Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal 327 



that in all things he sought to promote the interests of 

 the Hudson Bay Company as his first concern. But in 

 time the genuineness of his patriotism became assured, 

 and nowhere, in after years, was he more honoured and 

 appreciated than in the City of "Winnipeg and the great 

 west generally. 



His influence in the House of Commons also rose by 

 degrees, and was not lessened when, in 1873, he, although 

 by temperament a Conservative, refused to condone the 

 proved offence of Sir John A. Macdonald, of trafficing in 

 the electoral franchise, and voted against him, showing 

 independence and pluck. He was too fairminded a man 

 to be an out and out partizan, and this fact made it 

 possible for him to continue in the office of High Com- 

 missioner for Canada in London, by successive Govern- 

 ments, although he received his appointment from the 

 Conservatives. He represented Montreal West for two 

 consecutive Parliaments ; and only resigned his seat when 

 appointed to the High Commissionership in 1896. How 

 he bore himself in that responsible position is matter of 

 recent universal laudation. His devotion to the in- 

 terests of Canada which he was in London to promote 

 language fails adequately to describe. But while faith- 

 ful to his great trust, both his heart and his mind ex- 

 panded in the position which he occupied, and his vision 

 widened so that no portion of the great British Empire 

 was a matter of indifference to him. He became an 

 imperialist of the imperialists. His sovereign took note 

 of the widening scope of his interests and influence and 

 called him to her House of Lords on June 22nd, 1897. 

 Here again truth is greater than fiction : the simple 

 Scottish laddie was to be a peer of the realm ; and Mont- 

 real was not overlooked when this highest possible honour 

 came to him. He would have his fellow-citizens share in 

 it and so he chose his title Baron Strathcona and Mount 

 Eoyal. The motto, too, of his coat of arms was fitting: 

 Perseverance. No subject ever rendered more con- 

 spicuous service to his sovereign than he did when he 



