~

a

AND ISLAND ARGUS.

LSS. Abolition of the Legislative Council

No one who has taken a practical part or interest in the public affairs of this Prov

ince will be greatly influenced by the speeious remarks of our correspondent ‘An Observer” about the abelition of the

neil,

has been agitated through during the past six or seven publie meetings and by their ls property-ewning electors istakable terms, expressed he Legislative Conncil is not needed and must be abolished.

The guestien of the abolition of the Lower House —the House of Assembly— has never yet been discussed; nor have the electors, either by pu'lic meetings or at the polls, expressed any opinion regard- img it.

Now, the v

Shall we ti perhaps ten no etpression of with regard Assembly shail have been obtained; or shall we at once proceed to carry out

Legislative C This questi out the laland years ; and by votes at the p have, in uni their will that

we of the electors rules, n allow seven or eight, er

the views

necessary er expedient ?

This, in a practical form, is the question

raised by “* An Observer.’

As to the reply, there should not, we

think, be the slightest doubt or hesitation.

lf the J.egislature does not at once pro- the Legislative Couneil,

ceed to abol sh ‘ its members »ill be reereant to their duty

and responsi»le for the large expense in which it annv dly involves the taxpayers of

the Provinee.

The Leygisl»tive Council, or rather the

majority of iis members, are alrea ly ac countable fer the expenditure which been incurred by it the expressed will of its electors —during three years, a sounting to about $21,000.00

Proceed to carry out the idea propounded bp “Aa Observer,” and maintain the Lagislative Council in the meantime, and the aceregate smount sunk in this institu tion, subsequent to the time at which the electors pronounced it manied @s a) lition, will be swelled up to at least 260,010.00 '

We think we give expression to the views of those most deeply concerned, when we sa’ that the taxpayers of. this Isiand are net willing to throw away so much money

And why lesitate about the immediate abolition of the Legislative Council? Be esuse, says ‘‘An Observer,” ‘* To only one Cha ober, and that ene elected by manhood suffrage, is a parliamentary ex- periment that noe ceuntry has yet made.”

This reason is based on the

re mive

: 1 ; men who do net own property 6a uld, not |

fel-

in common with the more fortunate ‘ows, be trusted with political power ;

.n this Island. it may properly be resolved

into this: That farmers who ewn their farms should be careful not to trust with the franchiss their sons who live with

them and wo will own the farms after they have passed away—lest the rights or interests of property-owners should be en- dangered. ry

Need we la>or vver a proposition so very absord !

The proper course to pursue is, we think, clearly this: To carry ont the well under- stood wishes «f the people in this regard,

abolish the 1 gislative Council, and, by so}

much, reduce the expenditure. Then, if, after iseussion, the electorate deem it adv sable to reduce the remaining Hous, it will be a simple matter, without disturbing the present boundaries of dis- tricts, to elect but one member in each district instea 1 of two.

The great iorce and ability with which our correspondent ‘‘ An Observer,” treats other subjects has made us the more con- cerned lest, e: that account, his erroneous views respecting the reduction of the

Legislature should receive more weight in |

the comunity than they are justly entitled to on tieir intrinsic merits.

Commercial! Arrangements.

Tre annual meeting of the Ocean Steam- ship Co. is socn to come off. Would not this be a very opportune time for the gentlemen wh.» compose that company, to take into consideration the prepriety of devising some means of improving the ** defective co omercial arrangements” re- ferred toby Vrof. Sheldon in his report of his reeent visit to Canada, as existing between this Province aud the Mother Cou.try! That these arrange-

ments are ve y defective—and capable of a |

vast improve .ent—we have had abundant evidence. Tne country suffers a very material loss. in consequence of the de- feets referred to. It was only last fall that a consignment! of sheep had to be sent to Quebec for shipment to England—a eircuit ous route of about 2,000 miles over and above the dis ance ever which they would have been carvied, if our commercial ar- rangements were such as to afford the mecessiry facilities for shipping direct to the port of destination.

This is only one of many instances that could be adduced to show the disadvan- tages under which the people of this Province labor in this respect, and the mecewity tha’ exists for an improvement in the direction indicated.

Now is the time for the gentlemen who eontrs! our p.ercantile marine, te consider this matter i: in its probable bearings upon the future of our country, and see what can be dene towards giving our people improved facilities for .\ipping live stock, &e., direct to the | ropean warkets, g:ticaction 10 this matter they would assist an fowt id encouraging our most im- portant inciuswies, while, at the same time, they would, ne doubt, be also doing that which woul. be to their own pecuniary afvantage

The best interest of town and country alike, deman:! that soine steps be taken to give improy-d shipping facilities, without @hich our resources cannot be developed a epeedily asi: is desirable that they should.

Any tiwvermert that will have the effect ef entanciny the prosperity of the agricul- tural portion of our population, muat also of necessity, result beneficia!ly to our mer- ehants, ship) vners, real estate owners and capitalists.

ring i

_——-— +

Avcother Objection Explained.

Iw the det .tes about the Pacific Railway Contract, the Opposition contended that the capital expended would include, in the ease of the Syudicate, the subsidy viven by Goversament in lands and money—in fact the whole seventy eight millions which it is ealeulated the read will cost. The Govern- ment, on the other hand, contended that this was a wrong view. But, to put the

matter bey od all doubt the following |

clause his een inserted in the amended consolidated Railway Act: ‘The word *eapital’ as used in the said arb-sections < 11 of sections 17 of Consolidated ilway Ac’) meant and means the paid up stock and siare capital of the coupany, with inferest added for periods dur- ing which 10 dividend is paid, to tle exclusion of al! subsidies and bonuses and of the debt of the company, and this in- terpretation of the ssid word (‘ capital’) shall apply t. all railway eompanics affect- ed by said at:-section, or by any amend ment of the said sub section, in which the

be Weekly © xantiner

} \ arrangements

re years to pass until a clear of the electors 0 abolition of the House ef the will of the people as already expressed —abolish the Legislative Council and go on making additional -eductions in the Legislature or changes in the franchise upon which it exists, as public epinion becomes educated and the proposed changes are found to be

hus in direct opposition to

useless and de- ;

helief that |

and, |

By taking ener- |

Much Mutton Wanted.

MAND FOR SHEEP REASON THEREFOR,

ATED br AND THE

| | UNPRECED LAMBS,

Ber for our ‘imperfect Commercial ar- farmers in the Island who sheep, would be in a « handsome and the

have large flocks of pesition tps year to profit. The foot rot im great snow storms have destroyed so many

reap England

thousands of sheep that in the Liverpool market mutton is now reported three pence a pound dearer than it has been for many years. Our advices report thut to fill the vacancy in the market Enogland is making very large demands on Canadiaa-woollec stock. If this country could afford to do it the mother land would take every fat sheep in it. In May FORTY THOUSAND WILL BE SHIPPED

from Toronto and other points west for Liverpool, and these are being bought through the country at five and six cents a pound live weight. The effect of this drain on sheep and lambs, wil! not only in- crease the price of mutton, but it will un- doubtedly cause a decided rise in the price of course wool, the best qualities of this to be found on the continent being grown in Canada, It is remarkable how all agricul- tural products keep fluctuating in price. Two years ago sheep were a dead loss and perfectly worthless as far as profit is con- cerned ; next year they will prove the best paying stock on the farm.

Meeting at Cape Traverse.

Winter Communieation with the Mainland,

to publish to-day. We will do so, how- ever, at our earliest convenience.

one. It was addressed by Messrs. A. Strang, Benj. Webster, J. H. Howatt, D. S. Wright, J. W. Hughes, and others—ail in favor, it is needless to state, of the Capes route.

Among the resolutions passed was one ealling upon our representatives in the Deminion Parliament to demand the con- struction of the Cape Traverse and Ter- mentine Branch Railways next summer, toyether with the placing of a suitable steamer at the Capes.

It is nut probable that the Government will comply with the request of the gentle-

daring the eoming season ; but we have no | doubt that the construction of | lines of railway is only a question of a com- paratively short time. It is conceded on all hands that an earnest effort should be imade te test the practicability of the | Capes’ route, asa highway for keeping u) | winter steam communication with the out- | side world. We have been assured by parties quite competent to judge, that, if a

small boat

could have kept up regular communication

during the time that the iceboats were pre- |

vented from effeeting a crossing.

We see by one of the resolutions passed at the meeting in question, that our friends Traverse think that the Govern-

ia Caps

i . * , . : : | recently made by Mr. Yeo, who is iront-

| cally styled ‘* our working representative,” lto give the administration his support if

| they would only go on with these branch |

| railways at once. Those who voted for this | resolution evidently attach more importance |to Mr. Yeo’s offer of support, than the Government do. If this were the only eon-

sideration that should prompt the Govern- | ment to take immediate action in the mat- | ter, it would be rather a heavy price to pay ifor Mr. Yeo’s vote. We have no doubt,

however, that the Government will do jus-

| tiee to this Province, in the raatter of pro- | viding the best means of keeping up winter | | communication with the main land, in due |

time, irrespective of the stand Mr. Yeo may

| take in the future. SO Ore Importation of sha Trotting Stock.

| A PIECE OF GooD NEWS.

| Wrra the proposal of the Gevernment to

| import well-bred horses this sprieg, and the |

laudable enterprise of private gentlemen, this Province at once takes a high stand in | the breeding of high-styled carriage horses | and first-class trotters. We are informed, 5

General Withers “‘Lexincron Kentuck,” | a fine bay colt sired by that renowned sire | of trotters, ‘“‘Atmont.” ‘‘Almont,” we may | remark, has sired more trotters in the 2.30 | elaas than any other stud living or that ever lived for the time he has been in the stud. The breeding of the colt purchased cannot be excelled. Io his veins flows the bleod of | Hambletonian, Mambrino Chief, Clay Pilot j}and Morgan families of trotters, through the best channels and based on a strictly thoroughbred foundation.

This colt will be an invaluable acquisition to the horse breeders of this Province.

We are informed that this colt will ar- rive here abeut the first of May next. General Withers, from whom he was pur- chased, is one of the most successful breed- ers of trotters in the United States.

A Moral Reformer Who Lacks Courage.

Rererrnixc to Mr. J. H. Bell's letter detailing his observations in the Parlia- mentary smoking rocm and drinking saloon at Uitawa, a correspondent mentions as a rather notable fact that not one of the | members from the Island smokes, and that all of them, without any exception, have behaved themselves exceedingly weil thronghout the session. Our friend thinks it very strange that Mr. Bell should have sent his letter all the way might have done much good if published at Ottawa. But then the Chairman of the |smoking room and many heavy smokers jand drinkers are Grits; and perhaps Mr, Bell didn’t eare personally to incur their | displeasure by revealing the secreta of i their resorts to the inhabitants of the | Capital. The consequences might not have been pleasant for Sell. No doubt there is much about the Houses of Parlia- ment to call forth the energies of a moral |reformer. Bat Mr. Bell would have | osed j at Ottawa in that character to much better advantage than in this Island.

M r.

— om ©

| Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court of King’s County opened here on Tuesday last,—Chief Jus- | tice Paliner presiding. The following list | composed the Grand Jury :—

| BR. Munro, foreman ; Richard Westaway,

A. C. Stewart, Cyrus Shaw, John McLean,

| Montague ; Joseph R. Macdonald, R. W.

Sprague, William Poole, Jas. N. Cogswell,

| Joseph Brehaut, John MeLean, Souris ;

| John McDougall, Peter McCourt, Donald | Morrison, Charles McDonald, Charles Mc-

Eachren, Ronald McCormack.

The Grand Jury found bills of indict- ment against John Cahill, for an assault upon George Kobertson, and Neil Kennedy | for a siinilar ofience against Rev. Edward | Bell, Montagne. Both cases will probably | be disposed of before adjournment. In the | matter of the death of McKenzie, at Chep- | stow, no bill was found against the ac

cused.

There were only fonr civil cases on the docket. That of Charlotte Joseph Kennedy, McLean for plaintiff and

| Davies for defendant ; McKay vs. Hayden,

Palmer for plaintiff aud Warburton for de-

fendant ; Connolly rs. Matheson, MeLeod for plaintiff ; McLeod vs McKinnon, Davies

for plaintilf..- Advert ‘ser.

| To eum it up, six long years of bed-rid-

|

AND |

We have received a report of a meeting held at Cape Traverse on the 26th ult., for | the purpose of discussing the question of

which, owing to its length, we are unable

The meeting was a large and influential

these short |

powerful for her size —were |

Ps ; : ; eee, | stationed at the Capes this winter, she! janglings he had s eftes demouneced, put |

ment should have accepted the proposition |

jon good autherity, that enterprising per- | sons in this Province have purchased from |

here while it)

McWade vz. |

A Good Account.

NOTES OF TUB PAST MONTH. | By An Observer.

| GREAT BRITAIN AND i Tur scenes witnessed in the British House of Commons at the beginning of the past month will stand out in History as prominently as those in the days of Char- les I. And yet the comparison is an absurd ene. Speaker Lenthall stood forth at a critical moment, when the most vital in-

| teresta that ean affect the liberty of a Parliament were at stake. Speaker Brand stood forth and saved a House of six

hundred members from being paralysed by | some twenty-five. It speaks well for the | English sense of fair-play to the weaker ‘side, that the Home Rulers were allewed | to go so far. Gambetta is said to

| remarked that in no country but England jweuld such a state of things have been | permitted fortwenty four hours. The long- suffering weeka. has been fully vindicated, as the Obstrue | tions have made the best possible use of all | the rope that was given them and have | most effectually hanged themselves.

It is the misfortune of Ireland, that | however just her cause may be (: nd that she | has many just grounds of cornplaint no ene |can deny) her advocates do ail that men

can to rain it. Parnell seems to be specially maladroit. When he America last year he succeeded in setting

} the most influential pordon

eame to

of the United

States press against him; and now during 1is brief visit to Paris, he has success {fully alienate l from imself certainiy, | probably to some extent frem bis move- ment, the religious leaders of the irish people. I has been he proud boast f the Irish people, that their darkest hour th have ever been true to their religion; and the best of then, have ever asserted that its eonsolations have never failed them, even when all other supports seemed te have gone. They will certainly look ask

> ance on a leader who found iis

friends among men of the stamp of the dis- | credited Henri Rochefort and — é violent Atheistic Revolutionaries. The been Ireland's truest friends—have taken the alarm ; and the days of Parne!]’s in- fluence are, in all probability, numbered.

| The new reg ilations for the Commons are ecrtainly of a most arbitrary kind. But their necessity, however mueh

is some consolation to reflect that we may hope for the future to be saved | from a great deal of the stuff about *‘ the l absolute inviolsbility of the freedom of speech” with which erators of a certain | class delightod to din our ears. One might almost imagine that the great

; prophet of action and great scourge of |

talkers may have passed more quietly te his | rest when he saw the nation, whose infinite clatser and inept

linto the hands of one man, a gag for tts unruly members. Thomas Carlyle strove | to teaeh his generation that the true hero, is lithe wan ot action, and that the wan of | action, is seldom found to be also a man of words, It could not be but that dogmatic, so opposed to popular views, so rough, not to say nneouth, and yet withal, | so tenderly sympathetic, with the strugyles of all true seuls, would arouse a sirone opposition and win firm friends.

iurchyard lies one of the greatest writers of his age and nation. To those who are familiar with his writings, it is needless to say any- | thing. But to those who have not yet made their acquaintance, it may be said | that if they do not allow themseives to be discouraged at the outset by a rugged and

difficult

in the little Scotch

somewhat style, they will find that style conveys. The lectures on Heroes are the plainest, and, to a new beginner,

| probably his most interesting writings.

i | . | The History of the French Revolucion,

rugged and picturesque, full of descriptive scenes cf remarkable power, has been well | called a prose poem. | these, the reader will be prepared to attack | Sarto: Resartus, perlaps the most charac- | teristic of hia writings,-—25 times sarcastic, eynical, grotesque, yet with passages of wonderfal eloquence, aud with much acate

|} and subtle analysis of the

IRELAND land

have |

Parliament endured it for four | But the truth of the old saying |

the most |

hierarchy—the men who on the whole have |

House of |

} : | } weenie . . , Joubte | men who passed the resolution referred to; tu be egretted, cannot be doubted. It

the great talking shop of |

one se!

Bat |

friend and opponent will alike agree that |

themselves more than rewarded by what |

Having mastered |

Birvevies of al

smo

for every laboring man in his old age,

besides taking into its paternal hands many things now left to municipalities. On one point the German Chamber

the Svcialists agres- -both are firmly impressed with Hans Breit- man’s great ‘*Moral Idee—dat gov- ernments for efery ‘aau, must alfays do | efery dings.” It is rather curious that while the movement in Germany is more and were in the direction of centralization. Mr. Gladstone proelaims a wide extension of municipal institutions as Ireland’s great need.

There has been a flurry in French poli- tices over an assorted sale of arms by the Gevernment te Greece, but it has been efticially denied. There seoins to be little loubt that while the great majerity of the Freneh people are anxious for peace almost lat any price, Gambetta has mere warlike theughts. His many opponents make the | most of this, and were only too glad te lmake what capital they eould out ef the | | |

quite

false report. Was it Catherine de Medicis or who was it, that said, that alie may prove to be of great value politically, if you jean get it believed for three days. The French Government have struck another blow at the religious orders, by refusing to continue to their members the exemption | from military service that has hitherto been

accorded to them.

The question of the Greek Frontier still drags its weary length along ; but it must soon reach a point where a decision will be rendered. The ambassadors of the Powers are endeavouring to med between the parties. The Porte is not unwilling to ise tO COMpromise

rr

aie

COM promise or to pron : 1 hs i .. -h

V i > riiite tne game thing- ut (are ave notl but e bond Turk Ters to give i Mheesaly d the

é art ef Alha it €i ea to i i e g inland fortresses of ba a Mezeva. Buth countries are

bringing themselves te the verge of bank- |

ruptey er, to speak mor eetly, are be- coming hopelessly bankrupt: ef the two | the finances of Turkey are the worst.

ihe importance of the decided victory gained by the Russians over the Tekke Tureoman tribes in Central Asta must not be overlaoked. A glance at the map will shew thatit brings Russia nearer to Merve, which is a stepping stone to Herat, | which ia a stepping stone toCanlahar. In consequence of this victory and also of the discovery of further comnanication be- tween ‘Russia and late Ameer of Afghanistan, there are some hopes that the British Government will reconsider their determination to withdraw from Candahar. The annovncement of their intention to withdraw ha« created great cconsternation, especially in Candahar itself, which was bee | ginning to hope for some settled Govern- and whose trade with India was already becoming more vigorous and well established. Of course the Government | feel themselves embarrassed by the violent attacks upon their Eastern policy of their predecessors, and by their husting declan | ations Sut the countey will rather forgive them for foolishly speaking than fer en danvering the safety of the Eastern Empire for the sake of vindicating their own eon sistency. Thereis a good deal of | tical common and of honest pat-le ain in all English statesmen, so they will probably with the best face they can i sacrifice their consisteney for their country's welfare ; by their own acts, best possible vi f

the

| ment,

sense

own and give, the dication of predecessor's Eastern Policy. UNITED £TATES. Conjectures as to the personnel of the | Garfield Cabinet to be formed on the 4th of March now fil! the United States news- papers. The many superficial points of resemblanee between our own political con stitution, and that of our neighbors are apt to make us overlook their essential dif- ferences. It must be remem!ered that the appeinftment of the Cabinet resets with the President personally. The House of Re- presentatives has no voice in the matter, and no member of the Cabimet can ecenp a seat in Congress. So, although the Repubiicans again elected their Presideast, as they elected a different President, there will be a complete ehange ia the Cabinet. Anotaer remarkable peculiarity is, that un- | less a special seasion of Congress is sum- j moned, the Representatives who are elected | for two years only, do not take their seats } until about 13 months after their election. Already the friends of Gartield are be-

for his second term, al!-

}

ginning to hadve

soul seeking for the truth and the light. | though his first has not yet begun. Already } Tie History of Fred rick the (re is, in | they are beginning to wei ‘h the value of some respects, the moat important of his | ths to consider wha

works, But he must ve soiwsewhat of an | enthusiast who could face its many bulky i volames, and even Carlyle can acarcely ‘make us believe that Frederick possessed |

all the virtues of a great ruler and great)!

| man

| Although it should, properly, have

referred to Jast month, allusion may be

permitted now to another remarka se inan

| who has lately died—Seth ke acéor, who gave us ‘* Lord Dund: His life

} lis a remarkable instance of what ean he }

; accomplishe l by a inati \ » fas j

| courage to go on makiny failu es. Again j and again he failed. Again aud again he} | was, by une manager atter another, is- | missed as incompetent. But he persevered

| ; ;

{ He studied hard and worked hard ; ane at

last found his opportunity, an‘ won fame and fortune in his calling. It is to the credit of the English stage and English

play-goers thai it most popular comic plays are good, clean, wholesome fun, such «as ‘‘Lerd Dundreary,”

Pinafore, or the Pirates of Penzance. They compare most favorably with what ia pat on the French stage, much of downright filth, and too much of which is from time to time brought ont in Erglish. Charlottetown is as yet too smail to at- tract much that is good in the theatrical line, and the preductions of the travelling companies which visit us are not of the choicest kind. When we do come to have a good theatre, it is to be hored that it may be well and respsctably managed Such a cue would he a public benefit,

which is

THE

EAST.

The British seem to be paying dearly for their common error of under-rating the strength of their lesser opponents. They learnt in South Africa that five hundred or six hundred men could sot match evena Zuiu army. It was still less likely that a battalion could make heading against seme thousands of one of the bravest of Euro- pean nations—men the most closely allied by blood to our nation,of all the Continental peoples. So, while reinforcements are making their way to the Cape, the small British force on the spot is being very roughly handled. Possibly there may be another reason for the Boer victory—a more sinister one for the British cause than the numerical superiority of the Dutch. tt is well known that enfereed conscrip- tion brings into an army a far superior body of men to what ean be got by free enlistment. Latterly there have been great complaints that the line regiments have been running down both in physique and morale. Under the old system of long en- listments, the recruit might not be much for two or three years ; but for the rest of his twenty years he was a mature, wel! diesiplined soldier. Now he is only en- listed for three years; and just as he is getting to be of some good, he goes. Some regiinents are said to consist of mere boys, and there were ugly rumors as to the behavior of some of them during the Zulu campaign. But the Boers are a

t sine and Conkling 2 Bal i for ath ¥

elr consti-

years tne

seven bid re-election. do not seem to

;

4 :pers, sending a] eng vave the matter uy And n ’ ky erald maintains ’ ? +. ua } ‘ ‘ ; 4 it t heutrai Comt ber § ' i verug etween the ( i a I pstat ( si 8 beth prese a mer Ministers of Fisheries have indignantly denied the charges. But one would like somet ting more than this. | Professor Hind has rade out acase suff

| eient to call for a definite disproof. That it can be disproved is very pri But then it should be disproved.

Mr. DeLesseps does nut allow the grass to grow under his feet, or, more correctly, under the spades of his navvies. He isa Syndicate in himself. The required amount of stoek—twenty-five millions sterling— has been snbseribed mostly by Frenchmen. he eontract for cutting the eanal has been given for twenty millions sterling, and an army of engineers workmen are on their way, perhaps by this time are swarai- ing over the Isthmus. Even Brother Jonathan, who can werk pretty smartly | himself, has bhis breath taken away; and is

up his mind whet , when he shall use it tor a shriek

banie,

and

‘ ‘ ‘ trying to nak

He mast d> the

hasten te usiderally o

j dies, and he ia co ver seventy

years ago. JANADA,

It is satisfaetory to havo all parties agree that the country is prosperous, though they by no means agree whether it is so in spite of or on account of the N. P. It has been some years since a Canadian Finance Min- ister wasable to announce a surplus ; and it is but fair to acknowledge that the tariff has saved us from a deticit, A Protective Tariff may be good. A Revenne Turiif may be better. Bat a deficit tariff (if the term be allowed) neither gods nor man can eudure,

As Sir Leonard Tilley said little or nothing in his tariff speech abort the ‘* balance of trade being greatly in our favor,” it may ba hoped that we shall soon hear the last of the fallacy that an excess of exports over imports is an infallible proof of prosperity. It is satisfaetery in

is left after the £ its trade have been abscrbed ;

aunual indebtedness as profita

in debt to outsiders at all; and then the balance of imports over exports would represent the profits cf our trade. Moat

saiisiactory of all ia the positon of }@® lending eonniry such as England | where the imports every year im-

better force than even conscription would | mensely over-balance the exports, as other

| give, and half-disciplined lads may fad it coutries have to send in millions for igter

hard to cope with them, even with equal | numbers.

EUROPE AND THR EAST.

bs Prince Bismarck coquetting with Social- | | ists Is a strange courtship. Yet something | | of the kind is evidently going on. The | Prinee has summoned a sort of Advisory | Council of representatives of various classes to consider sveial grievances. He turns | away flontingly fronf Parliament where he |

ssid word ix used, or which shall be in- | don sickness and suffering, costing $200 per | says politica! animosities cloud the judg- | ted with the special Act or charter | year, total 31,200—all which was stopped

of any railway company.”

by three bottles of Hop Bitters taken by

Mr. Blake in the Commons, and Mr. | my wife, who has dose her own house-

Seots in the /enate, both declared that the | objection, now beyond sil doubt explained

away, wasone of the chief defects of the sontract.

They should be satistied now.

work for a year since, without the loss of a day, and I want everybedy to know it for their benefit.”

‘“‘Joun Wuexs, Butler, N. Y,’

ment, and has been (literally) hobnebbing | with a genuine workingman, aud expressing his great patiafaction at being able to con- sult with these his friends. The Prince |

| : |

hints not only at Government Life Assur- | are sounder. Bat one cannot but admirethe |

anee, but at some unexplained way by | which Government may provide a pension.

| coal, tu inereased railw y

est before they begin to buy. we do not hope for. Sir Leonard Tilley may have remembersd that the large amount of foreign capital which will come into Canada in the next few years to build the Facifie Railway will come chiefly in the form of goods, se thatthe next few years will show a large excess of imports, as we shall then be receiving the eapital we are borrowing With this in view it would be dangerous for the Finanee Minister to Gweil too much on the balance of trade. When he points to inereased imports of raw materisls, to increased eonsumption of receipts, and an of trade, his arguments

But this

unusual volume

ingen+ity with wiich he imagined of

| Rngla-d. It is quite evident that thousands

| of political pamphlets have been sent free

‘oe

prac- |

their |

charges. One|].

11616 iuriser

} ‘: ; | he has found it,

! or a cheer. ‘ir i) Lesseps ives one UN- } ! anawcrable t why he has to! RO ge

i

work before ine |

that it proves that a country is able to! produce enough to pay so mach of its |

but it would be moro satisfactory not to be |

anes SE

exports of manufactured goods was a proof of an improvewent in the condition of manufaetnres,

It is to be hoped that the abuses of the | franking privilege of members, may lead

| ere : | to its complete abolition, 45 Was ihe case in ,

| through the mails by both parties, in some |; Cases a member deputing S0IE GhHe else to | sign his initials. When we think of the large amount that members get for indem- nity, travelling expenses, stationery, ete., and that there are some who make more in | in their three months at Ottawa than in alli | the rest of the year, it isnot too much to jask them to pay their own postage. But this abuse extends beyond the time of the session. From the Head of the Depart- ment dewn to the lowest underling in 1t,no one at Ottawa pays postage. In the matter of telegraphing there is a good deal of the same thing; though in this particular it is | worse, as for telegraphing the Govern- ment must actually pay, while the postage it only dues not reeeive.

They manage these thinga much better in England. The custom was three abolished so long ago as 1840. But even when in ferce the privilege was limited toa member sending ten and receiving fifteen free letters a day. A further restraint was

made in 1837, by which it was required that the whole address be written by the member franking, that he add his own name in full, the name of the pest town and the day of the month, then the letter had te be posted on the same day on which it | was written or the day following; there were Other burdensome regulations which made the privilege not worth retaining. If we begin with the law of 1857, the other

would soon follow

A question in education matters is being agitated in Se. John, N. B., which will probably goon come prominently forward wherever free schools are established. It is already attracting attention in the United States. It may be put in this form: Granting that it is the duty of the state to provide all its members with a free edueation, are there not very definite limits te this objection? Surely, if the State provides, free, a sound, ordinary English edueation, it has fulfilled its duty, and those who want more may fairly be asked to pay for it. Itis not quite im this form that the question has been put in St. John. There the trustees of the city schools are protesting against the course presented by the Superi:tendent of Eduea- tion, as including fancy subjeets which parents don't want their children taught, to the negiect of less showy but more use- ful ones. Of course, there is always a danger that a false economy may try un- inly to lower the school standard ; but, on the other hand, there is the possibility of a too aimbitions attempt te raise them above the level of ordinary requirements. OUR OWN PROVINCE,

Before these Notes are in the hands of the readers of the Examiner, the Speech from the Throne will have been read and jour local legislators be at werk. Each meeting of the Assembly brings prominent- ly forward the unnecessary expense that a coo large legislative body entails. Hitherto the Upper House alone has been attacked. Sioald the Lower Hous reduce its own nuu ers, it would give a better assurance of its zeal for economy than by unsuecess- ful attempts to abolish tke Council. The question has been asked: Why, if one idonuse must go altogether, should it not be

he Lower ene | Nor is it so very easy to give a wholly satisfactory answer. The only important Province that has Lut one Chamber is Ontario; and that Chamber is elected by a somewhat restricted suffrage. fo have enly one Chamber, and that one leeted by manhood suffrage, is a partia- centary eXperiment that no country hes yet made

itis te be hoped that the Government will be able to reeommend an expenditure on the much-needed buticdings for the Stock Farm, and also for further improvement of the Stoek. No expenditure can give a etter return—neve should be more ac- eeptable to the eountry generally.