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_ that. at _ . hr. "the lumber for . el- m Joined in the cantata!» that have been showered upon . Hardy upon his recent elevation to he that place in the Government of {the Province. He not only made the assertion but furnished the proof that gmnancial administration ot the ', nee has been pure, progressive Hand economical. It was true that the expenditure his $1,243,000 more last year than it was in 1873, but that fact did not involve a charge of extrava- gance or misappropriation. The ap- propriation last year over that of 1873 was increased by $351,151 for educa- tion, $115,000 for agriculture, $154,000 for hospitals and charities. $373,000 tor asylums. $337,000 tor administration at Justice. But this, Mr. Craig point- ed out, was not all. Nearly $20,000,000 has been returned to the people of the Province by the Government, thereby greatly reducing their taxes. The es- timates for 1897. he showed, called for 'an increase of $15,000 in the appropria- tion for education. On capital account $229,000 is to he expended. The present ' interest-bearing assets of the Pro- vince amount to the enormous sum of. $4,782,000. After providing for the rail- way aid oertitteateB and for the an- nuities there will still be a. surplus of $1,814,000. These plain facts Mr. Craig I submitted in support of the declaration , with which he started out. The admin- iistration of the Education Department I he warmly commended, and he availed 'himself of the opportunity to pay a I well-deserved tribute to the Minister ' in charge of it. It would be imposs- l ibis, Mr. Craig said. to find a man for l the position who would take more in- terest in his work than the present Minister had dune, or who would do I more than he had done to improve the schools and perfect the system of edu- cation. These words met with the approving applause of the Ministerial- ists. Discussing the license system, Mr. Craig said that it was popular through- out the-Province. Replying to the charge of the Opposition that the Gov- ernment retained too large a propor- tion of the fees. Mr. Craig declared that the intiuontial sentiments of the Province favored such a chuny,v in the law as would deprive the municipalities of all the revenue from licenses and give It to the Government. Mr. Craig discussed the charge that Ontario Gov- ernment ofticials Wore unduly givi-n to participation in politics. He deplored undue partisanship on the part of pub- lic omcials, and showed to what an ex- tent the employees of the late Govern- ment at Ottawa had transgresscd in this respect. Mr. Crawford. the representative of West Toronto, was the next to get the Speaker's eye. He began by re-echo- ing the desire of Mr. Craig that otticials of all Governments should go quietly to the polls like good citizens and cast their ballots, and not take an active part in politicial controversy. It was. he said. an evidence ot Mr. Harcourt's tact and ability that he was able to make such a good case out of the ma- terial he had in hand. Although the statement was nicely sugar- coated. it seemed upon t lose examination to have a poison- ous sting underneath. There were, Mr. Crawford said. two facts that could be established. The first was that the present Administration was powerless to stem the tide of expendi- ture. and the second was that the chief concern ot the present Administration was to lay their hand on something or somebody that they could tax in order to raise a revenue corresponding with the expenditure. Then Mr. Crawford delved Into the titruretr. _He said that Iin the statement for 1895 there was an admitted deficit of $170,000. In the state- .ment for 1896 there was an admitted T deficit of $212,000. The Treasurer, with- out a blush on his handsome face. had foreshadowed a. still greateI.AtP1t. of something like $300,000. There werel leakages in the expenditure. and these were largely accounted for by the new creations. offices made and omces till- ed. The Government were replenish- ing the pockets of their friends and cheering their hearts by giving them good, fat offices. Mr. Crawford assert- ed that the tendency of the public ex- peniltures had not been in the direc- tion of developing the resources of the mince and of encouraging invest- . t. but rather of perpetuating the WEST TORONTO'S MEM RE R. 2ntvriiiiGdGp"iioirer. This thr. ' He var ant a tio: He defended the expenditure on the various departments of government. and particularly that. upon the Educa- tion Department. He expressed dis- approval of the suggestion that has been made that the Agricultural Col- lege at Guelph should he transferred from the control of the Minister of Ag- riculture to that of the Minister of Edu- cation. The affairs of the Province in every' particular, he declared, had been conducted upon business principles dur- ing the last 24 years. The tact that the Government had spent something like 70 millions of the people's money and that no one could point to a single dollar and say that it had been IN" appropriated was sufficient Justification for saying that the affairs of the Pro- vince had been well conducted. Dr. McKay, becoming prophetic, foresaw the day, not far distant. when Ontario would have a population' not of two millions but of three or four million souls. He concluded by eulogizing the Liberal leaders past and present. - - -__ "r_"rV n... He came into power with a surplus of cash in the bank of $i.000,000, a. mantle of prosperity handed down from John stuuliieid Macdonald. When he went out not only was that all gone. but over 820.000.000 received from the Cm" lands was all Bone. He left, when there were det1cttq to meet 3nd direct __ ----"i---i_ --..-.W V- r-.. lie institutions. immigration. agricul- ture, hospitals. and charities, repairs and maintenance and miscellaneous egg Penditure, he said teat here had been a steady increase during the past seven years. giving the following figures c--. 1889, 32,418,038: 1890. 82.597.622: 1891; $2,674,189: 1892. $2.779.452: 1893, 82.797,- 486; 1894, $2,891,423: 1895. 32.934.298; 1896, $2,891,423-an increase ot over half a million in seven years. He referred to what he called the fulsome f1attery which had been showered upon Sir Oliver Mowat since the opening of the House. Sir Oliver Mowat's Poli ability must be recognized on the hand for knowing how to hold pow for a quarter ot a century, and. on the other hand. for knowing when "ur gut. He was as honest as he was c F MR. ST. JOHN. Mr. St. John. in resuming the debate after recess, complained that Mr. Craig had misrepresented the attitude of the Opposition in regard to the High Schools of the Province. He defied Mr. Craig to say that the Opposition ever opposed the maintenance of the em. cieney of the High Schools. He declar- ed that the civil servants throughout were active in the interests of the Lib- eral party. He denied that there had been a decrease in the ordinary expen- diture of the Government. Taking a: the ordinary expenditure civil govern- ment, legislation. administration of Justice. education. maintenance of pub- It., {_~A14A_4], . - - Dr. McKay of Oxford had the close attention ot the House while he made an able speech in Justification of the flnaneial administration of the Govern.. ment. He, too, felicitated the new Premier upon his well-deserved promo- tion. He effectively replied to the op- position criticism that the expenses of the Government have been steadily growing by quoting from the public accounts tltrures which were conclusive. They were as follows _ Year. Expenditure. Decrease. 1890 ...............$4,183.381 ........ 1S91 ............... 4,158,459 t 24,922 1892 ............... 4.068.257 90,202 1893 ............... 3,907,145 161,00tr, 1894 ............... 3,839,313 67,307; 1896 ............... 3,703,379 W Dr. McKay compared the coat of some of the more important public services in Ontario with the expendi- ture for similar services in Quebec, much to the advantage of the Governor ment led by Mr. Hardy. Dr. McKay ably defended the administration of the} license system. Vague charges, he said, had long been made, but no specific instance of wrongdoing had ever stood the test of an investigation. A Ken- tleman who had made charges in con- nection with the administration of the license system in Oxford County had. written to him. saying that he wan sorry he had made the chart". _ that his information was incorrect... 280 license commissioners in the vince, the doctor said, were enti independent ot the Government, as _ Government did not pay them natal-i . support any measure that woJld j a tendency to develop Ontario'Q resources. Mr. Crawford insisted there must he a reduction in the of government. su ppott any mezisure THE LIBERAL warn t 24,922 90,202 161,061 67,801. l Lllc' ow 1 the 0 c us ot