The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

48 sociation interview the memmner m their district and secure his opinion regarding the resolutions laid before Sir Wilfrid Eaufler in May, 1896, regarding 'tbe plebiscite, in order that the assoct-- ation may know the viaws of members } before the session of the Federal Par-- liament opens." The Opposition had gone to the coun-- try upon the conditions which had ex-- Isted for many years, knowing that every constable in Ontario would have a vote, but having been defeated they are trying to find some loophole by which they can creep down--(applause) . --and in blaming the Government for | neglect in not amending the law the \ hon. leader of the:-- Opposition was again repudiating former. leaders of the party, inasmuch as it was the boast of the Opposition that Sir Wm. Meredith had exercised a material influence in the construction of legislation,. (Applause.) |\__Mr. Lucas (Con.), Centre Grey, prob-- awhbly the most youthful--looking member of the House, continued the debate, : dealing, firstly, with stage fright and | the inconvenience of following an old ; campaigner though new member; sec-- f ondly, with the absurdity of calling the House at puwblic expense to bolster up the position of the Liberal party, and, thirdly, with the liquor influence, charging that the only hotelkeeper in Centre Grey who was bold enough to act on the Conservative committee had since lost his license. Continuing, thel speaker dealt with the constable vote, good roads and the fishery legislation, taking the same position which has been established by previous Conservative speakers. A Contrast, 4 Mr. Hislop, East Huron, reminded hon. gentlemen opposite that after the general election of 1894 the Conserva-- tive press, instigated and whetted no dowbt by hon. gentlemen, had demanded | that the House be called forthwith to | transact public business. They were , prompted no doubt in their demands by the hope that the Government would not be found to possess the confidence of a majority of the House. Why did not the hon. gentlemen approve of the action of the Government in doing in 1898 what they demanded in 1894? He accepted their opposition to this session being held as a proof of their convie-- tion that the Government had received the approval of the people to whom they appealed. He challenged hon. gen-- tlemen opposite to prove the numerous charges which they had made upon the | floor of the House by facts. Hon. gen-, tlemen opposite had shown their read-- iness to step across the floor of the House and assume the government of the country by the disfranchisement of | | their fellow--electors. Buch ideals were not the ideals of men who would give | the country good government. He con-- | trasted the action of the Liberals in the | Dominion House, who unanimously sup-- | ported a measure proposed by their op-- ponents protecting the rights of the con-- siables in Dominion elections to vote, with that of the Opposition on the pre-- | sent oceasion. l °_ orrmemmmmmmmmmmmmmmes