ADDRESSING
THE DEBATES.
MR. GILBERT said that the Committee appointed at the last Session of the
House, to make arrangements for publishing the Debates, had no power delegated
to them to make arrangements for folding
and addressing the Debates, but they had
received an offer from Mr. Day, who
would mail and address them for $5
for
each member. It would be
attended with
great delay to have them sent up here by
the publisher, therefore he hoped the
House would make some arrangements
about having them addressed.
COL. BOYD said they had better adopt
the same mode of having them addressed
as they did last year ; bu: he would not
agree to paying $5 for each member.
MR. SUTTON said they were addressed last year in St. John for $4 apiece. If
they were sent to Fredericton they would
be under their own supervision.
MR. CAIE said the amount to be paid
the publisher should be a little more
than
it was last year, as there are 7,000 instead
of 6,000 copies to be addressed ; but he
did not think they should all be addressed
in St. John.
MR. GILBERT said that last Session
part of them were addressed here and
part in St. John. For some Counties
there would be a great loss of time in
having them come to Fredericton, although he thought the work could be
done
better under their own supervision, or the
work might be done under the Post Office
Department, as they would know best how
to direct them to the Way Offices.
MR. CONNELL believed that the work
could be done best under the Post Office
Department.
COL. BOYD said, that in the good old
times, thirty years ago, every member used
to address his own debates, and he had
kept to that old fashioned way
for a number of years. He believed t cost ÂŁ70
when they were addressed under the Post
Office Department. He would like to
have his Debates addressed in St.
John,
as they would be delayed one or two days
by coming up here.
MR. BEVERIDGE observed that the
arrangement of last year gave satisfaction
in his County, his Debates being addressed here by a person in the employ of the
House.
MR. GILBERT said he could hardly
credit that the addressing of the Debates,
cost ÂŁ70 If they had the privilege of
having the head of the Post Office Department in the
House, they could get information of what the labor would cost.
Having the Debates addressed in
St.
John is sometimes the cause of delay, for
if you received a notice from any of your
constituents that they do not receive the
Debates, you have to write to the publisher, and several days must elapse
before it can be rectified ; but if they were
addressed here it could be corrected at
once. Half of the Debates have to come
here, and the rest would be delayed but
a day and night.
MR. ANGLIN
said there was one objection to this arrangement for
addressing
the Debates in St. John which had been
overlooked, that was, that they had no
security that they should get the 7,000
copies for which they paid. They
had to
depend upon the honor of the
person who
published and addressed them. There
should be something like a receipt of delivery. In whatever way the arrangements may
be made there will be
innumerable complaints ; but in this
case there
is no security against fraud. This House
should, through some officer, obtain a delivery of the whole, and then have them
distributed ; by this means persons through
the country would receive them
earlier
and more regular. He did not value the
Debates, so therefore cared little about
it ; but the whole cost of
addressing them
should not exceed ÂŁ50 or ÂŁ60.
MR. LINDSAY said, that Hon. members who made out their lists,
would certainly know whether they received the Debates or not. In his district they
received
them pretty regular.
Mr. WILMOT
remarked,
that to ensure
their being received, they should be addressed by the Post Office Department,
for if they were not properly
directed they
would go to the wrong Post Office.
MR. CORAM
observed that on the
Eastern side of the Harbor there was no
way of distributing them but by carrying
them to every man's door ; for
the people [...]
DEBATES OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY FOR 1866. 7
[...] Mr. LINDSAY. The country required information upon this subject.
The people were crying out what was
being done for the defence of whe country ? and yet when a question was put
to the leader of the Government as to
what was doing, honorable members
could get no information. If the country could not get information it
wanted the members had better go home
at once. They had heard a great deal
about the Fenians—he had read it in the
papers that these Fenians claimed affinity with the Anti-Confederates was
the country to be kept in a state of alarm
and suspense and unprepared to meet
any invasion because it was cursed
with an Anti-Confederate Government?
Away with such an idea! Some men
might pooh, pooh, and laugh at the
threats of these Fenians, but it was different in the country—different with
the people, with families living on the
frontier—where they were open to the
attacks of cut-throat raiders and assassins. Members ask what proceedings
had been taken to repel invasion and
they were told they could not get information! He thought the country had
arrived at a crisis when the people
would be required to show on what side
they were, and to rally for the defence
of their country, for the preservation of
British Institutions, for the protection
of these British colonies. As for himself he was willing, when the time
arrived, to give his money, and his
means and himself if it wsa necessary.
ATTORNEY GENERAL did not see
what occasion there was for the hon.
member of Carleton to work himself
into such a fury. What did he want?
Did he wish to get information of what
the Government were doing—which
would be copied into all the papers—
and be the means of directing attention
to what it was necessary to keep secret?
He would tell the hon. member that the
Government were taking proper precautionary measures to meet any danger
that might be threatened. The insinuation that he (Mr. Lindsay) had made,
that there was a connection between
the Fenians and the Anti-Confederates
in this Province, was false and calumnious. It was unworthy his palce as a
member of that House; it ws unworthy himself as a mean thus to traduce the
chracter of the Anti-Confederate party
by insinuating that they had a sympathy
with the designs of a band of marauders.
As for himself he had as much stake in
the country, as much pride in British
connection, as much desire to maintain
it, and he would sacrifice as much to
preserve it as the member of Carleton
himself. He would ask the House, he
would ask the country, if it ws not
entirely unworthy of his (Mr. L.'s)
place to make such an insinuation?
What object had he in making such an
attack upon the Government if it was
not for some party purpose in order to
damage them in the eyes of the country? The hon. member of St. John
(Mr. Wilmot) had asked what was certainly a proper question; but he appealed to the
hon. member of Carleton
himself, he appealed to the House, he
appealed to the country, if the Fenians
were preparing to make a raid upon our
borders, would it be prudent to direct
the attention to what we were doing—
would it be right to point to the very
spot where the Government were sending men? Did not he (Mr. L.) believe
when he (Attorney General) stated that
the Government were taking every proper step to repel invasion? He could
assure him, and he could assure the
country that energetic measures, and as
effective as the resources of the Province
would justify, were being taken by the
Government at this present time.
Mr. CONNELL thought that the language of the Attorney General was quite
as emphatic as that of his colleague (Mr.
Lindsay). He (Mr. C) was not at all satisfied with what the Attorney General
had said. The country demanded to
know what danger was threatening the
Province, and what preparation the Government was making to meet it. It was
but right that he (Mr. C.) should be furnished with information to send to the
people of the country—those who lived
alnog the upper St. John river. He believed the time had come when the resources of
the country should be placed
in the hands of an Administration in
whom the people had confidence. He
would put all the resources of the country at their disposal, because he felt
that the danger was imminent. He
thought the Government had fallen very
far short of their duty in this matter.
Why had not preparations been made
months ago. Those who lived in the
city and town knew little children had come to him crying, and saying
"something should be done to protect
us." The Attorney General might laugh,
but those who lived on the borders
would know that what he said was
true, he was not afraid that an
invasion
would be made on the frontier by any
very large number of these Fenians, but
small parties of them might make a dash
and rob and slaughter. This was a very
serious matter, and he was not satisfied
with what the Attorney General had said.
THE SPEAKER.—This discussion was
irregular—there was nothing before the
House.
MR. CONNELL—The
member of St.
John (Mr. Wilmot) had asked the
Attorney General if it was true that troops
had been sent to Campobello, and
they
were discussing that question.
MR.
GILBERT said he would move
the adjournment of the House. He
did
this in order to give himself an opportunity of making a few observations on
this question.
MR. NEEDHAM rose to order. The
question of adjournment could not
be debated.
MR.
GILBERT.—Then our practice
was not in accordance with British Parliamentary practice. He had a right
to
show that he was perfectly in order.
THE SPEAKER
maintained that Mr.
Gilbert was out of order, and the motion
of adjournment was carried. and
the
House accordingly was adjourned
until
Monday, at 10 o'clock.
A. A.
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