Mr. Blake was not free from political bias and he could
give them a means of accomplishing that object. He also argued that revisions
that could take effect after the framing of the list would prevent all
Government interference with the lists, but that was no reason why they should
pass a defective law and he hoped that they would never have such a
primary list. For the sake of uniformity they were to initiate what was
called a policy of concession, but what he termed a policy of sacrifices; and
the result would be that every Province would have a franchise which they
did not like. (Hear.) They were each asked to sacrifice themselves in
order that there might be a common sacrifice. (Laughter.) The
question was whether they should look at the franchise on the ground of
Confederation of the four Provinces already in union or to the accomplishment
of the grand design first held before their eyes, and for the
accomplishment of which the hon. gentleman formed his Government and went to
the people upon, and on the necessity of the realizations of which he
based the question of the continued existence of his Government. They
were told by the hon. gentleman that the admission of Newfoundland was
not a matter of years, but of weeks and months; but if it was true, as it
had been asserted, and facts seemed to justify the statement, that a
very large majority of the people of Newfoundland would, by that law, be
disfranchised—by adopting that principle of uniformity, one of two
questions would have to be decided—either that Newfoundland would not
enter into the Union, or that an exception must be made in her favour. The
hon. gentlemen opposite would not like to see Newfoundland stay out; but
they could not expect the voters there to accept a system by which they
were depriving themselves of all power in the Dominion. They must therefore
be prepared to make an exception in that case. But would the Minister of
Justice make an exception in the case of Algoma, the greater proportion
of whose constituents would be disfranchised by that Bill. (Hear,
hear.) Therefore if uniformity were to be decreed it must be decreed for
all. The Government presented to the Confederation party in Newfoundland the
difficulty of meeting their opponents on the question of
disfranchisement. The people of Newfoundland would not vote away their
political rights, and if he were a resident of that Island he would be one of
those who would not vote away his political rights, which would be the
case if that Bill became law. Then there was the Red River question. How would
the people of that country look at the question of uniformity, and how
would the people of British Columbia regard it? Gentlemen opposite inflicted many
a serious blow at the fabric of Confederation; but none
would prove great
er
than that scheme if carried into law. He hoped the House would let the law
stand, as it was altered from time to time by the Local Legislatures. The
question of expense was also a most serious one, and on that as well as on
other grounds, he hoped the House would concur in the amendment proposed
by the hon. member for Hochelaga. (Applause.)
THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT
In reply to the Hon. Mr. Holton,
Hon. Sir Francis Hincks said he could not tell at what
time he would bring down the Budget until the Estimates were ready. They
were almost ready to come down, and he was told to-day they would be
ready to-morrow. It was absolutely impossible until he laid the
Estimates on the table, to say when he could bring down the Budget.
THE RED RIVER MURDER
Mr. Blake said a very painful rumour had been abroad as
to the execution of a person at Red River. He wished to know if the
Government had received any information on the subject?
Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald said the Government had no official or reliable information on the subject. All
he
could say was that they had received a message from a gentleman at St.
Paul marked "private," stating that it was said a person named Scott had
been shot by the Provisional Government. What was the foundation for the statement,
he (Sir John) did not know.
Mr. Mackenzie hoped the Government had taken some means
to procure accurate information, for if the person who had assumed
authority at Red River had proceeded to the length of taking a
Canadian life he hoped the Government would not fail to do their duty. He
wished to know whether the Government had taken means to ascertain the
accuracy of the statement.
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