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fiouse of Commons Bcbate$ 
 
 — ■ 
 
 FOURTH SESSION-SiXTH PARLIAMENT. 
 
 r) E 13 ^ T E 
 
 ON THE 
 
 POWER OF DISALLOWANCE, 
 
 TUESDAY, 29th APEIL, 1890 
 
 Mr. BLAKE. Pursuant to the notice which I 
 gave some diiys ago, I rise t;> move in amendment 
 
 fnnnitnl^ ''-•?'■' ""^ '"?'■''' a*^'" That " and insert the 
 tollowing:- 'it IS expedient to provide means where ,v 
 on solemn occasions touching the e.x-ercise of the poww 
 iL,\T]\Ti"?''' "'■ "' "'« "Pnellato power as to e'duoa- 
 h?«i.^H'K '■?."' '"'PO'-t'Wt luestions of law or fact may 
 for he. ,,',?>::.' '''^'^''^""^'-'•''' "• hi«'' judicial trihunal 
 lor hearing ami consideration, in such mode that the 
 a homes and i.,.rf,e. iutereste.l may be ropresen ed 
 f:rm!l'r^.;^^,?rheEle!;',?r'""'^ •" obtained fSr the iif- 
 At this stage of tlie St-.ssion I shall en<leavor to 
 con^pnse within the hriefest jwssible limits tliose 
 ohservations wliieii I have to make in support of 
 tins proposition. I wouhl say that recent, current 
 and imminent events have comhineil to convince 
 mo that It 1.' imi)ortant in the public interest that 
 this motion sliould receive attention during this 
 Session, else I should not have propounded it 
 at this time. I propound it, as its language 
 implies, and as, I thinic, you will observe before I 
 sit down, in no hostile spirit towards the Adininis- 
 uation ; and its form is one which is not necessarily 
 hosti.e but which I have adopted on this occasion 
 not with any view of precluding an amendment, but 
 because it is the only available method by which 1 
 can now hope to bring the matter under your con- 
 sideration at all. Now, Sii', the federal constitution 
 ot (. anada specially demands our attention to the 
 legality of its legislative Acts. We have within 
 our borders seven Provincial Legislatures, one 
 1 eiritorial Asstiinbly and this Parliament, all and 
 each with limited powers, all and each hedged in 
 by limitations^with reference to the Provincial i 
 Legislatures and the Parliament, as between these 
 two, and with reference to both the Provincial 
 Legislatures fin.l the Parliament, as between them 
 lioti. and the reserved powers of th« Imperial Par- 
 liament- with limited powers, I say, any excess, 
 or attempted evcessof which in legislation is abso- 
 lutely void. Our several constitutions are partly 
 unwritten and undefined ; th-.y are also largely 
 perhaps, I may say, mainly, written and de- 
 nned. And so It has happencil that wv hare 
 talJen into the use of the word constitutional in 
 
 two very different senses : one, the only sen.se in 
 which It 1.S used ,n the mother coi.ntry, ,vhose con- 
 stitution, being the growth of customs, precedents, 
 practices and princM: <, a„d „„t being a written 
 instrument, una terr ,..e by the Parliament, ParliH- 
 meiit being itself snpreme-whosc constitution, I 
 say, 13 a thing elastic, plastic, changing, of the 
 spirit, not of the letter : and so, when we speak 
 in the Lnglish sense, of an Act being constitutiona 
 or unconstitutional, we refer to its spirit, we refer 
 f . the (lucstion whether it is in acc(,rd witli, or in 
 violation of, the spirit of the cf,nstitution. Hut we 
 have anofh. ■ ..use in which we use the word iu 
 a sense peculiar to oui-s.^ves, or at any rate, dis- 
 tinct from its use in tht^ mother country : we use 
 It aiso to express an Act in excess of our legal 
 powers. In the first class of cases, however obnox- 
 ous may be the Act that we con.lenin, it is never- 
 theless indi.si.ntably valid; in the second class 
 ot cases, however useful we may conshler the 
 Act we are discussing, it is null and void. The 
 hrst .lass ot ca.ses depends on political considera- 
 tions entirely outride the judicial domain, which 
 is .luite unhttcd for their disposition ; the second 
 cla,ss <lepends upon legal considerati(uis fitted 
 for the judicial domain, and which ought, as 
 far as may be, to be kept within it. Vet Sir 
 no Legislature or Kxecutive can, any more thail 
 any private ...dividual, act at all without con- 
 sidering, and in a sense (leci.ling f„,- itsdf, the 
 legality of its acts, an.l so in some sort, entering 
 nrnm the judicial .lepartment. Rut not upon 
 the domain of the judicial power ; because our 
 opinum that .nir vets are vali.l does not make 
 them so; their vali.lity depends upon the decision 
 ot the judicial authority, an,l upon that alone. 
 Now hir the general notion that the exe.mtive, 
 the legislative and the judicial departments of 
 
 f™V""'\""®''' *".-"^' *"' ^*^'- '^^practicable, 
 separata an.l apart, is one hehl by many of 
 the most emine.it constitutionalists as a fundainen- 
 ta principle. I here can be no doubt that the ab- 
 solute .mion of these departments is neither more 
 nor less than absolute despotism. Unite in one 
 liand, 1 care not whether it be the hand nf ais .iiit/)- 
 
 a* 
 
crat or the liiiiiil nf it Cimiuil, tlic [xiucr of legisla- 
 tinii, tin: |)i)\vtM' of iiiljiiiliiiition, unci tlic jiowcr 
 of (Siliiiinimialioii, anil yon iiiMkt; the most almo- 
 lut<; (Ifspot that i« conuiivalili'. Tho sopanition, 
 thcittnie, of thuMo (lepartnuiit.s, the ck'^muo to 
 Mhicli, witliont ovi.Twi'Mkcuing or ovei'-ooniplioat- 
 inj^ thi' artidii of the niai liin<', you can Heparato 
 l.'ieiii, marks ihc (h'f^ico lo whicli, in this a.sjject of 
 a couNtitutioiial systiMii, you havi' •itlaincil |)i.'ifo(.- 
 tion. I do not Haytliat they can bo aiisoliitcly and 
 alu ays si'paiati'il. ll is not so. Now, my olijoct 
 is to a|)j)ly tlit'M! j^tni'ial views, whicii I have Ijiictly 
 stated, to one iuiiioitant class of |)ulilie trans- 
 aci'ons so far as may \h' fonm pivKiticaMe ; and 
 til U class of pnlilic transactions is divided, as you 
 will sec liy my notice, into two suliject niatt^is, in 
 whicli the l)ominion Kxeeutive, itself a political 
 lioily, has a constitutional duty, the discharge of 
 which involves the iutei jjietation of statutes, and 
 thus the solution of strictly lej;al i|uestions ; ami i 
 in which also thi-^ I'ailiauienl. which has the right 
 to advise, to condemn or to appii^ve, has, or may 
 ha\c, ilulies of its own. I hy no nu'aiis propose to 
 n ithdiaw from the K\ecuti\i' its duty ; my object j 
 is to aid it in Iheeliicient execution of its duty. 1 i 
 make no attem]>t at this time to discuss the pro- j 
 priety of these constitutional provisions, or, in any i 
 general sense, the executive, the parliauu'ntary or 1 
 the party action which has tended more or less, to 
 elucidate the generally aceeptctd or the generally'l 
 <)p|)osing views upon these sulijects. >Iy only 
 wish is, without discussing how far these provisions 
 are wise, taking tlicni as they are, to facilitate the 
 b'itter working of them. The lirst of the two 
 classes to whi(;h I allude is that in which the pro- 
 posal conu;s before the Kveeutive, to disallow an 
 Act of a l'ro\incial Legislature on the groun<l that 
 that Act is ii/tra riri Jf it lie so, the Act is void ; 
 and I think I may say, that it is now generally 
 agreed that xoid Acts should not be disallowed, 
 but should be left to the action of the courts. It 
 is, iu;vertheless, and I think with sound reason, 
 contended, that circumstifnces of great general 
 inconvenience or prejudice from a Dominion stand- 
 l)oint, and involving diliiculty, delay, --r the im- 
 possibility of a resort to hiw, may justify the jjoliey 
 of disallowance, even in ca.ses i:. which the Act 
 is iiJ/ra )/'v.v, and tlHueforc void. In that view 
 there would arise two questions, the question of 
 policy, and the r|uestion of legality ; because the 
 question of legality leaves untouched the cpicstiou 
 of policy, whicli is, " even if the Act be void, shall 
 it be disallow e<l or no V '' The other class to which 
 my motion alludes, is that of thi- Eilucational 
 Hp])eal, which arises under section 9."! of the Con- 
 stitutional Act, and under the anahjgous provision 
 of the Manitoba Constitutional Act. Cnder these 
 clauses a linii'ed power to make Educational laws 
 is granted to a Province, provided, amongst other 
 things, that nothing therein contained shall pre- 
 judicially affect any right, or privilege, with 
 respect to denomiuational schools w! ich any of 
 the Provinces had by law, or, in the ca.se of >lani- 
 toba, by practice, at the Union. There is another 
 class of restrictions, which I do not in terms touch 
 here, but to which, incasesinvvnichanappealis raised 
 upon them, my oliservations would equally apply. 
 This limitation upon the power of a Province is 
 made more elfectual by a special pro\ 'sion, giving 
 fin appeal to the Dominion Executive from any Act 
 or decision of the Provincial Legisli.ture or Author- 
 
 that and of analogous questions w ere finally settled 
 -settk'd, at all events, for the bulk of the party 
 
 ities afft'(!ting any right or i)rivilege of the Pro- 
 testant or Konian Catholic minority in relation to 
 eilueation ; .md whereby also^ in ca.se of the non- 
 execution by the Provinct^ of the deti.slon of the 
 Executive, this Pailiani"nt may make reniediai 
 lavv.i for tlu^ ]iurp(iie nf ell'ectuating tlwt decision, 
 riio.se nieiiiliers who have long b.^en lici'e will well 
 remember the Xew Itrunswick school ease, w Inch 
 was agitated for many years; in the course of which 
 igitation i have hopi^l that some political aspects of 
 
 llv seltlei' 
 the partj 
 with which I act, and for the humble individual 
 who is now addressing you. [ regard it as settled, 
 for myself at iny rate, lirst of all, that, as a(|uestion 
 of policy, thei'e shall be no disallowance of Educa- 
 tional legislation, for the mere re.-..s(m that, in the 
 o))ini()n of thi.s Parliament, some other or dilVerent 
 (lolicy than that which the Province has thought 
 lit to adopt would be a better jioliey. I hold it 
 to be scttlud, in the .second place, that no Aildresa 
 to the Crown shall be passed by this Parliament 
 asking for a change of the Constitutional Act as 
 all'ecting any Pioviiice, at any rate against the will 
 of that Priivince, in this jiartieular. And 1 hold 
 it to be settled, thiidly ; indeeil it follows ob\i- 
 oiisly from these two proi>ositions, that the only 
 ipiesti.uis which can practically arise within our 
 ilomain are such as may be raised, by way of 
 apjieal, under section S3 and the analogous section 
 of the Manitoba Act. The events which took 
 place in connection with the Xew Brunswick 
 school ca.se urtord, to my.self at all events, a strong 
 proof nf the expediency of what 1 now propose. 
 Let me enforce the three propositions which I 
 have stated by a brief reference to the votes 
 u|(on tliat occasion. In part those votes ■were 
 taken when lion, gentlemen opposite were in 
 power, in part they were taken when the Liberal 
 j)arty were in power. I'he hrst stage in the trans- 
 action occurred when lum. gentlemen opposite were 
 in power ; and in May, 187'2, 1 voted with the ma- 
 jority of the House against a motion to regret 
 that the Xew Urunswick school law had not been 
 disaUowod by the ( iovernment to which I was 
 opjiosed ; although I was, and expressed myself, 
 of the opinion that some of the changes which 
 had been made by that Provincial law were hnr.sli 
 changes. At the same time, I seconded a motion, 
 whicli fortunately also prevailed : 
 
 " That this }[oii«e uociiis it expedient thnt the opinion 
 of the law iitlicers in England, imkI if possible of the 
 Judicial Coininitteo of the I'rivy i^ianoil, .«hoiilil lie ob- 
 tained as to the rislit of the Now Hruuswiuk Legislature 
 to make sue? changes in the school law as deprived 
 Roman Catholics of the privilo(?cs which they enjoyed 
 at the I'nion, in respect of reliijioas eduuiition in the 
 eomuioii scliools, with a view ot nscertaiiiiiig whether 
 tlic ciise comes within the terms of snh-seetiou 4 of 
 section (i.i of the P.ritish Xorth America Act of 1867, 
 which authorised the Parliament of Oynaila to enact 
 remedial laws for the duo execution of the provisions 
 respecting education in tho said Act." 
 
 At that time, I need hardly remind the House, 
 there was no Supreme Court in existence. The 
 advice of the law otiicers was obtained, and it was, 
 as it had been on prior, and as 1 am afraid, if 
 I nriy judge by a notice on the paper, it has 
 been on subsequent occasions, not perhaps very 
 sat'sfying ; and tht^e was no mode of approach 
 ajiparently to the Judicial Coniniittee. In the 
 end we had to get up a suit in some way or 
 other, about some assessment or other, in order to 
 
 

 ..I.ain l.y a clumsy and expensive process, a 
 .iu...ual .leus,.,,;, not readie.! for sol.a. yur.s 
 uft.TWHr,lH, ot tl-e ,|u..stion iuvolv.-l un.l hUuU i„ 
 the ,ii„i„.„ « liioli 1 hav,. just re.i.|. The hocoi.,! 
 s .ifc'o ot thoHi; |,ro<v...lings luose in 187.-., wh.;u 
 th.. i,.v.M,.nt Minister ot I„l,ui.I K.^ven.io (Mr 
 ost^Kan), Nvhoin f regret not to 8,.c l.^r.., l.eiuu 
 then II. o,.,,osition, gavo notic- of u .notu.n for an 
 A.I, r^..^s to tl.o ( n.wn i-raying for an alloration in 
 thcM.mstUMt.onul Act as it affec.i..,! the Province 
 
 !ti 'T .'"'"".""'^^ '" t''i« '■••K">'i. Ui.on that 
 noti.'c being wivcn, I put iip.>n tl... Vot,..s an.l Pro- 
 ceeding's notice of .m iinHn.li,...|.t, which 1 take 
 lea^•e to rea.l as expressing the views I then enter- 
 
 '• T). , ■^'' '",""''' 'if amen.Io. i. this piiiticiiliir 
 
 llri. swick. en the powers sorcsorveVl, w.miL hv iiin i i«h 
 inK.ll.o soc.rit.vnow «.,j„.ved bv e..el. ", „' ,'00 i",^^ 
 mam.em.,oe ot Us ,„-.,vi„oial right., reiul '^^'^^^^t It. 1 
 
 .|";".-'^l'i'''* whivtovor may bo the opininns of mrmbori of 
 fin., HoiisfMin tli«r.liRvifio,i,.|,,oli,.yofai,yPr V nco thi« 
 1 .M.sc .leci.s It ine.xm..Iicnt to .uhlress tho(>o w. ,i fim r 
 of a„y amooame.it which wo.il.i, ..Kai.is the w il .,f tho 
 
 \yhen the motion of the present Minister of Inlan.l 
 
 the K,isl Ki.hng of Wrk (Mr. M.ieken/.ie), then 
 1' irst Minister, moved the following amen.lment:-^ 
 
 i ounces, for tins Hou.^e to invito such IcKislati.,.. " 
 ihis ..n.en.lment, for which 1 vote.l, was earrie.l, 
 Mitl. the a.Mitnm ot :m aiaen.lment inviting the 
 
 M t.h the (.overnment ot New Urnnswick for so,„e 
 
 change by the.r own voluntjiry a.'tion ; the opini<,n 
 
 the House contmu.ng to be as it ha.l be.m in the 
 
 prev ous Parliament, that the legislation which 
 
 vas l.e subject o agitation w.is in some part cu 
 
 u s harsh ami might better have been otherwise ; 
 
 WIvr 1 '1 '"'t.'' 'I'-ftion for the J'rovince 
 
 freely to .leei, le. I have, I think, ,,rove,l my ease. 
 
 l.Z;. '1 "\ '>^^^«'^«e "f this power ,/, lisal- 
 il ?J'^' *-' '■'•^■«'"»'«'t, political .luesti.ms 
 
 Vues.ions of pol.ey may present themselves, that 
 
 nullb't't'" 7 %^I'f'l'«»«y' of ecmveniei.ee, of the 
 n . c nterest, of the spirit of the constitution or 
 of he form of legislation. All these are cleailv 
 k fir7h'^ o;:tl.e executive an.l legislative, tjl,^t 
 8 1 01 the political departments of the Government. 
 1 ut ,t IS e,,uully clear, that when in er.Ier to .le- 
 ft .1 ^r"' ''/'"'■*"' •^."" '"""'' '"^'1 whether a imr- 
 ticnla, ac ,s nfraurtnfm ri,r., you are diselKirg- 
 g .1 legal ami .1 judicial functi.m. What .lo you 
 Act an.l'l^TT'' *^ '■'*«•■?■•«* the Constitutional 
 hite'-Z <? ^ •« meaning; you procee.l to 
 a Id to !l« " I.':"^"'^'^^l Aot under oonsi.leration 
 mrethlf /' nieaning; you proceed to com- 
 p. re the tw., statutes so interprete.l and declared ; 
 -tnd you proceed, finally, to conch.-l.. whether or 
 
 not the law confli.as with, ortranscen.ls th,. powers 
 which are .^.mferre.l up.m the L<.gish,tur,' which 
 pas«e<l It. Nothing that .'an be c.,nceive,l par- 
 t.ikes n.ore e.N<:lusively of th.. character of a l.val 
 and ju.licial operation than what I h.ive just now 
 . es,,Tibe,l. Again, when you act on the appell.uo 
 
 ,!;hM,rr' ';';'"''■'= "'• f-"' ^'^-''-pi^^ "> the case 
 
 <>t J anitoba, the very ca.se whi..), is now in a .s....He 
 
 th,' I'illfi'/'' V'h '"'*•",'' '■'-■'■""'■ '-'«i'^'"t>'»' '"■ within 
 he limits of th.. rights of the Provincial L,.gis. 
 hiture, an, whether any reli,.f is ,l„e un,i,.r the 
 appellate clau.sc to those who claim it. yon hav ,1 
 legal ,|u,.stio„, .,r rather, in this ..ase, a mixe.l 
 .inesti.m ,)f law ami of fact ; Nchich circun.stanc.. it 
 )Nas that in.iuce.i me to insert the w.ml "tact" 
 in my m,.tion. conscious as I was that it was ,)nlv 
 on the rarest ocuisi.ms that any refen.nces of t|,at 
 ( es.^r.pti,m wouhl be necessary. N'et it .seeme.l to 
 >»o that in this |.articidar instance, 1 was cm- 
 
 s rained to provi.le for ai icrgeiH^.y which mav 
 
 a iise. Now, what is the process to be gon'e 
 through n, .,r,ler to ivach a .-■onclusion V The first 
 jniyol , that very ,|nesti,m of fact, ,.r lather a 
 j •nixe.l ,|Uestion ,.f law ami fact. V„u h..^•e to timl 
 ! whether any cla.s8 of the population lia.l bv law or 
 practi.'e at the time of the Union, any, an.l, if so 
 what right or privilege w itli respect to .lenomina 
 whet ''-■^"" •"• • '^^''''''''y- *'■ «' ' -V"" '''^^■'^ <„ (inl 
 and 1 ,.w It has been art'ectcl, by the leuislation 
 cmplaine, of ; an.l thir.lly, if so.\ou hav'e t.! Hn.l 
 what legislative action if; re(,uire,i to redress the 
 wrong. Ihe hrst two .luestifms .it any rate are 
 egal ami not at all political. Now, i aVer tl.at ,! 
 t he .leeision ,.f all legal .p.estions, it i.s imp..rtant 
 , that the ,.ol,tical executive should not, more than 
 : ran I.., avoi. e,l, arrogate to itself jiulicial powers • 
 
 dutiei'l^'- "''i!","'" '•'^'''•'""•fe"^ "f itN polltica 
 duties, It ,8 calle,lup,m to , leal with legal cues- 
 
 turns. It ought have the power in c.ises of .solem- 
 [ nity ami importance, where it may be thouirht ex- 
 pclient so to ,lo, to call in ai.l the ju,licial ,lepart- 
 ment m onler to arrive at a correct solution. The 
 ( ec.sion that an Act is „//,„ rire., an.l its cons..,p,ont 
 hsallowance by the Executive are inci.lents pecu- 
 liar in practice t,. ..urselves. They .lo not exist in 
 the great exiunjile of the Republic to the south of 
 n.s. It IS a m.ist .lelicate functi.m, ami its exercise 
 nivolves most serious ulterior c.mse.iuences. The 
 .juesti.m IS by the .lecisi.,n of the Kx.!cutive finally 
 .lec.de.l. ,m.l the Act is obliterate.l an.l annulle.i; 
 1 he .juesti.m whether it was ,.r wa. not valid is so 
 iemoye,l from jmlicial cgnisance for ever. An.l 
 tlius by repeate.l exercises of the pow.u- of .lisal- 
 ■,'no,'."'';i "1'. "'''"'"* *" '■'■'""''•■•' provincial legis- 
 ,Vil •'■'";;" 1" "-"y l-'-^^ically be .leprived 
 of that «hich all the time may 1,,, a real rigllt ;-a 
 nght claimed, which may be a right justly dainied. 
 Ihus, one of tvvo limite.KJovernments. ..f which 
 It may be sai.l m :i general .sense that the sphere 
 of the juri.s.l,ction of the one is limite.l by the 
 -sphere of the jnris.licti.m (.i the other ;-.ine of 
 those two hmite.l (;.,vernnients, may practically 
 lec.de the extent of the limits, of what in a sense, 
 1.S .8 rival (government. That is a very .lelicate 
 position. It IS a litth, like the position which a 
 great many very g,.o,l an.l wise persons contem^ 
 plate with grave alarm, as to the pretensi.nis 
 ot one church to .leci.le what are the limits of 
 power, as between Church and State,-to .ler-ide 
 tor Itself tiiese limits an.l thus, if that power be 
 
fl 
 
 n 
 
 
 f r 
 
 i i 
 
 ailmittoil, to arrogtitf miuIi ii>,'litH aw it j)lciwe« tn 
 itself. A (U'ciMJoii imikr sucli circuinBtunccs if 
 iiliniiMt iificsixaiilj a ;m.-i|(('irt»'il i.eciHion. 'I'licii.' is ' 
 ii. Mi'iiMi' ill wiiicli it is tlu! (li'cisidii of a Jiarty in lii« 
 own I'aiiMc. And tiu'ii'foiv, foi' tiiat reason only, if 
 for no other, it slumlil he fo-titicil as far an | 
 [MPMsiiili^ liy nuutial, ilif^nilii'il and jiidifial aid. 
 So, In lilt; caNu ol an Kdiicalioiial a|i|it'al, aniilo^ouN 
 reNuitM al any ratu, may i'Iihuc : liocaiiHO liere al.so 
 the decision would liar judicial action, and )iidduie | 
 coi'ii'ive logi.slation, iiii|)osin;; that decision on the ' 
 I'roviiue ; and would thus, according to the opinioii I 
 of the Doiiiinion K\ecuti\eaud Parliament, and to, 
 that alone, end the ([lUHtion. Now, ilo I say that in ■ 
 all cases tlie Kxeenti\f should refer V 1 do not say 
 ho; my motion does not say so; my opinion is not so. | 
 I have referred -using language for this pui pose ; 
 which is recorded in the constitutions of .some of i 
 the inojt respected .States of the K< puMic to 
 solemn occasions and to important (|iicstioiis ; liut 
 my motion is framed in this regard in wiiat I con- 
 ceive to lie the spirit of the British and of our own 
 constitution. It is elastic ; it loaves a responsi- 
 liility to the Kxecutivo to ilecide on the action to 
 lie taken in the iiarticular case ; it deals with the 
 ca.si? as exceptional. My own opinion is, that when- 
 ever, in opposition to the continued view of a Pro- 
 vincial Kxecntive ami Legislature, it is contem- 
 plated liy the Dominion Kxi^utive to disallow a 
 I'rovinc.ial Act iiecause it is u/lr(t. (•('/•(■<, there ought 
 to lie a reference ; and also tiiat there ought to he 
 a reference in certain eases where the condition of 
 pnlilie opinion renders ex]ie(lieut a solution of legal 
 jii'olileius, dis.sociated from those elements of pas- 
 sion and exiiedieney which are, lightly or wrongly, 
 too often attributed to the action of politiial 
 bo<lies. And again, I for my part would rccoinineiid 
 sueii a reference in all casesof Kducational appeal - 
 cases which neccs.sarily evoke ihe feelings to which 
 'I have alluded, and to one of which, ] am frank to 
 say, my present motion is mainly due. Oiii'iiresciit 
 powers. Sir, are w holly inad<;i|uate for thi; ell'ectual 
 execution of the project in hand. There is no cer- 
 tainty — there is in ordinary cases rather an impro- 
 baliility — of our l^eing able to reach the .ludicial 
 Committee ; and as tor 11 tin; three possible appeals 
 or references, the Judicial ('ommittee of the Privy 
 Council, the Supremo ( 'ourt, and the Imperial law 
 ofhcers, the machinery is extremely defective. 
 There is nojirovision for the ropresentation of the 
 (liiferont interests ; there is nopro\ isionfor the at 
 certainniiiiit of facts ; there is no ]irovision for the 
 reasoned opinion of the tribunal. Xow, even where 
 under s|iecial provisions on our own Statute-book, 
 the tir.st of these three reijuisites did exist — as in the 
 case ot the Liijuor License Ace, where we made a 
 special provi-'ion fi.r a reference to tlio Sujireme 
 Court, and for the appearance of and iirguiiient by 
 opp<ising parties ; as in the case of the Manitoba 
 Railway crossings matter, where under a general 
 law the Railway Committee of the Privy 
 Council referreit an impc.tant constitutioi'.al 
 question to tlie Supreme (.'ourt, with provision, 
 which the law aUowed, for the argunient 
 by op])osing parties — even in these eases, which 
 conic nearest to that degree of perfection to which 
 I desire to attain, the results wei'e nor satisfactory ; 
 — why ? Because the remaining renuisite did not 
 exist, in such form, at any rate, that it was used. 
 There was no reasoned opinion ; .no grounds 
 M'ere stated by the tribunal for the conclusion 
 
 which it shortly gave in leply to the Kxccutive. 
 The lion. First .Mini.ster will recollect expressing 
 his own dissatisfaction with the opinion of the 
 Supreme (ourt in the lii|Uor license case, on that 
 \ery ground, and he will rememlu r that that 
 eircuinstance involved aproloiigaticnof the struggle 
 and further iiroceediugs ; until in the end, I ho 
 ijuestioii Was deemed settleii by all argunieilt and a 
 reasoned judgment (pf the .Iinlicial Committee 
 which had earliei- occurred ; and by an unreasoned 
 opinion of the s.ime triliiinal on appeal from the. 
 Supreme Court. I .say, the lack of this last re- 
 <|iiisite deprived those proceedings of their chief 
 valua ; they obligeil us to resort toother methods ; 
 tln-y left only as their result the ilisposit'on of an 
 isolated case, with no general application, and of 
 no |ierinaiieut u.s^^ It was as if some l)el[iliic oraclo 
 had spoken. Wecoulil not tell, beyond the limited 
 disposition of the case in hand, wiiat was uctually 
 meant, and not always even that. For my own 
 part, I attach little comparative impoitance to 
 judicial solutions, reached without argument, and 
 announced without reasons. This, Sir, is only com- 
 mon sense. The experience of nii,nkinil has 
 established, as the essential ingredients for 
 the attainment of justice between man and man, 
 the opposing arglnnents of the ])arties before a 
 tribunal, and the reasoned judgment of that tribu- 
 nal upon the argmnents so addres-sed to it. The 
 aciitest minds an.' but too apt to err unless so aided 
 in the formation of their judgment, and so checked 
 in the announcement of it. Which of us, I ask, 
 Would submit, in any important case of his 
 own, to such a method of reaching a conclusion? 
 .Vud how can we exjiect that the community at 
 large vvill submit to such a method in the (lublic 
 cause? Let the opposing views be stated, pre- 
 senteil and sifted in public, and in the jircsence of 
 the jiartics ; so the best materials for consideration 
 will be obtained. Let the conclusions thiimselves 
 be r(!a.soned out ; so will the judji" lent itself behest 
 tested and sifted, and its soiinilliess ascertained. 
 It miiy be said that these views, applicable to pri- 
 vate causes and to the ordinary transactions of 
 mankind, have less aiijilicatioii or none toconstitu- 
 tional questions, i shoulil deny, on reason, any 
 such view ; and I refer, in the contrary sense, 
 to a (|uotatiou from Bryce's recent book upon the 
 American (.'oiistitution, wliich shows, what one. 
 would have exjiected, that if there be a distinction, 
 it is in favcr of the application of these principles 
 to tins class of cases. Speaking of the illustriims 
 exponent of the United States constitution, Chief 
 Justice Marshall, that author says : 
 
 ' Ohiof Justice MaislmH'!' wiirk of liiiildiii(f up and 
 
 working out tho ooiistitiition was nO(Hiiiiiili?lu'il not so 
 
 much by the decisions lie khvo as by the judKiiients in 
 
 which no expounded the principles of th.isc ihcisioiis, 
 
 judgiuerils which, tor their philo.sophical breadth, the lu- 
 
 luiiioup oxiiotness of their reiisoniiig,.'i.iid the fine political 
 
 sense which pervades tlii'in.have never been ^urpu.ssed 
 
 ] mill rarely equalled by the most taniuus Juri.sts of iuoiUtii 
 
 I Kurope or of aiicieiil Ronie, Marsliall did not forget the 
 
 i duty of a juilne to decide iiolhini? more tliiiii the suit liefore 
 
 i liiui reijuires, bat be was wont to set tor tho KroiiiidH of 
 
 ' his (leeiiiioii in siicli n wiiy at to .«how how they would fail 
 
 to be applied in eiu-cs not yet arisen." 
 
 I A noble function, which I wish we couhl see 
 I apjilied in Canada ! Now, for want of this, as I 
 i have said, our occasional efforts to rditain light 
 I have resulted less' satisfactorily than 1 couhl wish 
 I - sometimes jn clumsy, slow, cxjiensive, and but 
 I slightly fruitful proceeilings ; sometimes in absolute 
 
 
 

 t.iiliirv ; lunl alwiiyN with Iohs, for ili.^ «unt of the 
 .i.lo.|m.i.. |..-.,visi.,n to uhi.-li 1 invit,, t|„. Mttrnti,,,, 
 of tl.o HouH... I, ,.iy«-lf, luivf ol.j..,.t..l on 
 •fonii.r oc.iiMioiiH t,) tlio ivfi'iviicc of imup'iieil 
 iil.stnut (|iM«tionH for an iiiirfUMoiie.l opinion' 
 I think It IN ol.j.ction.il.lf. Jt iH bfttor (Imn 
 iiotlnng in Home oii,s.,s ; jn Moniir cMneM, I woiil<| 
 a<loi)t It if tl... only rosort. I l.nvu a.lvis,,,! it 
 '"';'"'''; '"V «.""'■' '""vi«- it i,-,,in. Itnt. nn ,i 
 nil.", I still lulJuTo to that view ; ami Ikmhils.. I 
 ii.l'R'H; to It. I pro|)oHc a moiv cxci'llcnt nay. lUlt 
 IhoUKli soiiir ilu'oictiiiil olpjci'tioM.s iriay Ntill ri- 
 iiiain to the gutr.l.Ml plan whit h I pioposo, thi- 
 main ohjiM'tions mv most nn.|iicMiioii,il,lv ifiuovcl 
 hy the adoption ot tlirsc |ir,.,'imlioiis. 'I'hc l.njaiici. 
 of ailvanta^:.' i.s .Ir.i.lclly on<. way, ami that Im all 
 that urhuinaii atlairs h,. can ,.xp,,,., t,, ,^^^.^■^^^ 
 .Now, ,sir, our pivs..nt law pro\ idi'M a powir fo tin- 
 Kx.ciitiv.! to make siifh a iifVivii.c ; and such a 
 ivfm'iic.-niay, at thisday, he ma.lc without any 
 ot th.'s.! precautions, v,hilc it caiuiol he iradc with 
 tlwiu. My jiroposiil, therefore, involves a check and 
 II hiiiitalloii, MM well as an added powe •. With 
 reteieiice to the Iheiiietieal olijeetions to which I 
 have allud.'d, and which have l.een pressed vei\ 
 nmch in the Tnited Si.ites where, liowcNcr tlieiv 
 IS thiH.'ardnial diirercnce, that they are not at all 
 cidleil ii))on to deal with this .piestion of .lisallow- 
 aiie.- or of ajipeal- with leferenec to the th<oietical 
 ol),]ei,'tion.s there raised on the (piestion as there 
 presented, Mr. lirycc, in the work to which I have 
 
 alluded, points out the corresp linj; disadvan- I 
 
 tii«es, even there, of the ahseiice of s.,iiie such iiro 
 visions. They arc : 
 
 l„.l "^^ ','^,';'"'"" "n",'' ".'"> f;>rovera.lispnt(.<l point ofconsti- 
 lilt iimhiw, would (.iliMi lieatMin l,„lht„|riviiteoitizo » 
 .ila to tin- organs of the (loverinnci,,. I ,Xv tho 'nsoif 
 
 e, t led. NolKHly iM.'iv caro to incu. the ox|'ei,so and 
 lioNhleot liikiiiBil heloio llic court: :iii.| ;, >!,!( whic 
 rai-cs it iiwy he eoiiipromiscl or drnpi,,.,!. When w„ch , 
 
 lie Mipn 1 10 t.oiirt and is douniiiiiie, , il,c ileteniiiiiiitioii 
 mny he ditl.'ient tVn„i what ilie Ic-.d piulr^s oiV s 'x- 
 I'ectodsniMy alter that ^^■hwh h,i- l.een '..elievcd to he tho 
 
 views now dei-laied to lio erionoou,-'." 
 Kilt, Sir hesi.les the L'leat jiosilive iraiii of ohtaiii- 
 'ii« th.. Lest jiuidanee. there are otJier, ami in my 
 opinion, not iiniiiiportaiit gains liesides. Ours is a 
 pojaiiar government : and w1i,mi huriiing .iiieslioiis 
 arise inllaining the jHihlic mind, when agitation is 
 rite as to flie polilical action of tin. Kxeciitive or 
 [lie Legislature- which action is to he l.ased on 
 legal ipieslions, ohviously I.eyoiid the grasp of the 
 people at large :~-wheii the juMiple are on .such 
 Miiestioiis divided liy cries of creed and race : then 
 I iiiaintain that a great pu'olie good is attainable 
 'y the sul.nii,s.sioii of siudi hgal .piestions to 
 legal triounals, with all the eusloniary .securi- 
 ties for a .sound judgineiit ; and whose deei- 
 «ioiis- passionless and dignifi.-d, accepted liy 
 I'aeh of us as hiiidiiig in our own alfairs, involv- 
 ing fortiin.', fiee.loni, honor, life Itself-are most 
 likely to 1„, aceepteil hy u.s all in questions 
 ot piihlic concern. The great iJill for Local (iov- 
 fiiiineiit in Jrelan<l, introduced liy ,Mr. (Ihuhstoiie 
 111 ISlSti, and which, despite its d.'fects and 1 am i 
 amongst tho.se wlaj have always thought they were i 
 vi'iy .serious- -is, considering the conditions of its i 
 preparation, one of the most wonderful produc- I 
 tioiis of its kind, made jirovision for the estah- ■ 
 lishiiieiit of this ]irinciple of reference in this classl 
 2 B 
 
 ofcMSC.K. rtHrtangedfoi a referenee, either hv 
 [the .Old Lieutenant of Ireland at hin oj.tion, ,ni' 
 the Knglish Seer,.tary of .State at his, to the .(udi- 
 <-iiil(oiiiniitteeof the IVivy Council of all ,,ue.M- 
 tloliHof H/h;, rins arising on legislative Hills and 
 Ae.ts of tlie hish Legislature, and it provided that 
 the decision shoiil.l he liiial. The Legishttlire of 
 <»ntanoha.i pas.seii two genual statutes, provid- 
 ing, in the on,, case, for the institution of declara- 
 I tory actions aeti.,ns for judicial .leclarations iiooii 
 
 i smdi,sul,|ccts:an.l in the ot her, f.u- a reference to tho 
 I eourtsot such, piestions : ami in ,-acli .'ase with 
 I those .se.urities which I am ,„p:ious w.^shouhl pro 
 yi.le f,,r,nirs,.lv,.s. 'I'ln^ hon. the.Mini.st r ,.f .Jii.sti,.e 
 
 I IS at this iiMiimnt availing him.self of the earli.-r of 
 ' (hose Aet.s, f.Mtl- |.urpos..of t.stiiigla.foreth.'law 
 
 '■oiirts. a very important, ■oi,,stitutional,Mi,.st ion asto 
 
 : ' ;i- o:leilt on he Kxciitive power. ,S,.veral States 
 
 ^ ot the L nionliave. in their constitutions, taken the 
 
 I power of referene,'. without tinsc se,uriti,.s Wo 
 
 ourselves, as I hav.! pointe.l out, have taken tho 
 
 power giiierally, with, iit the.s.t .securities We 
 
 took It specially in th,- Li.pior hi,',.nse Act, with a 
 
 poition of tli,"sc se.airities ; we took it generally in 
 
 < the lailw.iy ,ases, with ajiortion <.f tlie.se scurities. 
 
 ( I hns 11 IS iM.yond our p,,w..r to urge any h.iiger 
 
 ithe theondlcal ol,|e,-tio„ ; while hy the prramsal 
 
 , which I |,,lvaii<-e, we can iiiiiiinii.se thos,' ,d.jeetions 
 
 ! ami at tli,> same time a.lvance the practica! utility 
 
 <d th,- i)ro,-,.,lur... If yoii grant me a.hfinite issiij, 
 
 II lull argument, aii.l a reasone,! ju.lgineiit, in my 
 view the ohje.tions almost vanish,, while the 
 ailvantages enormously iiieiva.se. !!nt, my iiro- 
 I»MaI IS hy no means radical or revolutionarv 
 eoiii,aiLsory ,,.■ gemral. ft is hut an enahling i.ro- 
 liosition ; it hut ..mpoweis the Kxeciitive to ohtain 
 
 d)y a procT-lure n plete with the .■.vsential r,.,|ui. 
 sites tor the i.ro.lip.tion of a .sound opinion-- 
 the yu.ws on legal (piestions of legal authorities, 
 lea\ liig to the Kx.rutlve, so ai.le.l, the resp,msil.ility 
 ot liiial action J have an ahs.duteconli.Iencc that. 
 It luy propo.saishouhl he decline,!, th.airst per.sons 
 to ivgret that dicision will he lion, gentlemen 
 oi.po.site My opinion is. that this is a proposal 
 eminently helpful to the Kxeeutive of the cuintrv 
 at tins tune ; hut it is eminent Iv helpful to them 
 ' l..'eau8<- It IS eminently helpful t,") the goo,l .'overn- 
 1 ineiit of this country ; and it is in this .spidt that 
 I move the ainemlment which 1 now submit to tho 
 judgment of the House. 
 
 Sir .lOHX A. ^[A("I)()XAL1). In the first 
 I place, J a.a epl m the fullest sen.s.-, the a.ssuraneo 
 i of my hoii. fra.nd that his motion has not been laid 
 ; I.e. re the Hou.se in any spirit of lio.stility to the 
 I A.hiiiiiistration of tim .lay. ()„ the contrary, 1 am 
 gratetu to the hon. gentleman f.,r having brought 
 (.rwar.l this subject in lli.- v.'i-y careful resolution 
 lie has i>r,-pare.l, ami <iiill more, f.ir the able 
 speech in which h,. has euforce.l the various para- 
 graphs ami the main object of that re.soliiti.m. It 
 i.s gratifying t.. know that we have now in the 
 House .,troiiiui..iis ..fCuia.la an hon. gentleman 
 who IS able to give his time an,l talents to brinuinu 
 bef..re the rei.ie.sentatives <.f th.. people imp,.rtant 
 •luestioiis of this kiii.l. When 1 first rca,l tho 
 hon. gentleman's ivsoluti.m hastily, it occurred to 
 me, as. I ilare say, it oe<:iirred to many hon gentle- 
 men who hear m.: now, that it was an a.lvance 
 towar.ls the American .sy.stem, an.l propose.l t.. 
 t.anster the res{ionsil>ility of the Ministry of the 
 
masmM 
 
 1 i 
 
 ilay to ft jmllcial trnmnal j but on i^canning 
 llio rcMoliitioii in itM ciircfiilly |)rc|Miretl tciiiiH, that 
 iiii|>i't'H.Hii>ii wiiH ilisHipatccI, and I naw that tlio 
 princiiial uhjiirt nf thr I'i'MoUitioii, aH 1 it^ail it, In 
 that tlif i|iu;Hti()llM Hiiliiiiitlol hy the Kxcrlltivc to 
 th« Judi'ial tiiliuiial hhouhl iii.' oiifnrciMl, HUMtaiiit'<l 
 niicl |ii'fHiiit,cil to I'arliaiiHMit, to the piililic anil to 
 the Crown liy the fact of this h;ual ileei.sion liuvinj^ 
 hiH-n given. Am the hon. gentlenum lian stiiteil, 
 wlien a oneHtioii in Miilunitted hy tlie (Jrown to the 
 courtH, tlie Hiniph: aiiMwer "yes" or "no" \h most 
 unMatiHfa(!t(iry. It in a //roiniiiijohn iito <if the 
 court witlioiit giving any reHMim for tiie (leoiwion 
 on the (loeision wliich haw heen given. TIk! p?'o|M)- 
 Bition in thi.s rt;«olutioii tiuit tlie eourtM conhl he 
 reijuiied liy the Kxeeutive to hear eounHel, to take 
 evidence in ipiestions where fuets form a portion 
 of the subject to ho dceided, tlie faet that it 
 ii4 ))rovide(l that the conrtH ean and niUMt give 
 rea.Mons for their answer, issulKiient, in my opinion, 
 M'h(!ther thei'e wan or whn not any other excellence 
 in the reMolntic.n towariant thi.s llouwe to adopt it. 
 I urn strongly of the opinion that this resolution 
 should meet with the favorahle consideration of 
 the Ho\m(!. The only ohjeetion really that I see 
 to it it< till! fear that, the power Ixiiiig .so em]ihati- 
 cally given to the ('i'r)wn to insist upon reason.*! 
 l)eing given the Parliament of Canada, and es- 
 pecially the House of Connnons, may he 
 continually pressed and urged to refer Hills, 
 whether ])assed hy the Dominion Parliament or 
 the Provincial Legislatures, to the jmlieial tribunal. 
 We may have very unimportant ijuestions w hich 
 we would he urged by c;ertain interests to refer 
 to the court. Ifowever, the (iovernment of the 
 day must have force enough to resist any such 
 prt.'ssnre. That is an evil which is com])aratively 
 iniimporlant when you considei- the great advan- 
 tages of the adoption of this resolution, the prin- 
 ciple of it being that power is to be given to the 
 Kxecuti\c- an enaliling ])ower, as the Inm. gentle- 
 man has trulj' said -to submit any important 
 ipiestion to the court, anil specially on the.se 
 two points-- the iiuestion of disallowance, and the 
 (|uestion which may- and lam afraid will - as.sume 
 large proportions -the uihuational(|uestion. When- 
 ever the Iiuestion of disallowance is raised on im- 
 portant matters and the reasons alleged for disal- 
 lowance are that the Act it.self was tillrn rins, 
 that is, that it was beyond the competence 
 of the Legislature which passed it, 1 coincide 
 with jny hon. friend in believing that the Crown 
 
 should have the jiower of anhmitting mich n qtieii- 
 
 tion III the courts, and give the opportunity 
 til the autliority be il legishitive or exeiHi- 
 tive, which has passed the statute, to ap- 
 pear before such tribunals, and that all -arties 
 mterested, or that the ciiurl should think were 
 interested, slioidd have the opportmiity of being 
 heard. Of course my hon. fiiend (.Mr. Ulake), in 
 his r<'Molution, hns guarded against the supposition 
 that such a decision is binding on the '{<^xeciiti\e. 
 It is expressly stated and that is one of the 
 instances which shows that this resolution has 
 I'cen most carefully prepared that such a decision 
 is only for the information of the ( Jdvernment. 
 'J'he Kxecutive is not relieved frou' any respon- 
 sibility because of any answci- being given by the 
 tribunal. If the Kxecutive were to be lelieveil of 
 any sutdi responsibility, 1 should consider that a 
 fatal blot in the pro|iosition of my hon. fiiend. I 
 believe in responsible government. 1 believe in the 
 i'es|ionsibility of the Kxecutive. Ihit the answer 
 of the tribunal will be simply for the information 
 of the < Iovernment. The < Iovernment may dissent 
 from that decision, and it may be their duty to do 
 so if they dill'er from the concliLsion to which the 
 court has come. There is another point in regard 
 to which the coiu't must lie guarded in the mea- 
 sure which will be introduced not this .Session 
 but J hope next Session based on this resolution, 
 and that is, that the answer, whatever it nuiy 
 he, should be considered in the miture of 
 a judgment so far as to aUow of an apjieal 
 to the Judicial Committee of the Privy 
 ('ouncil. With these remarks, I will only 
 say further, that I thank the hon. gentlemnn for 
 having iirought this resolution before the House, 
 as I concur with it generally, thougli holding the 
 right with a ficc hand to frame the measure which 
 will have to lit! brought down to Parliament in 
 accordance with it. 1 do not think there can be 
 any doubt as to the meaning of the motion of my 
 hon. friend. I think it is so ex]ilicit in its terms 
 that no nuestions can arise as to what its meaning 
 is, and, if there wei'eany doubts as to its meaning 
 there were none in my own mind - those donlit.s 
 would be removed by the lucid speech of my hon. 
 friend. Tluit speech is of recoid in Ihtiinonl and 
 will throw a clear light on the objects and the 
 aims of my l^in. friend (Mr. lilakc) in intioducing 
 the resolution. 
 
 Amendment of Mr. Blake agreed to. 
 
 OTTAWA : — Printed by IJkow.n Cilvmberun, Printer to the Qtieeu's Mo.st Excellent Majesty. 
 
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