320 



DOMINION OF CANADA. 



claring that its effect would be to create a 

 second Province of Quebec in the west and in- 

 sure the ascendancy of the French Canadians. 

 The Premier, Mr. Norquay, was recently con- 

 fronted with an interpellation from the leader 

 of the French-speaking section of the inhabit- 

 ants, and another member of the Cabinet, as- 

 serting that Ms government had not the con- 

 fidence of the majority of the English-speaking 

 population. Mr. Norquay responded that it 

 was on account of the presence in it of these 

 two gentlemen, and requested them to resign. 

 After a considerable search he replaced them 

 with Messrs. Beggs and Taylor, and was sus- 

 tained in his action by the vote of the Legisla- 

 ture. The Government subsequently published 

 a programme proposing a reapportionment of the 

 electoral districts to secure a larger majority 

 in the Legislature to the English, the adoption 

 of English for the official language, and the ap- 

 pointment of English premiers. Some of these 

 changes are unconstitutional, but, as the tide 

 of immigration into Manitoba is now from 

 English-speaking countries, the Constitution is 

 susceptible of alteration in the sense demanded. 



In different provinces a sentiment is growing 

 in favor of the abolition of the Legislative 

 Councils. This reform has already been ac- 

 complished with good results in Ontario, the 

 most progressive of the provinces, and is de- 

 manded in the others, principally on the score 

 of economy. The power which this branch of 

 the Legislature, which is a relic of the old era 

 of Crown domination, holds to thwart the pur- 

 poses of responsible government, is exemplified 

 by the action of the Legislative Council of 

 Quebec, which refused to vote the supply bill 

 until the Lieutenant-Governor should change 

 his constitutional advisers, thus forcing the re- 

 tirement of the Joly Cabinet, and involving 

 the province in the expenses of a new election. 

 In Nova Scotia the Government presented an 

 act for the abolition of the Legislative Council, 

 and in the Quebec Parliament Mr. Joly intro- 

 duced the same measure. 



A legislative union of the maritime prov- 

 inces has been proposed, and the scheme of 

 legislative union of all the provinces has gained 

 many supporters since the Letellier affair. 

 The simplification of government is demanded, 

 among other reasons, in the interest of re- 

 trenchment, a ground which always has great 

 weight in Canada. A reduction in the num- 

 ber of Cabinet officers is agitated on the same 

 ground. The office of Receiver-General has 

 been abolished. Civil-service reform is one of 

 the questions of the day, the permanent civil 

 service, constituted as it is at present, being 

 unpopular. Some advocate the American sys- 

 tem of rotation, or the redistribution of all the 

 offices upon a change of administration, while 

 others deem the introduction of the English 

 system of competitive examination sufficient to 

 remove the objections. 



The Ontario elections on the 4th of June 

 resulted in the victory of the Ministry by a 



large majority, notwithstanding the hopes of 

 the Conservative party to supplant the Mowat 

 Government in consequence of their triumph 

 in the Dominion. 



In the election of Dr. Medley, the new Met- 

 ropolitan, the principle was established that 

 the order of seniority should henceforth pre- 

 vail in the Canadian Church in the appoint- 

 ment of the Metropolitan. The new Primate 

 was born in England in 1804, and came to 

 Canada in 1845 to be consecrated as Bishop of 

 Fredericton, over which see he has since pre- 

 sided. 



The alleged discovery of pleuro-pneumonia 

 among cattle arrived at Liverpool on the Do- 

 minion steamer Ontario, from Portland, Janu- 

 ary 27th, led to an order in Council prohibiting 

 the entrance of American cattle into Canada 

 for three months commencing February 1st. 

 The trade in live animals has been cultivated 

 to a greater extent in Canada than in the 

 United States ; the exports in 1878 from the 

 Dominion were 82,115 head, against 6,412 in 

 the preceding year. 



One of the most prominent questions in 

 Canadian affairs of late years is that of the 

 extension of railway communications, and es- 

 pecially the construction of the Pacific Rail- 

 way. The plan of the former Conservative 

 Government, before it went out of power in 

 1873, was to grant to a company a subsidy of 

 60,000,000 acres of land and $30,000,000 in 

 money for the building of the road. Under 

 the Mackenzie Government it was undertaken 

 as a public work. The present Government 

 determined to return as far as possible to their 

 original plan. The terminus chosen by the 

 late Administration, Burrard Inlet, does not 

 seem to meet the approval of the present Gov- 

 ernment, who speak of going back to their 

 first choice, Bute Inlet, although it would make 

 the road 57 miles longer and carry it over very 

 difficult grades. The progress reported by the 

 Department of Public Works in the construc- 

 tion of the Pacific Railway is as follows: the 

 Pembroke branch, 84J- miles in length ; from 

 Fort William to English River, 102 miles laid 

 with rails, and 60 miles ballasted ; from Kee- 

 watin to Cross Lake, 36 miles under construc- 

 tion ; from Cross Lake to Selkirk, 76 miles 

 graded and bridged, and 75 miles laid with 

 rails. On the extension of the Canada Central, 

 37 miles were located and 25 being constructed. 

 The line from Pembroke to Lake Nipissing 

 was being built under a subsidy not to exceed 

 $1,404,000, and the line from Nipissing to Can- 

 tin's Bay on the French River was contracted 

 for. Under the new Government, the section 

 of Lake Superior and the Province of Mani- 

 toba, about 185 miles in length, has been 

 placed under contract, and the line has been 

 extended west of the Red River to a point 

 south of Lake Manitoba. Tenders have also 

 been accepted for the construction of 150 miles 

 from Emory's Bar to Kamloops. In July 50,- 

 000 tons of steel rails were purchased by Sir 



