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_ ONTARIO LECGBLATURE ' Fifth Parliament ------ Third Session. TurspAy, February 2. (By Our Own Reporters.) .The Speaker took the chair at three o'clock,. NEW MEMBER. f Mr. Lyon, M.PP. for East Algoma, was in-- '.r?duced by Hon. G. W. Ross and Mr. H. P-- O'Connor. DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS. t Hon. 0. MOWAT avrose amid cheers to con-- sinue the debate on the Address. He said © --I desire to say a few words on the amend-- ment proposed by the member for North Es-- sex, the object of which is to induce this House to placs on record an opinion favour-- ble to the executive action of the Dominion aGovernment in matters which followed the INSURRRCTION IN THE NORTH--WEST. I do not propose to discuss the matter to which t.l.mt, amendment refers, at any lengtb. But I wish to say enough upon it to indicate the position which J take with reference to it. I observe, at the outset, that it is very curious to find such a resolution proposed by an hon. member of the Opposition when 1 remember what course was taken by the Conservative FPQAS on an occasion in some respects similar o the present. _ After the former troubles in the North--west, and when the public mind wasgreatly agitated in consequence of the mur-- derof Scott, oneof ourcitizens there--agitated also because no steps whatever were taken to ; arrest the perpetrators or to bring them to trial--different though the circumstances were in that there was a practical object in this Legislature taking some action--yet any proceeding of that kind was denrecated by the Conservative press of this country. Now & the matter is one over which we have no con-- trol--a matter with which we have nothingto do. Tt is not one of those things in regard to which thare is a unanimous opinion among us all--(oh !)--and therefore in which, if it is an important enough matter, we may all unite in some action. No, Sir, the object of this amendment is to do A SERVICE TO THE DOMINION GOVERNMENT at Ottawa. (Loud cheers.) There is no other tossiblo object. In the form of the resolu-- fion it would seem as if the primary chbiect was to express a desire that merecy should be shown to those persons who are now suffer-- ing imprisonment under the sentence passed m»pon them in consequenceof their connec-- tion with the rebellion. But my hon. friend | who moved the amendment (Mr. White) has in effect disclaimed that as his object--he was told by my hon. friend the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr. Fraser), thas so far as that object was concerned we might be | unanimous. He did _ not care for that. He ' 'did not want that. He wished the esolution to contain an expression of approbation for the executive action of its friends at Ottawa. Well, now, we are not going to do that. (Loud cheers), We are not going TO PLAY INTO THE HAXDS of the Conservative party at Ottawa,. There is no sort of ground on which we can offer them the least assistance in regard to this matter, In a much stronger case.the Conservatives of the period to which I refer, under a very | able leader, pronounced this opinion :« "That it would be unwise and inexpedic it to Interfere with the prerogative which pro-- perly belongs to another Government, and tQ fdiscuss a question over which the House has no control." (Hear, hear.) The hon. mem-- | ber has either forgotten all that or he takes _ | AM ENTIRELY DIFFERENT vVIEW of our duty. He thinks it is our duty to interfere with a prerogative belonging to another Government, and to discuss ques-- tions over which we have no control. Mr. MERRICK--That was an amendment, was it not ? Hon. 0. MOWAT--Do I understand that my hon. friend votes for an amendment wflether he believes in it or not ? I under-- stand an amendment as expressing an bpinion as decisively as a substantive motion. 'fiear, hear.) With reference to the particu-- lar matter on which we are now asked to record our opinion, it is a matter on which | there is a known difference of opinion in l various parts of the country so far as relates