13
[APRIL 19, 1895] 14
[...] has been most materially reduced. Take. in
the first place, 'the goods that have been
entered for consumption. In this year, as
against/last year—and I am speaking as to
values—there has been a decrease of eight
millions and a half worth of goods; then,
the duty collected on these goods, as contrasted with the preceding year, has been
less
by a million and three-quarters of dollars.
But the most noticeable changes have been
in respect of the very goods which were
aflected by a reduction in the tariff, as witnessed in the fact that the revenue derivable
from woollen goods has decreased, as
compared with the preceding year, by a million and a half; the revenue in respect
of
iron has decreased by a million and a
quarter; and that in respect to silks, by
$300,000. The great falling off in the excise this year of $1,000,000 as compared
with last year, has, too, helped
to increase that deficit. Now, Sir, on
the whole there is a deficit, but the
reasons are' ample, the matter is explainable; and the fact that there is a deficit
this
year will not be looked upon by the country
as a proof that such a state of affairs must
exist under a Conservative Administration,
but the people will regard it as a rarity and
a novelty. I trust, Sir, that the deficit will
not amount to what has been prophesied,
and that, having a due regard to the
efficiency of the public service, economy may
be practised to such an extent as to make
that deficit as small as possible. Now I
come to another clause in the Address, that
which makes mention of the probable admission of the oldest British colony in America
as part of the confederation. When
the scheme of confederation was broached
and when it was effected in 1867, aye, and
even before that, it was thought by the
fathers of confederation that this great
work would never be consummated, would
never be finally completed, until within our
borders was embraced every colony in
North America under the flag of Great
Britain; and from time to time overtures
and propositions have been made to that
end. I am pleased to see that at last they
have taken a tangible form, and in this city,
as the capital of the Dominion, a very important conference was held a few weeks
ago, from which we trust beneficial results
will follow. The terms of the offer upon
which Newfoundland proposes coming into
this confederacy, and the terms which were
offered by the Federal Government, have
not yet been made public; but I think I
echo the hope of every Canadian, and of
every parliamentarian, irrespective of politics, that those terms may be of such a
nature that a consummation of that
union may be brought about. We, in this
portion of the Dominion, particularly in the
province of Ontario, not having been in
touch with the people of Newfoundland,
have only known it as rather a sterile, bleak
and inhospitable island ; but I am happy to
say that our views in that respect have been
entirely changed by a speech delivered in
Ottawa last week by the Hon. Mr. Bond.
With their thrifty, industrious and hardy
population, of somewhat over 200,000, engaged, as they are, largely in the greatest
of
all hardships, the fishing industry, also interested as they are interested in the
lumber business, and interested as they are
in the great industry of mining, in which
$5,000,000 is invested; not having, as we,
in the western provinces have, great manufacturing enterprises, it must of necessity
result that they should be, and would be in
due course of. time, if any considerable interchange of commodities took place. good
customers of ours, as of the $7,000,000 worth
of goods imported into that island, only
$2,500,000 worth came from these provinces.
So I believe that, if that consolidation is
brought about, if that colony is admitted, a
union will be accomplished which will
greatly add to the material prosperity of the
whole Dominion. Moreover, Sir. we will
then guard and control every entrance to
the British possessions on the Atlantic; and
then it will be the proud boast of every
Canadian, that from the western shores of
this continent, where the waters of. the
Pacific lave the golden sands of British Columbia, to the far east, where Newfoundland's
rock-bound coasts are dashed by the
billows of the Atlantic, all shall be under
the sway of the confederation of Canada.
Mr. BELLEY. (Translation) In rising to second the motion
just moved. by the hon. member for East Simcoe (Mr. Bennett), I must say
that the Manitoba school question referred to in the Speech from the Throne
has given rise to that other question Whether the moment had not come to
break the tie which unites us to the Dominion and seek elsewhere other
destinies for us. Many wise and enlightened people, men from all sections
of the community and from all races, have had, in the face of the general
mistrust which for nearly five years now has unsettled every mind, to painfully
consider whether the Dominion could last much longer, and whether the
time had not come, as I said, to break the tie which unites us to it,
should not Manitoba or the Federal Government remedy the injustices done
and replace, so to say, in its former position the fundamental stone which the
Manitoba Government had taken out of the very basis of the Dominion
structure. Thank God, owing to the spirit of justice of the people, owing
to the common sense which prevails everywhere in the Dominion, owing
especially to the courage shown by the Government with respect to that school
question, the minds may now regain their composedness, uneasiness may
disappear and hope revive among all the races which have made this
country their own. For these reasons, I might be allowed to tender to the
executive our most sincere thanks on [...]
