226 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



had entered Parliament in early life, and was soon 

 recognised as the leader of the French Canadian 

 national party, a position which enabled him at 

 all times to command about 60 votes in the House 

 of Commons. With such a following, it is easy 

 to understand how he was able for many years to 

 maintain himself in a prominent position in public 

 life. Many who ought to know assert that at heart 

 he had no real love for the Roman Catholic priest- 

 hood : such may perhaps have been his private 

 feelings, but in public he had to bow before it. It 

 is a lever of mighty power in the province of Quebec, 

 and by doing political jobs for it, he secured its 

 influence. Had he estranged that party from him, 

 another who longed for the opportunity would soon 

 have occupied the position he held as leader of the 

 French Conservatives. Sir John Macdonald's illness 

 was a fortunate circumstance for the rebel clique in 

 Fort Garry, as it enabled their sympathising friends 

 in Canada, through their influence with Sir G. Cartier, 

 to obtain for them all that they could have reasonably 

 wished for. 



The reservation of land provided for in the Bill was 

 calculated to injure the true interests of Manitoba 

 by retarding emigration. There are several other 

 clauses in the Bill referring to the creation of a 

 legislature and to the rights of franchise, which 

 tend to give a monopoly of political power to the 

 French-speaking people for some years to come. 



