1
THE LEADER>
REGINA, N.W.T., THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 1900.
THE LEGISLATURE
Opening of the Second Session of
the Fourth Assembly.
TEXT OF HIS HONOR'S SPEECH
Address in Reply Adopted Without
Opposition or Criticism, on Motion
of Mr. Brown and Dr. De Veber—
Mr. Sifton, the New Member for
Banff, Takes His Seat Provincial
Establishment Mooted.
THE OPENING
The second session of the Fourth
Legislature of the Territories was
opened at Regina on Thursday, 29th
March, 1900, by His Honor Lieut.-Governor Forget. Twenty-six of the thirty-one Members
were in their seats.
The function was attended by the
usual display, and was witnessed by a
large assemblage of spectators. His
Honour was attended from Government House to the Assembly buildings
by a Mounted Police escourt, and arrived
at the Chamber a few minutes after
three o'clock accompanied by Inspector Gilpin-Brown, A.D.C.
THE SPEECH
Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Legislative ssembly:—
I have much pleasure in welcoming
you upon the occasion of the opening
of the Section Session of the Fourth
Legislative ssembly of the Territories,
and in congratulatng you upon the
remarkable growth in population and
material resources which the Territories have experienced during the
past year.
The spontaneous expressions of loyalty with which all parts of the Empire
have given practical evidence of their
devotion to the Queen and Imperial interests, will ever mark the past year as
a memorable one in the history of the
nation. Owing to the non-establishment of the militia system, the Territories were
deprived of the privilege
of being represented in the first Canadian Contingent, but it must be a matter of
pride and gratification to know
that in the Second Contingent, and in
that corps raised and equipped through
the splended generosity and patriotism
of Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal,
the Territories have now the honor of
having given not only a large number
of men in the aggregate but, in proportion to their population, a larger number than
any other portion of the
Dominion, to the Canadian contribution to the cause of the Empire. In
this connection you will be asked to
concur in a grant made to the NorthWest members of the Second Contingent, and your
assent will be asked to
a measure legalising grants made by
Municipal Corporations to various
patriotic funds.
The financial position of the Territories has been the subject of considerable correspondence
addressed to the
Federal authorities by my Government. A portion of the correspondence was laid before
you at your last
Session, and I have ordered copies of
subsequent communications to be prepared for your information.
The unprecedented rainfall and disastrous floods of the past year brought
about a state of affairs which the
revenue, already proved to be inadequate under ordinary conditions, was
altogether unable to cope with. This
state of affairs tended not so much to
create as to aggravate and call more
pointed attention to the great disproportion existing between the means at
command and the ever-growing necessities of the rapidly increasing population of the
Territories. It is gratifying for me to be able to inform you
that the Federal Government has
proposed to Parliament now in session
a moderate increase to your annual
grant and a large special vote for the
purpose of restoring public works detroyed by the floods. In spite of this
very substantial increase to the
Revenue, my Government can only
look upon it as affording a temporary
and partial amelioration of otherwise
impossible financial conditions, and
will ask you to take action leading to
the earliest practicable solution of Teritorial financial and administrative
problems.
In the administration of the law some
changes have suggested themselves as
being calculated to bring about greater
economy and effectiveness. Bills to
secure these ends will be duly submitted
to you.
The accoutns of the Income and Expenditure of the past year will be laid
before you, as will also the Estimates
for the current year, which have been
prepared with due regard to the efficiency of the several services to be
undertaken and teh rigid limitations
of the revenue.
Gentlemen of the Legislative Assembly—>
I now leave you to your deliberations, in full confidence that the same
devotion will be given to the interests
of the Territories which has heretofore
characterised the labours of teh Legislative Assembly.
His Honor having departed,
Mr.
Speaker (Hon. Wm. Eakin) took the
Chair. Mr. Speaker announced that
during the recess he had received the
certificate of election of Arthur L. Sifton as member for Banff. Mr. Sifton
was then introduced to Mr. Speker by
Premier Haultain and Mr. Wallace of
High River, and took his seat amid
warm applause.
The Premier moved
for leave to introduce a formal bill,
which ws read a first time.
On motion of
Messrs. Haultain and
Ross a select committee was struck to
name the members to compose the
Standing Committees for the session,
and report, after which the House adjourned.
