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the number of two hundred _and eight, to take a half--holiday, and paying them for their time as it at work, was an improper in-- terierence by a member of the Government of Ontario in an election for the Commons, and calculated to unduly influenco the men in the employment of the Government, and was an act subverrivo of the fresiom and purity of elections, ** That freedom and purity of elsctions are | essential to a just representation of the poo-- | ple and to good government, and it is the | duty of this House to condemn any member \ of this House or of the Government who may be guilty of any act calculated to intor-- fere with such freedom aud purity of elec-- ** That the payment cof tho sum . of two hundred and four dollars and seventsen cents to men to attend a political meeting was an unauthorised and misappropriation of the public money, the ** That for the said acts the Honourable | Archibald McKeilar, in his character of Com-- | miesioner of Public Works and member ot | the Executive Council, deserves the censare | and condemnation of this House." | He grcmmed it would be admitted that in | the mnll::f of this resolation tempoerate lan-- | guage been used. He had heard, in | times not long gone past, the more writing of ' a private letter by a member of a Govern-- | ment to a friend described as a most impro-- per interference with electoral freedom ; and yet hon. members in their arguments on this matter would no doubt attempt to show that it was an indulgence which the Government | ought to give to the men, and which would | be a graceful and proper thing to do, because cther large employers of labour did it Eiven were that the excuse--which ho repudiated without any hesitation or reservation--no act on the part of an employer of labour could justify the Government in this mattor, Bat the evidence of the witnesses before the Oom-- mittee upon this point went to prove that no such practice prevailed among employers of labour, and he quoted the evidence of Mr. N. F, Dickey to show that while that gontie: { man said that men were gonerally allowed to ; go lo nominations 1i they pleased, they uever / Reerocaid for the time. Bat the Commi# siones of Pablic Works had given the men pu-minicn to go t» the nomigation as the request of Mr, Dickey, who was woll ka>va as an ardent supporter of the Goveransas, who admitted in his evidence that ho knsw Mr _ McKollar well, that he had boon i 1o~l by the Commissionsrat his clection contsst; | \ in South Grey, and who couldl nos therstms | be mistaken for as ordinary private citi~ n | coming to the Government on non--polisical yrounds. Tue Commisstwrer of Public Works had made the matier mu'h worss by plead. ing that he gave the promssion from a dosir; to let the men bhear both si4a3 of the quaas tion, He wouid nubesitatiogly _ mssort | *"*That the said Honourable Archibald McKellar admits the writing of the lettor to the said Wagner, suthorising tho said balf-- holiday for Qil; men to attend the nomina-- tion, and the payment of their wages, and alleges his reason for so doing, 'he, thought it was only a propar and gracoful thing for the CGovarnment to giveo their men the same ;qg.n?genco as other employers of labour i » ** Be it, therefore, resolved that the action of the said Honourable Archibald McKeilar in authorising or permitting the said men, to *'That theo said Hon,. Archibald MoKellar was present at the said romination on the hustings, W%gner, who promised that the mon of the said Melville ufiould lose nothing by going to the nomination, allowed the men to attend the said nomination, and tho said Meolville caused the said men to be paid, but the said W refused to repay him the amount flm::the said half day, which was about orty--seven dollars. **That it further appeats from the said evidence, that one H. M. Mevilis was a con-- tractor on the said Prison, and had about forty--seven men under his employment at the said works, on the said eighthday of Docem-- ber last past; that on the morning of that day said Melville was absent from the ssid work, and whilehe was so absent his penman, one Foster, acting upon instractions from the said George Hellam, a foremsan and inspector of the (Ctovernment, under the sa'ld been at work, «"That it further appears from the said evi« dence, that men to the number of two hun-- dred and eivht, urder the control of the said Wagner, were permitted to attend said nomination, and were paid out of the Public Funds of this Province for the satd half day, the sum of two hundred and four dollars and seventeen cents, although absent, tor the purpose aforesaid, from their work, time for the said half day, as if they had » Abitath?+Onliatoints»cletdiic en k h s 223 i 4101 + Arsonal men were aliowed the half day on the occasion'of the ex--Premior's election, and that they were paid out of the Exchequer for it He bad stated honest! y and frankly what he did in this matter, and he did it lrom tho best and purest of motives,. He had produced precedents for his action; ha had produced the highest authority to prove that vhe same practice prevailed in England, and that almost undar the very shadow of Buck-- iugham Palace itself. (COheers ) IIa Lfk Li th hero -- was _hot & M®2 ; J un gll::m\:er who b:licved that (Oh, 02) ' The Commissioner W&S by far too astule, to > cunning, too able to bs guilty of auy uuc\: absurdity as that. Tho Commnissioner wons to that nomination himself, and he heard the mon do what he must have known qaits weli before--hand, that thoy hootsd aad groaasd at the opponents ot Mr. Myss, and whea his supporters roso to speak me{ chesred, Hs# supposed the Commissioner thought the mas ter would be hiddem, that nothing ra>"© would be heard of it; and hs charged the supporters of tho Government on ths Pablic Aocounts Committse with dolaying the business of thatCommittoe for the pusp »se of stifling further investigations into the as counts of the Province, pointing to the antise of motion for the sittings of the House to begin at i1 c'clock to show that the accounts could nokt bs all looked into this year. In conclusion, he said that ia phoi:g this matter before the House, he wished to have a vote talcon upon it a3 goon as possible, Auy hon. gentieman of the Gov-- | ernment might express his opinion upon it | as he pleased, but he hoped as little time ' would fbe wasted over the matter as could well be avoided, (MWear, hear.) mse in the kands of Mr. MEREDITH--To whom' was the telegram sent in London * (Cries of "Ob, ob," and "Shame," Hon. Mr. McKELLANR, continuiog, said here was clear proof that the Woolwich ime; ancd about two hours sago he recoived this rep'y, which he would read for the benefit of the House:--"Arsonal men were paid polling day !" (Loud cheers, ) + / wak s doud's" s anttie <acis / them upon that point too. {Hear, hear ) Upon seeing the statement he had jast quoted, he sout a cable telegram to London. arking whether the men wore paid for that time; an'd about two hours sago he recoived Ck us sds t s s Li c game connsction. He had it ircin one of their chief officials the other day, that they gave their employes from nine o'clock t> ona that day, and they werse paid for full time, (Hear, hear.) He would only cite ons more case in polint. Ou reading the ///ustratel 'News of the l4th Februsry, he read that, on the day of the election of the late Prims Minister, the Woolwich artisans were allowed to leave their work at noon, and were not obliged to return again that day, (Government cheers, P:ufi cries from the Opposition benchos of '"Were the Woolwich artisans paid *") Hon, gentlemen wore in too great a hurry; i{ they would only exercise the smallest pos-- sible amount of patience, he would satisfy Chnotbes coammmuilss Wt ie is . € 9e PP 2 was a proper thing for him to allow them to attend the nomiuation, and at the same tims allow their pay to run on _ He had himseli been a working--man, ard his sympathies were very strongly with working--men, (Hear, hear.) It was no great complimeat to give a man a half holiday at his own ex-- pense, aud he had been in the custom of giving men in his own employment a holiday or a half holiday upsa like occasions without deducting anything from their pay. (Hear, hear.) He had stated beforo the Committee that he believed it was customary for employers in this city to do the samse thing, ang he was now in a position to cits two or three incidents of that kind. (Hear, hear.) In the first place the Canada Car Company permitted their men to go to the nomination on that same day, and paid them for it (Hear, hear.) He might also cite tho Great Westorn _Railway Compimy in the Hon Mr. McKELLAR said he had very little to add to the statement he had alroady made before tha Committeo the other day,. He freely confessed that he did write tge letter referred to at the time of the nomina ic very shadow of Buck-- . _ (Oheers.) He left his allowed t!iotvha'l'f'&;;.;; x--Premior's election, and the House and the ia the 8|