1180 COMMONS DEBATES April 25, 1870
THE NORTH-WEST
Mr. Mills moved resolutions respecting the
admission of the North-West, already published.
Hon. Sir George-Ă. Cartier asked that the
resolutions should stand over, as the whole
policy of the Government would be brought
down this week, and then there could be a full
discussion.
Mr. Mills then proceeded, and spoke amid
continued interruptions, which rendered him
nearly inaudible. He said that two years ago
certain resolutions were introduced into that
House on which were to be founded certain
Orders in Council for the purpose of admitting
the Territory into the Union. He objected at
the time to those resolutions; but when there
was offered an opportunity for a compromise it
was received with approval by all parties.
1181
When referring to the manner in which the
Company had acquired possession and control
of the Territory, and the revolt of the American Provinces in 1775, the interruption
increased.
Hon. Mr. Howe appealed to the hon. member
not to proceed, many members were evidently
not in a disposition to hear the hon. member.
The Government were anxious to hear his
arguments, but they could not under the
present circumstances.
Mr. Mills said he was sorry to see two things,
first, that the Government had lost control of
the House, and, secondly, that the policy of the
Government on the North-West question had
not been submitted to the House at a period of
the session when it would have been in a condition to fully consider it with that
fullness
which the House designed. The reason for the
motion coming forward at the present time was
that one private day was taken by Government, and private members had not been able
to reach their motions on the notice paper at an
earlier period. It was only now he had had an
opportunity of bringing up this question, and
he thought it better that the House should give
attention to this question then than it should
be deferred to another and later period. He
wished to see the federal system honestly and
fairly carried out. He held that in order that
the federal system might be fairly carried out
in the North-West, it was necessary they
should set forth some terms and conditions on
which that Territory should be transferred.
The people of that Territory should have had
security, that when they got a certain amount
of population they should have conferred on
them the same powers of self-government as
those shared by other Provinces in the Confederation. The Government were still in
the
wrong, and this House was still in the wrong,
because neither of them had done what the
theory of their system required, because they
had not given the people of Red River any
security whatever, or laid down any proposition to induce them to believe that in
future
they would stand on an equal footing with the
other Provinces of the Dominion. In the case of
those people, the spirit of the Union Act had
not been carried out. The expressions used to
other Provinces, not yet in the Union, were the
same as those used towards the North-West
Territory, except that in the other cases they
were promised the full rights conferred on
those Provinces which were already in the
Union. He thought that the inhabitants of the
North-West Territory should have some self-
governing powers conferred on them. He had
no fear of the North-West people becoming
Americanized, for their experience in Canada
1182 COMMONS DEBATES Â
APRIL 25, 1870
proved that when Americans became permanent settlers among them, they became
Canadians. He should not further trespass
upon the time of the House.
Hon. Sir George-Ă. Cartier said the question
would have to be discussed on all its merits
very shortly. He hoped that the discussion
would close there.
Mr. Mills said the views he had expressed
were those he had expressed two years ago,
and it was only his duty to himself that they
should be entered in the journals of the House,
which would not be done if the question were
not put.
Mr. Mackenzie said the Minister of Militia
admitted he intended to move the adjournment
of the debate. Personally, he (Mr. Mackenzie)
had no objection, provided the hon. gentleman
could give the House some intimation when
the Bill to which he referred would be brought
down.
Hon. Sir George-Ă. Cartier said the Government were considering and debating upon that
most important question, with as great a diligence as possible, and hoped in a few
days to
be ready to come before the House with a
policy.
Mr. Mackenzie said he was sorry the explanation was not more explicit. The House was
aware that almost every second day for the
past three weeks he had asked the Government
when the ordinary papers would be brought
downâpapers which must precede the action
of the House. On Friday the House was
informed that the papers would be brought
down on Saturday, and on Saturday that they
would be brought down today, but now the
Minister of Militia, was not able to say whether they would be brought down this week.
It
was the most serious matter that could occupy
the attention of the House, and it was most
unsatisfactory to hear that its consideration
was put off to a period so indefinite.
Hon. Sir George-Ă. Cartier said that the
member for Lambton might expect that before
a discussion took place the papers would be in
the hands of the members. Great progress had
been made on Saturday last with regard to
those papers, and they would be ready very
shortly.
1183
Hon. Mr. HoltonâAnd that the Minister of
Justice promised, on Friday night, that the
papers would be brought down on Saturday.
Hon. Mr. Holton said that they had not been
read by all the members of the Government,
but would be brought down on Saturday
evening.
Hon. Mr. HoltonâThe House had been waiting very patientlyâtoo patientlyâ
Hon. Mr. Holtonâhad been waiting too
patiently in view of the importance of this
subject, by far the most important which has
or can come before the House this session. The
House knows, but not sufficiently, that very
extensive preparations for a military expedition are now on foot. I do not think thatâwith
Parliament in sessionâso important a step as
that ought to be taken on the responsibility of
the Government without consulting Parliament. While I do not desire to continue this
discussion after the resolutions introduced by
my hon. friend, the member for Bothwell, I
desire the Government to understand that
tomorrow, when the orders of the day are
called, I shall call the attention of the House to
the preparations now on foot; and will ask the
Government to state to the House under what
policy these military preparations are being
made. The Government must not commit and
this House must not commit the country to a
military expedition to the Nor'-West without
taking the sense of the House when Parliament
is in session. Such a thing had never been
heard of before in any free country, as that a
Ministry should involve the country in incalculable expenses, and in consequences
no man
can conceive, without submitting their views
to Parliament.
Hon. Mr. Wood said that unless a Constitution guaranteed by the Imperial Act was to be
given to the North-West there was clearly a
violation of the British North America Act.
The debate was adjourned on motion of Hon.
Sir George-Ă. Cartier.
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