the

known that, of the fifteen million award paid by Great Britain to the American Government on account of Alabama claims, one half remains in the hands of the American Government, we cannot but believe that they will not hesitate to pay the five and one-half millions of dollars that the Arbitrators have awarded to Canada. En passant, I must say that the system of settling these difficulties by arbitration, as adopted by the two Governments interested in the matter, is the wisest that could be

known how to make himself loved, | alike by all the races and by all the creeds amongst us, and, I may add, by all the political parties of our country, and not only here but also even in the United States Lord Dufferin has known how to make himself popular. It would detain me too long, were I to essay to enumerate all the claims which Lord Dufferin has upon our gratitude; permit me merely to say that, by his affection for the Canadian people and the lively interest which he takes in their prosperity, he has a right to our most earnest acknowledg-devised, and I believe that it will be ments; for it is incontestable that the administration of Lord Dufferin and the manner in which he has acquitted himself have in no slight measure contributed to unite in closer bonds the divers elements of our population. Later on,the Canadian people will effectually remember their former Governor, His Excellency, and it is only just to add that the name of Lady Dufferin will always be equally dear to them. Representative of Her Majesty amongst us, His Excellency Lord Dufferin has wished to acquaint himself personally with the needs of the people by visiting the various Provinces of the Confederation. Last autumn, His Excellency paid a visit to the Province of Manitoba and the North-West Territory, and the accounts which the newspapers have given of the incidents of this trip, suffice to enable us to predict the advantages to the country which will result from it. The information that His Excellency has gathered regarding the immense resources of the North-West Territory will permit permit him to make the Imperial Government sensible of the importance of the annexation of this vast domain to the Dominion Canada. Besides, His Excellency has already had occasion to acquaint the English people with the resources of Canada,and particularly of the western portion of it, and, beyond doubt, the authority that his words carry with them will favour the development of the work of colonization in this part of the Confederation. The settlement of the fisheries dispute, although it has not given us all that we expected, has, nevertheless, created general satisfaction, and when it is

of

more and more generally followed with regard to international difficulties in the future. It gives me pleasure to state here, to the honour of Canada, that this is one of the first countries which has afforded such an example to the world. I now reach the paragraph relating to the treaties which have been concluded with the Indians. These treaties, one of which assures to us the full enjoyment of 52,000 square miles, and the other the full enjoyment of 450,000 square miles of territory, suffice to convince the House that the interests of Canada in the West have not been neglected. The generous proceedings which we have always adopted with regard to the Indian tribes reflect great credit upon the political system adopted by the Government, above all when we recollect that everywhere else the relations of Europeans with the Indians have always given way to bloody conflicts, while our own relations with these tribes, on the contrary, have always been of the most pacific character; and all this goes to show that respect for plighted faith is the first condition requisite to live in peace with these Indians, and that, in fine, this mode of treatment will be the most economical means that we can adopt towards them. We are in a position to state to-day that the Northwest Territory, which, a few years ago, was given over to anarchy and brigandage, is now rapidly advancing in civilization, and that, thanks to the wise policy pursued by the present Government, the completion of the Pacific Railway route will enable the House to decide what it ought to do regarding this enterprise, and will

crisis without precedent in our history | the millionaire, depositing his ballot in we required an honest, economical and the electoral urn, solely under the eye of wise Government which desired to God and of his conscience. Everybody bring about an equilibrium between to-day recognizes the benefits of this the receipts and expenses, the receipts legislation; and if, since that period, having been considerably diminished the most lively contested electionsduring these years of depression. I such as those which have taken place believe that I am expressing the senti- in various districts, and in particular ment of the House and of the country in Quebec East and Quebec West— when I say that the Government of have occurred without the accompanithe day has perfectly understood the ment of riots, seizure of the polls, and position of affairs, and that it has a murders, which we could not but destrong claim upon our gratitude for its plore, all this is due to the ballot law. wise policy of retrenchment and econo- We also owe to the Liberal Governmy. Commerce anxiously awaits the mont important amendments made to end of this crisis. Although an abundant the Bankruptcy Law, and the law concrop has temporarily diminished the cerning contested elections, which asseverity of the general depression, sure a prompt and efficacious solution nevertheless, as long as the lumber of the cases brought before the Courts business, our principal source of ex- created for this especial purpose. port, does not attain on foreign mar- Again, it is this Liberal Government kets its former proportions, and so long which has settled the amnesty quesas the equilibrium, broken by the sur- tion, and it will be lauded in the hisplus of importation and of production tory of our country for having had of which I have spoken a moment the courage to take up this question since, is not re-established, we cannot immediately after its accession to hope that our commercial affairs will power, and for having so happily sucresume their normal and regular ceeded in settling it to the satisfaction course. The other measures announced of all—at least, of all those who are in the Speech from the Throne are of capable of being satisfied in this rean important though purely adminis- gard. I now beg to finish, Mr. trative character, and it would be at Speaker, for I would engage the time present premature to say anything of the House at too great length were about them before they have been sub- I to attempt to enumerate and pass in mitted to the House. We now find review all the important laws that we ourselves at the last Session of a Parowe to the present Government, and liament which was convoked under all the reforms that have been accomcircumstances that are not as yet plished since its accession to power; forgotten. While casting a glance but, previous to taking my seat, perupon the career of the present Gov- mit me, Sir, to repeat, that those who ernment, I can say that those who, at have accorded their support to the the outset, gave to it their confidence, illustrious statesman at the head have certainly no reason to repent of of the Government, and to his having done so. One of the first cares able colleagues, cannot but felicitate of the present Administration on its themselves on the patriotic line of succession to office was to bestow upon conduct they have followed, and I am the country reforms for which its fully persuaded that, when, in the members had contended during many course of the present year, they seek years. At the first Session of this anew the suffrages of their constituents, Parliament a law was passed which the latter will again repose their confifor a long period had been demanded, dence in those whom they have charged but which had always been refused- with the defence of their interests, and I now refer to the Election Law. It who have so honourably acquitted was then decided that at the general themselves of this important duty. elections the people should possess the full enjoyment of their electoral franchise, and that the poor workingman should be able to vote with the same degree of independence and liberty as

MR. CHARLTON: Mr. Speaker, in rising to second the resolution of my hon. friend, in reply to the Speech from the Throne, I shall crave the indul

gence of the House while I refer briefly to some of the points referred to in that Speech. The country, Sir, is to be congratulated upon the fact that His Excellency is enabled to assure this House that nothing beyond the ordinary legislation of the country will require its attention. At this moment, Sir, when the great powers of Europe confront the possibility, if not the probability of a general war,-at this moment, when the great nation to the south of us is agitated by discussions over a proposed financial measure, which, if it become the law of that land, will for the first time inflict the stain of commercial dishonour upon the legislation of the general Government of that country, and will protract, if it does not intensify, the commercial | evils under which that nation now labours, we are enabled to meet at this time with no fear of invasion threatening us, with no fear of internal discord to disturb us, and with no mistakes of our rulers to be provided against or condemned. Sir, the second paragraph of the Speech of His ExcelTency makes incidental allusion to a coming event which I could fain wish, and which I doubt not the vast majority of the people of Canada could wish, was an event in the more distant future than it is. I refer, Sir, to the probable recall of His Excellency. I cannot forbear at this time from paying my humble tribute to the excellences of the Viceroy of Her Majesty in Canada. Lord Dufferin has shown a just and generous appreciation of the advantages and the resources of Canada, and of the intelligence and the energy of its people. He has made praiseworthy and energetic efforts to make himself acquainted, from personal observation, with every Province in this Dominion; and certainly the assertion would not be an invidious one, if I say that no Viceroy who has preceded him as the representative of Her Majesty in this land has had so accurate a knowledge of its resources, of its advantages, and of its wants, as the knowledge possess ed by Lord Dufferin. Lord Dufferin, Sir, in various ways, has conferred immense benefits upon Canada; notably, through the influence exerted by his

speeches in Canada and in England. Those speeches, coming from so high an authority,necessarily attracted great attention. Those speeches, Sir, did Canada full justice. They made the people of Europe aware of the advantages that Canada had to offer to the emigrant. They were more potent as an agency for promoting emigration than all the emigration agencies and emigrant agents that we have at the present time in Europe.

An HON. MEMBER: Except the Agent-General.

MR. CHARLTON: When, Mr. Speaker, at some future day, Canada shall have assumed national importance in wealth and in population, as she now possesses it in territorial area, we will look upon Lord Dufferin as one of the principal foundation-builders of that nationality. I have pleasure, Mr. Speaker, in the belief and in the knowledge that Lord Dufferin is held in high estimation not in Canada alone; and I may be permitted, in this connection, to refer to the reception which he met with upon a recent visit to Washington, when the President of the United States returned his visit,an honour which President Grant refused to accord to Prince Alexis, and one which no President of the United States has ever before conferred upon any Prince or foreign Governor. That honour was conferred by President Hayes upon Lord Dufferin. In the ranks of artists, of authors, of scholars, and of statesmen, Lord Dufferin occupies a proud position; and, Sir, the popular regrets at the approaching withdrawal of Lord Dufferin from Canada, will not be upon his account alone. Her Excellency Lady Dufferin, through the graciousness and amiability of her manners, the beauty of her person, and her intellectual refinement, has endeared herself to the people of this country. Reference is made in the Speech, Sir, to the award recently made at Halifax, upon the claims put forward by Canada, under the Treaty of Washington, in connection with our fisheries. Unfortunately, our expectations have not been fully met in that award; unfortunately, the amount that we claimed has not been awarded us. We expected vastly more than we are