Her Majesty and the President of the United States, for the adjustment of the Fisheries Disputes, had not been ratified by the Senate, and that Canadian legislation of last year, on the subject, had, accordingly, become in a great measure inoperative. It now remained for Canada to maintain her rights, as prescribed by the Convention of 1818, until some satisfactory treaty arrangements were made. Measures were to be laid before the House to assimilate the laws relating to bills of exchange and promissory notes, the improvement of the Atlantic Mail Service, and the creation of a line of fast steamers between British Columbia, China and Japan, as well as for other necessary purposes. The address, in reply, was agreed to after a brief debate. The new Finance Minister made his budget speech, which supplied a large amount of valuable statistical information, on the 5th of March. The total revenue for the past fiscal year stood at $35,908,463, the expenditure at $36,718,494, leaving a deficit of $810,031.* This deficit was chiefly owing to the falling off in the duties on spirituous liquors. The total net debt of the Dominion, on the 28th of February, stood at $236,095,-114. On the 26th of March William E. O. Brien, the member for Muskoka, moved, in amendment to the motion to go into "Committee of Supply," a long resolution condemnatory of the action of the Legislature of Quebec, in granting $400,000 to the Jesuit order of that Province, in satisfaction of all its claims on the score of its ancient estates, which had already been devoted, by act of Parliament, to educational purposes. His objections to the measure were, that it used the public funds to endow a religious organisation, that it recognized the right of the Pope to influence Provincial legislation, and that the endowment of the Jesuit order, an alien, secret, and politico-religious body, which had been driven out of every Roman Catholic nation where it formerly had a footing-a step rendered necessary by its intolerant and mischievous intermeddling with the functions of civil government-was fraught with danger to the civil and religious liberties of the people of Canada. His motion asked, accordingly, that the House pray His Excellency to disallow the Bill. A long debate ensued, which lasted until the 28th of March, when the House decided, by a vote of 118 to 13, that the Legislature of Quebec had not exceeded its authority in passing the "Jesuits' Estates Bill," and that the Dominion Parliament had no right to interfere. There can be no doubt that this decision was the only one that could be arrived at. But, at the same time, it was none the less a fresh triumph for the Mercier administration, which had dexterously and craftily won the Jesuit influence to its side, and had now become all-powerful in its Province. With the aid of open Jesuit support, and secret Jesuit intrigue in Italy and in Canada, the National Party had now become the party of the Pope, the church and the people, and

The figures given by the Finance Minister were not quite correct, so we give the true figures from the public accounts, as we have also done in previous cases.

Mercier began to rule at Rome as well as at Quebec. The Jesuits' Estates Bill and its immediate results led to unusual excitement throughout the Dominion, and were discussed at great length, and with much bitterness, by the public press of Ontario. Parliament was prorogued on the 2nd of May. The quantity of legislation was rather less than usual, and possessed no features of much importance or requiring special notice.

The spring of 1889 was chiefly distinguished for the recurrence of the great Anti-Scott Act wave, which had so violently set in during the preceding year. The people had weighed the Act fairly in the balance for three years, found it wanting in many ways, were much dissatisfied with the tyranny of its operations, and the unsatisfactory manner of its enforcement, and voted, as a rule, by vast majorities for its repeal. In Ontario, especially, despite the energetic struggles of the Methodist, the Presbyterian, and the Baptist churches, it was defeated in all directions, until every city and county in which it had prevailed, had released themselves from its operations. Many of the ministers of these churches had not only exerted themselves actively in the advocacy of this law, but also in enforcing it, and now shared the odium of its overwhelming defeat, a circumstance which seriously militated against their personal influence afterwards, as well as against that of the religious bodies they represented. They had abandoned moral suasion and religious teaching, the true basis of national reformation, and betook themselves to the platform of legal coercion, to pay the penalty of their fatal mistake in being utterly routed at the polls. The cause of prohibition instead of being promoted by the operations of the Act was seriously compromised, and received a blow from which there are yet no signs of recovery. The proper enforcement of the Act was, as a rule, found to be utterly impracticable, despite the vast secret detective machinery which it set in motion. glad it has been repealed," said one of the judges, "because the Act has done much to lower the tone of the law, and bring its administration into contempt." The summer brought with it a renewal of the Anti-Jesuit agitation, and great meetings were held at different points to denounce the Quebec Jesuits' Estates Bill, and the House of Commons, as well, for not voting for its disallowance. A convention of 688 Anti-Jesuit delegates, from different parts of the country, assembled in Toronto, on the 11th of June, at which strong condemnatory resolutions were passed, but without any effect on the accomplished result, which remained unaltered. The Jesuits' Estates Bill still stands upon the Statute Book of the Province of Quebec, and is likely to remain there for all time. One of the results, however, of the Toronto convention, was the appointment of a deputation to wait upon the GovernorGeneral, to ask him to disallow the Bill. This he absolutely declined to do, in the face of the large vote against that policy in Parliament, and of the fact that the Act was well within provincial authority. As the summer wore away, efforts were made by

"I am

the Canadian authorities to induce a milder application of the United States' Alien Contract Law, so as to permit of residents at this side of the line pursuing, unmolested, their daily occupations in the United States. These efforts, however, were not successful, and the existing unpleasant condition of matters continued unabated. But, despite the want of success in this direction, our Government showed no disposition to retaliate in any form; and even, as regards the Fisheries, what was known as the modus vivendi was still permitted to stand. Under its operations licenses continued to be issued to American craft to exercise various privileges in our waters. While Canada during the summer had scarcely produced an event of any note, the United States had been scourged by numerous appalling catastrophes, among which were great fires in Lyn and Boston, and the flood at Johnstown, Pennsylvania, which overwhelmed a city of forty thousand inhabitants, and by which it was estimated that a fifth of its population had lost their lives. On the 19th of September, however, there was a rude awakening at the ancient city of Quebec, from this happy condition of Canadian affairs. A part of the rock on which the citadel stands gave way, and several thousand tons weight of huge masses of stone crashed downwards, three hundred feet, to the street below, crushed in seven houses, killed 28 persons, and wounded some 20 others. It was afterwards discovered that an unknown closed drain from the citadel, leading downwards to the river, was the cause of this catastrophe. The water instead of passing off by this drain, made its way into the fissures of the rock, and the operation of the frost, for many successive winters, gradually widened these fissures, and at length led to the disaster. Few other events of any public importance occurred in the Dominion, during the remainder of the year. Two changes took place in the Federal Cabinet. Charles C. Colby, member for Stanstead, had become President of the Council in room of the Premier, who had taken the portfolio of Railways and Canals.

Parliament assembled on the 16th of January. The Governor

General's speech was more lengthy than usual. He told how 1890. he had visited Manitoba, the North-West Territories, and

British Columbia during the recess, and had been received everywhere with loyalty and good-will. His third paragraph stated, that in consequence of the repeated seizures, by United States' cruisers, of Canadian vessels engaged in the capture of seals in Behrings Sea, his Government had strongly represented to Her Majesty's ministers, the necessity of protecting our shipping while engaged in their lawful calling, as well as guarding against the assumption, by any nation, of exclusive proprietary rights in these waters. Measures were to be laid before the House, relative to the renewal of the charters of several banks, amending legislation affecting the North-West, touching bills of exchange and promissory notes, and other public matters of importance. When the address came up for consideration, Laurier eloquently denounc

ed the National Policy as the cause of all the country's woes, as favouring the few at the expense of the many, and as having made the lot of the toiling masses harder than ever. It had created sugar barons, and cotton lords, and railway kings, but it had, at the same time, put the nails upon the doors and windows of thousands of homes, and sent their inhabitants to a foreign country. It had reduced the value of farming land, in the great Province of Ontario, by at least twenty-two million dollars. As one remedy for this state of things he advocated commercial union with the United States. The Premier retorted, by stating, that the foundation of the Reform Party was that Canada was ruined, and would remained ruined until that Party came again into power. He emphatically denied that the National Policy was a failure, and asserted that it truly embodied the principle of Canada for the Canadians. The address was then agreed to without further debate. On the 21st Mulock, the Reform member for North York, gave notice in the House of an address to be presented to the Queen, repudiating recent disloyal utterances in the United States and elsewhere, by certain of the public men of Canada and others, and professing attachment to Her Majesty's Government, and the determination to preserve the unity of the Empire. This address was afterwards agreed to by acclamation, there being no dissentient voice. On the 12th of February, Dalton McCarthy, the member for the North Riding of Simcoe, moved the second reading of his Bill for the abolition of the use of French as an official language in the North-West Territories. It led to a long and bitter debate, and was eventually lost on a vote of 117 to 63.

The Finance Minister made his budget speech on the 27th of March. He congratulated the House and the country, on the general beneficial results of the preceding twelve months. Business had been reasonably good, although there had been a deficient harvest in some districts, and low prices for farm produce. Railway building had been vigorously prosecuted, and the volume of general traffic had been larger than in any year of our history. The total revenue stood at $38,782,870, the expenditure at $36,917,834, leaving a surplus of $1,865,036. At the close of his speech, he proposed to make numerous amendments to the Customs Act of 1886, raising the duties in many cases, and somewhat enlarging the free list in the interest of manufacturers. Cartwright criticised the budget speech with his usual asperity of manner. He declared, that not for thirty-five years had there been such extreme distress as now existed in many parts of the country, even in Ontario ; and yet the Finance Minister was supremely happy in his fool's paradise. With a large surplus, and in expectation of a still larger one, he proposed to add, by his proposed changes in the tariff, to the burdens of the people. His protection policy was reflected in the Congress of the United States, by the hostile McKinley Resolutions, designed to exclude, from that country, by way of retaliation, the agricultural products of Canada. The prosperity of this coun

try depended mainly on the agricultural class, and next to it came our miners, our fishermen, our sailors, and our lumbermen. If they prosper all the other classes will prosper. He was replied to by Colby, who pointed to the depressed condition of farmers in the United States, and showed from American authorities, that the farms in New York State alone were mortgaged for over seven hundred millions of dollars. In Illinois recent returns proved that its farm mortgages stood at $381,322,339. In Michigan they stood at $129,229,553, and in Indiana at $106,855,884. He also pointed to the fact, that owing to the poor condition of the agricultural population, farms were being everywhere. abandoned throughout the New England States, and were now lying waste. The policy of the Finance Minister was, however, eventually sustained by a vote of 95 to 57. As the session progressed Blake again made his appearance in the House. His health had improved, and he spoke on several questions with much of his wonted vigour and great ability.

On the 19th of April a special committee, appointed to enquire into a charge made against General Middleton, of having appropriated, to his own use, a quantity of valuable furs, the property of Charles Bremner, a Half-breed trader and farmer, who resided at Bresaylor, twenty-two miles from Battleford, made their report. According to this report Bremner, who was a rebel partisan of Riel, had surrendered with Poundmaker, and brought his furs with him. Middleton, who was then at Battleford, confiscated these furs, and ordered that two packages of the best of them should be put up for himself, one package for Hayter Reed, and another for S. L. Bedson, both members of his staff. The furs packed for Middleton and Reed, were put on board the steamboat which carried the General to Winnipeg, but somehow they mysteriously disappeared during the voyage; while the package for Reed was received by him at Regina, but again returned to the Police authorities at Battleford, on the ground that he had come to the conclusion that their seizure was illegal. The committee further reported, that the confiscation of these furs was an unlawful and unwarrantable act; and that Middleton, himself, had admitted that he had recently become satisfied that it was so. This report for final consideration on the 12th of May, and was agreed to after a sharp debate, in which Middleton's improper and illegal conduct was strongly condemned. The termination of the whole matter was, that he was compelled to resign his command, and returned to England with a very unpleasant cloud on his reputation. But he did not pay Bremner for his furs. The Government also refused to compensate him for their loss, and disclaimed all responsibility for the transaction.* On the 13th of May, Mr. Barron, the member for the North Riding of Victoria, brought up

came up

* See Report of Select Committee, in Blue Book for 1890, for full details, as to sworn testimony in this fur matter and otherwise.