11
[...] now returned after a most successful mission
and the negotiations could be renewed. In the
meantime he could inform the House that the
Department of Inland Revenue had been
most successfully managed by the Postmaster—General, who attended to these additional
arduous duties during the whole of
the winter, though at great personal loss and
labour. The interests of the public service in
this respect had not, therefore, suffered in
any way. The thing, of course, could not be
carried on, and it was the intention of the
Government to fill up the vacancy, and place
a responsible man at the head of the Department. As to the proportional representation
of the Provinces in the Cabinet, his honourable friend would remember that it was
stated by the Government during the first
session that these matters, the formation of
the Government, division of the offices, &c.,
were of necessity experimental, and this was
the case yet. In the event of the absorption
of the great North—West and Newfoundland
into the Dominion, new duties and responsibilities would be involved, and very probably
a re-adjustment of the different heads of the
Departments. But he had no doubt that within the limits of a legitimate opposition,
the
Government would be supported in any efforts they might make to administer the new
state of affairs. As to Mr. Howe, he (Sir
John) hoped the people of Hants would soon
enable that hon. gentleman to explain his
own position on the floor of the House.
Hon. Mr. Holton thanked the Minister of
Justice for his full and explicit information.
It would be unusual and inconvenient to
debate at that moment the policy involved in
the explanations; but there was just one
point more that ought to be explained. The
Minister of Justice said in the course of his
explanations, that negotiations had been entered into with the view of filling the
vacant
offices before the two members of the Cabinet
went to England. As a matter of courtesy,
the House was entitled to know what direction these negotiations took, and why they
did not go on. Having been informed that
negotiations had been entered into, the House
was entitled to know all about them.
Sir John A. Macdonald said that at the
proper time a full and frank explanation
would be given. The negotiations ought never
to be stated until they came to a result.
12 COMMONS DEBATES April 16, 1869
Mr. Mackenzie said there was one other point. The House had just been informed that the filling
up of certain offices had been a matter of experiment. It would be desirable that
the House should be informed concerning the two offices of Secretaries of State. Of
course, this House was aware that the duties of both offices had been discharged by
one person, the member for Dorchester. The House was entitled to know if that honourable
gentlemen was hereafter to discharge the duties of both offices.
Sir John A. Macdonald was glad his attention had been called to that subject. The office of Secretary of
State had been created because the necessity was felt for having a channel of communication
between the Dominion and Provincial Governments. It was deemed desirable that the
numerous questions which it was supposed would arise in this way should be disposed
of by some one Minister. On the commencement of the new order of things, however,
it was found that until the relative positions of the Provincial and Dominion Governments
were ascertained, until they came to be clearly defined like those of the old established
Governments, a good portion of the subjects which would be ordinarily assigned to
the charge of the Secretary of State, had to be disposed of by the Minister of Justice.
So many questions arose in constitutional law and kindred topics, that he, as Minister
of Justice, had been obliged to direct his attention to them. Therefore a great deal
of the work which would eventually fall on some such officer as the Secretary of State,
devolved at present on the Minister of Justice. All correspondence between the Provinces
and the Dominion of course was conducted by the Secretary of State. For the present
it was proposed that things should remain as they were, because it was clear that
if there was proposed that things should remain as they were, because it was clear
that if there was any necessity for the offices, before the extension of the Dominion
boundary, that necessity would be greatly increased the moment Newfoundland and the
North West became part of the Dominion. As he had stated before, the distribution
of the offices and power was of necessity to a great extent experimental in the Dominion.
From the mover of the Address they had heard what the Government would be expected
to do if they assumed the control of the North-West. The subjects then alluded to
as having to be dealt with were numerous
13
and of great moment, and this, along with the other circumstances in which they were
placed showed how hopeless would be any attempt to sit down and form a more definite
plan of administration. The number of duties thrown on the Government were such as
might cause a very considerable distribution of and re-arrangement of the offices.
The first paragraph was then agreed to.
The second paragraph having been put,[...]
This individual participated in:
