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m . . ' _ - , F --------.--- ,fercuce, and the Dominion Government Was , I UNTARIU LEGISLATURE . asked as well. Some of these Governments l l _ ' attended, and others did not. Prince Edward b Island did not send de.leg.ates, nor did British l ' Si th P li e':,"t,"hl'c; but glani'toba, which was then l an era onserva we trovernmeut, sent dele- l . X ar lament, Second hates who took an active part in the proceed. . Session. tugs of the conference and concurred in its re~ solutions. Nova Scotia, which had a coalition ---------- Government, sent delegates which likewise ' (By Our Own Reporter.) continual! he the a""tudi,t',s- New Brutus. F , . n , WMt ' he ee an uterio had Reform ( l ' W k'DNF.snay, l?eb. 29, 1888. Governments, and all sent delegates I I I The Speaker took the chair at three o'eloek and were concurrent parties to the resolutions . ll FIRST READINGS. passed ttllilcre. lEigei'y .csre Iwas exerlcised to . , , . " . . . ex ress e reso u was in sue t a in. t int he ' ' The following bills were introduced and read might not be at all offensive to 'd','edtliitJ,7., ' tl first tune _ so that nobody, of whatever party, might have _ To amend the Assessment Aet--Mr. Gil. any diifieulty in joining in the resolutions if mour. , they concurred in til: substance of them ; and k , . t tere is nothin in t em which Conservatives To amend the Act for the protection oi game ought not to aggrce in. (Applause) I wish I I tutdtttr-bearing, animals-Mr. McAndrew. could see the Conservatives of this Housel ' To amend the, Act respecting statute ltsbor-. agree with the Reformers in passing them, be. I Mr. Matter. cause I regard them as being of i THIRD READINGS. runner: 1.1tPottT.citns' To OUR COUNTRY, The following bills were read a third tune:- and if we could only see all parties unite in '. To amend the, Act incorporating tho Win. favor of them, all party triumph would bel Hall l'cterborough Protestant Poor Trust-- taken away iron) them, for no one party would Mr. Stratton, be able to claim a Victory over the. other. If l 'to authorise the Town of Alinonto to issue the matter " converted into a party question, , certain debentures-Mr. Hilliard. such. a course Willi, titt doubt, delay the To incorporate the Central Canada Exhibi. coming oi the time when We shall I tion Association-Mr. Bronson. secure the amendments that are malted I ' To amend the Act to incorporate Trinity for tit these resolutions, but the time Medical b"chool--Mv. Widdiiield. would only be delayed. It must come. (Air To further amend the Acts respecting the phrase.) All the amendments are so valuable Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railway and commend themselves so strongly to the Cotnpatty---Me. Conniee. Judgment of all. candid minds, and have such , , strong reasons in support of them, that I hold 1'Hlo, QUEBEC RESOLUTIONS. it to be perfectly certain that they will all be i Hon.0.MOWA'r, arising amidcheers,said :- certainly achieved unloss some stiil more l The com." which I propose to pursue is, first, stringent measures of reform are substituted _ to move a resolution simply declaring that at a if" some ot' them. Now thest resolutions, con. l conference recently held in the City of Quebec, tinned tly.' lion. :Attorney-Ueneral, Were of 2 of delegates oi the Provinces of Ontario, dill'crent kinds, 'lhcy varied very much in Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and New itnporuuee. Some ot them had been subject i Brunswick, diy accredited by the Govern. to more or less controversy with the Dominion E merits of the said Provinces, the following Government and others had not been subjected _ resolutions were passed. Then follow the to any such eontroversy. Some of t'ao siitii. resolutions, and then I propose to move, in onltics referred to werepending at tao present regard to cach resolution, that the House time. Some of these diiliculties, too, had arisen concur in it. They refer to a great many from the fact that . subjects, and it will La more convenient riiivA'rs OPINIONS HAD SUGGESTED to discuss them one by one, BO fur in some cases a construction of the Con. I as they may not be discussed upon the stitution not contemplated by ita tut- l iirst resolution, which I now move. It will thors, and which had bocn "i" be remembered that the system of Confedera- ported by such strong technical reasonings lion which now exists had its origin in the that some points that had been originally quite diliicnlties that had prevailed for mimy years clear had bean rendered doubtful, and in some between Upper and Lower Canada. These points the Courts had been against what he difficulties had gradually become so great as believed to be the, certain intention of the Act. to make government almost impossible, and He purposed saying a few words briefly on both parties were convinced that it was abso- each of the amendments which the conference lutely necessary, bv Some constitutional proposed reserving for discussion on each re- changes, to remove tlicdiiliuultics which had solution, a portion of the argument which lurcvailed. Holding that view, both parties unit- might be adduced in its favor. But it was ed for the express purpose of carrying Confed. quite impossible for him in one speech to make oration, citlicrof Cauadaalone,oroitJdaaGaud anything like an exhaustive examination of the Maritime Provinces, if the Maritime Pro. the subject, and he did not propose making I vinces could be induced to concur. Delegates such an attempt. The resolutions were pre. F were accordingly chosen from all the'l'ro- ceded by " preamble, tho wording of which vinces, and these met at Quebec in would hardly admit of any argument. It de. i I 1864, and a system of federation cloves that in framing the British North ' was resolved upon. The resolutions of the con- America Aet it wat, to be expected that eh. l feroncc formed a basis for the Act afterwards perience under the new system of government , i. passed by the Imperial Parliament, the B. N. laid down by it would srtggest mauyl A. Act. That Act corresponded very nearly needed changes, and then declared "that l with the resolutions that were passed. Nearly "WWW years' practical working of the Act Irvs l A QUART"; or A (,ENTVRY developed much friction between the Federal l has elapsed since that thue, and it would be and Provincial Governments and Legislatures, i wonderful indeed if our exptriftico,during that Ivo: disclosed grave omissions in the provisions i long period oi the working of thatConstitiltion of the Aer, and has shown (when the language l did not Iuake us to perceive amendments "d', of tlusActeauseto be jmliciallyiuterpreved)tlidt that Constitution which would be of great in many respects what was the common under- i value in accomplishing the purposie of Confed. standing and intention had not been expressed, oration. Our experience in regard to all mat- and that important provisions in the Act are tors of legislation, matters involving coinpara- vlosuuttrcs "-3 to tlueir true intent and meaning i tivcly little diiiiealty, is that no legis- t and whereas the preservation oi Provincial _ lation, liowewr carefully considered, is iautouomy is essential to the future well-being I home" In the first instance, but requires l of Canada ', and if such autonomy is to be amendment iroin time to time, and we. may maintained it has become apparent that the well repeat. the same thing in regard to our 'Constitutional Act must be revised and I ousbitutiou. Friction has developed that l amended." He held that this proposition was feet. We. have found the B, N. A. Act work. free from any ground for reasonable contro- i in; in various directions in a manner not with vehsy. _ ciputcd by its founders. Omissions have been THE l'le'T RESOLUTION, discovered which did not occur to the tutthora _ which immediately followed the preamble, was I of the Act or to'those who took part in the} on the sulrjec't of the disallowance by the Ihr t conference. and it H seen that if Contsdera. l minion Government of legislation by the Pro.. tion is to work satisfactorily considerable vincial Governments. The commissioners at changes will have to be made in it. it was in the Quebec Conference objected to the proviS- , view of all this, in view of the felt necessity ion of the British North America Act which :or Important changes, that the confer- gave this power to the Dominion Government. cries at. Quebec recently took place. 'tltey.objdcted to it on principle, and also be. l'th'ry (Mort was made to prevent the confer. i Cause it was found to work Ristuivanta,tpsvatrly. It tHuge "smtungr wasagainst the interests of the Provinces, and it i ANi'Tiiixo or A PARTY f!lrARAtyi'p.R. Would be an advantage to the Dominion Gov. l YI the Provinces were invited to who part. eminent itself if no such power existed. 5 home of them had Conservative Governments, While the power existed they were called tii?" l some of them had Reform Governments and on from time to time to exercise it, when' per- ', some of them had coalition Governments l but haps they would rather not do tro, would no distinction was made amongst them. They rather perhaps be free trom the causes that were ali asked to send delegates to the '00". led up to its being exercised. What was the