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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc. peuvent §tre filmds d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour §tre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de I'argle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut er bas. en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants lllustrent Iq mdthode. D 22X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 /o Pacific Railway Question / ITS HISTORY .,*^^ A SECRET PAGE. , WHAT THIRTY -SIX WITNESSES PROVED, WHAT SIR HUGH BOUGHT, ]5V A MEMBER OF OSGOOPE HALL. PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS. >r^. TORONTO: PRINTED BY LUMSDEN & Co.. 39 MELIXDA STREET. PACIFIC RAILWAY QUESTION. Gbntle Reader,— I would ask you to auspend your judgment on this question tm you shall have examined the evidence. If to get at the truth on every subject which we investigate be not our object, we do ourselves, mentally and morally a great wrong. The people of Canada have no interest in having one man or class 'of men at the head of the Government of the country. To them A is the same as B. Their chief interest is in a wise administration of its affairs, which means the appli- cation of the accepted principles of a sound policy. The present actors will soon strut their little round and pass off the scene ; but Canada, glorious Canada, will re- main. Influenced, no doubt, we all are by personal friendships and political associa- tions, but these should be made second to the great object which every patriot has— the good of his country. He that is first in his own cause septneth just, bvit his neighbour Cometh and »eftr.heth him — Frov. IS. 17. On the second of April Mr, Lucius Seth Huntington, in his place in the House of Commons, moved for a Com- mittee of seven members to inquire into certain grave charges which he then made against the Ministry of Sir John Mac- DONALD in reference to the Pacific Rail- way contract ; this motion being con- sidered one of want of confidence was voted down by the ministerialists by a majority of twenty-five. The next day Sir John gave notice that he would move for a Committee of five members to in- quire into Mr. Huntington's charges ; this motion was carried on the eighth April by a majority of thirty-three. A bill, first suggested by the Opposition, to empower the Committee to take evidence on oath, was passed against the warning of Sir John Macdonald, who said : " Thfire was very great danger that if "they passed a bill of this nature it "would be disallowed in England as '* beyond our jurisdiction," but he offer- ed, at the same time, *' to issue a Royal " Commission addressed to the gentle- "men forming the Committee, which " would confer upon them all the " powers given to the Committee by the "House of Commona, including the •' examination of witnesses under oath," —that is, the Commission would have all the powers of a Committee of the House, with the additional power of taking evi- dence on oath. This Committee met on the fifth of May and adjourned to the first week iu July in consequence of the absence in Europe of Sir George Cab- tier, Sir Hugh Allan, and Mr. Abbott, the chief amongst the accused. On the meeting of the Committee on the second of July in Montreal, the Chairman read a letter from the Minister of Justice noti- fying him of what the Committee knew be- fore, that the Oaths Bill had been disallow- ed by ihe Imperial authorities. Sir John repeated the offer he had made on the floor of the House, to advise the Gover- nor-General to issue a Royal Commission to the five gentlemen forming the Com- mittee, but Messrs. Dorion and Blake declined this offer, as the London Times (15 Aug. 1873) says: "First, on the "plausible ground that it would be pro- " per tb wait till the House of Commons " met again, and secondly, on a ground "which can only be characterised as ab- " stird, that as Royal Commissioners "their decisions and proceedings would " be subject to the supervision and con- " trol of the Executive." And this with Sir John's offer before them that the CoBjojissioD should ia a''l respects be the •ame as the Committee, with the power t >take evidence on oath superadded. At tbi« meeting M. Douion moved that Sir Francis Hincks be examined, but Mr. Jamm Macdonald, after askiog to have their instructions read which were, "that " the witimses be examined on oath " moved in amendment that as the Oaths Bill has been disallowed "and this Com- "mittee was instructed to examine I' ttitosjaes under oath, ' Besolved, that " thfty cannot be examined until further " instructed by the House-as witnesses "cannot be examined before the Com- " mittee without being sworn,' " and on this the London Times (15 Aug.) says : "AnyEngliBh lawyer will say that as ''they [the Committee] could not do " this [examine undef oath] they could " do nothing. " We may with great pro- priety quote English opinion on ques- tions touching Parliamentary prac- tice, for in Parliamentary govern- ment Ihey, the English, are the teachers, the loaders of all nations, however ashamed we may be of their ignorance of our geography, our history, and other local matters. The Committee adjourned on motion of M. Blanohet untill3th of August to meet in Ottawa. On meeting atOttawa on the 13th August, | Mr. Blake moved the adjourn- inent of the Committee till the 14th, and in the absence of M. Dobion the moiion was carried, in opposi- tioa to M. Blatschet's motion to report to the House. But the House was prorogued on the 13th in accordance with the general un- derstanding of both Parties and Sir John Macdo.n-ald's anaouDcement at its ad- journment ia May. The Governor- General la bis aoswec on that day (the 13th) to the memorial praying him "not to p'orogue Pa tliament"— replied that « were it possible at the preseot lime I' to make a call of the House, my per- ''^ Bonal embarassment would disappear, . but this is a phyaicalimfiosaibility." On the 13ih of Ausiust, a memorial, signed by ninoty-one members >aa Hou8 th»t the Royal CommiMion .mS ?r h""""" •""•P^ble. of ox.mia.nJ lt«r 'i I i^?". '"'•* *P'"'»' ''""t "y better atop could be taken than^o appoint ft." Lard DuFFKRiN's answer to the mem- onal muat, wo thinic, satisfy every uu- I.rejudioed mind, that he could not have taken any other course than prorogue the House. We may refer briefly to another point 'ir;^d ,u the memorial, and it would •eein from the language urged with "iten«e feeliug. that his Excellency would not remove the inquiry from the House "t Commons, fc«- it "would create," so »ay the memoriulists, " the most intense ' dissatisfaction," referring, of course to the reported intention of his Excel- I'-'ncy to appoint a R ,yal Commission. ToDuvol. 2, p.p. 346-8 of his Par- Immentary fJocernment says : ."Prdlioiinary inquiries by a Royal Com- n..«*,on are o, .uescmable service to the working of Parliamentary Oovernmnnt Z. »idm afl..rd,„g peculiar facJitie. for :r y facts t,ey f ently bri;'g tamed m no other way, and the report of an able and unpartial commission is often of thS highest value in the instruction and enheht- e«m.„to the public As the means for the impartial investigation of e,*^ riajH o^qfcestions upon which the crown Z ParUam^,.t may mM to be informed Z a.urse may appropiately be had to R^yal (JommissioDs "« w xvoyai V, \t ^^^*^ Commission may b* apDointed by the Crown, either at its own disTet^on miJv wiinr f '^P'-«-«»tive or in cS'- mity with the directions of an Act of Parli* ment. or in compliance with the .Ivl" "i one or both of the Houses of Parliament ' ' h!v« h? *"'* understood, commisions have became a reoognised part of oar kov aSt«?lrr''T'"y' '^^ '' » now rfeTy sdinitted that when confined to matters of egitiinate mquiry they serve the mosTuM ful and beneficial purpose." '"o"' um- The Canadian Aot» 31 Vic, c. 38, also gives the authority to the GJovernor-in- Council to appoint Royal Commissions, and i>resciibes their powers to enforce the at- tendance of witnesses. This Act was first passed m 1846, and re-enacted in 1868 and extended to the whole Dominion. ' Royal Commissions are not so nnfre- quentand exceptional resorts as many would have us believe. " They ar« now " l«.ysToni>,(v-ol.2,p. 348), " an ackno;. ledged part of the governmeiital machi- nery of the English House of Common.. ^ In the fiscal years (1867-8) no less than ^^ twenty- three temporary Commissions of inquiry were sitting at one time." ^^ The memorialists say :_" That the ^ honour of the country imperatively re- • quires that no further delay should ''take place in the investigation of charges of so grave a character, which 'I It IS the duty and undoubted right and I "privilege of the Commons to prosecute." In this awkwardly constructed sentence It IS manifest that «• delay " is not the question uppermost in the minds of the writers, but the fear that the subject would be removed from the Commons I And be thus no longer the subject of fiery declamation. The mixing up in the same Bentence, of the "duty, rights and " privileges of the Commons," with " de- '• lay " in the inquiry, in this and the following paragraphs, suggests not the fear of "delay," but the fear of speedy inquiry by the appointment of a Commission which could force the at- tendance of witnesses, examine them under the sanction of an oath, end the clamour, and substitute evidence for in- definite charges, or show the baselessness of those charges. For surely the memo- rialists must have known that the Com- mons could not examine witnesses at its bar under oath, nor empower a Commit- tee to do it. To proceed at all, the House must first rescind its resolution that the evidence be taken under oath, or submit to great and indefinite " delays," as will be evident from the briefest considera- tion. All the possible alternatives in the choice of the Common.^ ar~ ■ •■ .. 1. The House could have examined the witnesses at its bar ; 2. Another Committee could have been appointed ; , ., ! 3. The House might have petitioned th^ Imperial Ooventment to give the power to examine witnestes on oath ; 4, The House might have addressed the Governor-General, asking the iesuing of a Royal Commisaiou to take the evi- dence on oath and submit it to the House. In adopting either the first or second alternatives, the evidence could not be taken on oath. In either case the House must first have been called, and it could not have sat for some two months after the] 3th of August, at which time the report of the Royal Commission was fin- ished. To have taken either of these pro- ceedings, would, therefore, have been a waste of time. But eve'i if the House had decided to disregard its order to take the evidence on oath, and had proceeded to examine witnesses of damaged charac- ter without the sanction of an oath, the investigation would have consumed many months, at an enormous expense, accom- panied with excited discussions, long pro- tracted, having reference to Party issues, rather than to the eliciting of the truth. The Royal Commission has taken the evi- dence on oath, at the shortest possible time, still leaving the House free to act upon— to receive or reject— the report ; if that report be not received, the House can adopt either the third or fourth r' r-r- natives named above. 3. If it should petition the Imperial Parliament to give the power to take evi- dence on oath, the question could not come up for final action for another year. The Imperial Parliament does not sit till February next. We might receive their Act within three months after, in May, 1874. The evidence must then be taken, say before a committee such as that named on the 8th of April last. As the session usually ends in June, the House must adjourn as before to give the Committee time to complete its labours, and it could scarcely be called together again before September or October of 1874. Wb think we do not misjudge the tem per of either the Commons or the coun I try in the statement that neither would j consent to such delay, and that if nnfor- tunately the House should do it, the country would not support them in such a policy. Great interests are at stake, the greatest which have over aflfect- od the country. The postponement of the Pacific Railway alone, through the charges hanging over the Gov- ornmout,aud that by the fault of a factious Opposition, has been a loss almost incal- culable to the Dominion ; and the country is in no mood to consent to longer delays. In this we agree with the memorialists. The evidence of Mr. Abbott is explicit upon what was known before, that the failure to enlist English capitalists in the scheme was owing entirely to these chftrges, and to the persistent and insen- sate manner in which they were made and circulated before the evidence was taken, producing the conviction that at any cost tliese factionists would prevent the pre- sent Ministry from having the credit of j constructing this great work, and thus se- curing the consolidation of the Dominion. The credit of Canada is high, if not the best, in the English market ; that credit is pledged to give a bonus of $30,000,000, the.chief part of which the Imperial Par- liament guarantees. 50,000,000 acres of some of the best land on the continent — an area one-third larger than England — is another part of the magnificent j^t to the company which may undertake the con- struction of the railway. These lands alone ought to more than cover the cost of the road. The Pacific Railway with $30,- 000,000 would be a gift to the Com- pany. Under such circumstances there was no reason, there could be none, for the failure of the scheme in England, but the violent, unpatriotic course of the Grit leaders ; for men of capital and the lovers of T>eftC6 snd ^'ocd Gov£^rT2*T^^*^f. Sfxull communities where such extreme views and violence in Party strife might at any time endanger the stability of the Gov- ernment. And we are much mistaken in the moderation, in the sense of justice, 8 c.f the peo;.lo of thi. country, if they do not mark w,th the stronKe.t diiapproba- tion the extreme, unjust and unpatriotic coursa which haa been taken in makinK the chargei, in causing the delay, in in- vestigating them, in publishing ex parte and false statements founded on stolen letters, and finally in refusing to appear before the Royal Commission. 4. The fourth alternative named ia an address by the Commons to the Gover- nor-Geneial praying him to issue a Com- mission to inquire into the charges. Yet such a Commission could do only what has already been done in a more speedy manner by just such a Commiasion as the House would get. Their reporc was ■finished before the Commons could have been summon- ed to petition the Crown. What other course then w«s there ao wise and patriotic, so just to the accused If they wore innocent, so just to the country in bringing them to justice, if they were guilty, as the appointment of a Royal Commission, "instructed," in the language of the Royal speech "to ^^ proceed with the inquiry with all dili- ' gence, and to transmit thqir report as •^ well to the Speakers of the Senate and jtfow«e of Commons as to myself?" WhUe these pages are passing through the press a despatch, dated Oct. 8, has been re- ceived fromLordKiMBKBXKY, (JolonialSec- retary, "fuljy approving your (Lord Duf- ^^ FKEiN 8) having acted in these matters m accordance with constitutional usages" -mthe prorogation of Parliament on Aug. IS^dappointmentofaRoyal Commission. We have stated that the House of Commons cannot take evidence on oath nor of course empower its Committees to do so. The Canadian House of Commons has the same rights and privileges which the Imperial House of Commons hrd in 1867, when the British Notth American Act (the Act confederating the Uatadian Provinces) was passed. We give the fol- lowing from the report of the Committee of the Imperial House of Commons, for 186!>, touching the examination of wit- ne«ies. on oath before the House, show- ing the powers claimed by the English Co-imons at that time (i860) and of course subsetjuently to the pawage in 1867 of the B. N. A. Act. A Select Committee of the British House of Commons, appointed to inquire and report whether any further provision should be made for the examination of witnesses on oath before the House of Commons, made their report on the 21st of June, 1869. Sir Thomah E. May, for many year« Clerk Assistant to the House of Common, and who has written largely on Parli*! mentary law, stated before the Committee that he "thought it quite incontestible, ^ that there are neither authorities nor •^ precedents to support any claim on the part of the House of Commons, by iU " own inherent right, to administer oaths " at the present time ; such a power can "only begiven by statute. "-P«ye I, Meport. Mr. Speaker Bodvkrie said, in iiis evi- dence :—«« My opinion concurs with the " opinion he (SirT. E. May) haa given " Viscount EvERSLKY, who had been Speaker for 18 years, from 1839 *o 1857, said, in his evidence before the Committee': *' I have seen the inconvenience of the "House of Commons not having that "power" [of examining witnesses on oathj. " The House was obliged to have " recourse to most irregular and, I be- I' lieve, iLLEGAi PRAOTioBS, to obtain the " examination of witnesses on oath by " appointing members, who were magis- I' trates of Middlesex, to swear witnesses. *| Where punishment would follow an in- '* qniry, that inquiry ought to be on •' oath. The committees of the House of "Lords do not examine upon oath in " cases where a witness is asked for his " opi7iion, but they examine upon oath " whnra if ia »<.<...__ i_ i • .„ „^.^,^^^^.^ ^y oring out a ''fact." Reports 1868-9. An Actuwas passed, 16th August, 1871, the first section of which enacts ihat— " The House of Commons may admin- ' d " liter an oath to witneiiseR examined at " the bar of the said House," and " any " Oommittee of the House of Commnna " may administer iiti oath to the witnesses " examined before auch Committee." — Vic. 34 5 0. 83. Tint negotiations between the Govern- ment and the various parties men- tioned in the evidence given before the Royal Commissioners are perhaps the best answers that could be given to Mr. Huntington's nharRes. Sir Fhanoi' noes further back than any other, and we give the first part of his evidence in his own words. 1. "The first person with whom I had 'any conversation en the subject was Mr. ' Cykille Graham, Commissioner of the ' Hudson's Hay Company, in 1870 and ' 1871. He told me he had been in com- ' muuioation with influential gentlemen in ' the United States, and he thought ar- ' rangements might bo made by which * groat economy could be produced in the ' construction of the Railway, that the ' Americans, he believed, would abandon 'the western part of their line and carry ' it througli Canadian territory, if the ' Canadians would abandon their eastern 'section and carry it through American ' territory [from Sault Ste. Marie to Red ' River]. In May, 1871, Sir John Rose ' sent me a copy of a letter he had sent to ' Sir John Macdonaid, in whicli he in- ' formed me that persons had spoken to ' him [in London] in very much the same ' terms oa Mr. Gkabam." Sir Fkancis' statements show that, from the first, the promoters of the America a Pacific Railway left nothing undone to get possession of the Canadian Pacific. They laid their plans with great skill; bringing their suggestions to the Canadian Govern- ment from every possible point, from England, and from the United States, and they pursued their purpose with a persistency which shows their appreciation of the great game they were playing. Some, who ought to have known better, fell into the trap, and those who thwarted the loheme deserve the thanks of th« country. 2. Earty in July, 1871, Mr. Smith and Mr. McMDt,i.R«T, of Chicago, with Messrs. Waooinoton and Kbrstk- MAN, and Mr. James Beaty, Jr., aa their Solicitor, came to Ottawa, and asked an interview with the Government. Sir John and Sir Fkancis were the only members of the Government in Ottawa at the time. Aa a matter of courtesy, they were received, but told dittinotly that it was not in the power of the Government to enter into any negotiations. They brought a doon- mout Biguud by seven or eight well- known capitalists in the United States. 3. Sir Fkanois Hi.ncks, la August, 1871, gave to Sir H uau Allan the names of the American capitalists mentioned above. The suggestion of Sir Haon's name had come from Mr. MoMuL- len or some one of his friends, " and," gays Sir Fbanois, " as I " had been the means of their open- " ing communication with him, I thought " it only fair tc give him the list of " names" [signed to the document just named]. Sir Hugh soon after saw Sir John while passing through Mon- treal, but told Sir Francis that he had a discouraging reply from Sir John. 4. In October (1871) Sir Hugh, with the gentlemen just named, went to Ot- tawa to make another proposal to the Government. At that time there were several members of the Government presen*'. The names of the American capitalists were again produced on their interview with the Ministry. Sir John asked Sir Hugh it he had a proposition to make. Sir. Hugh said, " if I make a pro- " position are you prepared to consider any " scheme proposed]" Sir John replied that they were not, that they must firstobtainthe authority of Parliament before they oould do it. " Then," said Sir Hugh, " I amnot "prepared to make any proposition," utd they left. Sir Fkancis says " that in his ubi> 10 • ' authoriMd conversations with Sir " Hugh, he was as reticent as possible ; " that he had no proposition to make on " behalf of the Government j thatin their *• unauthorized conversations he wpm not " expressing the sentiments of the Gov- "ernment." Sir Hugh knew, so Sir Francis states, that he was not opposed at that time to admitting the Americans, although he (SirH.) knew that some members of the Government were oppos- ed to it. From a knowledge of this, no doubt. Sir Hugh communicated more freely with Sir Fkancis. These conver- sations took place betoro any scheme was laid before Parliament, and were with a view to getting information. 5. The Government decided upon their linal scheme (tlxe obtaining authority to charter a new Company) without any communication with outside parties. As thesession of 1872 approached it was found that notice would be given for the chartering of more than one Company. The Government did not feel it desirable to oppose any of the charters, but resolved to carry their own bill, authorizing them to create a Company if it were found necessary. During the session it became evident that it was absolutely necessarv to exclude all Americans from the Com'- pany. It was then, says Sir Fbancis. perfectly understood by all members of the Government that aU Americans were to be excluded. The Parliament Bat until the 15th June (1872), and it was understood that nothing would be done about the railway tUl after the elec- tions. 6. The next action of the Government was in the months of September or Octo- ber (the elections ending- in August), when negotiations commenced to secure the amalgamation of the Canada Pacific (the Montreal) Company and the Inter- oceanic (the Toronto). The Toronto Com- pany would not consent to the amalgama- tion. The history of these negotiations is too well known to require lepetition here. 7. About the 15th of October a Minute of Council was prepared, giving a full ac- count of all the Government ha-i done in the matter to that date. It states that the Government had taken every possible means to prevent the Americans from coming into the scheme. It was hoped this would induce the Toronto Company to amalgamate, but it did not. Sir Hugh was now anxious that the charter should be given to the Montreal Company, but the Government determin- ed to adopt another course. 8. Finally the Government decided to incorporate a company of thirteen mem- bers, giving five to Ontario, four to Quebec, and one to each of the other Provinces.. The names were agreed upon without the concurrence of Sir Hugh ; in fact, he objected to several of them. Three were selected from tlie Toronto Com- pany, and only one from the Montreal. Mr. Hall, of Sherbrooke, was taken against Sir Hugh's most earnest remon- strance. In the Company, Sir Hugh has only one-thirteenth interest. He got no benefit or favour of any kind through- out the whole negotiations. «' It was " impossible," says Sir Pkancis, " for " any undertaking to be got up with a " greater desire to promote the interest " of the country than this Pacific Rail- "way charter. In my opinion, the " Company was treated by the Govern- " ment with less liberality than it should " have been ; because it was an enter- " prise which, if gentlemen went into, " they should be treated with the greatest "liberality." This brief outline of the history of the negotiations in reference to the Paci- fic Railway, we have given as far as possible in the language of the witnesses, and the facts can lead the read- er to but one conclusion, that in their in- 1 — T. .v.! viic ituiucruus parxioB, companies, and representatives of com panies, concerning the Pacific Railway, the Government were influenced but by one motive, the good of the country. In answer to questions, isir Fbanois f ^ K tl 11 Jig a full ac- ha''. done in states that aken every ) Americans me. It was the Toronto t it did not. us that the he Montreal at determin- ; decided to irteea mem- ir to Quebec, r Provinces, without the in fact, ho >m. Three onto Com- 9 Montreal. was taken nest remon- Sir Hugh st. He got id through- "It was WCI3, «' for up with a he interest 'acific Rail- jinion, the he Govern- n it should an enter- went into, he greatest history of ) the Paci- i as far e of the d the read- in their in- s of corn- Kail way, sed but by intry. Fbakois !l HiNCKS said : *'I never know there was " an agreement between Sir Hugh and " any Americans until I saw recently " what the papers produced, and I am *' sure the Government knew nothing of "it." Sir Hugh also states that the Government knew nothing of his agree- ments with the Americans. So also said every member of the Ministry who was questioned on it. The Chairman, after reading Mr. Hun- tington's charges, " That an understand- " ing was come to between the Govern- " raent and Sir Hugh ; that Sir Hugh " and his friends should advance a large " sum of money to aid the election of " ministers and their supporters at the "ensuing elections, and that he and his " friends should receive the contract for " the construction of the railway," asked Sir Feancis : "Do you know anything of " such an understanding V Sir Francis a7]swered : "It is utterly im- " possible that any such understanding " could hare been come to. My answer to " this is to contradict in the most un- " qualified terms the accusation." The Chairman repeated the question, and asked : " Do you mean to contradict in " unqualitied terms the charges?" (reading them). Sir FraiivIS answered: " Yes : of " course, I cannot swear with regard to " anything that passed between indivi- " dual members of the Government and " Sir Hugh, but I know of my own "knowledge that no such agreement was " come to with the Government. Every- " thing in connection with the Pacific " Railway charter passed through my " hands." Ml. Huntington said he could prove the charges by Sir Francis, and here he has the answer. The evidence shows that no pledges were given by the Government to the Americans as stated by McMullen. Up to the time of the return of the writs in September there was no policy before the Government except the amalgamation of the two Companies. In October the efforts of the Government were renewed to effect an amalgama- tion. The charter issued was based on a policy only adopted by the Guvermr.ent eve a later than November, after all at- tempts t'^ amalgamate the two Com- panies had p/oved a failure. " The policy " of the Government from the proroga- tion till now," said Sir John, " has never "varied" — that is from June, 1872, till September, 1873 — and Sir John's telegram of the 26th July is in accordance with this policy." Mr. Huntington handed in the names of thirty-six witnesses ; amongst these were six Ministers of the Crown ; two Senators, members ot Parliament, mem- bers of the Local Legislatures, Mayors, Sheriffs, Bankers, Rail- way Contractors and Railway Managers, Merchants, one Wesleyan Minister, Telegraph Operators, «fco. Of these, thirty-one were examined, and several who were not on the original list ; the Commission finally adjourn- ing -*ter nearly a month's labour, froi eir inability to find any one else who knew anything of the subject of their inquiry. Mr. Huntington and Mr. Mo- Mullen refused to appear before the Commission. Awkward questions might be asked them in reference to that secret and suspicious interview with the Cookbs — the bankers of the American Pacific Railway. " Before the last (Canadian) " election," says the Ottawa Times of 17th October, " and subsequent to the re- * ' pudiation of McMullen by the Gov- " emment, Jay Cooke received on a visit " at his mansion, on the Chilton Hill, " near Philadelphia, no leas a personage " than the member for Shetford, Mr. " Huntington. Mr. Jay Cooks is " known to have parted with his guest " highly impressed with that person's in- " fluence in the politics of Canada." The Times thinks it has sufficient evi- dence to warrant the inference that in Ontario alone Mr. Huntington's Party spent four or five hundred thoiisand dol- lars. Whence came this money ? Why Mr. Huntington's visit to these bankers at that time? Jay Cooke & Co. had failed to float their 7.30 gold bonds on the security of a deseit. Canada was of- fering thirty millions of money and fifty million acres of land for a rival roed, and the great Philadelphia house, already tottering to the fall, saw a last hope in grasping th(j Canadian Pacific. The prize was worth a stake of afew millions. If Mr. Huntington's Party should carry the elec- tions, what promises was he authorised to mako to the great bankers 1 It was easier and more in accordance with Mr. Huntington's character to appear u 12 a champion of Parliamentary rights, than to be made to appear as a conspirator against his country before the Royal Com- mission. The great majority of the thirty-six witnesaea knew absolutely nothing 6f the bubject of inquiry before the Commission, and did not know why Mr. Huntington had given in their names, nor did Mr. Huktikg- TON himaelf know, ao said the witnesses who had asked him the question. Of thoae vho were in a position to know the truth or falsehood of the charges ever-' one, without exception, declared on oath that they were false. Sir Hugh Allan had indeed entered into an agreement with certain parties to try and get the contract for the Railway ; but the Gov- ernment and every member of it were ignorant of that agreement. Sir Hugh or anybody else had a right to enter iuto any legitimate commercial enterprises or agreements they saw fit. But Sir Hugh's agreement came to nothing. His Company did not get the contract. It got nothing and was soon dissolved. Sir Hugh subscribed $102,000 to the elec- tions. He had always subscribed, but not 80 largely. But he swears positively that there was no bargain, no understanding, that for this he was to receive any favour more than any other subscriber to the elections ; and all the witnesses who know or could know anything of the matter corroborate Sir Hugh's statemeats, aad refer to the history of the who'e transaction in proof of their truth. Sir Hugh says he had six millions of dollars invested ia his enterprises ; and the great works — canals, railways, harbours, &c., pro- jected by the Government, justified his strongest support in his own inter est, and at the same time in the interest of the count cy. He gave about oue-foutt h of his yearly personal inc.aoe ; many a man has not only given that but his whole income and his fortune in promotion of his commercal undertakings. Mr. Hunt ington's charges, if they mean anything, accuse the Ministry of Sir John Mjcdon- ALD of Belling for money advanced by Sir Hugh and his American associates, " ibe *' contract for the construction of the " Facitic Eailway." We say if tho:e charges mean anything, for they are thrown together in such an extraordinaty manner, that it is difhcult to know what they do mean. The Amedcvns got noth- ing. Sir Hugh got norhiog. His Com- pany waa dissolved. He did not get the contract. He jot no personal favours, and it remains with the prosecutors to SHOW what Sir Hdgh Allan " bought," and that for the " purchase money " there I was any consideration which would in the, slightest degree justify the base charges wliich they have brought against the Government. Another and probably the final act in this melancholy and contemptible drama will, within a few days, be per- formed at Ottawa. The Opposition have thus far been the chief actors ; but the display has been purely pyrotechnic. A noisy, boisterous throng of Annexation- ists, Rouges, English and Scotch Chart- ists — the extremest of wild theorists- Red Republicans, Fenian desperadoes, and disappointed politicians generally, had hoped— for they must now be conscious of failure — by Impudence, by clamour, loud voices and noisy declama- tion, to reach the treasury benches. We here have no reference to the many truly loyal men in the Liberal Party whom we know and honour, and who, we are quite sure, do not approve of the factious course of their would-be • leaders. Men of such adverse principles and mo- tives of action are not, cannot be, a Party. They are a conspiracy, who have no common bond of .union but the bond of conspirators. What were their acta on the floor of the House on the thirteenth of August last ? Revolutionary. Were thesa men in power to-day at Ottawa, a dtep and painful sense of iijsecurity would pervade the country from the At- lantic to the Pacific. To see a Honting- TON, a Young, a Holton, with their Re- publican sympathies and Yankee sympa- ihisers, astbeadvisers of the Crown, would send a thrill of horror and indignation through the heart of every loyal man mtho land. But we do not believe that any such calamity will befall the country. These diiscordant elements may unite to oppose, biit they can never combine to support, any Goveroment. We are not wtdded to mea, nor do we now refer to those who form the Ministry Ottawa. We leave their merits and at We f demerits entirely out of question, refer to the principles and the policy the majority of the preseat Parliament ; aod we believe that to be the true policy for this country, which has consolidatea the Confederation and Eecured such happy ie?\iUs— results which make us the roost prosperous and highly favoured people on the globe.