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The Separats School Debate Takes Another Day. THE ATTORNEY--GENERAL'S SPEECH Canada Cannot Abolish Separate Schoolis ANY MORE THAN ONT ARIO. The Imperial Parliament Alone can do it, but the Attornoy -- General Eaysit Would Not do so --The City of London Bill Mr. Meredith moved the third reading of the bill respecting the City of London. March 27th, 1890. The first business before the House to--day was the City of London Bill, then came the Separate School debate. Mr. Waters proposed that the bill be not now read a third time, but that the order be dis-- charged and the bill referred back to the Com-- mittes of the Whole House, with insiructions to amend the same so as to provide that such portions as relates to the annexation of London South to the City of London shall not come into force or operation until the majority of the electors of tue territory described in the schedule shall have expressed them-- selves in favor or otherwisoof such annexation,. The question of the annexation of this portion of the Township of Wostminster had, Alr. Waters said, been very fully discussed, and it had been shown that the majority of the people of London South were opuoused to aunexation or -- amalgamation. 'That was the reason why he proposed this amendment. It was not as if thero were ouly a small number of the inhabitants opposed to the amendment; there was, according to his infor-- mation, a distinct majority, and it became then a broad question whether this House would take steps to furce the residents of Lon-- don South to amailgzgamate with tho City of London. It would put bc{oud all mannor of doubt that the people residing in that portion of the Town of" Woestminster are shown clearly and conclusively to be in favor of nnnexation,. If a majority expressed themselves in favor of the amalzamation, he had nothing more to say. If the course he suggested wero not adopted, a very large numver of the people wou d remain under the imvression that a gricvous injustice had boen luflicted upon them, for they were not at all satisiled as to the advantages that am-- algamation would confer upon them, and srufly feared that they would be sad-- led _ with _ responsibility for the debt Inucurred by the London ° municipality. e would not go into the urguments vefore the Committeo on Private Bills with respect to water supply und other matters, 'The prin-- ciple was so clear that he need not detain the House further in advocating it, for it was both in accordance with the provisionso?the existing laws and in the interest of the people affected. Mr., Meredith deemed it necessary to put the House in possession of the reasons why, in his Judgment, the bill ought to pass. There was no reason whatever why politics should enter into the _ discussion of the question-- indeed it was one of those questions Into _ which volitics _ should _ not _ be Imported. It had been said in some quarters with a view to influencing members that ho was strongly in favor of the bill, but he hoped that hon. members would not be actuated by such an insinuation to support the amendmen, but would bring their unbiassed judgment to boar__upon lt.' 1t had been said that the pro-- ro«:d amalgamation was not in the nterost of thoso who lived in the mburbs affocted ; but nothing was more mtom. than -- that it was _ greatly io eir aavantage, 'This territory, Mr. Meredith proceeded to {)oint out, was nearer to the busi-- ess part of the City of London proper than hree--{fourths of that already witain the city mits, It was not a question of what were the wishas of n hara maninrity of those residing THE ASSEMBLY. , Agninst the will of those affected, to force mintoits limits, in order to imptx upon obligations for their indebtedne 'This was altogother untruc,. But he (Mr. Meredith) took this broad fround that the Legislature pught not to facilitate the building up upon the putskirtsofflargecitiesof suburban communities which derived the benefit of the expendituro 5y the city of large sums in public works without contributing towards their cost, 'This 'ropnul came from the people residing in Lon-- on South themselves, and a largo number of the citizens of London were opposed to it. If any objection could be urged against this amalgamation it was that the terms of it were far too liberal to tho territory proposed io be annexed, One of the concessions was that for _ a period of _ sixteen years the taxation should be six mills on the «tollar, 'There was a prognsilion that there should be extended to London South the mag-- nificent system of water supply that the City of London now had ; that there should be created within their limits a fire system, and that there should bo erected a police siation and fire hall. Practically, the rosidents of London South had been concorted better terms than they were entitled to. Mr. Meredith woent on to arguo that there was no necessity for reference to the people of the locality, thut unser section 22 of the Municipal Aot it was pnly necessary that the Council should pass a resolution in favor of the annexation, and then the matter was left with the Liout.-- Governor in Council to make a procla-- mation, and it was left to the city or town to say what terims should be imposed. There ought to be, betore such an amcmiment as the hon, gentlemun proposed was adopted, a clour case established in favor of it, but no such case had been made out. Mr. Meredith uoted from a statement prepared by Mr. acorgo F. Jewoll, City Auditor, London, show-- ing the financial position of the municipality, the amount of its indebtedness and the amount of the sinking fund provided for its liquidation, and submitted that the new territory would in no sense be liable for the city's inaebtedncss. Me denied the truth of" various state-- ments that had been put into circulstion by persons who were opposed to the amaiga-- mation, Ho referred to a pumphlet, " Facts for Voters," not Irish voters this time, Mr. Meredith playtully remarked, but facts the necuracy of which were vouched for by ro-- sponsible signatures, and to another pamphiet Pnblishvd in The London South Truth, which ie supposed was one of the organs of truth and _ rightcousness, and concluded by an earnest appeal to the House to ratify the decision of the Commititce, It had been, he remarked, the custom of the Attorney-- General on two or three occasions to oppose legislation on bohalf of the City of London, and he (Mr. Mercdith) had had the satisfaction afterwards of secing the House pass unani-- mously the measures that had provoked the opposition of the hon. gentleman. These were milestones on the way, indicating should he oppose this moasure that his judgment might not always be sound. _ ___ == _ 'The Aitorney--General said ho had no recol-- lection of the occasions to which the hon. member referred, but if ho had opposed legislation affecting the City of London no doubt his reasons for doing so were pertectly good. He had been delighted to hear what had been said about the finances of the City of London and the advantages which it wasxroposed to extend to the territory pro-- gooo i0 boe annexed. The reasons advanced y the hon, gentleman against the amendment were the strongest that could possibly be urged in its favor, for the bargain would be so highly favorable to London South that the residents would be glad to have the opportnn-- ity of ex pressing themselves in favor of it. HMis hon, friend had referred to the provisions con-- tained in the 22nd section of the Municipalities Act, lenving the decision in such cases to the ieut,--Governor in Council. But what was the practice of the Governor in Council? Why, the Government never thought of making an addition to a _ munpicipality without ascertaining in the first place what those af-- fscted by it thought about it. 'The amendment was, in his opinion, a fair and reasonable one, and it was important, before ndoxting such a *sCcasitre, to ascertain what the people realiy rSought abont it. Mr. J. Loys supported the amendment, and observeid that it might be safely assumed that the people of London South knew a great deal better what was good for them than the people of London did. Y EAag.--Allan, Armstrong, Awrey, Bishop, Blezard, Bronson, Chisholm, Clarke (Weiling-- ton), Conmec, Dance, Davis, Drury, Dryden, kvanturel, Ferguson, Field, Fraser, Freeman, Garson, Gibson (Hamilton), Gibson (Huron), Gilmour, Gould, Graham, Harcourt, Hardy, Loys, MeKay, Mchaughlin, Mack, Mackenzie, Master, Morin, Mowat, Murray, O'Connor, Pa-- ecaud, Phelps, Robillard, Ross (Huron), Ross (Middlesex),. Smith (York), Snider, Sprague, Stratton Waters, Wood (Brant)--47. The amendment was then put to the House and carried on the foliowing division :-- Nays.--Balfour, Ballantyne, Biggar, Blyth, Claney, Clarke, H. E. (Toronto), Craig, Creigh-- ton, Crugss, Dack, Fed, French, Hoaminell,Hess, Judson, Ingram, Kerns, bLees, MeAunsrew, MoMuhor. Marter. Menchanr Meredith Mei-- ky Fidhatet 220¥ ud M dihd lc ic lt w cb Abstiaki. . + ht . D/ n PE i' The bill was then referred back to tho Com-- mittee of the whole House, and an arrangement was made that Mr. Meredith and tbe Chairman of the Private Bills Committee shall meet to-- gether and deviso a clauso containing the m4; chinery required by the passawzo of Mr. \\ nu-{;& amendment. 'The bill will no doubt then be read a third time. THIRD READINGS Tho following bills were read a third time and passed :-- vs To amend the Act incorporating the Village of Tilbury Centre--Mr. u..mx_nr. (ay m mar / GovERNMENT MoTIONS. Hon. Mr. MHardy moved as follows :-- That this House will, to--morrow, resolye itsolf into a Committee to consider the folow-- Rorke, Smith (Frontenac), Stewart. Whitney, Willoughby, Wood (Hastings), Wylio--3. ; ___-- ht det? udasinh Aiinatactriasist--AP ies dbanban rlhad To incorporate the Kent & Lambton Railway Company--M«. Claney, To amend the Railway Act of Ontario--Hon. Mr. Fraser. tako . place. _ It 'London was endeavo:>-- tho