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most startling statement ever made in any Ass lembl{ in this Dominion, and such a statement that I never thought it would be my lot to make. We have uiscovered a deliberate con-- spiracy on the part of certuin persons, not mem« bers of this House, to gorrupt meimbers sitting in this House. Before I zo further, Mr, Speaker I will ask you to open certain letters which 1 am told have been placed in your hands. _ __ The Sé)eukor ;u-;eeadod to open one of two letters addressed to himself as follows :---- * Moxpay Monxixa, March 17, 1883. * \fr. Speaker, the enclosed $1,000 was yes-- terday pard to me to influence my vote in the Legislative Assembly by Mr, Wikinson, I place it your hands at the earliest opportunity on your return to the city. I remain yours truly, Rosert MoKn." "E au Spouker proceeded to count the bills and said this envelope contained ten $100 bills, Mr. MORRIS--May I ask to whom the ex-- ternal envelope was addressed ? _ . | 4 1 4.14.0 Th lA h lt k Bs 3. ol ++ 4 dadatnt 00400 'The SPEAKER--The external envelope was addressed to myseif, and the second one was also addressed to mysolt, endursed : **"This en-- velope not to be opened until requested by the Attorney-- General." Mr. MORRIS--I request that they | ~ kept together 1 The SPEAKER--I have another one with the same endorseimeunt, that it bo nos opened till re-- quested by the Attorney.General, 'T his was re-- ceived from Wiiliam D. Balfour, member for South Essex, and reads as follows :--** House of Assembly, 'Toronto, March 17th, 1884 : 3 p.m. Dear sir, 1 hereby enciose you the sum of 8800 in $100 bilis, handed to me at 2:80 Ip.m. to--day, and now handed to you by me. 1t was given me by a man named Big Puash Wilkinson, in room 9 Walker House, to influence my vote against the Government durin{ the present session. I made no vromises. Yours faithfully Wiltiam D. Balfour." _ _ hean Y Mr, MOW AT--Mr. Speaker : That money has actually been paid for the purpose of in-- Hueoncing votes in this House, . I need not say it is a high crime and misdemeanour, and that the House will deal severly with the bribers, when the case is ";l:o;;;. is also perfectly clear. I will mention the names of the conspirators so tar as we know and so far as we have evidence to prove from the actual facts which have come | into our possession, and whilst we have only just received realevidence to prove that mon;:{ fi" béen paid, in addition to this promige of still rger sums have been made to some members for the same corrupt purposes. Offices have been promised likawise, and 'the conspirators declared that in olfcring the offices for this pur-- pose, in connection with the Dominion Govern-- ment, they had the sanction and authority of the Minister of the Interior to do so, Other personal advantages beside this have been offered with the same corrupt intent. Mr, MORKLS -- Will the hon. gentleman ra}{out that ? Mr. MOWAT--These conspirators, in making these offers of offices in the gift of the Dominion Government, doclared that they had the author -- ity of the Minister of the TInterior to make such olfers, Itis satisfactory to know that all the temptations offered have proved unavailing, and not a single momber of this House swerved from his duty in any particular. (Cheers.) Not a single member proved for one single moment faithless to his trust, and I congratulate the | Reform party on the fact that in choosing their ; representatives here they chose men whom no temptations cither in money, or promises of _offices, or personal .-\dvanuw had tgo alightest influence ever, (Cheers.) e have reason to believe, I may say we havo reason to know, that this conspiracy was formed early in the session, and that it began its work early in the session. But the temptations then made wholly fauled and the parties to them abandoned their efforts in dispair of effecting their purpose. They were, bowever, resumed later by the same l;::nrt.ies and others with the result which we now | know, The several honourable members ap-- proached in this way thought it would be a titting ! thing to do on their part, and that they would only be doing their duty to this House and their l constituents by disclosing what was taking place, | aud they accordingly did disclose the matter to | members of the Government. Every appreach { made to them ; every conversation wlxicK took | place ; every step in the negotiations and every | uet that was done was immediately disclosed . to on@ or morge members of the Government. | Nothingq was done without the knowledge of | every meomber of the (tovernment, or without the | advise and sanction of one or more of us, By | this means we have come into possession of in: | dubitable proofs of the grossest corruption of | which there are any records in this Province, | Now I don't mean to add any further words of | mine in regard to this matter, but I will read a | statement of what I have reason to believe and | do believe. Any words of mine, Mr, Speaker, ' woul 1 detract from the horror and indignation with which this conspiracy will be regarded b ' the whole Dominion and by good men of uiyl { arties, _I make this statement, which I embody t fn a resolution, as follows ------ THE RESOLUTION, That the Attorney--General, a member of this House, bas from his rlu«'in the House stated that he is credibly informed and belhvoz that divers persons named by him, including Christo vher W. Bunting, J?lm_ _A. \\' ilkinson, Edward her Ww. HORMDZIIAL _ €100T &0 FFAl Meek, F. S. Koertland, and one Lynch. have enter: ed into a enepi t 110 "°°""\gl{oh the defeat of ::. o';'t'fi:'?lm:s'ontghvh ;l jouse by corrupting mem:-- re 9 ore i and Government mnéastiress * nst the Government That the lirst--named three persons ure woll-- known and active members of the party in this Province oppo.ed to this Government, and that the lastnamed two persops are American citi-- zeus. 'That for the purpose a ruptly infduoncing the votes of membmgo of !hiuofirou_u. the -3?3 Ave persons have at divers times during the present session of this Lexislature approached several members of this House with money, offers _ of money, Bromisu of offices in the gift of the Do-- minion Government, and promises of other per-- sonal advantages to such meinbers _ That divers members of this House so ap-- proached, being indignant at the criminal conduct proposed to themm, have deeined it to be the mt,lnf course on their part, and a duty to their consti-- tuents and the public, acting berein with the ad-- vice and approval of members of the Gaovernsient, to seem for a time to entertain such approaches in order to the detection, exposure, and punishment of the persons guilty of making such corrupt at-- tempts, and have in pursuance of their duty from | time to time disclosed to members of the Government the mapproaches from time to | time made to them, and the several acts therein of the gullty parties; that amon the _ members of this House in mcars to whom such corrupt attempts have been mada are Mr, HRobert McKim, member for.the West® Riding of Weliington ; Mr. William D. BultoBr, member for the South Riding of Eszex ; and Dr. | John F, Dowling, member for the South Riding of Renfrew ; that in carrying out the objects of the conspiracy the said Wilkinson, to influence the | vote of the said McKim, repceatedly otfered hirx | money, and has at length delivered to the said | McKim one thousand dollats ; that Mr, MeKim immediately on receiving the money placed it in the hands of Mr. Sreaker. to be b him produced to this Mouse: that botfl the said Wilkingon and the said Bunting for the same corrupt purpose undertook to pay to Mr. McKiin a further sum of $1,000 on a fuiure day ; that the said Bunting was a party to the pay-- ment of the former sum and to the promisg to pay the latter suin for the corrupt purpose. ml» reudy stated, and that to secure the saime corrupt object the said Wilkinson and Bunting fur ther offered and undertook that the said McKim _ should be appointed Registrar at lte?ir.a. in the North--West, with & salery of one thousand dollars a year ; that both the said Wilkinson and the said Buating assured the said McKim that the Dominion Minister of the Interior had pledged to them his word that their said promise of the said office would be car-- ried out, anrd the said Bunting on his own part pledged his word to the same effect ; that for the same corrupt purpose already montioned, and to influence the vote of the said William D. Balfour the said Wilkinson repeatedly offered to pay, aud did this day deliver to the said Balfour, the sum of eight hundred doliars in cash, and undertook to pay a further sum of -- seven _ hun> dred dollars on a future day: that for the same purpose the said Kortinnd also offered to pay to him the sum of tweive hundred dollars; that immedmul{ on receiving the said sum of cight hundred dollars Mr. Balfour placed the same in the hands of Mr. Speaker, t~ be by him produced to this House: anud that further to se-- cure the same puri)ose the said Wilkingon under-- took that the suid Balfour should be appointed by the Dominion Government to a l'f.ogutu\nhi&ut Regins, in the North-- Weset ; that the said i+ kinson, for the corrupt purpose already men-- tioned, and to influence the _ vyote of the said John F: Dowling, oifcred him the sum of two thousund dollars cush, and to pay him a further sum of two thousand dollars at a future period ; that the sum so offered io be c_nid.dowu was ex-- hibited to bhim by the said Wilkinson, and that there is reason to belicve that ether cotrupt offers were made by the said conspirators to, and. re-- jected by, otuer members of this House, and it is hlfirl'by_ 4\ touse . & a i% ¢ A this House they will have my swerving support, let tempests they may. (Gheers.) T T O ND e vlmen ues Cogie Air. MEREDITH --Mr, Speaker, tius is as great a surprise to. mo as to any member on this side of the House, and I fully concur in the ob: servations of the Attorney--Genoral as to the startliny character of the statements that hs made. _ 1 concur also, sir, in ths desirability of a fuithful and full investigation, before the proper Committeo of this Mowue, of what has taLen place, and there shal! be no attempt on this sida of the House to frustrate the fullest enguiry into everythini:. (Heir, hear.) And now, Mr. Spsaker, I have just one word to say with ore-- C¥ CJY P Air. MEREDITH --Mr. Speaker, this k