperity was not only suddenly arrested, but there followed the worst commercial and financial panic which the world has ever experienced. Great Britain and all other commercial nations suffered severely, and the 25th of October was called in New York City "Black l-nday. m consequence of the fearful crash and ruin 106 CONFLICT OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA among the commercial and financial houses and the dark and despairing despondency which ensued. Among the calamities which occurred may be men- tioned the terrible massacres at Delhi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Cawnpore and other places, on the break- ing out of the Indian Mutiny, and two fearful disasters which took place in Canada. The first of these was the railway tragedy at the Desjardins Canal, near Hamilton. It occurred on the 12th March, when the evening train from Toronto to Hamilton, engine, tender, baggage car and two passenger coaches, ran off the rails and crashed through the swing bridge over the canal into the abyss below ! Out of ninety passengers not over thirty escaped being killed or drowned— bankers, merchants, clergymen, labourers rich and poor, young and old, the grey-haired sire and the prattling child-huried into eternity without a moment's warning. My duty as reporter took me to the scene of the calamity early next morning, and the sight of the long row of mangled dead laid out in the freight sheds at Hamilton, was painful and sad in the extreme. The other disaster was still more apoalling Between four and five hundred Scotch and Nor- wegian emigrants arrived in Quebec on the 25th June, by the steamship John Mackenzie, from Glas- gow. Full of joy and hope that their sea voyage was over and the land of promise reached, they embarked next day on the steamer Montreal for their journey up the St. Lawrence. They left at four o'clock in the afternoon, but had only 107 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA got to Cape Rouge, twelve miles up the river, when flames were discovered bursting out above the boiler deck. Despite all the efforts of the captam and crew, the Montreal wsis soon a mass of flames, and although another steamer, the Napoleon was close at hand, sad to relate, no less than two hundred of the unfortunate emigrants were either drowned or burned to death. This disastrous year closed amidst the excitement of a general election. Early in November it was decided to reconstruct the Lower Canada section of the Admmistration and appeal to the country. With this object in view. Premier Tach^ and most of his French Canadian colleagues resigned, and the Hon. John A. Macdonald became Premier of Canada for the first time, and Mr. George E. Cartier the Lower Canada leader. The writs for the elections were dated the 28th November, and were returnable on or before the 13th January, the elections being still held at varying dates and for two days. The ''hard times" some- what depressed this political struggle, but it was still quite hot enough in both provinces, the tide running very strongly in favour of Mr. Brown and the Liberal party in the West, and for Mr. Cartier and the Administration in the East. The Reform party was strong in Upper Canada at this time. Three ridings, Lambton, North Oxford and the city of Toronto, pressed the Reform leader to accept nominations, and he did so for the latter two, being elected for both. He elected to sit for CONFLICT OF UPPER AND LOWER CANADA Toronto, which ultimatdy proved a mistake, as metro- ^nT.u''''T''^'-l" "^ ^P' *° ^° ^°^ P^'-ty leaders, tiv?? S^ J "'^^' ^'' M^^^donald. the Conserva- tive leader, nad a very difficult task on this occasion This arose from the loud outcry throughout the fact that he held office solely by the votes of the representatives of that Province, the price of which h.s opponents did not hesitate to declare, was his opposition to Representation by Population and the other reforms so strenuously advocated by his own Province. • "n He met these charges with his usual adroitness strongly maintaining that the Reform policy would disrupt the Union, and that the course of himself and his friends was necessary to its preservation Upon the foregoing political issues, the measures proposed by the recent Reform convention, and the usual charges and recriminations between the /»s and Outs, the battle raged with more or less bitter- ness from Sandwich on the west to Gasp^ on the At its close the two provinces remained as antaco- nistic as before Lower Canada strongly sustained he Government ; Upper Canada defeated them by 32 to ,8 whilst nearly one-half of the eighteen only secured their return by declaring themselves in favour of Representation by Population and against Sec- tanan schools. Among the elected Reformers three notable and honoured .ames appeared for the first tim«: Mr. 109 I ( 1i PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA D'Arcy McGee, who met such a tragic death in 1868, Mr. William Macdougall, and Mr. Oliver Mowat, who was destined to play such a distinguished part in the politics of the future. Among the leading Minis- terialists defeated were Solicitor-General Cayley, Postmaster-General Spence, and Receiver-General Morrison. So strong did the tide of public feeling run in Upper Canada that the Government found it impos- sible to find seats for any of these gentlemen, and finally filled up the Cabinet by taking in Mr. Sydney Smith, of Cobourg, and the Hon. John Ross, of Mont- real, and continuing Mr Cayley without a seat in the House. no CHAPTER XI. THE FAMOUS BROWN-DORION CRISIS. the^l'I?^'*'' ^""'"^ combatants had time to cool, t^e Uth F.r °^"!^ ^^ ^''' ^'"^""^ "«-d -n thetwnn "^-u^^^- "^^^ ^°"«'<=' between Macdonald and Cartier on the one side and Brown and ttr " ''' "*!^"' '^' "°" ^°-- '"tense" fn len' thT°". °"'^ '"'^^^^ ^" '^^ predecessors in length bo.sterousness and bitterness, but stands almost without a parallel for the politickl strugg^s crises and scenes which characterized it It would carry us too far afield to enter into details of the numerous exciting struggles between the two part.es dunng this tempestuous session, but somlTf quLuo^r^"^'^^ °"" °^^"^^^ °- ''^ ^°"o-^ f Ik T*'^ ""^"ccessful efforts of the Opposition to Lvon'p „'"'"' '"^^"' *'^ ^'^^«°- ^^^-O. B AHevn n r/' T'"^'' ^°^ ^"^^^"' ^"d °f Messrs. Alleyn. Dubord and Simard for the city of Quebec the former of whom had notoriously been elS bv' 300 names copied into the poll boolfs from oW dtc^ ones of Rome. Albany and Troy in New York S and the latter by thousands o^ bo^uT n'l^mes'^^^^^^^ III PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA entered as voters in the poll books, among whom were Lord Palmerston, Napoleon Buonaparte, Geoi^e Washington, Duke of Wellington, Judas Iscariot, Julius Ccesar and nearly all ancient and modem celebrities ; (2) a Montreal Nunnery Bill carried by the narrow vote of 53 to 49, and of whose opponents 46 out of the 49 were Upper Canadians ; (3) a de- termined effort of the Opposition to prevent Thurs- day being taken for Govemjnent business, during which neither party would yield until the House had b" en in continuous session for thirty-six hours ; (4) the debate on Inspector-General Cayley's Budget, dur- ing which there were several lively passages between him and Mr. Brown, and which ended in some of the Government proposals being defeated by 50 to 48 ; and (5) another prolonged resistance of the Opposi- tion to what they declared to be an attempt on the part of the Government to force through their estim- ates so hurriedly as to prevent discussion, during which the House was in continuous session, and often a sort of political pandemonium, from Thursday at three o'clock until the following Saturday morning at 9 a.m., a period of no less than forty-two hours.* •The cMCt length of the Kssion of 1858 was 173 dtyt, m it began on February asth and closed August 1 6th. It was not only the most prolonged of any session during the old Parliameat of Canada, but lias so far not been surpassed by any since Confederation, although, curi- ously enough, the longest Dominion session (1885) was also exactly 173 days— meeting on January JQth and being prorogued on thv loth July. The longest continuous sitting of Parliament ever kn.rfn In Canada was in 1896 on the Manitoba Remedial Bill, which lasted fror. three o'clock on Monday the 6th April till Saturday the iltb at 11.55 p.m., a period of laS hoart and 55 minutes I III THE FA lOUS BRCWN.DORION CRISIS hS,''tf^- t^™'""S« '""ggles not only the bes^but debating taieut of every description, was called mto requisition. Besides the leader the chief cortibatants on the Reform side were Messrs. Sandfield Macdonald Mowat, Connor, McGee, Foley, Cauchon Notnjan, Mackenzie, Macdougall and McKellar ; and on the Conservative side, Messrs. Rose, Sicotte »^'^i *"'•?''' ^""*' ^""Ser, Benjamin, She^ wood. Pope. Turcotte and Robinson, tie delates of JL^^TT! f**" "*"" "^^ "™P»-«' »"■"> 'he streams of oratory, not infrequently spiced with per- sonalmes which then re«,unded through our I«^I. lafve halls much of which was exceedingly able,Td would doubtl^s have been less acrimonious but for ^ea^ravated struggle in which Upper and Lower Canada were then engaged. In public life in Canada, as in Britain, political op- ponents are often personal friends, but bitter feelings l^J ^rr "•"" •""'•«' " 'his sessf™ ad" When Mr. W. F. Powell, of Carleton. egged on by other, equally bitter but more crafty thfn himself m«le h,s savage personal attack on the leader of The In a M.„H ^'"*^:^*' *«»«h misplaced confidence b^n one rT "i"""' ""'''«™">' «''"""«' •" have q^n™ h «""' °""»'™" of ^passioned elo- rS^inT:'^*:;'!"" "'"«"•" '««">•'- hall. PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA I! f ( I i A " With a full knowledge of all that has passed, and all the consequences that have flowed from a day of weakness, I will say that an honester man does not breathe the breath of heaven ; that no son feels prouder of his father than I do to-day, and that I would have submitted to the obloquy and reproach of his every act, not fifteen years but fifty — aye, have gone down to my grave with the cold shade of the world upon me — rather than that one of his grey hairs should have been injured." And as these noble words rang through the Chamber, the members on the floor, and even the spectators in the galleries, broke into cheers, the like of which seldom had been h'^ard in the old Parliament buildings, and which were re-echoed the next day all over Upper Canada as the circumstances became known. Not the least singular circumstance connected with this attack was the unexpected stand taken by the chief Conservative organ, the British Colonist, then edited by Mr. Geoi^ Sheppard. The manager of the Coiomst not only refused to defend the Powell attack, but came out the next morning with the famous article, " Whither Are We Drifting? - which heralded its going into opposition to the Government and created an unusual commotion in Conservative circles. So clearly had the foregoing events of the session brought before representatives and people the grave dangers menacing the continued existence of the union between Upper and Lower Canada, that when "4 1 THE FAMOUS BROWN-DOR ION CRISIS the discussion of the constitutional remedies proposed came on, many members were prepared to hsten.even some Lower Canadians, who had heretofore refused by the Hon. Malcolm Cameron in favour of Repre- sentation by Population, a motion by Mr Thibaudeau by Mr. A. T. Gait m favour of the Federation of the two Canadas or of all the British North American provmces. The Government opposed all these rem- ed es, but they were all thoroughly discussed, and the votes showed their relative popularity .„2^1^*!!'l"'°''°" "^^ ^" *^^^"^^ °f P"Wic opinion, and the debate upon it was adjourned and never Mr. Sandfield Macdonald. the Hon. Mn'^auchon'^ Mr. Thibaudeau and many other Lower Canadians he vote standing 65 to 33 against it-K>nIy ten o the latter bemg Upper Canadians. The Representation by Population bill received the six months' hoist, bu" It had an Upper Canada majority of 41 to 10 in its favour, and had all the members lien in their pail the vote would have shown 53 for and ,3 against" no im^^"?'"°"'.*"^ ^'"•''°"^' ^^"g'' ««-«=ting no immediate result, made it quite clear that poh^cal affairs could not long continue as they we^ and that the dark spectre of a dissolution of theVnbn wouW soon have to be faced if some remedy could dlc'^ltt"' '°' ''' ''''''''' ^"^ ••"--•"^ -t-, This was the position of matters when the greatest PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA political and constitutional crisis in Canadian history arose. It occurred on the seat of government ques- tion. It will be recollected that the choice of the future capital had been left to the decision of Queen Victoria. Her Majesty doubtless decided as advised by the Colonial Secretary, and the Colonial Secretary as advised sub rosa by Sir Edmund Head and his advisers. That decision was in favour of the city of Ottawa. Its selection was a surprise to many, and when the question came up in the House, on the 28th July, the award was assailed from various quarters and excitement ran high. After several motions had been disposed of, it was moved by Mr. Piche, " That in the opinion of this House the city of Ottawa ought not to be the permanent seat of Government for the Provinces." This resolution was carried, despite all the effort; of the Government, by 64 to 50, a majority of 14. It was a vote of non- confidence, and the following day the Ministers waited upon the Governor-General and tendered their resignations, which were accepted. A brief but correct synopsis of the further circum- stances of this remarkable crisis may be given as follows : On Thursday (29th July) Sir Edmund Head by letter "Offered Mr. George Brown the leadership of a new Administration, requested his acceptance in writing, and invited him to call and consult about his colleagues. Mr. Brown immediately called upon His Excellency and asked the usual delay to consult his friends. On Friday morning he reported that he was still in consultation with his friends, and would give 116 X SIR ni.lVKR MDWAT. HON. JOHN SANDFIKI.t) MACI>ONAU). SIR ANTOINK AIMli DORrON. HON. I.. T. I>RI»MM(>Nll. HON. l.tlTHRR HAMILTON HOI.TON. PKOMINKNT MEN IN BROWN-DORION MINISTRY. THE FAMOUS BROWN-DORION CRISIS On Sunday night, about ten o'clock Mr n received a note anH r»«~ J ociock, Mr. Brown tendered to His EvLll ^ ^'"" *''"« « mind acco^inJ to IS'"?*^' ''* "'" ™''^ "P h^ and the ^■:f .r.„*-"Sr^? '^^ «"«". inflrH- • rx:et„r.hrLf d""^ -OT- performed the duty entrusted! h- ""^ /"""'fu'ly new Government, MTha^umSThf?!"'^ *' kh constitutional advis^' J""' *2: '"'' "^on-e position to discuM tte^i ^ ""'"''' ""' ■» ■'" a h» memor^dura" sS ; """"■""' '»'«<' '" the names of bhldn^L-,^^^ *"'' submitted ai.a,,emb.«s^^r^rurc:L:;;?hiT n *«« sworn into office. The new Gov^?^ ""^ universally admitted to be an exlSilT !? *•' and was compo«rf as follows ? ""*«''"«'>' f^e "ne THE BROWN-DORION MINISTRV General West Hon i q ]/.*. ^°"°"' Attomey- ney-GeneraTEj^t „i„t"fD """'r''' ^"- ' "°"' ^ ^- Drummond ; Provincial 117 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA V Secretary, Hon. Oliver Mowat ; Public Works, Hon. Luther H. Holton ; President of the Council, Hon. J. E. Thibaudeau ; Postmaster-General, Hon. M. H. Foley ; Solicitor-General West, Hon. Dr. Connor ; Solicitor-General East, Hon. C. J. Laberge ; Receiver- General. Hon. F. Lemieux; Speaker Legislative Council, Hon. James Morris. When the two Houses of Parliament met at three o'clock the same day, the newly swom-in Government was immediately met with votes of "want of confi- dence" in both Chambers by the late Administration and its adherents, joined by several of those disap- pointed in not obtaining office. The new ministers, by accepting office, had all vacated their seats in the House, and had no opportunity to explain their policy or in any way defend themselves. Neverthe- less, the motions of censure were pressed as rapidly as possible to a division, and the new Administration condemned by 71 to 31 in the Assembly and 16 to 8 in the Legislative Council. The following morning, Tuesday, Mr. Brown waited upon the Governor-General, and in the name of the Cabinet advised him to prorogue Parliament with a view to a dissolution. The chief grounds for this advice, as given in their written memorandum, were : That the present House did not possess the confidence of the country ; that not a few of its members held their scats by electoral frauds; that his present advisers had entered the Government with the fixed determination to propose constitutional measures for the esteblishment of harmony between Upper and 118 THE FAMOUS BROWN-DORION CRISIS Lower Canada; that they had never concealed from themselves the probability that they would be unable to carry on the Government with the present House • and they submitted that they had a right to claim all the support His Excellency could constitutionally extend to them to place their policy before the people and obtam their verdict upon it. u ^" ^«|"«^y. at two o'clock, Mr. Bromi was handed a long memorandum from His Excellency answenng some of the ailments advanced by his advisers and advancing various objections to the couree they proposed, and concluding with these words : "With every ..spect for the opinion of h" Council, His Excellency declines to dissolve Parlia- ment at the present time." Having refused their advice, there was nothing left for the new Government to do but resign, which Mr Brown and his colleagues immediately did, thus finding themselves not only out of the Government but out of Parliament altogether, unless re-elected by tneir constituents. The concluding circumstances of this crisis har- monized with its remarkable character, and moved speedily to accomplishment His Excellency sent first for Mr. Gait, who was an impossibility as Premier, having no followers. He then applied to the late Attorney-General East, Mr. Cartier. and grim must have been the smile on the face of the Hon John A. Macdonald as his old colleague asked his assistance to again rcinstal themselves and their colleagues in office! Except that it was called the 119 rf PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Cartier-Macdonald instead of the Macdonald-Cartier, it was simply the former Conservative Government restored, there being no change of policy and no change of any importance in the personnel^ except that Mr. Gait became Inspector-General in place of Mr. Cayley. All was plain sailing for the resuscitated Govern- ment but for one initial difficulty. This was awkward enough, but it was surmounted in a most ingenious though unusual manner. Under Canadian as under British law, every member accepting office in a cabi- net thereby vacates his seat in Parliament, and has to be re-elected. The members of the Brown-Dorion Cabinet, therefore, had all vacated their seats, and according to the usual constitutional practice, the Cartier-Macdonald ministers were in the same posi- tion. But they managed, nevertheless, to maintain their places in Parliament in the following unexpected way. A clause had been added some time before to the Independence of Parliament Act, to enable a minister of the Crown to change from one portfolio in a cabinet to another, without again going back to his constituents for re-election. Under cover of this clause the members of the Cabinet met in a body shortly before twelve o'clock midnight of the 6th August, took the customary oaths to perform the duties of certain departments in the Government which they had no intention of holding, and fifteen minutes after that witching hour they were trans- ferred back again to the departments they held prior ISO THE FAMOUS BROWN-DORION CRISIS to their resignations, solemnly swearing again to ^'Z!^ ^'^u'™ '^^^"^'^^ appertaining to them • When all the exciting circumstances of this crisis shufSl^J ^"" ^P''^ ^^'''^ ^ '^' "double shuffle^ became known throughout the country, they created an immense sensation. Not only were the mmisters accused of violating the constitution in not subrnmrng themselves for re-election, but charges were also openly made that the whole crisis had iSn a prearranged plot between the Governor-Geneva^ and the Prime Minister. Mr. Macdonald. to ffus^aTe nis Reform opponents. Sir Edmund Head was by no means popular. The p^v.ous yea, when he visited Great Brita^. his de- pa ture from and return home to Canada excited very- little mterest. But the charge that His Excellency ZZl^^""^ 'u *"^ "'^^"'^^ 1^^°' °f the character alleged may be safely dismissed as a result of the At L"sam"'t""' ';""^"^^ ^'^•^^•"^ ^'^^^ t'-e At the same time, after carefully re-examining all the circumstances, it is impossible to acquit him of partisanship-conscious or unconscious-.-n avoTr o Bro ^Tri"'^^^ '^^^^'■«- Although he sent for Mr Brown to become his adviser, it is quite evident that' neither the latter nor his colleagues ever enjoyed h!s Excellency's confidence. His Sunday night memo randum to the half-fledged Premierf w^ ng Wm HclZ '7rul ''^"'"*'°" of PariiamentXfor" such advice had been tende.^, and even fore;:asting PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA refusal if his advisers proposed a mere prorogation, by insisting that quite a number of measures must in any case be passed by the House— in which he knew the new ministers were in a minority— affords strong presumptive evidence that His Excellency not only desired Mr. Brown's failure, but that there existed in his mind une arriere pensie that the crisis would end somewhat in the manner in which it did. Certain it is, if the memorandum referred to had been written by Attorney-General Macdonald him- self instead of His Excellency, its terms could not have served the form^ gentleman and his colleagues better, as the denouement of the whole affair, as already related, very clearly proved. Thus ended this remarkable crisis, and the ses- sional curtain quickly fell upon the scene. Their principal opponents being out of the House, the Government rapidly passed the measures announced in the Speech from the Throne, obtained the neces- sary supplies, and on the i6th August Sir Edmund Head with vice-regal pomp prorogued the longest and most remarkable session ever held in the late Province of Canada. laa CHAPTER XII REFORM PARTY DECLARES FOR FEDERAL UNION The events narrated in the last chapter, ending in the reinstalment of the Cartier-Macdonald party in office, temporarily checked the demands of Upper Canada for constitutional reform. The failure of the Brown-Dorion Administration, aside from the Gov- ernor-General's action, had brought out very clearly the great difficulties in the way of carrying Represen- tation by Population with Lower Canada almost a unit against it, and it must be admitted some of its parliamentary advocates were much discouraged. Not less clear, unfortunately, was the proof of the domination of Lower over Upper Canada, and of the gross political abuses which had arisen and urgently called for redress. Under the influence of the indignant utterances of the Reform leaders seeking re-election to Parliament especially the powerful speeches of the Hon. George Brown and his trenchant editorials in the Globe Upper Canada reached white heat in its determina- tion to insist upon redress. Ample proof of this was afforded by the re-election, 133 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA chiefly by acclamation, of every one of the members of the short-hved Brown-Dorion Ministry. The state of pubhc feehng was also conspicuously illustrated in the case of the Reform leader himself Toronto was strongly Conservative, and the Government made special efforts to prevent his re-election. Mr. John HUlyard Cameron, a popular candidate, was induced to take the field against him, but after one of the fiercest of election contests, public opinion ran so strongly m favour of what was called Upper Cana- dian rights that Mr. Brt>wn was returned by a hand- some majority. I have described more fully than I otherwise would the political situation at this excited and critical period, for two reasons : First, because it is desirable the reader should understand the actual position of affairs at this time, in order to fully appreciate the story of the great Confederation which is to follow- that notable achievement of Canadian statesmanship, the Confederation of all British America into the Dominion of Canada ; and second, because I con- sider It necessary to enter into some detail in regard to the political events of the next six years. During that period the late Province of Canada was simply •• marking time " politically. The failure of the Union between Upper and Lower Canada under one legislature was clearly proclaimed by the events of the late session. The somewhat dramatic crisis at its close may be said to have been the Union's death-knell. It is true the old order of thing, lingered on till 1864. "dying to slow music," as the IS4 REFORM PARTY FOR FEDERAL UNION Ameriain humourist puts it ; but the doom of the legislative union was sealed at that time. The two srr ^!f '"*''"* * p^"*'^*' ^^^^^^^^ - which neither would give way. and although the control of the Government alternated from one party to the od,er from this «me until Confederation'all 'Z^t find a solution of the difficulUes and save the Union proved to be vain and fruitless. One of those scientific achievements which thrill wl^ tX^^^^'"' '"' ''^'"' '"^^^^^'^^ cable was laid between Great Britain and the United Sut«j and appeared at the time to be entirely uc- c«sful. However unruffled old Neptune may have been as the electric current swiftly coursed for the first ^me through the Atlantic's th4 tho^nd ^ul of "dark unfathomed caves." all the g«at natio^ Z^ 'Jr H *'^ ^'^^'^ " '""^y ^^ 'he firsttr Europe and America are united by telegraph Proiident Buchanan, after a short delay, sent the following excellent reply : ^' *"* I as PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA "The President cordially reciprocates the con- gratulations of Her Majesty the Queen on the sue wss of the great international enterprise accomplishtxi by the science, skill and indomitable energy of the two countries. It is a triumph more glorious, be- cause far more useful to mankind, than was ever won by conqueror on the field of battle. May the Atlantic Telegraph under the blessing of Heaven prove to be the bond of perpetual peace and friend- ship between the kindred nations, and an instrument destined by Divine providence to diffuse religion civilization, liberty and law throughout the worid." * The great achievements of science were fewer in those days than now at the threshold of the twentieth century, and the apparently successful accomplish- ment of this great undertaking, almost annihilating time and space, was widely celebrated throughout Great Britain, the United States and Canada. Pro- cessions, illuminations, bonfires, balls, dinners or spwches took place in many Canadian cities, towns and even important villages, all classes of the people recognizing and rejoicing over the great scientific achievement The most imposing demonstration took place in New York City, where Mr. Cyrus Field and the other chief promoters of the great enterprise resided. As an evidence of the immense enthusiasm displayed in New York, the following motto from one of the flags carried in the procession is at once characteristic and entertaining : 1 16 REFORM PARTY FOR FEDERAL UNION Lightning Caught and Tamed by Franklin ; Taught to Read, Write, and go Errands bv Morse ; Started in Foreign Trade bv Field, Cooper & Co.; WITH Johnny Bull and Brother Jonathan AS Special Partner& wid^D^r^'*"'?., '^" ^'^'^ *»°^«^''' th»t this w.dc«pne«l jubilation was somewhat premature After the messages referred to had been exchano^ tt^V:' rr^ -kinT^rrmX* InH !r^ ?u "^'"'y ^*y'' *° **»« universal surprise and «gret. through some defect it ceased to work a„d was a heavy blow and sad discouragement to alUh! later^ £T enterprise, an' f"*- *^« evils now encount^ ered m the government of Canada, is to be found in K- l°T?,r °^ '^° ^'^ '"«'■« local governments S which shall be committed the control ff all^X^s of mZrS' "t^^'^^^i "'^^'"^^'^'■' ^"d ^ generaT govern ment charged with such matters as are necessarily common to both sections of the Province "^^''^"'^ r.J^' ^"''f^^'^-That while the details of the changes proposed in the last resolution are necessarily suS .W 'r ^^«Tr"*' y^' '^^' assembly SI imperative to declare that no general eovemment would be satisfactory to the people of UpSr Snada The eariier speeches in favour of the new policy of Federation were made by the following gentlemen : Hon. Oliver Mowat, Toronto ; Messrs. E. V. Bodwell South Oxford; George S. Wilkes. Brantfoid ; A.' Farewen. Whitby; W. H. Oliver. Simcoe; George Esson, Otonabee ; Alex. McKinnon. Vaughan ; John Scoble Toronto; J. H. Hopkins. Toronto; Thomas Donnelly. Picton ; and A. Choate. Hope Township. Mr. George Sheppard. formerly editor of the BntisA Colonist, but then a writer on the Globe, was the first to take the platform for a dissolution of the Union, and he was ably supported by V. Daniel Clark and Mr. Robert McLean, of North Oxford, and Mr. John McNaughton, of Haldimand. Mr. M. H. ^oley, M.P.P., made a vigorous speech in reply to the arguments of these gentlemen, after which the »37 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA chairman called for a vote on the first four resolu- tions, to which there was no opposition. They were carried unanimously amidst much applause. Mr. A. Diamond, of Belleville, then moved the fifth resolution, in favour of a Federal Union, which was seconded by Mr. David Wylie, of Hrockville. To this motion Mr. George Sheppard, seconded by Mr. W. Woodruff, Niagara, moved an amendment as follows : " Hiso/vtd.—Th&t in the judgment of this conven- tion a totally unqualified dissolution affords the most simple and efficacious remedy for prevailing adminis- trative evils which flow from the Legislative Union of Upper and Ijower Canada." Mr. Sheppard supported this resolution in a very clever and eloquent speech, which elicited much ap- plause from many parts of the hall and greatly heightened the excitement which prevailed. When he cloiied It seemed that he had almost captured the Convention for Dissolution pure and simple, and for a considerable time the party leaders were not a little anxious as to the final result. After the Hon. Donald Macdonald, M.LC, had spoken, Mr. William Macdougall, M.P.P., came for- ward to reply to Mr. Sheppard, and very ably and skilfully did he oppose dissolution and support feder- ation. The debate had indicated that the weak spot In the proposed Federal Union, in the opinion of many of the conventionistH, was the expense likely to arise from having three governments instead of one, and in closing his speech Mr. Macdougall adroitly US it REFORM PARTY FOR FEDERAL UNION moved a second amendment to strike out the worfis "general |f..vernment " from the fifth rcsohition. and substitute therefor "some joint authority" as the central body, which he claimed would largely meet the objections raised to the expense of the changes proposed. Mr. Thomas Nixon. Newmarket, seconded Mr. Macdougall's amendment. These amendments brought the disputed question squarely before the Convention, and very animated and exciting as the discussion which followed. The main motion as proposed to be amended by Mr. Macdougall was ably supported by the Hon «^>« ^*I''*'*'*^ "''*"^' ^'^''''' ^' A. Macdonald'. M.P.P.. Glengarry; Hope Mackenzie, Sarnia; Dr Connor, M.P.P., South Oxf.)rd ; D. McDougall. Merlin: Rose Williamsburg ; A. L. McBain. Glengarry, and Abishal Morse, Grimsby. With equal zeal Mr. James Leslie, of Toronto ; John Smith, of Mornington ; J. M. CHmle. of Bowmanville. and several others, spoke in favour of Mr. Sheppard's amendment f.)r an unqualified dis.Holution of the Union with Lower Canada. These speeches pro and con were not ended until the night had far advanced, when calls for the Kfon. George Brown, who wai expected to clase the debate became so loud and persistent that the Reform leader could no le)nger delay coming forward. It is needless to say that Mr. Brown's ?ip.'.:arance on the platfurm was the signal for prolonged applause. Nor is it necessary to outline his speech. It is enot^h «J9 I 1 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA to say it was George Brown at his best He dis- played little of the art or polish of the orator. But there was such a masterly array of facts, sound reasoning, sarcastic thrusts at opponents, and ringing appeal-; m favour of the rights of Upper Canada— always powerful and convincing, and at times rising to the height of true eloquence— that he speedily gained control of the Convention and seemed to sway it at his will. The heroic picture which the Reform leader pre- sented during the ddlivery of this speech made a deep impression on his auditors. It has never been erased from my mind, and it impressed older men, too, as the following little incident well illustrates. Mr. John Fleming and other Gait delegates were seated near the south side of the platform. As the flushed orator turned his face towards us on one occasion, Mr. Fleming, hastily turning, exclaimed : " Young, look at Brown's eyes." I had caught a glimpse of them before, but now he directly faced us, and the excitement of the moment had certainly given them an unusual glow of singular power and brilliancy. His stalwart form and strong, intellectual face, his ringing voice and impassioned gestures, all helped to deeply impress the Convention, and towards the close of his speech, when he earnestly pressed both sides to accept Mr. Macdougall's amendment, the battle for Federal Union was manifestly won. So clearly was this the case, that at the request of Mr. James Leslie and other dissolutionists, Mr. 140 REFORM PARTY FOR FEDERAL UNION Sheppard withdrew his amendment on the under- standmg that Mr. Macdougall's would be accepted and made part of the original motion. The vote was then taken on the fifth resolution as amended, and as the whole Convention, with very few exceptions, rose to their feet m favour of "federal union." the pent-up excitement found vent in a wild scene of cheering which fittingly expressed the universal gratification felt at the harmony and good feeling with which the nnal result had been reached. The closing month of this year witnessed the exe- cution at the city of Charleston, South Carolina, of poor old John Brown, of Ossawatomie. Grand but mis-uided old man, by his rash attempt at Harper's Ferry to precipitate the downfall of slavery by armed force he had legally forfeited his life, but the nation generally sympathized with the object he had in view though could not approve the means. Fanatic thougn ne undoubtedly was, and weak also in human eyes his mimic rebellion, history furnishes few more heroic and touching pictures than that of the old grey- haired abolitionist, with head erect and perfect calm- ness, going to his death for what he earnestly believed to be the cause of humanity and of freedom. What his two-score of armed men failed to do at Harpers Ferry, his death on the 2nd of December accomplished. It set on fire the anti-slavery senti. mcnts of the Northern and Western States. It en- sured the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency of the Republic the following year, and 141 !;i t- ! • I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA before another twelve months had elapsed, Northern troops on their way to Southern battiefields passed Harper's Ferry singing : "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in thcgnve, But his soul goes marching on 1 " And it went " marching on," until the Southern and Middle States were red with blood, and the shackles of 4,000,000 slaves were forever struck from their limbs. One of Canada's grand old men, one who wielded much influence in Upper Canada's early days, and is justly regarded as the founder of our educational system, I first met at Berlin at this period. This was Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson, equally celebrated' as Superintendent of Educa- tion and as a Methodist divine. He was then mak- ing a tour of the counties of the Province, sounding the people and educating them up to certain en- lightened changes which he wished to make in the school laws. The doctor's was a strik- ^. ^ , . »ng figure. The statue of him befoie the Normal School in Toronto corresponds very fairly with my recollections of him as he appeared in the court-house, Berlin, before the crowded meet- 141 BQBRTON RYBRSON, D.D. II i i:^ REFORM PARTY FOR FEDERAL UNION ing which he had called. The principal changes in our educational system which he then advocated were : (i) That all public schools should be free • (2) that the law should be made compulsory on parents to send their children to school between the ages of six and fourteen ; and (3) that the support of gram- mar schools, over and above the Government grant, should fall partly on the county councils and partly kLttd """"'^^'P*"*'^ •" ^h'<=»» ^^ schools were These proposals of Dr. Ryerson did not escape op- position, and I was much struck by the wary doctor's clever answers to objectors, and the adroit, almost sly manner, in which he finally got the meeting to endorse everything he proposed. Nearly all his pro- posals at that time have long since become law. i M3 I ! CHAPTER XIII HIS MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII. IN CANADA The whole of British America was thrown into a whirl of loyal ent*husiasm by the visit of His Royal Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (now His Majesty King Edward VII.), during the autumn of. i860. The year before, Parliament had unanimously invited Her Majesty Queen Victoria and other mem- bers of the Royal family to visit Canada, and although unable herself to undertake so long a voyage, the Queen graciously sent her first-born son, the heir to the throne. Before describing the events of this Royal visit, however, a few words should be said about the session of Parliament immediately preceding it, which opened at Quebec on February 28th. It proved short and dull, but long enough to be quite disheartening to the Reform party. They ex- pected their new policy would be specially acceptable to the Lower Canadians as a means of settling the sectional difficulties. But when Mr. Brown proposed a federal in place of the existing legislative union, in a five-hours' speech, admittedly able and studiously moderate, it was received quite coldly by the House, »44 HIS MAJESTY EDWARD VII. IN CANADA and although it obtained an Upper Canada majority of 25 to 22, only four Lower Canadians had the cour- age to record their votes in its favour. These gentle- men's names deserve to be mentioned. They were the Hon. A. A. Dorion, Hon. Mr. Drummond, Mr. D'Arcy McGee and Mr. Papineau. This result was chiefly due to the fact that the Cartier-Macdonald Government was at that time solidly entrenched in power, that their existence depended on blocking all constitutional changes, and that they and their organs had so ingeniously attacked the proposed federal union, especially the "some joint authority" feature of it, which was much ridiculed and not a little misrepresented, that public opinion had got a little at sea in regard to this remedy for the country's political ills. The prime mover in this as in all the Government's political devices was Attomey-General Macdonald, who never failed to improve any little slips which his opponents might make. How cleveriy he often did this the following little incident attests. Dr. Connor and Mr. Foley having got into an open tiff in the House with Mr. Brown about the presentation of the federal union resolutions at so early a stage, Mr. Macdonald promptly seized the opportunity to take the following part in the fray, which affords a good illustration of the methods which he so frequently and successfully employed : "Attomey-General Macdonald was disposed to sympathize with the member for Toronto, who had made his party by his own labour and perseverance, " M5 I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA and he wondered, when he had heard gentlemen who had accepted office in his Government charge him with unfaithfulness to his principles. They knew all this at the time, and yet they joined his Administration. But the present shattered state of the Upper Canada Opposition showed that there never had been any principle of cohesion between them, and that they had merely agreed tc^ether for the greed of office. Their present condition was a great triumph for the Ministry, and the best proof of the wisdom of the course pursued by the Government, who, in the midst of accusations of, wrong, had carried on the business of the country caJmly and successfully, and had out- lived the bos^sted unanimity of the Opposition, who now showed by their dissensions that they never had any principle. It would be a proud day tor the pres- ent Collector of Customs in Toronto, if he were here, to see the state to which his assailants, notwithstand- ing their alleged unanimity, had been reduced by the dissensions which existed in their ranks. But all this might be affected, for they had coalesced and kept together without any motive but the one he had adduced, and he had all along looked for such a result." The loyalty of the people of Canada to the British throne and Queen Victoria, who had .so long adorned it, found universal expression on the visit of the Prince of Wales, not only throughout Canada but all the other British American provinces. Many Canadians, however, looked forward to the arrival of the Prince, the Duke of Newcastle and their party, with some misgivings. The time chosen for the visit was not propitious. Canada was politically agitated, the 146 HIS MAJESTY EDWARD VII. IN CANADA Upper Province discontented and sullen, the Govern- ment unpopular in one and the Governor-General in both sections. A rumour that the Right Honourable Richard Cobden was to accompany the Prince's party as a new Governor had been joyfully received, but nothing came of it The feeling in regard to Sir Edmund Head was voiced in Parliament by Mr. D'Arcy McGee, who said that "it was highly desirable the Prince should be received with the highest manifestations of good- will on the part of Her Majesty's subjects in this Province. But this would not be the case if, on his introduction to the people of the Province, a person stood between him and the people who was unpopular and detested. He hoped the Prince would not be brought here simply to rehabilitate the popularity of an unpopular Governor-General." The Speaker called Mr. McGee to order, but no one rose to con- tradict him. This circumstance indicates the feeling which existed. The Royal Squadron conveying the Prince of Wales and his party entered the harbour of St Johns, Newfoundland, amidst a Royal Salute, on the evening of the 23rd July. His reception was imposing and enthusiastic, eminently worthy of the first colonial possession of the British Crown on this continent, and when His Royal Highness reached Nova Scotia and New Brunswick— the principal celebrations being at Halifax, St John and Fredericton— he was almost overwhelmed by the round of receptions, addresses, «47 ^? M i m ' ■ I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA processions, illuminations, regattas, balls and dinners with which he was greeted. After a cordial reception at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the Royal Squadron next appeared in the beautiful harbour of Quebec, with its towering fortress overhead, and in this ancient capital, as in the commercial metropolis, Montreal, the following week, the French Canadians in some respects excelled those oi British origin in the edat and enthusiasm with which they honoured the Prince. The following pen picture of the scene on the presentation of Montreal's address not only illus- trates this but affords a glimpse of the spirited way in which our principal Canadian cities entered into these Royal festivities : " There was some delay in mooring the steamer at the wharf, during which ample time was aflforded for surveying the fine proportions of the lofty pavilion, brightly painted, under which a throne for His Royal Highness had been placed, and where he was to receive the address of the corporation. Under this were gathered together the municipal authorities, the members of the Executive Council, the members of both Houses of Parliament, and a brilliant array of naval and militanr officers, all in uniform or full dress of some kind. The most remarkable figure of the whole was M. Rodier, the Mayor of the city, dressed in a scarlet robe trimmed with sable, made after the pattern of the Lord Mayor of London's, and wearing his golden chain and sword of office. By Mayor Rodier His Royal Highness was received as he stepped on shore, amid a thundering salute, and 148 II i>:! pi HIS MAJESTY EDWARD VII. IN CANADA conducted up the scarlet carpet leading to the scarlet dais, there surrounded by his suite. His Royal AS ness stood while, first in English and then °n French h,s Worship, standing on thi lowest step of ?our read mlm^he ??en T^^. beautifully engrusLl in ^^h- ment, he then inclosed in a crimson velvet case ornamented with gold, and handed it to the Pri^' who read his reply in English only." ' Whilst in Montreal the Prince laid the foundation- stone of the famous Victoria Tubular Bridge over the St Lawrence River-then the greatest bridge in the world-and at the city of Ottawa he also laid the foundation-stone of the magnificent Parliament Build- ings which now grace the Ottawa's rugged banks. Her Majesty having selected Ottawa as the future Canadian capital, its Mayor. Council and citizens vied with each other in making its festivities worthy of Royalty and the bright future before their city Up to this time the Royal visit had been almost like a summer sky without a cloud. The only exception had been a slight jar at Montreal, caused by theofficiousness of Sir Edmund Head. It arose m this way. The Anglican address had just been to read the address from the clei^y of the Church of Scotland. Sir Edmund rather curtly told him to hand It in-that circumstances would not permit of his reading it. The staunch old Presbyterian said he would not present it at all. if he were not allowed to read It. and soon afterwards retired. The Prince and the Duke of Newcastle were both much annoyed 149 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA' when they learned of this unpleasant incident, but the Duke made it all right by expressing his regrets, and inviting Dr. Mathieson to breakfast with His Royal Highness and to present his address at Kingston. The belated address, however, may not after all have been presented at the Limestone City, for it was there the Orange difficulty broke out, which not only threatened but caused serious trouble. The Duke of Newcastle, having decided to recc^- nize no party o^ sectarian emblems during the Prince's tour, was surprised to find at Kingston that the Orangemen in lai^e numbers were drawn up on the wharf, with Orange banners flying and bands playing party tunes. He therefore refused to allow His Royal Highness and suite to land until all party mottoes and symbols were withdrawn. The King- stonians had beautified their city with arches and evergreens, prepared an excellent programme, and were generally anxious the Duke's wishes should be complied with. But all eflbrts to induce the Orange- men to give way were fruitless, and after a consider- able time spent in vain endeavours to have this unfortunate contretemps adjusted, the steamer was ordered to proceed, and Albert Edward never set foot in Kingston at all. Nor was the trouble over. Many of the Orange- men at Kingston started in another steamer for Belleville, where the Prince was to be entertained the next day. They arrived in that city the same evening, marched through the principal streets with ISO i.i, HIS MAJESTY EDWARD VII. IN CANADA banners and music, and held an indignation meetinr to stir up the Belleville Orangemen, during which Queen Victoria and Garibaldi -.vhcn- loudlv cheered and the Duke of Newcastle as ioMciiv groaned fhe next day they made such an 0,-aPre ^.nu.sLr.i'ron that the Prince and his part) vcre rducantly . m- pelled to pass Belleville also \vitii< i r Isrclm- The greatest demonstruions whu-i- greeted His Royal Highness during his tour were th< se of Toronto and Hamilton, both of which attractetJ aimense numbers of people from the surrou; <; -- districts. A huge amphitheatre was erected in the "Queen City " for the occasion, and when Mayor Adam Wilson afterwards Chief Justice, presented the civic address' It was claimed that in and around the vast structure and on the streets, taking part in the celebration, could not have been less than 60,000 people. Many of the citizens became wildly enthusiastic over their Royal guest, whose gentleness, prudenoe and affa- bility captured the hearts of all with whom he came mto contact. Nevertheless, not a little anxiety was caused by the fact that, although in the background, the shadow of the Orange trouble was still danger- ously near. The Orangemen of Toronto, like the Masons and firemen, had erected an arch. The city councillors however, assured the Duke of Newcastle that no Orange emblems would appear upon it ; but when passing underneath it in the procession, ivhat was His Grace's surprise to find that it was built in repre- 151 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA sentation of the Bishop's gate at Derry, and that a statue or figure of King William surmounted it! This was regarded as an insult, and at the levee held by the Prince, the Mayor and Corporation w?*re not allowed to be presented, but a special meeting of the Council and an apolc^ happily prevented any further unpleasantness. But for this little cloud the Toronto celebration was a brilliant success. The Royal visitors next passed through Brampton, Georgetown, Guelph, Berlin, Stratford, London,Sarnia, Ingersoll, Woodstock, Paris, Brantford, Dunnville, Fort Erie, Chippewa, St Catharines and Niagara Falls. At the latter place they witnessed the daring feats of that prince of acrobats, Blondin, who not only crossed and recrossed the Niagara River on a single rope, blindfolded, but actually .stood on his head on the slender line near the middle of the awful chasm t The whole party, and especially His Royal Highness, were loud in their praises of the grandeur and beauty of Niagara Falls, which, indeed, is generally con- sidered the greatest natural wonder in the world. The Prince next visited Hamilton on Tuesday, the l8th, where he had consented to open the Provincial Agricultural Exhibition, and it is estimated that his reception was taken part in by no less than 50,cxx> people. Never did Hamilton deserve the name of " the Ambitious City " more than on this occasion. Not only was it brautifully decorated with arches, evergreens, flowers and mottoes, but besides the usual round of civic festivities, it had a regatta, horse races, and the Agricultural Exhibition thrown in. «5« HIS MAJESTY EDWARD VII. IN CANADA Wednesday forenoon had been set apart for a private inspection of the exhibits in the Crystal Palace, as it was called, by the Prince and his suite, and I was amongst the fortunate members of the press admitted on the occasion. We had the honour of presentation, and accompanied the visitors during the inspection. This afforded ample time to observe His Royal Highness, and my memory recalls very distinctly the pleasing impressions which he made. His appearance at that time, however, was very unlike the robust pictures of King Edward VII. with which we are now so familiar. Attractive in person and manner he was then as now, but he was rather short for his age, slender in build, and pale in com- plexion. His face was intelligent and pleasing, the most striking features being his eyes, which were large and handsome, a prominent, well-formed nose, and a small mobile mouth. His hands and feet indi- cated something of the size and rotundity which he has since atuined, but his appearance, at this time, was exceedingly boyish and artless, which rendered his quiet, gentlemanly manner all the more pleasing. He did not speak much, but when he did his voice was clear and strong ; indeed, it was quite apparent that, notwithstanding his youthful appearance, he possessed a vigorous constitution, with abundance of mental and physical activity. As proof of this it may be mentioned that, whilst his suite suffered more or less. His Royal Highness went through the whole long-continued round of fotivities in good health and spirits. This was no »53 H -! i -!, i M PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA ordinao- felt, for he was engaged every day but Sunday, and what this means may be Jown from the programme al Charlottetown, the p„,ty capiW Where m one day he received an address, held a fev« drove out in pUin clothes, wen. out skoTng! rode out agam, took a salt water swim, dined with a !?cT:n:L'm„rg'° ' '^' "' -^-^^ "" *"- ,„ " *T^.^ ^°>"^ P*^ »'»»« «> fco" and a half ith^ J^ ! "" ""^""y «Pn»« of Ban>n Renfrew. After enjoy nf »ome rf»od„g, u«y ^^^ ^ hospit.li,^'^ o^f bemg. Washmgton. New York and Boston, where R„„.r?T """. •""* •"*"«■"■>• with which Hi. Roy^ H,ghne« and suite were received and enter- tamed. The /Ai, of these great Americ«, citiesCld not have been more hospitable or enthusiastic had ««ir guest been Queen Victoria herself The Prince l>««ne the «^i,l lion wherever he went, u,d hi. •M HIS MAJESTY EDWARD VII. IN CANADA social triumphs in Canada were more than repeated amof^ our American cousins. The closing ceremonies took place at the city of Portland, Maine, where on the 20th September, amidst the booming of cannon, the music of bands, and the cheers of the Americans assembled, His Royal Highness set sail again in the Royal Squadron for Great Britain — a fitting termination to his successful and ever-men>orable tour. Scarcely had the Royal party bid adieu to Canada when the slumbering indignation of the Orange Order burst into flame. Indignation meetings were held at Kingston, Toronto, Port Hope and elsewhere, includ- ing a meeting of the Orange Grand Lodge, at which strong resolutions were passed condemning the Duke of Newcastle, the Governor-General and the Govern- ment, for their conduct towards the Orange body during the Prince's visit. So bitter was the feeling for a time, that rumours obtained currency that the Hon. John A. Macdonald and some of his Upper Canada colleagues would be forced to resign and give place to Mr. John Hillyard Cameron and some of his Orange colleagues. The members of the Min- istry, however, hurried to Quebec to take steps to smooth over the difficulties, and nothing finally came of the rumours of cabinet changes. Although a^rieved, the Orangemen generally were too close allies of the Conservative leaders to wish to over- throw the Government, and so the tempest blew over with the forcible expression of a little honest indignation. «ll L i ll I I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Looked at from an impartial standpoint, the whole «f these Orsmge troubles were unfortunate, and how- ever honourable their motives, which may be con- ceded, both sides were more or less to blame. Such an unpleasant train of circumstances could hardly happen m Canada to-day under the more liberal and conciliatory political spirit which now happily obtains among all classes. »5« CHAPTER XIV WAR-CLOUD BURSTS IN THE UNITED STATES November 4th, i860, will be ever memorable in United States history. That day witnessed the culmination of the bitter anti-slavery agitation, which had distracted the Republic for half a century, in the triumphant election of Abraham Lincoln, the Re- publican candidate, to the presidential chair. The conscience of the American people had been deeply stirred for several years by the evils- of slavery as portrayed by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe in her celebrated book, " Uncle Tom's Cabin." The thrill- ing story of Selby, Uncle Tom, little Eva, Legree, Eliza, and the irrepressible Topsy penetrated mansions and cabins alike, arousing almost universal sympathy and indignation. Then a few years afterwards came the old John Brown raid at Harper's Ferry, already referred to, and the sorrowful execution of the poor old veteran abolitionist. These events acted like a spark to kindle the antiviisver)' indignation of the Northern and Western S!;'f»s into a |x)litical con- flagration. So fiercely did it bum that although l.hjcoln was opposed by two other popular candi- dates, Messrs. Douglas and Breckcnridge, he received 49 more votes (if thi; Electoral College than both of My i ! i PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADil of?hi2^*"-, '"".'"'^ number of votes was 303, of which Lincoln received ,76, and his opponents '27. This decisive victoiy of thfe Republican party "-hose avowed policy was to curb, if not d^y th. system of slaveiy which had so' long dis^' the nation, was immediately followed by preparations for sec^sion in all the Southern and'^^m'H X we later on. one of the greatest and bloodiest wars of ancient or modem times. Not a littl. interest was created at this time by a Who claimed to have discovered a new process for making white paper from straw. This was'^hing for which the Z..^ r,,„» at one time offe^ f premmm of ;f 10,000. The Hon. George Bi^wTand the Taylors, paper-makers, took the matter up. printed the GMe on the new straw paper for some time, 2k and Frant '" ^"""''- "" ""■•'«' S'««. Britain and France, and at one stage the ubiquitous New '^yrus W. Field, of Atlantic cable fame and nth^. capaalists had lx,„ght out B„wn and C Ws i'.et J n the new discovery for $800,000. There was at Tat me a prehmmaiy bargain of some kind being neg" Uated .n NewYork between the parties ment.Jed,l^t undir r? ." """"^ ''" "■■•ough, as thepaperm.de under demo's process was rather hard and stifl" a! well as too .straw-coloured, and neither the Ame„„^ nor Canadian paper-makers were able, .n^^y «penments, to produce good white paper ^ WAR-CLOUD BURSTS IN THE UNITED STATES straw cheap enough to satisfy the big newspaper dailies. Clemo afterwards produced a Canadian novel, "Simon Seek," a queer story of the queer adven- tures of a queer emigrant family seeking a home in Canada. A home-made novel was then a curiosity in this country, and Mr. Clemo • had some originality. Nor was his straw paper agitation in vain. It stimu- lated experiments, and before many years there was discovered the process of making wood pulp, which has since become the principal material used in making cheap news and other papers. Signs of another general election now began to appear. Shortly before winter set in, the Upper Canada members of the Government made a political tour of the Province. They were entertained by their supporters in a series of public dinners, those at Hamilton, Brantford, London, St Thomas, Guelph and Cobourg being the most successful. The prin- cipal ministerial speakers were the Hon. John A. Macdonald, the Hon. P. M. VanKoughnet, the Hon. Sydney Smith and the Hon. J. C. Morrison. On the Reform side the leaders were entertained at dinners at Fergus, Simcoe and elsewhere, and the Hon. George Brown addressed unusually large public meetings at Kingston, Napanee, St. Thomas, London, Gait and other places, which plainly testified that the large majority of Upper Canadians continued to be bi tterly ag grieved at the working of the Union, and • Further reference to Mr. Clemo and his discovery may lie found in Morgan's " Bibliotheca Canadensis," 1867, page 77. ^59 i I ! i ill I i i !i|!l!f PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA at being systematically ruled by Lower Canadiai majorities. Whilst our statesmen were thus peacefully fightinj their political battles, the war cloud in the Unitec States was rapidly growing denser and blacker A« the day for the inauguration of President Lincoln drew near, the excitement became almost as great in Canada as in some parts of the Republic itself. The Southern States were openly preparing for war. They had m fact already committed an act of war, having hr«I on the, Government stcB.mer, Star of ike Wtst and prevented her from reinforcing Fort Sumpter in Charleston harbour. When Mr. Lincoln and his family left Springfield for Washington, a week before the inauguration ceremonies, to be held on the 4th March, 1861, the roar of the coming conflict met his ears at every centre of population. At Ilarris- burg, Pa., he was earnestly pleaded with by his friends — Mr». LiiM:oln giving way to tcari— not to pass through Baltimore for fear of assassinrtion He would not be dissuaded, but finally consented to go by an early morning special train, imeogmto, which he did reaching Washington safely, to the great relief of his friends. PKEaiDVNT LINCOLN WAR-CLOUD BURSTS IN THE UNITED STATES Few persons then realized the great man Abraham Lmcoln really was. Most people regarded him more as the railsplitter he was described to be during his canvass, than as the far-sighted, capable and patriotic statesman he proved himself to be. His remarkable speeches at the principal cities he passed through on his way to the capital, however— so original, so powerful, but also so tender and fitting— convinced many that the new President was no ordinary man His speech at Philadelphia, in particular, created im- mense enthusiasm, especially his closing appeal— " that he might have their assistance in piloting the ship of state through this voyage, surrounded by perils as it is ; for if it should suffer from shipwreck now, there will be no pilot ever needed for another voyager In the New York Tribune Horace Greeley thus burst forth over this speech : " Rejoice, lovers of freedom ! for your sentiments have found a memorable expression from the elected Chief of the Nation ! Let it be read by every hearth c^A^^^ ^^.f"":^ American, until the heart even of childhood shall glow with its spirit, and the nation DC brought to realize that it is to be saved by truth not dissimulation, by cherishing the spirit of liberty and justiM, not truckling to slavery and wrong. 1 hank God that the hour of our trial has found the nian who is to pilot us nobly tltfough its troubles and Its perils. Never before was the Republic in such a state of excitement, especially the city of Washington, as when Lincoln wa.- s-, am in as President and delivered his inaugkral address. His hMut roust have ttembied PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC UFE IN C^AD. ^ '^.^'V '"^ of responsibility and dange which rested upon him, but in word or bearing h H.S md,spos,t,on to interfere witl, slaveo- in an. State where ,t la,vfully existed, his denial of the rirt obl«atoon to preserve, pretect and defend the Union ^7;"/°^ '"•* wonderful boldness and cleam^ ^d^l'S".l\"-°^ "' "■""*' ^ *. follow^ h^er «,d to»,ch,ng appeal for peace : M am loth to iTt ^ ""' '"*"'"> •«" «" Her Majesty tte fi-hirecapital, wWcTAttf^ ?''°" "' Otta4 ^ and others conte^de^;™™''^'"""'' "»«'°'>«'■» Southern Confederacy, S o^l?'"'^"''""'^"' the This was contrarv to im^»? ?'■■ *»>' to Europe. "We insult to ti,^ BntfeX™*'.''"'' '" ""'^"'''^ "■ense sensation in G™.tlir P^d-ced an im- States, as well ^ even, othfr '" '"'' ""« United world. '^"y other part of the civilized -« lr^''::;h'ruoLArb "' ^'"""•" ^■■"'" and people of the Northemit, *■ T' "^ *« P-"^ reuo^ of the N.yy sent ."^'"t r"" """ "■« ««■ he<.mme„dedWiW..p„^pr:„^°';^.n^|ch WAR-CLOUD BURSTS IN THE UNITED STATES and excused him for not capturing the vessel ! But this was fortunately not the way that President Lincoln and the Imperial Government regarded the matter. Lord Palmerston was then Premier, and Lord John Russell, Foreign Secretary. They promptly demanded that Mason and Slidell and their two assistants should be given back to British control, and the illegal act of Captain Wilkes apologized for. For two or three weeks the lookout was decidedly black. It appeared as if war were certain. Great Britain resounded with preparations. The British arsenals were at work night and day. The fleet was under immediate orders. A preliminary allot- ment of over io,cxx) soldiers was made for Canada. Our Militia Department made a first call of 35,000 of the sedentary militia. Much real alarm and anxiety wet-e felt, not only in Canada but the neigh- bouring States, and well might they dread such a terrible conflict as might have ensued. The only part of America pleased was the newly- born Southern Confederacy. President Jefferson Davis and the whole South openly expressed their delight at the prospects of an Anglo-American war, which they considered would ensure the success of their rebellion, then rapidly developing. Thank God, they were disappointed. Better coun- sels prevailed. The negotiations were conducted by Lord John Russell and the Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State. The latter had to admit that Great Britain asked nothing more than the United States itself had always contended for, and in an able despatch agreed frankly to Lord Russell's demands, 169 I' i to tehf 1,. y""- Facts whirli k ""'"e"' another dark'shSl"^ ■'?':'"' *»» «nally «t..^ 170 CHAPTER XV THE SANDFIELD MACDONALD MINISTRIES When His Excellency Lord Monck came down from Spencerwood, Quebec, on the 20th March, 1862, to open the first session of the seventh Parliament of Canada, the political interest was intense. There ex- isted that thrilling element in politics — uncertainty. Many considered the Coalition Ministry doomed. Others declared they had already had as many lives as a cat, and that Macdonald would pull them through again in some way. The proceedings opened favourably for the minis- ters. They put Mr. J. E. Turcotte forward as their nominee for Speaker, and he was elected over Mr. Sicotte by 66 to 53 — a majority of 13. But beneath the surface the difficulties between the provinces were more aggravated than ever, whilst not a few political abuses had come to light, which made the Govern- ment's position more critical. The address in reply to His Excellency's speech was met by two amendments on the constitutional troubles, one by Mr. Macdougall in favour of Repre- sentation by Population, and the other by Mr. Sicotte against it The former familiar amendment was greatly strengthened on this occasion by the fact that ^85427. The G^^T^ "''" ^" Canada by ^nts as motion, of rrofr'ili"^ ■"* «™"<'- ""•nistenal cr,sis bef.re^he^'rf'l"'""" Precipitated a dunng which itfessrs VanV T "" '^''P°^ of. folios, as stated in the ,.J. ^' ^''* ™«nt port- Hon. Alexander CalEfr^r""' "^"^ '^ -nf to Mess,^ Cam^n a„°/t !^^'«'ve Council. aWy declined to acceoi ^ffl ^'^ *'"' »" honour. «on question was ta3„ ? ""''^ "•* «P«senta. Carder «a.ly .^fu^'rdJ'l'ST u™' ''-»'■" Macdonald, therefoie. ftl °, ' *?? '""f «™- Mn A. «c«on of the Cabin« by1.i"S *= "«*' Canadian . ^«ton. i^,,^.^^ Corndn:^^/";?"')^^"™^' M-P- for London, and Mr I n , ■'°*" Carling, for West Toront; When rt!° '^ '*°'""«'". "-^ to their constituents forl^Ir ^"li"""" '**■'">«' de.«t^. but his two ZlZTZelV"''"" ^'^ The Government *h..e ^ sustained. opposed by M«st FoTey^ST""* *" ^«°""% chosen to lead the OoL^?- ^"°*"- *''° had been Macdo„gall.Mr.D°Ar°y'^j^' " "?' <« hy Mr ^oming p™„,i„,„, Z^fl^ °**' '^''fonners, •w destined to play . Z^i *"'" *" » "ew mem- Payacon,p,c„ousparti„thef„h,re THE SANDFIELD MAC DONALD MINISTRIES of Canada — Mr. Alexander Mackenzie. The battle went on with varying fortunes until the 20th May, when a new Militia Bill prepared by the Ministry came up for its second reading. This measure pro- posed to clothe, equip and drill 5,000 officers a.id 45,000 men for twenty-eight days in each year, erect armouries, and othenv'se place the Province in a better state of defence. The expense was estimated by Attorney-General Macdonald at $1,110,204 per annum. This Militia Bill does not look very formidable at this distance, but it was considered very extravagant by many in those days, especially by the Premier's own Lower Canada supporters. They protested, and finally handed him an " ultimatum " against the mea- sure, and when the vote on the second reading was taken the Government was defeated by 61 to 54 — a majority of 7. And thus at last came about the downfall of this famous Coalition Government, which, ever since the year 1854, in one form or another, had succeeded in maintaining itself in power. But what everyone now asked was — What of the future ? The following day, Wednesday, the Hon. Mr. Cartier and his colleagues resigned, and the Governor- General promptly called on Mr. John Sandfield Mac- donald to form a new Administration. He accepted the task ; on Friday the names of the new Cabinet Ministers wete an'-^unced, and on Saturday they were sworn into office. The list was composed as follows : Upper Canada.— Hon. J. S. Macdonald, Attomey- »73 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBUC LIFE IN CANADA Works. ^' •'• Messier, Public trZ rot: wal' hillS'^r '"^"^ ^^"^•-- favourably in the sister province ThTw ^1 this is to be found in the feet thaT^h ^T^ °^ whoaccenferi^ffi • • ^' ^^ gentlemert wr D accepted office in it were all re-elected by accla statement of the ministerial policy la^fclfo J V^^ Houses of Parli.men, this pLi^e^ltf L^ „^ the first two paragraphs in the following terms : 1st Recognizing the Federal character of the Act g n^yTf \"tte'^'^""" '' ^'^ P--^-"^ critical eme. VnZ ?h ^""'"P''"S: to change the basis of that Union, the Government will seek to remedv th^ » •? now encounte^d in the B^^rJr:^^'^:'^; «74 ^ THE SANDFIELD MACDONALD MINISTRIES committing to the members composing the Adminis- tration, for each section respectively, the control of all matters of a local or sectional character, the Admin- istration as a whole being charged with all such matters as are necessarily common to both sections of the Province. " 2nd. It will be admitted as a rule that local l^is- lation should not be forced on either section of the Province against the wishes of a majority of its representatives, and that the Administration for each section should possess the confidence of a majority of its representatives." The official statement of the new Government also promised the following measures: A bill to equal- ize the representation of ridings in each section ; an improved but less expensive militia law ; an amended tariff for revenue, but with a due r^ard to manu- factures ; and an insolvency law to apply to both sections of the Province. The Government also speedily arrived at an understanding to retain Ottawa as the capital, to investigate the unexpectedly lai^e expenditures on the new Pariiament Buildings, to favourably consider Upper Canada's claims for public expenditures according to its population, and also in regard to measures for railroads, retrenchment and the correction of abuses. Whilst the new Government and its general policy — which Premier Macdonald declared to be Reform — were hailed with satisfaction all over Canada, there was, unfortunately, one fatal weakness. No more than their predecessors were they able and prepared m PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA to grapple with and settle the real source of the long and aggravated provincial difficulties. The Double Majority would undoubtedly mitigate the existing evils. But no Government could long exist on that principle, and so long as Upper Canada with 300,000 more people and paying at least two-thirds of the revenue, was denied representation by population the permanent restoration of peace and harmony was' impossible. This speedily became apparent. Forty Upper Canadian Reformers in caucus heartily promised to sustain Mr. Macdonald and his colleagues, but most of them reserved the right to vote for justice to their section on the representation question. The Hon George Brown and the Globt strongly reprobated the Government's position on the latter question, but were delighted that the Coalition was gone, and pro- mised to sustain Messrs. Macdonald and Sicotte on the other portions of their policy. This view gener- al y prevailed throughout Upper Canada, and when a long prorogation of Parliament was agreed to in order to give the new ministers ample time for their re-elections and to mature their policy, the political situation was felt to be unusually interesting, and people were more inclined than ever to inquire^ What of the future? The first meeting of the Press Association which I attended was held in Hamilton on November 27th of this year. The Association had been formed in Kingston only three years before, and was not then the large and influential body, with an annual 176 THE SANDFIELD MACDONALD MINISTRIES banquet and excursion, which it is to-day. The fol- lowing are the names of the principal journalists present on the occasion : Mr. William Gillespie, Hamilton Spectator; Mr. Thomas Sellar, of the Montreal Echo; Mr D Mc- Dougall, of the Berlin Telegraph: Mr. David Wylie Brockville Recorder; Mr, Thomas White, Jun.. Peter-' boro' Review; Mr. Mackenzie Howell, Belleville '^i^Uig^er; Mr. R. E. O'Connor, Ottawa Union; Mr. W. G. Culloden, Milton Nnu Era; Mr. W H Floyd, Cobourg 5/ar; Mr. James Young, Gait i?^- former; Mr. John Jacques, Hamilton Times • Mr George McMullen. Newburg A^<,rM American ; Mr. W. T. Cox, Goderich Huron Signal; Mr. James A. Campbell, Milton Champion; Mr. E.Boyle. Picton Times; Mr. John McUan, Samia British Canadian- Mr. John Siddons, London Prototype; Mr. William Mowat, Stratford Beacon; Mr. G. W. Verrall, Strath- roy Hofne Guard; Mr. James Seymour, St. Catha- rines Constitutional; and Mr. W. S. Johnston. Port Hope Gut(^. Among the more active members at this meeting of the Press Association were Tom White, as he was then familiarly called, afterwards an honoured member of the Dominion Government ; Senator Bowell, still hale and hearty, who has been Premier of Canada and leader of the Conservative party • Mr D McDougall. afterwards registrar of the county of Waterloo, and warm-hearted old " Father Wylie " a.s the younger members of the press-gang called him to his evident pleasure. Those present were a fine " 177 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA body of men, devoted to one of the noblest of profes- sions. But it is also true that in no respect has there been more progress made in Canada since that period, than m the growth, the ability, the usefulness and success of our newspaper press. It has been said, Those whom the gods love die young." Jknow not whether this applies specially to writers for the press, but of those who attended this Hamilton meeting, alas, most of them have already passed over the infinite boundary. Nothing could betier illustrate the vicissitudes of Svau' ;? "?"" ^"l ^' *''*' "^^ '^° e"^' Political nvals-the two real leaders of the Conservative and Reform parties-Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Brown were both slightly in the shade at this time. There I ^f '^J'^*!'"^* «n politics, and even their right to leadership did not always remain unquestioned Ever since the Orange troubles there had been occasional rumours that a section of the Conservative party wished to make Mr. Hillyard Cameron leader. This feehng took shape at a caucus of the party shortly after the fall of the Coalition, but it failed of succ^ Mr Macdonald's supporters proving to be decidedly the more numerous. The Hon. Geoiws Brown at an earlier period placed his resignation^ leader m the hands of a Reform caucus, under some- • without* division but was now out of Pariiament altogether, and the nominal leadership in another's hands. Nevertheless, both Mr. Macdonald and Mr Brown by their commanding talents, great force of 178 .. THE SANDFIELD MACDONALD MINISTRIES character and firm grasp of public affairs-although It would be difficult to find two men more differently constituted— were the natural chieftains, the one of the Conservative and the other of the Reform party. Whilst one was out of power and the other out of Parliament, both gentlemen still swayed the masses of the two great political parties in which Canadians have always been divided, and during the many years in which they so ably and bitterly fought each other in Parliament and the country, they might not inaptly have been called the Pitt and Fox of Can- adian public life. Though so opposite mentally and physically, they were m many respects not unevenly matched. Mr Brown was powerful in body, powerful in debate, and powerful with his pen. He wielded a claymore both ht^yy and sharp in parliamentary discussions, and which was still more powerful on the country rostrum He naturally took the side of the masses of the people, and of reforms like Representation by Popu- lation, upon which he worked up public opinion until they could be no longer resisted. On the other hand, Mr. Macdonald was agile physically, had a natural gift for party management, and in debate his weapon, though possibly not so powerful, was at least quite as keen as his great antagonist's. He was no less successful on the public platform, where his jokes and funny stories'— with •Among the many characterisUc storir .old of the ConMrvadv- the following good illMtmUon of hu ntdy wit : '• A. a Minirter Sir »79 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA which his speeches were freely interlarded-were often more effective than a logical argument would ,Z ^"' ,^"* ""^''^^^ •" Parliament or on the stump his alertness in taking advantage of any slip of his opponents and in piloting his party safely Ajugh polm^l difficulties was at once^markable and unequalled by any of his contemporaries. A field-night in the old Parliament of Canada, when these two great political gladiators, then in the pnme of manhood, w^re pitted against each other in som g. -^M debate^ seldom failed to arouse the mem- ber aad spectators to a high pitch of excitement, and^as an event not easily erased from the memory^. much tha the young n«n riirank from ending his note, to his ioumdl After waiUng for . Ume he obt«ned «. interSew witTsTr JohiTho* ^^1^ '^'L!'*'* ~'^ Sir John utterly repudiated U^ wd dauted . sober speech, which having done. heuAi • "S ZZT Z '•" "* ^^ "* ' '^^^ ^- i-^-^- ^-^ 1 80 i I CHAPTER XVI SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER It is foreign to my purpose to follow closely the tragic events of the American War, which wj^now If ^^'"ir^ ^^'"g'ng the Middle and S^them States w.th bloody But a far-reaching event c^crre" at th,s t me. wh.ch made quite a sensation throughout Tt'::7^iZt^^ f-;vespassingm"e^tr decrel nlir^ °'" ' ^'"^°"^ proclamation .nd ho* i„ten«ly he felt th, d4 ImZt^^ "fT s^P » well a,.e«ed by *e ever-^e^o'^wrwo^S^ really an intensely earnest prayer-with wwT 17 b^:Tl°"^ '"^ "<^' "And u^S tht S^,^. ° ^ •" "' "' J"""' """-anteTCy Ae Constitition upon miliuo- necessity, I i^J^ Z. cons.de™,e judgment of, m«,kl„d .^d the ™cio*! f«TOur of Almighty God." gracious This Emancipation proclamation pro«ed the t-m ■ng-pomtofthewar. Many may de^u .,„S" PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA we know there are some who deny that the hand of God can be seen in any of the events of history, or even in the splendours of the material universe. But if ever the Divine hand was traceable in human affairs, it surely was during this American conflict The nation had long indulged in the sin of slavery. They refused as obstinately as Pharaoh did of old to let the people go, and then the scourge of war came upon them. Even then, millions in the Northern States, let alone the , South, were opposed to freeing the slaves, and what was the trend of the war whilst these views prevailed ? It is matter of history that up to the time that the Republic became committed to Emancipation by the President's proclamation, the events of the war went almost steadily in favour of the South. So much was this the case, in fact, that at one time it looked as if General Lee would take Washington before General Grant would take Richmond. But from the time that the freedom of the sla.es was proclaimed at Washington, the tide turned in favour of the North, and victory succeeded victory, until the proposed slaveholding republic was no more, and the suprem- acy of the national flag, now a real symbol of free- dom, was established in every State and Territory of the Union from the frozen peaks of Oregon to the sunny glades of Florida. Explain as agnostics may, the study o** these now historical facts, as well as of all the remarkable events connected with this tremendous war, from John Brown's scaffold until Lee delivered up his sword to i8a SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER Band of the Almighty was in and through it all anrt ■nvesb with an added and deeper meaning xtnn" son's famous lines— ^ lenny- "Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the Throne ; Yet that scaffold sways the future, And behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow. Keeping watch above His own." There was a temporary lull In our politics during the summer and fall of 1862, the result of the rS poht^al changes. A slight ripple, however was -ated on the last day of the year, when the Hon George Brown returned from Europe after six months' absence for rest and recupe^tion. Jus^ ^fore his return he was wedded to Miss Annie Nelson, an accomplished and amiable lady ^ living m Edmbur^h. Scotland-^ sister of the Me^rs. Nelson, the famous publishers of that city-and it wa^ decided by his friends in Toronto to give hm^ public reception on his arrival home. The Hon John McMurrich and the Hon. William McMaster. Legislative Councillors, and the Ho^ Oliver Mowat. M.P.P.. were appointed a deputation to meet him at Hamilton, and on his ^val at Toronto station he was presented with a vciy com. plimentao; address in the presence of several Sousa^d people. That he had not decided to remain p^^. nently out of public life was tolerably cvidcnffrem 183 t PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA his brief reply, two or three paragraphs of which were as follows: " Fellow-Citizens,-I thank you most cordially for St^vin^ '^?*'?" ^' unexpected as it is gratifymg. ; ^,0. far as I am concerned, that devotionto the mterests of our county that you ha ve been good epough to ascribe to me has been in tTclf ""'t^ by ™y visit to Gr^'t' B^ ai^"on the contraiy J have come back with strength in- vigorated, w.th new a^d. J trust, enlai^ed views, and with the most earnest desire to aid in Advancing the f^lTlTy *"^ ^Winess of Canada. (Cheers.) You have been good enough to allude to the change in my domestic relations— (great cheering)— and I shall ?ro^'^P'^:"'^-^'i"^ '^^' '^^ partnir^Eo com\. from^my native citv is one who will do credit to the tTon Trt" ^^ Tk"' ^^" "=^ '^^ '*"d -^ her adip! Brown^ c«^wd here gave three cheers for Mrs. urown.; . . One word more and I have done kSfiL " ^ 1f^ °^™y "*^' the great honour and (GlTchSg'T" "" "^ °" ^''^ °^^^^°"'' ^ The firet session of the new r^^'me^the Macdonald- bicotte Government— commenced on the 12th Febru- ary. 1S63. The Speech from the Throne promised measures 9n the Representation of each province the Mihtia, Insolvency, and other subjects; it also art- nounced that Messrs. Sicotte and Howlandhad visited Great Britain with delegates from Nova Scotia and New Brunsw^k, to promote the long-contemplated rhtercolonia Railway, the want of which had been so badly felt when the British troops had to be marched »84 I HON. WIl.l.rAM I'KARCE HOWl AM, .,„.. MR JOHN J. c. AHiuviT. ,„,.. ,.. ""•^- ^"tHAKI. I.AMII.IOMOIFV SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER from the seaboard across the Maritime Provinces to Lower Canada in -the depths of winter dunng the Trent affair, and also that a Commission was mvesti- eating the condition of every branch of the pubhc service with a view to introduce retrenchment and other reforms. The programme was an excellentone, but, as already intimated, ignored Upper Canada s claims f6r increased representation. ^ The changed attitude of the two political parties in relation to this troublesome question was not only manifest, but verged on the amusing. The Upper Canada Conservatives, now in the cold shades of Opposition, had evidently got new light on the justice of Upper Canada's demands. The Reformers, on the other hand, were now ministerial supporters, and they did not rush in as formerly with constitutional amend- ments to the address. They were evidently most anxious not to embarrass the Government on the question, although all except those m the Cabinet were prepared to act upon their right, reserved m caucus when the Administration was formed, to vote on the representation question as formerly. The Opposition, however, were now nothing loth to force the fighting. They warmly assailed Mr. Macdougall and Mr. Foley for their change of atti- tude and met the address with four different amend- ments relating to the constitutional difficulties. Twcv of them were in favour of Representation by Popula- tion. Mr. M. C. Cameron moved the same resolution proposed by Mr. Macdougall during the previous session, and Mr. Hillyard Cameron moved for the in^ ««5 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA creased r^re«„tetio„ of Upper Canada in the House vinces m the Legislative Council. The chantre in rt,. tat^t^Td'""" ""'"""'^ adde^tlTesTa*: interest to the discussions which these motions called When the vote was reached, it became nainfullv evident again that the settlement of the diCrbte *fn'wh«:;ieC ^""■' *■= ^"'"" -no n^f Mr M cd^^.^'""" "I" ■" P"-™--- The vote on Mr M. C. Cameron's amehdment in favour of Repre- sentation by Population was 64 to 42 almosfT, Identical fig, es before the recem poSca Ta^ * The Government h«l changed-the Reform ^ «mar„:y""= Co««rvative party out-but th" u'^^ So^d." f"^^: """ ='*""^'' Mr. Sandfield Macdonald. immediate outlook was favourable it was quite evident the old secttonal spectre ^always ST n'' "'^^ '° appear sooner or S Shortly after the session began, an election becamj necessary in South Oxford, which became va^^t^n consequent of the Hoa Dr. Connor, Tr^m^" &n"fh T T*^ " J""^* '^ *' Couii of Qu«^' Bench of Upper Canada. A Reform conven&n nominated Mr. E. V. Bodwell, a respected andTpu" I« resident of the riding, but conidemble iSs- toon existed with the nomination, as it was C„ that a r^uisition was in circulation asking the H™ Geo^e Brown to become a candidate. He di, not get this requisition, however, which was signed bv MOO residents of the riding, until the day S Z 186 X- SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER official nomination of candidates. He decided to accept it, notwithstanding, and as the Conservatives put forward no candidate, the contest took place be- tween Mr. Bodwell and Mr. Brown— both Reformers, and both pledged to increased representation, but the latter promising only an independent support to the Macdonald-Sicotte Ministry. The time for canvassing at this election was neces- sarily short, and Mr. Brown requested several of his political friends to assist him. Soon after it began, I was surprised to receive the following telegram from him: "Several comers I cannot reach. Will you come forthwith and hold meetings on Monday and Tuesday? Answer." And here a few words in reference to my relations with Mr. Brown will not be out of order. Al already mentioned, I first saw him at a public dinner in Gait m the fall of 1853. My connection with the Reform press naturally led to our further acquaintance. For «ome reason, which never appeared very clear to me, he invariably treated me with kindly consideration,' and even before the Globe was removed to the hand- some and commodious office on King Street, pre- sented to him as a testimonial by the Reformers of Upper Canada, he insisted upon my calling upon him whenever I came to Toronto, which I nearly always did. ' On these occasions he always appeared a very busy man ; but, nevertheless, was uniformly pleasant and agreeable. Whilst working away, he would ask ii. numerable questions about politics, the crops, manu- 187 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA factures, and everything going on In the country and when anything particularly interested him. he would throw down his pen and pace around the room, swmgmg h.s long arms like the pendulum of a clock, and discussmg the matter from every point of view. Durmg later years this familiarity increased, and he frequently spoke to me of leading Conservatives and Reformers and his relations to them and to public affairs, with a freedom I was sometimes surprised at I therefore, came to know pretty intimately the many grand qualities of head and heart, as well as the minor limitations, which distinguished this eminent Canadian statesman. When Mr. Brown's telegram about South Oxford dection was received, it seemed a golden. opportunity to win n.y political spurs, and I was speedily in the midst of the contest After speaking at Eastwood. Springfield and elsewhere. I first met Mr. Brown at the vill^e of Beachville. near midnight, where he was still addressing a large and excited audience in his own powerful and impressive way. His power on the stump had evidently not been exaggerated, and much was it needed in this contest.. for it was a very unusual one. and the result, until near Its close appeared quite uncertain. . A' TJl^^'S"" P**^^ °^ ^°"*** ^'^^^•^ ^*« hopelessly divided Many felt that tiicy ought to stand by Mr. Bodwell. the nominee of the Reform convention ; others considered Mr. Brown's long services entitled him to the position. Under these cireumstances, even members of the saitie families opposed each <8S SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER other in some cases. The Conservatives were also divided, but in the end the most of them voted for Mr. Brown. According to the common report, the Hon. John A. Macdonald wrote and advised them to take this course, and many professed to see in this one of the Conservative leader's astute moves, namely to alarm the French Canadians again by Mr. Brown's presence in Parliament, and thus secure the overthrow of the Macdonald-Sicotte Administration. However this may have been, the Reform leader received a strong Conservative as well as Reform sup- port, and at the close of the polls was found to be elected by a majority of 275. I accompanied him to several places in the riding during the polling days, and came home rather sorry for Mr. Bodwell who was worthy to represent the riding, and afterwards did so for many years, but at the same time pleased that the Province and the Reform party would again have the benefit of Mr. Brown's able services on the floor of Parliament. The session then going on at Quebec was only five weeks old when the sectional spectre appeared again in Its most dangerous form. This occurred on a Separate School Bill introduced by Mr. R W Scott of Ottawa, but which was in reality a Government measure. It had the support of Rev. Dr. Ryerson, Superintendent of Education in Upper Canada although it considerably extended the principle and privileges of Separate Schools. Its introduction pro- duced a storm in the House at once, and after two or 189 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA three heated discussions the excitement spread to the country. The Upper Canada Reformers found themselves unable to support the measure, and several Conser- vatives who formerly voted for Separate Schools now declared against them. Their chief obje in this, so their opponents alleged, was to place the Mmistry in a sectional minority, and thus upset the Double Majority principle. If so. they were com- pletely successful, as the measure was carried by a considerable majority of the whole House-Lower Canada being almost a unit in its favour ; but there was an Upper Canadian majority of seven against it on the final reading. Premier Macdonald was much aggrieved at this result, and threatened to resign if his western Reform supporters did not give the bill a majority when it came back from the Legislative Council. They could not however, be coaxed or whipped into voting against' their principles, and the circumstances having clearly demonstrated the impracticability of the Double Majority principle, from this time forward Mr. Sand- field Macdonald ceased to advance it as a practical remedy for the sectional diffitalties under which the Province suffered. Other stirring sessional incidents quickly followed which went to show that under the existing Union any stable Government was now impossible. En- couraged by the ministerial trouble on the School Bill. Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Cartier. the Conserva- tive leaders, shortly afterwards assailed them with a 190 \ SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER directvote of want of confidence. This produced a battle royal. Messrs. Macdonald. Cartier. Cauchon and Gait were the principal Opposition speakers; !. ^T'' .^""^ ^^''"- ^°^**' Holland. Dorion and Mackenzie, for the Ministry. While the speeches ran the u.:Dle gamut of politics, the Representation anTde'ncT""""' '° "^ ''' ""^'"^ P°^"' ^' ''"^^^ The Conservative leader. Mr. John A. Macdonald. assailed the Government for inconsistency on that question. His line of attack will be understood by the foUowmg extract from his speech: "Representation a^- r" P^P^jf^'^" had long been an exciting question ,n UpperCanada. When Messrs. Macdougal^ en^' T ""1"°^'^"^ '°ok office after persist- ently agitating the question, it was reasonable to expect they were prepared for a solution of it But they had taken office and left over for four years this question, which they had said was fraught with danger to the peace of the country." mI^a '!?^ °^ '^^ ^""™*^ ^'""^*''' Mr. Sandfield Macdonald. was universally admitted to be a masterly defence of his Ministiy. On the Representation question he replied as follows : « He was surprised to hear Mr J. A. Macdonald's attack on memters sup! porting the Government for the course they had taken hL^^''''*'"'**'^" ^y Population, especially as he (the P«.m.er) himself was. He had only found fault with h^ fnends for pressing the matter prematurely He had never expressed an opinion in opposition to 191 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA the principle. But the hon. member for Kingston had burlesqued the whole matter. He declared it was a principle which could not be applied in oyr country— that it was a revolutionary movement— that It would lead to universal suffrage. . . The member for Kingston had voted for Representation by Population, yet he gave that principle up in 1854 for the purpose of getting office by Lower Canada votes." The speeches of Mr. Gait, Finance Minister, and of Mr. Dorion and Mr. Mackenzie, the latter already in the front rank, were also conspicuous in this memor- able debate. Mr. Brown, who had only recently taken his seat, whilst arguing strongly for constitutional changes, made a powerful and eloquent appeal on behalf of the Administration, declaring " he would not vote to bring the Opposition back to power, who promised no amendment and showed no signs of repentance." It is votes and not words, however, which tell in parliament, and when the division bell rang, it was found that the motion of want of confidence in the Government had been carried by a majority of five. The numbers for- each province were as follow/ Upper Canada, 31 to 28 against the motion ; Lower Canada, 36 to 28 in its favour. The total vote was, therefore. 64 for the Opposition and 59 for the Government, with six members absent and one riding vacant. The Province was thus again without a Government and in the throes of another political crisis ! K9* SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER After their defeat the members of the Administra- tion held a long meeting at which they decided to advise Her Majesty's representatives to dissolve Par- liament, to reconstruct the Cabinet, and appeal to the country. As the existing House had been elected under their predecessors, they were clearly within their constitutional rights in asking a dissolution, and Lord Monck promptly accepted their advice. When Premier Macdonald, however, announced the proposed Dissolution to the House, and asked a vote of credit during the elections, the Opposition became very indignant, and Mr. Cartier took the extreme step of stopping the supplies by moving that the House do now adjourn. This aroused the indignation of Messrs. Brown. Dorion and Drummond. who warmly denounced the conduct of the Opposition, and were just as warmly denounced by the Conservative ^ers in return. The last thing many of the mem- bers wanted was a new election, and Mr. Cartier's motion to adjourn was carried by 55 to 44. This factious vote left the Government awkwardly situated to find funds to carry on the public service but did not in any way alter the political situation.' His txcellency Lord Monck was quite uninfluenced by the vote. He firmly sustained his advisers, and on the 13th of May came down to the Legislative Council, assented to the bills which had been passed and announced that. " As two Administrations had failed within a year to secure the confidence of the Assembly, thus showing tht impossibility of con- ducting the public business in a satisfactory manner. «3 193 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA he now prorogued Parliament with a view to disso- lution of the Assembly and an immediate appeal to the people." The reconstruction of the Government, already- well advanced, was then proceeded with. It proved to be rather a thorough one. The Sicotte wing of the Cabinet all retired. Mr. Dorion became the Lower Canada leader, bringing in the Hon. L. H. Holton, as Finance Minister, the Hon. Isidore Thibaudeau as President of the Council, and Mr, Letellier St. Just as Minister of Agriculture, two port- folios being left temporarily vacant. In the Upper Canada section the Hon. Oliver Mowat became Postmaster-General, Mr. Lewis Wallbridge, Solicitor- General, and the Hon. Mr. Howland, instead of Finance Minister, became Receiver-General. The vacant portfolios were subsequently filled by the ap- pointment of Mr. L. S. Huntington as Solicitor- General East, and Mr. Maurice Laframboise as Com- missioner of Public Works. These ministerial changes were largely the work of Mr. Brown, and as the Government now agreed to drop the Double Majority and make Representation by Population an open question — the greatest ad- vance possible on the constitutional question at that time— he became its active supporter both in Parlia- ment and in the columns of his paper. The new Cabinet decided that the elections should take place during the following month— June— and when the new Macdonald-Dorion Government went to the country, it was at once evident that they had a <94 SECTIONAL TROUBLES AS RAMPANT AS EVER much stronger hold upon Upper Canada than their predecessors. Before the ist of July the political verdict of the Province had again been rendered. The elections had been short but bitter enough in many riuings, although the issues were the same old story. The Macdonald-Dorion Ministr>' was at first believed to have won a decisive victory. This was undoubtedly the case in the Upper Province, where about 43 Ministerialists were returned to 18 Oppositionists a»id 4 Independents. In the Lower Province, how- ever, Mr. Dorion, who had been venomously assailed with sectional cries, did not fare so well. Mr. Holton and he failed in their first attempt at re-election, and the general result only showed about 25 Minister- ialists to 32 Oppositionists, with several Independents mostly inclined to the Bleu side. The Governor-General promptly called the new Parliament together on August 13th. He having re- signed as Solicitor-General, the Government elected Mr. Wallbridge Speaker, and by skilful piloting their majority sufficed to carry them safely through the ses- sion. Before the prorogation took place, however, it be- came painfully evident that on all sectional, racial and religious questions the two provinces were so utterly opposed to each other that the House of Assembly was rapidly returning to its former state of chronic crisis, and that no Government, however good, could long exist whilst the present constitutional relations of the provinces continued to exist. Indeed, before leaving Quebec, at the close of this 195 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA session, more than one prominent statesman ex- pressed fears that a dangerous crisis between the two provinces was near, which, if not wisely and prudently met, might not only violently disrupt the Union, but lead to excesses which might prevent the French and British inhabitants of the two sections from ever co- operating under any form of government, let alone ultimately fusing into one homc^eneous Canadian nationality. 196 CHAPTER XVII THE UNION DOOMED-DEADLOCK AGAIN KING The year 1864 must ever remain a memorable one m^nadian history. It opened in political gloom and closed m political sunshine. It was a .^maLble one not o.^y for the two provinces of Canada, but for every foot of territory in America over which floats the British flag, ft proved a great turning-point in our history, for a series of political events t^rplace pr^ant with importance to the whole Empi^; and which Inflected the highest ci^it on the statesmen and statesmanship not only of Upper and Lower con'ne^nt ''' "''" ^"^'^'^ P'"^'"-^ - '^^ Nevertheless, the outlook could hardly have been 19th Februaiy. The deadlock in the Legislature ThTr J" ' M T""^'^ "^^ "°" almosilbsolut^ The Macdonald-Dorion Government had only a wrZibrGo'^'^'"' noin^portant legislation irHvTT^K. ^'^'""'*'"' °^*"y ^^'"^ »»»d, as al- ready stated, become well-nigh impossible, and some leading statesmen began to entertain fears that scenes of violence, possibly bloodshed, might unexpectedly «97 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA The Hon. Mr. Sicotte publicly declared that the differences between the two provinces were not un- like those which preceded the American Civil War, and might also end in violence, and the Hon. D'Arcy McGee also pointed out the elements of danger to the public peace. The Hon. George Brown, ever since his return from Europe, had been exceedingly anxious to get these constitutional difficulties settled. I have reason to know that, both for the country's sake and on personal grounds, he had become deeply in earnest to end the strife between the two provinces, and was prepared for any reasonable public or personal sacri- fices to accomplish it. Doubtless many others also felt the gravity of the situation, but a remedy for the dangers which men- aced the Province had been so long sought for in vain that few of the people's representatives went to Ottawa with much hope of a new and better order of things. When the Houses met, His Excellency's Speech from the Throne promised very little legislation, and what little the Government did promise they couldn't carry. They had a solid majority of one or two, but members were afraid to leave the Chamber, even for an hour, lest a vote of non-confidence might be carried in their absence. This peculiar position gave rise to not a few amus- ing jokes. The standard one was that " Sandfield Macdonald didn't possess even a drinking majority ; that a man daren't go out to drink for fear the Min-' istry would be defeated before he got back ! " In 198 THE UNION DOOMED-DEADLOCK AGAIN fact, one notable attempt was made by a western Conservative member, who represented a riding not a thousand miles from the town of Stratford, to defeat the Government in th's way. He hired a carriage and invited two or three Reform members from ridmgs adjacent to his own, to view the beauties of the Ottawa river generally and the town of Aylmer in particular. They accepted, and had a pleasant time at various hostelries. But whilst the enjoyment was at Us best, the waggish entertainer quietly slipped off with the carriage, leaving the Ministerial supporters nearly ten miles from the Pariiament Buildmgs. and a vote on a non-confidence motion aboL' to be taken. Tl Government and its supporters had to speak for hours against time until their "drinking majority " could be hunted up. But their friends searched the city for them in vain, and it was only at the last moment, when hopes of their appearance that night had been almost given up. that the missing members . walked into the House, footsore and weary, having °".u!!!! 1!'?''^'^ '^^^^ ^""'^ p^^y^^ "p^" them,' walked all the way back from Aylmer to the city It need scarcely be added, the speaking stopped abruptly, the division bells resounded through the lobbies, and the Government again was saved by its famous majority of one. The Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald was a man not only of ability, but of marked individuality and in- dependence of character, and finding his Government and legislation blocl .J by persistent votes of non- 199 PUBLIC MEN ANP PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA confidence and other embarrassing devices on the part of the Conservative leaders, Messrs, Macdonald and Cartier, he and his colleagues resigned office on the 2 1st March, although still in possession of their slender majority. The crisis which resulted at once revealed the gravity of the situation. Neither the Reform nor Conservative party could command a majority of the House. The Reformers had a lai^e Upper Canadian majority, but few Lower Canada supporters; the Conservatives had a Inrge Lower Canadian majority, but few Upper Canada supporters. In other words, the majorities of the two provinces were hopelessly arrayed against each other. Nor would either party give way or compromise. It soon became known that Her Majesty's repre- sentative, Lord Monck, felt much embarrassed by the gravity of the situation. There seemed, however, no other course for him but to attempt another patch-up. He first tried a reconstruction of the late Administra- tion, with the Hon. A. J. Fergusson Blair as Premier. Mr. Blair was unable to succeed. Then His Excel- lency applied to the Hon. Geo. E. Cartier. He also failed. The third attempt proved a trifle more suc- cessful. Sir Etienne Tach^, a member of the Legis- lative Council, at the Governor's earnest request, succeeded in forming a new Cabinet, but only after several days' delay and much difficulty. Premier Tach6 invited the Hon. John A. Macdon- ald to form the Upper Canadian se( lion, and most of the leading men who formed the Cartier- Macdonald THE UNION DOOMED -DEADLOCK AGAIN Ministry were soon again installed in office. The only notable changes were the appointment of the Hon. D'Arcy McGee as President of the Council, and of the Hon. M. H. Foley as Postmaster-General. Both of these gentlemen had previously been promi- nent in the Reform ranks, but for personal reasons, well understood at the time, Mr. Sandfield Macdonald flatly refused to include them in his reconstructed (Macdonald-Dorion) Cabinet, at which both gentle- men took mcrtal offence.* The new ministers were sworn into office on the 30th March, and the next day Parliament consented to adjourn till the 3rd May, in order to allow them time for re-election and to mature their programme. It was during thte interregnum that I first made the acquaintance of two gentlemen already promi- nent, but destined to reach still higher eminence in public life, and whom their opponents dubbed "George Brown's lieutenants," in consequence of the close political and personal intimacy existing between the three gentlemen. These were Mr. Alexander Mackenzie, M.P.P. for Lambton, and Mr. Archibald McKellar, M.P.P. for Kent. They were invited to North Waterloo to oppose the Hon. Mr. • There was a good deal of conviviality among some of the leading public men at the seat of Government at this period, and it was com- mon report that the Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald's action in this matter arose from these grounds. Mr. McGee at this time joined the Conservative party, and never afterwards acted with the Reformers. Mr. Foley did not survive many years, ha>-ing died quite suddenly at his home in the town of Simcoe, on the gth April, 187a He was bom in Sligo, Ireland, in 1819, and was only in his fifty-first year. 20 1 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Foley's re-election as Postmaster-General, and con- sented to do so. As already stated, Mr. Foley had long been a prominent Reformer, and for several months the parliamentary leader of the party, but \ as persuaded at this time by the Hon. John A. Macdonald to throw in his lot with his old political opponents. The Conservative leader, as has already appeared, was one of the adroitest of party tacticians, and a good story was long current apropos of his inter- view With the member fbr North Waterloo when he agreed to join the Tachd-Macdonald Administration. Having sent for the latter to meet him in one of the upper rooms of the Parliament Buildings, "John A.," as he was almost universally called, proposed without any circumlocution that Mr. Foley should accept the Postmaster-Generalship in the new Cabinet. Whether from the suddenness of the offer, or some qualms at the thought of finally leaving hi.s old political friends, Mr. Foley temporarily hesitated. He asked questions, and particularly insisted on knowing what the policy of the new Administration was to be. Slapping his interrogator on the knee with his open hand, in his usual off-hand, impulsive way, Mr. Macdonald is reported to have replied : " D n it, Foley, join the Government, and then help to make the policy." This story was generally regarded as correct, and a characteristic illustration of the tactful, persuasive way in which the Conservative leader sue* ceeded in bringing so many of his party intrigues to a successful termination. aoa THE UNION DOOMED- DEADLOCK AGAIN In justice to Mr. Foley, it -^yu^ht to be mentioned, that from the formation of the Macdonald-Dorion Ministry he frequently acted in opposition to the Reform party, but this in no way decreased the ferment in North Waterloo when he appeared for re-election. There was a complete boulex'ersement throughout the riding. The Reformers were now the Postmaster-General's opponents ; the Con.serva- Hves, his friends. The former promptly placed Mr Isaac Bowman, of Waterloo village, in the field, as Mr. Foley's opponent, and a very exciting election resulted. The Postmaster-General was assisted by two of his fellow-ministers, Messrs. Gait and D'Arcy McGee, who, however, only attended a few meetings- Mr. Bowman, by Messrs. Mackenzie and McKellar' who held meetings in all the principal parts of the riding. As I was asked to take part at soipe of the meet- ings, I became well acquainted with the two latter gentlemen. They appeared at many meetings to- gether, and were decidedly the best informed, most thorough and successful political stumpers I had ever heard up to that time. ' Both were then in the prime of life, evidently manly men, and quite unostenta- tious, but posses.sed of great energy of mind and body. Both were fair debaters, which too many stumpers are not. and discus.sed political questions on their merits, but the opponent who found himself sandwiched in between the two at a public meeting soon discovered he had got into a very tight place. Mr. Mackenzie occasionally indulged in a little dry 203 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Scotch humour, but Mr. McKellar possessed a great fund of humour of a broader character, and as his handsome face, when speaking, was almost constantly wreathed in good-natured smiles, his audiences were often convulsed with laughter by his droll and humor- ous hits and sallies. The Hon. Mr. Foley was also a very able platform speaker, witty as well as eloquent, with the happy Irish faculty of getting the laugh upon his opponent. He made an enei^etic fight, and his new Con- servative friends did their best to assi t him, but his sudden change of political position made it almost impossible for him to suc- ceed in carrying North Waterloo at that time, and the stirring contest re- sulted in his defeat by a majority of 163. Long years afterwards, when residing in the city of Hamilton as the sheriff of Wcntworth, Mr. McKel- lar told me a capital story of his colleague, Mr. Mac- kenzie, the embryo Premier of the Dominion, which occurred at the village of St. Jacob's during this election, and which, so far as I know, has never before appeared in print They had held a meeting in the village the pre- vious evening, and sometime during the night the ao4 ALEXANDER MACKENZIE THE UNION DOOMED-DEADLOCK AGAIN inmates of the hotel at which they stopped were aroused by a small but noisy party of Conservative canvassers from the county town. It was not till to- wards morning that the racket ceased and sleep became possible. Mr. Mackenzie was then, as after- wards, an early riser, and when he came down stairs at six o'clock am., he found a roaring fire in the big box stove in the hall, but not a soul stirring about — the hostler, who had kindled the fire, having gone to the stable to at- tend to the horses. At the same moment his eyes alighted upon what ap- peared to be a large bundle of newspapers carefully tied up. On examination, however, this proved to be a rabid political campaign sheet, headed " Facts for the Irish electors ! — Black Record of the Grit Party I !" etc., etc. This campaign material had been care- lessly thrown down in a comer on the arrival of the lively party now deeply immersed in sleep upstairs. Chuckling with merriment. Mr. Mackenzie thus described to Mr. McKellar what then happened. He said : " I remembered that it was one of the un- doubted rights of belligerents to capture and destroy any of the enemy's munitions of war which fell in their way. The fortunes of war had placed within ao5 ARCHIBALD McKBLLAR PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA our grasp some of the enemy's most dangerous weapons, and weapons, too, not of a very legitimate character-dum-dum bullets, as it were. I determined, therefore, to exercise our belligerent rights as to con- fiscation, which I immediately proceeded to carry out by openmg the big stove door and thrusting the huge bundle mto the roaring flames ! Then I went out for a long, peaceful walk through the quiet little village and out into the green fields and woods adjoining.' until the hour for breakfast slowly came round " *^hat became of this campaign thunder remained an unfathomable mystery for many long years, and as the then aged Sheriff" recounted the circumstances of IS magic disappearance, he laughed until the tears fairly ghstened in his eyes. When Parliament reassembled on the 3rd May after a recess of five weeks, the Tach^-Macdonald Government found themselves minus their Postmas- ter-General. as well as considerably weakened by the stern opposition which almost every Minister met TaJ"?. ^r"^."*'"^ '^''"^'^ ^°^ re-election. Mr. bandfield Macdonald was extremely bitter at his opponents, particularly Attorney-General Macdonald for what he considered the factious and unscrupulous opposition they had given his Administration, and he openly declared war to the knife against the new Ministry. It was promptly assailed, therefore, with a vote of non-confidence, and only escaped defeat by a majority of two. ^ At this point the Hon. George Brown, in an earnest but conciliatory speech, made his customary annual motion m favour of constitutional changes, calling ao6 THE UNION DOOMED-DEADLOCK AGAIV special attention to the helpless position of the late and present Governments, and pressing strongly upon committee to consider the relations of the two pro- vinces, and to report upon the constitutional changes necessary to put an end to the troubles hJrvI^^'l'^''^'! °"' y^^' ^^'''^' ^^^' '"^^^n would have been bitterly assailed and voted down. But many had at last awakened to the alarming dangers threatening the countiy. and the motion wL carff^ and was referred to a special committee, if not .'om- pns.ng "all the talents." at least embraci;g fifteen'f he foremost men in the House. It was composed as follows: Messrs. J. A. Macdonald. Cartie^ Gait. Chapais Turcotte. McGee, J. H. Cameron. Street Brown J. S. Macdonald. Holton. Mowat. Macdougall.' and^: ^: "' p'f '^^'^ '''' ^•^'^^ Conservatives and last seven Reformers. Whilst Mr. Brown's Constitutional Committee were House The Opposition promptly moved another voteofcensureonthe Government on the ,4th I ii^J^ r ! ^'"'''^'■' ^'- ^^'^' »»*d advanced $100,000 from the public chest to redeem certain bonds given by the city of Montreal to the Atlantic Grin T ro''. ^"'^"^^ ^°- 'r*^"^ bond" the Grand Trunk Railway Co. subsequently agreed to been made to the latter company. This had been done without the sanction or knowledge of Parlia mcnt.and Mr. Dorion very p„,perly mov^ to con- ao7 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA demn the transaction. Mr Gait warmly defended the course he had pursued, but the defection of two of their supporters, Mr. Dunkin and Mr. Rankin, led to the defeat of the Government by a vote of 60 to 58. Rather strange to say, on the very day this vote of censure was carried, Mr. Brown, as the chairman of the Constitutional Committee, submitted the result of their deliberations in the shape of an able and care- fully prepared report The minute in regard to this famous report is given in our parliamentary records as follows : , •|Mr. Brown— From the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the important subjects embraced in a despatch to the Colonial Minister, addressed to him on the 2nd day of February, 1859, by the Hon. G. E. Cartier, the Hon. A. T. Gait and the Hon. John Rose, then members of the Executive Council of this pro- vince, while in London acting on behalf of the Gov- ernment of which they were members, in which they declared that 'very grave difficulties now present themselves in conducting the Government of Canada in such a manner as to show due regard to its numer- ous population.' That ' differences exist to an extent which prevents any perfect and complete assimilation of the views of the two sections.' That ' the progress of population has been more rapid in the western section, and claims are now made on behalf of its inhabitants for giving them representation in the Legislature in proportion to their numbers' That 'the result is shown by an agitation fraught with great danger to the peaceful and harmonious work- ing of our constitutional system, and consequently detrimental to the progress of the Province.' That ' the necessity of providing a remedy for a state of things that is yearly becoming worse, and of allaying feelings that are daily being aggravated by the ao8 THE UNION DOOMED— DEADLOCK AGAIN contentions of political parties, has impressed the itiTJ^ ^^: Majesty's representative in Canada with the importance of seeking such a mode of deal- ng with these difficulties as may for ever remove them, and the best means of remedying the evils therein set forth '-presented to the HousI the report ^^.J'l^.^^'^ Committee, which was as follows : That the Committee have held eight sittings, and have endeavoured to find some solution for existing difficulties hkely to receive the assent of both sections of the Province. A strong feeling was found to exist among the menribers of the Committee in favour of changes in the direction of the federative system, ap- plied either to Canada alone, or to the whole British Anierican provinces, and such progress has been made as to warrant the committee in recommending that the subject be again referred to a committee It the next session of Parliament. All of which is re.spect. fully submitted."-GEORGE Brown, CAatrwan. The political situation was now critical— almost dramatic. The latest new Government was again shattered. Deadlock was King again! And what was Lord Monck and his advisers to do? A suc- cessful reconstruction of the Government was impos- sible. A dissolution and a new general election might make a temporary change in the strength of the two political parties, but would bring no perma- nent relief to the now distracted country. After hours of consideration, however, the Tach^-Macdon- aid .ninisters saw no other course but to advise Lord Monck to dissolve Parliament again, to which His Excellency, after considerable hesitation, gave his consent Preparations were already begun for this purpose, when the dangerous crisis suddenly took a most unexpected turn. '4 aoq CHAPTER XVIII BROWN AND MACDONALD PATRIOTICALLY UNITE TO CARRY CONFEDERATION If there was one man in Parliament who, by long, unswerving advocacy, had done more than any other to make government impossible until justice was done to Upper Canada, or who was more anxious than any other to find a constitutional remedy which would restore peace and prosperity to both provinces —that man was George Brown. That gentleman saw clearly the possibilities of the existing political crisis, and like a true statesman he rose equal to the occasion. The day after the defeat of the Conservative Minis- try, he approached two of its most influential sup- porters, Messrs. James Morris, of Lanark, and John H. Pope, of Compton, and frankly stated to them his views. He earnestly pressed them to see their minis- terial friends and urge upon them the importance of utilizing the crisis to " forever settle the constitutional difficulties between Upper and Lower Canada " by the adoption of a Federal constitution as suggested in the special Committee's report. He declared at the same time, with equal frankness, that he would 210 BROWN AND MACDONALD UNITE co-operate with and assist the present or any other Government which in this way earnestly sought io bnng about a final and satisfactory settlement of th^ difficulties now distracting the country. wJnottw ''""Ti^". '^" P"^ °^ '^^ ^^f"*-"^ '-^der few of h. r T^ '^'"' P"""'" consultation with a few of his chief supporters. But to all others it was r. '"TTu^ "' '' ^^^ unexpected, and aZl astounded both Parliament and \he country TWs cTanZrt'/^: '' '--d-tely and completely changed the whole dangerous political situation Messrs. Morns and Pope, with Mr. Brown's per- missiorj. promptly communicated his message to The Hon John A. Macdonald and Mr. Gait Thise gentlemen were already busying themselves with the the^;l„r'"' elections, but quickly apprehended «^e importance and po. ibilities of Mr Brown's message and promise of assistance. Only two days before, at the last meeting of the special committ^ on constitutional changes. Mr. Macdonald dedne" emT ? "^'' '"" '^^°"^ °' ^ ^^^-^' Union as a remedy for existing difficulties. But this did not for a moment prevent him. on receipt of Mr. Brown's message, and after the defeat of^he Government Zkt::iT7 ^'^ -T''"'^^ °^ '^^ reconstruS widi the federal prmciple as its chief comer-stone The position of the Constitutional Committee on the questior; of Federation had been as follows : After ri^^^ I provinces. Mr. Brown drew up the report already given, in which the Committee decWd 211 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA . , r .11 themselves " in favour of changes in the direction of a Federative Union, applied either to Canada alone or to the whole of British America." Besides Mr. Brown, Mr. Mowat, and Mr. Macdougall, Messrs. Gait, McGee, Cartier and Turcotte warmly advocated the adoption of the report, and I often heard Mr. Brown say that nothing surprised him more on the first day the Committee met, than to find that a French Canadian, the Hon. Mr. Turcotte, who had not long before spoken of wading knee-deep in blood rather than submit to Reprfesent«'.t5on by Population, was one of the very first, as soon a 3 the door of the room was locked, to declare that the war between Upper and Lower Canada must now cease, and that he would support the remedy proposed. When the Committee came io decide, the proposi- tion in favour of a Federal Union was almost unani- mously carried. Out of the fifteen prominent Cana- dians who composed the Committee, Messrs. John A. Macdonald, John Sandfield Macdonald and John Scoble were the only members who declined to sub- scribe to the report. But the Government had been defeated since then, and its master-spirit, the Hon. John A. Macdonald, quickly perceiving the rising tide in favour of con- stitutional changes, and always alive to the import- ance of keeping in his own hands the reins of Gov- ernment, made one of those adroit political changes which marked more or less all his public career. As in 1854 he gave up his opposition to the settle- ment of the Clei^y Reserves, Seignorial Tenure and 313 BROWN AND MACDONALD UNITE K '^"'^t.^'''^"'''^ ^°"""" questions, as proposed by Mr. H.nclcs, when the latter's aid enabled him to form a Coalition Ministry to carry these reforms out so now m 1864. after long holding office as the chief opponent of constitutional changes, he became the supporter of the Federal Union of Canada or of all Bntish America, as proposed by Mr. Brown, when the latter, like Mr. Hincks. promised him the aid necessary to form another Coalition Ministry to carry the measure through. Many of Mr. Macdonald's admirers consider his change of attitude on these occasions as among his highest claims to statesmanship.' His opponents, on the other hand, have cited them as evidence that he was a mere opportunist, who was not particular what his policy was so long as it enabled hi m to control Ja "r'^Un'Ilt 1: """i't-^" - »>« !-«''-• "-as his motto. XT. 7 "'^ unthinking plodder who launches his skiff when the w.nds and the tides set against him. Mr. (let us sa^st Jotn wJh hiTaTry '''^°'"'' only puts out when the'cu^ent i^ with him and the 'furrows follow free.' . Thi* h.. k^ o John M«:donald's pre-eminence: and if standing ^LtTyt"a!d w^ing Ull public opinion is ready for him to I^uCeie'^e^ 2^Tr.Ll~7'"!!!;."*''"~°" °' ^'^ *'"«SHng provinces, is^ be a creature of expediency, then such a creature in a superlative .h?r " M "~""'' P'°P°*^ °^ - C"'"^'- MacdonaldTw w« .he^urable turn to the tide, which had up to that hour set adT^T •• Becau^ h« efforts for Union before would only have hZ^ hJiJi' 7^il'^~' f-"^ - the project, he hai. up to this h^ held aloof; because his exertions now could be turned to trinmnK k .^ !!^"f'^' -novement. halUng not. or flagging not. as^ •hall see. till his ideal .victory was won."-'./,/* ^CaJ^'^Z •«3 I \ i \ I ! ! 1 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA, the Government and dispense the patronage.* Much might be said on both sides of this question, but I content myself with stating the circumstances as fairly as I may be able, leaving each political side and the general reader to draw their own conclusions. After the message of the Reform leader had been duly communicated to the Government, Mr. Brown was asked if he would consent to meet Messrs. Mac- donald and Gait and discuss the subject. He con- sented, and these gentlemen waited upon him at the St. Louis Hotel on the 17th May, when the whole political situation was considered. The result of this and of subsequent interviews was the formation of the most powerful coalition government in Canadian history, which terminated the prolonged strife and bitterness between Upper and Lower Canada, and finally led to the Federal Union of all the provinces of British America under the name of " The Do- minion of Canada "—one of the most enlightened and beneficent measures of ancient or modern times. "The first day of July, 1867, saw the great reform accomplished for which Mr. Brown had toiled so many years, and saw also the Con- servatives, who opposed it to the last, now reaping the fruit of their opponents' labours. Thenceforward Mr. Macdonald w ould be able to boast he was the father of Confederation, on the same ground that he boasted of carrying the measure to secularize the Clergy Reserve lands. He strongly opposed both measures, on principle, as long as it was pos- sible to do so, and then joined the men who initiated and carried forward the movement of both, and declared the work was his own. Having no great work of his own to boast about, he bravely plucks the laurel from the brows of the actual combat lU and real victors, and fastens it on his own head."-" Life and Speeches of the Hon. George Brown," by the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, M.P., page 107. 214 BROWN AND MACDONALD UNITE What innumerable difficulties had to be overcome to accomphsh this noble achievement of Canadian statesmanship only the chief actors fully understood. At the first interview of Messrs. Brown. Macdonald and Gait they seemed almost insurmountable The first named gentleman wanted the Conservative Gov- ernment to cariy out the constitutional changes pro- posed ano he would pledge them the support of himself and his Reform friends in doing so. Mr Macdonald wanted a coalition ministry, with Mr* Brown as the chief Reform representative, and in takmg this stand I consider he was wise, for the country as well as himself. That Mr. Brown at first did not contemplate, and was Sincerely desirous to avoid, taking office with his old political opponents, admits of no doubt whatever He would never have done so had not a lar^e majority of the Reform caucus insisted upon it He was warmly attached to his Lower Canadian allies especially Messrs. Holton and Dorion. and it pained him to think even of temporary separation from them ; but it is well known that the principal diffi- culty in the way of uniting the two great Reform and Conservative leaders in one Cabinet-which both gentlemen doubtless felt— was not simply their long political rivaliy. but the personal animosity which had previously existed between them, and which neither had taken much pains to disguise. This led Mr. Brown to say in his frank, blunt way at their first interview, that nothing but the gravity of the crisis and the absolute necessity of settling the 215 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA constitutional difficulties endangering their country could justify them in meeting together for common political action. To this Mr. Macdonald assented, and although probably neither of them was ever able to foi^ct the past, they nobly rose superior to their personal feelings when this grave crisis in the affairs of Canada demanded it, and patriotically united to restore peace and prosperity to their now distracted country. In temporarily coalescing for this special purpose there is no reason tb doubt that both Mr. Brown and Mr. Macdonald, each from his own standpoint, acted from principles of patriotism, and that the union of these two great political rivals and their respective parties in the Coalition Government of 1864, with the avowed policy of terminating the Canadian dead- lock and bringing about the Confederation of British America, will forever remain one of the grandest triumphs of Canadian statesmanship, as well as an illustrious example of how the most bitter political opponents may sometimes patriotically combine for the good of their common country. Five days after the first interview, on the 22nd June, all the preliminary difficulties had been over- come, and Attorney-General Macdonald read to Parliament a full memorandum of the n^^tiations day by day between the Government and Mr. Brown, which he followed with the formal announcement that a coalition administration had been agreed upon to bring about constitutional changes, and whose ai6 BROWN AND MACDONALD UNITE policy was more specifically defined in the following memorandum agreed upon by the contracting parties: «.llPf Government are prepared to pledge them- selves to brmg m a measure next session for the our- Sf'l-i T°''.'"? f^'>*'"8^ difficulties by introducing the federal principle into Canada, coupled with such fhT'^Tif Sfr ^''^ ?«••!"'' the Maritime Provinces and the North- West Territory to be incorporated into the wTJJft r °^ g,°^«"'"'ent And the Government will seek, by sending representatives to the Lower Provinces and England, to secure the assent of those nterests which are beyond the control of our own rSI- t m"*J? a^"''*'. * "™^*^"'"^ ^« '"ay enable all British North America to be united under a genera legislature based on the federal principle." This important announcement* was not made to the Houses of Parliament without some murmurs of dissent, but it had the support of the overwhelming majority of both the Reform and Conservative parties The Cabinet changes, at Mr. Brown's request, were postponed till the session closed, but the recently defeated Government was now all-powerful, and they vigorously pressed through the supplies and other necessary sessional business. They were able to adjourn Parliament on the 30th June. On the same day the famous Coalition Cabinet was formed. The Hon. Messrs. Foley . Buchanan and • As the ipeech of the Hon. George Brown,' immedkiely aAer thi. wnouncement w« amde to ParlUment. throw, much light on the PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Simpson resigned their offices, and Messrs. Brown, Mowat and Macdougall, as representatives of the Reform party, took their places. The gentlemen composing the Cabinet and the offices they held were as follows : Upper Canada.— Hon. John A. Macdonald, Attorney General West ; Hon. George Brown, Presi- dent of the Council ; Hon. Oliver Mowat, Postmaster- General ; Hon. William Macdougall, Provincial Secretary; Hon. Alexander Campbell, Commissioner of Crown Lands ; Hoiy. James Cockbum, Solicitor- General West Lower Canada.— Hon. Sir Etienne P. Tach^, Premier and Receiver-General; Hon. George E. Cartier, Attorney-General East ; Hon. Alexander T. Gait, Minister of Finance; Hon. J. C. Chapais, Com- missioner of Public Works; Hon. T. D. McGee, Minister of Agriculture ; Hon. Hector L. Langevin, Solicitor-General East This unexpected turn of the political crisis and the rapid march of events ending in the formation of this Confederation Government, in many respects the most celebrated in Canadian history, naturally astounded both Parliament and people. According to the historian Dent, " the announcement that George Brown and John A. Macdonald were to sit side by side in the same Cabinet" quite "electrified" the country. Nor were grumblers absent Some old-time Con- servatives gravely shook their heads, and some Reformers found fault with Mr. Brown for entering ai8 V X- BROWN AND MACDONALD UNITE S'o!;'"h *■"■'' °*''r ""'"«'" ■■' *ould have hi h ", T! '"' '^^o™ """"ters instead of of^- r Z "'='' ''"'»™ !«= did ask for six members of the Cabmet, but he was not supported bv tf,^ upon a,e concession would have jeopaidized and m«ht W ruined the whole movemint NotrnthstanUmg some criticism, as soon as the v^^^saSacT '"^ /r "" ™^P"'^ "-" "*- ™^„ -^ ^ r "^ '^' "' *' P"«P<«« of forever ^tmg „d of the wretched sectional di^ulties wS had so long distracted ti,e two p^Wnces, and a .rave of popularity for the Coalition Government i l^ ^".t^nsetmsostrenglyastosweep .^th^i aiy CHAPTER XIX HORACE GREELEY AND HENRY WARD BEECHER Whilst these important political events were transpiring at Ottawa, I left Gait early in June on a voyage to Great Britd|n. partly to inc.;ase my slender ^Z T J '"^^ '*°^" ^^^ "»^«°" River from Albany to New York, one of the most enchanting bi^ of scemc lovelmess in the world, and which no tourist should ever m.ss. New York in 1864 was not the New York o 1900. but it was even then the Ameri! the" Nettt"' ''' ''''^' ^"' ^-"^-^ ^^y - camn! ^f u"" ^" '*'" •^•"^- ^he presence of camps and soldiers in and near New York told that th. N Vk 1 r°'^ ^"'^ ""' '" ^^-^"g'y '" favour of of I^res^d^^^^^^^ fhat -onstrous crime, the assassination The nation, and especially New York, its commer- ^tn^"L"'' tired of war and camag; and hoj^ St ^"''"^'"^ ^** P^*^« <=°"W not be far no r"""/*"? *'."'^' '*'"^ ^^ "° B'-«>klyn Bridge, no Croton Aqueduct, no overhead Railway, no Grwit aso HORACE GREELEY AND BEECHER monument, no colossal Statue of Liberty in the centre of its magnificent harbour, as if beckoning the commerce of the world to enter, and no Boss Tweed or Tammany Hall. Union Square was still the centre of the city, Pnntmg and Court House Square yet innocent of modem sky-scrapers, and the grim old Astor House then at the zenith of its fame and There is much to learn and enjoy in New York, but as.de from its mcomparable location as a worlds commercial metropolis, and the vastness of its com- merce. probably the two strongest impressions made on my mind at the time were the daily scrimmage between the Bulls and Bears of Wall Street. vrhL wild exclamations and gestures savoured of bedlam Central Park promised and Greenwood Cemetery had already attained. K Hi'' u*^ { "P*""' '" Greenwood Cemetery could hardly have been more beautiful. It was nigh the middle of June, and Nature was at its meridian splen- dour This was my first visit, and although Green- wood ha3 developed since then, and now rivals the ^^T\ 7 ^. ^^"' °^ ^*"^ '^""^ ^^ failed to obliterate the vision of natural artistic beauty it pre- ^nted to my untutored Canadian eyes at that time. Passing through the stately, elegant entrance, what a gorgeous panorama of luxuriant, closely-shaven grass, noble specimens of the sculptor's art. miniature lakes and artistic fountains, rare and beautiful trees and shrubs, and millions of roses and other flowers in aai V PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA full bloom, burst upon the sight! It was at oncev enchanting, elevating and solemnizing, and these feel- ings mcreased when it was found that many hundreds of acres were thus artistically ornamented, forests of leaves, flowers and berries overhanging and bordering innuKierable avenues and i aths, the former of which furnish long and delightful drives, whilst the latter gracefully meandering, conduct the visitor to more secluded and still lovelier scenes. At one moment you pass over verdant and sunny lawns, now through park-like groves, and anon by a contrasting bit of tangled forest Now you are in the dell, with Its still waters, its overhanging shade and Its calm repose. Then you look from the hilltop upon the imperial city, with its queen-like daughter on the bay-so beautiful and life-like-down into the quiet rural hamle^ or beyond it, to the distant ocean. In gazing upon these beauties of Greenwood, at once so great a contrast and so creditable to the living New ™ *"°''.;*^« "^^' the majesty and sweetness of William Cullen Bryant's famous lines strike one with peculiar force : "Thou, God, art here : thou fillest The solitude. Thou art in the soft winds That run along the summit of the trees In music Thou art in the cooler breath That, from the inmost darkness of this place Cwiies, scarcely felt ; the barky trees, the ground, TJi^.fresh moist earth, are all instinct with Thee. Here is continual worship ; nature here. In the tranquility that Thou dost love, Enjoys Thy presence." 22a HORACE GREELEY AND BEECHER Among the famous Americans of that day two who had come early to New York I desired especially to see. They were both men of marked originality personally different but both characteristically AmeX' can-ongmal, New Worid types-whose genius was already recognized in Europe as in their nSve land wtd/rheT" ^''' Horace Greeley and Henry What an able, kind-hearted, unsuspecting man Mr Greeley was ! Having requested anTtervlew. I was conducted up stair after stair to a room near the roof of the Tndune build- ing, where in the most un- conventional manner I was ushered into his presence. The Tribune's famous editor was writing, and the room and his table were littered with blue books, newspapers, et cetera, but his collar and tie were not all awry, nor his straw hat so shapeless as some of the popular pictures of the day represented them L^h A ^"^ °'"/"" ^^"'■^^^ ^"^^"^^ apparently healthy and strong, but what struck me most was the wonderfully open, free, kind-hearted expression of his eyes and face. His actions immediately confirmed this. The moment he learned I was a newspaper man trom Canada on my way to Britain, he treated me as 323 HORACE GRBELBY PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA if I were a friend whom he had known all his life^ the utter absertce of all reserve on his part at once surpr«mg and attracting me. This I afterwards in^ r °"^ °^ ^'' ""^'^ ^'"■•''"g characteristics, plications °" '"""^ occasions into unpleasant com ' After the exchange of a few commonplaces, he suddenly sa.d : " Mr. Young. I am glad you call J^ 1 wish to send over a copy of my work on the Civil War m America to John Bright in England, and. if not too much trouble. I will be 'pleased if you w take It over with you and deliver it." "It is the very thing I would like. Mr. Greeley." I replied after a moment's surprise at this unexpected request of a gentleman of only five minutes' acquaint- "Well," he continued, "will you sit here a few Z^M "« I. ? "^^ ^°^" *° "^y bookbinder's.. I want Mr. Brighfs copy bound and gilt in a special manner, and if he can get it done in time I will^nd it over with you." After a short absence Mr. Greeley returned shghtly breathless fi^m his hasty movement up ho e long flights of stairs, and it was arranged that I was to call on the following Friday when he hoped the bool, carefully prepared^and wr' p^L up would be placed in my possession ^' wit^RcT^ 7 ^f ' *"^ P*^"^ ™y *^"'y' '"terview ^th Horace Greeley. When I called again, theday that the bookbinder, after promising to do his best, aa4 HORACE GREELEY AND BEECHER found him^If unable in so short a time to get the book bound and ornamented as Mr. Greeley desired and so after all I did not have the pleasu'^e o^ so tavourable an mtroduction to Mr. Bright My respect for and interest in Mr. Greeley were greatly deepened by this interview. I had Len a X ml .T' °r ''^ ""''"^-^ •" ''^^ ^-^«-' -hich to my library. Knowing now that he possessed a unique and lovable personality, and desiri^ to know more of h.s career, the story of his life was^btaine^ and read with avidity. The particulars of his boy- hood and early hardships were found exceedingly s nkjng. and especially his youthful wanderings from h,s birA-place, at Amherst. New Hampshire, until' he reached the great city of New York, on th^ i8 h August, 1831, with little but his old faded red bundle on a stick across his shoulder, and a few bright rays of ambition and hope in his heart. ^ The man and his career alike deeply impressed me and brought to mind the stoo^ of Dick Whittington and h.s cat on their way to London, for the ris^ of Horace Greeley from a poor homeless boy on the streets of New York until he founded and edited the most influential of American newspapers, was equal to. ,f It did not surpass, the achievement of Whitting- ton in becoming the Lord Mayor of London. Only ability, industry and enterprise of a high order-1 amounting in fact to genius-could accomplish such Poor Greeley! His future was destined not to '5 aa5 PUBLIC MEN ANP PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA pass unclouded. His famous article addressed to the rebellious States just before the war began, "vWay- ward sisters, go in peace," and his more famous jour- ney to Richmond, Virginia, after General Lee had surrendered to Grant, to sign the bail bonds of the rebel President, Jefferson Davis,* were both highly natural and characteristic of the man, but they sur- prised and annoyed his political friends. And when, in 1872, he accepted a nomination for the Presidency of the United States from the Cincin- nati Convention, which was a combination of all those disgruntled with the Federal administration during the war, he severed the ties which had so long and so closely bound him to the Republican party. Thou- sands of Republicans, nevertheless, voted against him with deep regret. His subsequent defeat was a trial, but one which politicians do not generally take very seriously; but I recollect few events which struck me as being more painfully sad than the fact, that when Horace Greeley, staggering under the wreck of his presidential ambition, wanted to resume the manage- • When in the city of Richmond, the ca{uUl of Virginia, during th( winter of 1894, I found these Greeley bail bonds for Jefferson Davis fittingly franaed, hanging in one of the rooms of the fiimous eld capito of that Sute. The coloured usher took special delight in pointinj them out. Among numerous other curiosities in the ancient building which the Virginians will not allow to be removed on account of it numerous historical associations, there are on its walls portraits c every Governor Virginia ever had, commencing with the British, fol lowed by those of the Republic after 1776, then the Southerners durin the Civil War, and now those of the United States again. Richmon and its old capitol are full of interest to tourists. aa6 HORACE GREELEY AND BEECHER ment of the Triiune— the paper he had founded and which was to him as the apple of his eye— he was coldly told that a aew managing editor had been appointed by the directors of the company, and his services were no longer required ! This was " the unkindest cut of all," indeed, a stag- gering blow at a critical time, and poor Greeley retired to his farm at Chappaqua with a broken heart, which, to the deep and lasting regret of the nation, in less than a month resulted in his death. " Follow the crowd " is the advice, it is said, Henry Ward Beecher once gave to a stranger who, hastily passing him, inquired the way to Plymouth Church. This story, like hundreds of others about the great American divine, was doubtless apochryphal, but I acted somewhat on that principle on the Sunday morning spent in New York at this time, and soon found myself seated in a forward pew of Plymouth Church, all anxious to see and hear its renowned pastor. The church was spacious and comfortable, but there were some surprises. I was surprised at its plainness, particularly of the outside; at the reverent, devout attitude of the vast congregation, the united and hearty ascriptions of praise which made the chamber re-echo, and, more striking than all, the quiet, unostentatious manner in which Mr. Beecher, straw hat in hand, ascended the stairs and took his seat in the pulpit. I had pictured a different bearing, and when I found that his every movement at ^he sacred desk, his reading of the Gospel and hymns, 227 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA i ! i i and his prayers, were conspicuously simple — the elegant simplicity of art — my surprise, and, I may add, my admiration increased. The text of his sermon was i Peter 3:18, and his theme was " The Vicarious Sufferings of Christ" It was a masterpiece. This was not from its manner of delivery. He seemed to make no effort at oratory, and only rose three or four times into the r^ion of eloquence, but this flashed out so suddenly and naturally that the listener was impressed with the immense reserve power which the great preacher evidently possessed and which only needed the proper occasion to call it forth. The sermon was masterly because of its high plane and tone, the highly intellectual, original and reverent manner in which he handled this greatest of Christian themes, and the convincing, elevating and spiritualizing les- sons he drew from it It was thoroughly orthodox, and left impressions on my mind which the lapse of time has failed to erase, and which remain fresh and wholesome and pleasing to this hour. As the service drew to a close, Mr. Beecher for the first time relaxed. He read an announcement that the congregation would hold a social meeting on a certain evening, to which all the members were in- vited. Looking up, a humorous smile illuminating his expressive eyes and face, he said : " There is no reference to strawberries and cream in the announce- ment, but I suppose they are eloquently understood" And then, as if the thought had just occurred to him — which was likely the case — he exclaimed : " Ah ! fli8 HORACE GREELEY AND BEECHER it is a different thing being a Christian nowadays compared with the days when I was a boy. Then the devil's children got nearly all the world's gwxl things. But now we are not afraid to snatch a little fruit off our Father's trees, and it ain't stealing neither! " This sally caused an audible smile throughout the vast audience, but as the parting hymn of praise resounded in thunderous tones throughout the church, I felt that neither the solemnity of the service nor the piety of the people had suffered from the humorous words which had escaped from the lips r/ this greatest of America's preacher After hearing this se.«ion of Henry Ward Beecher's I believed then, as now, that no man could preach such a discourse without being a genuine Christian. So strong was this impression that I never believed the scandals alleged against Mr. Beecher in after years, and a circumstance related to me by the Rev. J. K. Smith, D.D., for twenty years pastor of Knox Church, Gait, tended to confirm this view. Dr. Smith was in New York whilst the city was agitated by the Beecher-Tilton charges. One even- Ing an unusually large and Influential meeting took place in one of the principal churches, represcntotives of all the evangelical bodies being present The large platform was crowded with clergymen, among them my informant. Just before the hour to begin, Henry Ward Beecher quietly took his place upon the platform. His reception was cold. Several clergymen did not recognife him at all, others seemed to be otherwise engaged, and some who did spe-tk 939 I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA to him seemed to do so in a hasty, perfunctory way. . ■ "I felt much sympathy for Mr. Beecher," said Dr. Smith, in relating the circumstances to me, " the cold- ness displayed towards him by his fellow-ministers being so marked and chilling. But towards the close of the meeting." to give the Doctor's description in his own words .\s nearly as I can recollect them, " Mr. Beecher was requested by the chairman to pray,' and as his appeal ascended to our Heavenly Father, it seemed— as lightning storms do— to completely change the atmosphere around us. It was reverent and elevated in tone, so appropriate to the occasion, so deeply spiritual in sentiment and language, and withal so tender and loving towards God and man, that the clerical ice began to melt, and before M.' Beecher closed not a few of the ministers and many of the audience were in tears. And when the bene- diction was pronounced, with few exceptions his fellow-ministers— a few minutes before so cold and suspicious— crowded around and shook hands with Mr. Beecher, thus assuring him of their continued respect and attachment" " The citiiens of the United States," wrote a British tourist on his return home, "are composed of three classes : the good, the bad, and the Beechers." Henry Ward Beecher was certainly cast in an original mould, and was undoubtedly sui gentris. But after hearing him several times on the platform and in the pulpit. In my humble judgment he was the greatest and most characteristic orator of the HORACE GREELEY AND BEECHER American type, not excepting Webster. Wendell Ph.ll.ps or Blaine, which the United States has pro- duced. And as to the efforts of persecutors to tarnish h.s great reputation, during all the long years which have since elapsed I never once heard him maligned that the memory of that sermon on the vicarious suf- fenngs of Christ did not instantly rise into view to d.ss.pate any suspicion of his Christian character which may have momentarily flitted across my mind After lingering longer in New York than expected. I found myself in the good steamship Edinburgh, breasting the restless billows of the broad Atlantic- as in Sir A. Hunt's "Julian," "Watching the waves with all their white crests dancing." What a change for one who never before saw the u °^!?.°'' ""*"'* '^ "^'^y **'^^**» ' «y«>". in " Childe Harold, describes it as " the image of eternity," and as boundless, endless and sublime." It is certainly a revelation, awa! - g new and sublime emotions in the mind, and, aias, in loo many cases, emotions of a very different nature in another part of the human anatomy.^ Nevertheless, there is something grand, invigorating and inspiring in an ocean voyage, espe- cially in these favoured days when our modem steam- ships have become floating palaces containing every luxury and convenience which the heart of man can desire. Many a time in early days did I hear British emi- grants, newly arrived in Canada, tell in pathetic tones of their voyages by sailing-ships of ten. twelve and i I I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADi even fourteen weeks, with the numerous dangers an< hardships through which they had passed, v It tool us twelve days to cross in 1864, and voyages in th( average steamship then ranged from ten to fourteer But the trip can now be made in less than a week and when Canada completes its through railway sys tem to its most easterly port, Sydney or Louisbui^ Cape Breton, and the proposed fast steamship line ii established, it is within sight that the Atlantic voy age will be reduced below four days! And ever then possibility will not be exhausted. ajs i 11 CHAPTER XX MEMORIES OF A TOUR IN ENGLAND LIVERPOOL! I had caught pleasing glimpses of the coast of Ireland in passing, but it was not until we entered the Mersey and the magnificent harbour of what may be called the world's marine metropolis that It was realized we were in Great Britain. Two things imrtjediately arrested my attention The first was the extent, the massiveness and dura- bihty of Liverpool's docks. The blocks of stone were so immense, the entire docks so grandly massive, it seemed as if they had been constructed to last for- ever, and Macaulay's South Sea Islander would have a precious long time to wait if. after viewing the ruins of London Bridge and St Paul's, he lingered to see this colossal masonry crumble away. The second surprise was the immense number of ships of every class crowding the immense harbour. This was a magnificent sight, for besides the moving craft under sail and steam, there were hundreds of vessels of all kinds and sizes— at some wharves six and eight lying side by side-and a perfect forest of masts and spars stretched away as far as the vision extended. These were manned not alone by British tars, but by for- eigneni of every colour, speaking the languages and I ( :i I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANAD. flying the flags and colours of every maritime natio in the world. The vastness of Great Britain's shipping and com merce not to speak of the shipping and commerce o the whole worid, was unrealized by me until this vas and imposmg marine scene in Liverpool harbou burst mto view, and the mind gradually perceived al that It involved. To a Canadian "to the manner bom," accustomec to crooked fences and stumpy fields. Great Britair appears like a well-cultivated garden. This remark applies to Scotia's " brown heath and shaggy wood ' as it do« to Albion's rich plains or old Erin's greer hills. My first experience of the country was on the 1st of July. This proved one of summer's loveliest mornings, and at six o'clock I left Liverpool by rail for Kelso, Scotland, going up the west side of England vta Cariisle, a quaint old border city. This journey could never be forgotten. The pretty hedgerows, the odour of new-mown hay, the colour- ing wheat and other ripening crops, the orchards and gardens in gaudy colours, and the stately mansions and pretty cottages made up a «cene and atmosphere of pastoral beauty which cannot be realized without being witnessed. After a few weeks' rest at Kelso, I went down the easterly side of England via Newcastle, where I attended the famous annual show of the Royal Agri- cultural Society, the horses, cattle and sheep being a grand sight ; then passed on to the city of London and subsequently returned to Scotland by way of the 234 ii in MEMORIES OF A TOUR IN ENGLAND cities of Manchester and York, which afforded a fine view of the central portions of the country. Whether you go east, west or central, you find that all parts of England or Scotland (and the same IS true of Ireland) have reached almost the perfection of fertility and beauty. The scene from command- mg positions such as the tower of Windsor Castle in England or the turrets of Stirling Castle in Scotland, with richly laden, hedge-bound fields and heather- blooming braes extending on every side beyond the range of vision, is exceedingly enrapturing. And what quickens your interest and admiration of this natural beauty is the fact that almost every nook and valley is celebrated in history or romance. At one place in England you are shown where King John was forced to yield the Magna Charta to the angry barons ; at another, the cottage where the immortal Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway lived and loved Then it may be the famous field of Ban- nockbum where King Robert Bruce and Scotland Doon. which the sparkling genius of Robert Bums has endowed with undying fame. England. Scotland and Ireland, indeed, may be described as classic ^IT J *"" '' ^^'""^^y * ***•"'«* which the ardour of their divines, the deeds of their warriors, the writ- ings of their scholars, the songs of their poets or the eloquence of their statesmen have not rendered famous. This opens up a tempting field to the modem tour- 1st. but the scope of this work precludes doing more ^35 PUBLIC MEJf AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA than to notice briefly a few places and circumstances which were specially impressive. Foremost among these is the British metropohs. tSsleL II' T^-"^ '^^'^ °^ " ^^«^^*^°". with iovtf.^ f ^iT^^l^r '*" ^°^~"^ P*'*<^«« *"d shabby hovels^ ts beautiful parks and gardens and its crooked lanes and alleys, its richef and its ^^ver^l Its virtues and its vices. *~*c"y. One hour's stand on London Bridge at any hour of the day, or a walk down Cheapside or the Strand presents human life i„ all its varied phases S famous thoroughfares are a living pano^a of S^ Thir'ldr H °' "'^- ^' ''^ nobirmanThirC in his gilded chariot, and the street beggar wearv arTd s^'^i^ifTt' '° '°r '°^ ^*^^"^^' you mr^uTtT the woridland^'fiM P^^^^-the densest in the worid-^nd fill up every condition of life between the plethora of riches and excess of poverty N^ w^sta^ding this, thanks to its good^^McLn^." UscLtSntr "/°"fP'^"°"« among great cities for ^ cleanliness and order, and it justly may be said to be, commercially, the metropolis of the world the wholVT ^"'*°" ^^ "*""*^ «'^"'«*' ^ indeed the whole kingdom was. over the American war which was then culminating in the thrilling battlesTn sea and and. On the railways, in the hotels-^re^ r:»!!:!Z:!^^^^^hl^ universal topic, ^n^ 236 MEMORIES OF A TOUR IN ENGLAND way to London I had an animated discussion with a well-informed Englishman, who proved to be the travelling engineer of a large English machinery establishment, and whose views were thoroughly typi- cal of the state of British feeling among the masses of the people at that time. At the beginning of the war public opinion strongly preponderated in favour of the North. The aristocratic and ultra-Tory classes naturally opposed Democracy and Republicanism, but with such leaders as John Stuart Mill, John Bright and Richard Cobden, the masses of the British people were at first decidedly with Lincoln and the anti-slavery party. When Mason and Slidell, the representatives of the Southern Confederacy, however, arrived in England, they vigorously set to work to change all this. John Bull has always been true and touchy on two great questions— Free Trade and hatred of Slavery. The wily Southerners rubbed him briskly on both of these sensitive points. Soon the country was flooded with newspaper articles, pamphlets, and even books, to prove that the real object of the North was to force Protection on the Free Trade South, and, strange to say, the very Eman- cipation proclamation of President Lincoln, which, rightly understood, sounded the death-knell of slavery, was actually quoted as proof that neither Lincoln, nor Seward, nor the North cared anything about slavery, but to save the Union would doom the n^ro to chains forever ! These tactics, combined with its being the under »i7 i r , PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA secede and endeavour to found a n«» B„ Kr whose comer-stone was to h,\ Republic- whose founders «e„^oli ,„ k"'" t""^' »"" Cuba under its bl«k fl jl, ' Jk"^ """" ^<» adn-itted Jhat .Hesetn'sl^i^-Uors* ur. ^ "t position of the question '"® fol^Sln'^ottavetv^lT"^- ""^^ *' ■"- o^:^ebst5r^-°=-^^^ through the presrasf ^ ™^^"' °^ '^^'"'^^ ^^ «B« inc press, as 1 am now inclineH f« u^v very erroneous opinions on many T^^ 1^''^' being sedulously propagated /n^ ^^^e points are tained." I had ind^ . u ^^"«^*"y enter- before leaviW Canar^^n'^^^^^ ''" ^^^^ i"^' the subject hurrr. "'*"^ °"' * 'ecture on nie subject but the long summer evenings are nnf favourable for such addresses in Great rS J MEMORIES OF A TOUR IN ENGLAND well illustrates how warmly the average London cockney felt on the prevailing topic. Having been overheard after dinner in making some mild femark to a friend about the war, a well-dressed, dapper little man whom I judged had been born within STsound LunlL • ^^'^^J^ted some reply, and briskly launched mto a warm eulogy of the South and still warmer condemnation of Lae North. Desirous of avoidmg controversy, I tried to effect a graceful retreat, but my inflammable questioner was deter- mmed to force on discussion, and we were soon en- !.? .JT ^ ^°"t'-oversy over the war, which attracted qu.te a circle of listeners. It terminated in my opponent losing his temper and declaring that he beheved I was a Yankee skedaddler," to which I replied "that although I lived 3.000 miles away, was a Canadian and just as much a British subject as he was.' I only relate the incident to bring out he fact, that if the majority of London cockneys o that day could have had their way, the Southern Con- federacy would have been flourishing to-day instead of being a fast-fading recollection of fhe pa!f London abounds in attractions. Many days may be delightfully spent amidst the rare curiosities of the British Museum, the old and modem paintings of the National Gallery. St Paul's Cathedral and its famous ower and whispering gallery, and the sculptT^ ^ibutesto Britain's honoured dead in Westm'n"^ Abbey, the one which struck me most being that of Shakespeare in the Poets' Corner in his own grandly majestic words : 6«»«iuiy «39 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA " The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemh temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve ; And, like this unsubstantial pageant faded. Leave not a rack behind." Amidst the arms, armour and jewels of the Tower, where the warders are still quaintly costumed as in the days of Henry VIII., you are reminded of the tragedies and romances of the past, and if these thrilling remembrances cause you to sigh for sights more modern and beautiful, you can run out to Kew Gardens or the Crystal Palace, whose statuary, paintings, fount^ns, shrubs and flowers are always exquisitely lovely. Nothing was more gratifying, however, than the time spent in the House of Lords and House of Commons when in session. Of the grandeur and beauty of the parliamentary buildings, so proudly adorning the banks of the Thames, it is not necessary to speak ; but it was indeed a rich treat for a Cana- dian to see and listen to some of the greatest of Britain's statesmen— gentlemen, in many cases, plain enough to look at, but at whose words, when they officially voice the nation's resolve, princes sometimes tremble and the struggling millions take hope. It was Members' day on one of the occasions I was in the Commons, and quite a number of prominent gentlemen spoke on different subjects. The Palmer- ston Government was then in power, and besides the Prime Minister, among those heard were Sir Charles Wood, the Marquis of Hartington, then Secretary of 940 MEMORIES OF A TOUR IN ENGLAND Osborne auite a h. ^'"'^''' ^'■- ^^"'ard veteran statesman with a spri/of j^eer r* f" T his lips, it was quite evidem ^^^T^^l ^''''"'" upon him. Gladstone and D^r ., Th .'^^ ''' gr^t^^ato. and rivals in r;^;,:::-:t^ iiri^rrT^^es^'r-^^^^ "thatr^r baffled genius ^^ ^.sappomted ambition and iar:\trHerTn::::,r7X ^-^ ^^^ he came back fromTeTn! r^ compensated when " Peace wifK H » ''" C°"g'-ess of 1878 with _P^acewUhJHor^^ raised to the Peerage point, he replied unL da rof th; 0«^: tT"«J' "'"'"'""'''• °" '^e 1902. as follows: "BeJ on h!^^! T ''"' ^"^''"' '^"'^^ '^h. to make inqui^r on Te Z h!^ ' *"" '° '''' °^'' "^ ^''->» question. T'ha^ethe uhoT;ftV«t^T:^' '" ™^' "- ber of the staff, for saying thaUhe ili ^'''"' " "'^ •"^"'- l^almerston'. ,ip, had'^^o ^fCrb^rd" r^^^^^^^ waythathewasofa'sporty^hamcter" '"*""'^" ^" '^ PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA as the Earl oJF Beaconsfield. As to his famous rival, whose remains were interred in Westminster Abbey only four years ago, as a man and citizen, as a brilliant classical and Eng- lish scholar, as a trenchant and verssatile writer, as an orator of rare power and brilliancy, and as a states- man of remarkable ability, fearlessness and high Christian principle— in short, take him all in all, I have long believed that, when political passions have cooled, history will declare plain William Gladstone to have been the greatest and noblest British statesman of ancient or modern times. Richard Cobden and John Bright, two of the ablest and most remarkable Englishmen then living, were unfortunately not in the House. But my attention was quickly arrested by the late successful Prime Minister, the Earl of Salisbury, who at that time as Robert Cecil was winning his spurs in the Tory ranks. He was notably tall, muscular, athletic, and the forcible and combative way in which he roasted ti,e Government, pointed him out as a man with a future, which opinion his career as Prime Minister amply justified. Mr. Frederick Peel, who was afterward the honoured Speaker of the House of Commons for a 242 WILLIAM GLADSTONE MEMORIES OF A TOUR IN ENGLAND being „,o.. suggestiveTAlric?!:"' "'"k"" gentleman who spoke. " *">' °^^«'- No leading statesman indulged on thk «.. • . a great speech, although the war "til " '" Marquis of Hartingtonlast^^^r^^^^^^ ^'^<^ from the short running debates whth / "^^'"^ ent motions evoked I. ^""^""^ '^''^^'^ estimate thanTrevt^ly^ttrtS IV '''''' mentary orato^ of our cZT ^ ^^^ P*'"''*" would, under sim^L " '*" statesmen, who the P«.r« r ^"'nmons. Not knowmg any of WooI,«k, .h. Lo^, Spl"t .awn TndV"!^' Lords in wig, and gowm add im™. • "-** »43 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA irresponsible bodies. It is a worthy representation of the British nobility, whose devotion to the nation and heroism in its defence have been conspicuous in every age. Many of the Peers looked very venerable and distinguished. But the body as a whole did not differ materially in appearance from the House of Commons, nor, indeed, did there appear to be any conspicuous difference — except the distinctions created by wealth and education — between "My Lord " and the gentts homo in general. " The rank it but the guinea's stamp, The mai^ the gowd for a' that." 244 CHAPTER XXI THE LAND OF BURNS AND SCOTT AFTER regretfully leaving London and its attrac- tions, most of my time was spent in touring Scotland. Glasgow, Stu-lmg. and Edinbui^h. the latter city bemg reached by steamer and the waters of the windmg, circuitous Firth of Forth. Of all the cities visited, Glasgow and Manchester appeared the busiest hives of manufacturing industry The former also seemed to have good claims to other distmctions, for the falling soot and embers from its numerous tall chimneys frequently blackened both people and buildings, and the scenes in its Saut- mdescnb^ble. The number of persons, both women and men, some of the former bareheaded and bare- footed, who were more or Ie«, intoxicated, was nothmg short of shocking, and as two Glasgow gen- tlemen took me to see this famous resort. I recollect we came upan an intoxicated woman sitting flat in the gutter, begging, an infant at her bosom, and two other ragged and dirty children asleep-one on either side-w.th their heads in her lap and their bodies lying on the cold, damp pavement ! It Aras a most MS PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA pitiful sight, and on the spur of the moment I could not help sarcastically repeating to my Scotch friends the words of Bums in "The Cotter's Saturday Night " : ^ " It*" ****"" ^^^ *''*»* *»•<* Scotia's grandeur springs. That makes her loved at home, revered abroad." These occurrences, however, took place many years ago, and great progress has been made since then. The falling embers from the great Tennsmt works, Napier's Shipyards, Glasgow Iron Works, and many other immense estajilishments have now been largely overcome ; in fact, nearly all thedrawb«:ks referred to have disappeared under the remarkably successful municipal system which has now been in operation for many years, and Glasgow is to-day universally re- cognized as not only unsurpassed for prosperity, but as one of the grandest cities in the British Empire. In point of beauty and orderiiness, however, Edin- burgh must be awarded the palm among British cities. It is conspicuously handsome and attractive ; indeed, not a few travellers have pronounced it the most beautiful city in the world. This is an ambitkjus claim, however, and Paris and Washington would admittedly be hot rivals for such a distinction. But nestling so cosily below Arthur's Seat, with Holyrood Palace— the home of Scotland's ancient kings—its towering old Castle and fortifications, its magnificent Princess Street, Sir Walter Scott's and the Calton Hill monuments, the National Galleries of Paintings and Design, Herrioi's Hospital, St. Giles' Church, 946 THE LAND OF BURNS AND SCOTT Ti '\l ^f^""^ ^^'^^"^ ^"^ ^"^g«« "nking to- gether the old and the new towns. Edinbui^h could r h'""k'T '"^ ^^»^'"^°n in claimingrank as the three handsomest cities in the world h J!.^^"^ "^T "^^'^ P*""^"* '" S*'^''"& and neighbour- hood on the way to the city of Perth, where Her Majesty Queen Victoria was to take part in a great CIVIC demonstration, and unveil a statue of her late husband, Prince Albert. Stiriing is exceedingly quaint and queer, but inter- estmg. It is built upon a rocky hill or elevation, which rises to a considerable height Upon its stately summit the ancient castle and fortifications tower skywards, on one side of which is the city gradually sloping downwards, and on the other, jagged, perpen- dicular rocks, several hundred feet above the plain below This strange, abrupt elevation in the midst of a fertile plain is suggestive of some volcanic faux pas of pnmordial times. But the view from the old Castles towering turrets is grand and inspiring whether you look over the city towards Sir William Wallaces monument and Bannockbum's bloody field or down from your dizzy perch, over the beetling rocks, to the tiny hedge-bound fields and luxuriant crops fast ripening in nature's softest shades of ^recn and yellow. The visit of Queen Victori, to Perth was justly regarded as an importai • event. The city was gaily decorated, and crowded with well-dressed pe',,,b. Intensely Scotch, from all the surrounding districts. I was chiefly anxious to see Her Majesty, •47 l! PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA that noble woman who had so long adorned the Bntish throne, and did not enter as zealously into the other features of the demonstration as the elated citizens. There was. however, a cricket match. High- land games a civic procession, bright-coloured fl^s gaily-dressed marshalls. Highland pipers galo.^. a^d a State carnage in which sat the Qneen. unostenta- tious and smilmg. Then, in a pretty canopy-topped vehicle rode the Princess Louise, at thaT timfa beautifulgirl of sixteen, who gracefully acknowledged my bow. and following were many Scottish and l«:al notabilities in carriages and on foot " P^rth is a pretty city," I wrote in my diaiy at the time.Jand beautifully situated. A betterTooking and better-dressed lot of people than those assembled to greet their Sovereign I seldom ever saw" This was specially true of the gentler sex. Sir Walter Scott P.'r?H" K Mu"'"^ Wn^self to.«. "Fair Maid of 111'" r ?K ""^ """"^^ "P°" '* '^^'^ f*'> "^aids of Perth, for the city on this occasion seemed to be full of bonnie Scotch lasses, tastefully attired, their eves lustrous with health and beauty. This ;as clairn^ as a characteristic of Perth, and the following old lines were quoted to me as proof of it : " Glasgow for wells, Edinburgh for bells, And Perth for bonnie lasses." As the prtKession reached the beautiful North Inch of Perth, so pleasingly bordered on the east by the River Tay. there was a lively rush to the favoured spot 248 THE LAND OP BURNS AND SCOTT where the statue of the Pr.v,™ /- with an elevated p atfcj. w "™''' '"^ "'"P"'- Princess LouS^ and T ' "" ^^>^'y- ">e the PlatfoJ^ad^ tf^akeTh^-^""" "^'"'"^ °" event of the day. " P^ '" *e chief H^^^rnce'Vl"""':^"' '" «■= "-"-y- ciiculation, 11^^^!^^!^^^ "° ""'«^ly in her too staid nd Z^^'V^'J"' " " '" 6'™g time she was in «,- • ^ ^PPearance. At that favourit « ouVwacrtaf "=■ """ ''''°'^'' "« richly and elegantly at«,J ^^P""""'' '"«= *« manner we.^untns'^reli-'fl^ra^Tir ^ She was rather shorter m,« c . "' *"d ladyhke. her head and fei'^^^L^^^^h"' •"""""• "'" denoted the royallinLeS r ^ !*'"' ""' ""'y for« of persoLl Seer tnl'i^'l'' '""""''«' shrewdness and t^T ' *'"'='' g">tleness, impressed by their S**" '"""/""y most favourably warmest attTcIm^.^JTr; bv TT' '■"'^' *« subjects. As she pL^"[^ 1 T" °' '^ Handsome ^Jrt^ s^ri^r pSl^rt""'" ' massive pedestal th*. ««*k • '^""^e Albert on a intochee^S^r„?X"; tit '^f',' """«= of Perth, and came b^kTX r "u'"' '""■" the distance. "" '™"' the hills in This Perth celebration proved one of U« „„„ 349 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA pleasing features of the tour. With a party of friends Windsor Castle had been visited at an earlier period, in the hope of catching a glimpse of Her Majesty. It happened to be the day that the famous Eton Col- lie was closing for the summer term. The beautiful banks of the Thames were covered with well-dressed people, handsome equipages, stylish horses, powdered grooms, gymnasts, jugglers, etc., whilst boat races and sports were in progress. With the Eton professors and students, many of the latter splendid specimens of robust young manhood, a very characteristic pic- ture of English high«life was presented. The view from the tower of Windsor Castle was specially charming. The college spectacle in the fore- ground, the magnificent landscapes stretching in every direction, the Thames in the bright sunshine winding among the verdant plains like a shimmering band of silver, and the numerous places of deathless historic interest within the range of viiicm, made the scene one which can never iade from memory's page. But the hope entertained of catching a glimpse of Queen Victoria was diiappointed. It turned out she was not then at Windior Castle, and this made the pleasure of seeing Her Majesty and the Royal party at Perth all the more memorable and grati- fying. Scotland is full of scenic beauty. Poets, novelists, and painters have united in its praise. My reference thereto, however, must necessarily be brief Quite attractive were the town of Kelso and its pretty environs— Floors Castle, the seat of the Duke of 250 THE LAND OF BURNS AND SCOTT Roxburgh, the ruins of Kelso Abbey, and Kelso Bridge over the sparkling waters of the Teviot and Tweed, which streams unite a kw hundred yards above it Melrose and Abbotsford were specially interesting. The principal attraction of the quiet little village is the famous ruins of Melrose Abbey, so grand, so ma- jestic, so beautiful, and of which Scott in " The Lav of the Last Minstrel " sings : " If thou would'st view fair Melrose aright, Go visit it by the pale moonlight." Nevertheless, on a bright, sunny day, with the rich blue of the heavens for a setting, the ruins of the old Abbey, partly hidden by clambering ivy and other vines, are strikingly beautiful. Abbotsford has been described as a poem in stone. It IS situated on the Tweed, about two miles above Melrose, the lovely grounds extending in a gentle slope to the river. Once the home, it has now become the literary shrine, of Sir Walter Scott Inside the edifice, the reception hall, the study, the arm-chair, tfte library, the dining-room, the collections of armour and swords, the rare curiosities and the costly pres- ents showered by kings and nobles upon the re- nowned author of the Waverley novels, remain much the same as during his lifetime. Everything, in fact about Abbotsford and vicinity is lull of memories of this prince of novelists, whose writings, both in poetry and prose, are justly deemed classics, which will live through al> the ages. As I turned to bid this famous «|wt adieu, the poem of Mrs. Hemwi, recurred to mind : PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA " Home of the gifted ! fare thee well. And a l>lessing on thee rest ! While the heather waves its purple bell O'er moor and mountain crest ; While stream to stream around thee calls, And braes with broom are dressed. Glad be the harping in thy halls — A blessing on thee rest I " For beauty of scenery the trip down the River Clyde from Glasgow to Dumbarton Castle and thence through the Tros^chs can hardly be excelled. In my diary is the following reference to this delightful trip : « We went by rail to Balloch, thence by steamer up Loch Lomond. The day was a little misty, but the scenery — particularly the upper end — was exceed- ingly fine. After steaming past the lofty Ben Lomond, we landed at Inversnaid, and then coached to Stronachar at the head of the beautiful, romantic and celebrated Loch Katrine. Down this lake the scenery becomes still more splendid, until you reach the rustic harbour at the b^inning of the Trossachs, which for wildness, grandeur and sublimity almost beggars description. The lovely Helen's Isle, Coil- antogle Ford, the magniHcort gathering-place of the Highland clans, and many other places made cele- brated by the genius of Scott, were pointed out as we passed them. From this romantic locality we coached through the Trossachs to Callander, thence took rail to Stirling— the whole route so full of grandeur and beauty and historic associations that once seen it never could be forgotten." asa THE LAND OF BURNS AND SCOTT But equally enjoyable are those parts of the west of Scotland where her illustrious pea^„t bard, Rol lowlybirthplace. two miles south of the town of Ay" " A Januar' wind blew hansel in on Robin," OShanter saw the witches dance, the elaborate monument e.^ted to his memory on'"the bank^and Tam O Shanter and Souter Johnny— " He lo'ed him like a very brither, They had been fou for weeks thegither ; '• then, down at Dumfriesshire, the farm of Elliesland where the poet closed his life, and the mausoleum of gramte and marble which contains his remain Tnthe Srwhl f ^"'--''^ «^d--ks. and indeed' Scotland from John o' Groats to Gretna Green- attest the immortal genius of Bums, and thousands annually come hither from all lands to worship aThls And here let me unburden myself of an impression long entertained. Whilst the mausoleum™^ over the remains of Burns by his admiring fdlow- countrymen was probably adequate in ,8, and whilst the famous marble made by Turnerelli in h^r m'a";tTr""".? ^'^ ^^"'"^ °^ P^^^y throwing her mantle over the poet whilst standing at the 253 ,*^ MKlOOOrv MBOUinON TBT CHAIT (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHAW No. 2) 1.0 1.1 la 128 lit Uft IN U m m IM IM 23 2.2 2.0 1.8 125 ■ u ^ APPUBD M/GE Ino tUJ lM« IMn S«fM« HKhMtor, Nw rork I44M UM (7I«) 4ai - OJOO - HMn* (7I«) 2M - SN» - rr PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA plough, is undoubtedly a fine work of art, the fame of Scotland s poet has so steadily advanced at home and abroad th?.t the monument erected eighty-five years ago in a comer of the old churchyard in Dum- fries is no longer worthy either of his fame or his country. The Burns monument on Calton Hill, Edinburgh, is rather more ambitious, but it is dwarfed by that of Sir Walter Scott on Princess Street, and it is quite safe to say that Scotland has produced no greater genius than her peasant bard. I am not a Scotch- man " to the manner born," but sometimes admit, in moments of weakness, of having had a narrow escape. Neither are any powers of literary criticism claimed, but I know of no other poet whose eyes and ears seem to me to have been so close to Nature, " whose songs gushed from his heart as showers from the clouds of summer," and whose poetic insight was keener, imagination brighter, independence greater, tenderness deeper, or expression sweeter. None of her sons has done more to make Scotland and Scotchmen renowned and honoured among all nations, and I humbly submit that the time has fully come when his present modest resting-place should be superseded by a grand national monu- ment, more worthy of the immortal genius of Bums and the undying fame achieved by the poet and the man in every land and language in which his writings have been published. Great Britain is noted for her eminent clergymen. The style of pulpit oratory was not found to differ 254 i! THE LAND OF BURNS AND SCOIT much from what is generally heard in the larger churches of the United States and Canada The services were rather more solemn, generally a great deal longer, and in some churches you were loaded with a second sermon before getting home to your dmner! ' Dr. Horatius Bonar, for over a quarter of a cen- tury pastor of the North Free Church. Kelso, was at this time removing to Edinbui^h. His church, like those of all the other seceders. became the property of the Established Church of Scotland at the time of the disruption in 1843. but so highly was he respected, that until his Kelso pastorate ended, a period of over twenty years, the Established Church did not ask possession of it When he gave up his Kelso pastor- ate, however, his congregation was required to re- linquish possession of the church, and I was privileged to be present and hear Dr. Bonar preach his final sermon in that edifice. It was a memorable occasion. He was a man of fine, venerable presence, and an earnest, logical im- pressive speaker. He was quite as celebrated, how- ever, for the many beautiful hymns of faith and hope he had written, not a few of which have since been published throughout Europe, In China. India and nearly all other missionary lands. There was intense interest manifested during all the closing services of the last Sabbath on which the Free Chureh congrega- tion held possession. This reached a climax during Dr. Sonar's sermon, and towards Its close, as he recited from beginning to end his beautiful hymn, " Only Hi v^^^ PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA remembered for what I have done," tears were falling from the eyes of many of the crowded congregation The closing sermon in the evening was preached by the Rev. Mr. Fordyce, of Dunse, who, unlike Dr. Bonar, did not spare the Established Church in his remarks. Circumstances prevented my hearing the famous Dr. Guthrie and also the famous Dr. Chandlish, of Edinburgh, but the Rev. Professor Blaikie preached in the latter's church, and presented the Gospel mes- sage in an able and convincing manner. At the Barony Church, 'Glasgow, the eminent Dr. Norman McLeod was the officiating minister. The matter of his discourse and manner of delivery were cultured, but he did not seem on this occasion to rise equal to his reputation as a pulpit orator. It was, perhaps, an " off day," or it may have been the hearer— as is often the case — who was at fault. Whilst spending some time at the seaside, a friend took me to the church of Dr. John Cairns, D.D., of Berwick. He was a United Presbyterian, had been one of Edinburgh University's most brilliant students, and afterwards became the Principal of the Theo- logical Hall, Edinburgh— a large, handsome and deservedly eminent man. A grander sermon was seldom ever heard. It was an original, carefully pre- pared, slashing attack upon the higher critics and criticism, particulariy of the Germans, but it was, unfortunately, greatly marred in its delivery by three or four oddly incongruous motions of the preacher's arms and body, regularly repeated every three or four 256 THE LAND OF BURNS ANn SCOTT "ni. r "^ "'<'="">■ ""'"""s to the poetry of mofon," but he was, nevertheless, a great dt;::rc^ rot''""' ""= ^^^ -^ ^"^'■■''' - ^ -=■'- a„d Abbey, and Canon Farrar were among the foremost E^scopal orators. The Presbyterian Dr. Cumming Z;, Tr- *^ *"'*"°" •"• *= ho", having thr.1b ?"r ^'^"""'^ P'^'''«' -d ""^intain^ bright Sunday morning I walked two miles through W ,h \""' '"'' ^"*"' ^"-l '»« of London to he« the prophefc Doctor, and after being taken up to a cramped steep gallery near the ,^f of the church, iwened to a veo- commonplace written d,s! course. Newman Hall was then in the midst of h , long and successful ministry. His «:rvices were e " cdfcnt and we« attended, but no preacher i^ the m^ropolu, at that time, or probably at any „th„ hme drew such immense audiences as the great Baptist, Charles H. Spuigeon. ^^ hold fully 7,000 person^ and almost every Sunday «w ,t cramm«l. The services were e«eedTn2 .mpressive and refreshing. The «,ngs of praise, wi?h^ out o,Kan or choir-the praye«-the wrmo^-all were fresh, unconventional and inspiring. M Spurgeon was of medium height, strongly built, with a pl«n, honest English f«». His Jlmon was a " »57 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA simple, earnest, common-sense exposition of Divine truth— nothing less, nothing more— with occasional appeals to his hearers of startling earnestness and power. He evidently eschewed oratorical pyrotech- nics, and made little display of theological or philo- sophical learning, occasionally conspicuous in the utterances of such men as Dean Stanley and Henry Ward Beecher. But he was a free and graceful speaker, whose clearness, directness, earnestness and spirituality made him a most powerful and eloquent preacher, whose success in drawing vast audiences and in awakening and converting sinners was not surpassed by either Wesley or Whitefield, nor, perhaps, by any European or American clergyman of th-s or any previous age. It was well on in October when I bid Great Britain adieu. As its shores receded from view, my impres- sions deepened into wonder that so small an island should excel in power and glory ancient Greece and Rome, and possess so many claims to rank as the greatest empire of modern times. That her colonies circle the globe, that her fleets whiten (or darken) every sea, that her commerce in 1900 reached the enormous volume of £877,448,giy^ and that her red- cross flag has floated triumphantly on sea and land for nigh a thousand years, are glories of which no other land can boast, and of which Canadians as well as Britons justly may feel proud. The record of Great Britain, too, has been a grand one in other respects. Mistakes have doubtless been made— mistekes in some cases, it may be, which led 258 THE LAND OF BURNS AND SCOTT to unnecessary bloodshed and injustice. But in the promotion of human freedom, of free parliaments and representative institutions, of civil and religious liberty, of freedom of commerce, and the adoption of the prmciple of arbitration in place of war, she has admittedly done more for humanity and the world than any other nation of ancient or modem times. These great achievements have not unnaturally evoked some national jealousy in not a few quarters but as they have added to Great Britain's honour and glory, and as she is now backed up by her powerful cordon of free colonies in every part of the world, there IS not only no cause to fear for the stability of the British Empire, but many reasons for believing that It IS now entering upon a higher and grander destiny than it has yet attained. »59 CHAPTER XXII CONFEDERATION THE ALL-ABSORBING TOPIC On my return to Canada the Confederation ques- ZZ". ^'^V""'"^''"^ *°P'^- The Government had made a fortunate beginning Pnnce Edward Island had for some time been con- sidenng the propriety of union among themselve" and. w.th the sanction of their Legislatufes. a co"v^'' tike act? V""^ '° ""' '' CharloitetoJTo take act on m the matter. The Canadian Ministry avaded themselves of this opportunity, and sent the Hon. Messrs^ Macdonald, Brown, Cartier. Gait. Mac- dougal , McGee, Campbell and Langevin as a depu- \Tr ^^'^"'•'!'"f°^"' t° ^rge the Convention to jom Canada m its larger scheme for the Confederation of all the British Provinces in America. ^^'*"°" The Convention duly assembled on the ist Septem- ter 186^ It consisted of fifteen members, five'^from each Provmce. It was constituted by the appoint- ment of the Hon. John H. Gn.y. of Prince fiCd Island, as chairman, and the Hons. Charles Tupper and S. L. TiUey as joint-secretaries. The same day at noon the Qufen Victona arrived in the harbour with the Canadian deputation on board. a6o • CONFEDERATION THE ALl^ABSORBING TOPIC invited ^o freerexlt SrZ"""'- ^ "^'^ "embers. Besid« S gen'Ltn C^'' "' of the island, Geoi^e Dunda" E^and r°™"""' A. H. Gordon, of New Bnn,?' u '^°''="""- present, the former „,'" . ^™'"»"<^l<. were also theia^rscherorulZTa ^ llr T 't not a. firs, friendly, after a visit to GrSt' B^ viei^^^dXitSnns-s: tr '°^'«--^'' opened. I„ doi„» s^^ble ,„S ^'"^ ""* ''»'■'•'>' were made by the H^n « ~;™cing speeches Cartier and O.t,^>o:t:-„jl^j;^'^^'o.„. when each had concluded so «,,? f^. k^ "'' ""• was thus thomughly thSh^* „? t'I^''°'= <""^«°" with the festivities eiveraTr ^ "^^^• thecifv „f rt 7 . ' Government House, bv Convention Jor fouTor^ "T'""™' °<^'="P'«' *= after e. .ING TOPIC festivities. When it fir,f Z. "el'berations and against Canada Id crn^dfal'ISr "" ""^-""'^ c.oL'':hat:ne^rr,ir;e:t'"^ "r ^ "^ his hands arifTnl T '"""« ^'™'^' »"<• -^^"B cumiy saia . If anyone can show just cause or mped.ment why these colonies should no I^unLj in matrimonial alliance let him „ "°^ '^ ""''^d forever hold his peace" a1 rT t""^'^'' '' ""^ After silence ha^^n ^JZ^ Z' 'u'""^''' beine raised " Th» » u ^stored, and no objection ea th Iw^' ' '^^^°"t'""ed, "ere my days on earth, which are now compara:ively few. shall close J may yet witness the conclusion of ^he cert:;^lny a^d hear them pronounced man and wife " Th; sSs. ^°"'^=^"''"°" *an some mo« elaborate It was a great day for Brifsh America when the 263 # I I j) PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA abL ste «„.„ V ^""^Pi'-ous alike for the many these gentlemen are no. and C^r T^l^"" H. L. Langevin. SoIidior-Genf^T ' '"""" °' Agriculture; sition ; Robert B. 0.01*^1' iTZn^' ^^" ^^ '''« ^ppo- Johnson. Attomey-Gene^ Wllkm S ^^""'"l^*""'*'^' J°»"> ^ Chandler. M.L.C • Pe!^ \^.uT ?; ^'"'^*^' ^-^-C- E^wani B. M.P.P.; Charle^-hrMp. ■' ^•^•^•' J""" "-"ton Gray. M.L.C.; T, H. Havjland, M.P.p. *i-v^., Oeoige Coles, Newfoundland: Hons. F R T r— e . 264 t . 1 if H ■ 4 CONFEDERATION THE ALL-ABSORBING TOPIC in i8oi. ' **'^ '^"'°" to Ireland as chairman, and Maior H. VfT'" °^ ^"""''^• Canadian Civil Servi^ '^'"""'- °' *^ joint-secretaries i" h™"""" Provinces were named as the cS™ "^ " '" """' "»' '^^PWng inside laid before J«. Pram^^Td-'Xr 1',:?'^ important step taken iva«! fh« ^ '^ ^^^ ^"' aflirming the Sasirrbim; of'thfSf^H' ' """"'■°" the Provinces Th.,, ^ °' '*= Confederation of all MacdoT d and :r ZZT T "^ "°"- •'°''" ^• cheers whiih coulJt. ""'"'"";''»'>■ «"•'«) amidst chamber in whTcL Ae ZT' *""" ""'^'''^ ">= «cond importan resoTfi, "^' ""' ''='^- The uipurtant resolution was entrusteH tn fk^ u George Brown. I, outlined the form oTth ° J new constitution, which was ,oT If a'^pS'l character. This alsn ,.,oc ^ " "e or a l^ederal much rejoicing """""«■ ""animously amidst The adoption of the general plan of C„„f«ieration 265 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA however proved the easiest part of the Conference's work. The arrangement of the details was an ex- ceedmgly complicated and difficult matter. The distribution of Legislative and Executive powers c^X fT^ ""' ''~"'"^'^' Legislatu^s. the constitution of the Senate, the adjustment of the representation judicial systems, debts, revenues, etc., of the various Provinces-these and numerous other CDgr.ate questions naturally gave rise to long and IZIT? ,r'-."',d'^<="««'°ns. But the Conference applied Itself vigorously to overcome all difficulties acting on the old Roman maxim, either "to find a way or make one." whirh' '° ^ K^**"^ '***' '^'' '"'P^^*"* Conference, which probably acted wisely in keeping its proceed- ings secret at the time, did not at least preserve accurate minutes of its daily proceedings and a brief v^Zr°/, ' '*'"*'*''' •""^^ by the delegates on the vanous vital questions brought before them. Some hght IS thrown on the proceedings by "Pope's Con- vt^nlir" ^"•"*^"'«" (»895). which are official and valuable as far as they go, but they are incomplete and fragmentary, and only lift the comer of the cur- tain sufficiently to show how much must have been said and done which was either designedly or negli- gently omitted altogether, or mentioned only i? a cursory way. ' From reading these documents, for in.,tance, one might suppose that the system of life Senators ap- pointed by the Crown was practically adopted with- out opposition ; whereas, as a matter of fact, motions a66 CONFEDERATION THE ALI,ABSORBING TOPIC were mov«J against it and avigorous debate took place ihe question came up on the 17th October when it was moved by the Hon. John I Macdona d" Tha *e n-embers of the Legislative Council shall be aL pomted by the C^wn under the great seal otZ genera Government and shall hold office during life" Several mfluential members, including the Hon 01 ver Mowaf and the Hon. William lutcdougaU i' well as the Prince Edward Island delegate" w^re "PI30sed to the member, of the Upper CiS ^Z nommated by the Crown for life, which r^X^^ Wo.ntment bythe Prime Minister and Cabins o the day and a vast increase of official patron^^ wh,ch an gov«nments(with the possible «cepS promofon of party purpo«,s. Mr. Macdougall and Mr Mowa. both spoke against the foregoing "„ 1^ ""'."*'"": «• effect, that the Senate be elective •"Government House, M w„ . ., ,, " Toronto, Feb'y 4th. looa ««uig SUM of mauen. Believe me, very tlncerely your., "O, MOWAT." 367 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA 7ectSl' • "' '^"*'°'"' ^'"^"^ *° ^"'^"° ^'^^"'^ ^ Curiously enough, the two great Canadian leaders. Macdonald and Brown, divided on most questions were united on this one. and after the deLe had .n nl? r ?r'"'° '^^ "^^"^ ^^y' 'h« ^°"'««t ended in one of the most retrograde decisions-the worst Up^r Federal Chamber on the antiquated, obsolete basis of nommation by the Crown for life Another danger, was more easily avoided. No member of the Conference took a more distinguished tCh/T'"^\"^ fashioning the new constitution than the Hon. John A. Macdonald. But for a con- sideraWe time Mr. Macdonald made no secret that he t!^^ A ^'^f'^^ 'o » F^leral Union. He seems to have desired the supreme control to be in one Parliament and purely provincial affairs ent rusted to • " Touching the other question which you ask about th* o«n^»j Ota/s work on ConfedemtJon. and in corroboration of whaj Isute q«<«e a penal »emo. in the handwriting of Mr. MacdougJ, aV^ 60 of Gray's work it u suted « that the Hon. Geo»e Bro^ W^ Liberal section of the Canadi«, Cabinet strongly i„ SJport^f a „J^ h«tive Legu-Iative Council. Here is what mJ! MacdoS^f wrote Ti" make the Senate elective ; the negative vote was laree M^l^lii ::^T- 'r?r ^-^ ■""^•^ ^^ ^^ ^wenl^o rS'natl^^ to OnUr|o should b. elected. This was negatived a/»^ *«.4 2^- o/iiu/tm, tfr., Ottawa, jfif/anmary, /^M. CONFEDERATION THE ALI,ABSORBING TOPIC one or more large councils of a municipal character* It .s greaUy to be feared that under such a sttem the mu»duc,ion of the Maritime ProvinceVCld only have accentuated the difficulties already ex- .sting under the Ugislative Union between Up^r Z t^Zo^l'- ^'^"'""^'y' *« ConfereiS:^ was found to be almost unanimous in favour of the Federal system, and when Mr. Macdonald asceruinej *ew:;:^'"4T" ""^l*^ f-" '"« W-CWih' t7^^ Z^" °' ''°™ Scotia, and the Hon Edward Whelan, Prince Edward Island. The Hon' George Brown was called for and also spoke. The r^:siet;L:^ -"-- «"«"•- » -^ The next day the distinguished party were taken to allthe principal places of interest .^Tor^ Ind" gmnd^.y.««.. was given in honour of the delegates at the MUS.C Hall at two o'clock. Theprincipal s^ches at this festival were made in the following^der • General Nap.er. England ; Hon. G. W. Allan.VLC ;' NB -^Hon F/'S"^, ''•^•' "°"- ^'^-^^ Wisher S' V p ^"^1"* ^*^"^"^' ^-EI'- Hon. F. B. T Carter N.F.; Mr. James Ross. Red River. Manitoba ; Hon George Brown, and the Hon. A. T. Gait These gentlemen made an unusually fine display of after- dmner oratory, and their eulogies of the c .ming Ca„. admn confederacy were rapturously received by the bnlhant a^mblage present A grand ball in the fest^tie" "™' "^'^ ^"^^^^^^""^ ^'^ ^e the cty of Hamilton they were received at the rail way station by the Mayor, councillors and citizen wjth gay decorations, bands, and the customar^' address which was replied to by the Hon. J. Ambro^ Shea, of Newfoundland, who proved a pi Jng Orator CONFEDERATION THE ALL-ABSORBING TOPIC of Prince LX Ifan? V^l """■ .*• "' P"!-. were delighted with T' ! <'«"ng"«hed visitors and after beS^ enttlL"°, '? °' '"^"'' '^'^''^ within sound Vfr^,tV'T^public dinner f"^. some returnta/to-h T'' ""* '"">' <"=" time Provinces Sv Yo* l;™.! '" *' *•"■- Mont„:al and Portland ' """" ^^ ^^ °f This memorable year c]osn1 .v.-.i, ment-the raid ™ade by Lfc^Cnet H v' '"'''" officer of the Southern Conf^emrya„d,wrV" associates, upon the town of St aLT ■ Ti''^"^ of Vermont a shnr, ^: . ^"^ '" *« State border. It wa^ a IcL^ ' ! °'" ** C^""*'" this countn^^d sWn f ?K '^"'^ °' "» ''°^P"»"'y produced great excilelnf V, """^ "aturally arose thatlT^irt. 1^., ' "'' "t' ' ""•" ""•« ^a,^ States and GreS BrS "" "*'""" *' United Our Government, however nmm„.i j- the wild act of these hotZj^.^^" '''"™"'«' promptly arrested and held t tna aH;:' '".' " act to bejL^ltly thnrjs ^f'? ""If"" '-- Messrs. Abbott, Uflamme and KerT f m '"^"'■'«' w- as. her eminent cou:ri„"drce^"r.l; *73 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA and co-raiders. After several trials the Government, not only found itself unable to secure their conviction under the provincial laws then existing, but the prisoners recovered the money, which the law officers of the Crown had seized, and finally the Government considered itself obligated to refund the amount stolen from the St. Albans' banks, as well as to pay a considerable sum in damages and expenses. In consequence of this raid, and of the large number of Southerners who took refuge in Canada during the American war. the opinion was propagated that Can- adians generally favoured the South more than the Worth at that time. Even the historian Dent says • " Canadians generally favoured the Southern cause." I never believed this view to be correct. There was a noisy jingo section in our cities and towns strongly in favour of the South, but the Reciprocity Treaty was still in force, and among the farmers, merchants, artisans and masses of the Canadian people there is good reason to believ that a decided majority, from first to last, favoured the Northern States and the great principle of human freedom inextricably mixed up with the other issues of their desperate struggle. I '* f 274 >n le rs It It a r e u a w & c o Id CHAPTER XXIII DARK CLOUDS THREATEN THE UNION i! u ta u ;:> c o Id called by Lorf MonT.o ^ fo^eh^'" '*"' «9th February i86t Tk /■ Quebec on the ment and its'^C^nfe^eraTt^X ""^T ^"""- People's representatives for t£ T . !• ""^' "-^ cellency ca.e f„™ s7:ntwtdt'„:r.h "" ^^^ With special oomn =,.a ^" '*^^ session the tC:'^^'! nrbesw"^ "r" f™" the all-important issue L" references to evidently to be a Conft^-^J *-°."'^™«- It was and such*: indti! 1.7-1^'^^""'" ^- '"'"'-'■ onisK:rai^ru?tr'°"^«*r'°" -= The discussion of Ae ^hT '°"'.'^"' to debate, the following motfon mat "h 7 '<»''P'»«o„ Macdonald- "Stn r, k, ^. Attomey-General to Her Majesty p^yLT'^ f""" ** P^-'«" pleased to 'cul TSut to 1'"'''- ^""""''^ Newfoundland and%S:lr^':::i'-nt «75 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Government, with provisions based on certain resolu- tions, which were adopted at a conference of delegates from the said colonies held at the city of Quebec, on the loth October, 1864." Then followed the con- ference resolutions in full. Some of the ablest and most brilliant speeches ever listened to in Canadian legislative halls were made for and against this motion. Five of the leading ministers spoke consecutively, in the following order : the Hon. Messrs. Macdonald, Cartier, Gait, Brown and McGee, and, as the official report of this great debate proves, very ptowerful and eloquent were the speeches they delivered. It has been generally con- ceded that the speeches of the Conservative and Reform leaders,* each from his own point of view, were specially conspicuous— that of Mr. Brown, who • The Hon. John A. Macdooald's peroration was as follows : " In conclusion, I would again implore the House not to let this oppor- tunity pass. It is an opportnnily which may never recur. At the risk of repealing myself, I would say it was only by a happy concurrence of circumstances that we were enabled to bring this great question to Its present position, (f we do not take advantage of the time, if we show ourselves uneqvil to the occ«iion, it may never return, and we shall hereafter bitterly and unavailingly regret having Med to embrace the happy opportunity now offered of founding a great nation under the ftjsteiing care of Great Britain and our sovereign lady Queen Vic- toria." (Loud cheers, amidst which the hon. gentleman resumed his seAt.)—C0n/edi!ra/ioM Debates, page 4^. The Hon. Geoi^e Brown closed in the following words : " Sir, the future destinies of these great province may be affected by the decision we are about to give, to an extent which, at this moment, we may be unable to estimate-but assuredly the welfare for many years of four millions of people hangs on our decision. (Hear, hear.) Shall we then rise equal to the occasion? Shall we approach this discussioB 376 i DARK CLOUDS THREATEN THE UNION nroK^r l*"""^ ^'■°'" ^ "P""'*' "'•^^•°" *° England, probably being the greatest effort of his life The Hon. L. H. Holton was first to give his reasons for opposmg the Government scheme, which he did in his usual lucid and effective manner. He was followed by the Hon. A. A. Dorion in an able and elaborate effort, then came Mr. Joly de Lotbini^re, Mr. Matthew Crooks Cameron, Mr. Christopher Dunkin, the Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald, Mr. L. S, Huntington and others. Mr. Dunkin's speech was an exceedingly remarkable one. It lasted two days and two nights-was probably the longest speech r«oIuUon to discharge conscientiously the duty which an overruling Providence has placed upon us ? Sir. it may be that some of us may hve to see the day when, as the result of this measure, a great ^ powerfal people may have grown up in these landslwln Te bound^ foresu a.! around us may have given way to smiling fieUs and thnvmg towns~and when one united Government under Z Bntuh flag shall extend from shore to shore; but who would de^'e to see that day if he could not recall with satisfaction the part he ^k m this duscussion ? Mr. Speaker. I have done. I leave th^sub^e^Ho Ind'llTrK °"t^".^""' °^ '•'" "°'"*' •" '^' ~«fid«»» expectation and belief that the decision it will render will be worthy of thVParK» ment ofCai^da." (The hon. gentleman resumed hirsifam^Uo;" and contmued applause. )^C«i/«fe«/,w DebaUt.page iij. 277 L. S. HUNTINGTON PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA ever made in a Canadian parliament— and it was admitted on all sides that he sustained his argu- ment against Confederation to its close in a remark- ably able, learned and, at times, eloquent way. Among other memorable speeches made in reply to these gentlemen were those of the Hon. Joseph Cauchon, Mr. Alexander Mackenzie and Mr. Richard J. Cartwright* Whilst the great debate was in progress, the tele- graph flashed the unwelcome intelligence that the Tilley Govermnent had been defeated at the general elections in New Brunswick, and a large majority of Anti-Confederates returned. The Opposition hailed this as the precursor of the break-down of the Coali- tion policy, and the Hon. John A. Macdonald promptly announced on the 6th March that the Government had now decided to use every parliamentary means to press the Quebec resolutions through the House at the earliest possible moment, to prorogue Parlia- ment for a few months, and send a commission to Great Britain immediately to consult the Imperial Government on the Confederation, Defence and other questions urg ently requiring settlement. He followed •The speeches of the Hon. Messrs. Macdonald and Brown at the opening of the Confederation debates have been widely circulated and do not need repetition, but the excellent addresses of many other eminent parliamentarians on the memorable occasion have been largely overlooked. These can be found in externa in the official report of the Confederation debates, 1864, which are or ougl.* »" > in every Public Library throughout the Dominion. But reado* who cannot avail themselves of these sources of information, will find a few of the bright things said for and against Confederation by some of the principal speakers, by consulting Appendix II. aj8 t 4 DARK CLOUDS THREATEN THE UNION this up the following day by moving the " previous question," the formula of which is. "Shall the main motion be now put?" and which has the effect of preventing amendments and irrelevant discussion. This motion raised the debate to a still more excited plane, in fact created for a time something of a scene, Messrs. Holton, Sandfield Macdonald, Dorion and others contending that the Government was violating their solemn promise in shutting off amendments, and some of the warmest and most brilliant speeches of the debate took placeat this point in the discussion .♦ The first vote on Con- federation was taken on Saturday morning, the i ith March, and it was carried by 9ito33.t On the Monday following, when Attorney- General Macdonald moved the usual committee to frame an address to Her Majesty on the subject, the Hon. John Hillyard Cam- eron, seconded by Mr. M. C. JOHN HIU.VARD CAMERON The cleverest speech of the Hon. John A. Macdonald during the Confederation debates is said to have been made in reply to the Oppo- sition attacks upon the Gtivernment and himself f.>r movinR '< the pre- vious question," as r and against Confederation, both in the Legislative Council and House of Assembly, may be found in Appendix IV. a 79 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Cameron, both stfong Conservatives, opposed the motion with an amendment, which prayed that His Excellency the Governor-General "should direct that a constitutional appeal shall be made to the people before these resolutions are submitted for final action thereon to the consideration of the Imperial Parlia- ment^ This proposed appeal to the people was de- feated after a sharp debate, by 84 to 35. Subsequent T^'1"'^T ^y "°"- ^^'^"' "°''°" *"d Macdonald (Sandfield) were defeated by still larger majorities, after which the address to Her Majesty, praying fo; the passage of the Confederation Act. was finally adopted, and the great measure was strongly endorsed and approved so far as the Canadian Parliament had power to do so. As had been announced to Parliament, several ques- tions had arisen urgently requiring consultation be- tween the Imperial and Canadian Governments at this tupe. These were (,) Confederation; (2) Canadian Defence and the share of the expense each country should bear; (3) the Reciprocity Tr«ity. which wii about to expire ; and (4) the acquisition of the North- West Territories. Parliament was. therefore, almost immediately prorogued after the Confederation reso- lutions were sanctioned, and the Hon. Messrs. Mac- donald. Brown, Cartier and Gait sailed from Boston on April nth, for Great Britain, it being agreed that Parliament should be convened again in the autumn on the return of these gentlemen from their mission. Up to this period the Confederation policy had basked in the sunshine of success. But a succession a8o { DARK CLOUDS THREATEN THE UNION of dark clouds now rapidly appeared, and for a time bore a very threatening aspect. Besides the set-back to Confederation from the defeat of the Tilley Government in New Brunswick Newfoundland had taken no action in favour oT the proposed union. The Prince Edward Island Legisla- ture not only passed r^^- olutions condemning it.buTalso repudiated the action of the Hon. Colonel dray and h.s col^agues at the Quebec Conference. Even in Nova Scotia its indefatigable premie. Dr. Tupper resolutions. So unhopeful were the prospects of wnuIH ;ih°'^P«>Ject was fatally shattered and would never be realized. It was this ominous change in the prospects of Confederation, conjoined with the dangerous^sition of Canada m case of trouble with the United States -st.11 excted and restless over the war and its clos- ing scenes-which were the principal reasons for the somewhat hurned departure of the Canadian Com! mission for Great Britain. The state of our colonial relations had not been quite satisfactory for a considerable time. The im prudent publication in England of the report of the" CollT7'^''.'^'r '^ '""^ Home aithorities- Colonel Jervois-declaring the defencelessness of i^tTrnT^V''''''''"^'*^^*" - '^- Action with the United States arising out of the depredations of the cruiser ^A«>a«,« and the St. Albans' raiders had created not a little alarm throughout S a8t PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Britain, and widespread feeling had arisen there that Canada should cease to be a colony and assume Independence I In some instances, both in Pariia- ment and the press, we were rather bluntly told " To loose the bands and go." The Hon. George Brown had been in England during the previous December, on a special mission re Confederation, and on the 22nd of that month wrote to the Hon. John A. Macdonald on this point as follows : " I saw all the members of the Government who were m town, and received much kindness and atten- tion from them. Indeed, from all classes of people you hear nothing but high praise of Canadian states- manship, and loud anticipations of the great future before us. I am much concerned to observe, however and I write it to you as a thing that must be seriously considered by all men having a lead hereafter in Canadian public matters— that there is a manifest desire in almost every quarter that, ere long, the Brtttsk American colonies should shift for themselves ana tn some quarters evident regret that we did not declare at once for Independence. I am very sorry to observe this but it arises, I hope, from the fear of invasion of Canada bv the United States, and will soon pass away with the cause that excites it."* '*nis was an unsatisfactory position for both parties, and before Pariiament prorogued, the Canadian Gov- ernment asked and received a vote of $1,000,000 for Immediate expenditure in defensive purposes. This strengthened t he hands of their commissioners very •Pope't •• Life of Sir John Macdonald," Vol. I., page 274. a8a DARK CLOUDS THREATEN THE UNION Tef T.K ^' '""* '^^ "•''"'"*" ^"^^^^^ °f *he measures to effect the un.on of British America, as well as the return to sounder views as to the value of the cobn.es soon obliterated the unpatriotic and unwise Nations ^^^' " ^" '° '^''^""^ °"'" '^^'^"'^J This agitation was. in fact, only temporary, and at the time I wnte I fear there is real danger of the pendu. a swinging too far in the opposite direction, nstead of cuttmg the colonies adrift, the Right Hon Joseph Chamberlain, the most masterful Colonial Secretary of modern times, aided by jingoes big and small at home and abroad, seems to have enterS upon an active crusade to hurry the colonies into some undefined form of Imperialism or Imperial Federation, which is not practicable without taking from self-governing colonies like Canada constitu- tional nghts we at present possess, and which, in my humble judgment, instead of binding the Empire more firmly together, would speedily develop antL. nistic interests and possibly rend it asunder Scarcely had the Canadian ministers set sail for Great Britain, when the whole American continent-it may almost be said, the entire world-was convulsed by excitement as it never had been before This was caused by circumstances attending the close of the gigantic American Civil War. the evacua- tion of Richmond, the rebel capital, and the surrender on the 9th April, of General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S Grant and his forees at the Appomattox River. Shouts 283 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA of joy and rejoicings arose all over the United States at the prospect of peace, the jubilant feelings of the nation being fitly expressed by its energetic War Secretary, the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, who imme- diately ordered a salute of two hundred guns to be fired from every military post throughout the Reputlic, and sent the following congratulatory despatch to General Grant and his army : rj^?" u* ^ ? Almighty God for the great victory with which He has this day crowned you and the gaT lant armies under your command! The thanks of this Department of the Government and the people h ^''LyT'* States-their reverence and honour have been deserved-will be rendered to you and the airt'imer ^ "* ''^*'^" ^""^ "'^" °*" y°^' ^"^y *°^ But whilst the nation was still celebrating the ter- mination of its terrible conflict, sudden as a flash of lightning from a clear sky the universal rejoicing was turned into universal lamentation. There was one man in the United States who had never stood so high in the estimation of his fellow- countrymen and the world as on the day when the Southern Confederacy collapsed in the surrender of the brave General Lee and his army. Never even in the darkest hours of the war had he faltered in his faith that the Union must and should be preserved, never had he wavered in his adherence to the great principles of human freedom underlying the war, and never did any other man, under such terrible trials and vicissitudes, develop and rise more quickly into the very highest regions of statesmanship. Indeed, a84 , DARK CLOUDS THREATEN THE UNION it may safely be said that, far more than General Grant or any other officer or citizen, he stood forth and was already recognized by his own nation and the world as the saviour of his country. That man was Abraham Lincoln, and on the night of the 14th April the terrible news was flashed by electric currents throughout the whole world, that this grand man-the President of the United States-had been cruelly assassinated by one John Wilkes Booth, whilst sitting in his box at Ford's Theatre in Wash- ington, enjoying the pleasures of the play ! The next Jay, as the astounded people read the particulars of this atrocious crime, including the wild exclamation of Booth as he jumped from the gallery to the st^e of the theatre, "Sic semper tyrannus/' and also the wounding of the Secretary of State, the Hon William H. Seward, and two of his sons, by another assassin on murder bent, a wave of horror and lamentation surged over the United States and throughout Europe and the whole civilized world, probably more widespread and intense than any ever before experienced. Not in my time did I ever know Canada so pro- foundly stirred as by the assassination of President Lincoln, and there was scarcely a city or town which, in public meeting assembled, did not express the sorrow and sympathy felt by its citizens at this tragic and deplorable event. Thirty-seven years have now elapsed since the close of the war and the occurrence of these painful circumstances. There has been ample time to form »85 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA a calm judgment, and every yeai since then the famCv of Abraham Lincoln as a statesman and a man has risen higher and higher. After undergoing the fiercest hghts of research and criticism, the world, not less than his own countrymen, has already awarded to Lincoln equal rank with George Washington among the Presidents of the United States, and it is possible, in my humble judgment^ that future gen- erations may elevate him to the premier place * Messrs. Brown, Cartier and Gait returned from their British mission about the ist of July ; Attorney- General Macdonald, who remained behind to receive •The growing appreciation of Lincoln is grandly voiced in the follow- ing lines from "Lincoln, and Other Poe.ns" (1901), by Edwin Markham : " The color of the ground was in him, the red earth ; The tang and odor of the primal things— The rectitude and patience of the rocks ; The gladness of the wind that shakes the com ; The courage of the bird that dares the sea ; The justice of the rain that loves all leaves ; The pity of the snow that hides all scars ; The loving-kindness of the wayside well ; The tolerance and equity of light That gives as freely to the shrinking weed. As to the great oak flaring to the wind- To the grave's low hill as to the Matterhom That shoulders out the sky. . . . And when he fell in whirlwind, he went down As when a kingly cedar green with boughs Goes down with a great shout upon the hills, And leaves a lonesome place against the sky." a86 DARK CLOUDS THREATEN THE UNION the degree of D.CL. from Oxford University, not till a week later. The Imperial Committee they met in London was composed of the Right Hon. Messrs. Gladstone and Cardwell, the Duke of Somerset, and he Earl de Grey and Ripon. These gentlemen strongly urged upon the Canadian delegation to per- severe m their policy of Confederation, and agreed to recommend the Maritime Provinces to adopt it They immediately instructed Sir Frederick Bruce, the Mmister in charge at Washington, to open nego- tiations for a renewal of the Reciprocity Treaty : they promised to expedite the annexation of the North- West Territories to Canada, and renewed the promise of an Imperial guarantee for the bonds necessary to construct the Intercolonial Railway. On the impor- tant question of the Defence of Canada a better understanding was arrived at. which was to the effect that If Canada undertook certain measures of defence farther west, the British Government would complete the fortifications of Quebec and would use the whole resources of the Empire in the defence of Canada in case It were attacked. The delegation returned home pleased with the success of their mission, and much more hooeful of carrying Confederation than when they wenj away I'ariiar ent was soon afterwards called together aeain as previously arranged. 987 CHAPTER XXIV RECIPRCX:iTY VAINLY SACRIFICED ON THE ANNEXATION ALTAR Much interest was manifested at this time, both in Canada and adjacent parts of the United States, in the renewal of the famous Reciprocity Treaty, which had been in existence since 1854. The United' States Government had given notice for its abrogation, but Canadians and Americans generally, particularly the citizens of Buffalo, Detroit, Oswego, Portland, Boston New York, Philadelphia and other cities, considered the free exchange of the articles embraced in the treaty had been a great benefit to both countries, and desired its continuance. It was resolved, therefore, by the American friends of the treaty, to hold a great commercial convention m the beautiful City of the Straits— Detroit— to discuss the commercial relations of the two countries, and help to secure the continuance of this beneficent measure in some shape or form. It assembled on the iith July, 1865, and was the largest and most influential purely Commercial con- vention which ever took place on this continent. All the principal states of the Union and all the British American provinces were represented. The Hon. 288 RECIPROCITY VAINLY SACRIFICED Hiram Wallbridge. New York, was chosen permanent chairman and the Hon. Hannibal Hamlin.'^f MaTne wX^^-"''^"t''"' ^'^'^ ^^P"^"^^ "- Cha les' H w •"°" ' "°"- J°^P»* «o^e, Nova Scotia • RvTn ^'"r ,'''!f^^^"' T--to^ Hon. Thoras' AmoJlT ''"' -^"y others, as vice-chairmen. Among the more emment Canadian delegates who attended were the following : Hon. L. H. Hdto„ st Hugh Allan. C J. Brydges and Walter Shanle! Montreal ; Hon. W. J. Stairs. Halifax ; Hon Ts2^' ilton . Hon^ John McMurrich and Erastus Wiman Toronto ; Hon. George Coles. Charlottetown. P.e! Hon. Charles ^^isher. St. John. N.B. ; Hon James' Ho^ E l!f" .?"•/ ^- ^"^"^' S*- C-thann's Hon. E Leona-d. London. There were also a great many other representative Canadians present Havmg shortly before won a prize offered in Montreal for an essay on the Reciprocity Treaty which was widely published in the press. I received an unexpected but warm invitation from the delega- t.on of the cty of Hamilton to attend this Convention, and therefore had the honour and pleasure of beine present dunng the whole proceedings. I never had seen an absolute tyrant until I wit- nessed General Wallbridge wielding the baton as chairman at this Convention. With hundreds eager to speak, however, it was quickly perceived that but for h.s tyranny the delegates would be there for weeks instead of days, and a very few minutes sufficed to make the tyrant's will law anr* ihe fall of his gavel J9 aB9 ^ PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA irrevocable. The flood-gates of discussion were then opened, and the tide of eloquence flowed on unceas- ingly for four days. The best argument in favour of the continuance of Reciprocity — in fact, the speech of the Convention — was delivered by the Hon. Joseph Howe. Few present had ever seen the eminent Nova Scotian be- fore. His presence was prepossessing, and he quite maintained his high repu- tation as an orator. His speech was exceedingly brilliant and eloquent, and when during the peroration he told with deep emotion of the large number of young Canadians who had shed their blood — and that even his own son had served under General Sheridan — to uphold the cause of the Republic, hundreds of the delegates were so moved by his eloquence that they jumped upon their seats, and the whole convention became a scene of vociferous and tumultuous applause lasting for several minutes. Mr. Howe's speech produced a good effect, but the Convention was naturally not a little divided in opinion. Some were for the old treaty, some were against it ; some wanted a new treaty with new con- ditions; and almost every city skirting the great 390 JOSEPH HOWE RECIPROCITY VAINLY SACRIFICED international lakes and rivers harf « or transportation omj, "f ? ""^ commercial included in ^nZe?^°l "" °"" "''■■<^'' " -'-"^ point which s^eem:dTe™rl'°'""""'^- ^""^ was, that Canada ou^ht ,„ !■ "'°" ""animity Welland and It Uw^l r**" """ """« fr« its the cost of tra„spom-:r"h: ^\^ "» 'o cheapen North-Westem sStes ^te'^S^"*""' 1 '"' «'^' great undertakine was „f .„ '""''^'* ' This at Canada's e"LZ' buTT '° "" ''""^ -holly unanimity as to'^h^ colJctS T ?"* '^'^ country was to receive in "tlTm *''™""8« this c.a'J^t;s^::--a=trr'- were, generally speakintr ;,« r^, f "^- The former *»s in declaLrthtr Llp^^t: r^e' '""'- both countries. This could „^ blessing to be truthfully gainsa d ° A '' " ^ "■"""• "' f«t. United Sutes?:^d ca" i '!""'"" *»"> "^ the The very C y^^r ,?"" P'^'^'J" P^ved it success. T^e^^rSat: .adV''t'^.P'^'^'"'«' "^ exports-ofalli^fflSl ^r-"** "'"Ports and StaVes. during the p~vSf "T"'" "'"■ *« United *.4..3<^.63 1^ a~^ o^^„7rtrrr had advancS'*^ '^t J':r°w ^T *^ "^"-^ and last year thS ^^ 'hft' ,. °" *= *'"«""• According to the statistics of aT • P"' ■*"'• tbe aggregate value Of ori„t;^-rradTdS^ PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA the eleven years of the treaty reached the magnificent total of $623,ooo,ocx) (in round numbers), and the " balance of trade," as it is called, was $95.765.ooo in favour of our neighbours. American statistics did not materially differ from ours as to the value of our aggregate international trade, but made the balance in their favour at the end often years, $62,000,000, and when the treaty closed, one year later, $20,000,000. The large purchases made and the inflated prices paid by them for Canadian productions during the war, no doubt reduced the (so-called) " balance of trade," but that the United States had the best of it to the extent of $95,765,000, as our statistics showed, there is very little reason to doubt. With such splendid results as these figures prove, there could be no uncertainty as to the success of the Reciprocity Treaty in promoting the commercial prosperity of both nations, and the business men of both countries at the Convention were quite outspoken in their declarations to that effect. Not so the politicians, however. They did not look at the question solely from the commercial point of view. They had. to use a common phrase, other fish to fry. Without openly opposing the object of the Convention, many of them were at heart hostile to the continuance of Reciprocity, and their indirect opposition was probably more injurious than if their opinions had been openly avowed. It soon began to make itself felt. Before the close of the second day's proceedings mysterious influences were cvi- »9« RECIPROCITY VAINLY SA( RIFICEf) dently at work. Some mystical hanci-vntin^. see aed to be on the wall, and no Daniel in Babylon to interpret the meaning thereof! The Hon J. W. Potter, the United States Consul- General for the British Provinces, whose headquarters were m Montreal, finally undertook the task of inter- preter-m other words, to let the cat out of the bag He announced that he would deliver an address on Br!^;rr'''' ''''^''°"' °^'**^ ^"''^ States and the Bntish Provmces. at the Board of Trade rooms on the mornmg of the third day of the Convention, at Wt^T :?'''• '"^ "" C^"-d'-n« were cordially n- v.ted to be present. Expectation ran high as to what this meetmg meant. There was consequently ticuUrb. well represented, and Mr. Potter cer^rnly gave their representatives a genuine surprise. them thTr ^ ^^*'*"' preliminaries he bluntly told them that Canada, especially the Province of Quebec now favoured Annexation to the United States' This statement was received with American cheers and Canadian expressions of dissent. His next oflensrye statement was. that the United States was "we v:^rr """ ''' ""r^^^^'y '"'^^'y ^-". »>"' a„7i • ^ir ^°" '°'"P'^'^ ^"^ ^^»^« '^ you come and jom m the responsibilities of our own government " This announcement was greeted with cries of "No! step farther. He declared : " It is not our policy as years after ,ts repeal the Canadians themselves will a93 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA 1 apply for admission to the United States." Indig- nant cries of "No! no!" now loudly resounded throughout the Chamber. This opposition quite flustered the consular orator, and in his excitement he again called out, " I repeat, that in two years they will ask admission." By this time the meeting was in considerable up- roar — the Canadians naturally being indignant— and an unpleasant scene appeared imminent The Hon. J. G. Currie, of St. Catharines, however, having man- fully risen and denied the speaker's Annexation state- ments and vindicated Canadian loyalty to Great Britain, most of the Canadians got up and retired, and the meeting soon afterwards came to an unpleas- ant termination. When Mr. Potter's escapade became known throughout the city, it created a short-lived sensa- tion. At first it was thought that no person standing so high in the United States Consular Service would have dared to make such a speech without being promoted from Washington. The Consul-General's conduct, however, was promptly disavowed, and al- though it did not come before the Convention, many of the American delegates were just as strong as the Canadians in denouncing the bad judgment and worse taste which he had displayed on the occasion. The festivities to which the city of Detroit invited the members of the Convention and their wives and families, as well as hundreds of other distinguished guests, were unusually magnificent and costly. The Americans excel in such/r^. But seldom has there 894 RECIPROCITY VAINLY SACRIFICED been anything of the kind grander and more enchant- ing than when the Detroiters lashed three of their largest steamboats together and sailed up and down the sparkling waters of their beautiful river in the summer's moonlight, whilst their numerous guests spent a night of music, dancing, feasting and speechi- fymg, almost without a parallel for its magnificence and enjoyment. The entire festivities reflected the highest honour upon the charming City of the Straits and helped not a little to bring the Convention to a harmonious and happy termination. After speeches innumerable in the Convention during which the fortunes of the battle seemed to rise and fall, the commercial element proved stronger than the political. Among other conclusions arrived at, the delegates finally passed a resolution strongly advising their Government to negotiate a new Reci- procity Treaty with the British American Provinces this result being hailed with great cheering by the friends of the measure. The Reciprocity question being thus disposed of, the rest of the business was quickly despatched, and the proceedings were brought to a close with three cheers for President Johnson and an equal number for Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Whilst the commercial men were successful at Detroit, however, the politicians afterwards com- pletely triumphed at Washington. The views so rudely outlined by Consul-General Potter ultimately captured both branches of Congress, and became the settled fiscal policy of our neighbours towards this "95 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA V country. The enlightened Reciprocity Treaty, so beneficial to both nations, was vainly sacrificed on the Annexation altar, and at the time I write— over a third of a century after Detroit's famous convention — the prospects of agreeing upon any measure of reciprocal free trade do not seem any brighter than they were at that time. 996 CHAPTER XXV SPLIT IN THE CABINET-GEORGE BROWN RESIGNS Parliament had been summoned to meet aeain on the 8th August, and the preceding w^fan T penlled the existence of the Coahtion Government and caused much uneasiness for several days tinfjli"'""" ^' J"'^^' ^^° ^^^ ^^' ^ considerable time been m poor health, died on the 30th July. Being Prime Minister, his death dissolved the CabLt as f ^ole. and it being a coalition, the future premi rship became a very important and delicate qu^tion. otrZtHi ^'T"^ '"^"'■'^ '^^' L""-^ '^^"^k should offer the position to Attorney-General Macdonald first He undertook the reconstruction of the Gov- ernment received Mr. Cartier's consent, and then re- quested Mr. Brown's. The latter replied, in effect that he was quae prepared to continue the Government as T"'"J*^.""^'' the late Premier, but thartrmLe erther Mr. Macdonald. Mr. Cartier or himself pTme Minister, all three being active political leaders. wouTd be to change its coalition character, and he could not Prime Minister, after consulting Messrs. Macdougall and Howland, he raised similar objections, but lest 297 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA their action might jeopardize the plans of the Coali- tion on the Confederation question, he desired time to consult his political supporters in Parliament before finally deciding. As Parliament was called to meet in a few days, and there was theoretically no Government in exist- ence, the only practicable solution of the difficulty left open to Mr. Macdonald was to meet Mr. Brown's views and preserve the coalition character of the Ministry as origiiiully agreed upon. Thisjie finally did, proposing that Sir Nbrcisse Belleau, a member of the Legislative Council, and not an active politician, should become Prime Minister and Receiver-General. This offer was accepted by Mr. Brown, on condition that the new Premier should distinctly declare his acceptance of the policy upon which the Coalition was formed in 1864, and as modified in 1865. This pledge was given. Sir Narcisse took the place of the late Premier, and the dangers of this unpleasant crisis were at least temporarily overcome. This session, which was the last one held in Que- bec, lasted barely six weeks, the Government being all-powerful. Underneath the surface, however, some of the circumstances of the recent crisis rankled a little in the breasts of the two rival political leaders, and subsequent events clearly proved that their rela- tions were never quite the same afterwards as they had been during the temporary truce of the previous fifteen months. Sir E. P. Tach^'s death «vas unfortu- nate, therefore, politically as well as personally. Much misrepresentation in connection with this 398 SPLIT IN THE CABINET-BROWN RESIGNS unpleasant episode, especially ol ,l,e Hon. George Brown, was subsequently indulged in by ^eS wruers. whose partisanship was fortunatel/so bHnd t^nTKZl" ■''"'' " '" '""""'^ '° *-> state- ments. There is no necessity for impuenini? the ^b^of *^ ? ^""' ^"^ """""y fr"™ 'heir own pomts of v.ew. I, was not unnatural that .Attorney Gener^ Macdonald, being the senior ^Tr should asp,re to become Premier, and that he shoS be somewhat chagrined, as he undoubtedly was not only that Mr. Brown refused his consent, buuh« Mr Can.er and he had finally to accept the former-s But it was equally natural, and amply justifiable on tt« grounds of public policy (as the%oi^spo„de„ce clearly discloses), that the Reform leader should "««t on the coalition character of the Govemme^ being maintained, and that no ascendancy should te ^t hIh th f ^' P?"'"*' """'es to the com- Ser Ae r ,>""" ^"""™" ^-^ •''e"«er and teader, the Coalition would have been memed into a accused of j,a|ousy and hatted in refusing his consent h:rg:'i„'°tht""'1v'"^ "'" •«" "'«^'° -e^a I "»e"'ed to by him, would have been injurious alike |»_.he_pre,..ge and future of the Refoni par^td' The fall of this year wa, signalized by the removal '99 ! PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA of the seat of Government and all the public oflfices and archives from Quebec to Otawa, the new capital. The magnificent new Parliament and departmental buildings were sufficiently completed for occupation, and much interest was felt by all classes, not only in the arrival of His Excellency Lord Monck and family at Rideau Hall, the new vice-regal residence, but in looking forward to the next session of Parliament, which would be at once the first held in Ottawa and the last of the late Province of Canada. Threats of a Fenikn invasion of Canada were freely made in the United States at this time by some of the horde of soldiers let loose by the close of the civil war. They were not taken very seriously either by Government or people, but much interest continued to be felt by both in regard to the renewal of the Reciprocity Treaty, which was timed to expire on the 17th March, 1866, at midnight Both the Imperial and Canadian Governments actively interested themselves in this important matter. Immediately after the Detroit Commercial Convention, the Hon. Messrs. Gait and Howland were chosen by the Cabinet to proceed to Washington to endeavour to negotiate a new treaty. They met, however, with very little encouragement. Late in the fall Mr. Gait went again to Washington and dis- cussed the subject with the Secretaries of the State and Treasury departments, more particularly the Hon. W. H. Seward. These gentlemen held out no hopes of a treaty, but thought some system of recip- rocal legislation might be accepted by the Senate 300 SPLIT IN THE CABINET-BROWN RESIGNS and House of Representatives. UnJer this system the reciprocity agreed upon would b. subject t^ abrogation or alteration annually by the legislative bodies of either country. ^ Mr. Gait returned to Ottawa about the middle of December to consult his colleagues on this new pro- position of reciprocal legislation, and the CabLt was considerably divided upon it. Not a little warm discussion took place. Mr. Gait and some othe^ were inclined to tiy reciprocal legislation rather than let reciprocity lapse altogether. Among those strongly opposed thereto was the Hon. George Brown which coidd be changed by legislation from year to year would be useless, and keep Canada constantly watching and dependent upon Washington legislation He also objected to Mr. Galfs having renewed neeo t.at.ons at Washington without rLenTe to fht ftt^^fv I' ^""''"^^ Provinces, and considered timpolitic that so many visits should be made to that city on a question in which the United States was interested equally with us. The Cabinet came to a decision on the i8th Thev erased from Mr. Galfs memorandum a clause favouT able to reciprocal legislation, on account of Mr Brown s opposition thereto, but they at the same time deeded that Messrs. Gait and Howland should goTo Washington again, and while they did not clothe them with power to agree on behalf of the Govern ment to a measure based on reciprocal legislation 301 I I ! I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA they left it an open question, to be determined as future circumstances might suggest. There was no member of the Administration, Con- servative or Reform, more attached to Great Britain and to British institutions than George Brown. He was, in fact, an extremist on this point, and that he felt strongly that a grave mistake was being made by the Cabinet in contemplating the regulation of the commercial relations of the United States and Canada by reciprocal legislation, and subject to annual change by the legislative bodies of Washing- ton and Ottawa, I can confirm with sonno authority, as I had it from his own lips. Mr. Gait having expressed himself favourable to at least a trial of reciprocal legislation, and the Government having sent him again to renew the negotiations, Mr. brown came to the conclusion that the interests both of Canada and Great Britain re- quired that he should take a strong and decided stand before the country was committed to it. The only point which caused him any hesitation was the uncompleted state of the great scheme of Confedera- tion, and having persuaded himself that he could assist it in its final stages as well outside the Cabinet as in it, he determined upon and sent in his resigna- tion as a minister of the Crown, shortly after the Cabinet meeting at which the above decision was arrived at. Mr. Brown's resignation very naturally caused a commotion both in Ottawa and throughout the country. The Hon. Messrs. Cartier and Campbell, 302 SPLIT IN THE CABINET-BROWN RESIGNS doubtless with the approval of their colleagues, wrote to and waued upon him the following day. exp;essTng their deep regret at his resignation, and endeavouring by every means in their power to induce him to mtveH t 'Tu !?^ "^^ "°^' '^°^--' - -- to ^ moved after he had taken a stand. To use his own words: "He desired to leave the Cabinet in ^rZt harmony, and if they adhered to the compact made with h,m when Sir Narcisse Belleau came into the Government, they would receive his best aid in car- rying the constitutional changes they were pledged to, but he would not withdraw his resignation and continue in office. I unexpectedly met Mr. Brown at Hamilton rail- way station immediately after his return west He had madea hasty visit to the neighbourhood of Brant- ford in connection with his proposed Bow Park farm and had driven from there rapidly over the muddy' December roads in order to catch the (then) Great Western Railway for Toronto. His overcoat was in consequence, not a little sprinkled with mud. and'he still showed traces of the mental and physical excite- ment through which he had recently passed. I had mdeed. never seen him so excited before, and during an hour or more that we walked the platform at Hamilton, detained by a belated eastern train he spoke with marvellous energy and characteristic free- dom as to the causes of his resignation and the results likely to flow therefrom. No seal of secrecy was imposed on this interview and my recollections of it, which arc tolerably dis- 303 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA tinct, may be compressed as follows: Mr. Brown declared that he felt it to be his duty to resign because he considered any attempts at Reciprocity by means of concurrent legislation would be a great blunder for Canada, as it would make our agricul- tural and other interests constantly dependent on United States legislation and virtually increase American tendencies. He considered the chief object of his entering the Coalition Government, namely, Confederation, would not be imperille^l by his withdrawal, as he would support it as heartily without a seat in the Cabinet as with one, and that the dangerous action of the Gov- ernment on the Reciprocity question was a fitting opportunity for him to withdraw from a position which he accepted against his will, which would never have be-n justifiable except as a means to extricate the ct T: vry from its difficulties, and which, of late, had become to him almost intolerable. Whilst his resignation was caused by the differ- ence with his colleagues on the Reciprocity negotia- tions, however, he frankly admitted that other cir- cumstances had had some influence in determining his course. For several months, but especially since the unpleasant events of the late crisis, he said his position in the Cabinet had become increasingly diffi- cult and disagreeable. Sir Narcisse Belleau had been chosen Premier as a mere figurehead. He indicated this at the time, as the correspondence disclosed, but .fter refusing to agree either to Mr. Macdonald or Mr. Cartier as 304 SPLIT IN THE CABINET-BROWN RESIGNS Prime Minister, he had felt reluctantly compelled, in viev of the Confederation question, to accept their nommee, Sir Narcisse. If not Premier de jure Attomey-General Macdonald thus became Premier de /acta. He and not the Prime Minister arranged tor the entrance of Mr. Rowland into the Cabinet and Mr Brown felt that the relations between him- self and the Conservative leader-at no time per- fectly cordial on either side-had greatly changed since he refused to consent to the latter's elevation to the leadership of the Administration. He did not complain of the action of the Cabinet m passing him by and sending Mr. Rowland with Mr. Gait on the Washington mission. The Hon Alex. Mackenzie, however, in his Life of Brown, says he regarded this as a "personal slight." and con- sidering that he was probably the most influential member of the Confederate Council of the British ISorth American colonies, a body formed at the request of the Imperial Government only a few months before, and specially charged to look after the renewal of the Reciprocity and other commercial treaties, it must be admitted that it is difficult to avoid such an interpretation. Whilst not mentioning this. Mr. Brown referred to sectarian grants and other matters pressed through the Executive Council against his will, and contrary to the general understanding when the Coalition was formed, and which were calculated, and he believed intended, to make him inconsistent with his previous political record and weaken his influence throu^rhout *° 305 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA i I the country. In short, and as a matter of faet, whether correctly or not, Mr. Brown had come to the conclusion that for some time Attorney-General Macdonald had been endeavouring to make his posi- tion in the Cabinet untenable, unless with humiliation and loss of popularity on his part. Such are, in substance, the reasons given by Mr. Brown during this Hamilton interview for his with- drawal from the Coalition Government, and it Is deemed proper, as well as interesting, to give them in his own language as nearly as it can be recalled. There are, however, two sides to this as to most other questions. The Conservative opponents of Mr. Brown at the time, and in after years the authors already referred to, declared that his resignation was unjustifiable. They alleged that the real cause thereof was not the Reciprocity question, but his jealousy of the ascendancy and influence of, and even hatred toward, his astute rival, the Hon. John A. Macdonald, and that he should either not have entered the Coalition to carry Confederation, or he should have remained until that question was carried, whatever the consequences might be. This latter view was also taken by a section of the Reform party under the leadership of the Hon. Messrs. Howland and Macdougall, who, although both had been taken into the Ministry on Mr. Brown's nomination, declined to follow his lead in retiring from it. Those who have thus far followed the history of the illustrious Reform and Conservative leaders and 306 SPLIT ,N THE CABINET-BROWN RESIGNS Brown and Mn.acS^IdK'^j'L'"" ^"^"""^ ^'■ together » long '^°"*''' *^ '"""oniously worked It was ineviuble, however n,.. .ucce« of Confederation ,^' ,'t " '«" " the Cabinet would be larJe enZf^w ° """^ «"»'"■ "» them bo* for any'^gtSUiod"" ""Ch '" T men were too forceful ,r^ ?7 °"' gentle- personallyandin^ri^' '^/T^J""""- "» **«« Playe« of the ^«tol ^^ . T '"^ '°° ""•"' Both were acti^^' ^ il° h"^ "' "«"''"- who« respective ^rt^e, te haS ST' K°' ''^ opposed to each other and « . ^ '"""'>' truce ended, expecteT'to T. ." "" '°"'t'°n the« circun^suS^t wast ""^"^ '^"^ """^ hatred on the p^<^:Zor^":fr'""y " political ^sc^Zcy of "r^her ^Jk ?^"' '° *" :^^a::^nir''■•"-^^"-= c^r^rr far-IE '- -" "^ "-- this Influential body as alln ' P*"""'"^"*^ •'" of the Cabinet ^s^rrta^^t^^ "''""°""^' '*** «*=»'"" Clearly a slight, but whether it was uninten- 307 I I i! i I I f ' PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA tional, and therefore only a blunder, or whether it was one of those old-time, astute moves of Attorney- General Macdonald to make his rival's position in the Administration untenable, as Mr. Brown believed, are points on which men of opposite politics may naturally differ, and in regard to which the reader can be safely left to draw his own conclusions. Two days after Mr. Brown's resignation, the Hon. John A. Macdonald wrote to Mr. Howland as follows : " I ask you to Uke G. Brown's position in the Gov- ernment, and ybu have carte blanche in the choice of a gentleman of your party to fill the vacant seat in the Council." ha^^x^x Mr. Howland immediately convoked a confidential meeting of the Upper Canada R^^*^, '"PI^J**;" °^ the Government, which meeting was held in the town of Guelph on Christmas day, Mr. Gait and he being anxious to set out for Washington as early as possible. This meeting resulted in the Prcsiden^ of the Council, the vacant portfolio, being offered to Mr. Alex. Mackenzie. M.P.P. for Lambton. i hat gentle- man took time to consider this offer, but after con- suiting Mr. Brown in regard to his reasons for «- signing, he wrote Mr. Howland stating that he felt unable to sustain the Government's position in regard to Legislative Reciprocity, and therefore dechned to accept office. l u s. \ The position was then offered to the Hon. A. j. Fergusson Blair, of Guelph. He accepted the offer, and the Coalition Government had again its com- element of three Reform members, ^ 308 CHAPTER XXVI PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN Immediately alter the holidays (1866) the Hon M«,rs. Gait and Howland proceeded again to wZi mgtonto endeavour to secu-e an extensfon of R^r. cty m some fom. Their mission, however, p,«vra the United Sut« having almost unitedly taken up the position foreshadowed at the Detroit Commerce Convention the preceding year, and which in b„n language was, that Canada could have complete com mercial intercour«> with them by means of l„n °t tion, but not otherwise. «nnexa- This action on tiK part of the United States was almost un,ve,«.lly reg«ded at the time Tvl^ unfortunate for Canada. Time has p„>vrt i^ho7 ««^.o have been a blessing in disguL It ^uttTj failed to produce the slightest Annexation feeli„r n any of the provinces, but it was highly suc^^f ^ Z^^a"^^ "8«««yP".mo^Confcdei4" tion and the early construction of the Interolonial Railway ; it set our legislator, at work with T doubled enenfy to encourage the development* o^ tamense natural resource. ; i, stimulat^ Z eflbl to search out and open up new avenues for C.«Z 309 I ^ I I ! t PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA commerce. In short, it made Canada independent, and in a few years completely dispelled the illusion that this rising young nation was dependent on the United States or any other one country for a market for its productions. These were lessons which both the United States and Canada much needed to learn, and it has done us both a great deal of good. During this spring the prospects of carrying Con- federation brightened, although some of the means used were hardly above criticism. The Lieutenant- Governors of the Maritime Provinces, spurred on by the Imperial authorities, rather exceeded in some cases the constitutional limits usually assigned to them in pressing Confederation upon their respective legislatures and peoples. When the New Brunswick Legislature assembled, the Smith-Hathcway Government, which was anti- Confederate, and had been decisively sustained by the electors the year before, found the Hon. A. H. Gordon, the Lieutenant-Governor, apparently determined to force them to declare in favour of Confederation or effect a rupture. The Legislative Council having radically amended the Ministry's Speech from the Throne in favour of Confederation, His Excellency went so far as to reply thereto, commending their action, not only against the advice of the Premier, the Hon. A. J. Smith, but without giving his Ministers time to examine his reply.' No self-respecting government could * " On TuetcUy lut, the Government tendered their retiipMtion, and in doing lo compbOned of the action of the Governor, with a view ol 310 I ! I \ PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN continue in office under such circumstances, which :::gnXf""'''^'"^^-''-^'^^--<^-^ the"rnt"r' rT '""^'^"'^ '■" '^' "°"'^ °f Assembly. HfsExce^r "'*' "•""*^" "°* °"'y d«-"nced sible government, but gave formal notice of reLu- ToT:^^ condemning his conduct, and asking the Queen to recall him. Governor Gordon, how ever, forestalled their proposed censure of his conduct by promptly dissolving the recently elected ParHa men^ and entrusting the Hon. R. D. Wilmot and the Hon. Peter Mitchell with the formation of a new Confederate ministry. Many considered His Exce' d?riL' ,?"''"^ °^ "^^ prerogatives of the Crow dunng this cnsis as hard:, consistent with New onTon't-^:""^'' °' self-government, or defensib.: on cons tutional grounds, but this did not prevent Messrs W.lmot and Mitchell from successfully fill.n' f„H V r "°"- ^- ^ ™'y' ^»^° »««Pted office und^ h,s former colleagues, and the Province was speedily immersed in a second general election within twelve months, the chlefj^s uejgain^ Confei getting « cry in ,he country «ul taking the public mind ^wl^'^^i^ «U quction. n. . Confederation. Thi. i. their only hopi of ^«^' 3" I ' 'i PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA eration, but embittered by the unpleasant drcuqd- stances which had recently taken place. Whilst these events were transpiring in the sister province, Nova Scotia was in a ferment on the same question. After strenuous and prolonged efforts the Hon. Dr. Tupper secured the passage through the L^islature, on the 17th April, of a short resolution in favour of union. This resolution authorized the appointment of del^ates " to arrange with the Im- perial Government a scheme of union which will effectually ensure just provision for the rights and interests of this province." The House of Assembly carried this motion by 31 to 19, but as the ensuing general election proved, public opinion throughout the Province was at that time overwhelmingly against it. However, this vote gave the Nova Scotia Gov- ernment power to agree to Confederation, and they acted accordingly. It was a dangerous course, how- ever, under the circumstances then existing in that province, to pass zo important a measure without reference to the people. But it ultimately and fortu- nately succeeded, although in the meantime it brought the Province to the brink of rebellion. After an acrimonious contest New Brunswick com- pletely reversed its verdict at the elections of the previous year, and sustained the new Confederate ministry of Messrs. Wilmot and Mitchell by a hand- some majority. Among the principal circumstances which brought about this result was the threatened danger at that time of a Fenian invasion of the Pro- vince, which caused widespread alarm and led many 31a PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN New Brunswickers to perceive how much stroneer ^ !L '^""'f'"^"""- "» "«=»' Parliament promptly favourof the Union, and thus furnished the Imperial tttrr "'* '"^ °"'^ """""••"« endor^memby the four provinces considered necessary to the passage ofthe proposed measure. r "«« The projc- ted Fenian attack on New Brunswick a^mbled m large numbers at Ogdensbing, on the Oue^T"' •*'""■• '' ^"^ '*"»"'»• Vermont near the R^v^rr r= '"" "' ^"'^'"O' """^ the Niagara R.ver. This attempted invasion aroused intense in d-enation, but no. much alarm, throughout Sraia The principal attack ofthe Fenians in the west was made by an adventurer named General O'Neill with about , »x. men. They assembled at Black R«k on the N«g.ra IWver, a, midnight, on the ,st of Ju"e and Classed over before daylight in scows hauW by a ug.b«,t effecting a landing on Canadian Xne mile below the village of Fort Erie. They Cre mostly well armed with rifle, and pistol,. They 7^ and adjoining farmers, and during the day com- i'S ! H) PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA mitted not a few depredations on the railway track, bridges and telegraph wires. In the meantime, Colonel George Peacock, of the i6th Raiment, with a small number of regular troops, the Governor-General's Body Guard, the loth Royals, and a few volunteer companies, was despatched to the frontier at Chippewa. Lieut-Colonel Booker, with the 13th Battalion of Hamilton, and Major Gillmore, with the Queen's Own Regiment of Toronto, joined by a few volunteers, were also ordered to proceed to Port Colbome, the special duty assigned to them being to guard the Welland Canal. The next morning (June 2nd) Colonel Booker and Major Gillmore's forces, whilst on their way to join Colonel Peacock at the village of Stevensville, came into contact, near the village of Ridgeway, with the Fenian forces under O'Neill, who had set out from Fort Erie that morning to destroy some of the adjacent locks on the Welland Canal. This meeting was a surprise on both sides, but Colonel Booker and Major Gillmore gallantly decided to attack the in- vaders, and a sharp engs^ement ensued, with varying fortune. This has since been known as the battle of Ridge- way. In the early part of the engagement the Fenians were steadily driven back for nearly a mile. They were then rallied by O'Neill, who told them they had better stand their chance of being shot in the field than to be captured and hanged, and having thus been induced to advance again to the attack, they recovered the ground which they had lost 3M PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN of O'Neill uZT J Colborne, and the return ot o Neil and the Fenians back to Fort Erie jZh forces retired in considerable disorder ^ iJunng the same day Colonel Peacock wifh *k ing the night, and had been arrested by the IJ ^ ^iicr a lair trial many of these w#»rA ..u; body ac,^, ^r; '""^ "'"=»' "' *e main deserved.* '^ marauders so richly wJe^stni^il";"^'!;' *' *"'"'«"' •»■-"» "•entioned ^r^r'and"^ •11"^'"' *^ St U~ CaTadfa'nt^X'eaVt. ZT "''° ""' 'T '"' — ■ ^'^'y "g^*^ at . AJban s were met by our "™o« amce the Union of i«4i,» VoL n., 459.44^ I PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA forces and quickly driven back across the lines in a demoralized state, where United States officers arrested their ringleaders and held them for trial. Thus ended this much-talked-of Fenian invasion. It proved a complete failure, although nine young Canadian volunteers, mostly Toronto University stu- dents, were killed and thirty-one wounded at Ridge- way, and about an equal number of the Fenians. This country was, it must be admitted, poorly equipped to repel such an attack at that time, and Colonel Geot^e T. Denison, in his " Soldiering in Canada," clearly shows that the Government and Militia De- partment were not only warned of the coming of the Fenians, but were very slow and remiss in making preparations to resist them. But if such a wanton and wicked crime were attempted at the present day, the invaders would find Canada in a state of military preparation certain to ensure them a hot reception. The last session of the Parliament of the late Pro- vince of Canada, and the first to be held in our new Parliament Buildings at Ottawa, was opened with great Mat by His Excellency Lord Monck, on the 8th June, 1866. The Speech from the Throne spoke confidently of Confederation being soon accomplished, which statement was fully justified by the union reso- lutions passed by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and also promised the following among other import- ant measures : (i) To provide for the Local Legislatures and Governments of Ontario and Quebec ; (2) to make several financial changes, including liberal reductions ^1.6 i ! ! I I I ' PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN interests of the projected new Oominion would he being a cheap county- to live in ; (3) a measure guaranteeing to the British minority in W cl c^,T'" 'iF'"' '" "^'"^ '° educa on and i": cally the nght of having ProtesUnt schools. ^ tran pi^'' H,Vr """' "' *" ""=• ■' "as since twir^M f" ""^ * threatened rupture be- tween Her Majesty's representative, Lord Moncit and fte Government, shortly after this session ^1^ The ostensible reason given was, the courseTthe waTst^nr""'"!.^^ """""'" ■«6'^'a«<'"(whch » as strongly opposed) to the delay of their Confedera- t.on measures, which His Excellency consWe^ might endanger the latter. considered oth«?„d T" '° '*"'"™' ''°"=""' *" *<=■* -vere L0H.1,- "«'';■■ '^""^ »' *e bottom of his Lordships unusual action at this time. I, is ,0^ widely known to beany secret, that during the len.^ ened political agitation the customs of the periS kd .... chiefs wCintu^rrr."" ™'""" "•■"■»"■ Of "-^ 317 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA leading statesmen both at Quebec and Ottawa, and at this time the Opposition press raised a great put- cry that the Militia Department of the Government, then in charge of Attorney-General Macdonald, had been partially paralyzed from this cause at the very time when General O'Neill made his Fenian raid and the battle of Ridgeway was fought In the excite- ment still existing these charges caused a widespread sensation throughout the Province, and it is believed that Lord Monck became alarmed and aggrieved lest these unfortunate incidents might prejudice the posi- tion of the Government, and in some way at the last moment endanger the remaining Confederation mea- sures still awaiting the sanction of Parliament. Whatever his reasons may have been, Lord Monck evidently felt it to be his duty as Governor-General to assume a decided attitude. On the 6th June, five days after the Fenians crossed the Niagara River, he addressed a strong memorandum to the whole Exe- cutive Council, in which he pointed out the danger of further delay, discussion and criticism on the Union measures, and " the strong opinion he entertains as to the imperative necessity which exists for concluding what remains to be done in the Canadian Parliament in order to complete the plan for the union of the over others, eventu«lly gained the mastery over himself. This hap- pened long before I knew him. At the same time it would he futile to ignore the fisct. that there was a period in the life of Sir John Mac- donald when excesa in the direction I have indicated interrupted hii usefulness, gave pain to his friends, and fuminhcd his enemies with a weapon of which they never hesitated to avail themKlves." 3i« PROSPECTS OF CONFEDEKATION BRIGHTEN «v«rro,h'"""^ "" P"-"' -"O"" After several other reasons for thus DrP«m„ ^w upon the Executive CouncH hT ^ , '! '"*"*''" the following para^raoh, t u ~"'^'"^" ^'th as throwing o^fficTaHS^f on it ofVT"^'^ rrpi-rf; t^ Lt "£ -£«~^^^^^^ 1864: '^'^ '" '^^ ^^'^^^^ Coalition of the fol^atioTof t: p^^TTr- 'T^'^ -•^•^ made the GovernorfcS f^f E'[?''''" ^^'^»^ bound to press uoon fhl ?• 'eel himself personally point ^ P°" '^"^ ^"""*='' his views on this iS^was-iuiSit in sC" "'^'^^ '^^^ f"^'""^ «" the personal influence of ^il r ^''^^ '"^^^"«'' °f When that influena w^ uJed the 5.°^^'^°^-General. felt he was in some ^J,l^' Governor-General line of hi. con^tTtStiTnaTd'utrrTe*';"^!^^ ever, to the importance of thi kf tested, how- gained, as a sufemexcu J ? °?i^* '^"B*** ^o be then t(K)k. The AdSn?.?r,f- •■ \^^?P^ ^hich he formed was conJtltut^TSvfor'lK ** "^"^ '^""^ passing at the earhW rv;«!li ^ ^^ ^^^ purpose of for the union of the ;^P;;^^^^^ "'°'"*^"t the measu.^ sectLTth^rcfblneryr^^^ '^^ L'^-' eral's persuasion to ioinfh^ aJ • • G°r«"'or-Gen. for thifreason tha° the ?f/^""n'«tration. and it is -onallv bound n„?onfyto?ha?^;?„^^^^^^ P*^^- ment but to the people of Si S^ "" of the Govern- the speedy compSlTof tlSeVarf"[?ni!rn.^ ^°^ This memorandum to the Executive Council was 3'9 ' -i 'i ' 'a I il PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA followed by Lord Monck, on the 2ist June, by a confi- dential but very sharp letter to the Hon. John A. Macdonald, in which he warmly complained of, and pointed out the dangsr of, the Government's delay in bringing forward and passing the Confederation measures. The unusual and significant character of this letter will be seen at a glance by the following extracts therefrom : • •* I see a great many accidents, as I have already mentioned to you in conversation, which might change the mood of the House, and so render it im- possible to keep the members together and complete the scheme this session. I enterUin so grave an apprehension of the evil results which might flow from such an occurrence, that I feel bound to take the strongest measures to dissociate myself personally from all responsibility for it ... " Under ordinary circumstances my {onstitutumal course would be to break up the Ministry and have recourse to other advisers. I am quite aware, how- ever, that I have it not in my power to adopt this line. • • • • After reviewing all the circum- stances of my position here with the most anxious care, I have come to the deliberate conviction that, if from any cause this session of Parliament shall be allowed to pass without the completion of our portion of the Union scheme, a similar crisis in mv career will have been reached, and that my sense of duty to the people of Canada and myself would leave me^ no alternative except to apply for my immediate recall.*' Mr. Macdonald replied to this disturbing letter with his usual cleverness, frankly saying, "It has •All thete quotationit from letters are from Popa's "Life of Sir John Macdonald," Vol. I., pages 399- 303- 3JO PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN distre^ed me greatly," but contending that it mat ^^.h « n V.""""*"' *'"= P'*^^ «"'. «> long as bo* finally became law. His Excellency how ll^i^r- ItT"" """• ""■■'" """"ato-y/^toX a: &-i r~ ^9 ss,-;5:"j:^^!^,-- -vo. c.^ or Thi, threatened rupture fortunately blew over wthout further complications, and had the effectTf rl""* "■''^'•"■'y of the Administration in ZZ mgj*e,rrema,„,„g Union measures. Theprind^I OppMihon motion on thi, question was made on this ^Z rt"mrr:- "^'^ ^^ «^r.'' -- , . ■: , """Sure .....uid be ratified by the P«opk before becoming law. So overwhelmingly was *e House, however, in favour of the Union, that f.W of .h. Oovemmen. me«„re ; but he ca«idc,td Uu., on ^^^ l' t PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA That the spirit, if not the letter, of the constitution was ignored in adopting Confederation without con- suiting the people of the various provinces at the polls, was charged during the debates upon the measure. It is true the referendum has never been recognized by the Imperial Parliament, but grave constitutional changes have seldom or never been made there in modern times without taking the sense of the people upon them at a general election. This is now so well understood that it may be considered part of Britain's unwritten constitution. But when British America was confederated in 1867, except m the case of New Brunswick, where a new election had to be held after the Quebec Conference, neither the people of Upper Canada, Lower Canada, or Nova Scotia had any opportunity at a general election, let alone a referendum, to declare whether they desired the proposed changes or not. The question, therefore, naturally arises: In a province having responsible government, popularly supposed to recognize the people as the source of tutiomi as well m on ground, of public policy, ihe electorate a. a body ought to be conwlted. Mr. Brown's reply to Mr. Cameron was ISinlttedly one of the most powerful and brilliant speeches of the whole debate, and being delivered immediately before the vote on the Quebec resolutions, made a deep impression upon the He ise. Neverthe- IL. there are good reasons for holding the view that such sweeping constitutional changes should not have been made without directly con- sulting the people as a body in some way. and that the precedent then made was hardly in accord with modem British practice, and might easily become dangerous. That l»th sides of this important constitu- tional point, however, may be properly understood, a condensed but ample report of Mr Brawn's speech has been given in Appendix V. PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN power, i, it constitutional for its Parliament to destroy-which is practically the same thine-the .rra"nT rfr"""* " "-<='«.«<., and to cin! struct and substitute another, without receiving any mandate f^m the people to that effect f And ff ,t"s constitufonal, what guarantee have the people J^ some Sne morn ng they may no, find th^deat civil and religious liberties abridged or cancellri without their sanction or approval ? ""^''^d ac.u°ar«™i!:;^"*r,'^ "' Confederation, no harm actually resulted in Upper and Lower Canada as the ^i;le were generally favourable to the meS„t But It was diffe^it in Nova Scoti. On the ""^gS uL,, h L""""' ""'"^ *""'g'' "•« Legislature under whip and spur, it was legislated ouTjf exis" ence a, a sep«-ate province and merged into the Dommion, the re«,l„tion. too, b^„^ nou^l^ passed m defiance of the popular will. This wm clearly proven at the ensuing elections, when Z Tapper party were almost annihilated, its ,W *! sible leader being the soliUiy survivor decte^T^e first Dominion Parliament to tell the sorrowful tale The intense bitterness which afterwards prevailed ?.T,? *• No-^Scoti^ls was laigely causeS b^^ fact that they felt Confederation was being thrust upon them, whilst they were denied the right ,o express ,n the usual constitutional manner « the tCr'ZeTr "■"" *• """"o"- So keen was their sense of the wrong and injustice of this that they were for tU time being completely blindei t„ 3^3 i; I II PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC UFE IN CANADA ^ g^t futu« befo« *em u„a« Conf^e«.»n. which I have always «>'»;j'^„'^"';'^d of Canada. openly and widelyadvocaud^ connected with Ldurns seen, "a«"»"y;X^,l,i„g a measure •• ■^f *' rBriSh A^e^'a «"hou' any refer- as the Umon of British '^■"^ . ™,„ai decion, P^*^;^ ^f a,, p„,i„da, Parliaments. *>nt'::^lnSrSran?I;:^ this-'dan. . ,«„.tt«l that you were not prepared to sut •''''^^*rr™ t»^ exXa^n.'Tnd proposal. m«ie to t mit,in official fonn, ™ "P^„^ }„ the ab«nce of any defim Committee of the Convention. be=a««jn ^^ ^^^.^^^^ ^ proportion n«"«"»*;'t"^/^, A^nexaUon U heard all over tl ZZU, and the cry or RepeJ - ^nnef ^n ^^^ ^^ ^^^ , Province. T»»« ^« °^2 !J en^uLng the Annexation feelir parpo«. «»rcely di^n^d. "^ J^'^^^^ complication., and TitUfiersof n^nandmon^y.^^^^ ^ ^^ ,^, ^ have ju«e«»ped collision betwwnt ^j^^^ h.^. i^ Uture. which. -»»t^' ^^'frc^. have increased the feeling of 1 would, if a rupture had ^f "/^jf /^ , ff^j,s.pA ffau>* to the H 3*4 PROSPECTS OF CONFEDERATION BRIGHTEN thre^r'^^' r°?'^ ^'^^' ^"'^'^ ""ght have been threatened, for the second time, with the loss of her American colonies. 3- That the precedent made at Confederation was sihirr "iT °"!' ^^^•^'^ ^«"W hardly have been pos- s^le had It not been for the all-powerful coalitio'of the Reform and Conservative parties at that time. ttnthlolTetl^ "^^^^ '--'' ^" ^'^'--^ 4. That the whole circumstances are well fitted to impress upon all Canadian statesmen the vital im- ^thl"?H ^^^' scrupulously observing and acting within those constitutional limits popularly supoosed to safeguard the liberties of the p^ple. ^^ Resuming our reference to the proceedings of the ""^° n\h r '"'"'^ '^ ^'°" ^ temporfiy crisis occurred m the Government ranks. It arose over the I^wer Canada Education Bill, which was intended to Protectant m.nonty.-the Lower Canadian Con- servatives refusing to allow it to pass unless a similar measure regarding the Roman Catholic minority in Upper Canada were adopted at the same time. The Upper Canada members objected to this, on the ground that their law as to Separate Schi^ols had t>een recently passed and was working well. The the" nln "'f ^ "TT "f ^ "^^'"' ^^P^'^"y t^tween I^H 1 u ; ?*'' '^"^ *^* "«"• "• L. Langevin. and the Hon. John A. Macdonald finally announced bill. Mr. Gait, who was regarded as the champion of 3*5 li i •. , 5n Lower Canada, thereupon „e«ures. however. « «'» " .^^^ passed by the for carrying on .he P;-" « ^^^^Iment of the tronbled , 5th August, when *e Iwt ^,^ f„ ever, Union of Upper ""^ ^-^Wge "f "> ""•*^*' and nothing remaned bu^tl«^ ^ 3^^ ^ an" » many difficulties overcome. '^1 i I ! I! I 3«6 CHAPTER XXVII IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT PASSES THE UNION ACT The summer of 1866 was signalized by the final accomplishment, after several disappointments, of what many regard as the greatest scientific achieve- ment of the nineteenth century. On the 26th of July, Mr. Cyrus W. Field, whose name must ever stand foremost in connection with the Atlantic Telegraph Cable, was able to telegraph from Heart's Content, Newfoundland, " Thank God, the cable has been laid and is in perfect working order." These words again sent a thrill of joy throughout the whole civilized worid, but on this occa- sion public feeling was tempered with the fear lest the disappointment of 1858 might in some way be repeated. The history of this great enterprise is interesting, and may thus be briefly stated : Mr. Field and other enterprising citizens of New York, among them the philanthropist, Peter Cooper, after hundreds of ex- periments with sixty different kinds of cable, decided in 1856 to start the Atlantic Telegraph Company, of which Mr. Cooper became President and Mr. Field Vice-President and Manager. In 1857 they made their first attempt to lay the cable. It failed. In 3*7 ! I .1 I I s ! PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA 1858 they made two further efforts. The first failed also, and the second was only successful from the 14th August to the 4th September, when the signals be- came unintelligible and remained so. These dis- couragements, which involved a large expense, pre^ vented anything further being attempted for several years. On the 13th of July, 1866, the mammoth steamer Great Eastern, accompanied by a small fleet of British vessels, set sail from near Valentia, on the Irish coast, having on board the cable and paying-out apparatus. After a favourable but exciting voyage of fourteen days, during which hopes ?nd fears alternated, the Great Eastern reached the shores of Newfoundland on the morning of the 27th, when Mr. Field was able to telegraph, as already stated, that the great work of connecting Europe and America by electricity had been at last successfully accomplished. Congratulations on this great scientific achieve- ment came from all parts of the globe. Among the most appropriate were those of Her Majesty Queen Victoria and President Johnson of the United States. The former cabled as follows : " The Queen con- gratulates the President on the successful completion of an undertaking which she hopes may serve as an additional bond of union between the United States and England." To this President Johnson replied : "The President of the United States acknowledges with profound gratification the receipt of Her Majesty's despatch, and cordially reciprocates the hope that the cable which now unites the Eastern 328 IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT PASSES UNION ACT and W«tem hemispheres, may serve to strenethen aj^ perpetuate peace and amity between the Govt^ ment of England and the United States " ThI \"I'°I' .*'"'"* "°^'<' ''^ '"' once agreed They ha.led this great undertaltinj as the glSTof the age I M, Cyrus Field and his coadjutl^s Vj the prmcpal nations which baclced them up G^at Bnum and the United States, deserved to i honoured as benefactors of the race of ?o^Ji' I""""" ?' "■" '■■'«P«°" of the policy ^„,r , v!!°"' P"""'^" ^'""^ «=">«f »'' have temporanly become a lost art But this old Britth custom was revived during this fall by a grand ban cSo.r"Ti,'lH*f "'^ 1. «-«ton on *e^th at the London Conference on Confederation were ab^^ut to proceed to Great Britain, and Reforme^^ wel as Conservatives united in the demonstration which ^ professedly in the interests of CoS™' t.o„ rather than of either political party. It p^^J a large and successful affair. The Ministers of Ihe Crowj, who attended were the Hon. John A M« was an unusually large number of Legislative Coun- Chai MagiU, Esq., who was then Mayor of Hamil- to^ presided, and the principal speech las mai by Attomey-General Macdonald. He confined himseff t^^C *' '"'""°"' of Confede^ti" reciprocity, but m answer to cries of « Brown I 329 il in — '' i ill M PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Brown!" evidently from Conservatives present, he was magnanimous enough to make the following reference to his great ants^onist : " An allusion has been made to Mr. Brown, and it may perhaps be as well for me to say, that whatever may be the personal differences which may exist be- tween that gentleman and myself, I believe he is a sincere well-wisher and friend to Confederation. I honestly and truly believe him to be so, and it would be exceedingly wrong and dishonest in me, from personal motives, to say anything to the contrary." The Hon. William Macdougall, who was at this period one of the most forcible and polished parlia- mentary and platform speakers in Canada, was wel received by the banqueters. He evidently held th< ministerial guA which was shotted for Mr. Brown As a consequence, his clever speech was marred b) reflections upon his late leader which were no relished by most of the Reformers present, and i fitting at all, would have been more so at a strictlj party gathering. As a sign of the times, it may \> mentioned that the Hon. Matthew Crooks Cameron of Toronto, Dr. Parker, of Guelph, and other gentle men in public life, who formerly opposed Confedera tion, took advantage of this banquet to announce tha they had at last decided to give their adherence t the measure. The final struggle over the Confederation of Britisl America now shifted from this continent to the Britisl metropolis — the city of London. Time and circumstances had rendered necessar 330 IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT PASSES UNION ACT SJT^n''l° ?' P''" "' Confederation as .h"^„ tiat 2.T . (^"'-'-"c^- 1. wa, decided, scfr;^^trrzire::t;r™ conference in London, to amend the Q„^L'«L| ". ttons and p„pare U,e Ac to be submitted to tS'm- penal Parliament The delegations »,ere com^s^ gJZL; 5»»''''-M«-- Macdonald. E Gait, Rowland, Macdougall and Ungevin ■ nZ' a^*^7chranl"r' ^"'"""'- H-^; MccT na Ktcnie, and New Brunswick—Messrs Till^,. Mitchell. Wilmot. Johnson and Fisher '' ' at Ot[r^\r'"fr''""^^''^*^"^'"g <"' <^hange of plan at Ottawa, the Maritime delegates sailed L n v • on the ,9th July, whilst thoT ^pre^^^'^^c^^^^^^^^ did not sf-arf .,r.«.;i 1 ^ "^prcseniing Canada tLLZVZ- """^^°"'- '"^"ths afterwards. TO them by London society did not fully relieve This .mportont Conference finally as4,bled at the Westmmster Palace hotel on the4U. December Th! Hon. John a^ Macdonald was unanimouS^ch^' CoblTi'"", "'\^''^«'=» --e assisted^yT Colonial Secretary, the Earl of Carnarvon His Pv„l I«.cy Lort Monck, and several of tie' W offic"," ,h»flt ""■ ^'^ *^y "^ "" '""Po^nB one and "LTr n^'" '" '"^'"^ ">e foun'data s j a new nat onality was generally felt There was Steady work till near Christmi, but still a few changes, additions and emendations reml^ Z final consideration. All the principal features of the 331 HIM :!l ii " Si PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Quebec resolutions, however, remained without much alteration. After transmitting the resolutions, as far as amended, to the Imperial Government, the Con- ference adjourned over the holidays. v Immediately on its reassembling, the Conference and the law officers of the Crown began work on the proposed British North America Act It proved no easy task. No less than seven amended drafts of the bill were made before the Conference consider^ the measure sufficiently perfect to submit to the House of Commons, and some warm discussions and a few troublesome " hitches " occurred before the final stage was reached. , ,, The chairman of the Conference. Mr. Macdonald, was naturally its most influential member. He was this by his abilities and experience as well as his position, and his valuable work in assisting to frame Jhe new constitution has been universally rccogmzed. He was. however, naturally conservative in his views, and more inclined to increase the powers of the Crown than the rights of the people. Refc«^~^^" already been made to his motion at the Quebec Con- ference to set aside Canada's elective Legislative Council (which he had himself placed on the statute book) in favour of Senators nominated by the Crown for life, and whch, being also warmly »"PPO';*^ ^y the Hon. George Brown,' was carried without much difficulty. ^ • Mr. Brown M««ntly declared in P^-'" JT'^^^^j; «n th« Senate quettJon to be ihU : He wm oppowd to a lecond elective ^ill^X being unnece-ary o, HUely to come into conflict 33' IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT PASSES UNION ACT U^vJnTl^ '"''' ■*•»"' 1«™'"«1 to appear it ir^l •"'* *" opposition both to life tenure WUlil' pT"r ;' ^ """"^^ °f Senators ar WU^iam P, Howland, wlio was at the London Conf„ ence, informed me that both Mr. MacdooZ and !,: hav'::r!r''°"°"'""'°"''^'''=cro3frw: i^aTnsTL'^H"^ ''"■"" ^""^ Islander M' twKr^ of r" '*''?"»"»' Govemmen tha r«^„Ti IL ..^' •'"'P""^ constitution should be reconsidered. His words were : " It aDDear.T,k to require further consideration whet^e,n?7fcl°i*'"' Canada had long aiHtated for -•« in case *.^aTs„r!r;i:2T„^°r"^"' withintheirp^vinceto,^ t'. J"'""'"' ." ""^ thedelegahs in attendance^t^'r .""•"™' reoresenliirf ,h. r- ""*"'= « "he Convention, who aTC BrutSr^"'' of Canada, Nova Scotia theirarrangXr, J^ P"''»'''>:/°" "» f" '" Chamber l^ct^ ST^J"^ *'«'"'" well known that lif. ^ . T^ ^' '"y "«e, it i, di™..yor"„drr:c!tpt"mr^'''rndti''r'' "-"• that most of the JaXiti^^l u t ^^^ '° «y in the futu.. Govcmm^^^^^^^^^ '^^^ ''^ ^"^^ P*^ to the power wWch^hf, l **** ^"'*^ *°« *''^« 335 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA majority, as the people of Canada have since had "rrnaT twch should he g'ven to *e^^t'f oicw crave rise to a pointed difference oi ^r " Mr MaSLd L*^ t^ ^^^^ « ^^ »U.e Kingdom or C^He-^.sn^a.e would proclaim our connection wiin t-c _.. . ^, IrZ and would help to maintain the mon^^hica^ htLer of Canada as ^^^^^^^^-'^'^ ^: ^^L lican neighbours. In the third draft of the bill tne exrre^:^n "Kingdom of -Canada" appean^. f J^ the fourth draft it still held its ground ^^l^r^ unfavourably regarded by ^^\'-^^^l ^.^^Z^, and the same may l^ said of the P-Pl^?^J^*y^^^^^^ provinces. When the proposed ^\^^«^^^^ Canada" was cabled to the press of Canada, rt came ^"surprise and was not regarded favourabty. In tJe later drafts of the bill this name was erased, and nVlItter written by Mr. Macdonald to Lord Knute- f^r^ n Engrand.da'ed River du Loup Canada, the ,8A^uly i889-twenty-two years afterwards-h« i8th Juiy, '°°y-" ' . ^jji felt that thu not only expressed the regret ne suii ic name was not adopted, but reflected "PO" Lor^ M^nck and the Duke of Buckingham, the lat er o whom had succeeded Lord Carnarvon at theColonia Office, for notrising^qu^^ IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT PASSES UNION ACT It was the Earl of Derby, however, then Premier and Foreign Secretary, and not the Duke of Buck- ingham, who objected most strongly to the name Kmgdom of Canada." Mr. Macdonald made this correction himself in a footnote to his letter referred to, so there can be no uncertainty on that point. Notwithstanding his strenuous efforts to have our designation as a Kingdom retained. Lord Derby finally decided against it as being not unlikely to be considered offensive by the neighbouring Repub- hc^and It was. consequently, very properly and pru- dently struck out. The name "Domirfion of Canada" was then decided upon.» and it is already dear to every true Canadian at home or abroad. The Conference was still busy revising the later drafts of what was to become the British -North America Act, when the Imperial Parliament assem- bled on the 5th February, 1867. The measure was however, promised in the Speech from the T^rc^o and was soon afterwards introduced into the H^s^ of Commons, where, in consequence of the exdtement caused by the discussion of Disrae li's famous Reform S^ rr !;!•"•«? r'°' '"«•"«• ^ -nited Canad. been •Tobeexact theproviMon made in the Act U: "Thai the three — k shall form and l« one Dominion unde. the name of CanacL tl 337 Ill \ ^ !S I I' ,' IIP i y PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Bill, this great measure to found a new nation, com- posed of one-half of the whole North American conti- ^nt. excited comparatively little debate or attention ! Its principal opponent was the Hon. Joseph Howe, of Nova Scotia. He had for some time been the bit- ter assailant of Confederation, and by speeches, pam- phlets and canvassing sought to convince the Imperia^ Government and Parliament that the proposed measure would inflict a gross injustice upon the Maritime Provinces, ine Hon. Dr. Tupper, his old political opponent, was nothing loth to champion the Union cause, and ren- dered it eminent service at this time. A sort of politi- cal duel took place in Eng- land between the two Nova Scotia gladiators, which manifested much clever- ness and versatility on both sides. Mr. Howe had had a very distinguished career in Nova Scotia politics. He was at once a polished writer and eloquent orator, and the energy and enthusiasm he threw into his opposition to Confederation enlisted the sym- pathy of Mr. John Bright and a few other members of the House of Commons, as well as a small section of the British press and people. ^ „ •.• u His present hostile attitude to the union of British HON. UR. TUPPE* IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT PASSES UNION ACT declared that «iZ, j ^ Legislature, which s.;^rorr„::^^sr?salh~^?; made a speech in which he declared "Tey/' union of all the Brit;«K a . ^^'^'^^ ne was for a a still later nnw American provinces," and on a st.ll later public occasion (,864). he spoke of it as the dream of his childhood," and that « hi I Plea^ to think that the day ;as app^lhing whe" heirTeir" "°f *" ""'^«^' ^"^^ «"« flarover These former utterances of VTr h«. . z "ei^r'^^r '^-^"^'- = Co„wS„tr The'"'"', *' f^-^^ "' *"= I J . ™ Commons and the House nf Ljards almost unanimously, and on thTlJlZrch the Royal assent was given thereto. Subsequently, an Act was also passed giving the for the confederation of the Provinces of Ontario 339 !!l •! -i PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into the Dominion of Canada, became law. and only awaited the Queen's proclamation to go mto effect The Royal proclamation for this purpose was issued by Her Majesty from Windsor Castle on the 22nd May. and it appointed the ist of July. 1867. ^ the date when the British North America Act should come into force, and the new nation start upon its untried but promising career. 340 CHAPTER XXVIII PREMIER MACDONALD FORMS HIS CABINET The colonial delegates returned to America natur- ally elated over the success of Confederation. Their mission had been successful, they had been received with the greatest honour and hospitality during their sojourn in Great Britain, and the close of the labours of the Conference had been signalized by the holding of a special Court at Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria, at which the Hon. Messrs. Macdonald Cartier, Gait, Tupper and Tilley Mere graciously re- ceived by Her Majesty, and their services in connec- tion with Confederation highly commended. Lord Monck having rendered conspicuous services in bringing about the union of British America, the Imperial Government decided to appoint him the first Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada. Soon afterwards His Excellency informally made known to the Hon. John A. Macdonald that, having been unanimously chosen and having acted as chairman of the recent Conference, he had decided to entrust him with the Premiership and the formation of the first government of the new Dominion. When Mr. Macdonald returned to Canada, early in May, he found himself master of the situation, and 341 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA with patronage so vast at his disposal as to be almost dazzling. There were thirteen Cabinet portfolios, four lieutenant-governorships, seventy-two life sena- torships, and numerous permanent offices to which early appointments were absolutely necessary. He was, however, a Past Master in the use of patronage to promote his party purposes. He therefore set about the work of preparation to start the machinery of the new government in motion, con amore, although the task was by no means easy, and a man of less resource and experience might have hesitated in view of the difficulties which lay in the path before him. Confederation having now been accomplished, and the specific object attained for which the Coalition Government was formed, the position to be taken by the different political parties throughout the Dominion became an exceedingly interesting one. The Hon. Mr. Maodonald, as leader of the Conser- vative party, left no uncertainty as to the course which he intended to pursue. His plans for the future, and especially for the formation of the first Dominion Cabinet, had been mapped out long before. He took the ground, that with Confederation Canada was entering upon a new political existence, that the old party questions and controversies were wiped out, and that the principal men in the several provincial ministries whoi had been chiefly instmmental in carrying Confederation, whether previously Conser- vatives or Reformers, should permanently unite to form the first Dominion Government and carry on the business of the country. ■ y iii PREMIER MACDONALU BORMS HIS CABINET This was certainly jrood tactir«s fi.,.« ^ vative point of view as a^ Jit r ^ ^°"'^'- istratiorwas at tL?. ^ ^ Conservative admin- ai.osti.^:aVLtsi r vr:o;^.t'r'r'^'' Rnf ,♦ ij panics in the various provinces But It would continue and extenrf th« • system of government to the whl nl '^" paries at .He app^hl^^ItauSr""""""^ Ihat the breach caused by the resignation of the but on other question,, „„„ partLt^y ^r"S the Adm,n.strat.on. After the session closS^l^ oppa,.t,on became more p„„o„„ced. and Ztlr^"r and spnng of 1867 found him stronclv conH,™!- and opposing the proposal to con.i„„7th?cta™S Government and extend it to the whole I^m instead of returning to the weU-unde^'t,^™";:' Cou^ ^""■'""" " """'-' ■•" '"e Mo£ Briefly stated, Mr. Brown', position was a, follows • He n,amta,ned that the coalition between the hZ' 343 ■aoumoN ran omit (ANSI and SO TIST CHAUT No. 2) 1.0 IttlM UK IS lii Itt 120 i IJ !■■■ lia Ih ■ L8 ^ /iPPUED M»<3E Ino ItU CM* HUn MiMl llMt.MMr. Nm TMi t4«M "^ (Tt«) 4n - 0300 -" (7»«) MO- MM li PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA John A. Macdonald and himself had never been justi- fiable except as a temporary expedient to carry Con> federation ; that there was a distinct understanding on both sides that it was to terminate as soon as that great object was attained ; and that now, when Con- federation was accomplished, to continue the Coali- tion and extend it to the new Dominion for ordinary administrative purposes, was not only a breach of the original compact, but a mere office-holding device on the part of the Conservative leader, which was certain to prove of an extravagant and demoralizing char- acter. The union of Conservatives and Reformers merely to hold office he considered immoral, and therefore the best interests of the new Dominion de- manded that in forming its first Cabinet there should be a return to party government, which it was claimed experience both in Britain and Canada had proven to be much the best in the public interests. The Reformers of Upper Canada generally disliked coalitions, and fully agreed with their leader's views on that point It soon transpired, however, that the party was not entirely united. The Hon. Messrs. Howland, Macdougall and Blair, who were in the Administration as representotives of the Reform party, not only did not share Mr. Brown's opinions, but had, in fact, already consented as Reformers to accept portfolios in the first Dominion Cabinet soon to be formed. When this became known it occasioned much sur- prise and regret throughout the Reform party, and, it must be admitted, considerable indignation. These 344 PREMIER MACDONALD FORMS HIS CABINET gentkmen v.ere s|vported, however, by a portion of l».f K " ™"''*'^ ""^ '" Parliament, and by a Z i"rt'^'^'""' ^'"'" °f "-^ -"« -'' fi'"f R.i^J?^^,?° overwhelminR majority of the W«ed to ,he,r course, and had been too long and too «me.tly opposed ,o the measures and raefhoSs of the Conservative leader and hi, party to favour .he oontmuanceof the Coalition in anrshapTorZ The dm of preparations for the first Dominion decfons now began to be heard in «,me riding Several candidates, both Conservative and Ref^' had already taken the field, and in view of the Z" .nd uncertain political situation the Hon. Geo^e M.P.P., Joh, M«:don.ld. M.P.P., A„:h. McKellar MJ.P.. Edward Blake, Q.C., and other leading Reformer, deemed it advi«.ble that a generalcln ,rr.:?f/''°"" ^y '^""ehout t^p^^:^ should be held in Toronto at an early day. mJ f fi"'""^ ^°"""'«« of *e Reform Assoda- r.i^ T ^'""^ promptly acted on theirTug- gestion. They sent private circulars to all Reform ete^, Mking their opinion as to the advisability of hold- 2^';:T"^m"'"5- Theresponsew«alm«, universaHy favourable and enthusiastic, and the Ex- ecutive Committee the^ipon issued tieir clll for . genenU convention of the Reformer, of Upper Canad^ to be held in the Music Hall (now the PuWte LSi^J Toronto, on the 27th June. """'XA US PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA The principal objects of the Conventidn were stated to be: " To re-unite all sections of the party, and to rejoice over the great success that has attended their past labours, and to adopt measures for securing the cor- rection of the abuses so long deplored by the Reform party, and for the diffusion of those sound Reform principles into the daily administration of public affairs — to secure which the constitutional changes now achieved were so long and so earnestly struggled for." Turning now to Ottawa, there was unusual activity there during May and June, preparing for the new order of things. Much was done by correspondence, and with late hours and hard work on the part of the Civil Service, the plans of the embryo Premier of the Dominion were suf- ficiently advanced by the middle of June to enable him to send for the Hon. Messrs. Tupper and Archi- bald, of Nova Scotia, and the Hon. Messrs. Tilley and Mitchell, of New Bruns- wick, to assist in complet- ing the arrangements. These gentlemen arrived at the capital towards the end of the month. Although they could not yet be sworn in, their advice was taken as ministers dt facto, and an understanding was readily reached on several important points. Among these may be mentioned 346 HON. LEONARD TILLBV PREMIER MACDONALD FORMS HIS CABINET the appointment of the first Lieutenant-Governors of the four provinces, the selection of the first P^™i Of *e P^vincia, Ministries, and tht%t g 7'^ S atrr^'n'""""" *= «-' "^""non i-aDinet at thirteen— Ontario to have five n.,.K. four, and the Maritime Pn.vinces tr^h ^ ^ When Premier Macdonald, however, came to ar range which gentlemen should be his fim "Cu« an unpleasant difficulty arose. It afterwards teSS known-^Ithough the veil of secrecy ens^u^t fcr months-that something like a deadlock^tl^' and for a time threatened serious consequences. It arose in this way. The French Canadians num- the Hon. Mr. Carter claimed that they should be re^nted by a, leas. thn=e member, in *e Cabins Jilt. T ^'r« ""^"'y "> go 'o a Queb^ d^^ ^' ,?'"• ""■' »™"B=™nt would Ie.« Mr. D Arcy McGee out in the cold. It was at ihe same time considered absolutely „ece,sary"h« Z Cabinet should contain one Irish CatholiTCU^ r^liat^^ur """"'- """ "--■ '^^ Mr. Carder refused point blank to budge from his and It having already been decided that the Ontario section of the Cabinet should ..main without ^Tan:" ^appeared as if one of the proposed Maritime pf": Wnce ministers would have to te an Irish Roma„ Cathohc. Very naturally none of the four gentlemen summoned from these provinces wished to^ti^for J47 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA this purpose, especially at the eleventh hour, and ^ very difficult and delicate situation resulted. To overcome this difficulty, a strong effort was made to have Lower Canada allotted an additional minister, which would at once have secured Mr, McGee's services and an Irish representative. But the three Upper Canada Reform ministers insisted on their province, in accordance with the principle of representation by population, having one more repre- sentative than Lower Canada, and if both provinces received an additional minister the Cabinet would be increased to fifteen members. This solution of the difficulty failed, the Hon. Mr. Macdonald finally and very properly deciding that he would not under any circumstances increase the Cabinet beyord thirteen, as originally agreed upon. According to Pope's " Lifs of S'w John Mac- donald" (Vol. L, page 331), it was not until "Mr. Macdonald was on the point of advising the Governor- General to send for Mr. Brown," that this unpleasant difficulty at the threshold of the new Government was successfully overcome. Mr. McGee finally withdrew his claim, and the Hon. Dr. Tupper stood aside and allowed Mr. Edward Kenny, a prominent Irish Catholic of Halifax, to be appointed in his place. It was generally conceded that no one had stronger claims for a position in the first Government of the Dominion than the sturdy Nova Scotian, but the unmistakably bitter feeling in his province at that time against the Union and his party doubtless contributed to induce him to tempo- rarily waive his claim for official recc^nition. 348 CHAPTER XXIX THE REFORM PARTY DECLARES FOR PARTY GOVERNMENT Whilst these circumstances were occurring at Ottawa, in preparation for the inauguration of Con- federation the day came round for the general Con- vention of the Reformers of Upper Canada It proved to be an unusually large and influential assem- blage. It surpassed the notable convention of 1859 and m fact any other political gathering of a similar kind ever held m the Province up to that time. The delegates who attended represented all sections of the Prrvtnce and all classes of the people. Having been present at every provincial convention held by the Reform party since 1853, I am in a position to say Uiat this was one of the most conspicuously successful, and that for influential attendance, earnest- ness of purpose, and hearty enthusiasm, it has never been excelled by any of the much larger gatherings which have since taken place. . "f^r.l^l. ^°"^^"''°n was called to order at two o clock, Wilham Patrick, Esq.. of Prescott. was chosen chairman and Mr. James D. Edgar and Mr. Samuel ijproule, Toronto, joint secretaries. The list of delegates in attendance who were emi- nent, or afterwards became so, is somewhat remarkable. 349 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Among the more conspicuous names were the follow- ing: Hon. George Brown, Hon. David Christie, Alex. Mackenzie, M.P.P., Edward Blake, Q.C., Hon. J. G. Currie, Archd. McKellar, M.P.P., Hon. W. McCrae, .Emilius Irving, Q.C., Charles McGill, M.P.P., T. B. Pardee, Q.C., Hon. Wm. McMaster, Christopher F. Fraser, John Macdonald, M.P.P., Adam Crooks, Q.C., Joseph Rymal, M.P.P., Henry S. Howland, Thomas Hodgins, Q.C., A. S. Hardy, J. P.Wells, M.P.P., John White, M.P.P., Hon. John McMurrich, Kenneth Mac- kenzie, Q.C., Colin Macdougall, David Stirton, M.P.P., B. M. Britton, Hen?y Monro, M.P.P., David Thomp- son, M.P.P., Hon. D. McDonald, Joseph Gould, ex- M.P.P., John Bell, Q.C., James D. Edgar, Amos V.^right, M.P.P., William Eccles, A. M. Smith, M.P.P., David Blain. James Cowan, M. P.P., James Lesslie, L. Burwell, M.P.P., Thomas Bain, Dr. Fraser, ex-M.P.P., and Warren Rock. There were several other mem- bers of Parliament present Jand still more delegates who afterwards attained to that distinction.* The proceedings of this important Convention, which throw so much light on the state of public affairs in Canada at that time, deserve more than the brief outline which can be given to them here. •The intense interest taken in public aflWrs throughout Upper Canada before and at the time of Confederation is strikingly attested by the number, influence and respectability of the delegates who attended this Convention, representing so largely as they did the agricultural, com- mercial, mechanical and professional interests of the Province, and it has been deemed interesting and fitting to compile and publish the names of all who registered with the secretaries on the occasion. They may bt found, al[^belically arranged, b Appendix VI. REFORM PARTY FOR PARTY GOVERNMENT The three largest committees were on Credentials Arrangements and Resolutions. The latter was the most important, and the Hon. George Brown, its cha.rman, reported for consideration fourteen reso- lutions on the state of political affairs then exist- ing. The principal of these may be summarized as follows : I. Declared the meeting's gratification at the tri- umphant success of the Reform party's long agitation for Representation by Population and control of our own local affairs, and claimed the gratitude of the people of Upper Canada for peacefully achieving con- stitutional changes seldom attained in other countries without sad scenes of armed revolution ; proposed by Mr. Edward Blake, Q.C., Toronto, seconded by Mr ^mihus Irving, barrister, Hamilton. 2. Declared that whilst the new Federal Constitu- tion was not without defects, it was joyfully recog, nized as removing the barriers which had heretofore stood in the way of the good government of the pro- vinces, and the Convention heartily accepted the new constitution and pledged itself to work it loyally and patiently; proposed by Hon. George Brown, seconded by Hon. J. G. Currie. M.P.P., St. Catharines, and also 5poken to by Mr. David Wyllie, editor, Brockville 3. Declared that during the long and earnest strug- gle of the Reform party for Representation by Popu- lation and other reforms, they were only regarded as the means of securing good and efficient government and putting an end to the reckless misrule which had entailed on the country a "heavy public debt, burden- PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA some taxation, great political abuses and universal dissatisfaction"; proposed by Mr. David Stirton, M.P.P., Guelph, seconded by Mr. John Macdonald, M.P.P., Toronto, and spoken to by Mr. Christopher F, Eraser, Brockville. 4. Declared against coalition governments for ordinary administrative purposes, as inevitably result- ing in abandonment of principle, the lowering of public morality, lavish public expenditure and wide- spread corruption ; proposed by Mr. John McKeown, barrister, Hamilton, seconded by Mr. James Young. editor. Gait. ' . 5. Declared that the Convention fully recognized the grave responsibility resting upon the Reform party to use its increased influence under the new constitution, to sweep away the abuses under which the country had so long laboured, and vigorously and promptly carry into effect the numerous reforms m the practical administration of public affjtirs which they had so long advocated; proposed by Mr. Adam Crooks, Q.C., Toronto, seconded by Mr. T. B. Pardee, Q.C., Sarnia. , u a 6. Declared that the separation of Church and State, now and ever, is one of the fundamental principles of the Reform party, that the Convention heartily rejoiced that the new constitution swept from the Federal arena questions of a sectional and sectarian character, and that the Protestant electors of Upper Canada would have the opportunity of showing their Roman Catholic fellow-subjects that generous consideration which a minority ought ever 35* REFORM PARTY FOR PARTY GOVERNMENT to receive in all free countries - the hands of a largely preponderating majority; ^.foposed by Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie. Q.C.. Toronto, seconded by Mr. David Mcculloch, Hamilton, and supported by Messrs. Geo. S. Wilkes, Brantford ; H. D. Smith. North Leeds; Daniel Cotteril, Esquesing; Donald Sinclair, North Bruce, and M. O'Hanly, Ottawa. 7. Declared that it was the auty and desire of the Canadian people to cultivate tne most friendly rela- tions with the neighbouring people of the United states, and whilst looking diligently around for new and profitable markets for the Dominion, to meet frankly and cordially any overtures from the Wash- ington Government for a new treaty of commercial reciprocity between Canada and the Republic ex- tending over a fixed term of years, based on ^uit- able principles and consistent with the honour of both countries; proposed by Mr. John Smith. Hamilton, seconded by Mr. Colin Macdougall. barrister. St 1 homas. 8. Declared the Convention's great satisfaction that the people of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were hereafter to be united with the people of Canada under one Government and Legislature, « because it will be remembered that the same long battle for popu- lar rights and social and material progress was fought and won in these Provinces, as in Canada, by Reform statesmen, against the bitter opposition and hostility of the Tory party," and hoped that Newfoundland Prince Edward Island and British Columbia would soon form part of *he Dominion ; proposed by Mr »3 353 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA i' i Thomas Hodgins, Q.C., Toronto, seconded by Dr. Bull, West York. 9 to 15. Declared for the opening up and settle- ment of the great North- West Territories, thanks to the Liberals of Lower Canada for aid received from them in days of trial, for the encouragement of min- ing operations and of immigration, the enforcement of economy, and several other desirable reforms ; the movers and seconders of these resolutions were : Messrs. Joseph Rymal, M.P.P., Barton ; Warren Rock, barrister, London : Hon. J. G. Currie, St. Catharines ; B. M. Britton, barrister, Kingston ; Peter Moyer, editor, Waterloo ; Dr. Fraser, ex-M.P.P., Monck ; Dr. McGill, South Ontario; E.Jackson, editor, New- market; A. McKellar, M.P.P., Kent; R. M. Rose, Kingston ; Wm. Eccles, barrister, St. Catharines ; Mr. Radcliflfe, South Ontario; Robert Dalgleish, South Grey, and Malcolm Campbell, West Mid- dlesex. The fourth resolution, which condemned coalition governments and upheld the party system, proved to be the supreme issue before the Convention. This was rendered the more inevitable by the fact that the Hon. William P. Howland and the Hon. William Macdougall, who had agreed to join the new Dominion Coalition Ministry, were then in Toronto, had been asked to atte?id the Convention, and had consented to be present on the evening of the first day. No anxiety was felt by the party managers as to the attitude which the hundreds of conventionists would take on the Coalition question. Public feeling 354 REFORM PARTY FOR PARTY GOVERNMENT ran too high, and the delegates were too pronounced m their views for any doubt to exist on that point But the promised appearance of these two miners of the Crown, before what was well known to be a hostile convention of the party they had heretofore represented, created widespread and unusual interest A hvely battle between them and Messrs. B^wn Mackenzje and other leading Reformers was inevi- table, and as they entered the Convention and were assigned seats on the platform, the scene and the ex! atement which arose would require a more eloquent pen than mme to adequately describe The question. "Party Government z^^. Coalitions » quickly became the storm centre of discussion. The speeches on nearly all the motions seemed to revolve aroundit.and it became the principal issue dividtg the Reform and Conservative parties at the general elections which followed. The resolution on thTsub ject was in the following terms : ''Resolved: That coalitions of opposing oolitical KLu^nlK ^^-'^^-t've prp;"slsat Diy result in the abandonment of principle bv one or both of the parties to the compact, the^lowerrn^ of public morality, lavish public expenditureTnd w^de spread corruption ; that the CoalSon of i8di c^A only be justified on the ground of im ^rious neces^^^^^^^ sent.H°"'/^?"^*''^ '"^^^ of obtabing just Spre-' TrounrhS't?/ ^^'^ °f,UPP«r CanadI ind o7the ground that the compact then made was for a sner.fi^ t^o rfnd "' '°'" " ^*'P"J^*^^ P^"-^' -" was't:^oi' Lhfi 1^ ^ ^°^" '^^ *^^ "measure was attained • and Refirm " ^°"r"''°" '^ thoroughly satisfied that the Reform party has acted in the best interests of the 355 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA country by sustaining the Government until the Confederation measure was secured, it deems it an imperative duty to declare that the temporary alli- ance between the Reform and Conservative parties should now cease, and that no Government will be satisfactory to the people of Upper Canada which is formed and maintained by a coalition of public men holding opposite political principles." Mr. Howland was the first of the two ministers called upon to speak. He was respectfully received. In the course of his remarks he frankly admitted that the compact of the Coalition of 1864 was at an end. He moderately but firmly maintained, however, that Mr. Macdougall and he were justified in acting with Mr. Tilley and other Reformers of the Maritime Pro- vinces in aiding the Hon. John A. Macdonald in forming the first Government of the Dominion and setting the machinery of the new constitution in motion, leaving party movements aside until ques- tions arose on which they might differ. This position he supported by various arguments, presented in a calm, forcible manner, but which evidently did not satisfy the Convention, and occasionally elicited marks of disapproval. The speech of Mr. Macdougall in vindication of his course in agreeing to join the new Coalition Admin- istration was a notable one. It was gracefully de- livered—able, clear, fearless, defiant. He denied that coalitions were immoral, contended that the work of the existing one was not yet completed, and assailed Mr. Brown's course right and left, rather caustically representing him as " having taken to the jolly-boat, 3S6. REFORM PARTY FOR PARTY GOVERNMENT leaving to his colleagues the task of getting the ship and Its cargo safely into port." He maintained that the Toryism and Reform of the past were buried, that pontjcally the Dominion was beginning with a tabula rasa-^^^ clean slate "-and there were no good reasons why Reformers and Conservatives should not act together in setting the new constitutional machine m motion, and even working it after it had been started. This was in substance Mr. Macdougall's line of argument. Unlike the speech of his colleague, it was decidedly aggressive and defiant, and, very naturally in so large and hostile a convention, evoked frequent and loud expressions of disapprobation during its delivery and on the speaker resuming his seat It was now midnight, and although the Convention had been, with one adjournment, continuously in session since two o'clock. Mr. Brown immediately arose and replied to the speeches of his two former colleagues, taking up their principal arguments and answering them one by one. He was more argu- mentative and moderate than during the powerful and exciting address he had delivered eariier in the evening. Both were highly characteristic, however one passage in his first speech, although rather in ' fhi.nl" *"^"''^^' ^'"^ meniorable on account of !^^!k rT"" 1°^**''** •' ^••^"^ the Convention, and the light t threw upon the attitude of the Reform party and its leader at that trying time At this point in his speech, evidently impelled by a sudden inspiration. Mr. Brown advanced Vcross fhe 357 rh PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA platform near to where Messrs. Howland and Mac- dougall were seated, and with head erect, eyes spark- ling, and his long arms outstretched, burst forth in the following impassioned strain : "After such a victory as this, which the great Reform party have accomplished — talk to me and to my friends, Mr. Mackenzie Mr. McKellar, Mr. Stirton, Mr. Gould, Mr. White, Mr. Rymal, and many others whom I see around me — tell us that we are now to condescend — (great and repeated cheers) — tell me that we are to condescend at this day, when we stand before our country claiming credit for one of the noblest records public men could display before a country — that we are now to go down upon our knees to Mr. John A. Macdonald ! (Great cheering.) Tell me we are to cast reproach upon everything we have been doing for the last fifteen years — that it may be said the whole thing we wanted was office, because no sooner did we accomplish this great boon for our country than we were prepared to make terms with the enemy and go into a Coalition Administration I (Cheers.) A gentleman told you I have called this meeting in order that I might be made the head of the Reform party. If, sir, there is any large number of men in this assembly who will record their votes this night in favour of the d^radation of the public men of that party by joining a coalition, I neither want to be a leader nor a humble member of that party. (Cheers.) If that is the reward you intend to give us for all our services, I scorn connection with you. (Immense cheering.) Go into the same Govem- metit with Mr. John A. Macdonald t (Cries of ' Never ! never I ') Sir, I understood what degradation it was to be compelled to adopt that step by the necessities of the case, by the feeling that the interests of my country were at stake, which alone induced me ever 3S8 REFORM PARTY FOR PARTY GOVERNMENT cheers, and cries of •• Never I ne[S "" ^ "'' One o'clock had struck before Mr. Brown concladed hs reply o the h,o Cabinet ministers, but so ^ was the mterest and enthusiasm that the Music Hal remamed packed until that late hour, and fte appUuse wh.ch greeted hi, remarks clearly n*cated that the Convention was overwhelmingly opposed to «V fiirther coalition of the Reform and Co^^ti-^ pame, m form.ng the first or «,y other Government of the Dommion or Provinces. The proceedings of the second day of the Conven- tion were opened by Mr. Alex. Mackenzie, M.P.P who very ably and logically discussed the whole poiitTcIl ,.tuat,on, and specially criticised the course^f Mr for^« "' ^•:'"'"' "• """^ °' <'«"«"B W' party for office and .t. emoluments. Th-' speech was one of the most effective made duri,.< the Convenrion 359 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA and was quite a revelation to many of those present as to Mr. Mackenzie's cleverness and skill as a debater. Several other speeches quickly followed, during which two amendments to the main motion were moved, one by Mr. A. Diamond, Belleville, and the other by Mr. John Idington, Stratford, to make the resolution against coalitions still stronger — indeed, condenmatory of all such governments. But after a full and free discussion these amendments were finally with * awn, and when the main motion was put by the chaurt^ n, the Convention rose almost en masse, the result being hailed with enthusiastic and tumultuous cheering. Only three or four hands were held up against the motion. Towards the close of the Convention a memorable incident occurred. It was in relation to the leader- ship of the party. Since Confederation had been carried, Mr. Brown had at various times, and again during this Convention, intimated a desire to retire from Parliament and devote his time entirely to his newspaper and personal affairs. Opinions differed as to whether he really desired to give up the leadership at this time, or took this course in order to give the Reform party in convention assembled carte blanche to deal with that important question as they con- sidered best. However this may have been, there was no uncertainty as to the opinion of the delegates, as the incident about to be narrated proves. During Mr. Brown's temporary absence from the chamber, the Hon. J. G. Currie, of St Catharines, 360 REFORM PARTY FOR PARTY GOVERNMENT able leader, for his irviS to tL ^f" 'r°'^"^ ^^^ accept a Po^SlTnTheXri^Trji'Ji^'.';'' „,IIt "f T J" ■="""■«' ""y acdamation-the members of the Convention Hsing ,o their feet in a body and „hen it was afterwanJs ««. to Mr Wn by the chairman, araidst vociferous cheering that gentleman was completely overcome. On" wrft^ fewtilt' ' """'^ "'■'^ *" ^ a"'-»mZ: It f^ " f" " " *" "= ""^ I""- ""able to reply for seveml minutes, and when he did recover ^:m^'' ^ """" ^^ emotion ttat he declared he r^rded above all the testimonial, he had nmived during his life. J^, ^^ Z^^ "" •""'''' ^"'"'' •Sa'" for Pariia- Po^l,H '. '°. *' '""'"P'' °f Representation by f^ulahon as the day of my emancipation from par^ .amenta J hfe, and now that it ha, come I resolved to take advantage of it But I an, free to admit th« what ha, now taken place, the announcement of the new Coahfon-this secession from our party-some! what alters the case. (Great cheering.) \'L^Z';, 3t Parliament Buildings at Ottawa, and were of a very simple and unostentatious character. The installation of His Excellency Lord Monck as Governor-General of the Dominion of Canada was the primary proceeding. The Hon. W. H. Draper, 364 THE NATION'S BIRTHDAY of office^^ ^"'"''' °^ ^"'^"°' administered the oath J^r^^lTK"^'"" ^'"^ ^"°^" •"' "'^ Excellency performed his first act as Governor-General by carry^^ •ng out the commands ^ of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, as conveyed to him by the Colonial Secre- tary, to distribute certain royal honours to mark the auspicious occasion. He then conferred the title of Knight Commander of the Bath on the Hon. John A. Macdonald, and of Com- panion of the Bath upon the Hon. Messrs. Cartier, Gait, Macdougall,Howland, Tilley and Tupper, for the distinguished services they had rendered in bringing the policy of Confederation to a successful issue. Then Sir John A. Macdonald, K.C.B., accompanied by all his colleagues, except the Hon. Edward Kenny of Nova Scotia, who had not yet arrived, appeared before His Excellency the Governor-General, and were sworn into office as members of the first Privy Council and of the first Government of the Dominion of Canada. The names of these gentlemen and the portfolios they were appointed to were as follows: Sir John A. Macdonald, K.C.B., Premier and Minister of Justice; Hon. Geo. E. Cartier, C.B., 365 ■ LORD MONCK I lllj i PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA Minister of Militia and Defence ; Hon. Samuef L. Tilley, C.B., Minister of Customs ; Hon. Alex. T. Gait, C.B., Minister of Finance; Hon. Wm. Mac- dougall, C.B., Minister of Public Works ; Hon. Wm. P. Howland, C.B., Minister of Inland Revenue ; Hon. A. J. Fergusson Blair, President of the Privy Council ; Hon. Peter Mitchell, Minister of Marine and Fish- eries; Hon. Alex. Campbell, Postmaster-General; Hon. Jean C. Chapais, Minister of Agriculture ; the Hon. Hector L. Langevin, Secretary of State for Canada ; Hon. A. G. Archibald, Secretary of State for the Provinces; and the Hon. Edward Kenny, Receiver-General. The latter gentleman was sworn in on the 4th of July. Thus was born the Canadian nation ! Quietly and modestly, its sky not altogether free from clouds on its natal morn, but with immense resources and possibilities ! Few Canadians, not even all the statesmen who are deservedly known as the " Fathers of Confedera- tion,"* then realized the greatness of the work which * It is sad to reflect, that of the thirty-three grand men who com- posed the Quebec Conference of 1865, and who are justly regarded as the Founders of Canada, only seven have lived to see iu 35th birthday — the 1st of July, 1902. Their names are as follows : Hon. Sir Oliver Mowat, G.C.M.G., bom July 20th, 1820; Hon. Sir Charles Tupper, Bart., G.C.M.G., C.R, born July 2nd, 1821 ; Hon. Wm. Macdougall, C.B., bom January 2Sth, 1822; Hon, R. B. Dickey, K.C., Senator, born November loth, 181 1 ; Hon. A. A. McDonald, Senator, bora February 14th, 1829; Hon. Sir Ambrose Shea, K.C.M.G. (New- foundland), born 1818; Hon. Sir Hector Langevin, K.C.M.G., C.B., born August 2Sth, 1826. The Hon. Sir W. P. Howland, K.C.M.G., and the Hon. John W. Ritchie (N.S.), having been members of the 366 THE NATION'S BIRTHDAY Bu. „o. .haTrhe°g. *d^^r:Tbe"L7r£ complete, what a vista dazdi the i™w T \^ i>c ;«,«, "tzzjes tne imagination when Its immense area and almost boundless naTurl^ resources are thoughtfully considered » '' <-^anada has for over a nnarf*... ^r treVarr ?;etho■f:irAr"™•''=^.''°- Bnta,„, and double that of France, Germany AusWa --a.ine.ha.t.-,,e^'r.t,ro„'tr°:f W«t Draw J^rr"*- " ''°''*^^ '" *= g-^t North. wh«tClT "^' ^""^ "•"" <■'««« undeveloped I!:^l!lJ!lf!!!:ii:!|:;if]^_be^^ deep-sea last Confederation Conference h..w Jn t I T though not at the Char^Ueto,^ or Su'C ""' ^" '^"''^'' ''^' they should be included ^^^Z^ ^^ ^^ColT ' '^ f "•"«* would make the number of clnL' 1 ^ ?'^*'™"°"- ™s thirty.three. Sir WiHkm U^J^^ T^'" '^''^^'^^ '"«««1 of still resides in Wo t *" ^™ '''•^ ^^th. .8,,, and deceased Founl,r(L«iarvbr?'1.''^r'"'^ ^'~"' ^''^ «..«iaaa may be found in Appendix VII. 367 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA il! i and inland fisheries are admittedly the best in the world ; and its mines of gold, silver, iron, nickel, copper and coal contain fabulous wealth awaiting development Its mercantile marine is larger than those of Italy, France, the Netherlands, Turkey or Spain — is surpassed, in fact, by only four or five ol the larger sea powers — and its 5,388,000 of hardy, energetic, intelligent Canadians have already estab- lished commerce with foreign countries to the value of $414,500,000 per annum, or nearly $y^ per head of the entire population.* Such is the Dominion of Canada— without exag- geration, a young giant in size and resources. Even to th' present time, however, many Canadians have not risen to a full realization of its magnitude and possibilities, and it is not surprising, therefore, that on the first Dominion Day, with the noise and tumult of old political struggles still ringing in their ears, few then looked much beyond the moment Its respon- sibilities and difficulties helped to shut out the bright vision of the future. But as time slowly passes on, it * According to an estimate made up from the census returns just be- fore Confederation, the population in 1865 of the two Canadas, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland was 3,787,750, and the total trade of the first four provinces mentioned above for the last year before Confederation, which ended on the 30th June, 1866, was only of the value of $147,222,275. The great pro- gress made sii:ce that time will be understood by the following official statement (unrevised) from the Statistical Bureau, Ottawa, of the trade and population of the Dominion at the present time : Total imports and exports of Canada for the twelve months ending on the 30th nl Tune, 1902, $414,517,318; estimated population tr the 30th of June, 1902, 5,388,017 ; amount per head of our foreign trade, $76.93. 368 THE NATION'S BIRTHDAY purees in lands fo^b ^ . undeveloped re- n>anufac.u,«, tilwZ 'cTnT' k'^1""' '"'PP'-S' sources of wealth Zr* -.f^- ' '""'" """^ <>*er just Iaws?a^^f ;«t "v J"° ''»'"™-'»P and na«o„befo.thep^^.X:.r""'=' as a termination to the pr^t'X^T^ '""'" ' "'""^ n-uX't^a-n^: 's;^^' '-t- '- " histoo^. and as the whJiTT . '" ^*"^^'*" * Hitherto, in common with the restnfm^^ i have thought Canada, or to sp«k mo- ^ '!»'"""' '"PP°^' ' ■nere strip lying non^, ,f ihJ^nZl^T '' !"''* ^""^"'=«' «» parent sUte. but incapable of suTtL'^^S^^ 'T'"' ''°'" '"^ n-y. right soon, to be uken on by tKi' MT ""i '"'^'^''^'^' ally changing or affecting its n«nT . "'"°"' '^"'»«« ™»f^ri. opinion as a^Honarir TL i^'E A "^^^'^-PP^ ^»>« « does across the continenf f^ .u , America, stretching as occupying a belt of trXlTz^n: a"'"'" "^ "^^ "^'^^^ ^^ -t of a great empire -inTH^fieW 7ZT1 ""?' "" ^'" fisheries, and its qjineral wealth TLhT u u ''' "^ '"^a'^aWe energetic, and pn>tect«lTv Brin h ■ "'^*'''*"'' ^°'**"*' '"'^y. political stars mL SihoL "^l'' consUtutional liberty. Southern ished beauty, but thS wwS .7 ^ T '^'"^ '^ ^'" ''•"' *"•«"- ^.roreverLreasi:;i?p:t;:.ri: ^^T^^' I"' '^ 369 " ^'l Hi PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA will grow in importance and deepen and widen in interest It is especially desirable that the lessons to be drawn from the long conflict between Upper and Lower Canada, the dangerous racial and religious strife which brought their union to a deadlock, the long and disinterested struggle of the Reformers of Upper Canada for Representation by Population and other constitutional reforms, which finally led to the remarkable but patriotic union of the Hon. Geoi^e Brown and the Hpn. John A. Macdonald to carry Con- federation, should never be foi^otten by Canadians. In the remembrance of the difficulties and dangers of the past, of the enlightened statesmanship which surmounted them and led us upward and onward to Confederation, we have, fortunately, many beacon lights to assist us in the noble task of guiding our young Nation off those treacherous rocks and shoals which would retard, and might possibly destroy, the realization of the grand destiny which beckons us onward. The End. 370 APPENDIX I Announced to Parliament. [^^66rev^a/ed.] Hon. George Brown th.n » the deepest emotion, which for J r*' *^ ^""''y Jabouring under ance ffe said : ''b7dlVnLl'fZ.^^n tones such as would forbid m J standing •'^^lu** and spoken n to-day with any hope ofSSS^fZV.V?L^''''°''^<^<=m had the agreement you have iuit h«^'*'^.'l*^'°'"« the countVj the conditions usuailyattachi?V„".'^ "■*?** ^^ »'«ned undef conceal from myself Uw^jSli^P^^iSH »'«ances* I do nof rtiat what I do this diy iZvt doW ' "" »° ""e suspJcfon rt2V°' "from all side. J/The Sou,. ?*,'=°""»2:- (Cries of tdat, had the circumstances in whi^k ^ ' am free to confess one whit less important I;^..•'^^*« *'^ now placed been •re, I could no^^S^Tt'^^l'^'^l^**'^^^^^^ even with a view to thLJSSt^ hon. gentlemen opw>.ite'^ wll admit that, if a crisU h2?v!J°"'- ?"» ^ 'hink the SousJ taken place, such a crisis has arrii^ 7^ Vi.'^K^ coalition as has &A ''•?''•> ^» '• w5l known X'V''"'''»'°nr of Canadi held that, in consequence of th2 1.^5 ^°^ "li*"^ y**" 1 have Upper and LowerCa„ada, it ^^'S"f \ 1'%"'ti" betw^n the Government of this countrv r^u ii '"'*'^ impossible that ."V ^ . «.p „ ,„ ^<;i^ .5.. ™-.^ .„^^„ APPENDIX I ■;i I *M I I s i iii and to which I have acceded. ... We have two races, two languages, two systems of religious belief, two sets of laws, two systems of everything, so that it has been almost impos- sible that, without sacrificing their principles, the public men of both sections could come together in the same Government. The difficulties have gone on increasing every year. The larger counties in the west have continued to increase in popu- lation, until now Upper Canada has 400,000 souls unrepre- sented in this Legislature, and pays an enormous prr- ''on of the taxation, and yet we have but an equality of n. n- tation with Lower Canada. But from the first day I tooK my position in this House on the subjea— and my hon. friend from Kamouraska (Mr. Chapais) will bear witness to the fact-- while I have always claimed for my own section a just share of representation, I still conceded that the feelings of Lower Canada must be con^lted, and I declared that I was prepared to go with gentlemen from Lower Canada into an honest and fair consideration of all the remedies that could be proposed, and endeavour to find a basis just and equal for both sections. (Hear, hear.) That day which I have long expected has now arrived, and I think had I not listened to the approaches made by gentlemen opposite I would have shown that I was one of the vilest hypocrites that ever entered public life. Mr. Speaker, I have already said that it was not without great pain that I listened to the approaches made by gentlemen opposite. For many years I have been connected with a body of gentle- men from Lower Canada whom I had learned warmly to esteem— gentlemen who stood by me in times of great diffi- culty, and whose kindness and friendship I hope never to forget It is most painful to rend, ayt, even to weaken the bonds which have bound me to these gentlemen ; but, Mr. Speaker, party alliances are one thing and the interests of my country are another. (Enthusiastic cheering.) For my hon. friend from Hochelaga (Mr. Dorion), and my hon. friend from Chateauguay (Mr. Holtoc). I have no terms to express the rtrsonal attachment that exists between us, and derahr would regret were our warm friendship to be diminished from the occurrences of this day. . . . And my hon. friends will do me the justice to say that, when the invitation to enter on the discussions that have resulted as we have seen this evening, was first addressed to me, I took the eariiest opportunity of finding out whether even then I could hope to receive assist- ance from my hon. friends. I went to them as old friends, tell- ing them what I proposed to do, and asked their co-operation in the movement, but without success. I think, at all events, 37* APPENDIX I &Zhb*?tJ'srveM T"* ' "-• ^^'^^ I have have so long^xisted Ufween us °^P*"°"*' ^"""^^hip which Mr. HOLTON-Hear, hear. ' able public men^w'hrh1i7e^;slrri'r''w I' *^* '°"« «<^°rd of which we have beengoveraed " wh.^^"*'.''Vt* ''y"*'" ""d" cord, and agitationVS^ t£ ?a;t t^n v^'°?'!i''*''' on the dis- any means we mn find iwlSnnffU^^^ ""P.'^y' ^''a* '^ by old friends w^h whom via wio '.°/*"i'° °Pposition to Nothing but the nSHte™ sense nf 5*1 ""^.'S'^y ^°' y«a"? me into such a poshion ? hlll\? ''"'V /ould have brought the Cabinet. iSSto stlSd nS^Jf*'***^*" •*^*»'*' «'«""» men opposite that hSrty .^J J^JSuid wh1cS'7 .1.'^"l«*"^'«- true Canadian is bound to five thV-m ^1 k • • * ^ *•""''' «very difficulties to a peimanent sett .mTn ''""W o" actional ruled. I haveb£nfor!S to LrrTof « ^" *•"» ' *»» over- and to the seriow "„?„% of mr.2SL°if •'.*^*'"*' "V *'»»>" I am in a position to Sto S«.^^«T' "«*««». and I think let us try tV rise suJeSTr to the^nmr? i "'^"*^' "^ ^h'» "<>««. the interests of our Kumnr° et u? unfc" °' P^T^ P*»"»'" «» Ibis question as a great StionilLuJfn *'°°"*'*'" *°** *«"'« u. as a people. (KuS chSr, ) " """T ^ """y °/ speak the sent ments of •««r««,-l u '• • • • I am sure I mMTin «ylSiTh.?we havffl'„o"d\Vre1n'12 '''■'^' '^'^^ to It, to attain'any objec"but a j«t S.uZn^?'"'"*^^"'*" ties.and the elevation 6f our Lnt'il LTS S ni«„?"i- '^*'="!; Poiition. (Cheers. ) i » 7. «„ .J* ?**»«"» distracted ground aIoU^« I put' m'y justScation" iW^* '"**• ""^^ asked, how is it that vou »o in l:»k f i* i' **•* question is your party in the CabJiet ? 1 si^J thS. e^l^n/i'^^K™*'"^" °f I would get from the ability inThl. JL P* '*"' •*''* •••'•tance gentlemen who wi I acJomM?vl. f^ co-operation of the two of the .inceritrifth EThe' '*™,»° *°~"«'"Jf satisfied approachedthequSionrthatli^JulffeLrS u^^''* ^^^^ myself to accomplish It 0^6.^? i m.l*tf ^ ''.!i''*u«'*''« '» '>y 373 I f APPENDIX I sentation by population, I have never anticipated that that principle, pure and simple, would be earned ; but have said that it should be accompanied by provisions for the P/otection of the local interests of the two sections, and I apprehend that the basis we have approached is, to all intents and purposes, the basis arrived at by the Toronto convention of 1859, and by the convention in Montreal of the same year, at wh,ch my hon. friends, the members for Hochelaga and Chateau- suay, were prominent members. Mr. McGee— Yes, substantially the same. Mr. DORiON— There was nothing then about a federation 01 all the provinces. „„ . . _. ,. , Mr. ^ROWN-That may be true. What was said at the Toronto convention was this : It was unnecessary to enter upon the consideration of a federation of all *e provinces, becau*e that was then too remote a question to be prfct'^Hy^*****; with, although, I believe, if a vote, had .^^^ t»^ ^r^efv scheme at the Toronto convention it would have been largely supported. ... So far as I am concerned I have gone into the Cabinet expressly for the settlement of this question, and by the settlement of this question I and the two other gentlemen who go with me shall stand or fall. No man who raters the service of the Crown has a right to fix a limit to the period during which he shall render his service. I do "ot mean to commit a breach of that rule. But I do not hesitate to say that, as our only justification for entering the Cabinet is that we may thereby atuin the settlement of the sectional ques- tion, my duty will have ended when I see that that settlement can no longer be advanced by my remaining in the Govem- mtnT (Sfar, hear.) I am sure all of u. must feel that if ever there was a grave question submitted to the public men of any country, the question now under consideration is one of that Saractir, and I think we may congratulate our country that we have among our public men on both sides, a large number of honorable gentlemen who have shown themselves prepared to sacrifice party and personal feelings in order to .•».-et on common ground of patriotism, and. Sir, I think we may find additional cause for rejoicing in the position we now occupy, when we look at the present situation of the great n^Mon alongside of us, arising out of their great sectional difficulty- one of a still graver character than ours, because pecuniary interests were much more deeply concerned in it. If we look, however, at the several interests involved in o"' ?>*•«»» '"j;*^ ments- and social questions after all affect the mind of a pUple much more than those which are merelv »>ecuniary-I 374 APPENDIX I think we shall have much cause for thankfulness if next si.«!nn lir««er honour for my ch'lldt« to k«p -ar, hSii ^hS? ..umed his «« ^idst S a7d prolSti S;«''. Sirs ro^v.tir"c;::s.XKj ""-^ c,?^<-*'rr:«^hS 375 APPENDIX II BRIEF EXTRACTS FROM THE SPEECHES OF LEADING STATESMEN DURING THE CONFEDERATION DEBATES, 1865. Hon. George E. Cartier, Attorney-General East. The time was oppottune, as his hon. colleague (Attorney- General Macdonald) had so ably stated last evening ; the opportunity might n^ver offer itself again in such a facile and propitious manner. We knew we had, in all our proceedings, the (^probation of the Imperial Government. So, if these reso- lutions were adopted by Canada, as he had no doubt they would, and by the other Colonial Legislatures, the Imperial Government would be called upon to pass a measure which would have for its effect to give a stron{[ central or general government and local governments, which would at once secure and guard the persons, the properties and the civil and religious rights belonging to the population of each section. (Loud cheen.) Hon. a. T. Galt, Finance Minister. I trust the House will not permit the question to be judged of in a small, contracted manner. I trust it will keep in view the desire the country manifests for the utmost possible devel- opment of its resources. Let us endeavour by this measure to anbrd a better opening than we now possess for the industry and intelligence of the people. Let us seek hy this scheme to give them nigher and worthier objects of ambition. Let us not reject the scheme, with the bright prospect it ofTers of a nobler future for our youth, and grander objects for the emulation of our public men. Let us not refuse it on small questions of detail, but judge it on its general merits. Let us not lose sight of the great advantages which union offers, because there may be some small matters which, as individuals, we may not like. Let us trust that this machinery, however faulty it may be, wil] yet under Providence open up for this country a happy career ; 376 I! ,i APPENDIX II have existed in Canada for the K Zt^!"^ dissensions which hreatened to plunge the countr?iitn ?h^. *"' ^'i^ *''''<='' have lamentable state o» discoid anZ? '•''* """^ disastrous and this last fact alone wilcommtnH ^""^"s.on. (Cheers. ) Sure"y should induce the UgSo^tnd\iIT' ? '"* "°"^«- '» allowance for the men who hl„, k^I P*°P'* *° make every lead them to apprS the resul?*;? fh.Wl'" '"' '^'^'^ ^''d mitted. not in a hypercritiL'spi t °Io fh« the nllw*' ''"IT '^^^ be led astray on mere matter* vlf ^1» -i t "*.P"''''<^ """d may and kindly Lk at U as a Siat m2u " ^* '^l "i»"*« fr»»Wy purpose of relieving the cSJvS HU.~"*'"i'°'^° ^o^'he and give it that cSnsideSiorwhS ^T'' *"^ depression, ments of the Government fMW*« l^'"'' "°* *° »'»« *'-gu- the great interests bSd but to »h^/ I"*^ ^ '" ^'^"'of desires and cries for, at he hands of th. ^"^ '''** *••* """'nr whereby its internal prospeSf peac. "n^r' '•'""•' ■"**«"•« developed and maintained. (liuTcheen) ''*PP'"*« "^y be HON. D'ARCV MCGEE. MmiSTER OF AGRICULTURE us." I was unheeded then • I ri.n^»T« .u ** * message for 2.700 gi^at guns in the fieW andlJl^ o„""*'/?^ ""^ "^ t»>e afloat, whenever it owns iti mlfk^ °* °^ *''* 4,6ooguns ijg of f ngland-;re°^^'X«%X'r?l''?^^^^^^^ """ When I can hear our voumr m.n - P**?*'* ' (Cheers.) . eration." or "OurcIuntr5,™or "U'^r^'-J' "pur Fed! yo«»»menofothercountn-wdo soeakinai^Ti?*^*""' as the shall have less apprehenSS for S?„"5,^^„?'*'r°«'"' 'hw 1 the future may have in store for is. (Chwn.f **"''" '"*'* Hon. a. a. Dorion (Hochelaga). tlemei o?pS:rj.S*tUS?aT" "I*'' '""^ -"«-» o^ hon. gen- hand, of ^K (Sv'eJnmentrtta? iTIhe Cf '• "^ P?«J»*'« '« ""e vative party everywhere-tha* is the li52^''{."\°^f''* Conser- the Tories from the Whigs-,he Tor 1, »7'''''' <* «'n»"'»he. Crown, and the Liberals Sway, warn ,0 fi '**" '**•* *'*''' '^e it;"i;:t£;''»k'e%hiS'^°^^^^ Hun. AttornerCen^e'S/^es^MSfhrSle?^ 377 ,11 ! , APPENDIX II hands of the Crown should be strengthened and the influence of the people, if posi^ible, diminished, and this Constitution is a specimen of their handiwork. With a Governor-General appointed by the Crown ; with local governors also appointed by the Crown ; with Legislative Councils in the General Legis- lature and in all the provinces, nominated by the Crown, we shall have the most illiberal Constitution ever heard of in any country where constitutional government prevails. (Hear.) . . . We are now legislating for the future as well as for the present, and feeling that we ought to make a Constitution as perfect as possible, and as far as possible in harmony with the views of the people, I maintain that we ought not to pass this measure now, but leave it to another year, in order to asceitain in the meantime what the views and sentiments of the people actually are. (The hon. gentleman was loudiy cheered on resuming his seat.) « Alexander Mackenzie, M.P.P. (Lambton). I believe then. Sir, in the first place, that Confederation is desirable, in the second, that it is attainable, and in the third Elace, that it is the best thing we can get, and this last is per- aps the strongest reason of all for accepting it. It is quite clear that we must have a settlement of our difiiculties in some way, and I think the scheme proposed is a very favourable settlement of them. I think it is more than perhaps some of us expected at the time when the present Government was formed to bring about a settlement, and I do think. Sir, that it would be the greatest act of madness that western members of this House could perpetrate, to vote against it. (Hear, hear.) I am not, however, afraid that it will be voted against by them. I believe that under it we have obtained representation by population, that we have obtained what we nave long con- tended was justly due to us, that we have obtained our legiti- mate influence in framing the financial policy of the country, and that beyond this we have obtained the prospect of building up a great British Union on this continent. We s^^uld, there- fore, I think, in view of these great advantages, overlook those objections which majr be regarded as antecedent to the scheme, and endeavour heartily to cariy out the work successfully. I shall willingly yield my support to the scheme, and I believe it will be acceptable to the people I represent— not only to the people of the locality, but to those who surround me in Upper Canada. (Cheers.) 378 ! APPENDIX II Matthew C. Cameron, M.P.p. (North Ontario). J s^»li i^^^an^^^^^^ f-l we would be sowing instead of its being crmeme^b;^? JTeturf Ta^^^^ opposed to the scheme h*ra..c/ :"'*,?"*•«"«• I am therefore HOK. JOSEPH CaUCHOH, M.P.P. (MONTMORENCV). •oar more frMly JD lhe°a,S? »h,jl7 '° ""°" """ '°^' <° Hon. John Sandfield Macoohald (Cornwall). here a> one who ha> no vole rfhif 5;, i?.1f ' *'"•' 1'"°'' al..y. maintained «ha^ S?e, „„,''cSu iof^'f, i!*" ''" sir ric5 «« -^-'hi^nrti^,! 379 APPENDIX II will only hasten the day when the Lower Provinces will per haps endeavour to withdraw from the Mother Country and seeli another alliance. I resume my seat, Sir, regretting the man ner in which the Government have tried to stifle the full am free discussion of this great question. (Cheers.) Richard J. Cartwright, M.P.P. Addington). (Lennox and My own years are not very many, Mr. Speaker, but yet evei I can remember when Canada was but a petty province, ai obscure dependency, scarce able to make its voice heard on th< other side of the Atlantic without a rebellion, forgotten o ignored, as if, as the French Minister said when he signed th( treaty for its surrei^er, " it mattered not what became of : few barren acres of snow ! " And yet, Sir, in less than thirt; years I have lived to see Canada expand into a State equal ii numbers, in resources and power of self-government to many ai independent European kingdom— lacking only the will to ste| at once from the position of a dependency to that of an ally- a favored ally of the great country to which we belong, and t take that rank among the Commonwealth of nations which i granted to those people, and to those only who have prove that they possess the power, as well as the wish, to defen^ their liberties. This, Sir, is what I think Canada can do ; thi is what I think Canada ought to do ; and if, as I believe, thi project of Confederation would contribute most powerfully t enable us to do so, there are few sacrifices which I woul refuse to make for such an object— much more, forgive m hon. friends yonder for having in time past spoken somewht over-harshly and hastily of each other. Let them only pei severe, let them only go on and complete the task which will say they have so nobly begun, and they will have mad good their claim— I do not say to the forgiveness —but to th regard, the affection, the esteem of every man who sha hereafter bear the name 'of Canadian. (Cheers.) Joseph Rymal, M.P.P. (South Wentworth). In conclusion, I think hon. gentlemen will agree with m that in 1850 Canada was the admiration and envy of most < the people who were acquainted with our position. I woul compare the position of Canada at that time— and I think may without impropriety— to that of a young man of eightec or twenty, handsome in figure, with a good conttitutioi 380 APPENDIX II parent has coimitte5^;j'StaSffi,''KM^^?'l^***>' ^"d 'hi; youth, to the care of a faSlJ nK ? ^'"'** ?^''"' t*"" 'ovely transfen«l him from time to tLet^%K*° *''°. however, h« cians of different schools Soml nf t *•** *'*'* °' °*«' Physi- were homoeopaths, some wer^T„^ *''*'? **!* a"opaths. some (laughter)-tfcey all Sfst^^ hydropa hs-but they all bled- l*»Rhter.)' UnVrsu?htSm5*^l»r*f«d. ^ContiJJed pale and sickly. The ruddv huf nf if 'fu^'^ y°"*'' "^^me countenance, and instLd of his sten Lin*' « ^^^ ^^"^ J*" he,beean to stagger b his ?ait ^k "*^u^"" *"d bounding, call tSe physicSs to accoum for^ilv '^* P*'*?* ^«*° '« tendmg to act under respSb litv for ,h^^ '^*", **=i'"»' "^ ?'«* ment. And what answer rfinVk^ J*»« 'esu't of their treat- protested that his oJnnttum^i"*''* L ?*'='' °"« °f the-n •nalady, although it wis eSdint^KoT'^ sufficient to cure the treatment. BuVin oTSer ^hlt L rJ ..hf k*** 'V"'''u"« ""^er the craft, an themselves not t dism^Is^i f ''''' ^^' ^''^^^ «»f ^^e agreed , join, and, makinran Sixl^or?."- °^ '"'"'' '^^V trums, ... administer that to thi. «- " H^*'' "''*'^' nos- • • . ButbelieviSthenostJSm'^K'*"*' ^T"'""»''«hter.) ter will aggravate the evil ratherT»„.*'' *'* *^.°"^ *° »dminis- »t to be a luty I owe to mTconVth "^^^^^^^ °a *"*^'*** ''• ^ '««' science, to vote against tKrem?l.»J'"** '° '">'*'*» ~n- they may. (Cheers.) "'* ^ ^^^ consequences what Hon. John Hillyard Cameron (Peel). Everyone who is a weP-wisher nf hi. ^ to seelt goon and prospeZwho ,i ji^L^ JKJ?'-«'»»o desires of power in one Exwutive over aU lh«. *.* *•?* concentration m a position to assume the name "-rfC »°'""r "^'^ P'*« « the earth, will be elad to fin^ T. ° *'**•"* °^ » nation upon dated. And if we bai °he s1ructu£':r- " "'»* '-^V consS?" on the expressed will of the Si thim J °"*^t* *° ^ ^^' will be offering to those whf^m. 5?.""*'*'*''' '"'*" ^ ^^ink we selves, a heritage whkheve^ranlK"" ".!{ t' **" «^ '" «»'- which will bring to our shSSm r ""^^ P^^d of, and parts, people who will be dSoi^^o k.*'- ^i:"*'" *"d other all the favourable circumstaJrL?a»»*V^'*'" ''««. along with of our lands, the advSSToSr f^l*"' "P?" '>* settlement eration .solutions, aS^LVirtl^lIj-.Ht-rr^;,^^^^^^^^^^ 381 f APPENDIX II desirous that tbey shall be carried out in a manner which will be conducive to the best interests of the country, based on a heutfelt expression of opinion by the people by means of a general election. I promised I would not detain the House, and having presentea such arguments as seem to me to reauire the passage of this resolution, and the submission of Confeoera' tion to a vote of the people, I resume my seat. (Cheers.) Hon. L. S. Huntington (Shefford). The Hon. Attorney-General, as the leader of his party, may look with favour upon the Conservative reaction which seems to await us. He can aflTord to go back to that dark period of English constitutional history, when Toryism, profiting by the unstable politics of France, ruled England for fifty years, created the public debt and stifled the prepress of free opinion. It is from this period that the Hon. Attorney-General (quotes precedents against an appeal to the people— a dark period in which the rights of the people were sacrificed to a want of faith in them. Shall we copy such examples ? Shall we attempt to hold up the terrors of the American war— the dreaded insta* bility of American institutions— to frighten ourselves into dread of our own people ? Shall we copy the reactionary abuses of the times of Pitt, to the extent that we refuse to consult the people upon the great revolution proposed here ? (Hear, hear.) 38a APPENDIX III Speech of the Hon TnHw a %m TTH i8Ac ,„ B ^ ^- MaCDONALD ON MaRCH 7TH. ,86s, IN REPLV TO HON. L. H. HOLTON to call the attention of the Ho- a?/^ "* ***•»'« » renewed «»««"■ of the preW q^^srioS-whrhTf'"*"^ West fo S to his recollection the statement* h-. * ''** "»*'''«'» »<> '«»« agreement was come to that tS, deit/fK' S*u* **»«» ""e m all respects as if the House we^ln r *''?"'*' ^ conducted Md to appeal to his sen"e rf%^t^J" ^^JJ!™"*' °J ^''^ Whol? spirit of that agreement "' * v **'''*'* 1° *•»« '««« and says that we ^y noT moVe am'*„?°*' '''* ^°"- gentleman moved if he succeeds in getirmr St J"' • *'' *"*^ »°"e ««» be by the House. I stati-Sd TaS'sS^T^ ^"^'^ ^^^^d to him to convince him of the i.mJ.l * • ^*Y* o»'y to state it m moving the previou^ qu&n wUi 2l '^^V* a persistence the assurance the hon. JeSlem«ri- .''"V'^ » v«>'«tion of he distinct understandin^JrriSS^f r'»u*° /f* "«"»«. and of (Hear, hear.) '~ "^ yo"» Sir, from the Chair. on"Xror'2;5:°:1ew''"„^^.^"?--^ -". Mr. speaker, gentleman, He sj^aks „ ^T^' •» »»»*:«' to thThon! the majority of thlT House and to^h» r^"*** ^^oncewion to arrangement was made .t th« ^i? • * Government that the fir. it was no conSfon' H?atevS°t7th°/ ?* **''«»«• Wh"? i^« °»>J»nty of the House /HSrh«r^^°''*"'"«°* <>' 'o contrary. It was a concession of th!^«*'^"^ . . . On the «n the House; for I ^ItSofl?"''*"""*"* '« ^he minority although I had' a right to pSeSd ^/tK"^ T'^ •»°t'°n. that the Speaker in the Chair I!^»« !^* ordinary manner with smgle speech in accor5lS;:e^.i°th^7«=t Jon. gentlemen To a that although this was my uS* „£*/"!«: that govern debate- mentary practice, yet, for\he p",^ "^„^/.^^^^^ Parha- and freest discussion, I sugLSS^^t L^'''^''^^ *''* ^"""t obtam as if the House wereTSolii&'S rWSfe.t'it' 383 i APPENDIX III ^ every member could speak twenty times if he felt so disposed, and present his views fully on all the points of the sdheme! . . . And how have we been met by hon. gentlemen opposite ? Mas It been in the same spirit that actuated the Government throughout the debate ? Wt asked them to come forward, and honestly and fairly, in the presence of the House and country, to discuss the scheme ; but instead of so doing, they have deliberately tnfled with the question and wasted the time of the House. (Hear, hear.) Hon. Mr. Holton— No, no ! Hon. Attorney-General Macdonald— The hon. gentleman as a man of honour cannot deny it, as a man of candour he cannot deny it ; and if he should deny it, his character as a man of ho »our an<| candour would sink in the estimation of this House. (Hear, hear.) ... The policy of the Oppo- sition was just this-they wished to spend the whole of March and the best part of April in the general discussion upon my motion; and, then, when they could do nothing more to nauseate the House and disgust the ti^untry with the subject, when they had wearied the members and made the reporters sick with their talk-(laughter)-they were to spend the remain- der of April, all May and June, and run the debate well into . summer upon the amendments they intended to propose one after another. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) . . . We are not going to allow that, nor should we be worthy of the posi- tion we hold as a Government if we did allow it, and. Sir. I should be unworthy of the character the hon. gentleman (Hon. Mr. Holton) gives me of being a good pariiamentan' strategist. If I allowed this plot of preventing the House coming to a vote to succeed. (Hear, hear.) Sir, there has been some little misapprehension as to the effect of the motion I have proposed to the House, which it is as well should be removed. It has simply and only this effect, that it does not prevent hon. mem- bers expressing their views fully and freely upon the subject, but calls upon every hon. gentleman to give— if I may use an Americanism— a straight and square vote upon the question, and to state plainly whether or not he approves of the scheme of Confederation as a whole. (Hear, hear.) As I stated wheu I opened this debate upon my motion, and as has been over and over again stated by several of my colleagues, we agreed with the governments of the sister provinces upon a future Constitution for the whole of British North America, and we ask this House to approve or disapprove of that Constitution. we told the House that we had made this treaty with the sanc- tion of Her Majesty and of the Imperial Government. 384 APPENi;rv 12 J House that we had »K« ™acdonald— No • we #«u .u '» the position of the Gove/nm^n* ' u ' ^'"»« Mr. Speaker wftich the hon. member for North W '^1 "mendment of •houid succeed, and the Hou^^ 2 „..S"i'"P ''** given notice Legislative instead of a &r»i Tr"'^ *'*5'*'* ••> favour of a th^ ll P^"''*'y '^o ? The contract Sf.. •"°"on)-wI>at good £« .other provinces would S bfoL„ "i.'*",*"'««d into with ^J«»'«!n«r.the solemn engaVemenf u„h. ' i*?«'«"« wou 3 ?S*'». '^o'on'w. and we wSjK" rr' *''.'*=^ '^ ^^^ »<> the which none of the other nr««!- * Constitut on drawn on that they would «*e« itI4~E\r"W adopt. We It„ow won. Mr. Holton— Well »i.i if ' go?e™memiTf''t£*Sr ^'^^^PO^ALD-At all event, the jontotheirjii^^^^^^^ we have a right to aik »hj. u "*" opinion upon it anH approve of ,,*? If yi? d?'* "^I"/' ;?o you or do yoL not because of it, generaYprindlKL"! ?'*• "=''*•"« altogether » 7'*"!? '""?•»• a liii KeS2eS''«y °"-, '(yo« think ative Council, why vote h out vlf^.***^ *** *'«c''ve Legis- candid and fair vote one iav «r ♦». 1 *' ^"ce an honest colonies know without de^IJ iheth.?''"'' *"^ '*» »heS; i^nfcanhr-'f^t'le-i^I^^^^^^ (HiarS.trn'd' or .« el.c.iv'.'LKi;?vVcZcil'r for°I' ''^i-'-^e u^ni^n? the provision, of the wrhenw • k. I t ""^ ""^ <«her change iii new, that for all piictiS Z^^" .1 '^* '^i, in all earSLt - can ever hop. .0 have iiS 't^ llj^^ ^p;o^r.,°KS 5 385 *" APPENDIX III sake of some fancied superior Constitution which we cannot get any of the colonies to agree to. (Hear, hear.) . . . All this motion will do is to prevent hon. gentlemen oppo- site playing the trick which I have spoken of— drawing the discussion away from the main question before the House, getting up debates upon the powers of the General Govern- ment and of the local governments, upon an elective or appointed Legislative Council, and upon all sorts of side issues upon which the changes would be rung night after night, and week after week, through the spring and summer, till the House became weary with the surfeit of talk, and the country disgusted. (Hear, hear.) That, Sir, is the aim and object of hon. gentlemen opposite, but I hope this House will not be so foolish as to fall into the trap they have laid, and I know hon. members are Mully aware of the designs of these hon. gentlemen. They cannot complain that they have not had an opportunity of moving amendments. They have had three weeks to do it, and they have not yet moved one or given notice of one. Then, Sir, what will be th*:; consequences, on the other hand, if the previous question is not carried ? If it is rejected, and the mam question is not put. Confederation is defeated. And I will at once inform the House that to vote that the main Question be not put, will throw Confederation over forever, and forever destroy the last hopes of a friendly junction between the colonies of British North America. (Hear, hear.) Hon. Mr. Holton— Why the last hopes? Hon. Attorney-General Macdonald— Because if we reject now the agreement come to by all the governments of all the provinces, we can never expect to get them to meet again to make another. Hon. Mr. Holton— But one of these governments has ceased to exist. Hon. Attorney-General Macdonald — The hon. gentleman knows perfectly well that the governments of all the prov- inces are pledged to the scheme, but that the legislatures have not yet expressed themselves upon it. If any of them appear now to be hostile to it, that feeung may disappear when it is AiUy explained to them. Even the Hon. Attorn^-General Palmer, of Prince Edward Island, may himself become con- vinced of its desirability and vote for it. We cannot say how these legislatures will vote, but what we propose to do is to lay our action before the Imperial Government and ask it to exer- cise its influence with the other colonies in securing the passage of the scheme. And I have no doubt that if the Mother 386 APPENDIX III » given by the Impenal Goveniment. I h,,e no douST m her experience and wisdom, believes to h« L,f f^l .if ' BrS"NSrth^''r •''?°''>V »"« quesLn :f'rte°d':fcnce of EriniS„TSWr?nd"by r scfce^S^M llSrLrfl? considered by the ConferSie? and L it wm f^ii"tioS ?;U."'°"''*> *"*• organixed'system of diUS w.ii •.* • '*^*'!* provinces, and at the cost of the whole Well ,t IS now of the greatest importance that soine memSr; EnalL^^mlST "' '*'T'** S.'* *»*"?« immediately in oJdeTSi! fuiSn ^r ?• ^^ *'•■*' "•• °P'"'»" of Canada is upon th" ^HoB. J. S. MACDONAU>-li that what you want them to go 3«7 APPENDIX III V Hon. Attorney-General Macdonald— Yes. The season is fast approaching when it will be necessary to commence these works— the only season during which they can be carried out at ail, and that man is not true to his country, that man is not a true patriot who, for the sake of a petty parliamentary tri- umph, for the sake of a little party annoyance — for the conduct of the Opposition amounts to nothing more— would endeavour to postpone some definite arrangement on this important ques- tion of defence. (Hear, hear.) Yes, Mr. Speaker, this oppo- sition is either one or the other of two things — it is either for the sake of party annoyance, or it is a deliberate desire to pre- vent anything l)eing done to defend ourselves, in order that we may easily fall a prey to annexation. (Cheers.) I do not like tr believe that hon. gentlemen opposite entertain any wish to become connected with the neighoouring Republic, and there- fore I am forced to the conviction that they are actuated by the miserable motive of gaining a little parliamentary or party suc- cess. There are only two alternatives of belief, and one or the other of them must be correct. (Hear, hear.) I believe the hon. member for Chateauguay is in his heart strongly in favour of a Federal union of these colonies ; but because it is proposed by hon. gentlemen on this side of the House, he cannot and will not support it. (Hear, hear.) So long as my hon. friend the Hon. Finance Minister sits here on these bench^ so long as Mordecai sits at the King's gate— (laughter)— and so long as the hon. gentleman sits on the opposite instead of this side of the House, so long will be find fault and object. Hit high, or hit low, like the flogged soldier, nothing will please him. (Renewed laughter.) But I believe the House will not sanction such pitiful conduct as hon. gentlemen opposite exhibit. I believe we will have a large, an overwhelming majority, to sustain us in the course we have adopted ; and that we should be highly blamable were we to exhaust the patience, not only of ourselves, but of our supporters, by allowing this conduct to be pursued much longer unchecked. These, Sir, ar« my answers to the questions of the hon. member for Chateauguay. (Cheers.) JM APPENDIX IV The Votes in the Parliament of Canada Adopting Confederation. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. LEGISLA TIVE ASSEMBL Y. 389 APPENDIX IV Magill, McConkey, McDougall, McGee, McGiverin, Mclntyre, McKellar, Morris, Morrison, Parker, Pope, Poulin, Poupore, Powell, Rankin, Raymond, R^millard, Robitaille, Rose, Ross (Cbamplain), Ross (DundasX Ross (Prince Edward^ Scoble, Shanly, Smith (East Durham), Smith (Toronto East), Somer- ville, Stirton, Street, Sylvain, Thompson, Walsh, Webb, Wells, White, Wilson, Wood, Wright (Ottawa County), and Wright (East York)— 91. Nays — Messieurs Biggar, Bourassa, Cameron (North Ontario), Caron, Coupal, Dorion (Drummond and Arthabaska), Dorion (Hochelaga), Duckett, Dufresne (IbervilleX Fortier, Gagnon, Geoflfrion, Holton, Houde, Huntington, Joly, Labrecbe- Vii^er, Laframboise, Lajoie, Macdonald (ComwallX Macdonald (Glengarry), Macdon^d (Toronto WestX O'Halloran, Paquet, Perrauit, Pinsonneault, Pouliot, Rymal, Scatcherd, Taschereau* Thibaudeau, Tremblay and Wallbridge (North Hastings)— 33. 390 APPENDIX V Speech of the Hon. George Brown in Reply to the Hon. John Hillyard Cameron's Motion to Submit Confederation to a Vote of THE People, March ijth, 1865. Hon. Mr. Brown-I do not rise to detain the House from „«!i7'°" 5?^?u** a^very few minutes. But I think it would ?r«J?!K*""i'*r \** *i' *^*''*** '•'°"'*' <='"« "'•thout a few words from this part of the House. And first, a word with reference to the speech of the hon. member for North Ontario (Mr. «L,;i,:*'"*r*K^- u^}** •'**°- St^ntleroan, in the course of his remarks, said he had no personal feeling toward myself. I S*.t M* **'**' *S'* J *;P V^'^^^y *""«»? »»>«» the hon. gentle- man should enjoy ail the little relief he evidently obtains from (h^'m **m "'i' °" n^*'/?"*^ *''* "°»- Provincial Secretary (Hon. Mr. Macdougall). I do not think that any of the ther remarks of the hon. gentleman require notice— (laughter)— as they were only a repetition of what had frequently come fr^m other hon. members m the previous part of this debate. But ra.i]S«('/i«.'*°!!u a^^""^' ^"^ ^**' ^"»"- J- ""'yard CameronX I do say that anythmg more extraordinary than the Imeofargumenthetook up here to-night I never heard from any hon. member of this House. What was the position taken by the hon. gentleman from Peel ? He commenced by sayins that justice to Upper Canada required the granting of Parlia- menury reform, and that this scheme gave that measure of i"V'*^5 !? ^PP**". Canada. He said the Province must be defended ; that the question of the defence of this Province was the most urgent and the most important question *e had to consider at this moment, and that this measure provided the best way of meeting that question of defence. He said toat the threatened abolition of reciprocity with the United States required to be met -that the best interests of this Prov- ince would be imperilled by the repeal of the Reciprocity ireaty— and that he conceived that this measure supplied the very beat way of meeting that difficulty. He said also that we 39 » APPENDIX V cannot go on as we are fka* •» state of things whic has exTst^dTn V'*"''^ impossible that the that there must be a change -!^d'"h5^*"»da should continue- proposed by this measure was a J^.w"""':^ '''«» ^^''at was sai/wehad but one oMw^'luerSSL?''''!,*?'* I^'PS^' He Union, or the adoption of Sie fI?!!1^ ~* dissolution of the h.» part he considered a dissoS'S rj"nP*-"''^ ^^at for thing to be adopted, and that »h« ir ^ ''*. ^"'O" was the last remedy that can'^be ^piduXol^titT''^ '' *"« '^^ • • • Yet, after having passed ?hi?h'u '.*"'■■ •"'""*"«=«s. measure, what does he say ? Whv thlu^^ wlpgium on the -that he won't have it uhtil ithll u ^^ '^°" * ''a^e it now and the opinion of the elitor. if ^C"^ »''"* »«> the countrv^ He says there is dange? Jf?n„^,?»^ been obtained upon7 these difficulties are ?o[ met th,. 1'°" *° ^^^ ^°''^^^ Sutes if us that this measure^w irdeii^f u?S7k° ,«>»?«» over yet he IS not prepared to apphTthe^i^^*** **"* ^a**' and are the reasons of the hon. £StlJmLl^^I ""'^ ' ^nd what to a measure of which htirll^l^f^t'J^''''^ *° S''^' •«"«« he, hke the hon. member for NortJ Onfarf "^^^''''^^ ^ °o«» of Parliament to pass such « •!!? "°*a"o, deny the power admit, we have fulFfSwer fo pSsT n '''I' ** ''^^ h« entertain any doubt aV to the ^Ul' , '^°*' ''* personally On the contrary, he is enthusia»t?«l„^?"" f**''"*? '* "ow? dechires that be would vote for it ?«L^ •{°' ^^^ measure, and at the poll,. Does he ia„t deiiw Vn t?"^'' " »° "^"^ mand, that the measure shaS S uriin ""* ^^'ary, he de- (Hear, hear.) He says the sooner »S^ °"u*'"'' all speed, ment are n England the bSter for the nillnf'H"^"^ ^oVeS- thi, question of federatiorand tL P*°P'* "^ Canada, that the question of Ameri«„%;cfpr2itv'^?ho: M t •*''^»*=^ and Bnti,h Government without onThJl.S^"''' '^ •"»«*<>« the He protest, that on the fate of Ik;. "' ' ""necMsary delay. yitafintertMt, of tS ProSL deSi^w"**!?" "'"* of the mS •t until months of valuffifme hK2 k!.*""^ ^'^ ''* ^" "<>» have has been forced to pa« iSh Yn S^^"» ' ••"'" '''* *^'*""*'y and uncertainty of a ES«S"S}« 2^ *"!:?°'' *°<* confu«oJ ha, been summoneS an?gS JS' Sf.^'"' * "T P»f«a»«« • . . But does the hok «rffimo« 'anction to the measure, as to the feeling of the SeofV'**'?** '''«« "any doubt Not at all. On the contri^'h! ?. n.T"^" ^°. '^'» mMsure ? mitted to the people thS7'woud ^'** *=o°fidM>t that if ,ub. favour--, complete IweS^overL * """^ "majority in its enough, he give. thln^^f^Jth^ ~""».'y' Nay. ^strange the Chief argument in ^.v?u??f 2,^^• SoT •&rj;PrT^« 39» APPENDIX V iho ^oia:,; tdV ;? fe' t Tt ^"^ -'y — come back and adopt*? » ° Cc w '"''?k '"°'' « they do, will this be imagined ? Is not .h* » ^ anything more absurd than direction ? ^Sh?u d not"li''So7;S„^'«»';y '" the opposite people approve of this measure "tS*" have said-" The of it; ifyouhadaneW»f««.lf ' ^^^" representatives approve or othersZe them ;t vast°sum wTumT "T"* i*^ '•°'^'^' much valuable time would ^^1^.*. '^."«'«'sly expended ; revived ; don't, then lose » r„«° * ' P^L*"*" •»'"~'* might b<^ once"?' iChie^T' bT*m^^P"S'» ''"«"8h « curious part of the proposal of thi^hnn* ^J^^er, the most attitude he would have n. llr ■"' member for Peel is the We have aSy adopts ara3Si:.« addressing the Queen pass an Imperialist givLeffS^T^^^^^ Her Majesty to Quebec Conference anH thi § *°.*''* resolutions of the that we sSlTpi^a siond adHr"**"" ^"^ ^^^ »°^ «sks ImperialActshTbe sSf to iff P"*^'?^ »''»* ^^^ ^aid be law until it obtains fKL ^* !Ppr?val, and it shall not the one hundrU anTthirty Sumen' . "^ ''•«^»!«btine«,es in the House of Assemhlv^nf !L ^^° "^^ happen to sit (Hear, hear:) He wS have ^J* ""* Canadian P*2riiament. -V May it JleasI Your fey *''S^'^ J^'fuPr'' ?*yi"^ which has been adooted bv tfi. rv" . ' T* Constitution American province, 1 dec£S»™'"*"iJ' °^*''« "'^e British Constitution we wait for fiSuh^^"" *''** *^'' '» »»»• «w Majesty to give effert to if wTL^ America; we pray Your tntkt may pS an Acf enf„r!^? pray that the Imperial Pariia- these proviSw.lnd that &'"]5£'tv"*M,^«"»^^^^^ *>" «» at the same time we a.k Vn.^^ j;*^esty will assent to it. But condition, namely that thlT3*j'"*y *°,**" »h» on'V on one present one?bLt tU nL. r^a^^^^^^^^ Canada-not the shall have the oppo^Si? of^S?S^„'^.*^ ^ ''^'^- of the Imperial SSem «S "f W^^ *ork out of theVhamKThe fiml^y^f'^'eeti-WH"**^^^^^ *''!l great laughter ) The hnn WT-^wl " J"**ts. (Hear, hear, and tell him. thaUf he fancSS Thl^**/ .5^^"'.*'" ?«""*» "^eto approaching the SovereV.^ iJl '^°"''' *** * decorous mode of due from SUl LbS t?^'.Je fc '''*'?8^« «<»•* of the respect SSmS^f^rpS^iThtt^^^^^^^ i}'^ P'ol^^^'L .on: want of confidence in the Govemm^nT"? VH» t^is vote of would, if carried, be at JL?a dS KZT / i' » "?» »»»«. «» Government-h.' prof^'^LfS-aif lon^^^^ 393 1 ^Ei •1 ^B ^ ^ffi 1 M ,j 1 1 / 1 f APPENDIX V defeat In their ^anTVe tfltt^**- '''S *''" «^°«» °f theu you, notwithstandbg this JS? S h" f ^f^-" ^ don't want England-not at all! You?SJ^„~ "*** *'^"J «°'n8 to as quickly as possible. y1 'i^S to'eo'^S!:!!^ ^"^'^'^ ought to talk strongly to the ImnSia^rn "*"*'***'>'' y°" ought to tell them how They are to s^Ke tL h7"""*"* ' y°« how the reciprocity Question I«^ .1 ^'ir defence question, the people of Canad2^?» h«w ^'2 °"' Y°" ""st speak for to thrpEopIe onwfciunt^^'? Tt i/ffe^hT ^''^^ T" *^'/"«'« that we should go verv sSona »« p f °"; «^*'"*'«™an « 'dea strengthening us is hi SssnHJ.„ ?°«^'*",^' *°** >»« '^ay of censure the hour befoK'u* ??"."■■ ^2'"^? ^^'-^^ ^^^^ <»f to go home strong! S?hJn,M i? to'VK**c ^ "* '''^'^ "^ hand, and a defeat by the^ii';;«„*° *•** Sovereign in one (Hear, hear.) If he hoS '^E J.m?n'^?u'.'°J**r* '" »»>« o'^er. the Administration by h^snfSi^r*^^^ •"* '^ sustaining I for one do not thank h?m for ^. '°"' ^ *=*° ""'^ "X »hat If there were any doubt affut nubl?c ''fllSI^'*\u<"*"' *'««^-) propriety in goin^ to the ioSl ^ n. * •'*S'°8^' **'«•'« «n«ht be It? I am not^pS^St'fhe Hon ~^V''*''?"y^^^^^ constitutional groundi *^ iLnnt f!"*''"*" » resolution on people ; if I had any doubt Xtever !^"l*^ *?' "«''*» °^ *e verdict of the peopli, I "houM b!T» «^."! *''** *°"'d be the to go to the peSpir BHt it is ^mntv ?1*° "y/**' '^^ °"?ht there would be a sweeDiLverd^^^S »^"" ? »" ««»fied the measure that 1 73"! n JilS«.» *^* P^P * '" <^»^o"r of try. What would be the veXfSf fl^ *° **.^* '* *° ">« ~««»- from what has been the vo'rJ'i,dr*irnKl*.»"*yt*J"*^8*** are responsible to them. Never h!, [^P^sentatives here, who in this Parliament on any mItteJ of ^ '* '*^" »"*=^ » ^^'^''^ have had in favour of thfs^IL«,5 ?'*!? "??<>«»«<=« *» *• majority of thrw to on '^"S":"'*,;-'" ^^e iWr House a majorityasnearlyas possible of Vi! ♦ **' "°"" *'»° * six hon. membera w^were ate»*l**°"u^°^ °f *»»« Speaker and the five hon mlmS™^^"'" ** vote-the would have gone for itflnH^!?^ " who were absent-five beingdividef i%?r aid iSn^ W" '*-»"« «°"«^ 36, more than o2e-half of thei*^hT« .A"<*." "Rards those declared themselves in favour S thf-n"'*? "^ '''.•» "°"« *»<» opposed to some of ?he d«al l^ffu !;i' ^''''^^'P''' "><* O"'/ such a unanimous verc^ct'^S' anV^a^SeSt^n^i^'ou^JJ 394 APPENDIX V 130 constituendes have Sfnirii'^^'u*''*." 5° o"t of our one House or thifnVw a ?PP«*'ed to by elections for the candidal^l offered them«?^^^^^ Z !?„*Lr^?"' °' V^*^«' °"'y ^ur but two irot electa! o«5 I fu- ? °PPos"t'on to this policy, and vote in° K^^te^'eist;.'' THeaJ *& T ^'' ^""Sl'^ wC fe'f/S'!.*^*'*'" the Housimuch longir in replyin^to dtclSJnfTutrdoTor&e^^o^ & ttt" ''W'^^ ff if lr;iferi:?ote^£ tte^^^^^^^^^^^^^ diate action-if hS be^ V^^ "^'** "i!' ^""^ action-imme: measure »>** been made out with reference to this have W„ »«« J J^ .. * '*°"- gentleman will admit that we iSrrat^'^„7^;1i^ -r^al^dly^^^^^^ in theV^S; Zl always been preDaSi' to L .w '^J^P*"*^ ^P.^^^' ^'^ ^ have is a bettw one^EJJ^he Su * u P^^^t'^able. this measure I have always been willing tli).vch«,!i2u ^ ' ("«ar, hear.) to him that I was willing to ro«5! /u"***" ^'^^ P**»' «'d Canada with refcSnriS^., I "i'*^*'". *^* P^^'^'O" "^ Lower under the circumstan«s-Ld I sav H w^'SL'f ?.*=rP;°'"l" lover of his count,!* Tcheer^ f "*"f*i '°'' ^"'-* »'»« and to SI til K °* "P v^ *^* combmation formed to carry it 395 APPENDIX VI Namps of the Delegates who Registered at th. HALL, Toronto, on the 27TH June, 1867. Adtws, Joshua, solidtor, Samia. IB«itiv w « 1 ,. Agnew, J. N., M.D., Toronto R-^™ "v '•""be' merchant, Ar««»,«;:» i>i:.:_ x U'S"*"!?- Retonn candidate for Commons, -„ — , J. „., ™.i^., loronto. ArBWjron^. Philip J. P.. Tp. York. aL?^' -^ ■' ""*=•»"'• Glen Aikins, W T., M.D., Toronto. Itjf'iH-. barrister, Simco^. ATKeii, wm , merchant. Final. Aikins, David, Markham. ^ AHwon, Thomas, East Flamboio'. Armstrong, James, Belleville. ■Ago, A., Sufford. , iw,.- .- -, ^ ^ -™. «».u. Aiunson, William, newsdealer. fflSRokt^" '^7"'"'^""'^ Toronto. ~«"cr, wow, Kobt., Reform candidate *■■'■- * - n I? ■ "J?**"*' StreetsviUe. SJi;"^Gep.. merchant, King. Brown, Calvin, barrister, St^th- annes. Byd, John, merchant, Toronto. n.'*r'?iJS'"' ^^t Williams. Qsha "'^''^hant. Reeve of S' lK-3'/;f-.B<>-»»vil,e. WoTCtTS-'"'^-^-'- BeithlAl^VK.bro™"-' Bums, W. H., hwrister Tomnf„ ?!!""*"• /;/' P"*'*"*- Be«h Robt. H^d fix • Sr A* fel' Ja^' Linwood. Blain, David, barrister tS^" n "*' ^}^'^^> »ewart 396 APPENDIX VI Bruce, John, Thorah. Badgerow, Gea W., Markham. ^uigess, James, Durham. Burntt, E., Wolford. Boak, Charles. Book, Jacob, Cooksville. Blam, John, South Easthope. Bmkley, David, Dundas. Bain, Thos., North Wentworth. Benedict, Erastus, Paris. Belton, Wm., London. Burrow, G. F., Dundas. Binkley, Wm , V/entworth. Bnll, J. F., Gnelph. Becker, A. A , Brighton. Baldwin, Wm., Bowmanville. Baker, Joseph, Brock Township. Brown, R , Paris. *^ Bums, John, Manvers. BetU, Daniel, Whitby. Brown, W. C, Paris. Bowbeer, W. S., Trafalgar. Bntton,B. M., barrister, Kingston. BuUer, Jas. P., merchant, Toronto. Cockbum, A. P., timber merchant. Reform candidate for Local, N Victoria. Cw-ruthers, John, merchant, Re- form candidate for Commons, Frontenac. C'«'''?.. Adam, Q.C., Reform amdidate for Local, W. Toronto. Coterell, J p., farmer, Esquesing. Cowan, J. W., merchant, Oshawt Lummmgs, J. P., barrister, Bramo- ton. "^ Cox, W. G., editor Signa/, God- ench. Card, John L. , mill owner, Albion. Chisholm, Wm. , builder, Hamilton. L.nisholm,K.,merchant,Brampton. Carmichael, James, merchant, Oshawa. Chcate, Aaron, J. P., Tp. Hope. Campbell, Jas., merchant, Whitby. Chisholm, R., buUder, Hamilton. Curne, Hon. J. G., ex-M.L.C., St Catharmes. 397 Campbell, Malcolm, Reform candi- date for Local, W. Middlesex. Christie, Hon. D., Senator, Biant- ford. Cruikshank, Jas., cabinet maker, Weston. C ark, Nathan, farmer, Caledon. Clement, J. D., Reform candidate for Commons, North Biant Cameron, Alex., berrfster, To- ronto. Clrniie, W. R,, editor Slatesman, Bowmanville. Clwke, W. F., editor Canada Farmer, Toronta Cameron, John, editor Daily Ad- vertiser, London. Christie, Robt, Reform candiAiie for Local, West Flamboro'. Campbell, R. S., Tp. Pickering. Cryderman, Wm., Darlington. Cann Thos., T.P., Darlington. Creighton, John, J.P., Tp. Ham- ilton. Cascaden, James, T.P., Orona Collins, Joseph W., J. P., New- market. Chittenden, George, Brantford. Carting, Edward, Middlesex. Corran, Isaac. Corr^, C. S., London. Clarke, W. Q., Toronto. Coldeugh, Geo., Mount Forest. Cushman, Jacob, Gainsboro'. Cummer, John, Waterdown. Calder, James, Hamilton. Qarke, John, M.D., GwiUims- bury. Clarke, Charles, Hamilton. Cdquhoun, F., North Waterioo. Campbell, James B., Reach. Crow, Jacob, Pelham. Craig, James, North Dorchester. Callaway, Joshua, Stanley. Cood, Richard, Enfielo. Cowan, Joae|ri>, London. Creen, James, luut Easthope. Campbell, John, BlaachartC APPENDIX VI Dickson, Andrew, late sheriff, mill | Fraser. C F t»r«.»-, i> t _ owner, Pklcenham. T ^flli^j.:. ,:'_ P*^'*!' Refo™ Dayfoot, P. W., mel-chant, Ham ilton. Dewar, John, jr., barrister, Mil- ton. Drmnmond, J. W., lumber mer- chant, Toronta De Cosmos, Hon. A., Mem. Lea. Council, British Columbia. Dawson, John, grocer, Toronta Dalgluh, Kobt., merchant. Reform nndidate for Commons, South Grey. Dean, Chas., merchant, Aurora. D^las, John, han^ess maker, Woodstock. ^^.?"*?:. ^- «*'''°' CkroMicU, Belleville. Dawson, Geo., J.P., Malton. Dryden, John, BrookUn. Dunlop, James, Plympton. Davidson, Alex., Guel^. Dawson, George, Brampton. Davu, A, St. Quharines. DavisyJ.G., Hamilton. Dobbin, John, Grafton. Dickey, Heron, Clarke. Dobson, James, J. P., merchant, Yorkville. ?*!P^ J'..P' *»™'e'. Toronto. £:f . ' ^'"- J-^- Unionville. Elmsley, R Clover Hill, Toronto. Erb, John L., Waterloo. EHiott, Henry^ J. R, Hampton. g,«^".J«*nD., Warwfck. tlUott, John, Scarhoro'. Echardt, Thomas P., Markham. tMterbrooke, Thos., Wellington Square. Echaidt, Salen, Brighton. Edwards, Henry, Loho. Eddy, C, Brantford. Ellis, G. S., Mitchell. Echardt. Tames, Markham. Ecclea, Wm., hwrrister, St. Cath- akMBkAa t>_f at a A — I Fraser, C. F., barrister. Reform candidate for Local, Brockville. Freel, J. G.,M.D., Markham. Fleming, Jasj, barrister, Brampton. FareweTl, J. E., barrister, Oshawa. Finlajwm, Hugh, harness maker. Pftris. • Fysh, Hewitt, wlioleaale confec- tioner, London. Field, John C , merchant, Cobouig. Eraser, Robert, barrister, Toronto. "S*/* J®*"' ^•^■» ex-M.P.P., Reform candidate for Commons, Monck. Fummeriielt, Wm., tanner, Mark- ham. Ford, Wm. N., conveyancer, St Maiys. Fraser, John, Reform candidate for Local, Frontenac. Farewell. AbraJiam, J. P. , Od«wa. * isher, A , bank manager.Tonmto. !• lemmg, John, merchant. Gait. Victona College, Toronta f«W*n«.Wm.,J.P..NewcasUe. Fullarton, Adam, J. P., Brougham. Foreman, Tho^ 6. T.P.rPrince Albert Forsler, Wm., I.P., Brampton. Fraser, Wm., County Bruce. Flanagan, C, Paris. Firfier, John, Plympton. FiekU, Reuben, Preacott. Fleming, Alfred, Gait Fraser, John, Brighton. Farley, Irwin, Ninonri West. Farren, A«er, Newcastle, f"^ J- M , Yorkville. ^awke, Thomas, Bowmanville. Fweater, Andrew, St. Mary's. Poley, George F., Thorold. Grayson, J. W., editor EvtHtHg Tiitus, Hamilton. ^'!^' <5««. Major, fieachville. .Gardner, Thoa., c ' ' ' chant, Toronta 39« _,' • ,r"' —"••"«•« 1^1. \.4iin- 1 Grew. G Jrin^j^form candWate for Lo- 1 G«lj^, Tl».rrci,S5ii« '^e, APPENDIX VI Gorham, Nelson, woollen mills. Newmarket. Gige, Peter, J. P., East Flamboro'. Gould, Joseph, J.P., ex-M.P.P., Gould, Joseph E., mill owner, Uxbndge. Greeley, A., editor Times, Picton. Gumett, J. S., editor Chronicle, Ineersoll. Gardhouse John, merchant, Bolton. Uibson, Jos., merchant, Yorkville. Oram, Wm., merchant. Bowman- ville. Goslin, John, St. Catharines. Giuham, Jos., farmer, Toronto Gore. Green, Wnj.. fimner, Colbome. Gemmell, J. R., editor Observer, Samia. Gardiner^obt., LP., Britannia. GibKjn, David, VWk Township. Grey, Alex., Waterloo. Gibson, Alex. Gordon, Adam, Reach. G«km,Wm., Markham. Grislaw, Donald, Bruce. Greely, Horace, Hoik's Hollow. Ghent, David, Nelson. Gamble, A. W., Moore. GnAam, Alex., London. Griffith, James, Brantford. Grant, R., Toronto. Gould,!. H., Blanchard. Grubb, Wm. , Etobicoke. Gumer, Jowph, Pelham. Hutcheson, Alex., miller, St. Cathannea. "tJS-J^ » • ^'^- BSJC: 5S!2^' Toronta Hunter. James J., M.D., Reeve, Newmarket. iW^4.i^- ^'' '*'rister, Brantibrd. ilall, Thos., merchant, Paris. Hewitt, Wm., merchant, Toronto. Hardy, H. A., barrister, Bnuitfbrd. Hubertus, H. I., newspaper cor- »wp«KJ«>t, OtUwa. Ha ley, Wm., merchant, Toronto. Holmes, C. D., alderman, London. Hubertus, H. S., refiner, Toronto. ""*'^.' .«• W., farmer. East Gwillimbuiy. Harrison, Emanuel, Chinguacousy. Heggie, David, M.D., Brampton. Haggart, J., iron founder, Bramp- ton. "^ Hill, A. G., barrister, Wclland. Hogg. Wm., miller, York Tp. Henderson, Wm., merchant, To- ronto. Howland, Hon. W. P., M.P.P., Toronto. Holman, Joseph, Tp. Whitby. Henderson, John, J.P., Tp. Ham- ilton. Haines, Geo., T.P., Pres. Reform AssociatJon, flowmanville. Holliday, Daniel, J. P., Brooklin. Heron, Wm., J.P., Ashburn. Hutlon, Jas. p., J.p., Brampton. Hinman Smith, J. P., CramahV. Hoaue, D., Moore. Hannon, JoseiA, Glanford. Hughes, J. W., Moore. Harcourt, George, Kingston. Hannon, D. M. Henderson, Dr. D. Harris, J. Hall, Ifenry, Vanbark. Hall. J. C. Peterboro'. Hughes Samuel W., Moore. Hunt, H., Malverton. Hershey, Edwin, Bertie. Hostetter, H., Brantford. {lossie, David, Brantford. Hoke, Geo., East Gwillinubury. 199 Henderson, W., Beverly7 Hernman, W. L., Clark Tp. Hastings, W., Hamburg. Home, Geonw, Brock Township. Harris, C, Hope, jfaight, H.,Scarboro\ Hurrenne, Hamilton. HalJ,J.,P»iris. Hall,kS., Eaquesing. APPENDIX VI Holden, James, Whitby. Huicv, Dr., PeUuun. Hawlwood, James, Howiclc HodginsiThos., barrister, Toronto. Irving, Emilias, Q.C., barrister, Hamilton. Irvine, Wm., builder, Kingston. Irwin, E, G , merchant, New- market Idington, John, barrister, Strat- ford. Irvine, Joseph, Loba Johnston, Wm., Toronto Tp. Jackson, E., editor Era, New- market * , dmson, W. S., editor, Toronto, /ones, Mathew, J. P., Darlington. , ardin, Robert, Plymptcm. , ohnston, Edward, Acton. , ohnston, Robert, Oiatham. , ennett, R., Malverton. eftey, Wm. D., Gainsboro'. , affray, R., Milton. ackson, S. A., North Dorchester. Kennedy, W. (John Maodonakl & Co.), Tonmta Kennedy, A. S., bootmaker, Co- bouig. Kenneav, Ju., town clerk, Hol- land Landing. Kennedy, Alex., lumber merchant, Atheriey. Kennedy, Taoob, Boaanquet Kennedy, Jacob, Gainsboro*. Kennedy, A., Boaanquet. Kikour, Robert, manniacturer, Mount Forest. Kempson, P. T., M.D., Reeve, Fort Erie. Kempt, C B., Bri|ri)ton. King, Charles, Cheltenham. King, Thomas, Cookstown. Kerr, John, Stamford. Kerr, Alex., Westminster. Ktrr, W., barrister, Coboun;. Keller, Haary, Stamford. Kempsey, C. B., Brighton. Kay, Jas., carriage maker, Gait Lnndv, J. R, M.D., Beverly. Lawne, Robt. (of R. &. J. Lawrie), St Catharines. Laurie, Jas.. J. P., Scarboro*. Lawson, W., merchant, Hamilton. Lawaon, Edw. (of Lawson Bros.), Hamilton. Lillie, John, merchant, Wallace- burg. Lillie, John, Chatham Tok Lyons, Wm. , merchant, Simcoe. L«slie, Geo. , nurseryman, Toronto. Leys, John, barrister, Toronto. Leys, George, merchant tailor, Samia. Leys, Alex., merchant, Samia. Lauder, A. W„ barrister, Toronto. Lockard, Wm., King. Lyman, Chas., Eaquesing. Lmdsay, James, Esquesing, Lastall, D. L., Hamilton. Lockart, Allan, Orono. Law, N., Markham. Little, Robert, BowmanvUle. Moore, Hugh, merchant, Dundas. Moore, Wm., J. P., merchant. King. Moore, D., merchant, St Ouh- arines. Moore, Nelson W., St Tlramaa. Moore, Allen, Brampton. Mathews, W. D., produce mer- chant, Toronto. Martin, C, M.D., Lindsay. Magttire, John, Manvers. Mundy, £., editor Shtmua^, Port Perry. Mowat, Wm., J. P., bodueller, Stratford. Magill, Oiaa., merchant, Ham- ilton. Maughan, N. , Ctrmer, Eglinton. Murray, Geo., barrister, Toronto. Makolm, Wm., brass founder, Hamilton. 400 APPENDIX VI MimiD. Heniy, M.P.P., West Durham. Mnnro, Joba, Toronto. Mannii^, Alex., aldemuui, To- ronta ModeUnd, Jodiua, hmei. Chin- guacott^. M^calfc, Jm., Reform candidate for Commons, East York. Maitland. Robert, land agent. Toronta M'"«ft Hugh, druggist, Toronto. Mendell, Geo., fiimer, Gudph. Mwrftt, Isaac B., Tp. Oakland, Brant Mover, P. E. W., editor CArvmieU, Waterioo. Mkhael. W. D., merchant, Osh- awa. Mlddleton, John, J. P., dark. MaUory, C. R., J. P., Tp. Haldi- mand. MitcheU, Alex., J. P., Oiange- ville. Munsle, Wm., J.P., Nobletoo, King. Morden, M., Brighton. Murdoch. Wm., Adelaide. w'H?^"l'.P«**-JLSo«th Easthope. MuUin, Wm., South Dumfries. Molinn, B., Kingston. Mnrfock, W. M., London. Mathews, Robert, Brantford. Mowrie, Tames, Caledonia. Moston, M., Brifliton. MetctUa, James, Brock Tp. Mojrit, Mr., Brantford. Mitchell, James, HahUmand. Mahon, J. J., Toronta Madiensie, Alex., M.P.P., Samta. McKelhr, Arch., M.P.P., Chat- ham. MMdottgall. Hon. Wm., M.P.P., Toronta McMurrich, Hon. John, Reform candidate for Ixxal, N. York. McLeod, Jdin, Reform eandklate tor Local, West Durham. t6 McDougall. Colin. Reform candi- date for Commons, West E^n. McColl, S., Reform ouididate for Local, West Elgin. MoGiU, Wm., mTd., Reform can- didate for Local, S. Ontaria Macdonald, John, M.P.P., mer- chant, Toronto. McLean, John (late Hudson's Bay Ca's Servfce), Elora. McMurrich, W. B., barrister, To- ronto. MaodonaM. Jas., builder, Tonmta McMullen, James, J. P., YorkviUe. McLennan. Jotvt, merchant, Lind- say. McLay, Murdo, Warwick. McMaster, Wm., merchant, New- market tfcCrossen, Thos., merchant, To- ronta Mclnnes, George, manufocturer. Fergus. Macpheraon, MaUxilm. J. P., mill owner, Klncaidine. Mackenaie, Kenneth, Q.C., bar- rister, Totonta McLean, Thos., merchant. Brant- fold. McMahon, Tames, M.D., Dundaa. McMillan, A. G., barrister, Eton. McBride, Saml., aMerman, Loa- aoa. McKeown, John, barrister, Ham- ilton. MeCrw, Hon. W., Senator, C»«*t. ham. M^ou|all, J., iron founder, St Maiy s. McLaran, Alex., township ooun- eOfor, Caledon. McLean. John, newspaper cor- nspondent, Hamilton. McNaughton, Thos., editor Sum, Cobouig. ton. John, j. P., barling- Mciiiitall, John, J. P., Waterkw. 4«i APPENDIX VI ! McGregor, John, J. P., Sligo. McVicar, George, Brampton. McCall, Thomas, Cowell. McAlpine, Alex., Eu^emia. McLean, D. C, Brock. MacKay, A. G., Toronto. McGuire, James, London. McArth, Malcolm, Dundas. McArden, John, London. McAllany,'Wm., Homberton. McCrindle, James, Huron. Mclntyre, Alex., Gueli^. McLachlan, Alex. McFayden, Chas., Owen Sound. McCiuloch, J., Hamilton. McCosh, Alex., Huron. McKinnon, A., Bosanquet. McLean, Robert, Gait McLennan, Arch., Brantford. McPherson, Alex., Dundas. McMurray, J., Wentworth. McLeod, D. W., Darlington McLaws, David, Dunwicn. McQueen, Jas., Beverly Tp. Mcniail, A., Milton. McConnell, Arch , Chinguacousy. McCrannev, Wm., Trafalgar Tp. McDougall, John, Bowmanville. Mclntyre, John, Crowland. McBcan, A., IngersoU. McDougall, Jos., St. Mary's. Norris, Capt. (of Nonris & Neelon, millers), St Catharines. Nixon, Tbos., produce merchant, Toronto. Noble, John, Parkhill. NichoUs, Robert, Branpton. NUley, M., E^n. Niles, W. H., North Dorchester. Nelson, A., Eaquesing. Osborne, J. B., merchant, Beams> ville. Osborne, Wm., produce merchant, Gait. Oliver, Adam, Reform candidate for Local, South Oxford. O'Hanley, J. L. P., Reform candi- date for Local, RusselL Olmstead, M. J., Saltfleet Cyien, W. W., M.D., Toronta O^nnor, P., mill owner, Paris. O'Hara, Henry, insurance agent, Bowmanville. O'Loane, R. J., postmaster, Strat- ford. Patrick, W., late M.P.P. forGren- ville. Purvis, Jas., fturmer, Scarboro*. Powell, E. W„ M.D., Coboorg. Powell, W. G., editor S/ar, Paris. Pcrker, Henry, merchant, Wood- stock. Pattullo, Alex., M.D., Brampton. Power, Edw. G. , T. P. , Darlii^ord. Pane, John, Adeuide. Pane, Mr., London. Pollock, Joshua, Brampton. PaUiser, Robert, Owen Sound. Playter, Thomas, Port Perry. Painfaam, James, Granby. Playter, George, Newmarket Phelps, R. R., Malverton. PeUett, W.. Haldimand. Pettitt, John B., Brampton. Robinson, Chas., J. P., Beaverton. Robinson, C. Blackett, editor Put, Lindsay. Robinson, Robt., merchant, To- ronto. Robson, Geo., Robson House, Whitby. Rymal, Joseph, M.P.P., South Wentworth. Rock, Warren, barrister, London. Redfield, Tames, J. P., Stratford. Richmona, S., J. P., Bririiton. Ratcliffe. John, J. P., Columbus. Rae, Root., Warden of Lambton, Bosanquet. Rawling, AlUn, Bosanquet Rankin, David, Georgina. Ross, C. W., Strathr^. Roy, Wm., Darlington. 409 APPENDIX VI Ross, John, alderman, London. candidate for Local, N. Leeds. Sindaur, Donald, Reform candi- c ^u A°'i°**'' N*"**" Brace. SMmlh, Robt, Reform candidate for Local, Peel. Smith, John, Sec Reform Associa- tion, Hamilton. Smith, Tohn, Reform candidate for Local, Kent i^!!i!' Pt^' merchant, Milton. Smith, John (of Smith & Arthurs, f ""*• J. H., Flamboro'. Smith, Russell, Brantfonl. Smith, W. H., Brighton. Simpwn, C. P., barrister, St. Catharines. IS!SlI!'^'-^f*?"*"*'TorDnta I^I^f ^'""«'' i«™er, Toronto. Snarr, John, builder, Toronto. «»!!!?"t' ^**-' *««We'. Toronto. Sj°«' J«.. merchant, Toronto. SouiIh merchant, Owen ^ aSS"' °**"*' "^"^ ***"'• Smarter, John A., J. P., Stouff. Stewart, C. E., Expttittr, Brant- lord. Severn, J««non, Mark, tobacco manu&c- tnrerjj'oronto. SneU, Jdyj, J. P., Edmonton. I iP°''"'wf- "•' Ancaster. ^w, Heniy, Toronto. I acott, John, stone cutter. Gait, bimpson, Wm., Durham. I!*2J'^' S"**"' f'e'Kus- Sufford, D., Picton. acott, John A., Stratford. Sutherland, John, Gait. ap«rs, Adam, Brampton. Snider, N., York. Seaton, Donald, Lobo. Snider, John B., Hamilton. Shaw, John M., Hamilton, bherrard, Aaron, Uxbridge. Stevenson, W., AlnwickT Stock, W., Newcastle. Scott, Warren, Murray. Somerville, Jm., w. \* anosh. Stewart, Peter, North hope. Stauffer, J., Waterloo ^ Sharpe,Thos.,J.P., Chingnacousy. ^'Ife^'^' R-. editor Re. jormer, aimcoe. Taylor, Emer.,>.P., Toronto Tp. Taylor, Richanf; Eloia. ^ i«ytor, John, paper manuActurer. Toronto. ' t!^!*"' P'SV' P?*"'"' Samia. Taylor, G. W., Stamforf. Tennant, Gea, Reform candidate for Local, South Leeds. Thomson, W. A., Reform candidate for Commons, Niagam. Hssad"^^^-^-^- ^ Thonuon, J. H., Reform candidate for Commons, North Ontario. Thomas, S. M, merchant, Brooklin. irow, W Reform candidate for Local, South Perth. Pfj;"' H*'".i^- Montreal. Twly, J. R, Uxbridge. Thompson, R., Mitchell. I"^ Mr., West Flamboro'. 403 imbtne, R, Yarmouth. Tufcrd, John, Brmritford. Terry, Jdm, East Grant^. Urquhart, D., Scott. UiquhMt, Dr. S. F., Taonta APPENDIX VI Vcmer.J««.R..New».ricet. wiSSlir&yS^ir'^ WaiW T M., Reform cMoikktt ^SdS; p Ti^P"'"'*"^ for Load, Hwailton. ^^^ uSST't* ^'S:*' ^°«»>»°- Wnjht, AiiK», M.P.P., E. York. W^^^'^u^f?°^°^"' Wyffe, p«vid, editor JR^iSr W^^^JT* ^' *'**^*««'- Korlrniu KKOTOtT, Wvmj, John, StamfiMd. ^^"•^"'jMeph.Niuonri. feiin, London. wiiSIl^-'?***' Niuottri. wockville. «»r.*?" Sound. ' »«„ri — » .r--*t«» ««« Whitehcd, Wm., I.P B«m«. w*""**' J"»e». Chrii ^ ton. ^' J*^- "*"P- ^"«n. P., HamUton. "isr- *"-• '-*«'■ To- wsstfe^^ Wm^ Wm., agent, Oakvflle. ^rif*{^°^ 1^' **"»• I*B. Coon- Waagh, Chri^pher Tn. T^ v "'• '^™** Edward IiSmL I roniy, N., Trenton. 404 APPENDIX VII whi hal. J"! *^ '• *~°'P'«»* "«of »h« "Founders of Cwada " W^L % ? "? '° **" ^'" J^'y- '902. with thedates of"eir bmh, and death., a. far a. a«:ertainable, a, prepared by Geoiife Johnwn. F.S.S., of the StatSsticaTBureau. Otui^: H^" li wi^i^'^S*.' ^«**«' 'w^" »795 ; died July wth ifKe "°"^; S«r ''^' ^*^ »»"• AP"' »3th. i8as ; died April "°"Nj;e^beJtr&8'*" """""**="• '»'" <^»°»*'. 'S'S^ *ed "°"diS£?&S;SjS"'«^'Q-^bon. September 6th. .814; """b^JIier'XTsrr* ^"""''^''' •»" ^'•^ *^»'. '«'4; died ""'aSSS.ST'.V'^ ^'^ '"«^ <»>^«'' "«« Kiven); died "°"a^;-/8^ J- ^'^-"''' ^°- Scoti.. bom .809 ; died J«u.ry """diSoJio^^X ^"^ ''^' '"'" '^•y ^' '«»s; Hon. E^B. O-ndler. New Bninswick. bom 1800; died Februiuy 6ih. "°%Sr^"~'^' '^'*^"' "^ ''°^"»»-' »9th. 1818; died M.y "°"be*;'SSr.8to:"' ""•* ^""»'*'* <««»» "o' P-) .• ^ ~°- ««>•*•. bom December ^h. jiS'cSria/"^ <^- "•>' ^- «""»wick. bo™ .8.7; died died November jid, 1889. 405 APPENDIX VII R^htHon. SirJohnMacdonald GCR rw,*- • u , „ i8iS ; died June 6tKtSi " ^°' '*™ J""»V "*. Hon. Sir Alexander Camobdl K r M r r^. • . May a4th, 1892. '^ * ^^^^.G., Ontarn.. bom 1821 ; died C.B., New Brunswick, bom Hon ^ 't**"^ September nth, 189c. y-«p^rs?>-^)£i'ii^:iS ■™... -n- 4»» H- y nth, [; died f i8th, ; died , born ; died bom