NORTHWEST TERRITORIES OF CANADA. 



517 



26,971 ; against (Independent Democrat) Bjornson, 

 16,731 ; Hevener, 17,027; Fleming. 17,061. 



The Legislature stands as follows : Senate, 22 

 Republicans to 9 Democrats and Populists ; Assem- 

 bly, 55 Republicans to 16 Democrats and Populists. 



NORTHWEST TERRITORIES OF CANADA. 

 These immense Territories passed in 1898 through 

 the last stages of development into full self-govern- 

 ment. From 1870 to 1875 they were governed as a 

 part of Manitoba ; from 1875 to 1880 by a lieuten- 

 ant governor appointed by the Dominion Govern- 

 ment and a council similarly appointed ; from 1880 

 to 1888 by a council partly elected and partly nomi- 

 nated ; from 1888 to 1897 by a lieutenant governor, 

 executive council, and assembly, with all provin- 

 cial rights except that of borrowing money. By an 

 act coming into force on Oct. 1, 1897, full responsi- 

 ble government was finally granted. Mr. F. W. G. 

 Ham tain had acted as chief adviser, or Premier, to 

 the Lieutenant Governor through the various stages 

 between 1888 and 1897, and he naturally became 

 Premier under the final changes in the latter year, 

 with the following ministry : Messrs. J. H. Ross, 

 H. Mitchell, C. A. Magrath, G. H. V. Bulyea. In 

 addressing a public meeting at Moose Jaw, on Oct. 

 14. 1897, Mr. Haultain made the following historical 

 reference to this development : 



In asking the meeting to consider the history of 

 the last six years, he asked them to consider that 

 the members of the Assembly, of the executive 

 committees of the Assembly and that meant to a 

 certain extent, at least so far as the business and 

 condition of that fight were concerned, members of 

 the present Government were directly concerned 

 with the struggle for the control of the affairs of 

 the Territories by the people's representatives. 

 Every year something had been done, some new 

 power had been gained. Their jurisdiction had 

 been extended, small increases of money had been 

 secured until taking the federal acts of 1891, 

 1894, 1895, 1896, and 'finally the crowning act of 

 1897 there was established a fully responsible form 

 of government. Taking all those acts, there was a 

 history of persistent effort finally rewarded, so that 

 to-day they stood in the position not of a province 

 with all its elaborate machinery, with all its terms 

 of settlement with the Dominion of entrance into 

 confederation, but in a position of having almost as 

 large a measure of self-government and of autonomy 

 as any of the provinces possessed. He thought 

 that was a record of struggle and effort in the right 

 direction which entitled them to a certain amount 

 of credit and praise. There was one feature of this 

 constitutional development he had been speaking 

 about which was worthy consideration. That was, 

 that it had been gradual ; it had been progressive ; 

 it had been in keeping with the development of the 

 Territories themselves. There had been no grasp- 

 ing after theoretical power, no simply claiming as 

 rights things they did not want ; there had been 

 no saying, ' We want our jurisdiction extended in 

 this direction and in that direction,' because some 

 other places had it. It had been a steady, a dis- 

 tinct, a gradual,'but certain development along the 

 line of more definite control of their own affairs. 

 There had been no radical change in any one 

 year. 



He protested against the introduction of federal 

 politics into the new parliamentary system and 

 elections which were to soon take place, and de- 

 clared the Government's policy to be one of material 

 development in the interest of the people and avoid- 

 ance of all burning questions such as those involved 

 in the racial, religious, and educational problems of 

 the older provinces. Irrigation was to be encour- 

 aged, land taxation readjusted, agricultural societies 

 romoted. 



The last session of the old Assembly was opened 

 on Aug. 16, 1898, by Lieut.-Gov. M. C. Cameron, 

 with a speech, in which he said : 



" I have to congratulate you upon the many evi- 

 dences of prosperity which I have noted in such 

 parts of the Territories as I have been able to visit 

 recently, and also upon the marked advances to be 

 seen in all communities since I first had the pleasure 

 of visiting the West. From all parts of the country 

 come uniform reports of substantial prosperity and 

 splendid prospects for the farmer and the stock 

 grower. These evidences of real prosperity, to- 

 gether with a largely increased immigration, point 

 to the fact that the Territories have entered upon 

 a period of unusually rapid growth and develop- 

 ment. 



" Since you last met the Parliament of Canada 

 has cut off from the Territories the Yukon judicial 

 district, for purposes of a separate administration. 

 Before this was done my Government had taken 

 steps to put into operation in that district such of 

 the laws of the country as came directly within the 

 scope of their responsibility. A member of the 

 Executive Council, empowered with the necessary 

 authority has spent several months in the Yukon 

 district. One of the most important duties devolv- 

 ing upon my Government in connection with its ad- 

 ministration of affairs in the Yukon district arose 

 from the imperative and immediate necessity for 

 regulating and restricting the importation and sale 

 of intoxicating liquor. This work has been done 

 with great care and consideration, and a statement 

 of the action taken in this matter will shortly be 

 laid before you. 



" The revenue of the Territories has been in- 

 creased beyond the estimate by a comparatively 

 large sum, and you will be asked to appropriate 

 several amounts required in the interests of the 

 public service and the country. 



" The commission appointed to consolidate the 

 ordinances has intimated, through the chairman, 

 a desire to have further legislation enacted in order 

 to make its work as complete as possible, and in 

 deference to that desire no action has been taken 

 under the authority given at your last session to 

 promulgate the consolidation of the ordinances. 

 An opportunity will therefore be afforded you to 

 include in the consolidation the whole of the work 

 of this Assembly. 



" The organization of the several departments of 

 the public service authorized at your last session 

 has engaged the attention of my Government dur- 

 ing the recess. This work is now about completed 

 in a satisfactory manner, notwithstanding a number 

 of unforeseen hindrances. So far as is known, the 

 whole of the Territories where the population war- 

 rants has been organized into statute labor districts 

 during the year. Three hundred and forty-four 

 new districts have been constituted, making the 

 total number 401, with 4 districts in process of or- 

 ganization. Returns of the work done during the 

 past season are now coming in, which show grati- 

 fying results. Before you close your labors a state- 

 ment will be laid before you giving further details 

 of the present position of statute labor districts. 



"An important feature of the year's work has 

 been the recording and reallotmentfof stock brands, 

 which has been successfully carried on by the De- 

 partment of Agriculture. 1 am pleased to announce 

 to you that my Government has been able to make 

 arrangements which, if ratified, will have the effect 

 of enabling our stock raisers and agriculturists gen- 

 erally to take advantage of all that is being done in 

 the eastern part of Canada to produce higher grades 

 and better breeds of stock, and also to bring to 

 their doors demonstrations of what is being discov- 

 ered in advanced methods of culture in the growth 



