196 THE STORY OF THE U.F.O. 



executive powers of Parliament? The responsibility of government, 

 therefore, is ultimately upon this House. Nothing appears to have 

 been done to make the position of members of Parliament, with 

 regard to the carrying out of the war policy, correspond to the 

 status which they enjoyed before the practice crept in of making 

 them subservient to those whom they created, and whom they may 

 destroy. 



"In this prolonged crisis of the national fate, the hour has arrived 

 to re-establish the inherent freedom of the House of Commons. 

 We are certain that in that restoration the people of Canada will 

 sustain you, and that the sacrifices of war* will be justified and 

 honoured in the blessings and progress of peace." 



A LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY 

 (Hansard, p. 2550.) 



WINDSOR HOTEL, OTTAWA, 



May 25th, 1918. 



His Excellency the Duke of Devonshire, 

 Governor-General of Canada. 



"Your Excellency: 



''The undersigned, in exercising the immemorial privilege of 

 British subjects, are confident that Your Excellency will honour 

 the ancient practice of the highest authority of the realm, of hearing 

 sympathetically the representations of citizens upon matters affect- 

 ing the good government of Canada. 



"We are encouraged to transmit to you certain information, 

 by the knowledge that those who have preceded you as a repre- 

 sentative of the Crown in the working of responsible Government 

 in Canada, have been swift to regard any endeavours to depart 

 from the constitutional usages by which the freedom of Parliament, 

 and, of the individual citizen,- has been established. 



"Since Your Excellency's arrival among us, we have had every 

 reason to be assured that Your Excellency is imbued with the 

 conciliatory, far-seeing and statesmanlike spirit which animated 

 Lord Elgin, to whom Canada and the Empire will ever be indebted 

 for a wise and courageous guidance within the powers confided to 

 him. 



"We believe, therefore, that you will welcome this expression of 

 our trust during the period of unprecedented difficulty through 

 which the Dominion of Canada is passing. 



"It is in harmony with Lord Elgin's reply to an address from the 

 County of Glengarry, dealing with the unrest at that time, regarding 

 the administration of public affairs, that we submit for Your Excel- 

 lency's consideration the attached correspondence with the Speaker 



