‘ power.

ex oa : el

Pree eet

Be Te ait

| ave de boday up ‘ere, we

eel ave no trooble to fine detail! Ha! sieur ke ees make too mooch noise ! ut noting. De Reeshop weel say so too. tin: It’s a sad busines it’s a very ul business, I ith Long Tom re m4 iver is A sad i} rea t i efiect in the y Aside, ) The fellow ‘“e Minister some tsa i, i business What have prompted him to do it? Vail: I’m free to confess that the pro- osal to bring in Jones—I mean Brydges us a very warlike—a very uncomfortable j rance. As mycolleague from Nova ~otia remarks Coffin: The infernal What did he and do it for Vail: Excuse my colleague's strong ex- | SS} lle is ited to the army, ess ‘ially to that section which is represent- | as having sworn in Fianders. As my league had ; ; remarked— Coffin: The son ofa sea cook! To split} 1 us in that fashion. Call ’im Coon Camy ron, eh! Hesa precious specimen of a ‘oon! Ha! Several: Oh! Ha! ha! ha! It's Maicolm |

he is hunting in his dreams.

Seott: Old Nick fly away with Malcolm! | ‘ach a scurvy trick.

Mackenzie: If there’s anything I detest | i'sa traitor to his Party, Let Malcolm | Cameron pass down the ages with the brand | of traitor and knave burnt deep into his re- putation. Oxf upon him.

Cartwright; And to lug me in. Con/ownd | his impudence. I'm heartily giad he found | a Deficit. |

Burpee: Oh, shoo—- shoo

Hunt.; Shoo, Fly ! Don’t bodder me !

Burpee : No—no! I say, shoo—s/vot the Coon. Ha! Ha! Hat—Ha! Ha! Hat D’ye | —<d'ye take? Ha! Ha! Ha!

Laird! Itstrikes me, me frons, that in- | stead of our treeing a Coon, a Coon has treed us. Ho! Ho! Ho!

Hunt.: Gentlemen, it’s rather a pleasant | sight, this reversal of Davy Crockett’s story. It would seem there has been a Coon it the ease, and there has been a lord of creation. | But it was the lord that was up the)

ee

ir

Laird {y, mon—that's surely blas- | phemy. {lunt.: Why, I'm saying it was a lord of |

creation that was in the tree, and it was the | Coon that had the gun; and I have not the | slightest doubt that if this Government | ind Party had been certain that the Coon was really going to fire, it would have | come down’ handsomly, and been saved | the shot and wound and rage and disgust | consequent upon the Coon’s well directed aim.

Coffin : It’s a sad, sad business. I might better have given that money to Shelburne ishermen.

Blake: (Sarcastically.) Gentlemen, this | Cameron business only i:‘lustrates the many sidedness of the Great Reform Party. It} proves more unmistakably than ever that | ours is the Party of the Future,that we are equal to all emergencies, and that by a} judicious re-arrangement of our programme | trom year to year, or, for that matter, from | raonth to month, we may hope io remain | in power forever. Just fancy, gentlemen,

i |

i

—just permit your memories to go back | even three years ago, and perceive the ad- | vance we have made—over the Left! We/| were a pure and spotiess Party then. We were down on everything resembling Cor- ruption; now we are represented by George Brown and his ‘Big Push’ correspondence ; Senator Simpson and bis Bank correspond. | ence: Malcolm Cameron and this Minis- terial purchase of the Ottawa Times ; twenty | Election Trials and nearly as many Reform. | ers unseated,—some entirely disqualified , the Cooper-Fairman Steel Rails Commis. | sion affair; and a dozen other affairs scarce~ ly less considerable, including the Lachine Canal Land Jobbing Affair. We gave out! that the Press must be perfectly free, that the Independence of Parliament must be maintained at ail hazards, and that free | play must be given for the exprescion of | popular opinion in every quarter. But three years of power finds us with a record such as this:—the Toronto Globe subsidized by | lenkins; the Canadian News, ditto: the | Speaker of the House of Commons received

Government printing, advertising, salaries,

ete.,amounting to $15,000 or 16,000 a year; | the papers of which Huntington, Penny,and

Liolton, (members of Parliament) are pro-

prietors recieving large sums both for Gov- | ernment printing and advertising ; Senator | Fabre’s paper the same; the paper owned | by Jones and Vail (M. P.’s) and others,— | to wit, the Halifax Ci/izen—over $10,000 a | year for Post office Printing alone, to say | nothing of advertising of all the Depart- ments; M. Cauchon’s paper receiving ad- vertising and printing; Malcolm Cameron’s the same—and moreover, we put in The | Utiawa Times office all the Departmental | printing, amounting to scores of thousands of dollars; Mr. Laird’s paper receiving Government Advertising and Printing, after he or his friends had arranged for the surpression Of an Opposition paper and turned its subscription list into the Patriot, —one of the parties to this arrangement being rewarded by the gift of the Island ltailway printing,

Cauchon: De Minestaire deed /orget de Leebral papare! Ha!

Blake: Let the dead rest! With this state of things existing—and I am only noting the surface indications, as the Post» master General would say,—the roots of this bribery of the Press being deep down in Parliamentiary soil, as most of you are well aware—with such a state of things rampant, the Independence of Parliament and the Press is of course,a myth. At the same time, outside of Parliament and the Press, we are centralizing ali power in Giovernment hands, Our Party now con- trols all Educational affairs in Ontario, and there, too, through Mowatt’s Government, | we have just taken charge of the Licensing of ail ‘Taverns, appointing our partizans Commissioners, and inspectors. The Pa. cific Railway we are building as a Gov- ernment work the better to retain our hold on the contractors of Canada and turn them into political machines for the next Gen- eral Election. Government contracts, thus | tur whether for ferry boats, canals or other works, we have given almost exclusively to | our favourites. Llowever the country may | like it, we are certainly constructing a vast political machine which, if wielded as the head of this Government might wish to wield it, may yet deprive Canadians of every liberty they once so dearly prized. While thus trampling on the Independance of the Press, Parliament and the People, we are truly running riot with the public funds. We have added many millions to the public burthens since our advent to Though three years ago, profess+ ors of Economy, we have developed Jenkins intoan Agent General, given him pleni» potentiary powers and permitted him to indulge in the expenditures of a Prince, until the public sentiment which we could not wholly suppress—but which will avail the country nothing when the Premier's policy is in full working order—compelled a change. Our Emigration expenditures are without parallel in the history of the country, considering the meagre results ; nd we have added tothe costs of every | ae partment of the Civil Service, besides | creating @ host of new offices from end to | end of Canada. We have, moreover, re-~ | garded all questions from a purely Party standpoint, or rather, the Premier has com- pelled Sis Party todo so. It did not suit our party interests to give the Nova Scotia | eX-railway contractors a hearing — they | didn’t belong to our Party; and they and | their sureties were left to their fate in these | pinching times of financial distress. It | doesn’t suit party interests to push the | Pacilic Laiiway now, although the money obtained in England lies in the banks, | large proportion of it not drawing interest, | and “ those Steel Rails " are lying useless | at various points in tue country—just be- | cause we reserve the works and the con- | tractors for use at next General Election. Ve Govern the country by Rings, because | ling men are great Party men, and there is not # Province which has not Rings work- | ing in their own and our interests. Three | years ago we demanded that all public work should be put up to tenders, but in a | hundred instances we have given public works out without tenders, purchased stores — without tenders, and employed the patron, | age (even when tenders were asked for) so | thatonly ‘Party’ men should receive ad- | vantage———

Mackenzie > Well! Well! rade! ls there no end to it?

Cauchon: U, let 'im go! Let ‘im go! Ile can’t av mooch more to speek now.

Biake - Not only have we so stultified | ourrelves, but the grand plank of our old platform—-No Coalition - bas been thrown overboard; for here around this Board to- ‘tay one Lalf the members present belonged | to the ola party, and among them are some

i j | i

|

This i« a ti-

‘ish Columbia question I had my policy and

| tractors at the next General Election——

| divergences. certain millions for the purchase of Steel

| cowardly policy of suspending public works

| headlong and agonizing into a half filled

| stop een dese Council an’ dese Gouvern~

| restrain my indignation——

Jay.

| dail, reported by the medical attendant of

_ drowned a few evenings ago on his way from town, having failen into a hole made _ by the mud-diggers in the Seal River ice,

who have voted in the last four or five years probably eighty times against our

Party—against all the essential points in| ~~

eur platform—against entrusting us with | power and authority in this land! Not only so, but we have here as our associate | to-day in the administration of the Govern- ment, and presiding over our deliberations, | one whom we denounced as an offender | against public decency and public morals, | and whom for fifteen years we pictured to the country as the worst man in public life in Canada! Having gone back on economy on No Coalition principles—on the Inde pendence of Parliament and the Press—on our No Bribery and Corruption cry—largely on Tenders for Public Works—on Railways as private enterprises ~ it only remained to show that while we condemned our op- ponents for having no public policy, and maintained that we were a Party united on a Policy, we really were af daggers drawn on the most essential questions with which statesmen are called to deal. On the Brit-

the Premier had his—neither of which has prevailed, and now we may be said to have no policy at all, except the policy of Delay. On the Vacilic Railway question we are also at loggerheads; the Premier's policy has shifted like the sands of the Petitcodiac, until he has at last decided to delay the work and utilize the money and the con-

Mackenzie : This is simply outra——

Blake: Hear me out

Mackenzie: I'll not listen to such insinu- ations !

Blake: lam simply stating /ac/s,to which asa arty we stand committed, through our Premier and other leaders. On the Constitution of the Senate we had radical In regard-to appropriating

Rails without Parliamentry sanction, the Premier is aware there were differences of opinion. In reference to the Tariff we have not been united. In regard to the

in times of depression, {with the money for these works in our possession], thus cons tributing to extend and increase the coms mercial distress or the country, the electors may well believe, as they do believe, the Cabinet was not harmonious. But above and beyond all these differences of opinion there stands the question of Church and State—of Catholic or Protestant ascend-~ ency—of ‘freedom of election’ and ‘ civil liberty ’—on which this Government and Party is hopelessly divided,men now sitting at this Board whose views on this great question are as different as night and day—-—-

Cauchon : O, pass dat! Pass dat! De Beeshop weel be cross when he hear dese ting com up in de Council again !

Blake: lt can’t be passed! It must be met. It is the question of the Future!—

Hunt.: Hear! Hear!

Cauchon: Oui! Oui! ’Ear! ’Ear’Ear one grande propheet dat no one do beleeve een!

Blake: the grandest of subjects comes for discussion! The mightiest of conflicts approaches! The great central question around which millions shall rally-——

Mackenzie: What ineffable nonsense is this? Is the Minister of Juctice taking charge of the Party and the Government.

Blake : which Parliaments will yet debate, the Press daily discuss,—which Genius will illumine and history record,—which shall excite more of interest more of wrath, arouse more of patriotism, than any other question since the days of the Roman In- vasion—which will cover the Right with Honor and Glory—and the Wrong with Im- measurable Confusion,—and send Cauchon

I have said. I weei not

cask of Chliorid of Lime! Cauchon : Dese is beestly!

I weel goright away to de Bee- shop. [He leaves the Council in a rage. ]

Mackenzie: I entirely sympathise with the President of the Council. | can scarcely

ment.

Blake: Don’t attempt todoit. I pray you, let it flow! Mackenzie: This is too much! Hrown

and the Globe shall hear of this. The Coun- cil is adjourned! Burpee! my coat!

Burpee: Here—here, Sir!

Mackenzie - And my hat! Why don’t you look alive: This atmosphere’s pers fectly poisonous!

Burpee: I'm—I'macomin’! Here, Sir.

Mackenzie: My cane—my glcves—- my everything! Do stir yourself!

Burpee: Land sakes! Yes—yes, Sir! Here you air, Sir!

And the Premier departed, in a violent passion, and Blake wiped the perspiration from his yoble brow and went off to re~ ceive theaeongratulations of Huntington. ‘The inferior Ministers, however, did not see any jun in the affair, and even the Coffin looked graver than usual.

THE INSOLVENT DEBTORS’ COURT.

Ar the sitting of this Court, held on the 29th ult., and just before it adjourned, the following address was presented to His Lordship the presiding Judge :-—

To His Honor JupGe Youne, LL.D., &e., &c., &e.

Sir,—We, the undersigned Barristers and Attorneys, cannot permit the opportunity to pass—of your Hlonor’s retiring from the Judgship of the Insolvent Debtor's Court, the jurisdiction of which is now merged in the County Courts by virtue of “ The In- solvent Act, 1875,” of the Dominion of Can- ada—without expressing our entire satis- faction at the manner in ‘vhich you presided over the meetings of the Court, and at the same time thanking*you for many courtesies extended to us during the eight years your llonor presided over said Court.

(Signed) F. BRECKEN, Att’y General, W. W. SULLIVAN,

Ricnarp Revpiy, Matco_m McLegop, Epwarp J.HopGson, Sol'r General, Lovis H. Davies, Jounx Lonaworts, Rk. R. FitzGreravp, Q. C., W. D. Haszarp, Cuar_Les. PaLMer, Henry E. Wrieur, C., E.H. Havicanp, Nel McLeop. following reply was

Cuaries BINNS,

And to which the given :—

Gentlemen,—Be pleased to accept my best thanks for the Address you have so unex- pectedly presented; and be assured that I do most highly value it. on accountfof the expression it contains of your entire satis- faction with the manner in which I have presided over ‘‘ The Insolvent Debtors’ Court,” for the last eight years.

When I have always been treated with marked consideration by yourselves, gen- tlemen, I could not do otherwise than re- ciprocate the courtesies to which you so kindly refer.

CuaAries Youna. -.-

A New Barcu ov Tracuers.-—Out of about forty candidates who presented themselves for examination in the Normal School, on Tuesday, the 28th ult., twenty-four suc- ceeded in obtaining*teacher’s license. Their names are as follows:

IST CLASS.

Join McEachern, John M. Harrington, Cornelious H, Ives, Sarah Furness, Eliza Lawson, Patrick Murphy, John Lowrey, Chas.) Martin, Edw. Uughes, Mary Ellen McKenna, Magg-e Ross, Anslem Doucette, Rosanna Mchae, Jane Rogers, Ernest Craw- ford, Wm. Montgomery, W. C. M. Pickering, Mary Mcltae, George Colwell, James Owen, Mary Bernard.

2ND CLASS,

Join F. Martin, George Carter, Issac

CRAMMER Class, Aineas B. Morrison. —New Era | coe om . We understand that the prisoners in the

Ahat institution to be ill of the scarlet fever, have not been attacked by that disease, but are merely suffering from a bad cold.—Pat. — So

Finst Lavncu or tae Skason.—On Tues- day, April 4, Capt. Simon Cheverie launched from his shipyard, Souris Harbor, a fine first-class schooner of 95 tons. This schooner is of Capt. Cheverie’s own modelling, and is pronounced by competent persons to be a superior built vessel.—New Era

-_—-_-

Max Daownev.—We have heard, with very great regret,that Mr. Donald McDonald, (Hector), of Murray Harbor Road, was

—_-.

flonse Drowxen.— We regret to learn that iwe valuable berses belonging to Donald rergusoa, Esq., were drowned in the Hillss borough on Tuesday last. Mr. Ferguson and his servant man narrowly escaped with their lives.

| those of this House; the power of its mem-

| insult to a body with whom it is desirable,

,an 74) 1g) § i about this Ilouse as the learned doctor had LOCAL LEGISLATE KE. just said about them.

Ae had always been in favor of mental system of government; and every

He (Mr. MeNeill) the depart.

hon. member must admit that to have such

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY Marcu 24. INDEPENDENCE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, Hiox. Mr. Brecexen—I move that the

Iiouse do now go into committee of tie whole House, to take into consideration | the Bill entitled an Act to secure the in- dependence of the General Assembly. In making the motion, I may state that the Bill is a fae similie of the one introduced | last session. I believe that both sides of this House are agreed as to the necessity | of passing such an Act—owing to the great | danger which exists, that the party sup- | porting the Government in the General As~- sembly may be composed of two many officials, But, sir, this is not the only | danger. ne of the effects of confederation | is that we have Dominion officials in | this Legislature; and such officials are not, | it is now generally agreed, in a position to speak and act ina manner consistent with the perfect independence of the Provincial | Parliament. {t is with no party spirit that | I ask leave to introduce the measure. No motives of a personal character actuate me. But it is with a sincere desire to promote the purity and independence of the Legislature that I now submit this Bill to your consideration, In this spirit 1 hope it will be approached by hon. mem- bers on both sides. The first clause of this Bill is in accordance with the Act passed by the Dominion Parliament in the year 187], All of you will remember that when the hon. John Hamilton Gray took his seat in the House of Commons, he was engaged in the work of consolidating the laws of Canada, and he was in receipt of money from the public exchequer. He was not considered by the Government to be a regular official; he was paid monthly; and it was thought by Sir Jobn A. McDonald and others of his party, that the position would not affect his right to sitin Parliament. Tbe Opposition, however, took a different view; and in 1871 a short Act was passed, containing a clause precisely similar to the clause alluded to in this Act. The provision is that no person who holds an official position under Goy. ernment shall be deemed eligible to hold a seat in the General Assembly of this Pro- vince,

By message, the House was informed | that the Legislative Council had passed a | Bill entitled ‘“‘an Act to secure the inde- | pendence of the General Assembly '’—to | which they desired concurrence.

On motion of Mr. L. H. Davies, the Bull was read a first time,

Hon. Mr. Breceen said. It is not often that we see such extreme anxiety evinced by the hon. gentlemen of the Legislative Council. ‘The Government have twice in. troduced a measure to secure the “ Inde~ pendence of the General Assembly,” to which, they have aa often given the three months hoist. But now they have taken upon themselves to imitiate a_ Bill which, except in two particulars, is similar to that of the Government, The Bill pro- vides, that certain offices shall be establish» ed; but the officers will have to be provid- ed with salaries by this House. In this par- ticular, the Bill is an infringement of the rights and privileges of this House; and therefore, | have no hesitation in moving the following resolution :-—

“ Resolved, That this Bill be read asecond time this day three months.”’

Mr. Conroy objected to the clauses in the Bill, which provided for the nomination of certain officers— more particularly a com- missioner of education. What, he would like to know, would this official do? Would he have to carry out the present school law ? He (Mr. Conroy,) did not approve of that provision ; and so jealous was he in this pars ticular, that he would not support the measure. Before parties put that provi- sion in the Bill, he thought he should have been consulted.

Mr, Stewart did not know that the ob- jection raised by the hon. Attorney General, was sufficient to defeat the measure sent down by the Upper House. The privileges of the Upper House are commensurate with

bers is equal to that of members of the House of Assembly; and they have the right to initiate a measure as well as mem.~ bers of this House. Itis true they do not enjoy the privilege of voting supplies; but there is nothing whatever, about salaries in the Bill they have just sent down. Com- mon courtesy would dictate a fair consider- ation on the part of the House to that Bull, To throw it out would be to offer a burning

that the House of Assembly should always be on tbe most friendly footing.

Mr. B. Davirs—I desire to offer a few words upon the principle of the Bill. It is generally considered that it is not advisable that a person who holds a seat in this Legis- lature, should hold aseat in the Parliament of the Dominion. That principle is gener- ally endorsed. But, for what reason ? Why should not a member of the Dominion Commons be permitted to sit in this House ? I cannot, for my part, see what difference it would make, in so faras the independ, ence of this Legislature is concerned, if the Hon. the Minister of the Interior were sit~ ting here now. There has been no reason brought forward to show that his presence would interfere with our independence. Nor can | see or admit that any such rea. son exists. I will, however, vote for this principle of the Bul, because it is in accord- ance with public opinion. but, sir, I will not agree to other parts of the Bill. Ido not see why 4 person in the employ of the Railway, should be deprived of a seat in this House, if he can get a constituency to return him; and I for one, will not agree to that clause. Even persons taking a contract or filling the smallest, the most trifling office under the Dominion Gov« ernment, are, under this Bill, excluded from this Legislature. Was there ever such an absurd proposition heard of? Was ever such an extraordinary measure before submitted to this House? We know very well, sir, that the presence here of such per- sons does not affect the Independence of Parliament. I am of opinion that the peos of this Island—and they alone—should say who should and who should not sit in this House. That, sir, is the true principle of responsible Government. I shall vote for the second reading of the Bill; but wiil op- pose it in committee—unless, indeed, it is clearly shown that there isa real necessity for the provision to which I have been al- luding.

Mr. CampseLt—This is a question which has been before this House ever since I took my seat, Of the Bill introduced by the Government I will simply say that it does not meet my views. The Bill sent down by the Legislative Council pretty nearly does so. Itis clear proof, tomy mind, that hon. members of the Government do not wish to have the independence of Par- liament secured at all, that they have treated this Bill in such a summary manner. I think, sir, it is necessary that this Bill should become law.

Mr. Catineck.—I do not see, Mr. Speaker, why the other branch of the Leg- islature should. not introduce a Bill securing the independence of Parliament as well as this. It the Bill goes up from here it will have to go through precisely the same form; and some respect is surely due the Legislative Council. The objec- tion which has been raised as to the pro- vision in the Bill for the appointment of a Commissioner of Education and other officials, should not, 1 think, be made a ground for throwing out the Bill. It does not specify that such officials shall be apx pointed ; it merely makes provision in case they maybe appointed, If we do not like the Bill in all its parts we have the privile ege of amending it, Our Bill will go through just the same ordeal when it goes tefore the Legislative Council as their Bill will here, and it will certainly facilitate the public business if we refrain from giving it the three months’ hoist. As regards the principles of the Bill, | have always been in favor of Responsible Government ; and we cannot have Responsible Government, in the correct sense of the word, until we have Heads of Departments on the floor of the Legislature; and officials of Government cannot be independent. It is because this Bill provides that Heads of Depart- ments shall be here while mere officials under Government shall be excluded that I think it a move in the right direction.

Dr. Jenkins would support the motion submitted by the Hon. Attorney General it for nothing else than because of the title of the Bill, ‘An Act to secure the indepen- dence of the General Assembly.” He would like to know what they (the Legislas tive Council) bave to do with the General Assembly? If this House is not able to take care of itself, it must be in pressing need when it requires the assistance of the Legislative Councillors.

Mr. McNeist thought the Legislative

| ernment is not in his place.

Councillors might say just the same thing

. number of officials on the floor of the

House as there is at present, is very unfor- tunate, will tend towards improvement :n these support,

The Bill now bef.rve the House both it should have his |

respects; and

Mer. L. HW. Davins—1 think, Mr, Speaker,

to a dead-lock—it is very unfortuyate | that the constitutional adviser of the Gov. Sir, it ts all | very well to assert our privileges when those | privileges are interfered witb. But we must | remember that the members of the Legis-

lative Council have just as good a right as | we to initiate and introduce the Bill now

before the House. We must recollect that

the Legislative Council is not now, as in

former days, nominated by the Crown: that | it derives its powers almost as directly fron: | the people as this House; and that in leg- | islating to secure the independence of | Parliament they are legislating for them-

selves as well as forus, It appears to me,

sir, that in moving to give this Bill the

three months’ hoist the Government are

trying to drive the Legislature to a

dead-lock—are trying to get out of | passing any Act calculated to secure | the independence of Parliament by excluding the noble band of office hold, | ers from the floor of this House. No sens | sible man can imagine fora moment, that they contemplate the paseage of the Bill | which the Attorney General hus just intro- duced, Why, sir, it is a most sweeping measure. ‘The hon. junior member for

Belfast could not, if it passed, hold a seat in this House if one of his ships happened to | bring a cargo of coal from Pictou for the | use of our railway. No lawyer, doctor, | shipowner, capitalist—no person taking @— fee or performing the smallest service for the Government of the Dominion, ceuld sit here, if it were the law of the land, And sir, to substitute it for the Bill sent down

Ilere is a precedent; one, too, which bears directly upon the point. Sir, I do not wish to take up the time of the House in discussing the merits of the Bill. 1 ehali vote for the resolution submitted Ly the hon. Attorney General, because I| think the passage of that motion is the only pros per way of asserting our privileges. | should, however, be very sorry if it should destroy the harmony at present existing

, between the two branches of the legislature,

Ilon, Mr. Yero could corroborate the

that it is very unfortunate that anything | statement made by the Solicitor General should occur to make this Legislature come | respecting the agreement to withdraw the

Bill submitted in the Upper House, As chairman of the good correspondence com: mittee, he mentioned the matter to Hon, Mr. Strong, chairman of the good corres- pondence committee of the Legislative Council; and he, after consulting with the introducers of the measure, had stated that it was arranged that the Bill should be withdrawn, ‘That it was not withdrawn was to be regretted. As one member ot the Lower House he should be sorry to see anything occur that would create ill-feeling,

The motion was then agreed to on the following division :—

YEAS, Messieurs Owen, Holland, jrecken, J. E. McDonald, Yeo, Conroy, Richards, Kelly, Lefurgy, Jenkins, Arseneaux, Mclsaac, A. J. McDonald, Gallant, Suliivan, L. McDonald, J. A. MeDonald. —1li. waYs, Messieurs L. H. Davies, Rowe, Stewart, Campbell, B. Davies, Beer, Callbeck, Welsh, MeNeill. —9.

Hoy. Mr. Bezcken moved that the debate, interrupted by the entrance of the mes. senger of the Legislative Council, be re- sumed,

Me. L. H. Davies contended that, ac.

by the Legislative Council, would be to of- | cording to the rules of the House, the fer to that body, a deliberate insult, upon | debate could not be resumed.

grounds which are utterly untenable.

Will, Aftera lengthy debate upon the point

this Bill occasion an increase of taxes ? Not | the motion passed; and

at ali.

It merely declares what persons |

Mr. Brecken resumed—In discussing this

shall be entitled to hold a seat in the Legis. | Bill, some hon. members have characterized

lature, We all know that the time is coming when a Commissioner of Education, a Minis~ ter of Public Works, and other officials not now in existence, will be appointed; and the Legislative Council showed true statess

manship—which does not provide merely | for pressing wants, but wisely looks to the |

future—when they made that provision in the Bill. But, because they made it, the Attorney General comes in and moves that the Bill ‘‘ be read a second time this day three months.’’ The hon, member’s mo. tion is unprecedented. You know, sir, that the rule and the practice of this House is to make that motion before the House goes into Committee. Then would have been the proper time for the Attorney General to submit his resolution. Instead, sir, he showes his eagerness to insult the Upper

House, by moving the three months hoist | If the members of |

after the first reading. the other House tamely brook this insult, they will exhibit pusillanimity, which, I am sure, they do not possess. And supposing they stand on their dignity, what is to be the result? Why the work of the Legisla~ ture will come to a stand still. Sir, there is nothing at all in the reason given by the Attorney General, for the rejection cf the Bill. And, it is highly unbecoming cu our part, to treat it in such a summary manner as he proposes. The hon. gentleman affects

to wonder at the course adopted, in respect |

to the introducticn of the Bill. That course is easily explained. When tho Gov- ernors Speech was read it was found that there was no mention ofa Bill to secure the Independence of Parliament. The Oppo- sition, therefore, concluded that it was not the intention of the Government to intro- duce the measure this session; and it was determined that a Bill, having for its object the purification of thé General Assembly, should be introduced in the Legislative Council. This was accordingly done. After the Bill had made some progress, the At» torney General gave notice that he would introduce his Dull. These are the simple facts ; and, sir, | trust that there is not only sufficient independence in this House to show that we are capable of «sserting our own independence, but that we respect the rights and privileges of the Upper House.

Hon. Mr. Scoiiivan-—I wish, sir, to say a few words on this occasion. I[ think itis a great pity that anything should occur which would prevent the Legisiature from carry- ing on the business of the country. But it seems to me that +o tar from this House acting discourteously towards the Legisla- tive Council as bas been asserted, that the very contrary is the fact--that itis they who have acted discourteously towards this House. After it was known that a Bill to secure the independence of Parliament was introduced in the Legislative Council, it was arranged between the good correspon- dence committee of both Houses that the other House should withdraw their measure in favor of that of the Government.

Mr. L. H, Davirs—It was never so ars ranged.

Hon. Mr. SuLtivan—Such is the fact. It was not only arranged that it should be withdrawn, but it was withdrawn. It seems, however, that the matter was after. wards brought up in caucus, where it was agreed that the Bill should be forced through.

Mn. Besr—There is not one word of truth init. hat assertion is not correct.

Hon. Mr. Svuttivan—Nevertheless, the Bill was forced through—and that in face of the fact, which was well known, thet the Government had prepared and were about to introduce a measure which goes very much further in the purification of the Legislature than the Hill initiated by the Opposition, It has been said that there is nothing in this Bill to show that additional taxes will be levied. Is it to be sup that the Minister of Public Works and the Commissioner of Education are to hold positions which will be merely honorary? Nothing of the kind. Those officers, if they are competent, must be well paid; and the money must come out of the public treasury of this Island. Sir, I hold that the Bill is one which cannot originate with the Legislative Council without an in. fringement of the privileges which belong to this House. Some hon. members say that because the Legislative Council is elective, that therefore they have the right to introduce this measure. Sir, the fact that they are elective has nothing whatever to do with the matter. The Legislative Council have now no greater privileges in respect to thedistribution of public money, than they had when they were nominated by the Crown.

Mr. L. H. Daviss— Did not Lord Chan. cellor Cairns—during the present session of the British Parliament— introduce a meas sure in the House of Lords respecting a Court of Appeal, and did not it contain a clause providing for the appointment of Judges who would be paid out of the Pub- lic Exchequer? Here isa precedent for the action of the Legislative Council in this case of the highest authority and of the latest date.

lion. W. W. Suttivan—The cases are not similar. it could not be inferred from the Bill that came down from the House of Lords that any greater expenses would be incurred. ‘ithe proper policy for the Legislative Council to have pursued was to have waited until the Government measure came before them, They could then have amended it to meet their views; and thus inconvenience would have been avoided. We are informed that the motion made by my hon. friend the Attorney General is without precedent--as to the time of its introduction. Sir, if a matier arises which calls for a prompt assertion of the privileges of this House, are we to wait for precedents? Should we -not do that which is right and never mind the precedent? In this case, however. there 1s a precedent, In the year 1869 a Billwas passed by the Legislative Council which provided for the salary of their clerk. On motion of the hon. Mr. Haviland, who was then, | beliewe, Leader of the Opposition, the Bill received the three months hoist at the first reaaing. [ quote the Journal ot the Liouse for that year, p.p.34:—* A message by Mr. John Bail, theirclerk. Mr, Speaker, the Legis« lative Council have passed a Bill intituled ‘An Act relating to the Clerk of the Legis» lative Council,’ to which they desire the concurrence of the i:ouse of Assembly.’ And then immediately after :—‘ On mo- tion of the hon, Mr. Haviland, seconded by Mr. Ramsay, ordered that the said Bill be read a second time this day three months, in consequence of its being an interference with the privileges of this House in rela- tion to meney matters.’’ After this, hon. members will be very chary in the watter of statements coming from the Opposition.

| the clause it contains respecting the ex~- clusion of officials from the Legislature as one without a parallel—and have instanced it as an evidence of the alleged insincerity of the Government, in regard to the pass. age of the measure. Butif those hon. gentlemen will but turn to the Dominion Acts, they will find there a provision exact~ ly similar. In 1868 it was enacted :—

“No person accepting or holding any office, commission or employment, in the service of the Government of Canada, at the aomination of the Crown, to which an annual salary, er any fee, allowance or emolumeat, in lieu of an annual salary from the Crown, is attached, shall be eligible as a member of the House of Commons, nor shall he sit or vote in the same during the time he holds such office, occupation, or em- ployment.”

{n 1871 this section was made still more comprehansive. It was then enacted that

“No person accepting or holding any office, | commission or employment, permanent or tem- | porary, in the service of the Government of Canada, at the nomination of the Crown, to which an annual salary, or any fee, allowance or emolument, or profit of any kind or amount whatever from the Crown, is attached, shall be eligible as a member of the House of Commons, nor shall he sit or vote in the same, during the time he holds such office, commission or em- ployment.”

Now the clause in the Bill before the House reads thus :—