DOMINION OP CANADA. 



203 



istor of Militia and Defense, Hon. J. C. Patter- 

 son: Minister <>f tin' Interim-, lion. T. M. Duly; 

 Minister of Agriculture, Hon. A. H. Angers; 

 President .f the Privy Council, lion. W. B. Ives. 



EARL Or ABERDEEN, GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA. 



The Governor-General. Lord Stanley, of Pres- 

 ton, opened Parliament with an address, the 

 main features of which are subjoined : 



It affords me pleasure to congratulate you on the 

 continued progress which the history of the past year 

 unfolds with regard to Canada. The increase in 

 trade, as Illustrated by the exports and imports dur- 

 ing the period for which the official returns have 

 been prepared, has been most ^gratifying, and that 

 increase lias continued down to the present time, 

 with the promise that the volume of t r:ulr during the 

 current year will exceed that of any year in the his- 

 tory of the Dominion. The revenues of the couaitry 

 have likewise provided for all the services for which 

 Parliament has made appropriation, and the opera- 

 tion of the Government railways has been less bur- 

 densome, as regards the difference between income 

 and expenditure, than has been the case for a long 

 term of years previously. 



In Manitoba and the Northwest Territories the in- 

 crease iu immigration has been decidedly encourag- 

 ing, both as regards the number of persons who have 

 come from other countries, and as regards the num- 

 ber of homestead entries made by settlers of all nation- 

 alities. 



Measures have been taken to carry into effect the 

 agreements arrived at with the United States on the 

 subjects of the boundary of Alaska, the boundary line 

 in Passamaquoddy Bay, and the prevention of de- 

 structive methods of 'fishing, and the preservation 

 and increase of fish life. With regard to reciprocity 

 in wrecking and towing, a correspondence has taken 

 place which indicates that privileges are demanded 

 lor United States vessels in Canadian canals which 

 were not anticipated ; but it is not impossible that a 

 satisfactory conclusion of the discussion may yet be 

 reached. 



The statutes of 1887 relative to a department of 

 trade and commerce, and to the office of solicitor- 

 general, have been brought into force, and the ap- 

 pointments were made which were contemplated by 

 these acts. 



It is to be regretted that the Government of the 

 United States was unable to accept the suggestions 

 made by my Government on the subject of canal 

 tolls, and that the President should have thought it 

 necessary to impose exceptional tolls on Canadians 

 us in-,' the Sault Sainte Mario Canal, which has so 

 long been free to the people of both countries. My 

 Government, while ready to consider in a friendly 



npirit any proposals which may be made bv the <io\ 



eminent of the I'llite.l State.-, have MOMC! ett'ort* in 

 be made to hasten the completion of the ('ana-Han 

 Canal works, which will noon uti'ord to the i-oimnerei: 

 of tin' I>omini'>n a highway within our own country. 

 Mca.-urcs will be laid before you for the Improve- 

 ment of tin; franchise act, for the amendment of the 

 laws relating to the civil service, and the superannua- 

 tion of civil servants, for regulating the admission of 

 evidence in causes and matters under the control of 

 the Parliament of Canada, for extending the system 

 of voting by ballot to the Northwest Territories, an>l 

 for simplifying the laws relating to lands and land 

 transfers in the territories. 



Mr. Laurier, the Opposition leader, moved, in 

 amendment to the address of the House, in reply 

 to His Excellency's speech, that the following 

 paragraph be attached to it: 



That hi the present condition of the people of 

 Canada substantial reductions should be made in the 

 taxation which presses so heavily on the great bulk 

 of the community ; and we regret that in the speech 

 from the throne your Excellency was not advised to 

 hold out promises of reductions in the oppressive 

 duties now imposed. 



The question being put on the amendment, it 

 was negatived by a vote of 103 to 53 ; and being 

 then put on the main motion, it was agreed to. 



The session was one of the briefest and yet 

 the busiest in the Dominion. The large Gov- 

 ernment majority rendered successful oppositio'n 

 impossible, which resulted in adoption of the 

 measures introduced by the administration with- 

 out prolonged discussion. 



The treaty of commerce that had been nego- 

 tiated with Prance in behalf of Canada was laid 

 before the House, together with the correspond- 

 ence that passed during the negotiations; but 

 owing to the late period of the session at which 

 the treaty was received, and the pendency of its 

 bearing in respect of most-favored-nation treat- 

 ment and the interpretation of certain of its 

 clauses, the Government thought it advisable to 

 postpone its ratification by Parliament. 



Early in the session Mr. Edgar (Liberal) 

 moved : 



That in the opinion of this House the evidence 

 taken by the royal commission appointed last ses- 

 sion to inquire into certain charges made against the 

 Hon. Sir A. P. Caron, which was reported to the 

 Government Nov. 24, 1892, and is now laid before us, 

 establishes facts which should have prevented the 

 subsequent appointment of Sir A. P. Caron to be an 

 adviser of the Crown, and nlso renders it highly im- 

 proper that he should continue to hold such office. 



The motion was negatived by a vote of 119 to 

 69. 



During the session seven decrees of divorce 

 were granted. There is no divorce law in the 

 Dominion at least, divorces can not be granted 

 by the courts and the only resource when a dis- 

 solution of marriage is desired is by petitioning 

 Parliament, which may grant divorce by a spe- 

 cial act. The process is not only tedious but 

 expensive. 



The most important acts of the session are 

 subjoined : 



To give effect to an agreement between the Grand 

 Trunk Railway Company, the Canadian Pacific Kail- 

 way Company, and the corporation of the city of 

 Toronto. 



Respecting the Lake Erie and Detroit River Kail- 

 way Company. 



