New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-02
CANADA.
PASSAGE OF THE MAINE LAW.

QUEBEC Saturday, Oct %. 1914.
The Legislative Assembly has adopted the
,,;.e;ple of the Mime Liquor Law BY majority
q 95 against 5. During the last s"o OF tafeo
,e,siens petitions for the adoption oil prom"tory
xosor ls~ have poured In 10 such numbers That
u,rost;on to their prayer became too perilous
shi.r Tor the popularity Of members to be ven
sr,,S upop any considerable extent Last year,
N. b;ll wa, only defeated by the utmostexertions
AZ portion Of the Ministry, while 1t was
mt only supported but introduced BY another
...,nher of the Government, who was pledged to
~ constituents to take that course. Before the
onest;on came on, on that occasion, leading MEN,
Rey of the Administration who was opposed to the
uAasure. began to count heads; and when ne
added up the figures be was appalled, by find
ing prospective majority OF four in
hyor Of the measure. he resolved TO
change the position Of the figures, and to make
the majority on the other side He therefore rep
stnted TO bis supporters in the House that one Of
his colleagues in the Cabinet being under apledge
10 introduce Prohbitory Liquor law, was per-
uitted by the rest of his colleagues, who were 0p-
posed 10 il, to do so; but that if carried, he
Inc influential member Of the Administration before
referred to-would resign Office. The announce
mcnt of this resolution had the intended effect;
the supporters Of the Government rallied to avert
the dreaded catastrophe of resignation, and
when the vote was taken on the second reading OF
the bill the majority of four in its favor was trans
formed into minority OF one. BY one vote only
was the measure lost. The shower OF petl-
Cons In favor Of the measure was not for
moment ntermitted. During the recess
an organized machinery was kept actively
IN motion 10 swell the lists of petitioners.
When the session opened, dozen members gave
of tha and n
pittee on Temperance was formed, TO which to
refer the petitions and the bills Before the com
rittee had reported, however, the second reading
of one of the bills-nost stringent in its pro-
yisions--is moved. The Government hesltates to
adopt decisive policy on the subject 1t resolves
not TO oppose the measure, but to allow IL 10 De
read second time, that it may be sent to the
Committee on Temperance. 1t is curious
fact that far more members spoke than voted
AGAINST the bill. The most formidable Oppo-
nent of the measure was the late Premier,
Mr.. Hinckf. He denied that the circumstances
of this country were analogous TO those OF
the State of Maine, and that the law had been
successful even there. Although the bill does
not. in its present shape, go beyond the prohlbl-
tion Of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating
liquors, the question of prohibiting the importa-
ton also will come up. This, OF course is
matter with which no single State of the American
Union can deal; and therefore Canada has the
power to pass more effectual law on the subject
than any one Of the States. One member of the
Government, MIR. Postmaster.General Spence,
declared in favor of adding clause to prohibit the
importation. This view was ndorsed by several
other members who spoke on the subject, and the
probabilities are that no measure will finally pass
which docs not prohibit the importation as well as
tie sale and manufacture Of intoxicating liquors
Mr. Hincks denies the practicability of any attempt
to prohibit importation; and says 1t would be iul-
possible even If the United States and this country
were TO ioiD TO exclude the article from the CONT
nent altogether II shows the strength of public
opinion on the subject, that Mr. Hncks, opposed
70 the measure he 10, found tho demand for ifs
enactment so strong at the late general election,
that he found il advisabletO promise that he would
support the measures whenever he found that
majority of his constituents should, in their mu-
nicipal election cast majority of votes in its ia.
vor. Ii is undoubtedly true that many who voted
in the majority on the second reading of the bill
did 90 under q similar species Of cOnstraint.
There ia very considerable number of members
10 the House who would prefer to oppose the
measure if they thought it safe or prudent to do
20. There is, however, no prospect OF a majority
of the House voting against the principle of pr0hi-
bition. The opinion of the Legislative Council on
the subject has yet TO be ascertsined, but it is
hardly likely that they will oppose a measure in
favor Of which 90 great number OF petitions is
presented
The Church of England Bishop Of Toronto has
Illuminated long and violent letter against the
proposed secularization OF the Clergy ne
serves. The letter is addressed to the Hon. Mr.
NORM. the leader of the Lower Canada section OF
the Administration. In postscript, written al
ter the bill was received, the Bishop character
ICES the measure as the most atrocious piece OF
legislation ever attempted since the time OF the
French Convention, the aiusion probably being to
Bishop Tallerand's confscatiOn OF the Church
property. The analogy is far-fetched and map
picable, for the Church property which the Con-
vention declared to be the property of the State
had been chiefly amsssed from the gifts and be-
quests of private individuals, and was in the ac-
tual occupation of corporations sole or aggregate;
but the Clergy Reserves were not only part OF
the public demesne--were not only never actually
given TO, or in the possession, or under the con-
troll of any Church, but were always, by the
very act of Parliament that gave authority
for their creation, subject to be repealed
by the Legislature of the Province. The
good Bishop declares that the precedent will be
good for 1.-The pillage of all the Roman Catholic
endowments;" and he adds that these endow-
ments are only held on suferance although
"equal TO one-sevepth Of all the seigDories, for
"the I4th Geo. Ill, still in force, declares that
religious communities shall not hold estates"
He declares also that the tithes and dues of the
Roman Catholic property are already in jeopardy.
The good Bishop well knows that the alleged
danger to the private endowments of the Church
of Rome is all pretense, for some years ago he
admitted, in pamphlet published by him, that
the Reserves were subject TO the absolute con-
troll Of Parliament but that the endowments Of
the Catholic Church were not Tho object is, of
course, to alarm the fears Of the Roman Catholic
members of the Legislature for the safety of their
church property
Sir Edmund Head the new Governor General