[...] thing else they put their hands to, death followed their efforts. He hoped the
present Government would act more consistently with
their duties and interests.
Also a petition from Rev. John Shaw and a
large number of others asking a special grant
to make a road across Cape Smokey which,
he said, was a mountain dividing the county
into two sections. The members in their appropriations had not been able to give it
the
necessary attention, and the barrier formed by
the mountain was so great that travellers were
obliged to lead their horses on one side or the
other which was a great inconvenience to the
two large settlements growing up in that locality.
Mr. MCKAY presented a petition from the
Postmaster of West River, asking for an increase of salary, but subsequently withdrew
it
for transmission to the Post Master General in
accordance with the practice of last session.
Also a petition from a person who had incurred expenditure on certain roads while
holding the office of light-house keeper.
CONFEDERATION.
Mr. ANNAND said that in anticipation of a discussion upon a highly important subject, he
wished to ask the government to lay on the table
a comparative Return showing the amount oi
revenue derivable under a Canadian Tariff' for
articles chargeable under such a tariff. He intimated that some difficulty might arise
in furnishing an exact return, but it would be useful as
furnishing information.
Hon. PROV SECRETARY said he was entirely
ready to afford any information or submit any
document in possession of the Government, but
he did not understand that he was under any
obligation to furnish such a return as that asked.
The hon. member asking it had held the office of
Financial Secretary and was as well acquainted
with all the papers necessary to the compilation
as any officer of the Government, and had them
as entirely under his control. If such a course
were adopted as that required the greatest obstructions would be occasioned. He would
submit the
request to his colleagues, but it appeared to him at
the first blush to be asking for something outside
of what it was usual or the government to
furnish.
Mr. ANNAND said he differed from the Provincial Secretary in the remark made to the effect
that the papers were as open to him as to the
Government. He would remind the House that
the papers had not been laid on the table, and no
member, therefore, was in a position to prepare
such a statement as the one asked for ; he did
not see why the Government should shrink from
furnishing such information.
Hon. PROV. SECRETARY said that one very
serious objection had been thrown out by the hon.
member himself when he intimated that there
would be some difficulty in furnishing an accurate return, and that the answer must
necessarily
be hypothetical. The statement, if prepared,
would admit of discussion as to whether it was
correct and judicious, as the materials did not exist for giving an entire analysis.
It was therefore
throwing a scarcely legitimate duty upon the Government, and as to the observation
that the necessary papers were not on the table, that difficulty would probably be
removed on the following
day when his colleague who had taken charge of
the Financial Secretary's department would be
prepared to submit the documents furnishing the
necessary data. If such a return were furnished,
instead of its being what a public document
should be-so exact as to command confidence—
a great deal of difference of opinion might arise
upon its merits.
Mr. ANNAND replied, that no difficulty had
been found in New Brunswick in furnishing this
information, and he did not see why the Government should put itself in the position
of being
confessedly unable to submit documents which
the Government of the other Province submitted
without hesitation.
Mr. TOBIN enquired what the house had to do
with the Canadian Tariff. If any gentleman was
desirous of addressing the House or the public on
the subject of Confederation, and thought he was
in a position to draw an argument from that
source with advantage, he could go to work and
contrast the public documents and the revenue
laws, the exportations and the consumptions,
without applying to the Government. He did not
rise for the purpose of objecting to the Government furnishiug the desired information,
but he
thought it a question which no Government
should be bound to answer. This he considered
the introduction of the question of a Union of
British North America in an indirect manner, and
if it were so understood and a discussion were to
follow, he could not shrink from expressing the
opinion he always held Every man looking at the
condition of the British North American Provinces, must come to the conclusion, that
they could
not long remain in their present position. This
was seen and felt in the House, where things had
greatly changed in the progress of six or seven
years. (Mr. Annand here rose to order.) Mr.
Tobin continued, arguing that the object in making the request was to show that a
Union with
Canada would result in overtaxation, but would
the Canadian Tariff be the tariff of the United
Provinces? When the men representing all the
Colonies met together, they would no doubt frame
a new tariff with wisdom. If the Government
chose to furnish the information and to employ
their clerks in preparing this return it would be
their own business, but he thought it could be
done as well by any hon. member.
Tha subject then dropped.
This individual participated in:
