CANADA, PARLIAMENT OF. 



4 91 



of candidates in case they have been declared 

 elected on that day, and in other cases within 

 thirty days from the polling day. 



Budget. On May 12, Sir Charles Tapper, 

 Minister of Finance, moved that the House go 

 into Committee of Ways and Means. After 

 claiming in general terms that great advantages 

 had resulted to Canada by the adoption in 

 1878 of the national policy, he insisted that 

 a great and marked change in public opinion 

 on the question of protection had tstken place 

 in all countries. In the United States the 

 principle of protection was adhered to with 

 greater tenacity than ever. In England, while 

 the committee appointed by the Imperial Par- 

 liament on the depression of trade had ad- 

 hered to the general line of the free-trade 

 policy of the country, it was worthy of note 

 that statesmen of the first rank had committed 

 themselves in the minority report in favor of 

 fair trade. 



With regard to receipts and expenditure for 

 the year ending June 30, 1886, the late Finance 

 Minister had estimated the receipts on account 

 of the consolidated fund would amount to 

 $33,550,000. The public accounts showed 

 that the actual amount received was $33,177,- 

 040.39, showing that the late Finance Minis- 

 ter's estimates were almost literally verified. 

 As a matter of fact, his calculation of the cus- 

 toms yield was realized within $150,000, but 

 the main difference arose from the receipts 

 from excise, which did not come up to expecta- 

 tions. It must be realized, however, that all 

 through that year Canada suffered particularly 

 from other causes, in addition to the ordinary 

 depression of trade felt all over the world. 

 Canada has suffered more or less from that 

 depression ; but the fact that she has withstood 

 that period of depression and emerged from it 

 as she has done, is the best evidence of the 

 wisdom of the policy that the Government 

 had adopted and the people had indorsed. In 

 the early part of the year the effects of the 

 rebellion in the Northwest were severely felt, 

 and altogether an unanticipated calamity took 

 place that produced a very sensible effect upon 

 the trade and business of the country, and 

 paralyzed business in a very marked degree, as 

 such an event undoubtedly would, shutting 

 off, as it necessarily did, immigration and pre- 

 venting capital from corning into the country, 

 and preventing people coming to settle here to 

 a greater extent than would otherwise have 

 been the case. In addition to that, Montreal 

 suffered under an unusual and unexpected ca- 

 lamity from the very extensive outbreak of 

 small-pox, which placed that great commercial 

 center in comparative quarantine for many 

 months, producing, of course, most disastrous 

 effects on the trade of the Dominion. On the 

 other hand, the late Finance Minister estimated 

 the total expenditure at $38,120,287.61. This 

 was increased in the actual amount expended 

 to $39,011,612.26. The difference may be 

 said to be made up by the charges for sup- 



pression of the rebellion in the Northwest., 

 which were estimated at $2,300,000, whereas 

 the actual expenditure on this head was $3,- 

 177,220.50, and in addition there was an in- 

 creased charge on account of mounted police 

 of $1,029,369.20, as against an estimate of 

 $832,241.66. These expenditures were una- 

 voidable and had to be met, and unfortunately 

 for the Dominion, the deficit of last year was 

 the consequence. Coming now to the outcome 

 for the current year, the late Finance Minister, 

 in his statement made to Parliament at its last 

 session, estimated that the revenue from all 

 sources would amount to $34,500,000. 



It was, however, expected now that the 

 revenue would amount to $35,200,000. Turn- 

 ing to the expenditure side of the statement, 

 the whole sum expended to April 30 was 

 $25.985,548.30, from which it was proposed 

 to deduct and charge to capital $210,085.52 

 miscellaneous charges in connection with the 

 rebellion. It was probable, therefore, that the 

 expenditure would be about $35,600,000, leav- 

 ing an apparent deficit of $300,000. The reve- 

 nue for the year commencing July 1, 1887, was 

 estimated in round numbers at $36,400,000, 

 which would give a very fair surplus. In 

 connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway, 

 Parliament would only be asked to vote $180,- 

 000 to cover expenditure in British Columbia. 

 For canals there was an increase of $330,000. 

 While less was required for the older canals, 

 Parliament would be asked to vote a million 

 dollars for the construction of a canal at Sault 

 Ste. Marie. A vote of 20,000 would also be 

 asked as Canada's contribution to the Imperial 

 Institute as a memorial of her Majesty's Jubi- 

 lee. He proposed to present to the House 

 certain statistics in regard to the debt of the 

 Dominion, and the expenditure since confed- 

 eration for capital charges. On the first of 

 this month the gross debt of the Dominion 

 stood at $270,072,855.27, and the net debt, 

 $225,105,961.08, being a decrease of net .debt 

 in the month of April of $759,870.01. 



At confederation the net debt, by the public 

 accounts, was $75,728,641.37, which deducted 

 from the present net debt shows an increase 

 since 1867 of $149,377,319.71. Let us now ex- 

 amine how this large sum has been expended, 

 because everything depends upon what there 

 is to show for the debt. Suppose that it rep- 

 resented war as the great increase of the debt 

 of England represents ; suppose it represented 

 war as the great increase of the debt of the 

 great republic to the south of us represents 

 we would then have serious cause to be alarmed, 

 we would have serious cause for regret, at find- 

 ing so large an increase in the net debt of the 

 country. But if, instead of representing war, 

 instead of representing that which would de- 

 teriorate and injure the country, it represents 

 valuable public works, works that are not only 

 constructed for the purpose, but are calculated 

 rapidly to develop the country, to increase its 

 progress and prosperity, and to make an abun- 



