88 



BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



" I am gratified to find that the revenue of the 

 country is expanding to such dimensions as to indi- 

 cate the rapid development of our undoubted re- 

 sources in minerals and other natural products. 

 The vast discoveries of gold in the Yukon region 

 will give a great stimulus to commercial enterprise 

 throughout the province, and in view of the ur- 

 gent necessity of securing an all-Canadian route to 

 the Yukon a measure will be laid before you for 

 furthering that object as expeditiously as possible. 

 The widespread discoveries of mineral wealth in the 

 province indicates the importance of affording in- 

 creased transportation facilities for their develop- 

 ment, and 1 commend for your careful considera- 

 tion certain measures which will be introduced 

 tending to that desirable end. 



I have much pleasure in informing you that the 

 efforts you made on former occasions to assist the 

 Crow's "Nest Railway have, in conjunction with aid 

 frcm the Dominion Government, resulted in the 

 active construction of that railway, and there is 

 every prospect of its completion as far as Nelson 

 during the present year. By this means the exten- 



lation on Vancouver island, of which Victoria is 

 the capital, and of some jealousy on the mainland, 

 of which Vancouver is the great commercial and 

 business center. The old buildings, which were 

 now replaced, dated from 1859, and were certainly 

 not worthy of the province. 



With the opening of the Legislature the political 

 fight began. C. A. Semliu was Lader of the Oppo- 

 sition, and his chief assistant was F. Carter-Cotton. 

 Though Conservatives in Federal politics, they 

 were given during this session and in the ensuing 

 elections the full support of the local Liberal party, 

 led by Hewitt Bertock, M. P. The Hon. D. W. 

 Higgins was re-elected Speaker, however, and much 

 important .legislation passed. Of this the loan 

 bill and the redistribution-of-seats bill were the 

 chief items. The former measure, dealing with 

 railway development in the province, was the most 

 important of the kind since 1883. The amount to 

 be borrowed was $5,000,000. The bill involved the 

 construction of an all-Canadian railway route to 

 the Yukon from the coast to Teslin lake, an esti- 

 mated distance of 400 miles; from Vancouver and 



THE NEW GOVERNMENT BUILDING, VICTORIA. 



sive coal fields in the Crow's Nest pass will be made 

 available, and the importance to the raining indus- 

 try of a good and cheap fuel can not be exaggerated. 

 I am happy to inform you that negotiations are in 

 progress for insuring the early const ruction of the 

 Victoria, Vancouver am) Kastern Railway, which 

 will ojii'ii up the rich mining camps and* agricul- 

 tural lands. 



-It is satisfactory to learn that the abundant 

 harvest ( ,f last yeai has relieved the depression 

 which formerly existed in our agricultural indus- 

 try. In view of the adaptability of our province 

 for dairy farming, steps will be taken for promot- 

 ing its development Our fisheries have main- 

 tained their high reputation, and offer a wide range 

 for further expansion. The timber industry has 

 utown marked improvement during the past year. 



"The revision of the statutes lias been completed. 

 and legislation will be introduced to give effect to 

 the work of the commissioners." 



The formal opening of the new Parliament build- 

 ings, erected at a cost of $900,000. took place on 

 this occasion, and was the cause of much congratu- 



Kuglish Bluff, via the Fraser river valley and 

 Chilliwack to Penticton, 230 miles: from Pentic- 

 ton to Boundary, 100 miles; from Boundary creek 

 to Robson, 80 miles; and from Bute inlet to Qucs- 

 nelle, 230 miles, being a grand total of 1,040 miles, 

 all of which projected lines were on the mainland. 

 The railway subsidy act of 1898 provided for a 

 loan of $5,000,000, half of which had been author- 

 ized by the public works aid act of last year, out 

 of which the proposed railways from English Bluff 

 and Vancouver to Boundary creek via Penticton, 

 and from Bute inlet to Quesnclle. were to be subsi- 

 di/ed. The new act, which was in amendment of 

 that of last year, continued these subsidies and add- 

 ed to them $4,000 a mile for a railway from Bound- 

 ary creek to Robson, 80 miles, and a like amount 

 for a railway from the coast of British Columbia to 

 Teslin lake. '400 miles, which at a subsidy of $4.000 

 a mile called for $4,160,000. The remainder of the 

 contemplated loan will be subject to the control of 

 the House. The measure was vigorously opposed 

 on the ground of increasing public liabilities, but 

 eventually passed by a fair majority. 



