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 THE 
 
 PROVINCIAL PARLIA9IENT 
 
 or 
 
 NOVA SCOTIA, 
 
 US 
 
 POWERS m nmim mmim, 
 
 WITH 
 
 EEFLECnONS UPON THE CONDUCT OF THE COVERNMEM" LED 
 
 BY SECT VAIL, WHO MOVED THE " PREVIOUS QUESTTONl" 
 
 ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 19, 1872, IMMEDIATELYi 
 
 AT THE CLOSE OF THE SPEECH OF 
 
 LEADER OF THE OPPOSmON IN THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, WHO 
 HAD MOVEb THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION : 
 
 Rbholvk.d, That a (''<nnm'>H^e of thi.< llcyuse, vnth pover t,j .v,>»^y /<./• ftergotn cW 
 ^taptrs, 6« a.pp<nnied to enquire into and ri>port upon th* paynv^nt of $6,riU.!*4 to hobrr* 
 Boak, ,fv)ir., in, the year 1869, and h^>w thA naid sum v,v^ nrfynndM; atul alsc, into the 
 a-pproprintwu ard erpenditvre of $3,000, authorized to b* t.rpemM o?. PJaistcr Cove, 
 iVkarf: avJ that such paprrs a» ha-i-e hf^n laid t/pon the t-able nf thf Hi/Mif !«• referred to 
 
 COHOIaUDINa WITH 
 
 MR. BLANCHAllDS SPEECH. 
 
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PRO VINC I AL P AEI.I A MEIS T 
 
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 OF NOVA SCOTIA 
 
 ITS POWERS AND PRIVILEGES 
 
 -«♦♦- 
 
 I 
 
 I N T ROD! JC'IX )R Y. 
 
 " FrecJoiii ot' speech in i'arli;imeut,"' says a 
 nodern essayist, *' is .lu essential part of the 
 liberties of Englishmen. It was guarantecl by 
 .he bill of rights.'— 7o(i'i'« Pari. (.'or. 
 
 BuBKK says, ' it is their privilege," speaking 
 of the Ho'ise of Commous, 'to interfere by 
 autboritativc a^lvicc and admonition upon every 
 ft'-.t of Executive Government without exception. 
 —Russ. Eng. Con. p. 161. 
 
 "It is constitutional and a^'reeablo to usage 
 for the Hou«e of Commons to Icclare their sense 
 »nd opinion respecting the exercise of every di- 
 KuretioQary power which, whether by act of Par- 
 liament or otherwise is vested in any body of men 
 whatsoever for the public Bcrviee.—/'ar^ Hist. 
 ,f>l. xzir. pp. 534, .571. 
 
 " That the House had a constitational power 
 of enquiry into the conduct of every department 
 of the Government with a view either to censure 
 or punishment, was unqaestiouable. And when- 
 ever a case was ma^ie out strong enough to war- 
 rant a eospicion of abuse, that deserved either 
 censure or punishment, he should ever hold it 
 to be the indiBp<;neable duty of the Iloose to 
 procee<i to enquire." — PUt, Prime JUin. 1788. 
 
 And Mr. Fox, on the same occasion remarked 
 " that it was the constitutional province, aua the 
 mdoubted duty of the House, to watch over the 
 Bxecutivp departmtnt«, and where they had 
 ':ause to suspect abuse, to institute an inquiry 
 with a view either to censure or puniahment," — 
 Pari. Hist. vol. xxvii. pp. 277, 281. 
 
 And so late as 1863, Lord Derby declared it to 
 !'e a position which could not be gainsaid, " that 
 • very act done by the responsible ministers of the 
 Orown, having any political significance, ia a fit 
 Hubject for comment, and if necessary for censure 
 in either House of Parliament." And Earl 
 Russel cnt'rely coincided in this doctrine. — Han- 
 •card's Dfhatex, vol. clxxi. pp. 1720, 28. See 
 May Con. His. vol. 1, p. 468; and aleo Todd's 
 Purl. Govt. vol. 1, pp. 253-4. 
 
 Such .ire the- autJiorities that underlie this 
 fjuestion— tlie viglit of [Mirliameni to inquire in- 
 to all matters that concern the public service, or 
 the conduct, of any govcri'Uicnt. \V ithout such a 
 right clearly and distinctly defineil, the control 
 of the Commons over the Executive Government 
 would be a myth indeed. 
 
 But, says -Mr. Secretary Vail, the act calle^l in 
 question by the tbrcgoing reijolution— the pay- 
 ment of the sum of $6710.94, if wnjng, was done 
 during the existence of the late parliament, and 
 had the iianction of the Government of that day. 
 Admit that to be so, does it justify the preeeat 
 House 0* Assembly and the present Govemiocat 
 — among whose members are several who them- 
 selves were parties to the act — in refusing an 
 investigation -nto the circumstances under which 
 so ilagraul; au outrage was perpetrated! Wheaoe 
 and from what source, and with what sanctka, 
 let us now eniiuire, is this slavish doctrine t)t 
 the first time propounded to a British people ■' 
 Is there any Statute of Limitations which pro- 
 tects or shelters the public minister who unau- 
 thorised puts his hand into the public Treasury 
 and deliberately abstracts the people's money '< 
 When, in England, an emergency suddenly arises 
 which requires such a stretch uf power, one of 
 the &rst acts of the Government when Parlia- 
 ment meets, it is well known, is to proourt' a 
 " Bill of Indemuity,^'' for such an act. But 
 Vail and his colleagues smile at, if they d«nt 
 despise, such an old fashioned doctrine as that. 
 They tell us, that no subsequent Parliament lx»n 
 the constitutional authority to inquire into thp 
 acta of a preceding Pailiament, or of the QoTcrn- 
 
 f 
 
PauVINCIAL iVtRI. iXKKT. 
 
 raCBt that then proTailed iu tho coantrj. Had 
 the late election placed the present Opposition in 
 • Bajoritj, instead of u minority, what would | 
 Muoh an argument then have availed? Is it no- 
 thing that the minority of owp in 1871 — so soon 
 aa the people hod had time for partial reflection, 
 i^dd<4nly l)ccame a minority of 14 ^ la it not a* 
 ;iiODg the possibilities now impending that that 
 muBority, if a general election occurti in the mean- 
 time, will long belorc 1875 become a majority 
 competent to deal with a class of men who claim 
 that " might is right," and act up to it — who be- 
 caaee they can command a majority in the 
 {loose, deny the right of any minority, or of a 
 subsequent parliament, to inrestigate, much less 
 >->enflure, the acta of a former parliament or Oo- 
 verament ? We uhaJl see 
 
 Engliph Parliaments hold a very different doc- 
 trine from that here propounded, as we shall 
 n«w proceed to show. Turn to May's Coiwtitn- 
 tioaal History of England, toI. 1, p. 383: there 
 W6 find that in the year 17G8 Wilkes was elected 
 for Middlesex, and by a majority tote was ex- 
 pelled from the House of Commons. Lord Ghat, 
 ham, in au erer memorable speech on the 9th 
 Jaaaary, 1770, moTcd a resolution denouncing 
 tLe proceedings of the House of Commons, and 
 deelared that " they had betrayed their consti- 
 ;aent8. and violated the O'Onstitution." The 
 ntotion was negatived, just as this motion of Mr. 
 Btanchard'A has been negatived. It certainly 
 was, wc are ready to admit, no personal merit 
 ^»f Wilken that evoked such Htirring dennneia- 
 sioa, ending as it did in the breaking up of the 
 Ooke of Grafton's administration. 
 
 But what followed » Wilkes was again re- 
 turned member for Middlesex, and took h\a seat, 
 and now in this neto parliament he moved " that 
 the Resolution which had declared his incapac- 
 ity, be expunged from the jonmals as subversive 
 of the rights of the wholo body of electors." On 
 that occasion he secured 171 votci^. and among the 
 names were those of Seargcant Olynn, Sir George 
 ^faville and Mr. Wedderbum. 
 
 He renewed this motion in 1776, in 1777, in 
 1779, and in 1781. At length in 1782 on the 
 third of May he propostid it for the last time 
 and with signal eucoeas. The motion prevailed 
 bj » triumphant majority of 68, and by order 
 df the House. " all the declarations, orders, and 
 roMlations, respecting the Middlesex election 
 wore expuoged from tine joamals. w bMag eu\>- 
 
 versive of the rights of the whole body of elec- 
 tors of the Kingdom." 
 
 Now Mr. Vail, and those into whose hands 
 this little pamphlet may fall, listen to what 
 Mr. May, one of the ablest writers on Parlia- 
 mentary history, hae left on record in connec 
 tion with this memorable event. "Thus," says 
 May, " at length this weary contest was brought 
 to a close. A former House of Commons too ea~ 
 ijiT in ih vfngtance (mark the language) had 
 exceeded its powers, and now a succeeding Par- 
 liament reversed its judgment. Thi? decision of 
 1782 stands out as a warning to both Houses to 
 act within the limits of their jurisdiction, and 
 in strict coaformity with the laws. An abuse of 
 privilege is even more dangerous than an abuse 
 of prerogativ:. In the one case the wrong i» 
 done by an irresponsible body, in the other the 
 ministers who adviaed are open to censure and 
 punishment. 
 
 Here we have the whole constitutional 
 doctrine, as to the rights of parliament. 
 settled; and for about a hundred years it has 
 never been called in qaeetion — ne'ver till this 
 luminary, the member for Digby, with his pliant 
 mijority in little Nova Scotia, gives it a flat de- 
 nial. " Dressed in a little brief authority," such 
 men as the Provincial Secretary may propound, 
 and perhaps enforce for a time, his dangerous 
 and unconstitutional dogmas, and a servile ma- 
 jority may inconsiderately bock him up for a 
 while; but his fast waning influence already casta 
 its shadow before — full surely indicating the 
 hasty oolIap(;o of an organixation sustained by 
 such unsubstantial principles. 
 
 Just as surely as Wilkes persisted until he 
 established the principle that u subsequent 
 House of Commons had the right to review the 
 acta of a preceding one, and to condemn and 
 expunge them if necessary, just so surely at 
 some not at all remote day, the constituencies 
 of Nova Scotia will be represented by statesmen 
 who will vindicate their rights, and expunge 
 from the Journals of the Assembly the entries 
 connected with this high handed unparliament- 
 ary proceeding. No one need doubt that seesion 
 after session this ^ueation will be raised, and 
 Mr. Secretary Vail will be required to keep \m 
 fbllowers in severe training if he i« able to ward 
 off sucoeasful inquiry, until the next General 
 Election. When the Government, and Mr. Vail 
 as leader in the Assembly, at a suooeeding see- 
 
ITS i'OWXRB AND TBI VILXOSfl. 
 
 RioD undertake to gnpple with thia queotiou, 
 Ihe public inrill require a higher warrant than 
 the bald, unsupported ouertion of a uan bo re- 
 cently emerged from obscurity as the present 
 Provincial Secretary, lo coHvinue them ths'.the 
 HooBC of Assembly in the present year has no 
 right or authority tn examine int«i the proceed- 
 ings of the House and ExecutiTe Government of 
 the past season. A deep and an ever-increosin^i,' 
 Interest has already attached to this proceeding, 
 and the principle it involves, that will not be 
 stifled outside the Provincial building, by mov- 
 ing the " Previous question," no raatter what 
 outrages upon the Constitution unreasoning ma- 
 jorities may arrive at within. Mr. Vail may 
 at once begin to reconcile himself to the task of 
 meeting this matter squarely, when it is next 
 moved. He will then be sailed upon for , 'n au- 
 thorities in opposition to those cited above, and 
 be required to explain why rights so dear to 
 englishmen, ro persistently battled for, so gal- 
 lantly won by their representatives for the people 
 of England — are not to be enjoyed by Nova Sco- 
 tlans, who have hitherto supposed they inherited 
 them in common with other highly prized p'i- 
 vileges — the birthright of Britons ? 
 
 But during all the debates embracing that long 
 period >>etween 1708 and 1782 there is no record 
 to »how that the Government of that day ever 
 even attempted to silence the troublesome mem- 
 ber for Middlesex and his ever increasing minor- 
 ities by moving " the previous question." 
 
 But lay all these precedents aside and look ut 
 the naked question, as it presents itself, with the 
 eye of common sense. T17 it by this simple test, 
 and no reasonable Iwing can refuse to yield to the 
 conviction that Vail's excuse, — that the present 
 House couldn't, and ought not to, discuss, much 
 less undo, what a tbrmer House or Government 
 did — was of the most flimsy character. "Logically 
 pursue" his argument and see whither it will lead 
 you. Trace back Mr. Vail's short parliamentary 
 career and see how inconsistent he can be with 
 himself If his theory be a aorrect one, then let 
 as ask what right has this Legislature to discuss 
 the utility of any Law passed by a previous Log- 
 ■"lature, or in a previous Session — and a fortiori 
 what right would any Legislature have to repeal 
 any, even the most injurious and absurd Law 
 which a former Legislature may have thought 
 proper to enact ? We venture to assert that at 
 every .Session since Mr. Vail obtained a seat in 
 
 the House, son^e Ijkw sanctioned and tulopted b^ 
 a former Legislature has been discussed, often 
 modified, and perhaps wholly repealed, and that 
 he was a party to it, and never moved " the pre- 
 vious question." Take Mr. VaiKs view of thf 
 doctrine, which ho by his servile majority forced 
 upon the Opposition , and let ut /isk him wha' 
 right )iad he, or bis late party, to send dele^ia- 
 tions across the Atlantic to a.^k the Imperial 
 Parliament to undo what they I. .id formerly 
 adopted; aud repeal the '♦ British North America 
 Act 1867"' Again suppose Mr. Vail or Mr. 
 Annand j-hould some day be attainted of " Uw< 
 Tkkaso.s " — innocently of course we moan — how 
 would he appreciate the application of the "pre- 
 vious (question " on a motion to repeal tlic attain- 
 der, in a subsequent House, (0 prevent disousMon 
 on the groumi that that was the act of another 
 Parliament — and therefore, according to the ugly 
 precedent he himself had e3tabiishe<i, it wa.s not 
 the Province of a succeeding Legislature to deaf 
 with it. 
 
 And here it must ]>e explained to the general 
 reader what the " previous <iuesticu " meLvis, — 
 There is a rule in tlieKnglisli Parliament as there 
 is here, and in all other Omntries where consti- 
 tutional Government obtains, whereby if a minor- 
 ity determine to abuse the liberty of free debate, 
 and persist in a concerteti schenu', .iftcr a (jueation 
 has been fully aud fairly argue<i out, to prevent 
 a decision being arrived at, — there is what if 
 oallol " the previous question." and which io en- 
 forced by any member rising and moving " that 
 the question be now put." This seconded, 8top« 
 all further debate, and compels au immediate 
 division of the Assembly. There is no doubt but 
 it is a wholesome restraint upon a factious minor- 
 ity, who have exhausted not merely all urgimeat 
 applicable to the "subject of debate, but all r?ft- 
 »)r.able patience as well. 
 
 it is rarely resorted to however. It wa>< never 
 moveil in any Parliament. British or (Colonial, 
 belore under circumst^mecs such .ls existeil when 
 
 Secrctaiy Vail movel it on the ilay of March, 
 
 187-. No record can be found of any such abuse 
 I by a majority, of ''the previous (|UPHtiou " in any 
 I .Tournal of any Parliament, British or Colonial. 
 1 No instance where, ilebato was stifled at its very 
 inception by such a motion; so gro.ss an out- 
 rage was never before perpetrated in a civiiiwid 
 Country. Admit, if you choose, that Vail was 
 not much versed in Parliamentary loiT ; that he 
 
i 
 
 6 
 
 PBOVINCIAL PABLIAMBNI*. 
 
 won mncere in thinking that it was not ootnpet^nt 
 for this present House to rcTicw the conduct of a 
 pr«vioas Hoase, or ita Coramitteftt, jet who cAn 
 eiouso him or his QoTcmment, for this unexam- 
 pled outrage upon n Parliamentary Opposition 
 who had not opened their lips, nor given expren- 
 sion even to one sentiment in connection with 
 the Resolution submitt(xl by Mr. Rlanchard Is 
 this freedom of debate"' 
 
 It ia true in the present instance he had n 
 majority of 10 or 11 at his back; in 1871 he could 
 have commanded •'!2or ''i'-', but if he had but one. 
 nay, if it liiul boon a tie, and ypeaker Troop had 
 been called upon for his costing vote, und he had 
 voted with the Ciovt. (iia th^re is littlt- doubt he 
 would) the dobate was ended. A majority of one 
 on the "previous question" iiiove<l iaas effective 
 to i<;ag the minority and defeat all debate aa u 
 majority of two-tliirds of the Housel 
 
 Now tlieieisno excuse, none can be given, that 
 could wan-ant so unjustifiable, so outrageous, so 
 indecent, so wanton an exercise of arbitrary pow- 
 er as characterized the Government in the House 
 of Assembly on tlie occasion referred to. The 
 power the Constitution placed in their hands 
 to prevent the minority from abnuiiii/ the liberty 
 of debate in Parliament, the Government tkcm- 
 ielvet abused in a manner inexcusable and unex- 
 ampled. 
 
 There is not a town meeting in Nova Scotia, 
 nor a vestry meeting, nor a CoHrt of Sessions — 
 there is not a debating Club, nor a Temperance 
 Society, wiiv;re, if, when a speaker had tabled a 
 resolution, an opponent were to practise so un- 
 worthy a stratagem to shot the mouths of those 
 about to advocate it, and thereby stifle all discus- 
 sion — but theory of Shame ! Shame ! would burst 
 forth, on every side. And is Parliament to be 
 the only exception ? Is it there alone that all 
 sense of honour and manliness and fair play is to 
 tie repressed, and the greatest intolerance and 
 Injustice to be given full scope by a perverse and 
 unscrupulous Provincial Secretary, aided by an 
 obae(iuious majority. Are the young men of Nova 
 Scotia to be told at this day, and by this Mr. Vail, 
 that if the Opposition in Parliament hereafter 
 table resolutions which it would be inconvenient or 
 unpleasant for him to debate, allthut is necessary 
 to be done is to move the " previous question." 
 
 So cowardly an evasion of the responsibility 
 ♦hat attaoli to Ministers of the Crown was pro- 
 brobably never before evinced. What ! Crush 
 
 out, cruelly trample down the God-given princi- 
 ple of rea.«on, of debate by a resort to so dastardly 
 a dodpfe as this ? fltranule a discumion on so vita', 
 a question befbrc the Seconder of the resolutior. 
 had commenced his addn'ss 1 It was an insult to 
 every elector in Nova J^/<.otia. Had the Govern- 
 ment no case, no facts, no arguments to oppose to 
 this attack'.'; or had they no adxocntes who could 
 state their defence and make out a justification 
 for wl ' they had done, wit!) which the Country 
 would 1)0 satisfied? Where was the Attorney 
 General on this memorable occasion ? Were all the 
 Government supporters destitute of " minds of 
 their own?'* "Dumb dogs" everyone of them — 
 but Vail : — and we have shown what his defence 
 Wii.«— the "previous question," and that only 
 
 Never before did a politician make so grand a 
 mistake ;\s Mr. Vail the day he decided to drag 
 his majority through such a slough, and cover 
 hif ■ " ' them with .such richly ineritcl odium. 
 Will It be imagined for a moment even that tho 
 veteran sires of the sturdy generation of young 
 men who are so soon to wield the destinies of this 
 Country — that those veterans who have witnessed 
 the fierce on.slaughts of a generation who have 
 mostly passed away — and the soul-stirring repul- 
 ses with which these were met by their opponents, 
 when debates ran high in that old House of Par- 
 liament, and nobody ever heard of the " prcviou.s 
 question " — think you, we repeat, that either far- 
 thers or sons will be satisfied that such degeneracy 
 shall at this period of the Country's history be 
 palmed off upon their intelligence for acts of States- 
 manship? Many, still surviving, remember the field 
 days of former times when Uniacke, Huntington 
 and Doyle, and Stewart, of past renown, and 
 Johnstone and Dodd, and Howe and Voung, and 
 others of present fjime, with galleries and lobbies 
 crowded to excess, held Halifax audiences spell- 
 bound whole nights, — and the press forthwith 
 with wind-like wings, as it were, carried the 
 echoes of the stirring debates to the remotest 
 sections of the country. Would Uniacke, or 
 Huntington, or Johnston, — Howe, or Young, or 
 Tupper, have moved the " Previous question," 
 before the debate was foirly opened, meanly to 
 shelter themselves from thrusts — no matter how 
 trenchant they would have been, and no matter 
 how formidable or well aimed — threatened by 
 their opponents ? No, they were above such an 
 act. They would have gone down, would have 
 succumbed to an adverse vote, would have cheer- 
 
IT«t t'OWBAA AND PaiVtLXf.Xf. 
 
 fully acccptrJ a dUsolution ; tUaoa oven— »ny- 
 thing at all Imt a resort to the " Previou'* .jucs- 
 lion." No man but AV. U. Vail was* ever fi>unJ, 
 or ever will again l)c fcunil, in this country, 
 Btaniling liigh-pricat Hi mmnblc ami .iabbiir bis 
 incantfttiunfi while he sacrificed the denrcdt rights 
 of our oorunioti country, nnd denied the prifilejre 
 of speech, or of being liejird. to the pfirliaiiientiiiy 
 opposition. 
 
 And wiiy .' Lest the wrttclied an.i iihuttore'l 
 covcrinj? wh'.rli lialf hidea one of thi* niostwickeil 
 oiitragcfi ever committe<l ujion the public reTe- 
 nucs of a free country, should be torn from their 
 bhouMers, auil tl,'' Anuundi-, an 1 Vaild .lud 
 Boaks of the tluie should have Iwen exposed, like 
 the i'aniijiiuiy thieves oJ New York who 
 plundcrcvl tlieir city trtatury, ,ind hehi up to 
 public oxecvatioii. 
 
 The " Previous (juestion "' lias, for the proioiit. 
 operatctl to respite the guilty horde who dare not 
 let the sunshine of argument aud ren.fon pene- 
 trate the dark recesses where thi.> -cueme for 
 plundering the publio treasury was j Ictied Uut 
 5t affordn only respite — nothing more Public 
 opinion will take no such prt)cec<ling a- that as 
 satisfactory, when the charge is that the public 
 treasury has beeu unlawfully invaded, aud that 
 by the very men who are aworn to protect it. 
 
 Before twelve months elapse, this resolution 
 will be moved again in the siame place, and again 
 and again if need be, till the right prevails — till 
 
 I the majesty of the frcc<iom of speech, and liberty 
 of debate, are once more vindicated in the 
 halls of our N >vft Scotia Parliaruent. 
 
 Po^.til *r there luayJ* -onic excuse tw be urged 
 on behalf of tho-^e constituting liie tnajority i»n 
 that division— tho.^0 who now for the first time 
 sit in Psirliataent. 'I'hey may not have iipprecia- 
 ted the re.'<pon.Hibilitj , uur very i;U'ftrly liave fore- 
 seen the conswiuenots to lesult from sucii an act 
 of tyranny, and of fully Piut what e.tcuse can 
 be urged for Morri.-'on, for hesIlrLsay. f/r Atty- 
 Genoral Hmitii. Hobert.'^on and one ^r two otheri 
 who clapped tlieir hands ard clieeri'd when they 
 foolishly imagined the minority wa:- forever anni- 
 hilate^l l;y this clever trici; of tlieir artful Secre- 
 tary ' 'i'iiey knew, every nan of them full troll, 
 that this wa.H a detidly Mow aimed at the consti- 
 tutlcn aud liberty of the Conntry. That Consti- 
 tutional (lovornmeut could not esi-t without a 
 Parliamentary oppu-^ition, and that ua opp<jsiii<'U 
 could not breathe in an atiuosphere so |)olluted, 
 .10 fetid as that where the wave of a Masters ban! 
 summon; his willing vass^al.-? tv hi.iaid.and by 
 means of the "previous 'jUestion" enables him to 
 silence controversy, evaite cen?ure,defycxpo.sure 
 and avoid the punislnnent due ij atrocious guiit 
 — and all within tlie sacred walls of Parliameat 
 itself. 
 
 But tlie reader ha.>i already to<i long been de- 
 tained frotn the luxury of reading a speech which 
 re(|uire? no eulogy here — a.id speaks for itself 
 
 to 
 
% 
 
 PBOTIXCIAL I'AltMAMBNT. 
 
 MR. BLANCHARDS SPEECH. 
 
 Mr. Hlan<- UAKK «]hikc* as Uillow* — If 
 tbsro bo any buHuiuss which tho rJoveni- 
 'aonr or any i)riv;it« man ha* duHiro to 
 bring forwara i am not diRpv)8ed to intro- 
 ;luo(j a debate which might lay rne open to 
 ♦.ho chargu af retarding tho public busineHH. 
 I hav»i uevor seen a session m which sn 
 rnucJi routine husinoHs htuibetia pit tJir«»ugh 
 in w* short a spaoo of time, but so far we 
 have had little or nothiuif; but routine. T'le 
 (rovomn'ent, however, Iiavr the right to 
 (;Iaim precedeneo fi>r their measures, and I 
 iUMame tJiat if thoy ha<l any to bring for- 
 ward they would have dene so. 1 rjpudi- 
 ato, therefore, the charge of waHting time 
 becauHO the H«iu8c has nothing to do and if 
 it were not for the opposition tho house 
 would V>e adjourned every day after sitting 
 for a couple I >f hours, members would not 
 be earning their pay, and instead of listen- 
 ijig to the sweet tones of the Pro, Swcretary 
 would be found wandering about tho streets 
 .md perhaps getting iut^j nu.sohief. They 
 are here liowever to listen to what we have 
 to say, imd I hofw they will discuss this 
 question with all fairness and with a dispo- 
 sition to coTiline thtir remarks to the point 
 In issue. I iu)d'jrst<K>d the Prov. Secretary 
 yest-orday to refuse the assent of the C«ov- 
 emment to the appointment <>f the Com- 
 mittee wluch 1 move for to-day under the 
 resHilution of Ashich I gave notice a few days 
 ago. 'llie <nie8tiou preceding it was m the 
 following tenns : - 
 
 "Mr. RIanchard re<j\ie.sts tliat the Gov- 
 enimejit would lay tipon tlie table of the 
 House, all V<(uchcrs, Accotiiits, and other 
 papers connected with tho payment > ir ap- 
 propriation of the sum -if JtiTlO.fM paid to 
 rlijbert Hoak, Jr., Eso.. in 1870. 
 
 •Hh March, 187L'."' 
 
 Before that could be answered the Hon. 
 jaeraber for Colchester, Mr. Jlorrison, by 
 preconcert, I assume, with the Government 
 laid on t.he tab.'e a demand for certain other 
 ()apers and the Prov. Secretary in tho dis- 
 cussion which followed, gave the House to 
 understand thai, whilo he was willing to 
 
 Viriug down both amUt nf papers he did not 
 wisli liis action to bo drawn into a pre- 
 cedent and he did not fo<l himself bound 
 to lay on tho table papers whicli had a] 
 ready passed ander the review of a com- 
 mittee, for further examination, J admit 
 that ho was not bound to lay either set on 
 the table, although he might have laid 
 himself cipeii to fault-finding if he had re- 
 fused to do so, but he said he did it because 
 thero had been a great deal of discussion 
 aboTit this matter in tho jiress, and he wan 
 determined that it should bo "settled onco 
 for all." He showed a disposition to retali- 
 ate and to say to mo "you aro iw bad as I 
 am because you took $3000 and expended 
 it on PlaisterCove wharf." Wooft«^n he.ard 
 little boys on tho .street \yinc "you are" 
 so and so," you are another ' and tliat is 
 the answer which tho Government has given 
 me. I said "your Prov. Secretary, took 
 !jlO,710 out of tho treajjury and expended it 
 improperly," and ho answers "'so did you." 
 Is that any answer i But see, Mr. Speaker, 
 how nicely the whole thing titted in. What 
 inspired the motion about tho ^.'5000 ? ^^'m 
 it not that " that troublesome fellow must 
 be taught not to dare to (juo-stion wnat we 
 are doing '<' Was not their answer " If wo 
 went up to our shoulders in the treasury you 
 went up to your elbows--if we took ^6,710.- 
 94 you took $3000," Is that any reason to 
 satisfy the House why this story of tho 
 $(»,710.1H should not bo allowed to stand 
 on its own merits ? Bwt nothing could 
 have given me greater pleasure than for the 
 Prov. Secretary to put upon the table the 
 papers relating to the expenditure of $'oOOO. 
 I am prepared to meet a Committee on that 
 (juestion and to vindicate my personal honor 
 and the lionor of the Government with 
 which 1 was coimected. Let the Govern- 
 ment iisk a Committee of the House — let 
 them take any three honorable men from 
 their own side of tho House and I will 
 prove to their satisfactcon that not a far- 
 thing of that money soiled my lingers or 
 went for electioneering expenses or was ex- 
 pended under the pretence of repaying sub- 
 
ITH i'OWKEM ASn pmiflLBOEh. 
 
 » 
 
 ficriptioiis. Let tin! ProT. Sccnxary .shew ■ 
 if he can that a shillini,' <it jtulilic inouey 
 ptissod through luy tiancls for other thiUJ } 
 iegit;inat<; {iurp<tK<.-s. Before; I oiichule I | 
 will shew wlierc tlie (loVeninn'iit ii'ikthi^j 
 :J!»;.71(>.(M from, wliat they iliil \sith it. howl 
 they laughed jit, the House aii'I how they ; 
 (lipped their hiimls. into tho Treasury, iiuder ' 
 ihe pretenou '•'" '.•••paying Huhsa'ijitions t<> 
 wealthy men in Halifax. Did the po'>r 
 men in tho eoiujtry get their subscriptions , 
 rtiturne<l ' 'Hie Maritime Leairne was if /I 
 
 The (I'lAenimeiit ttjll me 1 say had words 
 and refer li'O often to ii ei.'rtaui old 5,'ontle- 1 
 Jiiaii. but if ever tliere wa.s a !eaj:;ue pre- I 
 sided over by the spirit ■ t darkiie'ss 1 think 
 it, must have been this one. Honorable 
 Tiicn stib.sevibed their money fur what they 
 believed to be the good of the eountrj', l)ut . 
 bye and bye i-'oine wlio are assuciated uith | 
 them came whining To the <r..vernni'!iit and I 
 .usked to have their uh iJiey back. Wliat j^at ' 
 nuts they are ' liut did they get it back ; ', 
 Not they, — it went, Hr.niewhere else. Wo | 
 will see where it went directly, f)Ut the 
 'oivernmeiit ."-ay "' we had nothing fo do 
 with the League, — we only kn< >w the trea- 1 
 surer .-ind are n>.it tu .say what he did with | 
 ihe money." Let them not, -helter iheni- ' 
 Helves behiml Mr. 15<iiik. but let tlieTu aji- 
 pouit, ihi« C'l'Tiunittee and let .N'r. Hoak say j 
 onhiH hunor whether the money went back. | 
 Let Mr. Boak i;omt; bef- 're a Committee of 1 
 this Hou.se tmd say oti his h.>nor, \ will not, 
 ro<:iuire hi." uath, that the money did n^t 20 ; 
 for electioiurenng ptirj)o.ses, and that no | 
 part of it «(us spent iri Hants or Inverness, 
 and I will be content. Let lu'ni declare 
 (hat the money did not go to Hant»i t<' be ' 
 u9ed in the eleetie.n there, and my niouth 1 
 will be ■•!' wed from this day>'Ut. We w ill j 
 see presently how aiul itider what eirc.um- ( 
 stances the mon(\v was [laid, but I ask as a | 
 member of this Huuso whether I had n<'t ai 
 right t<) ;iSh the gwverament res]>ectfully as j 
 1 did and .a? 1 do U'lW, to appoint a (Vmi- i 
 luittoe to investigate this question. The i 
 rotteness may not 1k> with the government i 
 hut It is somewhere — let us kiMw wh*>re it 
 is, and what u.se has been made nf the i>Kb- 
 lic money. I dcliberat-dy and in my pla.-c 
 (jharge th-- '■I(,\ernment with having paid 
 this int uey, knowing tliat it had been <>r 
 was to be used for elect)' pji purposes I 
 .wsert that it was so u.sed, and never re- 
 turned lo the parties who s'abscril>ed u. I 
 .an\ jirepared to prove these asserti<in.s, and 
 1 challenge the (^Jovernmeiit t*. aa investi- 
 gation. .Suppose the hwn. member for Pictovi 
 and r and <jther members of the opposition, 
 
 poor men .'vs we are in comparison with these 
 Halifax milLiouaires were to suljsenbe a 
 fund to p\it outthis (lovernment- <<> ob- 
 stnict them in every w;iy to do all we 
 could to unseat thetn. and to .send a dele- 
 gation for that ptii^x^se to Canada or else- 
 where. Suj)pose then, that after we. liad 
 couti'ibuled two or three hundred dollars a 
 jiieee We succeeded, as 1 liope wc may soon, 
 in tiiniing the (lovernment out ; and the In-n. 
 member for Pictou was i-iade a member of 
 <Jo\ernment. and I oj- .some other of oiu* 
 friends, .\ttorney (leiieral, and saippo.se «<; 
 eame to the treasury and said " oh plexst! 
 give us back onr money '." Would there be 
 any «litlcrenee betweiui ili<' two eases? 
 Wtiuldwe havi! a rigiit to leiudmrsi' o»ii- 
 selves am( to repay to M)-. .\, Mx. li, and 
 Mir. «.'. about the .streets the amount of 
 their subweriptions .' Let mendicrs be c^ne- 
 tnl how they introduce such a precedent as 
 that. Thank Providence, corniption hiis 
 nevi'r come, inside >■( the.se dooi-s that 1 
 know of, 
 
 Hon. F'kos . SKiKr.T\i;v <>li' oji ! 
 
 Mr. Hr,\N' hMvD 1 will tell (he Prov. 
 S(;i;rotary where il did get, tinmgh- it got 
 into the Prov. Secretary's ofiiee when thai 
 w airant wassigned for .!*t;7 10,!t4. Wliat did 
 we hear the other d.iy from Prince Fld- 
 war<l Island that, modt-l eouiury "that 
 tight little Island" that stood out agaitisi 
 Confederation -whose conduct is so much 
 praiscil by the (.■'ovemment. A memlsr of 
 the lv<>gislature there phvxd on the talde of 
 tho House the sum of #I(KK) wliieli had been 
 given him f<.>r his vote'. Are we to have a 
 scene like that here ; 1 hope not: but we 
 have )iad the entering wedge iii.serte<h 
 tVimiption iias begun outside, and tlie nian 
 who had to do with it gets into the Legis- 
 lative Council. Mr. Boak is the convenient 
 man who .stands between the 'ioveriimeiit 
 and the people to protect th(^ former from 
 the odium antl shame that .should foilow 
 
 pubbc money for (jh'r 
 I doubt tliat it 
 
 them for taking the 
 tioneering pirjioses. 
 
 Hon. Prov. Sr.i.RKx.un 
 is in order to refer to a meml>er of the 
 other Itranch of the legislature. 
 
 Mr. l{i,AStH\Ki» - I am speaking of his 
 conduct before he went lIuM-e. and let me 
 see who will prevent me. Let me se«; tiie 
 nde of the House that wdl jirevetit n.e 
 from e.Ypressing my view of the juiin wh(» 
 took that much of the public tnoney ami 
 aftenvardrt got his reward. Let not the 
 Prov. ^secretary say "oli ' ' in again referenco 
 to coiTuptioTi enten'ng this House ; let liini 
 
^ 
 
 Ju 
 
 I'KOVINCIAL PARLIAMEXT. 
 
 not forget that staiidiii!,' in tliis Lfyisbturo, ' Mr. Howo went and wrote that more m>>nt'_y 
 itf. the tiiiu'. whoii he talkn of corruption ' was wanted. In answer to that, $5997 
 oomiii;,' in, wiTo inun alomdrt'd tliouHand was sent - such a snm as in the "'straitened 
 rimes his superior. Tlierc wt-n- '.'iants in ' condition of the iinances" it was hardly to 
 tlmse (biys" in conipariaoii with \\hi>ni lie i5 ' 1)0 expected that the Gi.>vernment could 
 a very small perH'>n men as far al)ove cor- ' pay. Wh" gave that moneys Messrs 
 niption as they are a1)ove him in intellect. \ R'>ak. N"rthii]i, Stairs, Pnwer, Jones, tlie 
 Now, if die ^Jovcrnmeni have si' good a Honoraltle (as he should have I'cen) J. B. 
 case res[(et^tiiiji this appi-opriation <.>f !?()7I0. Duffiis, Mes.<!rs. West, and Gibson. These 
 04 a.s they .say ihcy have, let tlieni give a ' inen gave the priiu-ipal jiart of tlie money ; 
 c^mntiittee of h<inf«raltle men ti. i;i\e.^tigati' they iiad a perfei-'t right to do a.-; they 
 it VN liy did they mix ii[t witli it that mat- plea.sed with their I'wn and cov.ld afford to 
 tor 01 the «!^>iMM» .spent on the wharf '. Will : give ii for the promotion of any ohiniorica' 
 thoy deny mo the opportiinity to clear my ' idea. They could give it for any object 
 .skirts in that matter ? The f*ru-> . .Sferi'taiy which tliey considered for tlio good of the 
 «.'iys lie is intVunied that the money wa.s , cuutry ■ imt wJien tliey hud i)ncf. given 
 
 never .spent there, hut w; s spent for elec- 1 it '. Wiiat patriots they were to ask i* 
 
 tiomering purposes: wil! he not give me an 1>a(.'k ' We have all heard about an Indiaji 
 opporMiuity to shew iiim that it was ' I he- ! gift '"1 give you tliis haf-iket f' r iiotjiinji,', 
 ,sei ch him io give me a. ci>nimittee to clear; m<av give me six[>euce for nothing!" If tluK 
 iij) that donht — to shew that there is not a ; snb8erii)tiou was not an Iiuliaii gifr. I d(^ 
 particle v)f doubt existing about it - tliat it not under.staud what is. Thev applied t ; 
 i.s a move piei:e of pett\ ."iileen and mrdiee get t!;eir mo?iev bael;. bat <'.id they get i' >. 
 without gvoiind.s, and iviiowii to tlie (Govern- : Here i.-( as nice a state of atfains disclosed as 
 uient to be wiiliout grounds. They had ' ever existed, not exce])ting that .scene of 
 not .sought the infonnation, and yet they j tlie Prince Edward Island monih-er Inying 
 say, '-Oh, yo\i to.-k ^''^.jUOU ot tlie jaibhc down the Si OW .vhieli iiad burneii his tin 
 money and pn.tcnded to spend it on a wliarf i gers. The <litlerence is that here the nio/uy 
 hut we an; informed l)y a gentleman from was taken and kept, instead of being brough.t 
 Inverness that yon did not .spend it there ; back. The account, which is given among 
 and we Avill not gi^ e you a conimitteo to as- 
 certain whether that was true or not." (.)ne 
 comfort is that whether they give nie a 
 
 Fei). ■_'•■<. 
 
 committee or not the rules of the Hoii.sc 
 enable me to dare them to appoint u coiu- 
 niitteo on that tpicstion, and to .shew them 
 and th(; House under the hand of their own 
 engineer, the mrui who has tlieir confidence 
 at this moment, that every dollar vi that 
 $;50(K) was expended in the public service 
 Hiid not by nic, becau.se 1 Innl ni> more 
 connection with the matter than as Atty. 
 (reneral of the Oovornmeut for the time 
 being, f am sorry that the (Government 
 ha.ve resorted to this piece of jietty spleen 
 to make a "fu8.s and feathers" in order to 
 cover up their own defalcation*. 1 return 
 now to the ipiestion of what thi.s appropria- 
 tion of ^()7IO.!t4 was. Let the House know 
 Hrst that it was never in an estimate : there . 
 never was a Minute of Council on the suli- *'*^''- -'^• 
 jeet. for [ a.ssume that it woidd have been l 
 here if there wa.s one. The approjiriation I 
 never .s;iw the light, the (iovernmont ne\er 
 passed on it, ami the House never |>asHed 
 on it. h aj'pears that a nuieber of gentle- 
 men actuated by a desire to frustr-ite and j 
 
 the papers, is dated 'J8th Fehi-uary. And 
 is the easiest tiling in the world to m.ake 
 up-- 
 
 Lkagi-k e>K THK Mahitimk iT'hOvivcK.-^ in 
 acct. with ItuBT. BoAK, Jr., Treas. 
 
 1807. 
 
 To .amounts paid and re- 
 mitted Mr. Howe and 
 the other delegates t<' 
 England from July 5, 
 
 "66 to date ^y\m. f>!,l 
 
 To paid printing, tele- 
 grajdis iV sundry other 
 expenses 743.41 
 
 $*j730.04 
 
 t;0\TBA. 
 
 Julv r.. 
 
 I8()t)) By amt. ofsub.scrip- 
 
 :■ tions received fm. 
 
 '<)7 ) sundrj' parties ... 
 
 E i\; O. E. 
 
 $»ri0.94 
 
 ROBl. Bo VK, J 1*.., 
 
 Treasurer. 
 Haiitav. ^^^ , VA). I'B, I8b7. 
 NVe were told that this luouey went t) 
 
 pi'.\eiit the confederation .scheme, aub.scri- pay the exi>ensesof the delegates, but there 
 lu'd money to .send a delegation t<< England, , is a charge of ^744 for printing telegrams 
 aie' we are ti'ld }iy the Prov. Secretary that I and father expenses. What are tl; y ? 
 
 CI 
 N( 
 m( 
 en 
 tic 
 
 CO 
 
 sh 
 
Hi ere 
 
 V? 
 
 ITS P0WBK8 AND yBIVILXUB^. 
 
 U 
 
 Champagne i \Miere are tlie vnuchers '. \ which I have read was put in on the 18th 
 Nowhere. We have nothing but this bakl ! Foby. 1867, while tlie Ht'usu waa in session 
 
 memorandum. ]Jut when we couio to the 
 credits we find, " By amount of subscrip- 
 tions, SG710.94." What a remarkable ac- 
 count. How strange that the subscriptions 
 should coine up to tlie expenditure, even 
 to the four cents. Does not evei^jbody 
 know that that is hiunbug ;' Will not the 
 country look witli amazement when tliey 
 are told that the aubscription.s credited by 
 the Treasurer of this Maritime League 
 come within a cent of the amount expend- 
 ed ? Now is not that bumcondje ? Is \t 
 not made up ; aJid should not tlie Pro-. . 
 Secretary have said to these gentlemen 
 when thoy rendered Jthis account. " who 
 ever lieard of the receipts balancinc; tlie 
 expenses t(Ki single centT' But Mr. I'oak 
 puts "E. &0. E." at the foot of the ac- 
 count. That caps the climax, wlutt more 
 did the treasurer want? According to M.s 
 account he had got all his money refund- 
 
 and that House wa.s not consulted aboat it 
 nor was a syllable said until Sept. 1868, 
 when the J^rov. Secretary said that lie was 
 not sure whether the claian could be paid 
 or not. It w<mld have been more credi- 
 table to him not to have paid it. The 
 phrase "to the victors belong the spoils, wan 
 a phra.se that got into this House at one 
 time and 1 am not sure that the fJoverti- 
 nient have not been carrying out this prij.- 
 ciple in this matter. The matter theu 
 rested until December 18(5!^ wiieu Mr. 
 Btiak a.s Treasurer of tin League wrote this 
 letter : 
 
 H.vLiK.w. N. .s.. 10th Dec. ]mi 
 
 Hoy. W. B. Vati.. 
 
 Pro\ . .Secretary, 
 Sik: 
 
 I beg leave to call your intention to the 
 memorial handed you on L'tth Sept. 1868, 
 reipiesting repayment of the sum of S67I0. 
 
 ed— every dollar of it, - the accoiuit was ; 1)4. advanced by a few individxials to pay tlu 
 
 expense of the so cilhii Peoples Delegates 
 to England in 18<)(> for the restoration of 
 the condition of the Province. 
 
 An early reply will olilige 
 
 1 yours respectfully. 
 
 I on behalf of Committee, 
 
 j ' ROBT. BOAK, JR. 
 
 This letter was \mtten shortly before the 
 
 closed, and there was nothing more to be 
 .said, the tresusurer cea.sed to have any 
 further right to the money,- the right to 
 it was with the men who had paid it. This 
 account was given on the 18t,h Feb.. 1867. | 
 Nine months elai^ae, during which the Gov- 1 
 ermnent are pregnant with thi.s enormous j 
 mouse, and then comes the despatch or let- 1 
 ter of the 24th Dec, '68, a.sking that the ! 
 
 nnmey should be refunded to the parties ' mueting of the House,- now why was not 
 who subscribed it. ' the appropriation put into the estimate at 
 
 We are told that this League had branch- i the following session ' Mr. Bf)ak says that 
 es in the country. I know it had ; but did i the money was used to pay the expeniies 
 the poor people in the country who gave i " <'f the .so-called people's delegates." He 
 small sums get them back? One old lady ! well might .say " so-called,"— they called 
 in my county was so intluenced by the cele- themselves by that name and took the 
 brated Wilkins pamphlet as to believe that people's money to repay the contributiona 
 butter was going down to sixpence a pound of a few rich men in Halifax. I undertake 
 and she subscribed a dollar to the fund, to say if the Pnn. Secretary had put that 
 and seeing in the papers that tlie .'<)>710.'.>-1: vote in the t-Jmate and submitted it in 
 liad boon rep.iid she came to me to present caucus his svr. porters would have kicked up 
 
 their heel.-* ,nd not another word would 
 have been " -ard about it. Ready as they 
 were to g • almost any lengths they would 
 have brought that pressure to bear, which 
 has been used in some other inatan 
 ce.s, and has caused members of the 
 
 Ciovernnient ..o assiuue a dift'erent attitude. 
 
 would have done almost Mr. Btmk's application then remained fif- 
 teen mouths unanswered, and the matter 
 remained in darkness until that very con- 
 venient time- the last day of the year. 
 Mk. Bi.AJ<nHARD - The hon. member was Mr. Boak had aaked in 18(.i , he had aaked 
 in that House and it is not to his credit that in 18(>8, and he hml asked in December, 
 he did nut wake up sooner and have this ' 1869, and the House never passed on it. 
 uiatter investigated before. The account ' It was never m iny P]stimate, and there 
 
 a petition for her dollar. I tohl lu-r that 
 the loile giving th'j ( Joverinnent tlie iiiitia- 
 rion of money votes prevented ; and 1 am 
 Hot sure but that it served her right to lose 
 it. I am not .•so a>ire that if the Provincial 
 Secretary had put this$t)710.!»4 in the E.sti- 
 mate the House would not have assented to 
 it, — that House 
 anything. 
 
 Mr. Lanpkrs- Hear, hear, ' 
 
 1 
 
I f 
 
 
 12 
 
 FUOVINCIAI. rARLIAXKJIX. 
 
 was never a ^ 
 was never be! 
 day of 1867, I. 
 paid out. 
 
 Hon. Pro\ 
 Mr. Blanchard 
 
 nute of Couui" 
 1 any body 
 then this 
 
 'I, the matter 
 intil the last 
 i«!f,7 10.74 was 
 
 ■Kjtion vrhioh the (fovtjmment theui«elvt,'s 
 ahonld be pleased to bring to the light, i 
 have been charj»ed with ini8a]»propriati)i;^ 
 •!?;W)00 and 1 a.sk an inv»;stigation. I have 
 charged the (Jovemment with puttiii.; their 
 hands into the public chest and taking 
 Ijs6710.94 for electioncerini,' cxpuases: and I 
 have dared them to api>oiiit .i committee 
 to investigate that matter. Are they pro- 
 pared to accept the challenge ' If they are 
 not, 1 iisk members Avhether it is not one 
 that shonld be met '. I have showni contbi- 
 sively that the appropriation was never in 
 an estimate ; 1 thouglit it was not author- 
 ized liy i;ven a Minute in Co\uu'il because 1 
 did nut know the dejith of dutfradation ti» 
 which tilt; Government had gone. I did 
 not .suppose that the hon. member for Cape 
 Breton, Mr. Fergusson, would have voted 
 for an act of such wli»ilt!salo spoliation — to 
 take .*< J7 1 0. 94 uut <<f the treasury of this 
 "depressed country." What county would 
 not liave considereil a sum like that given 
 for its roads and bridges a groat blessing? 
 
 Hundred and Ton Dollars an<i Ninety-four j liut oh no- five or six rich mini in Halifa>. 
 
 CentB, being the s\im .-laiineil, be ])aid to ' must get it. Well, did they get it ' That 
 
 S!'<-RKT*RV here handed 
 a Minute of Council <m the 
 subject of the payment to Mr. Boak.) 
 
 Mr. Br.A^cu.*RU — Why is the Mintite of 
 (Council thrown across the table now ; the 
 (lovoniment would probably have kept it 
 in the dark altogether if they could. 
 
 Hon, Pkov. Skckktakv We never sup- 
 posed you pretended that the m<»ney was 
 paid without a Ariimte. 
 
 3tr. Rr.ANOHAHo - 1 as'.cd lor all the pa- 
 pers a fortnight ago and thoy were put into 
 my hand.s in order that I might e\amine 
 and digest them, biu. .mly now I receive 
 this Minute ■>( Council : 
 
 21st Dec, 1869. 
 it is ordoreil that Six Thousand Seven 
 
 Robert Boak, Jr., by tlie Treasurer 
 .•\ppr(ived of by 
 
 (Signed) H. Dovle. 
 
 The sun) claimed for what ' Sorely the 
 Prov. Secretary should learn how t* write 
 Minut<is of Council. What did Mr. Buak 
 do with the money ? I have heard of cun- 
 JMS things in my life 1 have hoard >'i niu- 
 iiey beinL' ijuietly paid >'\it ainl receipts 
 given daiiid afterwards. Ic luu.st have been 
 a fine t'.ing on the last da} oi the yeivx j 
 when tho Treasurer's balance had in be j 
 taade right, to have this item to put into 
 th» account, Far be it from me to bay, as I 
 the Provincial Secretary said resj>eoting ihe ' 
 $3000, that 1 am informed it was not fan-ly , 
 spent. F woidd not say that the money j 
 had not gone ont in the April before to (<]\- ' 
 jvose Mr. Howe's election. i 
 
 Hon. Prov. Sk<'kktakv — Vou had setter i 
 ^^♦t- 1 accounts witli the vouchers and K(!e that the 
 
 Mr. iJL.iNrHAHD- (Jive us a committee ' Treasurer's account is correct ; that the ac- 
 and let ti^m come up iunl say where it went j counts of the other otlicers are coirect, tliat 
 
 that la all 1 want, and 1 liavc jtrou.ised ; the money has l>een paid out in the proper 
 that if a committee be apnointod and the : way and the proper vouchers givun. Is it 
 gentleman who received the money de<;Iares tluir business to enquire into the propriety 
 on his honor and conscience that it Avas not of any grant if money .' Not at all. Who 
 appropriated for electionoenng services, 1 i cvorheard of a committee on pubUc accounts 
 will never say anotlier word about it. If j ever Mnding fault with an ajjpropriation i 
 that challenge be not accejited we will go | Their duty is to a large extent simj)ly the 
 further and see wliether we shall get a com- 1 duty of a merchant's bookkeeper, they are 
 tnittee or not, I apjjeal to members of this 1 1<> go over the vonchers, check the expeudi- 
 House not to uuppress and cover up a trans- 1 ture and see that none of the money has 
 
 is just what I want the committee to ascer- 
 tain. I assert th.at at lea.st i^iltX.* of the 
 amount was ue\er returned to those who 
 subscribed it, atid i can {)rove the statement 
 by the three gentlenien who subscribed that 
 amotint. Why. then, cannot T get a con;- 
 mittee ' Beouise, says the Pro. Secretary, 
 the money was paid to the Treastiror of the 
 Maritime League ; wliat a convenient Trea- 
 surer h»; was ; 1 wish the old lady I spoke 
 of could get her dollar back, but I do not 
 see any pn-spoct of it. Then the Prijv. 
 Secretsvry says that the whole matter wa« 
 before tlio committee of Public Acc<->uTitR. 
 What was the duty of the committee on 
 Public .Accounts ( That committee consists 
 of a number of gentlemen selected from the 
 Legislative Council and this House for wliat 
 purpose '/ To go down into<mc of the low- 
 er rooms and carefully examine tlie public 
 accounts of this cotnitry, to compare the 
 
If 
 
 irrt POWBBf AMO PBIVILH.OKS. 
 
 IS 
 
 not beou acofiiintetl for. It will n>>t there- 
 for do for the (jttvcnuuent to shelter them- 
 selves under the wint; of the committee on | 
 Public Accounts. That cnmiiiittee had no- j 
 thing to do with the matter. It was not 
 their busiueas to inquire into the purpo.se 
 for which it was spent or the judicioiisnesis 
 or its appropriation. They had simply to 
 see that the receipt wa.s j^iveii and then they 
 were done with it. But wliat was the cora- 
 inittec of public accounts as the House was j 
 then situated ? My hon. fritMid the inemlwr \ 
 for CiinilHirland probably was on that com- 
 mittee, thoTigh 1 am not siiri' tliat he was. ^ 
 l^ut he had nothing to do a.« a member of > 
 Uiat comnnttee furth^^r than to see that the '. 
 proper receipts were given for that money, j 
 He might it is true .Have raised tliia question 
 at that time if he ha<l thought prnj)er. But j 
 it was all serene then, the opposition was 
 small. There were no storms brewijtig then. | 
 If, has blown up since in a way to .nake the ' 
 government shrink and tremlile. They may 
 laugh and feel that they are safe within 
 their fortress, 'fhey are defended by such 
 a number of g\ms here tliat tliey fear no j 
 attack. But thank providencw there are 
 'jfuns outside the fortress; there is an army 
 '■utside of this House; there is tlie countrj' 
 from Ciipe Sable to Cape North, and when 
 they hear that the Cio\ erument lios been j 
 challenged t" allow the investigation of this j 
 e.vpenditure, -that tlien* is a pubiic char'.:e I 
 made against them, such as I havL' made, 
 of spending this moiioy for electioneering 
 purposes, and that tliey will not ^ive me at 
 committee to investigate that charge, the I 
 people of this coui.try will not iiesitate to j 
 express their opinions upon tliat refusal. If I 
 the people of this cc«tnitr\- are content to 
 submit to that, what d' > they send us here j 
 for ? What am I here for ^ I am liere to 
 watch this (iovemment and v < take care that 
 *,hey do their duty, to h.el].> tliem when they 
 do right and Ut jux;use them when they do 
 wrong That istheobjoet of tlie hon. mem- 
 ^>e^ f<.)r Pictou and all tluMe gentlemen who 
 iire associated with us, and it is well we are 
 here. There ncker was an institution in 
 this country or any other, not e\eu ;i reli- 
 gioms institution, that did not become tyran- 
 nical when it got the ptower. And it is not 
 to be wondered at that wiien -by raising a 
 false cr> and an issue that has since turned 
 out to be faLse in this countn.' they got this J 
 fioiLse aim oat entirely into their ownhands — 
 (hey became tyrants. jMid it is no wonder 
 that they put their li uids into the public 
 treasury to destroy riieir old friend and 
 tnuitod leader. Thev ^ed that very money 
 
 to destroy the man who made them what 
 they .trc, and without whose aid they never 
 would never have been the shadow of a 
 par^.y in this country. They turned bitter- 
 ly up'>n that old man when they thought 
 they had him in their power and they t4X>k 
 the very money that had been subscribed 
 in this way, to kill that brave, old hero. 
 But they failed, thank (iod, and he -.^ able 
 to take care of himself yet. 
 
 Tliere is another <iuestion raised by the 
 re3oliitioi\ before the Ho\ise and that is thf; 
 expenditure of ^'^(MX^ for a ptiblic wharf at 
 Plairter Cove on the J-jtraits of Catiao. Now 
 there is this general principle which governs 
 tlie expenditure of pulbic money, Jf the 
 government in conducting the affairs of tlus 
 country should find that money is necessary 
 to carry out any great work, if it is required 
 for necessary repairs, or for the -urpose of 
 completing any work which has 1 en begun, 
 and the expenditure upon whici would be 
 lost without a further outlay, .id if they 
 ' jnJi proper to advance the requ I d amount 
 from the public treasurv- trust ig to the 
 House to sanction the act when it is placed 
 before them fully and fairly, they have a 
 riglit to do so. What ha,'^ been done by 
 this government '. We Jiave seen sis- «n 
 seven thousand dollars advanced on the 
 road iind bridge service for the county of 
 ' Inverni'.ss. Wa.-^ it more 'vrong for me and 
 I for the v'ovtrnnii at oi which I was a raem- 
 I ber to acivai.ce Js'i^OOO to complete that great 
 I ptiblic v?-ork than it is for this government 
 to advance their tens of thousands of dol- 
 lars to complete the roaiis and bridges o^ 
 this country ? 1 think tht government has 
 a perfect and legitimate ri<ht to maki; such 
 advances where tluy are necessary. There 
 are no puptrs ? He haw thei q i n his hand, they no*' 
 stare him in tht* face, .-liowii.;/ :i CAveful account of 
 every day's and hour '.>> work, ami pverybar jf iron, 
 and every log of wootl. The moiKjr for that wharf 
 w;is drawn by Mr. McN:iIj, their <>wn engineer, and 
 CTjH'nded by him. 'VS'ith the expenditure of the 
 money I had nothing to do, eitlier wi a member of 
 C!ovemiuent, or at ;i membci of this House, Mr 
 McNab was the tru.^ted agent of the GoTemmenfc 
 of that day, and 's now the trusted ageut of the 
 jireKcnt Oovemment.. That .;enilcman i« above 
 ull HUBpicion, u htiiiui>;d thou.Hund times abo?e the 
 suspicion that attaches to the Govcmnieut them 
 selve*. He has gone through svery change of 
 <iovemmeut of his country and •till he retain.s bin 
 position. The money waa pUoed in the hands 
 of that gentlenmn. find yet I am to be told it wm 
 HpeDt for «l«etioneering porpowa. Did Alcxftadar 
 
u 
 
 PnOVINClAL PABLIAIIKNT. 
 
 McNab spend that money over the county of In- | 
 vemesK for luch a purpose ? Was he the man to j 
 do it ': No, Give me a committee and let me , 
 Iring Mr. McNab here and prove to the HouHe I 
 .^ui the countrj-, that as far as Uuit public [ 
 Kioncy is oonwrned, every dollar of it was | 
 faithfully and honestly spent, and that I had 
 no Wiore to do with it than the hon. member for 
 Colchester, who called for tlie papers in reference 
 o that expenditure. I had nothing to do with it 
 •nany shape, and yet it is hurled at me .across the 
 floors of this House. " It is rumoured," said the 
 fjon. Prov. Secretary, "that this moa«y was 
 Mpont for electioneering purposes.' I have more 
 •nan a rumour, thank I'rovidcnc;;, on the subject 
 of the expenditure of money for el'.-ctioneering 
 ;)U.'-poBes, in the County of Hants. The hon. 
 TVeiyiurer of the Province Wiut cliarged with it in 
 Upper branch of the Legiidature and he did not 
 deny it ; he could not deny it. Then tliere is a 
 rumour that at least ?21,00 of this money never 
 went back to the parties who had subscribed it. 
 That is not a mere rumoui'. I am prepared to 
 nrove it. Jt is a very easy thing to answer thcirt,* 
 nfiarges if they are imtrue. Let the Treasurer of 
 t,h» Maritime League come into this House before 
 a Committee ; lay his liaud upon hi:; heart, aiul 
 say upon my honor and conscience, not one <iollar 
 vi that money was spent for electioneering pur- 
 poses iu this Province. If he does so. I say again : 
 my moutli and that of the Opposition, is wliut. 1 will ! 
 trust thn t hou. gentleman's word of honor ; I know j 
 enough nbo\it him to know that he would ' 
 not dare to make such an assertion. I ' 
 would a^V. that gentleman further: "Did! 
 the (ioveninient know that you intended ! 
 to use that luoney for such a purpose?— • 
 Did they give it to you because tliey wanted to re- ; 
 fund the money that was spent in the county of j 
 Hants, and were they aware of the fact that that ! 
 money was spent in that county to keep Howe ' 
 out ?" I'he Government sit still and hear these i 
 idiargcs, and they bring the weight of their ma- ■ 
 jority down upon irie and say " \ ou sliall not have j 
 a conunittee. 
 
 Now the hon. Prov. Secretary says that the pa j 
 j.ers connected with the Plai''*«r Cove wharf were , 
 not ii. his hands at the time the hoa.meniber for Col- 
 chester asked his question, but that they were put 
 ou the table some time afterwards. But what did 
 they put on the table in answer to my (juestion '! 
 We have seen the hon Prov. Secretary bring down j 
 the Minute of Council authorizing this expendi- 
 ture. They were very ready to give our Minutes 
 to the House, but thay wisJied to keep their own 
 finite secret. Any Minute of Council tluit they 
 thought woTild stab that " nasty " leader of the Op- 
 ]>ositiou, they would throw in his teeth, but any 
 that touched their own inttgnty or honor they 
 would keep carefully in the back ground.-— 
 Anything that they thought would help 
 *o destroy tlie reputation of the leader of the 
 Op^>ositiou, — whether he is worthy to be 
 their leader or not. .luy Minute of Council that 
 could show that I had expended !*8000 of the pub- 
 lic money,- any little mean insinuation that I 
 had used the public money for electioneering 
 purposes, was quite in order, but it wsis another 
 •luestion when he asked for a Minute of Council in 
 reference to this matter. Is this House sur[<riscd 
 •-hat having held my place here for years witliout 
 a breath of a suspicion ah regards the public money, 
 
 I should feel wai-mly and speak perhaps harshly 
 when a mean and false insinuation is deliberatcTy 
 thrown out in this House that 1 have used the 
 public money for my private purposes ! Thank 
 God I can say that not a shilling of the public 
 money has ever soiled my right Jiaud and not ;i. 
 single shilling shall ever touch my hand but what 
 1 have honestly earned, I hoi)e that eve-, man in 
 this House is as clear as I am on tha point. Yet 
 when I come to tliis House and ask abnost on my 
 knees for a committee to examine this charge 
 against me, the Government says, " we wont give 
 it to you." The hon. Prov. Secretary laughs 
 and ho may laugh till he is tired. If I 
 should dare to do as he has done in this House 
 and to make a personal insinuation that he 
 luid spent the public money for his own ends, 
 there is no man in this House who would lie more 
 angry than he. The hon. gcntlemiin laughs at 
 my remark. He can afford to laugh because he is 
 used to such insinuations, 'i'liat is the only con 
 elusion. He has become .^o hardened tliat an in 
 sinuation of luiving spent the public money for 
 such purposes is nothing at all to him. He is 
 used to it, and the Governn\ont is useii to it. 
 They are like Paddy, who. when he was going to 
 the gallows, said he did not mind it as he was 
 used to it. They are used to it and that is the 
 reason why the hon. Prov. Secretary can say, 
 ''lio, ho."" It is a matter of no conseniieuce to 
 him. Now tiie papers laid on the t.able in refer 
 ence to this expenditure includtxl a .ainute of 
 counsel of the Ikd August 18(i7. 1 was in the 
 House in ISGS and the Government liad these 
 papers there. Why did they not produce them? 
 Nvliy was there no reference made to tl"s mattci 
 during the whole session of 18G8 ? And why wut; 
 it th;it time down to 1S7* these papei-s and this 
 charge were carefully treasured up and not one 
 word was said about them ? It was kept by the 
 Government for the vei-y purpose of meeting me 
 if I should undertake to raise the nuestion of this 
 unauthorized expendituie of $0,710 by the Gov 
 srnmcnt. The hon. gentleman says that the 
 money for the Plaster Cove Wliarf wan paid in ad 
 vance. Why not ? A man like Alexander McNab 
 can be trusted with $2(X)0 of the public money to 
 expend upon a wharf. (Hear, hear, from Prov. 
 Secretary). I would sooner trust him with ten 
 thousand pounds than I would trust the hen. 
 I*rov. Secretary with a penny. The hon. Prov. 
 Secretary would not spend any money on elec- 
 tious, forsooth. He would beaboveit — amile al>o»'} 
 it ! That pure and immaculate patriot would do 
 nothing of the kind. Digby Pier never got any 
 money. There was never anjrthing spent ujwn a 
 breakwater in that neighborhood. There never 
 was any of the money for that work drawn before 
 it was expended. (Hon. Prov. Secretary. No.) 
 Not a dollar ? If I do not satisfy the hon. gentle- 
 man before the House closes, I will be very much 
 surprised. Perhaps I am wrong, however. The 
 $2lK)0 for the wharf at Plaister Cove was put into 
 the hands of Mr. McNab, and I need not r'^peat, 
 j that as far as the sun is above the earth, so far is 
 that gentleniiui removed from the susjiicion of 
 I lingering or misappropriating one dollar of the 
 i public money. The elections were all over when 
 I that money was paid out. The whole thing was 
 done, and I hiul my seat in this House. I would 
 like to know then how that money could 1 ave in- 
 fluenced the elections. I had run my election and 
 
. 
 
 ITS P0W£K8 AND PBIVILKOBS. 
 
 15 
 
 had come back, to tha great Hurprise of those hoiu 
 ^gentlemen. They came here to take the reins of 
 power, and it was on the 3rd of October that this 
 money was anthori;^ed to be expended. Could it 
 then Lave been spent for electioneering purposes ? 
 Now I have occupied more tinie than 1 intended, 
 but I want, hon. members, those who Kup]K)rt, as 
 well as those who oppose tlie<!overnnieut, in view 
 of the charge that has been made upon my repu- 
 tation, to carefully inspect these accounts and 
 they will find that every dollar of the money 
 si)cnt upon the I'laister Covo wharf is carufully 
 jxcounted for, and there i^ a balance of iJlT^.ti."? at 
 this day thtt has never been paid at all. Yet I 
 .im to be told that I shall not have a (.'onimitteo 
 to inv<'stigate this charge. Well I rvm not very 
 careful about the matter as fir as I am personally 
 (oncomcd, whether they give me one or not. 
 %Vlieu I asked for this Committee I had no ex- 
 p«ctation of getting it, notthat I believed I shoidd 
 not have it, or that 1 did not think that the (iov- 
 emnient ought to have a Conmiittee appointed 
 for their own sake ami in their own defence. I 
 am well aware that there i^ ^in extreme dissat- 
 iHffttion about the mode in which the public 
 monies have been expended foi the last year or 
 two. and particularly in conni'ction with the road 
 and bridge service. Personally, i have little con- 
 cprn in the apjwintment of this committee, tor I 
 do not believe there is a man in this House, nor 
 do I HupjMjse there is a man out of this House. 
 
 e snout 
 
 that money for electioneering i>yrpo8e«. 'I'lie lion, 
 gentleman who uttered it well knew that it was a 
 falsehood,- not tliat I say that he wft« the inventor 
 of it, but he must have known th.at the nmi' 
 who told it to him was a liar and the father of 
 lies. He had no authority to make that .state 
 ment, but became and retailed it here in a iimniun- 
 that did him little credit, because in liis heart of 
 }»eai't8 he did not believe one word of it, and doen 
 not now believe. He knows well, and this coun- 
 try knows, that so far a.s filthy lucre is concerned, 
 aa poor a man a« I am, J woubi not touch one 
 shilling of public money for electioneering or ai<y 
 other [)uri)osea. I must not take up the time of 
 the House any further, but it is well that tlie 
 House should have a little element of wani'.th.Hiid 
 a little debatingpower thrown intoits deliberations 
 It is wfcll for thi' Oovernmont themselves, well for 
 the Opirosition. and well for the country, it does 
 not hinder our work to the extent of half un-hour. 
 Having made these observations, I beg to make 
 the following resolution : 
 
 heKnhvd, That a ciimtiiittci' t)f tliis House, willi jm.h'T 
 to send for persons and papiMS, be appnintcil to fUtiniro 
 into ini'l report upon the paMuunt of S<l,710.y4 .o Robort. 
 lioak, Jr., in the yciir IM'Al, and how the s;iid sum "as 
 c\peiulnd ; ;ind also into the lijiproiiriiitioti and espcudi 
 t lire o( ^3000, authorized to be «.\i)enik(l on l'lui<li'r 
 Cove wtiarf ; iiiul that sneh papt.TS us have been laid O].oii 
 the table oi thi: House be referred to said eoniinitlPi". 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 "1 
 
 I 
 
 WftH 
 
 •ould 
 
 e in- 
 
 and