$ 
 
 s^- 
 
 SPEECHES 
 
 h::'. 
 
 OF THE HON. 
 
 MESSRS. HOWLAND & McDOUGALL, 
 
 DELIVERED BEFORE 
 
 THE TORONTO CONVENTION, 
 
 ON 
 
 JTT3^TE S7TII, 18Q7. 
 
 ■♦»» 
 
 ' • . -T i .•• .. . , 
 
 Hon. Mr.|HowLAND said— Mr. Chairman 
 and gentlemen, I was called upon this 
 evening by a gentleman who said he had 
 been deputed to ask me and my colleague 
 Mr. Macdougall to attend this meeeting 
 . tc-aight, in accordance with what I was 
 informed was the unanimous desire of the 
 convention. I am very much indebted to 
 you, sir, and the convention for paying 
 me that compliment at which any man 
 might feel gratified. I acknowledge the 
 respectability of this assemblage, the in- 
 telligence, the wealth and influence of the 
 men who are gathered here to-night, and 
 I acknowledge also the importance to be 
 attached t6 any decicion to which" you 
 may after due deliberation come. (Hear, 
 hear, cheers.) Bat, sir,3while I admitjall 
 that, as a member of the government of 
 this coantry I have a responsibility rest- 
 ing upon of which, it is true.'IJshall be 
 Teryeoon relieved, but while Il^occupy 
 
 that position I am bound in honour to re- 
 gard that responsibility, and therefore 
 cannot perhaps speak with the same free- 
 dom as other gentlemen who may rise to 
 address this meeting. (Hear, hear.) Mr^ 
 Chairman, I may at the outset say that I 
 cordially concur with the resolutions that 
 have been passed up to the present time 
 by this meeting. (Hear, hear, and ironi- 
 cal cheers.) Yes, I repeat that I cordially 
 agree with those resolutions. I think, 
 sir, that I as much as any man in this as- 
 semblage may rejoice that those principles 
 for which the reform party have contend 
 ed are at length about to be ^ut into oper- 
 ation. (Hear, hear.) I claim to have act- 
 ed with the [reform party in the contest 
 for those principles as long as any man I 
 see here. My hair now is getting grey, 
 but from my youth I have ever advocated 
 the doctrines of the reform party ; and 
 from the very first occasion on which I 
 
felt it my duty to pay attention to the 
 public affiiire of this country, I have been 
 convinced that the views of the reform 
 party were those which were best adapt- 
 ed to secure the peace, good governmen- 
 and prosperity of this country, (Heart 
 hear.) I have always had a strong con- 
 viction that a large majority of that party 
 have been actuated by honest motives and 
 with the highest desire to carry out such 
 principles and measures as were for the 
 good of the whole country. Believing 
 that, I threw in my lot with them and 
 worked in my humble way earnestly and 
 faithfully for the success of the party, and 
 I venture also to day honestly, for I never 
 heard a person whose opinion I respected 
 charge me with having done otherwise- 
 (Cheers.) I have made great sacrifice on 
 behalf of the party— personal and other 
 sacrifices, although they were no more 
 than I was entitled to make in return for 
 the honour which was conferred upon me 
 in sending me to parliament. I felt it my 
 duty to make those sacrifices and to lend 
 my aid and assistance in any position 
 where it might be considered that I could 
 be of benefit to the cause. (Hear, hear.) 
 Acting upon those views, sir, I was called 
 upon ten years ago and asked to represent 
 a portion of the people of this country in 
 the parliament of tne province. I re- 
 sponded to that call and a few days be- 
 fore the election, I was chosen to assume 
 the position of a candidate of the reform 
 party. At that time the party had a hard 
 battle to obtain changes in the constitu- 
 tion under which the government was 
 established. I thought sincerely that 
 those changes were necessary and general 
 principles laid down by my honourable 
 friend Mr. Brown, the leader of the party 
 received my cordial approval. I acted 
 cordially with him in getting the adop- 
 tion of those principles in the constitution 
 of the country, and I had the honour to 
 
 share in the exertions made to attain the 
 objects we had in view in common with 
 my fallow members representing the re- 
 form party of the country in Parliament. 
 (Hear, hear.) And here, sir, I agree with 
 the resolution just read, and bear testi- 
 mony to the truth that those 
 men who represented the reform party 
 in contending for those changes are 
 entitled to the thanks, the respect and 
 the gratitude of the people of this country 
 —(cheers)— and I will always accord 
 thanks and gratitude to them, whatever 
 position I may take in the future, 
 whether we are acting together as before 
 or separately. However that may be, sir, 
 I shall ever bear testimony to the stead- 
 fastness with which they perfomed that 
 duty. We had a hard struggle in the ad- 
 vocacy of those changes. In 1858 we suc- 
 ceeded in passing a vote which was re- 
 garded as a defeat by the government of 
 the day. The result of that you all know. 
 In 1862 we again defeated the govern- 
 ment of the day. My honourable friend, 
 Mr. Brown, was not at that time in Par- 
 liament, and I was asked by the gentle- 
 man whom the Governor General, in the 
 exercise of his prerogative, thought pro- 
 per to call vpon to form a new govern- 
 ment to join him in a government formed 
 purely upon reform principles and of mem- 
 bers of the reform party. I felt it my du« 
 ty to respond to that call. I entered that 
 government, and I beg to say on behalf of 
 all the members of it that there never 
 was a set of men got together who had 
 more earnestly at heart the good of the 
 Provinces or who had more singleness of 
 purpose in labouring to apply a remedy 
 for the evils that had grown up in the 
 government and institutions of the < jun- 
 try. But unfortunately we were not sus- 
 tained, although during the short period 
 of our existence we initiated and carried 
 out what, in my opinion, were measures 
 
of great benefit to the people of this 
 country. (Hear, hear.) Our power of 
 doing good was, however, bronght to an 
 end, and yon all know the contest that 
 arose. You all know the narrow majority 
 which each government had in turn, and 
 you know also the result which was final* 
 ly brought about and which has been so 
 freely discussed here to-night, that is the 
 coalition of 1884. Now, sir, I come to th« 
 point in these resolutions which is of the 
 greatest interest to myself and my col- 
 leagues, and perhaps it may be proper for 
 me to direct attention to my share in that 
 coalition and my views with regard to go- 
 vernments formed in that manner. In the 
 first place, the " coalition" of itself does 
 not, I think, carry with it anything that 
 would warrant condemnation. (Hear, 
 hear, ironical cheers and laughter.) You 
 may not accept this statement, but I as- 
 sert most positively that the coalition 
 which was formed in 1864 was free from 
 all immoral and improper motives, was 
 for the good of the country and was a coa- 
 lition the object of which was a full justi- 
 fication of those gentlemen who went into 
 it. (Hear, hear.) Well, then, my defini- 
 tion of a coalition is this : If you have a 
 govemment in existence with an organ- 
 ized opposition ; if you have separate and 
 distinct issues before the country in 
 which two parties are involved, upon op- 
 posite sides ; if you have one party ar- 
 rayed against another party ; and if the 
 views of either party, carried out into law. 
 would affect the right and interests of the 
 people or a larger portion of the people of 
 the country ; — if, I say, under those cir- 
 cumstances a portion of one party holding 
 opposite views to the other party should 
 go over to that party and enable it to car- 
 ry itB principles and measures into effect, 
 then such a coalition would be improper 
 and immoral. (Cheers, hisses and some 
 confusion.) Now, sir, what were the 
 
 facts in 1864? We had been contending 
 that certain changes were necessary for 
 the welfare and good government of this 
 country. The party opposed to us, the 
 conservatives, had opposed that view ; 
 but at a certion time they came to say, 
 " It is necessary and right that we should 
 modify our views ; we acknowledge that 
 a majority of the people of this country 
 are determined that there shall be a 
 change in the constitution of the govern- 
 ment, and we believe it is our duty to go 
 in with you and consider what that change 
 should be ;" and in the consultations 
 which followed it was agreed that that 
 change should be either the confederation 
 of the whole provinces of British North 
 America or the federation of cJpper and 
 Lower Canada. Now,, there was nothing 
 improper in that on the part of either 
 party, because it is true that they judged 
 rightly and were acting in accordance 
 with the desire of the whole people of 
 this country. I may say that as far as 
 Upper Canada is concerned there never 
 was any real opposition to the coalition — 
 I mean any organized, effective opposition. 
 I believe there were three or four mem- 
 bers from this section of the country op- 
 posed to confederation, but there never 
 was anything entitled to be called an ac- 
 tive opposition to it. Therefore those who 
 entered the coalition judged rightly. 
 They were acting in accordance with the 
 opinion of the people of Upper Canada, 
 and were therefore doing their dnty. (Hear 
 hear). I quite agree, sir, with the state- 
 ments that have been made here to-night 
 that the object for which that coalition 
 was created, the conditions upon which 
 it was formed, the authority given by the 
 people through their representatives sanc- 
 tioning its formation — that the whole of 
 that will come to an end on the 1st day 
 of July next. (Loud cheers.) Yes, I mean 
 to say that the position of every public 
 
4 
 
 man In this country, of every member of I donald to form a new government for the 
 
 Parliament, ot every other man holding 
 public office or appointment, except those 
 mentioned in the Imperial act, who have 
 appointments during life— that is, the ad- 
 ministrative officers of the government — 
 I say that the position and authority of 
 these public men iind officers will termin- 
 ate on the Ist of July. (Hear, hear.) Then 
 we at once step into a new position, and 
 that position is one that brings with it 
 something that, I think, is a matter to be 
 greatly rejoiced over. It brings into one 
 body, into one united people, the lour large 
 Provinces composing wlvat is termed Brit- 
 ish North America. Now, in future, in 
 anything we may do, in any step we may 
 take, we have to consider our position in 
 reference to the people of the whole of 
 these provinces. If we were here to-night 
 with a view to decide the course we should 
 pursue r ^th regard to the local govern- 
 ment of Upper Canada, that is a question 
 of our own over which we have sole con- 
 trol. But when we take a step that is to 
 decide upon the government of the whole 
 of this confederacy, then we are bound to 
 take the opinion not alone of a party in 
 one section of the confederacy, but of the 
 people of the sister provinces as well> 
 who form a part of that confederacy. 
 (Cheers and hisses.) Now, sir, I may state 
 to you that until within a few days nei- 
 ther I nor my colleagues were in a position 
 to say to our friends in the country — for 
 the reason that we did not know and had 
 no right to know-what the state of things 
 would be on the formation of the govern- 
 ment — what government would be for- 
 med, or who would be called upon to form 
 it. You all know that the selection and 
 appointment of a gentlemen to form a 
 government is a prerogative that exists 
 in the Crown, over which none of us have 
 control. In the exercise of that preroga- 
 tive Mfl Excellency the Governor-Qeneral 
 has thought fit to call upon Mr. J. A. Mac- 
 
 Dominion, to inaugurate the machinery 
 for carrying into eflfect this system of gov- 
 ernmt t which we have at length obtain- 
 ed. Charged with that duty Mr. Mac- 
 donald says to my colleagues and myself 
 — " We have here a new system of govern, 
 ment, and we have authority to put it 
 into operation. Now I think it in the 
 interest of the country that in the forma- 
 tion of a government to carry that system 
 into eflfect, as we are now in an entirely 
 new position, and as we all agree upon 
 the principles of the government that has 
 been established by the imperial authority 
 we should still continue to , act together. 
 And although there may have been dif- 
 ferences of opinion as to some points in 
 the new system"— and I myself (continued 
 Mr. Howland) may say that there are 
 some portions of it which if I had the 
 framing of it I would have desired to have 
 changed ; and one of those points, which 
 has been alluded to by speakers here to- 
 night, is the constitution of the upper 
 House. (Cheers.) In my humble opinion 
 the mode in which the upper House is 
 constituted, the appointment of its mem- 
 bers for life by the Crown, is not in ac- 
 cordance with the principles upon which 
 the whole fabric is built — (renewed cheer- 
 ing) — but it was found impossible to ob- 
 tain the system on any other basis, 
 and 1 have very little doubt it may 
 work for a time favourably. At all 
 events, we cannot be seriously inj ured by 
 trying it ; and there is not the least 
 doubt, from the evidence I have seen of 
 the desire on the part of the people and of 
 both political parties in England to ac- 
 cord us anything which we may think 
 for our good, that if at some future time 
 we should desire to have a change in the 
 constitution of the Senate, it will be freely 
 granted to us. (Cheers.) I was goin^ on 
 to say, sir, that Mr. Macdonald proposed 
 to start the machinery of the new gov- 
 
eminent upon this principle : he says—- 
 "I desire to bring to my aid, ■without re- 
 speot to parties in the past, gentlemen 
 ■who are in the present government who 
 were active in bringing about the now 
 form ot government— who used their in- 
 fluence to that end in the different sec- 
 tions of the confederacy- I desire to 
 bring to my aid in the new government 
 those men, irrespective of party, who re- 
 present their majorities in the different 
 Provinces of the Union. I do not want 
 it to be felt by any section in the country 
 that they have no representative In the 
 cabinet and no influence in the govern- 
 ment. And as there are now no issues to 
 divide parties, and as all that is required 
 is to have in the government the men 
 who are best adapted to put the new ma- 
 chinery in motion, I desire to ask those 
 to join me who have the confidence and 
 represent the majorities in the various 
 sections of those who were in favour of 
 the adoption of this systam of govern- 
 ment and who wish to see it satisfactorily 
 carried out." (Ironical cheers and coun- 
 ter cheers.) Mr. Macdonald, with this 
 object in view, called to this council, gen- 
 tlemen from Nova Scotia and New 
 Brunswick who had throughout given 
 their warmest support to the new system 
 — men who like ourselves are reformers, 
 who iu days gone by fought and battled 
 for responsible government,men who have 
 contended for the same principles that 
 th« reform party in western Canada has 
 contended for, men of the greatest talent 
 and of the highest character, and men 
 who are respected for their ability and 
 known position in the country. (Cheers. ) 
 Those men he called from their respec- 
 tive provinces and asked to join Lira in 
 forming a government which should put 
 the machinery of confederation in motion. 
 Well, sir, upon consultation with these 
 gentlemen— but perhaps I should first 
 Bay that up to this period myself and my 
 
 colleagues were perfectly free to take any 
 course we chose, for we had never com- 
 mitted ourselves in any way whatever. 
 We liad not put ourselves in a position 
 of saying we would not join the new gov- 
 ernment, nor had we committed ourselves 
 to anything binding us to enter into it. 
 We were, as I have said, perfectly free to 
 act as to us might seem proper, and to 
 take any course we pleased without ren- 
 dering ourselves liable to a charge of un- 
 fairness to Mr. Macdonald or his col- 
 leagues. Well, then, we considered it 
 our duly above all things to look 
 to the position of the whole of the pro- 
 vinces and to the effects that might be 
 produced throughout the entire country 
 by any arrangement that might take 
 place in the formation of the government; 
 and upon consultation with those gen- 
 tlemen who had come from the lower 
 provinces they declared themselves in 
 this way to us :— ''Atyour instance/'they 
 said in effect, "we joined you in advocat- 
 ing the scheme of union, and we did so 
 with the determination to stake our 
 whole position as public men upon the 
 question. We agreed to join ; ' "^ in car- 
 rying this into effect. Unfortunaiuly, we 
 have had a much harder battle to fight 
 than you have had. A larger proportion 
 of our people, especially in Nova Scotia, 
 was opposed to confederation, and in New 
 Brunswick in the first place there was a 
 majority against it." These gentlemen 
 at the outset were told by us, were told 
 by Mr. Brown himself, that it was their 
 paramount duty to support the proposed 
 union above ell other questions, and that 
 if they stood by us we would stand by 
 them. (Hear, hear.) They were told to 
 forget past party differences with the ob- 
 ject to secure this great change, that 
 their local politics sank into insignifi- 
 cance in comparison with it, and they 
 were asked as patriotic men, irrespective 
 of former party lines to set aside all past 
 
dtffereDces and unite with us to fight out 
 this battle to a auccessful clOBe. 
 Thoae gentlemen, thus Btro:>gl7 
 appealed to, decided that it y/m 
 tneir duty in the interest of the 
 whole country to act as they were on- 
 treated to do. They fit once followed the 
 patriotic course pointed out to them, and 
 in New Brunswick we find Mr. Tilley 
 who has been a reformer all his life, de- 
 daring that " any man who is in favour 
 of Union and Confederation is in favour 
 of me, and any man who is opposed to 
 Union and Confederation — let him be re- 
 former or conservative or what-not — is 
 opposed to me. (Cheers.) I can only 
 recognize as belonging to m^- party those 
 who sustain me in carrying out this great 
 measure." Our friends of Nova Scotia, 
 Mr. Archibald, Mr. McCuUy and other re- 
 formers of high standing separated them- 
 selves from a portion of their party and 
 took the same course. (Hear, hear.) Well, 
 gentlemen, they have had a hard fight 
 and their fight is not yet over. They 
 did succeed in carrying confederation by a 
 large majority in Nova Scotia — not the 
 whole scheme in its entirety, but a reso- 
 lution authorizing delegates to go to Eng- 
 land to .arrange terms of union. Well, 
 these gentlemen from New Brunswick, 
 after coming to this country to consult 
 upon the formation of a government, told 
 us who represent the reform party of 
 Upper Canada that, " occupying the po- 
 sition we do, we cannot go back to our 
 people and say that because Mr. Mac- 
 donald is a conservative we decline to go 
 into the government with him. If we 
 did we would be doing wrong and an in- 
 justice to those conservatives who sup- 
 ported us in the struggle for confedera- 
 tion." If it had so happened that my 
 honourable friend Mr. Brown had been 
 called upon to form the first goverment of 
 the union and had invited them to join 
 him they would have said in the same 
 
 way — " It is our duty to join Mr. Brown, 
 for we who are from Nova Scotia cannot 
 return and say to our constituenta who 
 supported confederation, some of whom 
 are conservatives and some reformers, 
 that because Mr. Brown is a reformer we 
 cannot go into a cabinet with him, for 
 thereby we would be putting a slight 
 upon our reform supporters." That, sir, 
 is the position they take, and they say 
 that, no matter who may be called upon 
 to form it, they must go into the first gov- 
 ernment which is created to inaugurate a 
 system upon which they staked their po- 
 litical character and prospects. (Cheers.) 
 Then, Mr. Macdonaid says — " I propose 
 ir. the first place to acknowledge numbers 
 in the formation of the government, and 
 although it is desirable to avoid laying 
 down the principle of a proportionate ro- 
 preeentation in the cabinet when the 
 number was small, yet I propose to recog- 
 nize the wealth and influence of Upper 
 Canada by giving it a preponderance of 
 five members. (Cheers and counter 
 cheers.) Then, to Lower Canada I will 
 accord four members, and to the lower 
 Provinces four more." Mr. Macdonaid 
 further says — "I am prepared to call to my 
 councils the three gentlemen representing 
 the Reform element of Upper Canada. 
 (Cheers, hisses and confusion.) I propose 
 also to call for gentlemen from the lower 
 Provinces who belong to the reform party 
 in these Provinces." 
 
 A Voice — Who are those reformers ? 
 
 Mr. Brown — Surely you do not call 
 Mr.Kenney, of Nova Scotia, a reformer. 
 
 Mr. HowLAND — Mr. Kenney was a re- 
 former. (Applause and ironical cheers.) 
 He was placed at the head of Executive 
 Council of Nova Scotia by Mr. Howe, the 
 leader of the reform party at the time, 
 but some difference arose which isolated 
 the Catholic population from the reform 
 ranks, and Mr. Kenney for two or three 
 years past has been acting with the con- 
 
7 
 
 «eTTttivefl under Dr. Tapper. He ii ft 
 gentleman of the highest character and 
 wealth in Nova Scotia, and until a com- 
 paratively recent period has been a promi- 
 nent reformer. At any rate the propoBi- 
 tion made by Mr. Macdonald was io effect 
 that there should be in his cabinet at least 
 six gentlemen who have been known all 
 their lives as reformera, who have always 
 acted with their party and have always 
 held reform views, together with Mr. Ken- 
 ney, who has always been in harmony 
 with those views, except upon the occa- 
 sion when a religious question arose to 
 alienate him. Now then, sir, these gen- 
 tlemen having agreed to accept positions 
 in the new government, it was lor us to 
 decide upon our course. The respon- 
 sibility rested upon us to say 
 whether we would acquiesce in that 
 arrangement which had been made 
 with a view to put the new governmental 
 system into fair working order,or whether 
 it was our duty to say no. (Hear, hear.) 
 The question for us to decide was whe- 
 ther it was our duty or not to say " No ; 
 we think it most desirable for the reform 
 party of Upper Canada to stand out by 
 ourselves and not join you in any way in 
 the government, upon any basis or in 
 any position, or to accept any terms that 
 you may promise." Now, sir, my own 
 conviction is that having acted with you, 
 and having acted in good faith, and hav- 
 ing a firm conviction that we as reformers 
 had good cause to ask for a change in the 
 constitution of this country, we should 
 now feel that we have obtained the full 
 tanefits of that change to which we have 
 long looked forward— (hear, hear)— but I 
 feel too that, whether regarded from tho 
 standpoint of statesmanship, or as a ques- 
 tion of party tactics, there could not be a 
 more ruinous thing for us to do than for 
 the great reform party of Upper Canada 
 to preclude these representing us from 
 uniting with men, no matter where they 
 
 may come from, who have worked ear- 
 nestly to bring about the change. (Ironi- 
 cal cheers and applause.) Why .sir, what 
 will be the result If we refuse to do this T 
 We will coalesce with those who hare 
 been the enemies of our friends in the 
 Lower Provinces, with those who have 
 strenuously opposed the union through- 
 out, with those prominent among whom 
 is one who has said that if it had not been 
 for the oath he had taken to Her Majes- 
 ty he would be among the first to shoul- 
 der his rifle and march to the border to 
 shed his blood in opposition to Confed- 
 eration. (Cheers.) I think myself that if 
 we the reformers of Upper Canada should 
 do that— should unite ourselves against 
 those whe have stood by us through all 
 this struggle — we would be guilty of a 
 most dishonourable act. (Cheers.) Are 
 we going to say to these men from the 
 Lower Provinces — "Although we ac- 
 knowledge you to hold principles like our 
 own, to be men of the hightest character, 
 men with whom we have been led to hope 
 we would some day be associated, al- 
 though wo acknowledge you to be the 
 sterling men we thought you were, al- 
 though we induce you to stand to the 
 front in this battle which we have 
 fought — although we acknowledge all 
 this, yet now, when we have got you into 
 this position into which we have pushed 
 you, while you have risked your standing 
 as public men in the cause which was 
 our cause as well as yours, we the reform 
 party of western Canada, because 
 there are men we object to 
 among those with whom you 
 are associated, are going to turn round 
 and join your enemies, and sweep you 
 out of existence as a reward for the great 
 services you have rendered." (Loud 
 cheering, hisses and confusion.) I do not 
 think, sir, that the sense of right, that 
 the sense of justice of this asiemblage, in< 
 telligent and respectable as it is, would 
 
8 
 
 approfe Bueh a courie &• that, well know- 
 ing aa I do that when thej who are here 
 ftBiembled fairlj cobslder the question 
 they will have only one object, viz, to pur- 
 ■ue such a couree as is juBt with whom 
 they are dealing and as will tend to the 
 peace, welfare and good government <f 
 thij country. (Cheers.) I do not think 
 that if BO considered they would call apon 
 their representatiees to pursue a course so 
 unwise and Bo unjust as that would be. 
 We must not forget that in the discussion 
 which has been going on to-night a poin^ 
 of view from which we have been called 
 to look upon this question is an Upper 
 Canada point of view. (Cheers and cries 
 of " no, no.") I say we must take a 
 broader view of it than that ; we must see 
 what is our duty to our fellow-colonies 
 who are coming in with ua, and we must 
 look to the results upon the whole, and 
 not upon a part, of the community. Is it 
 wise, sir, to form a party before there are 
 any issues to go upon ? (Cheers and coun- 
 ter cheers.) Undoubtedly there will be 
 parties, but at the start there Ib no politi- 
 cal question to divide opinion, but merely 
 a question of men. When you are called 
 •upon to elect your representatives, elect 
 decidedly the best men — honest men, who 
 will act independently upon their own 
 judgment. When they were assembled 
 together, and the policy and acts of the 
 government are submitted to them, ques- 
 tions may arise upon which they may 
 differ, and possibly two questions may 
 arrive which will prevent us from 
 acting together. But, before such ques- 
 tions arise, to say merely becausa 
 certain men in the government 
 have been opposed to reform— although 
 there is a majority of the govern- 
 ment independent of those men — we will 
 form a coalition in effect with those who 
 were opposed to confederation, with men 
 who will do all in their power to thwart 
 it, who fought it, and are still fighting it- 
 
 I say that to Join hands with those men, 
 and thereby throw power into the hands 
 of the conservative party ol Canada, we 
 would be placing ourselves In the same 
 position as we were in before, unrepresent- 
 ed in the cabinet, and having no control 
 over the policy of the government. (Cheers 
 and counter cheers.) I say it would be 
 most unwise to act in that manner, and, 
 acting upon my judgment, I have decided 
 upon my course. (Cheers.) In following 
 that course honestly and to the best of 
 my ability, I shall depend upon your for- 
 bearance. I believe you have come hsre 
 to consider and act for the best, and if you 
 differ from me I shall at any rate respect 
 your opinion. I should be sorry if any es. 
 trangement should arise which should 
 prevent us acting again together upon any 
 question that might come up, involving a 
 principle of the reform party. I do not 
 think there is any necessity for such an 
 estrangement. I think it is not for the 
 reform party to say that we cannot be 
 satisfied with anything— that when we 
 get what we want, we must again begin 
 to agitate. (Cheers and hisses.) It is a 
 question of very great moment that we 
 are now called upon to consider. The 
 eyes of the world are upon us, for this Con 
 federation which you are now about to 
 carry into effect is attracting the attention 
 of the world. In England they aae look- 
 ing with the greatest possible interest to 
 the course w? may take. Do not then, 
 before anything is done, before any politi- 
 cal question arises, begia again the work 
 of agitation in the country, and thus let 
 it be believed abroad that we are not satis- 
 fied with our condition — that there is 
 something which we want, that we I'are 
 unsettled in our desires, and that we can 
 never be content unless we have some- 
 thing to agitate. (Cheers and counter 
 cheers.) I have come here unprepared to 
 make a statement, and I have given the 
 facts as briefly as I could. I do not pro- 
 
« 
 
 hu to be an orntor, nor do I make any 
 pretensions to that character. I have 
 stated to you Bimply the course I have 
 taken, and that course I bolievo to be 
 right. (Loud clapping of hands and ironi- 
 cal cheers.) 
 
 A DBliKaATK— Do you acknowledge the 
 opinions of this assemblago to bo a fair 
 representation of the opinions of the re- 
 formers of Upper Canada ? 
 
 Mr. HoWLAND — It would be impossible 
 for me to answer that question. I ack- 
 nowledge the intelligence and respecta- 
 bility of this meeting, but I have not set^n 
 the lists of those who are assembled hero 
 nor do I know the character of those 
 whom they represent. I have not the 
 least doubt that the gentlemen who are 
 here are reformers, but I do not know 
 whether their position is national and le- 
 presentative or not. I acknowledge of 
 coarse their right to express their opinion 
 if they please, but how far they represent 
 the reform party of Upper Canada I have 
 no facts to show. (Cheers.) 
 
 Hon. Mr. Macdouoall then rose to ad- 
 dress the meeting. He was received with 
 cheering by a considerrable number, fol- 
 lowed by hissing and other offensive sounds 
 by the rest of the assemblago. 
 
 A Delegate said that ihls assemblage 
 was not treating Mr. Macdougall right, nor 
 showing him the respect duo to a minister 
 of the crown. He did not believe in con- 
 demning a man before he was heard. 
 (Cheers.) 
 
 The Chairman trusted the gentleman 
 who had last spoken would approach to the 
 platform, in accordance with a resolution 
 which had been passed requiring speakers 
 to address the meeting from the platform. 
 With regard to Mr. Macdougall, having 
 invited him to be present, and when he ap- 
 peared in response to that invitation, they 
 were boand to hear patiently whit he had 
 to say. It would certainly be very dis- 
 
 creditable to act otherwise. [(Hear, hoar.) 
 Mr. McDouoALL, who, dnring this sceno 
 remained quietly on his feet, said : I am 
 too old a politician, sir, to bo at all dis- 
 turbed or disconcerted by hisses, limited- 
 I am glad to say, to but a very small num- 
 ber of persons in this assemblage. I have 
 been invited here by a gentleman who 
 stated to my honorable colleague and my- 
 self that he was deputed by this rospecta^ 
 bio assemblage — respectable in point of 
 numbers and in the appearance of its 
 members, and, as far as I can judge, a fair 
 representation of the great reform party— 
 that gentleman stated to me that we were 
 invited by the unanimous resolution of 
 the convention to be present here this 
 cTening. (Cheers, and cries of " No,") 
 
 The Chairman said the resolution was 
 that tickets should be sent to the two reform 
 membcrsof the government in town, which 
 resolution was proposed on the ground that 
 invitations had not been sent to them, 
 
 Mr. Macdouoali. — I am only sorry 
 then that this convention was misrepresent- 
 ed by its delegate, and that the fraud should 
 have been practised to induce my colleague 
 and myself to come here on such terms. 
 (Cheers.) We were not led to sup- 
 pose that we were invited simply 
 as spectators by having cards of 
 admission sent to ui, for that were a small 
 complimentwhenthereare plenty of people 
 here who have the same privilege. We are 
 not members of this convention, we are not 
 in this part of ;hc country for the purpose 
 of taking part in its proceedings. We shall 
 see your resolves and that perhaps is all it 
 will be our duty or our right to know of 
 the matter. But we supposed it was tho 
 desire of the majority of tho meeting— 
 the gentleman who waited upon us said it 
 was the unanimous desire — to hear some 
 statement from us of our position as pub • 
 lie men and as, till a recent period at all 
 events, humble members of the reform 
 
w 
 
 party — some explanations of the course we 
 have taken and of the reasons of the course 
 wo intend to take. Sir, if I mistake my 
 position here, I have nothing more to say ; 
 hut if the convention desire to hear what 
 I have to say I will with pleasure go on. 
 (Cheers and cries of "go on.'') Now, sir, 
 the history of the reform party, I am t^dite 
 safe in saying, shows that we are 
 not as a party altogether unanimous. I see 
 hy the speeches that have been been deliv- 
 ered to-nigbt that you arc not unanimous 
 even here on some questions. The history of 
 our party shows that there have been times 
 when gentlemen oceupying a prominent 
 position it, members of the legislature and 
 of the press of the country have, acting 
 upon their own responsibility, taken a 
 course which has not met the approval of 
 other gentlemen holding an equally promi- 
 nent position in the party. Mr. Brown, who 
 is an able man and conducts a powerful 
 press, has in times past denounced public 
 men — some of whom I see in this hall and 
 some in the gallery — trying to secure their 
 defeat at one time and at other times sup- 
 porting them, gometimes upon one issue 
 and at other times upon another and dif- 
 ferent issue. (Hear, hear.) I suppose 
 that the majon ; of this meeting will ad- 
 mit that when he was acting thus incon- 
 sistently, when he was found supporting 
 conservative candidates at the polls in 
 preference to reformers, he was acting 
 honestly and according to his convictions, 
 and that he believed what he was doing 
 was for the interest of the country. / 
 admit that ; but his opinions on those 
 ocasions did not agree with mine nor 
 with the opinions of many other members 
 of tee party. j^i^Now we have come, I 
 think, come to a position in which a 
 question of the greatest gravity is 
 presented to the reform ^arty of Western 
 Canada. Sir, I do not claim that un- 
 bounded applause which the honorable 
 gentleman, Mr. Brown, aeks of you and 
 
 the people of the country for the success 
 of the cause which he says you have come 
 here to-day to celebrate. I have taken 
 it is true, a very humble part in that work 
 and at the same time I claim to have done 
 what I did with zettl, integrity and an 
 earnest intention to secure for my country 
 a constitution the working of which would 
 relieve us from the difficulties under which 
 we have labored for many years. I claim 
 to have had a desire to — and I believe it 
 will be accomplished — given to Upper Ca- 
 nada, not to the reform party only, its 
 rights. The reform party as a party has 
 never been denied its rights. (Ironical 
 cheers and cries of <■ no.") I say that as a 
 party it had its rights — it hid to struggle 
 at the polls and labour to succeed by con- 
 vincing people that its principles and policy 
 were right— but Upper Canada as a whole, 
 conservatives and reform, has been denied 
 its rights. Under the constitution, and the 
 mode in which it worked, we have not had 
 that influence in the government and we 
 have not had those laws to which, in the 
 opinion of our people, we were justly en- 
 titled. But the constitution which has 
 just been conceded to us be the Imperia 1 
 Parliament will, we believe, if fairly carried 
 out, give us thai; position and influence in 
 tb'' afifairs of British North America and 
 in the government of those provinces to 
 which we were entitled by our numbers, 
 our intelligence and our wealth. (Chee s.) 
 Now, gentlemen, I am something of a 
 practical politican and I know that you 
 have met here for a practical purpose. I 
 have been connected with the press for 
 many years, and know how these are ar- 
 ranged and conducted, and I see that there 
 is a very large number in this assemblage, 
 probably a majority who have come here 
 with their minds made up to pursue a parti- 
 cular course and to affirm particular pro- 
 position. I am unwilling as a member 
 of the reform party to pin mj political 
 faith upon the decision of this or 
 
fi 
 
 1» anj othsr political body. I belloTe that 
 the principles I bare advocated in the past 
 and intend to advocate la the future, are 
 principles which will commend themselves 
 to the judgment of the reformers of Upper 
 Canada. I am willing at the proper time to 
 carry that opinion to the poll8,where it will 
 be decided in the only legitmate way in 
 ■which their judgment can be expressefl. I 
 do not object to the mode in which you 
 have assembled here; but I apprehend that 
 it cannot be said that every reform constitu- 
 ency in the country is fairly and proportion- 
 ately represented here, and I apprehend 
 that the question as to the policy adopted 
 by my colleagues and myself will be decided 
 by a different body from that which is assem- 
 bled before us tonight. (Cheers.) Now, as yon 
 sent for us to give you information, I have 
 only to say that we are prepared to deny 
 the resolution which is now in your hands. 
 (Cheers and counter-cheers.) We deny 
 that coalitions are immoral, or that they 
 are fairly open to the other charges that 
 are made against them in that resolution. 
 Wo arc prepared to assert that a coalition 
 of the political parties of this country was 
 absolutely necessary for the purpose of 
 securing to the people the greatest boon 
 that has ever been conferred upon the 
 country, for without coalition you would 
 never have had that constitution which will 
 come into operation on the 1st of July. I 
 was proud, as one of the humble architects 
 of that constitution, to hear the eulogiums 
 passed upon it, and upon Mr. Brown, by 
 this assemblage, and I agree with you 
 there. But when you go further and say 
 in your resolutions that a coalition is a 
 most immoral combination, you pronounce 
 upon your friend Mr. Brown the greatest 
 condemnation ever passed upon any man. 
 (Cheers.) It was he of all others who gave 
 us this coalition which framed the consti- 
 tution which is so soon to come into effect. 
 At the time when the Government was de- 
 feated, prior to the formation of the coali- 
 
 tion, T, as an humble member of the Reform 
 party, was invited to go into the cabinet, 
 with two friends from the Reform paHy. 
 It was then proposed that there should be 
 a coalition. .One party had tried to carry 
 on the government and had failed, and the 
 other party had also tried and fa'led. 
 There was, in fact, as had been said, a dead 
 lock in the legislature. The general elec- 
 tions were just over, and it was said that 
 there was no object in appealing again to 
 the coifntry, for neither party could say 
 that another election would materially 
 change the position. An appeal was thea 
 made to moderate men on both sides of the 
 house to join together to prevent this dead- 
 locls in the legislative affairs of the Pro- 
 vince. I said to Sir Etienne Tache, the 
 Premier, that I believed a coalition was 
 the only possible release from the difficul- 
 ty, but I added, " If you ask me to join you 
 you must make it a real coalition — you 
 must allow the liberals from Lower Canada 
 to join you in the government, and if that 
 be done, and good measures are proposed, 
 I shall be happy to enter into such a gov- 
 ernment." Sir Eiienne Tache told me 
 that in Lower Canada his party were in a 
 majority, that the rouges were demagogues, 
 annexationists, iuHdels, and what not, that 
 it was in Upper Canada the difficulty exist- 
 ed, and there it was that a coalition was 
 necessary. Well, sir, although that propo- 
 sition was very flattering to me, a youug 
 member of the party, who had not been 
 long in Parliament, I telt it my duty to 
 decline the offer, I refused to enter the 
 government, but what did we find imme- 
 diately afterwards ? We found in a few 
 days our friend Mr. Brown, who had voted 
 against the government, coming down to 
 the house and declaring that he was ready 
 to enter into a Coalition with those gentle- 
 men— (cheers) — or to support such a gov- 
 ernment as had just been condemned by 
 the House. That declaration, you must 
 well remember, took the whole country by 
 
12 
 
 surprise, and I have no doubt that if a con- 
 vention had then been called to pass upon 
 his conduct, nine out of every ten reformers 
 would have condemned it. (Hear, hear.) 
 But the object to be accomplished was con- 
 sidered by your representatives to be one 
 of such importance that an agreement was 
 come to, and three members of the reform 
 party, were asked to join the administration 
 for the purpose of proposing a scheme for 
 the confederation of the British North 
 American Provinces. I went into that 
 government, at the request of my party, 
 ds one of Mr. Brown,8 colleagues. I labored 
 till the measure was passed, as diligently 
 and as earnestly as it was in my power to 
 do for the purpose of securing a constitu- 
 tion as satisfactory to the people of Upper 
 Canada and of all the provinces as could be 
 accomplished. In the midst of our career — 
 before this measure was safe in this country 
 as far as the maritine Provinces were con- 
 cerned, and while I was absent in England 
 on a mission important to the trad* of this 
 country — I heard to my astonishment that 
 my colleague Mr. Brown, had decided to 
 leave the government. 
 A DBLEiaATE— Quito right. 
 Mr. Macdocgal — Well, sir, all of us 
 thought it was not quite right, and we 
 thought that a majority of us in parlifiment 
 found it was not quite right. We remained 
 in the government. We decided that if 
 Mr. Brown thought proper to leave the ship 
 in mid-ocean and go ashore in a jolly-boat 
 — (laughter and cheers)— because a storm 
 appeared imminent, we would stick to the 
 ship and endeavor to navigate it safely and 
 carry its cargo iato a good harbor. (Cheers.) 
 I believe that in doing so we had the confi- 
 dence and support of the great majority of 
 those with whom we had been in the habi* 
 of acting, and whose good opinion we were 
 anxious to preserve. Well, while in Eng- 
 land, we discovered by the Olobe newspaper 
 that it was the opinion of Mr. Brown that 
 
 the liberal members of the government 
 ought to leave it as soon as the measure of 
 Confederation was carried in the Imperial 
 Parliament- -that we should send in our 
 resignation as soon as our feet should again 
 touch the Canadian shore. Sir, we thought 
 it our duty not to follow that advice. We 
 knew that there were several important 
 matters to be attended to by the govern- 
 ment of this Province before the union 
 should take place. 'There was, for instance, 
 the important matter of the constitution of 
 the Upper House, and we thought it our 
 duty to remain at our posts in order to see 
 that in that branch of the new legislature 
 a fair representation should be given to the 
 reform party of Upper Canada. We found 
 that it was proposed to appoint Senators in 
 the same proportion politically as parties 
 now bear towards each other in the House* 
 It so hnppened that at that time the con- 
 serva'ives were from various causes very 
 nearly in the proportion of two to one itt 
 the Legislative Council, or that they had 
 at all events a great preponderance, which 
 if carried out in the new body would give 
 them fourteen senators, and the reformers 
 ten, from Upper Canada. Now, I ask you 
 what would bcyour position with a Senate 
 composed largely of conservatives,and those 
 appointed for life, with nc power in the 
 constitution to overcome their preponder- 
 ance, or to amend the constitution of that 
 
 House? (Hear, hear.) These were the 
 principles that had been /ormed, and these 
 were the principles which we took with us 
 to England. But wo felt that it was not a 
 fair mode of selection nor a just interpre- 
 tation of the intention of the Legislature, 
 although Mr. Brown remarked when Mr. 
 Howland entered the government, that 
 there would be no difficulty, but that the 
 selection was to be made on equal terms, 
 and from that circumstance it was argued 
 that the appointments to the Senate would 
 be made oq the principles of equality. 
 
13 
 
 Mr. Brown (interrupting) said the hon- 
 orable gentlemtm was mistaken. He forgot 
 that it was only last session that he (Mr. 
 Brown) brought the Attorney General to 
 book, and asked him whether or not it had 
 been agreed in 18G4 that the Attorney Gen- 
 eral should consult his friends, and he 
 (Brown) his, and that in that way they 
 should each choose ons member of the 
 Upper House, until the whole twenty-four 
 were selected. The Attorney General 
 stated that that was the bargain, and to 
 say that it could have been changed in 
 Slngland was utterly impossible. 
 
 Mr. Macdouqall — AH I can state— and I 
 am stating a fact publicly which can bo ex- 
 plained or establiehed — is that that was not 
 the opinion which the Governor General 
 formed of the resolutions, and was not the 
 opinion expressed by the Attorney General 
 when we came to make the selections. 
 But sir by transferring that question [from 
 England to this country, by insisting with 
 our colleagues that that was a fair and 
 honest mode of selection, we succeeded in 
 obtaining one-balf of the Upper Canadian 
 portion of the Senate for the liberal party, 
 the other half going to the conservatives. 
 I mention this fact not so much because 
 of its own importance as to show that the 
 advice wuich the honorable gentleman feels 
 it bib duty sometimes to give is not always 
 right iuvifW of other questions which may 
 arise. (Cheers.) Till this and other im- 
 portant matters were settled we felt it to 
 be our duty to remain in the government ; 
 and I point to the conduct of this coalition 
 from the time Mr Brown joined it till now 
 and I defy him, and I defy the writers of 
 this couatry, to point to any acts of the 
 government since he left it more unworthy 
 or more deserving of censure than in the 
 other half of its existance before he retired 
 from it. ( Hear, hear.) Now let me say that 
 when the responsible duty was cast upon 
 U8 of consenting or.refusing to enter the 
 
 ad ministration about to be formed, we felt 
 it incumbent upon us to look atthequestion 
 not only from a party and an Upper Cana- 
 dian point of viow, but from a British Amer- 
 ican point of view. (Cheers.) TheprerogB. 
 tivc of the Crown was exercised, and Mr. 
 John A. Macdonald, who was President of 
 the Conference in London was authorized 
 by the Governor General to form a govern- 
 ment under the new constitution. He had 
 that power in his hands — he had authority 
 to form a goverumout, and he had the 
 ability to do it. He came to his colleagues 
 and made this proposition : The policy we 
 shall adopt will be acceptable to you. There 
 is no difference of opinion between us, and 
 therefore you should enter the government 
 with us. This is the formation which I 
 propose — so many from Upper Canada, so 
 many from Lower Canada, and so many 
 from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. 
 My colleagues and myself consulted first 
 upon the justice of the proposition, assum- 
 ing that we should go into the government 
 at all, and we came to the conclusion that 
 the proposition of Mr. Macdonald was not 
 fair to the party we represent. We con- 
 tended that if there was to be a coalition", 
 for the purpose of putting the new machin- 
 ery in motion, it was fair to let the liberal 
 party in all the Provinces have at least an 
 equal reprcsentatiou in the government, 
 and we contended further, that if five seats 
 in the cabinet were to be given to Upper 
 Canada, three of them should be given to 
 the reform party. These were the condi- 
 tions we made, and for two days it was 
 supposed they would not be accepted, and 
 we believed we would not have any part 
 or lot in the matter. But while matters 
 were in that position, what occurred? 
 Gentlemen from the lower Provinces, re- 
 presenting the liberal party there, arrived 
 in this country, and said to us : " We are 
 liberals; we have in times past struggled 
 for responsible government and other libe- 
 
14 
 
 ral principles ; we have worlied with you 
 in the constraction of this constitntioD.and 
 we desire ,to wcrk with you in putting its 
 machinery into motion.. But if you find 
 that the conditions will be such as to pre- 
 vent you from talking ofQce, we will have 
 to take office in the Government of Mr. 
 Macdonald." Well, gentlemen, we saw 
 what would bo the result if we declined— 
 that the majorities in three eastern Prov- 
 inces nould be represented in the govern- 
 ment, and that those majorities would 
 support it, while the majority in Uppe' 
 Canada would be unrepresented: and we 
 feared that it would be shown to England 
 and to the world that this great remedy, 
 which Mr. Brown and Mr. Macdonald, and 
 men of all political parties had agreed to, 
 had solved none of the evils complained of, 
 that Upper Canada was still subjected to 
 the same diiiabilites as formerly, and 
 the disease existed with tenfold greater 
 virulence than before. Why, what would 
 ■we have seen? Wo would have seen 
 the three eastern Provinces banding to- 
 gether and supporting a government to 
 which the majority in Upper Canada was 
 opposed. You may talk about the cor- 
 ruption of Coalitions, but if you^have a 
 corrupt government it is one that com- 
 mands but a narrow majority in the legis- 
 lature, and is fighting for its existence 
 from day to day. These are the corrupt 
 governments, not those possessing a strong 
 sapport and confident in its strength, and 
 these are the governments it is not desira- 
 ble to see established in consequence of 
 party distinctions when there are no 
 questions to divide parties. That ia our 
 opinion, and that has been our decision, 
 whatever others may do or whatever others 
 may say. I see by the Olobe of to-day that 
 Mr. Howland and myself are quietly read 
 out of the reform party. — We are no longer 
 members of it—" the die is cast." Well 
 sir I have been denounced by that paper 
 before, and I do not know that I have 
 
 suffered much in consequence of it. I 
 have pursued the course I thought right, 
 irrespective of those denunciations, and I 
 think that on the whole I have come out 
 pretty successfully. (Cheers.) I believe 
 that we should not put our hands forth for 
 the destruction of that constitution which 
 we have formed after much anxiety and 
 labor. (Cries of « oh.") Qentlemen say 
 " ob," but I would like to hear reasons 
 rather than marks of dissent. I should 
 like gentlemen to look at the past positioik 
 of the party, and see of what it was you 
 complained. You complained that a 
 government remained in power which did 
 not possess the confidence of a majority of 
 people of Upper Canada, and you com- 
 plained that you contributed a larger 
 portion of the revenue and had no control 
 of the money which you placed in the 
 hauls of that government. Well, what is 
 the position of affairs to-day ? We have 
 undertaken to build an Intercolonial rail- 
 way. When some years ago the govern- 
 ment to which I belonged proposed to do 
 this the honorable gentleman behind me 
 (Mr. Brown) who is taking notes and will 
 probably reply to my speech, denounced 
 it as a most atrocious thing to build 
 a railway where nobody wanted to go, 
 though soon afterwards we found him 
 ready to build even six intercolonial rail- 
 roads, to obtain this measure of Confedera- 
 tion. (Hear, hear and cheers.) Now, sir, 
 if the course is taken which is proposed by 
 one of these resolutions, and which is advo- 
 cated by the Olobe newspaper, I say that 
 the reform party will have no influence in 
 the government of this country. (Hear, 
 hear.) I say that a government can be 
 constructed and will be constructed in 
 spite of that party, and that it will carry a 
 majority in the legislature of the new 
 Union. That government will have this 
 railway to build, [running through three 
 Provinces, it will have the selection of a 
 route and control over the experditure of 
 
15 
 
 this large sum of moDey ; and Mr. Mac- 
 donald mnat have lost much of the autute- 
 nessnith which ho was crediteu i^y honor- 
 able gentlci^en I ree aroand mo, and his 
 collea^Q'^s mush of their corrupt tenden- 
 cies, i' th8> do not < jntrol the government 
 of tho new Dominion for the next ten 
 years. /"Cheers and coh^ er-cheers.) Sir, 
 I do not oelieve they will have that oppor- 
 tunity. They have not got it now, and I 
 do not desire that they should. A govern- 
 ment has been formed, composed of seven 
 liberals— one of whom will probably not 
 held a portfolio — and six conservatives. 
 
 Mr. Brown.— H-a a-a-w ! 
 
 Mr. McDouQALL. — The honorable gen- 
 tleman says " Haw I" I have heard that 
 style ot argument before from him on 
 many occasions, but I do not believe that 
 it is very formidable. (Laughter.) What 
 I have said I assert as a fact, and let him 
 disprove it if he can. There arc, perhaps, 
 many in this room who think that he and 
 those who sit beside him are better quali- 
 fied to have the control of the reform 
 party and to represent it in the government 
 than the gentlemen, humble reformers 
 as they maj be, who happen to have the 
 honor at this moment. There are probab- 
 ly, also, others of a different opinion. But, 
 at all events, we have the position, and 
 tmean to hold it. (Ironical cheers and 
 counter-cheers.) 
 
 A Voice — You cannot do it. 
 
 Mr. Maodouqall — The gentleman says 
 we cannot do it ; well that will be settle- 
 when the elections take place, which I 
 hope will be shortly ; and then wo will see 
 whether the reform party in Upper Canad« 
 are prepared to ignore the opinions of every 
 member of their party east of Toronto, or 
 ■whether the party consists of all reformers 
 besides those in the peninsula of Western 
 Canada. (Hear, hear.) We hold that the 
 work of confed oration is not yet done. We 
 believe that as the policy upon which we 
 
 started was to bring NowfoQudland, Prince 
 Edward Island and the North-west territory 
 into the confederation, the object we had 
 in view upon the formatiou ot the govern- 
 ment is not accomplished until that is 
 attained. Wo believe that the terms upon 
 which those provinces are to be brought in 
 are just as important as those upon which 
 Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were 
 brought in, and that it is just as necessary 
 and important to form a strong govern- 
 ment to arrange them, instead of one 
 holding its existence by a precarious tenure 
 from day to day. These are my views, and 
 those who are of a different opinion will 
 have an opportunity of expressing it at 
 
 the polls. 
 
 A DKLEaATB— When will we have the 
 elections ? 
 
 Mr. Macdougall — The gentleman asks 
 when we shall have the elections. We]l> 
 he will probably find that out sooner than 
 he desires. (Laughter.) I give it as my 
 opinion only that the government to be 
 formed on the 1st of July should either be 
 confirmed or rejected by a Parliament 
 elected as speedily as possible. (Cheers.) 
 I do not know, gentlemen, that under 
 the circumstances in which I am placed 
 it is unnecessary for me to detain you any 
 longer. As to these resolutions I have 
 nothing particular to say concerning them. 
 They express all the well-worn principles 
 of tbe reform party. (Hear, hear.) As to 
 this resolution condemning coalition, I do 
 not agree with it. I do not think the coal- 
 ition ought to cease until the work which 
 was commenced under Mr. Brown's ausp^ees 
 is finished. Before this constitution was 
 ubtamed we had several alternatives be- 
 fore us. Mr. Brown advocated represent- 
 ation by population under the old Union , 
 which some of us thought impracticable, 
 and no support could be got for it from 
 Lower Canada. Mr. McQee, I believe, did 
 once under a qualification vote for the 
 principle. Other members of the reform 
 
16 
 
 party thought "ive ought to have a disso- 
 lution of the Union between Upper and 
 Lower Canada. We had, as I have said, 
 three or four alternatives before us, but 
 now that is all gone. We have Confeder- 
 ation, but if that fails what is your alter- 
 native ? 
 
 A Voice — Look to Washington. 
 (Laughter.) 
 
 Mr. Macdougall.— I do not knov 
 whether the gentleman who cries " look 
 to Washington" means it" as a joke or 
 a sneer ; but I am atraid a grea'u many in 
 the Dominion are looking to Washington 
 now, and that more in Western Canada 
 would look to Washington if, after all, 
 we find ourselves in tha same position as 
 before — the majority of Upper Canada ig- 
 nored and the government resting on the 
 majorities obtained in the eastern pro- 
 vincep. (Cheers.) I will be no party to 
 that state of things. I believe we can se- 
 cure all the fair and reasonable interests 
 of Upper Canada until the whole work is 
 completed. You have nothing now but a 
 cry, nothing but the names of men. No 
 measure or policy is submitted to the new 
 government, which for anything I know 
 to the contrary may not Be submitted to 
 the country. When its policy is declared, 
 then you will have something perhaps 
 about which yon may differ and which 
 may have the effect of again dividing 
 parties. 
 
 A Voice— What about J. A. Macdonald? 
 
 Mr. McDouGALL— I have heard John 
 A. Macdonald denounced. I am no politi- 
 cal admirer of John A. Macdonald. I 
 have fought him as hard as any man and 
 perhaps have given him a little trouble ; 
 but I will do him the justice to say, that 
 since the time when he entered this co- 
 alition he has worked as loyally, as zealous- 
 ly, as ^industriously and honestly as any 
 one for the purpose of securing a good 
 constitution for this country. (Jentlemen 
 may say that he was forced to do so, and 
 may think so, and may think so if they 
 please. I think that if he had not been 
 convinced that the new system was a 
 good one for the country he would have 
 kept his party together, carried on the go- 
 vernment, and fought the battle he has car- 
 ried on for so many years without going 
 into a coalition and agreeing to this ar- 
 rangement. I know something of the 
 work he has done and the 
 attention he has bestowed to perfect this 
 
 constitution as far as possible ; and I am 
 willing to do him j ustice anl to say that 
 he and his colleagues are entitled to some 
 share of the gratituda of his country. Mr. 
 Brown is not entitled to monopolize all 
 the credit, all the praise, and all the 
 glory of the achievement. Public men of 
 all parties have laboured for it. Talk about 
 the tories having done nothing! Who 
 carried it in Nova Scotia ? A tory party 
 periled their existence by acting with us, 
 and surely it rests not with us to say that 
 no tory shall have credit in the matter. 
 Sir,toryi8m and reform and all the rest of 
 it are buried in the past. We have got 
 as our Yankee friends would say a "clean 
 slate," or as the scholar would call it a 
 tabularaia. We have a now constitu- 
 tion : there is the machine — work it. We 
 have heard Mr. Brown say that there la 
 no reason now why the Roman Catholics 
 should not work with the reformers, be- 
 cause tbere are now no longer questions 
 at issue between them. So too there is 
 no reason now why the conservatives and 
 reformers should not work together. 
 We will, no doubt, have parties. It is 
 the normal condition of governments to 
 be carried on by parties. Differences will 
 undoubtedly arise, and I could perhaps 
 start questions here to-night upon which 
 there would be differences of opinion in 
 this assemblage. There are commercial 
 questions — questions of free trade and pro- 
 tection, the tarifl, the currency, and so on 
 — which may bo before us in a short time, 
 and upon these politicians and newspaper 
 writers all over the country will take sides. 
 In the meantime, this is the position in 
 which we find ourselves : — We will shortly 
 have an election. The government, as a 
 government will have a policy. Gentle- 
 men in this room may say that they will 
 oppose the government without knowing 
 anything of its policy, but the country will 
 not bo satisfied with such a course as that. 
 It will make known its policy and then 
 appeal to the country. It will have its 
 friends and its opponents, and a line will 
 be drawn between the two. Its frietids 
 will be supported as far as it is possible 
 for any government to support its friends. 
 I believe it will be found when the election 
 takes place, that its friends will outnum- 
 ber its opponents in this as in other aet- 
 tions of the Dominion, and I am willing 
 to await the decision of that eleotion. 
 (Cheers and ironical shouts.)