1
THE LEADER.
REGINA N.W.T., THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 27, 1902.
ASSEMBLYÂ OPENED.
The Fourth Session of the Fourth Legislature Begun.
SPEECH BY HIS HONOR.
Large Attendance at the Opening
Ceremonies-Correspondence With
Federal Authorities re Provincial
Autonomy — increased Representation in the Assembly — The Select
Standing Committeesfor Session.
The fourth session of the fourth Legislative Assembly of the North-West
Territories was opened in a most auspicious manner by His Honor Lieutenaut Governor.
Forget last Thursday
afternoon. The crowd in attendance
was unusually large and very great
interest was manifested in the proceedings. The public schools were dismissed in order
that the scholars might be
enabled to be present and thereby get
an insight into some of the methods of
procedure under our system of government.
Shortly after three o'clock Madame
Forget arrived, accompanied by her
sisters, Mrs. Dr Mount and Madame
Freichette, of Montreal, and Mrs.
Graham of File Hills. The Lieutenant
Governor drove in a four-in-hand carriage from Government House escorted
by a squad of the N. W. M. P. under
command of Inspector Taylor. His
Honor was accompanied by Colonel
Macdonnell, D. S. O., as aide-de-camp,
and Commissioner Perry, SurgeonMajor Bell, M.D., Captain Gilpin
Brown and A. W. G. Bourget, private
secretary. He was received by Premier Hauitain, Hon. A. L. Sifton and
Hon. G. H. W. Bulyea, members of the
Government. Having been conducted
to the Speaker's chair. His Honor read
the
SPEECH FROM THE THRONE.
Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the
Legislative Assembly:—
It is with much pleasure that I welcome you to this the fourth session of
the fourth Legislative Assembly. The
time at which you meet is one charaterised by great and unexampled prossperity in
all sections of our country.
New settlements with bright prospects
are springing up in every direction,
and the succession of excellent crops
during recent years tends to encourage
the continuation of the immigration
movement so noticeable at present.
During the month of September last
the Territories were honored by the
presence of Their Royal Highnesses
the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and
York, now the Prince and Princess of
Wales. Every effort possible was
made to make the visit pleasant and
memorable, and I am assured, Their
Royal Highnesses were much gratified
at the evidences of sterling loyalty
shown in the numerous addresses presented by the several municipalities
and other public bodies in the Territories.
The unprecedented crop of last season brought the transportatiou question into prominence,
and demonstrated the necessity for improved and
enlarged accommodation for shipping
and carrying grain to eastern points
after the close of lake navigation. Owing to the representations made to the
Canadian Pacific authorities by my
Government through the Department of
Agriculture the evils of the grain blockade existing a few weeks ago have been
considerably mitigated by shipments
to Duluth via North Portal. As a result the farmers are now in receipt of
an increase in prices amounting to at
least ten per cent. over prices formerly
obtaining.
During the recess my Government
has been in communication with the
Federal Government upon the matters
set forth in your memorial to His Excellency in Council of the second day of
May, 1900, and as a result a conference
was held with a sub-cominittee of the
Privy Council appointed for that purpose. In addition to verbal representations made,
a statement in writing
was submitted on behalf of my Government. This statement together with
reply of the Federal authorities–
which I regret to say has not yet been
received -will be communicated to you
at the earliest possible moment and
you will be asked to take action with
respect to the important questions
dealt with therein.
Owing to the great increase of population in the Territories provision will
have to be made for increased representation in the Legislature and a
measure dealing with that subject will
be submitted to you.
Statements of receipts and expenditures of the past year together with
estimates of the public requirements
during the present year will be laid
before you.
I now leave you to your deliberations
confident that you will, under Divine
guidance, give your most earnest consideration to the matters brought to
your attention.
