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•971.071
812a
SPEECH
or
MR J. ROYAL,
ON THI
fiXECUTlON OF LOUIS KIEL.
HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH 12th, 1886.
Mr. ROYAL. When I moved the adjoarnment of the
debate last night it was not my intention to answer the
epeech and the ari- uments of the hon. momber for Belleohase
(Mr. Amyot), nor is it my intention to ansirc;
them now. I propose to leavo the hon . gentleman
to the tender mercies of the Minister of Militia, his
old friend, his admired friend, his quondam chief of the
past. However, I cannot allow this occasion to pass
without referring to certain facts the hon. gentle-
man who preceded me, stated yesterday, in the declara-
tion read as made by Mr. Leinieax, to sastain certain
acousatiouB brought against the Government, of having
refused to give him all the allowances he wished to have in
th^ trial that took place at Rogina, during last summer.
That declaration was not taken before a commissioner for
taking affidavits ; it was devoid of all authenticity ; and,
moreover, it was signed by only one of the oonnsel who
undertook tlie defenoe of the prisoner. In regard to that
dooument, which has certainly not the same weight nor
the same authenticity as a sworn declaration, I will read
fW)m the report which has bean distributed, and which
S'ves the proceedings tha^ took .place on the trial at
Bgina between; >h«i'Q9oep' and Riel'.. A\ 'page 9 there is
sn affidavit given by MK Iii!0mieuzna>8af)pbn:;of a motion
asking for a (^c'rt^ki tfolayrfn the prooeedJp^s,: . .
n
60918
P97/.07^
71812 J
"Oamda, )
. Nor^h-WMt TwrltoriM. |
2
THE QUBBN «*. LOUIS RIBL.
''wlffi^V' ffV"? '•■Wicx, Bftrriater, one of the eounnl of Lonii
*2*!r?*. ••«"»«<*» being duly iwoni, depoaeth and aari :
.-♦-.-ii M" **" ***"?•. °' '"?"' towardi the end of the month, he wai
"eSS? ^"®'" *"*•'■*■*•'* 0° »*»>»>f of**"" •ocuied to undeiltake hit
41^* T-5* P*"<»" *•'•. "Mtrocted totause to bj brought to Regina, ewen-
S1,e"Jch bTZ'^deJiS'' '° *" '•''"" '"^°'"' «*•'' "* '«"•"'*
n **i?**V>*^" ^'i?."*^" ■•'o^« referred to are Doctor Francoii Rot. of
^')?lit''.^2"*2' °^"^' of Toronto, and Doctor Vall6e, of Quebeo. ''
r.»-hi? R-Ll^l^^K "♦V^^l'^ belieTee that the .aid witnesiea would bare
!?*„«. **'°w '^y **»■ *'™e, but by reason of mieapprehenslon and
S„t?^A**°M •*'*£•''"* *'°°H"'' ^»»« •»»<* wjtnewea hare failed or hate
°°.*. fel" 1 •?'• *°. ?* P'«""* '" «>••<*«' to K'^o their eridenee.
♦k.»Tk *» ii*n •>« «*P«ri«noe as a counsel and adroeate, he swears
thai the said Drs. Roy, Vall6e and Clark are neoeswirr. materiUand
SjStel^Ti^'t.T'*"'"' H.*"'.^"^""" oftheMC^Sd7i.d,2?ri"r*
fnj to thesJd^tlMoe^T " ""''"« ""***" i-portant 'facte relati
»^nTi!fll*!? '*"P'"**°*^*f"y ^"'"•^«« »•>»* ifa delay of one month is
granted be can procure the said witnesses by going Limself to Quebec
«am2'S">"^*.'jf^ •* ^« "Piration of the sJfd deUj^ the aboJe
" And the deponent has signed.
"»wombeforeme,atRegina.tUs) ^**"'^' " ^' ""■ ^"*'^='^*-
aistdayofJuIy, 1886. J
"(Signed), Dim Watson, Ofer A."
Tlii« affidaTit is fortified by another one signed bj Mr. 0.
iTitraatrick, corroborating in the main the statements of
hw brothw counsel. The only object I have in referring
to this part of the speech made by the hon. member r*lr.
Amyot) last night, is to show that, if the other state-
BMite and argnmento adduced by him are as wanting in
weight and authenticity, they all have little weight indeed.
Md I ean ««ly say that f feel sorry for him. When, daring last
»BMiOD,I had the honor to address you, Mr. Speaker/and
this honorable House, on the subject of the administration of
affaiiBm the North. West, I endeavored to give a brief his-
tory of the Metis population. I then attempted to show
to»t • diatinot niuionality had been formed in the North-
weK Temtones bafore Canada had ever thought of the
existence of the population in that part of British North
▲merioa. - showed also that those people had a title to
♦K J i ^^^^ i*** "^^ granted and given to them by
the Hudson Bay Company, their rule-s, orTjy Lord Selkirk,
who porehased the said territories flpom tbe Hudson Bay
Company. Apa^ frflm. tha title they had to that soil.
®^L_"i-*ff°?^"; ^'^t *« aborigines of that
oountiy, h4iJ .&.-;iaw5Ji riglrf, or, at* least, had •
shftre m the. ji'ght. to. -.the wil-^wr. the /Indians of those
territories. Daring the period that elapsed between the
time when the existence of this distinct popatation was
first noticed, and 1870, when Oanada cot oat of the North-
West Territories the Province of Manitoba, I said — and I
said it with a great deal of pleasare, because it was an un-
known foot to most of my hearers — that this population
was distinguished for its honesty, mild manners .patriotism,
attaohmentto the soil, and a spirit of independenoe and
proudness that were oertainlj to be envied bj other
people. No doubt, with those features they have retained
some of the charaoteristios of their Indian relations. Bat
I had only to recite facts to show that it was due to them
that if Oanada ^as able to-day to take possession of those
vast tracts of country and open them to our civilisation as
well as to the colonisation of Canadians and Europeans, it
was owing to the bravery and courage of the Metis who
kept the country from the Indians. When the formartion
of Manitoba took place those people had been accustomed,
under a rude form of Government, it is true, but a paternal
Government, to exercise political privileges, which, to our
great surprise, contained the very elements of representa-
tive institutions. The council then existing was formed of
representatives of the various portions of the popniattion
then existing on the shores of Bed Biver and the Assini-
boine. My object in referring to-day to what I stated last year
is to show that those people had an undoubted riirht to be
treated by the Canadian Government and by ourselves as a
distinct nationality, in the same way as the Indian popula-
tion had a right to expect to be thus treated by the Canadian
Government. In 1870 those rights were acknow-
ledged by the Canadian Government, and embraced in the
Act known as the Manitoba Act. This Act was pamed
after a movement inaugurated by the population, headed by
Louis Biel, and the acknowledgment of those rights exoited
the wonder of the people in this part of Canada. And if
the unfortunate execution of Scott had not taken place, there
was enough in the movement of the Metis,. headed by Biel,
in order to save their liberties and obtain their rights from
the Canadian Government, to show that those people were
worthy of the privileges and rights that the Canadian
Parliament were granting them. I have named Louis Biel.
I suppose it is not out of place for me to state that the Biel
family is one of the most prominent among the half-breed
population of the North- West. Biel himself has some
Indian blood in his veins from his father, his mother being
of French Canadian origin. Now, Sir, the high intellectual
gifts, as well as a oertain amount of exaltation, seem to be
hereditary in the fiimiiy ; and, Sir, we have only to recall
the writiuga and speeohes made now and then, and certain
of the ao g of that unfortunate man, to know how gifSdhe
S^oi^Kl**^'"*"^- My Frenoh-speiking coIIeaguSTth«
House have wondered more thaVoncJ who wald be the
,^'l5?!:i!f**»<*?^«*t?'?^*'io»» were sent to the newspa^r^
" Marguerite KieL"
-w.wB TTuivH wore B«nt
in Canada, and which bore the name • aarguente KieL"
worj'U^t ^T'T °^ ^"•*°»»' •* ^'^ no wo"derthiH
woman wrote those letters, and they were marked bv el"
«"?f„l«'«jj««« «• well as punV of expre.Son aJd
to hlT«r^-^°''' ?""li-'" *^** ''""''y- devotion also seemed
d?*n j!5*^»*"y- I''.t*>» winter of 1871, when the Oana-
?i! i.«?^P?*7''® "" *^® »>««ck8 of Fort Gwry.
Statist Sinl*^?." T?^"?? «>«»® of th« «ok soldiers. The
Sisters of Ohantjr of St. Boniface had obtained ftom the
TIL. r'Ji^o^^ngtwo nuns, crossed to The hospital on
l^ri?!J5"* ^u°~ two sisters were seen a few minutSs after-
WMds going through the hospital {torn one bed to another
Jttondfnrto^'r*^*^* «*^^'*"' «"^ otherwS. Wnd*y'
J^is Kiel. She was a Sister of Charity, and there
^U,. -K^^K^T.* .*"°''8'» of devotion and Ohristi!
ml^l^'' ^T^l^ >'°« t^o «i«t«' of the doomed
wSlint'^toFnwS''^*'.'*,'lir ^ *^o sick soldiers who
II^/!S. ? *^'* ??'''7 in ISTO. Having said so much as
H«S!l'?P°f*'°M^*^**^**'onorof representing in thiJ
£n'riited\^?L*^**' ?^* nnfortunately. these p^ple have
ifJt thTmoZn? * *'*'^*'° r°?°* of neglect. In feet, Sir,
T hoH-™ ? ® * '^^ remember how the Indians are trwted
JhaJlJ! K^i^if^ ?y^ ^'^^ * o®'**''^ an^ount of propriX
ilthn?.\\'i^*ff ^^^^ *^«" *'««*«» worse than the iK
J te A J'*"''*'^*^"* ''*«' ^° *»^o eyes of those people
Jn^H Se?tLfr-;i!l'°*n*°** P"P««o L Uie IndiaislSok
state {hat ?wT«^'^i"®°'^*'""»«^*- ^ow, Sir, when I
fSii^^ V** .^'^oy "®^«'' were treated with more
?hS^L^ n -^ '^*. Administration which precedS
this one. It is a fact in history that to use th«
words uttered by the right hon. feadJr 'of ^he Govern-
ment, there was a blank in the history of the Metis
a'urand'fh'L'^d'r'; Ttey were igno'^S; lll^'niti^!
t^tJSit . u *^"''°°* '''«^^ were perfectly denied and
triaud ei, w L^'°?.f ^ "«•»* ^ «^«*- They were to be
wSt I hii Lff J'*''*!, ""t" or as Indians. The object of
TerSin St^/K^l "^ ^^ " *o show that these mei had
ZIaiL '^c ^^ ^*»®m8elve8, due to their origin and their
S inf^5,,*''''?5^i° ^*»08e territories. *he iUnhZ
Act only acknowledged the rights of the half-breeds who
were living io the Province of Manitoba. I believe it was
the doty of the Government as soon as this waa shown to
them, to acknowledge the tame rights with respect to the
half-breeds who were living in the North- West Territories,
as with reMpeot to those of Manitoba, becaate they were of
the same family and nationality, they came from the same
scarce, and they were entitled to the same rights. So, Sir,
daring the years of the Administration of the hon. gentle*
man opposite——
Mr. LANDBRKIN.
that period ?
How many rebellions had yoo in
Mr. HOYAL. I shall answer the hon. gentleman in a
few moments ; but I will state now that the rebellion was
caosed hy white settlers who certainly were not fViendly
to this Government.
Mr. LANDBKKIN. Why didn't they hang them ?
Mr. BOYAL. I can show the hon, gentleman that if the
meaning of the word rebellion was taaght among the Metis
it was taaght to them by the Qbbe, and I can show the
hon. gentleman that if revolt against legitimate aathority
was ever inculcated in the North-West, it was through the
Farmers' Union of Manitoba. In 1880 Sir John Maodonald
took the ISrst opportunity he had, in order to bring in a
Bill in this House— he himself, the leader of the Ck>nserva-
tive party, introduced a Bill in Parliament to extend the
same privileges and rights to the half-breeds in the terri-
tories as those enjoyed under the Manitoba Act by the
half-breeds in the Province of Manitoba. Now, Sir, by
that we can ascertain in what party and on what side of
the House there existed a feeling of friendship towards
the half breed population, aod an acknowledgment
of the justice of their cause. As I have stated, from many
causes, some under the control of the Government and some
beyond their control, the acknowledgment and settlement
of the rights of the half breeds were deferred for a certain
nura ber of years. However, I believe that the Government
lost no time in extending the surveys as rapidly as they
could. I think, also, that we can see whether there was
any attempt made, on the part of the preceding Government,
to make haste in order to do justice to that population.
When the half-breed population, or a certain portion of
them, saw that their rights were too tardily acknowledged
they communicated with the Government, and At last they
wanted to have from the United States a m^n whose name
they thought would be a warning to the Govsramsat sad
Tb« •giUtion then wSiminoilV* i*^ """^ °''^"^7/ »8W.
within ooMtitaUon^tS^ 'Jt Tf *;• •«*t««on1/mit«i
doriiW th. trial .t BeiSi^*^.' ^u ?'/'*'* '^" *«''<»^
whether ^ oSin ^^^^ff^^T^^ -ttlem, (XnoS
"olveg, bj their nature and SSl * J»lf-bree(6 them-
desired tj confine the SiStL w ru**"^" ^•PPy "'npWoity,
They had ereiytbC^K o?hIi-- ° °°S?''^«tr»'^'»i^
what has been Vd and writtln .Tlf*! ,?^«*t7*^y l^-ow-
■etUementa. Sev«Ui flnnT- u^° *'^°' *^« ^"noe Albert
there within a firy^JJ^'SC* r'''''*''" ^•^ -Prang op
condition, and moJt S' 4U ^/"*" ''«'« in « hJppv
the Province of Min?tob^*"lJ*^^°«.«'"i«"'ted ffo^^
money which they had T^iid^f^ri?* with them
property. These peoole ^IJ^ a ^'^ "^« °^ their
well wLat was likSfy to SrJ^ understand perfectly
of wMlion should £raYJB?'~^J*^ *^» Sandard
farther delays S tSJ^ L- ?"'' "nfortanately, gome
feeling in thJ? qwrte? !^h ,L^'°^ Aggravated the'^'^mbUo
which is know2 by^^"ei S.n^ e^entt the oharaSrof
Now, on the 4th of 511^^1885 F^i""***! !." **»" ^<»°»«-
telegram from the^enimSt f^^^'.^^Jf^ 'eoeired a
question was settledXt tE> k«iJ.i?*'"2'°« *"""» <»>•* the
Aeir «rip,andrhSVhei' XSto .£^ y~reto«celv
they should oomi>Iv with «i-* • '•nonld issue as soon as
fcei tbat thiSli have S2? »£?"'!"?»"• ^^'^^^^
tion, if it had not been T h.fT ""S^^nt to stop all acita-
mi«ds of thrha?f:b™3s bJ «S?in''^'* ^*"*" poi«OD«3rthe
no authority in a SS^m Jlif * **? ^^"^ **>" thew was
. ^«brioatediif .n%ldXe?fec\or o<^^^^ ^
pany, a man of irreat rirmf-*- .^^ Hudson Bay (^nj.
of t6^ country; CienTctrS "'^^dingin t/at pa7t
Maerted to Father And. 4 .nrf' ^"^ "ot very imprudeitly
very well what would biSi ^n**™' ****"•" *^»' »»« ^new
that was sent tT Ottawa ld*?hT'*K^ J»*.'*«' P«««<>n
receivingeorip would «,!^i„^E*A** ^^^ Metis, instead of
i^-g patents wffi^e^r60e.o&^' *^J".^
must not be atWbX to L^fe Y*"' *«» «»«gs
whose mission seSmi to «^.* but to white min
by it, md wbS Td SS. £ to^nfc^S? ^V ^«W g»in
people and to wevent tK.^ to ptneon the minds of these
telegmm. -Se^STbeWon J^t ?r"* V^^ °"^«°o« to that
It i?nat for Z ZrllTt^^ £l'S,* ^'"^ ^T afterwards,
daring the six weeSVh J^iT^u^*^*"** **»■* took phoe
"' »*y. 1 can only say that nothing justified
BomethiDg of the trial that took nJiL TBtILi^^*^
to th« prijjadioes of tbo Orowa ooudbS or wJi'. ^ ^^1*
from th.m. waa not d^VjS ' '"^ ' ''«'^* '« "P««
Some hOD. MBMBBHS. Hoar, hoar
iaS ;Ttf .^^ ^*'«\^ ' fr^-d oV^e^^^^^^^
was a Gatbolio jaror who Drmant»H k.-JlTi/ n ■^****
of fturn«M miut not be Rtti.iK7.V!!? ♦ *l ^^ ^''•* '^•"'
Anotker incident wKJ«k » °'J^*^ ^ ^*'« ^^overnment.
with more wisdom, more liberal' Z^t §^^ *'*^* •«*«*
toeandleMdi«5rimS2?on Nowrn »**J^"P" "»°" i"»-
proverbial gene.j;?tyaSchiTt;S^;Tth^^^
with whi^Xc ?pin?o?^z;:t2%r"''"'^^- "»*>^^^«'t
oonatitated himwrtrchfeTrf .^~??.^* «»»» ^»>o
perhapa, but oertainlv not L«„!ii?P'''**'^°' wgle«rted
^ich haa BomrS^a/blSSd SlT "i^ T^l* popilation
ae we. I do not a>ndemn^ i!l''^'°*l l" '*»« "™« ^^Jth
it was only thTeS^wSL^of . Tm"** ^"^ ' »>«"«^e
preaentinftaalh^^^hoJ^' S°*»'!~°«^^ «<* re-
and CaihSc poDulItion of ?S?iii'*?* the Frenoh-epeaking
often feitSsru x^i*?' ^:"«^
have derived fi^rthe «Si^fr±*«"^ advantages I
Hooae. Bttt rsabmitt'--?^ ^**' "^ oompatriota m thin
sai, saomitt„,» ^uawBBpi wiiioh waa made to make
this movement neryo politioal purposes, without ooosideriiiff
> the fe^rftil consequences that would thereby recall to the
u^ °' ^* minority, Ih deserving of severe censure.
iniJlIiiSyVu^'SiL ••.. "^'"^^f^ ^y ■o"* of '^ «»>>•'■. had
!J2Sr«!iJ:*r ^^no^-P^king popuUtion of Unlay would
HUnd perfectly isolated from the rest of the popuIaUon in
^^^*Ti i** l** privileges for ever, and this lose the
conatitutional advantages given to it by 40 years at least «f
efforts and loyalty to its political friendi. In this connection.
i„?»°T«if' Pi!^®** ^^ ^^fr^y '**• gratitude I feel at the con-
duct of the three Prenot-speaking Ministers in the Cabinet
who bad patriotism, soul and heart enough to resist the
pnslaght of public opinion excited at the moment and call-
ing on them to resign. When the ship is in danger, and
the storm raging, it is not the time for the pilot to deiert her
In connection iprith this movement, which was nothinir else
but an exaggeration of a noble and chivalric feelioir. a
senUment of humanity, I must say the minority should
acknowledge th-* fair treatment which has been and is
beinff extended to us by the majority of the population
of Canada. It is true that we, the minority, have not
always been able to obtain all we wanted; and in matters
of opinion, we have had in many instances to sub-
mit to the rule of the majority; but who can say that
tne majority has not loyally admitted the minority to share
with th«m the sum of the advantages which result from our
constitutional liberties? In what country in the world
will you find a French minority, will you find a Catholic
minority, as free, ujtrammelled, and as respected as we are
in Canada, although the majority has not with us, in com-
mon, either language, aspirations or national genius; and I
Mtt sure that our fnends of the majority will agree with us.
that justice, tolerance and respect for vested rights are the
only basis of the greatness of a naUon. Jt Becomes the
majority to respect the sentiments of the minority, and if
this minority la very sensitive, you must not forget that its
sensitiveness IS due to the fact that it feels that it is a
minority. The agitation that took place last fall, the
threats uttered every day in some of the leading Ontario
newspapers, caused, to the populaUon in Manitoba and the
worth- West Temtones, the most grievous anxiety. You
most remember, Sir, that this population are living 1.600
miles from here, and they wore alarmed lest the policy of
a national coalition would prevail, and the rights, orivileies
and even the existence of tlie minorities in Manitoba and ihe
?an^tKK^*'"^?'J?' ^ ■^'^v^^*' we saw, on tJie other
handi that the agitation m Quebec was being worked to the
advantage of party, and threatened tocause essential interests
snaideriBg
•alt to the
« oansare.
)hiefa, had
lav would
tamtion in
M loie the
at least ^f
mDeotioD,
\i the oon-
e Oabinet
reeist the
and call-
oger, and
leaert her.
biog else
Miog, a
'7 should
n and is
opnlation
bave not
matters
to sub-
say that
to share
from our
le world
Oatholio
B we are
in oom-
b; aod I
with us,
are the
mes the
7, and if
that its
It It is a
:all, the
Ontario
and the
i^. You
ig 1,600
olioy of
vileges,
and the
le other
d to the
aterests
to be lost sight of entirely. The object of this apparently
harmlesa motion is nothing else : it is but a pretest to make
the condition of affairs worse. Ito object is to draw us away
fbom our allegiance to a cerUin platform, to oertoin prinol.
pies, and to throw us into the armH of another party with
which we have nothing in common. Should the motion of
the hon. member from Montmagny (Mr. Landry) be car-
ried, the consequence would be a change of Government,
a chanae of principle, and an entire change of programme.
lL!t'*l: yo« ^on^Pare the programme of th„ party fn power
with that of the party in opposition in the past, if you
can foretell the ftiture by the experience ofthe past
I ask what should any man do who han at heartthe
interests of his country? We know there is a lack of
sincerity on the part of the hon. members of the Opposi-
tion, which IS not very astonishing, for we have foundthe
same thing in every grave question that has arisen
in our political atmosphere. We know that before the 16th
November the Gbbe was all for execution, and we know
mC y^.T°?**®/*^^*"°*^'**''*8™*deaflerthat fktal day.
The (?to6e had not epithets enough to heap upon the heacU
of Cabinet Ministers for the execution of Kiel. Sel
who, according to the fiery languaire of that nRnar'
& *'*Klf 'L^^i!!."^*^^'' ^'^ •^•handed aid K:
Nn^iiw 't."^ become nearly a &mb after the 16^
fll^tu^ •» Itisa mty the same amount of sympathy
exhibited after that (fate by hon. gentlemen opp