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Attorney, ' Soticitor^ Notary Public* The AgitMllM^rpBAlfanitoba. Joseph Muliiom.and, Esq., Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sir, — Allow me to make your remarks at the meetinsr of the Winnipeg' Board of Trade, held on Tuesday the 4th inst., the occasion of addressine you an open letter. My object in taking iTiis liberty is two-fold ; first, to convey to you the appreciation of all Mani- tobaurt now in Ottawa, of the good sense of your statements, and, secondly, to discuss some of the q^uestions to which your brief address gives rise. The Winnipeg Free Press oi the 5th instant contains the following report of your remarks on that occasion : — " Mr. .Joseph Mulholliind exi)res.se(l himself as deciik'iUy of the ojiinion tliat it would be unwise for the Hoard, which was looked ui)rm as an authority in all matters pertaining to trade and eouimeree, to send delegates to the convention. He regarded the movement e.ssentially a political one, and as having proceede(l from a political source, though it had heen faimod into considerable jiro- jmrtions. lie thought it might he very much to the interest of the country to have tlie Hudson's Bay route and to have branch lines opened up so that no farmer would have to bring his grain more than twenty miles to market, also to have the public lands, and the extcinsion of the bound- aries, but held that if the Province had everyt ling asked for and was left to its own resources, it wouM be in a worse iM)sition than now, while aided by i powerful Dominion Government. He believed the Province would find itself entirely incapable of such a gigantic; undertaking as building a Hudson's Bay railway, and that the delay would be much greater under the Provincial than under the Dominion Government. Though there was now great excitement it would die out entirely in a few months. It was a curious circumstance that the promineot men of Winnipeg had not been at the meeting last evening. He had observed that Hon. Mr. Norquay was almost entirely unsupportod. The present a&^itatiou he regaitled as entirely political, and run by a cli(iue. The men who were at its heail had never been heard of before, with a few exceji- tlons. All were anxious that Manitoba sliould get every- thing that rightly and properly belonged to it, but this should be left to the Provin'^ial and Donunion Govern inents, and not left to be taken up by a lot of shystering politicians. He thought i+. would be lowering the dignity of the Board of Trade r n innipeg to send delegates to any such convention." These remarks of yours were made upon a motion to appoint delegates to represent the Board of Trade at the " Farmer's Convention," which commenced its deliberations in Winni- peg on the 5th inst.; and they reflect all the more credit upon you, as they indicate a bold, manly, independent stand taken in the midst of a disastrous agitation. If Manitoba had had one or two men in each settlement where iQflammatory meetings have been held, em- bracing the views which you have enunciated, with the courage you have displayed, to man- fully express them, the Province might have been saved the shameful disgrace and almost incalculable injury which the agitators have brought upon it. Now, Sir, let me briefly review the situation in the North- West, and point out some of the evil results of the present agitation. The Hudson's Bay Route. The measures proposed to open this route, are uppermost in the minds of the people of Manitoba, and as a discussion of tiiem will give rise to the questions of Boundary Exten- sion, Control of Public Lands, etc I will re- fer to them in their order. Two charters were obtained for the construc- tion of lines of railway to Hudson's Bay sev- eral years ago, but at that time, the people in the North-West took but little interest in the question. The Canadian Pacific Railway had not tlien crossed the Red River, and public attention was wholly absorbed by that enter- prise. The charters then obtained came into the hands, sometime afterwards, — that from Winnipeg to Hudson's Bay, of the Sutherland party, and that from some point near the Great Saskatchewan, where the Canadian Pacific Railway was expected to run, to Hud- son's Bay, of the MacArthur partv. At the last session of the Donunion Parliament (1882-3) an Act was passed to enable these two Companies or parties to amalgamate, but up to the present hour the disposition of their respective leaders to monopolize the control- ling offices, has prevented a union. The position assumed by these Companies, at the present time has what I may properly call, a political significance. The MacArthur party have wheeled into line witli the Manito- ba Government, while the Sutherland partv are supposed to be acting in harmony with the Manitoba supporters of the Dominion Government. The following telegrams, which explain themselves, fully reveal this : — Ottawa, March 4th. To Duncan MAcARniuR, Winnipeg. Sutherland agrees to amalgamation ; you and himstdf to be vice-presidents ; both to agree on a president, failing in which Dominion Government to appoint ; president to bold sufficient stock for balance of power. Immediate 2 THE AGITATION IN MANITOBA, a(!tion iiocL'BMuij . poHBible. Wu botli think this boat arrarrfcniont W. N. Kknnf.dv. A. W. Uosfi. Winnipeg, Miircli 4tli. To W, N. Krnnkdy find A. W. Rosh, Ottawii. I agrop to jiropoHition on condition tliat right toajipoint president bo vested in Govi'rnnicnt of Manitoba. DiiN( AN MAcAivriiim. The agitation in Manitoba in reference to the question, so far as it can be understood in Ottawa, is that the people demand, 1. The immediate construction of a Hudson's Bay road. 2. They have no confidence in the permanent independence of a private company. 3. They demand tliatthe Provincial Govern- ment shall be the controlling power. 4. And for that purpose they demand the extension of the Manitoba bouii'^aries northward. 5. And, this i>eing granted, the Provincial Governmeni; propose to obligate the Pro- vinct^ in a 'iebt to the extent of fifteen or twenty r.iillions of dollars in aid of the undertaking, on the condition that the Administration of the day shall control the affairs of the Company. 6. Provided, I suppose, that the unclaimed lands in the Province are ceded to the Provincial authorities. The position taken by the Sutherland party, and so far as I can leurn, by the supporters of the Federal Administration is this: — 1. They urge also the immediate construc- tion of a Hudson's Bay road, together with the equipment of a line of steamships to operate between Churchill and Liverpool, in connection therewith. 2. That this be undertaken by English capital, aided by a free Government land grant of 12,800 acres per mile. 3. That the controlling power be vested in the Company and the Dominion Govern- ment. 4. And they believe it would be unwise for the Manitoba authorities to burden the Province with a large debt in aid of tlie road. It is generally understood that the Domin- ion Government favor the latter method, and are doing all they can, consistently, to bring about an amalgamation of the two companies ; and failing in this, the land grant will be given to tTie Company which produces evi- dence of the greatest financial ability. There is another aspect in which the Hud son's Bay project is viewed by a very large number o.' members on both sides of the Dominion House. It is this, the navigation of the Hudson's Bay and Straits, for succefis- ful commercial operations, has not yet been fully established, and while they generally beli'ive in the practicability of the route, they enjoy but little faith in any company bein^ able to float the enterprise in any money market, until our knowledge of that naviga- tion is increased. The e\ idence given, so far, before the select committee of the House, which is quite volu- Tninous, while giving grounds for strong hopes of four, or even five months' navigation, gives positive assurances of only three months* navigation. The records in possession of the world, so far as they have come to light, place the average date of successfully entering the Straits at about the tenth or twelfth of July, and give accounts of pretty good navig- ation from that date up to the first or fifteenth of October. Some seasons have been much shorter. Only one or two longer have been recorded. However, it is believed — and with good reason — that the season of navigation IS much more extended, perhaps during the whole year, but this has not been established. Hencelhe movement to send out an expedition to watch the Straits for one or two years, at the expense of the Dominion Government. Persons who are most enthusiastic about the " immediate construction of the road " should ask tUemselves the question, where is the money to come from until the question of the navigation of the harbor and straits for a season sufiiciently long,to make a road prac- ticable, is iuily settled 7 Now as to the relative merits of the two scnemes above referred to, it is a little unfor- tunate that the Provincial Government, and the supporters of the Dominion Administra- tion, should be arrayed against each other on a question so viially aft'ecting the interests ot the Province. I cannot avoid thinking that this unhappy position is largely due to the over aggressive stand so recently taken by the Hon. Mr. Norquay and his followers. The Dominion Government would not likely oppose the desire of the local author- ities to run the Province into debt on behalf of the Hudson's Bay route. And I suppose they would even meet Mr. Norquay so far as to grant legislation enabling him to do so, but, all the same, it would be none the less objec- tionable on that account. The men who oppose such a useless measure, will have to endure the scorn of the agitators, just now, year, the Hud ery large 8 of the avigation r puccefed- yet been generally 5Ute, they my beirij^ y money ,t naviga- the select uite volu- Dng hopes ion, gives I months' lession ol' to light, y enterinj;: twelfth of od nuvig- r fifteenui •en much have been -and with lavigation uring the tablished. jxpedition years, at ernment. bout the road " where is Liestion of aitH for a oad prac- the two le unlor- ent, and ministra- other on ere.sts ot cing ihat e to the y taken [ol lowers, aid not author- behalf suppose o far as so, but, 8 objec- lien who have to st now, TJIJH AGITATION IN MANITOBA. 8 but, in less than two years, they will receive the thanks of the people of the whole Prov- ince. Let us suppose that the Manitoba Govern- ntentwill be enabled to carryout their supposed desire to guarantee the interest or principal or both, of Hudson's IJay railway bonds, \o the extent of $20,000,000 (lor a less sum with the land grant will not be sulHcientto opeji the route.) What will be the result? At five per cent., even, these bonds will call fur $1,000,000 annually lor interest alone. The land grant may be roughly estimated at 9,000,000 acres. Allowing that this grant would cost the Company nothing, and yield, over and above tlie expenses of administra- tion, $1.50 an acre (which is an estimate much too liigh on one-half the proposed grant) the total product of the lands would be but$I."5,- 500,000. These lands could not be handed over except as the road was completed in sections, and the yield therefrom to the Company while the line was in progress of construction, say for three years, would not exceed $300,000 the first, $500,000 the second, and $750,000 the third year. The oi4iIay of the Company during the three years of construction, assuming that the line could be completed within that time, and ready for operation at the end of the third year, would be $20,000,000. Now, admitting that the Company could discharge its inter- est, construction, and equipment obligations from the proceeds of its bonds and land grant during the three years of construction, its Position for the fourth year would be this : 'he Company would have the earnings of its road and the yield of its land grant with wliich to meet its interest and othrr obliga- tions. For the first year, at any rate, the line could not be expected to more than pay working expenses, possibly not that. Tliere- fore, if the proceeds of the land grant, that year, did not exceed $1,000,000 by a consider- able 8uu, the Government guaranteeing the bonds would be called upon to meet the de- ficiency. From this rough estimate, if the figures are at all within the mark, it will be seen that the Hudson's Bay scheme is eminently practi- cable as a commercial enterprise, that is pro- vided at least four months of uninterrupted navigation are available annually, of which there can be but little, if any doubt. But will some one point out the necessity of the Provincial Government entering into partnership with a Hudson's Bay Railway Company, with nothing to gain except an enormous debt to burden the people for a generation to con^e. The work WiU, there is no doubt, go forward without such partner* ship. But the MacArthur party say that the road must be under Provincial Government control CO prevent its falling into the handH of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. There are few people, it seems o me, who will prefer to trust the local Government rather than the Federal authorities in this matter. Let Parliament prevent by legislation, any pooling or amalgamation arrangements with the Canadian Pacific Railway, and provide alsothattheGovernor-in-Council shall appoint the first President of the Company, such Pre- sident to hold the balance of power between the present contending parlies. It may be that one of these parties expect to control not only the road, but the Local Government as well. If so, we have an ex- planation of their anxiety to transfer the balance of power to Mr. I^orquay's adminis- tration. The same cannot w said, with as much reason, respecting such transfer to the Federal Authorities. II it is urged that, the proposal to make over the road to the Provin- cial Government is in order to secure a guarantee from that quarter, it may be stated, in reply, that no guarantee is required. As soon as the pre.sent companies cease to fight one another, and settle upon a basis of union, or if the Government favor either ot them, with the consolidated land grant, the money will be forthcoming, and the work of constructing the road will go forward, and the people of Manitoba will gain the much needed relief^ by this route as speedily as if the Province had involved itself in a debt of $20,000,000. Northward Extension. The question of the extension of the bound- aries of the Province to Hudson's Bay is an important one. Manitoba must have a port on that great inland sea, and ought to have another at Thunder Bay. There is no doubt whatever of the ultimate extension of the limits so as to take in the former, but it is not likely that the necessary legislation will be enacted the present session, the enlargement is asked, confessedly, for the purpose of enabling Manitoba to grant Railway legis- lation to a Hudson's Bay Railway Company, and the request comes at a time when active operations are about to commence by one or both of the Companies chartered by the Dominion Parliament. If Parliament exten- ded the boundaries of Manitoba to the Hudson's Bay this session, the Provincial Legislature might, if it saw fit, create another Hudson's Bay Railway Gompany,and garaoteeits bonds, TlfK AGITATION IN MANITOBA. and, in that cusc, what would Income of the companies chartero 1 by the Fi'dcrai power, Ti»e Dominion Gov( rnmeiit liaye shown earn- estness in their aid lo tlie Hudson's Bay road, by the extensive land grant given, and it is not lair to suppose t )at they will extend the boundaies of Manitoba, in order to create opposition to the co.npanit's which thev have lielped to create, and heavily subsidized, espe- cially when it is remembered that there is no immediate necessity for the Northward exten- sion. It is but just that the companies already in existence should have a fair trial, and, until they consent to be j)Iaced in the hands of the Manitoba Government the Federal Authorities would not be justified in forcing it upon them : — The Public Lands. Tlie peopleof Manitoba have, on every occa- sion when an opportunity has been afforded, civen expression to the opinion that the un- claimed lands within the Province should be placed at the disposal cC the Provincial Gov- ernment. It would seem that after all appro- E nations of lands in Manitoba made by the lominion Government up to this date are fully satisfied, the remaining sections should be givet. to the Province. Of course the even numbered sections sliould be held sub- ject always to free homestead entry, so that the only object the local authorities can have in obtaining control of them is to facilitate immigration and settlement in the Province. It may be fairly reasoned that these lands could be more advantageously administered by a Government resident in Manitoba. Regarding the odd numbered sections it is quite different. These would be a consider- able source of revenue of which Manitoba stands sorely in need. It was stated a few days ago that the Federal Government had decided to transfer the odd numbered sections to the Manitoba authorities, but a question has arisen in connection with this mctter that has caused considerable discussion. There are those who believe in these lands being re- tained by the Federal Government, ana ad- ministered by them on behalf of Manitoba. It is thought that, as the machinery for their sale and settlement is already in successful operation, it would be unwise to make a cnange. Such persons think that as long as the proceeds of the sale of these lands, less actual outlay connected with administration, are paid over to Manitoba annually, the Pro- vince would be fully satisfied on that point; but I suppose the gentlemen iq and connect- ed with the Local Government who wish to enjov the patronage attached to the adminis- tratfon of Crown Ijands, would not be pleased with the arrangement. It seems to me that a majority of the people would favor the latter scheme, at least until we have an improved Provincial Government. That Mr. Norquay is an obstacle to the public business of Man- itoba is clear enough to those who take the trouble to look into the question. He has done a good deal and is entitled to the thanks of the people for what he has accomplished, but he is unequal to the work now before the Government, and unless he ^ives way to some one '^who will not be constantly vacil- lating and veering with every little wind of agitation, the Province cannot hope for much success in its public affairs. Evils of the Agitation. But I wish to draw your attention to the evils which have resulted from the agitation now pervading Manitoba — evils from wliich the Province will not fully recover for the next live years. And, at the outset, let me say that the direct injury to the North- West from the unfortunate, misguided » gitation headed by the promoters of the Farmers' Con- vention cannot be over-estimated. Our people are crying aloud for the con- struction of the Manitoba & South- Western Railway, and yet they have thwarted every effort which has been put forth to obtain the funds necessary for extending that line. Last summer arrangements were made with a heavy financial firm in Scotland tor the sale of 500,000 acres of land belonging to the grant of the South- Western Company, and an agent was sent out here to make necessary investigations. He reported about three weeks ago, all right as to the quality and location of the lands, but advised against the invest- ment on the grounds that the agitation in Manitoba would stop immigration and impair their value. Here is a direct injury — one that comes home with lamentable force to the settlers of Southern Manitoba. Since then the Company have appealed to .the Dominion Government for aid with which to carry on the extension of that line, setting forth the cause of their failure to obtain money in foreign markets for the rea.sons which I have given. Another instance is found in the almost certain lailure of the promoters of the " Bank of Winnipeg." Last summer negotations for a capital of 15,000,000 for this institution were completed, but the ruinous agitation has TJIK AGITATION tN MANITOBA. 10 wIhIi to e adrninis- be pleased to ine that )r the latter I improved r. Noniuay 208 of Man- bo take the ti. He has tlie thanks oinpliHhcd, now before ives way to mtly vacil- :tle wind of •e for much N. tiou to the le agitation from wliich ver for the pet, let nie North-West d > gitation rmers' '" -' Con- >r the con- th- Western rted every obtain the ine. Last le with a or the sale to the ny, and an necessary iree weeks d location the invest- gitation in ind impair one that rce to the Jince then Dominion carry on forth the inonev in ch I Iiave he almost he " Bank tations for ution were ation has caused the English parties investing the monry to withdraw from the undertaking until affairs in Manitoba have bt'CdUie settled. Tlie Manitoba and North- Western Hallway Company, although pulling along slowly, are so greatly embarrassed in the foreign markets, that they will not be able to exlei\d their line over hall as far this year as ihey would have been in a position to do had not tiie blighting influence of the agitation been felt. hook, also, at the Great North- West Land Company, v 'uit is their position to-day? The stock of the concern has reached a wretchej>ort them in securing that indeiiendenuc and freedom 80 dear to every British subjects." "That, in the oiiini(.ii of the Convention, the burdens laid on the iieojile ol Manitoba are so great that agricul- tural operations cannot be made to yield a fair prolit ; that emigration, before the removal of these burdens, will benefit neither the Province nor the emigrants ; and that this Convention cannot advise emigrants to settle in the Province till lull redress of tlii' grievances com- plained of by this Convention sluill have been obtfiined." The result of all this is plain. The immi- gration to the North- West, so far as this year is concerned, at least, has been totally destroy- ed. The district? south of the international boundary line will reap the benefit, and our own country must suffer at the hands of our own people. This is a circumstance that Canadians cannot well be proud of — one that the ringleaders ol the unfortunate agitation would be heartily ashamed ol, had they leli within their hearts one spark ol loyalty to the Dominion of Canada, or one feeling ol true p atriotism. It is an instance of how completely a set of people can sink their country's goocf in order to promote unworthy political considerations. They tell us their movement is non-political ! non-partisan ! It is the worst kind of political intrigue, and the most damnable party strategy, because it is tactions, fanatical and insurrectionary. God grant that in this hour ol Manitoba's peril, there mny come to the front, men loyal and irue — men who cannot be daunted by the cowirdly intimidations of radical fanatics— j-.ieii who dare to brook insult, and injury if need be — in an effort to deliver the Province from a blight of disloyal agitation, a thraldom of political iniquity. There are men in the very fore-front of the movement — men playing upon the more or less just grievances ol the community — who care no more lor the integrity of Confedera- tion , or the interests of a Canadian nationality, than the wild mob now gathered round Osman Digma at Handoob. I would that they were awaiting a similar fate. That the movement contains a host of honest agitators, there can be no doubt — men who feel and know that they are laboring under disadvan- tages which it is within the power of the Government to remove — men who believe tiiey are acting for the best interests of Manitoba, but tliey have been drawn into a tide of almost insurrectionary agitation started by a class of men who have designs beyond the redress of farmers' grievances, and whoarebeut upon disr 'pting Confederation. Mb. Norquay and the Movkmext. The great difficulty with the Manitoba Premier is that he is neither a policy maker, nor a leader of public opinion. He is rather the borrower of one and the dupe of the other. What lias been his conduct towards this agita- tion ? Simply that of a man who does not possess the decision to support it, nor the courage to speak against it. If Honorable John Nonjiiay had been a man fit to guide the afi'airs of slate in Manitoba, — if he had been possessed of any degree of true courage, — he would have gone to the Convention, and pointed out to them, in a dispassionate man- ner, the grievances of the people of Manitoba, 6 THE AGITATION IN MANITOBA. and the proper methodH to be etiiploycd in obtaining redresH. He would hiiv(^ j^onc further. He would have donounct-d tlie two reHoiutioiiH, whicli 1 huve (juotcd ftbovo, us calculated not only to thwart the prolV-HHcd objectH of the Convention, b)U us directly .*'ni- cidal to the welfare of tiif whole North- West. But a man wlio won either co;iiig to a certain extent upon their jirivilegeias reiiresentiitives of .Manitoba. After discussing the whole ([Ue.stion with him tlie delegates were very much pleased that lit! expressed himself as willing and most anxious to work with tliein in every way. It was then arranged that they should see the Manitoba members and, if possible, prodiuie a. joint menioriaj to be submitted by Mr. Nonpiay. There was a distinct under- standing that the I'remicr would take this course, but at a 8ubse(iuent meeting with him the delegal(%s were niueh disappointed to ilnd that his memorial had be(.n sent in. It was with considerable ditHculty that they aftenvards gathered from him the substance of his memorial, as he had idaced it before the meeting on Monday evening. Although it had been stated that his memorial covtired the ground of the fanners' resolution coni]pletely, yet there was one imptn'tant omission, that of the clause regarding eompensation for lands .sold or used for I'etleral pui'iposes. Tliere was also nothing in his inemorial, introdiictnry letter, or addeiiiliim leganliug l)raiicli lines of railway. The Hjieaker would not express mi opinion as to the conduct of the Manitoba members, hut thought it would be unreasonable that they should be expected to be willing to IjCRomc parties to Mr. Noniuay's failure, ia view of tlie tuauuer iu which he had treated them. I wish to call particular attention to the last sentence in Mr. Purvis' remarks as given above, and to correct him only f)y stating that, notvvilhstuiidim; the tiuinner in which Mr. Norquuy treated them, which was most un- stattsrnanlike, they (the members) continued to give him all th« aid they possibly could, whenever he gave then* an opportunity of doing so. In nearly all of Mr. Nonpuiy's dealings with the Federal (Jovernment, he has been singu- larly unreliable. Take his record in this respect for the past five years, and I will only refer to a few of the salient points. He com- menced in 1H7!), by an agreement with Sir .John that his Government would not m^'ddie with matters of railway legislation until the Central Government's Pacific Railway policy had been nuvlured, but in a few months afK'r he granted railway charters which were after- wards necessarily disallowed. In the beginning of 1H81, when the Syndicate bargain was before Parliament, Mr. Nonpiay moved in the Manitoba Legislature, a resolu- tion, seconded by his then Attorney-General, which was carried, condemning many of tlie provisions of the contract. A few days after- wards his signature headed a memorial to Sir John, signed by over two hundred VVinnipeg- gers, approving of the_Canadian Pacific Kail- way bargain. Later, again, when the Manitoba terms were rc-adjuated, and Mr. Norquay obtained a special grant of $45,000 annually in lieti of public lands, he gave his promise to Sir John " and the sub-comtnittee of the Privy Council that he would not open the public lands question for three years. In less than a year after he was appealing to the Province to be again returned at the head of the Local Government on the question of the immediate acquirement of the unclaimed lands, and followed this by p»"e88ing the claim upon the Government here, a few weeks ago, in violu- tion of his agreement. For this he was suit- ably taken to task by the proper party, and exposed face to lace with those whom he had secured to aid him on the occasion. One year ago Mr. Norquay^ effected the passage of a resolution in the legfslature provid- ing, on behalf of Manitoba, for an Inter-Pro- vincial Conference, or (Convention of Provin- cial Premiers, confessedly for the purpose of re-opening the terms of (confederation, on the retext of getting better terms for Manitoba. he Conference did not take place. This was only one of the many changes in the local Premier's political career. ^ piece of inconsiHtency. He Hubs ribed to the niaifonn ol that convention i^hich reooinm^ <(Ied an immediate re-dintri- bution (it the sectoral seals, with increased ret)reKeiitation for the western portion of Mani- tolia. That platform ur^^eil such re-disiribu- tion previous to tiie general elections, and the Premier ajjreed with the proposition, but notwithstanding this, hi' dissolved the House a few weeks after, and l)rought on the elec- tions, ignoring his eriRagements in regard to increased and equitable representation for the west. I ntigl't mention a dozen other breaches of faith committed by Mr. Nonjuay against the Federal Government, and the people of Mani- toba, but do not wish to stir the already over- turbulent waters of Manitoba politics. Finouiih of his vascilation is known to warrant the statenjeni that his usefulness as leader of the Govern tJient is gone. Some man should be found to take his place, whose engagements with the Federal authorities can be r«died upon, and whose decision and (ori'sight would enable hini to follow one course suiHcienlly long, that his supporters would not have to change their views sfmi-annually in order to keep in line with their leader. The Duty of the Hoim. In conclusion, let me draw your attention to what ought to be apparent to every one, is the duty of the hour. Manitoba's grievances have been greatly magnified antl misrepre- sented. The people are suffering from causes many of which are uncontrollable, such as the frosts of last fall, the general depression of tratle, etc., and these are used as grounds of complaint against the Government, while some of the so-called "demands" nuide by the Convention are not only unjust, but of small concern. For instance, the proposition to extend the boundaries northward, just at this- time, would, if granted, do nothmg to- wards improving the situation, and yet some hot-headed agitators would break u . Confed- eration, had they the power, over this demand. The Province should accept the situation, and put a stop at once to an agitation, the results of which will rest as a curse uuon Manitoba for at least five years. The quicKer it is put an end to the better. Enough dam- age has already been done, surely, to satisfy the wild, unpatriotic ambition of the fanatics, and if our future prospects are not to be wholly destroyed, peace, amity and good will between all parties must be rentored imniediately. H, through the instrumemalitv of the Man- itoba members, the Province obtains, as it probably will ; 1. The odd-numbered sections of unclaimed lands. '1. The c(*nsolidated land grant free, to the Hudson's Hay Railway. .'{. The benefits of an immediate ix|M>dition to Hudson's Ray and Straits, on behalf of the proposed HudHon's Bay road. 4. An increased subsidy, to \w re-adjusted every two and a half years, upon an ap- pro.xiniated population, based \ipon a census every five years. .'). Kxlension of time and liberality to those whose pre-emption payments are now tiue. (). Substantial encotiragement to local rail- ways. If these concessiof s, and perhaps others, are obtained, the people can well afford to be satisfied, in view of the fact that nearly $;{0,0()0,0()0 have been ;; ranted in order to complete the Canadian Pacific within two years. To be sure the *'denianils" I. For control of the school lands, '2. For abolition of impost duties, .1. For indisciiminate c'Jiinection with United Slates railways, to the detrinjent of Camilla, 4. For Hudson's Bay e.\tension, nmy not be complied with, at present; but the school lands cannot be transferred under the circumstancs, and although ttie increase ot duty on agricultural implements last year, was rather a mistake, we should not expect deferential duties in favor of any particular Province. As to the third, the monopoly clause, that is to he wiped out upon the com- pletion ol the Canadian Pacific road, and tlie l)oun(Iaiies will be extended to Hudson's Ba I quite as soon as will lie of een afforded this aiMitional opjiortunity, more throuj,'h the giaces of tlie angel of good fortune thut seems to watch over his jioliti- cal destiny, than through any inclination of the Conven- tion to iiut further faitli in him." Behold, what a change! Five days, how short the period that divides the two positions! O, what a Premier! or, what a Free Pressl or, what politics ! Changing ! Changing ! Ever Changing ! Faith in man is broken ; Pledges making ! Pledges breaking ! This, John Norquay's token. This is not poetry, but one cannot help rhyming over such a burlesque of statesman- ship. The change is not in the Free P7-ess. The iron-willed Grit war-horse at the head of that journal does not change easily. The change is with the Hon. Jolin, the Champion Changer of Canada. He must have led the Free P-ess to believe that he was going to break away from his Tory followers, upon whom he cannot much longer depend for sup- port in any event. And the only wonder is that a man of the editor's experience of the Premier would renew his long-lost confidence in him. But he did so, and has been betrayed, just as all have been treacherously betrayed who have been unfortunate enough to put faith in his political promises. It remains for the Conservative local members to say liow much longer they will tolerate, at the head of affairs, a man whose greatest political energy is always displayed by drifting lazily in a swift current. I am not competent to advi.se, but it seems to me that the Conservative members of the Legislature, both French and English, could not do better than place Dr. Harrison, of Miimedosa, at their head, if he will accept the leadership, and rally round him in the cause of mo