NOVA SCOTIA. 



657 



That we are in favor of protection : firstly, because 

 we regard it as the least burdensome and most con- 

 venient means of raising the funds wherewith to de- 

 fray the expenses of the Government ; and, secondly, 

 because we would willingly extend protection, pure 

 and simple, to every species of home manufacture, 

 thereby encouraging home industry, stimulating the 

 circulation of capital, increasing the capacity for the 

 employment of skilled labor, and, as a consequence, 

 creating so much greater demand in our own markets 

 for the products of the field. We also favor the re- 

 peal of the internal-revenue system. 



That we oppose the present system of keeping up 

 the public roads, and demand that the road laws snail 

 be amended so as to bear equally upon property and 

 labor. 



That we oppose the present system of county gov-. 

 ernmentj as unrepublican, unfair, and subversive of the 

 rights of the people, and therefore demand its repeal. 



That the action of the Democratic party through 

 the Legislature in passing laws and enforcing the no- 

 fence system upon the people without consulting the 

 people at the ballot-box upon the overthrow of a cus- 

 tom which has existed from the first settlement of 

 this country, is undemocratic, anti-republican, and no 

 such radical change should be made in the customs of 

 the people without first obtaining their assent at the 

 ballot-box. 



That we demand a free ballot and a fair count. 



That we cordially invite all citizens, without regard 

 to former political affiliations, who favor the princi- 

 ples herein set forth, to join with us in our efforts to 

 enforce the same hi the administration of State and 

 national affairs. 



Changes were made in the Republican ticket, 

 so that it finally stood, Ralph P. Buxton for 

 Chief-Justice and J. W. Albertson and V. S. 

 Lusk for Associate Justices of the Supreme 

 Court. On November 2 the Democratic tick- 

 et was elected. The vote for Merrimon (Demo- 

 crat), 117,311, and Albertson (Republican), 94,- 

 551, may be taken as the average vote. Repub- 

 licans were elected to Congress in the Fourth 

 and Fifth Districts, and Democrats in the other 

 seven. In the Legislature of 1887 the Demo- 

 crats have a majority in the Senate, and the 

 Republicans and Independents together have a 

 majority in the House. 



NOVA SCOTIA. In 1884 the Provincial Gov- 

 ernment invited proposals from railway com- 

 panies and capitalists for the acquisition and 

 consolidation of the railways between Halifax 

 and Yarmouth. This year an arrangement was 

 made by the Government, and sanctioned by 

 the Legislature, with a syndicate of Canadian 

 and English capitalists, to acquire the Windsor 

 and Annapolis, the Western Counties, and the 

 Windsor Branch (of the Intercolonial) Rail- 

 ways; and to build a line between Annapolis 

 and Digby, in order to complete a through line 

 from Yarmouth to Halifax. The syndicate was 

 also authorized to acquire the Vietaux and At- 

 lantic Railway, and to build lines between Yar- 

 mouth and Shelburne, and between Windsor 

 and Truro. The construction of the missing 

 link between Annapolis and Digby, and the con- 

 solidation of all the interests in the then un- 

 broken line of railway from Yarmouth to Hali- 

 fax, is considered to be of vast importance to 

 the interests of the province. The Govern- 

 ment's railway policy contemplates a liberal 

 subsidizing of new railways in the province. 

 VOL. xxvi. 12 A 



Financial. The revenue for the year ending 

 Dec. 31, 1885, was $613,026.27, and the ex- 

 penditures $620,700.57. 



Minerals. The mineral production of Nova 

 Scotia in 1884 and 1885 was estimated to be as 

 follows : 



Legislation. Apart from the important action 

 of the Legislature upon the secession question, 

 the session of 1886 was laborious. One hun- 

 dred and sixty-seven bills were passed, includ- 

 ing an important measure relating to railway 

 extension. A resolution of sympathy with 

 Mr. Gladstone in his efforts to secure home 

 rule for Ireland was carried. As the Assembly 

 had on several occasions affirmed the desira- 

 bility of abolishing the Legislative Council, and 

 members of the present Government had af- 

 firmed that the best way of obtaining that ob- 

 ject was by not filling vacancies as they occur, 

 a motion was made that, pending the general 

 elections, it is advisable that no appointments 

 be made to the Council. But the Government 

 opposed the resolution, and it was negatived. 



Secession Movement On Dec. 18, 1885, the 

 Dominion Government communicated to the 

 Government of Nova Scotia its conclusions 

 with reference to the " better terms " memorial 

 made by joint resolution of the two houses of 

 the Provincial Legislature in 1884. Meanwhile, 

 as reported in the " Annual Cyclopaedia " for 

 1885, the Legislature had taken further action 

 upon this memorial, threatening the with- 

 drawal of the province from confederation if a 

 satisfactory reply from the Dominion Govern- 

 ment was not forthcoming. 



The reply first makes reference to the com- 

 plaint in the memorial that the advice of the 

 Imperial Government and a promise of Sir 

 John Macdonald's, in 1868, to modify the finan- 

 cial arrangement made with Nova Scotia at 

 confederation had both been disregarded by 

 the Dominion Government. Touching this, it 

 is pointed out that the promise was kept by 

 the passing of the act 32, 33 Vic., cap. 2, 

 which provides that the sum of $8,000,000 

 fixed by the British North America act as the 

 sum on the difference between which and the 

 actual amount of the public debt of Nova 

 Sotia at the time of the union, the province 

 was to be paid 5 per cent, interest per an- 

 num, should be increased to $9,186,756. The 

 $1,186,756 added was the amount required to 

 bring up the debt from $25 per capita to $27.50 



