DOMINION OF CANADA. 



275 



DOMIXIOX OF CANADA. The year 1888 was 

 marked by an unusual number of changes in 

 the Government of the Dominion. Lord Lans- 

 dovvne's term of office as Governor-General ex- 

 pired, and he was appointed Viceroy of India, 

 leaving Canada in May. (For biographical 

 sketch and portrait of Lord Lansdowne, see 

 the " Annual Cyclopaedia" for 1883, page 468.) 

 He was succeeded at Ottawa by Lord Stanley of 

 Preston, who on June 11 issued the proclama- 



LORD STANLEY OF PRESTOX. 



The Right Hon. Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Baron Stan- 

 ley, of Preston, P. C., G. C. B.. was bcrn in 1S41. and in l^tU 

 mulled Constance, eldest daughter of the Earl of Clarendon. 

 He was created a peer in 1666, and was appointed Governor- 

 General of Canada in 16S3. He has represented Preston and 

 North Lancashire in the House of Commons, and has held 

 office in the Imperial Government successively as a Lord of 

 the Admiralty. Financial Secretary for War. Financial Secre- 

 tary to the Treasury. Secretary of State for War. Colonial 

 Secretary, and President of the Board of Trade, He served 

 in the Grenadier Guards from 165-> till 1*65. and was gazetted 

 lieutenant and captain in l^G'2. He is brother and heir pre- 

 sumptive of the present Earl of Derby. Lord Stanley of 

 Preston is a conservative in politics. 



tion announcing his appointment to the Gov- 

 ernor-Generalship. The death of the Hon. 

 Thomas White, Minister of the Interior, de- 

 prived the Dominion Cabinet of one of its ablest 

 and most respected members. Mr. White was 

 succeeded in the ministry by the Hon. Edgar 

 Dewdney, who retired from the Lieutenant- 

 Governorship of the Northwest Territories. Sir 

 CharlesTupper resigned the portfolio of Minister 

 of Finance to return to London as High Com- 

 misMoner for Canada, and was succeeded by the 

 Hon. G. E. Foster, Minister of Marine and Fish- 

 eries. The Hon. Charles Tupper (son of Sir 

 Charles) entered the Cabinet as Minister of Ma- 

 rine and Fisheries. The Hon. A. W. McLelan, 

 Postmaster-General, accepted the Lieutenant- 

 Governorship of Nova Scotia, and his portfolio 

 fell to the Hon. John Haggart. The Hon. J. B. 

 Plumb, Speaker of the Senate, died during the 

 session of Parliament on March 12. 



Parliament. Twenty-four by-elections took 

 place during the year, but without effecting 

 any material change in the balance of parties 



heretofore existing in the House of Commons. 

 Parliament met on February 23, and was pro- 

 rogued on May 22. 



Parliament was opened on February 24 by 

 Lord Lansdowne, who delivered the following 

 speech from the throne : 



Honorable Gentlemen of the Senate: 



Gentlemen of the House of Commons : 



It affords me much gratification to meet you once 

 more at the commencement of the parliament;!' 

 sion, and to congratulate you upon the general pros- 

 perity of the country. Although the Tabors of the 

 husbandman have not been rewarded in some por- 

 tions of the Dominion by an adequate return, the har- 

 vest of last year has on the whole been plenteous, 

 while in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories it 

 was one of remarkable abundance. 



The negotiations between her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment and that of the United States lor the adjustment 

 of what is known as "The Fishery Question" have, 

 I am pleased to inform you, resulted in a treaty which 

 will, I venture to hope, be considered by you'as hon- 

 orable and satisfactory to both nations. The treaty, 

 with the papers and correspondence relating thereto, 

 will he laid before you, and you will be invited to 

 adopt a measure to give effect to its provisions. 



The extension and development of our system of 

 railways have not only rendered necessary additional 

 safeguards for life and property, but nave given 

 greater frequencv to questions in which the interests 

 of rival companies are found to be in conflict, and to 

 require authoritative adjustment. As further legisla- 

 tion appears to be needed for these purposes, a meas- 

 ure will be submitted to you for the consolidation and 

 improvement of ' the Railway act." 



Experience having shown that amendments are re- 

 quired to make the provisions of the act respecting 

 Elections of the Members of the House of Commons 

 more effective and more convenient in their opera- 

 tion, you will be asked to consider a measure for the 

 amendment of that statute. The act respecting Con- 

 troverted Elections may likewise require attention 

 with a view to the removal of certain questions of in- 

 terpretation which have arisen and which should be 

 set at rest. Mv Government has availed itself of the 

 opportunity afforded bv the recess to consider the nu- 

 merous suggestions which have been made for im- 

 proving the details of the Act respecting the Election 

 Franchise, and a measure will be submitted to you 

 for the purpose of simplifying the law and greatly 

 lessening the cost of its operation. 



The growth of the Northwest Territories renders 

 expedient an improvement in the system of govern- 

 ment and legislation affecting these portions of tl:e 

 Dominion, and a bill for that purpose will be laid 

 before you. A bill will be submitted to vou to make 

 a larger portion of the modern laws of England ap- 

 plicable to the Pros'ince of Manitoba and to the Nortn- 

 west Territories in regard to matters which are within 

 the control of the Parliament of Canada, but which 

 have not as yet been made the subject of Canadian 

 legislation. 



Among other measures, bills will he presented to 

 you relating to the judiciarv, to the Civil-Service act, 

 and to the audit of the public accounts. 



Gentlemen, of the House of Commons: 



The accounts for the past year will belaid before vou 

 as well as the estimates for the ensuing year. Tncy 

 have been prepared with a due regard to economy and 

 the requirements of the public service. 



Honorable Gentlemen of the Senate : 

 Gentlemen of the House of Commons : 

 I commend these important subjects and all mat- 

 ters affecting the public interests which may be brought 

 before you to your best consideration, and I feel as- 

 sured that you will address yourselves to them with 

 earnestness and assiduity. 



