CANADA, DOMINION OF. 



San Francisco and Alameda Count ies cast the largest 

 vote against tlie aineiulinent. Los Angeles and 

 several other counties gave majorities in favor of 

 tlie amendment. 



The returns of the election gave the result: Mc- 

 Kinlev Hti.USS; Bryan, 144,766; Levering, 2,678; 

 Palmer 200(5: Matchett, 1,611. The Populist vote 

 for Bryan was 21,734. Bent ley. the " national" 

 Prohibition candidate, received 1.047 votes. One 

 of the Bryan electors received 144.706 votes, and as 

 one of the McKinley electors received only 144,618 

 votes, McKinley secured 8 electors and Bryan 1. 

 Only 2 scattering votes are recorded. The election 

 for members of the Fifty-fifth Congress resulted in 

 the return of 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats, and 2 

 Populists. The Republicans will have a majority 

 of about 28 on joint ballot in the Legislature. 



CANADA, DOMINION OF. Government and 

 Legislation. The year opened with various inter- 

 nal troubles and personal differences in the Con- 

 servative Cabinet of Sir Mackenzie Bowell. As a 

 result seven of the ministers resigned, and after a 

 prolonged crisis, during which Sir Charles Tupper, 

 the High Commissioner in London, came out, the 

 Government was reorganized under Sir M. Bowell, 

 with Sir C. Tupper as a member. In May came an- 

 other crisis, and out of it arose a new ministry com- 

 posed as follows: Premier and Secretary of State, 

 Sir Charles Tupper ; Minister of Finance, Hon. G. 

 E. Foster ; Minister of Railways and Canals, Hon. 

 J. G. Haggart; Minister of Justice, Hon A. R. 

 Dickey; Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Hon. 

 John Costigan ; Minister of Agriculture, Hon. W. 

 H. Montague ; Minister of Public Works, Hon. A. 

 Desjardins ; Minister of Trade and Commerce, 

 Hon. W. B. Ives ; Minister of the Interior, Hon. 

 II. J. Macdonald ; Minister of Militia and Defense, 

 Hon. D. Tisdale ; President of Council, Hon. A. 

 11. Angers; Postmaster-General, Hon. L. 0. Taillon ; 

 Comptroller of Customs, Hon. J. F. Wood ; Comp- 

 troller of Inland Revenue, Hon. E. G. Prior. Mem- 

 bers without portfolio were Sir Frank Smith, Sena- 

 tor Ross, and Sir Hibbert Tupper. Sir Donald 

 Smith became High Commissioner in England. 

 The policy of the Bowell and Tupper governments 

 was practically identical, and maybe gathered from 

 the " speech from the throne " read by the Gov- 

 ernor General at the opening of Parliament on 

 Jan. 2, 1896, the significant passages of which were: 



' Immediately after the prorogation of Parlia- 

 ment my Government communicated, through the 

 Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, with the Govern- 

 ment of that province, in order to ascertain upon 

 what lines the local authorities of Manitoba would 

 be prepared to promote amendments to the acts re- 

 specting education in schools in that province, and 

 whether any arrangement was possible with the 

 Manitoba Government which would render action 

 by the Federal Parliament in this connection un- 

 necessary. 1 regret to say that the advisers of the 

 Lieutenant Governor have declined to entertain 

 favorably these suggestions, thereby rendering it 

 necessary for my Government to introduce legisla- 

 tion in regard to this subject. 



" The representations of my Government and the 

 suggestions of the Ottawa conference respecting 

 iinship communication have resulted in an an- 

 nouiic.'Mient by the imperial authoritio of their 

 willingness to grant a substantial subvention to- 

 ward t he At hint ic portion of t ho scheme. This will, 

 I trust, insure the successful establishment of a line 

 of steamers between the United Kingdom and Can- 

 ada, which, in point. <-,f speed and equipment, shall 

 fully meet nil requirements. 



" My GoM-niment haveal-o learned with satisfac- 

 tion that it is the intention of the Secretary of Stale 

 for the Colonies to appoint a committee to consider 



a proposed Pacific cable to connect Canada with 

 Australasia. . . . 



" Your attention will be asked to measures in- 

 tended to provide for the better arming of our mili- 

 tia and the strengthening of Canadian defenses." 



Besides many acts relating to railways, the fol- 

 lowing were passed : 



To incorporate the Imperial Life Assurance Com- 

 pany of Canada. 



To incorporate the Canadian Peat Fuel Com- 

 pany. 



Further to amend the act respecting the adul- 

 teration of food, drugs, and agricultural fertilizers. 



To revive and amend the act to incorporate the 

 Alberta Irrigation Company. 



Respecting the Bering Sea Claims Convention. 



To amend the animal contagious disease act. 



Further to amend the customs tariff of 1894. 



To incorporate the Yukon and British Columbia 

 Trading and Development Company of Canada 

 (Limited). 



To incorporate the Manitoba and Northwest 

 Millers' Association. 



From Parliament Sir Charles Tupper appealed 

 to the country. He was defeated at the polls by a 

 majority of about 30, and Wilfred Laurier, leader 

 of the Liberal Opposition, was called by the Gov- 

 ernor General to form an administration. This 

 event was preceded, however, by a constitutional 

 difference of some importance between Lord Aber- 

 deen and his Premier. Sir Charles Tupper, instead 

 of immediately resigning office, when it was seen 

 that the new House of Commons would have a 

 Liberal majority as is the custom in England 

 postponed his retirement and passed several orders 

 in Council filling up various vacant offices, and 

 making more than a hundred appointments. A 

 portion of these the Governor General refused to 

 sanction, on the ground that his Premier had the 

 confidence of neither Parliament nor the country, 

 and should do nothing until his successor took office 

 except the simplest routine business of government. 

 Sir Charles at once resigned, find claimed that the 

 Governor General had practically dismissed him, 

 and thus exceeded his powers. The precedent 

 stands, however, and strengthens the prerogative of 

 the Queen's representative. The first Liberal min- 

 istry since 1878 was then formed, as follows: Pre- 

 mier and President of the Privy Council, Hon. Wil- 

 fred Laurier ; Minister of Finance, Hon. W. S. 

 Fielding ; Minister of Railways and Canals, Hon. 

 A. G. Blair ; Minister of Justice, Sir Oliver Mowat ; 

 Minister of Marine, Hon. L. H. Davies ; Minister of 

 Agriculture, Hon. S. Fisher; Minister of Public 

 Works, Hon. J. Israel Tarte : Minister of Trade and 

 Commerce, Sir Richard Cartwright ; Minister of 

 Interior, Hon. Charles Sifton ; Minister of Militia 

 and Defense. Hon. W. S. Borden ; Postmaster-Gen- 

 eral. Hon. William Mulock ; Comptroller of Customs, 

 Sir Henri Joly ; Minister of Inland Revenue, Hon. 

 William Paterson. Mr. Blair, Mr. Fielding, and 

 Sir Oliver Mowat had been for years Prime Minis- 

 ters of the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Sco- 

 tia, and Ontario, respectively. Sir H. Joly has been 

 Premier of Quebec, Sir R. Cartwright was Finance 

 Minister in the last Liberal Government, Mr. Da- 

 vies was once Premier of Prince Edward Island, 

 and Mr. Tarte, though at one time a Conservative, 

 had been largely instrumental in carrying Quebec 

 at the elections. The new Parliament met on Aug. 

 20, and the session was opened by the Governor 

 General with a brief speech. Mr. J. D. Edgar was 

 elected Speaker, and the House adjourned early in 

 September without doing much more than vote 

 supplies and test the strength of parties. The Ma- 

 nitoba school question has been settled by com- 

 promise between the two governments. 



