The Portland daily press., 1873-09-23
The Dominion Investigation.

The press reports of the proceedings be-
fore the Royal Commission to examine into
the alleged corrupt practices OF the Do min
ioh ministry in connection with Sir Hugh
Allan and The charter of the Canadian Pa
cific Railway. have been of most uusatisfac-
tory character. Indeed, all facts of interest
have been carefully excluded and only the
names of those gentlemen paraded before the
public who were entirely ignorant of the
whole proceeding The fuller reports of the
Dominic journals, however, give much
better idea of the investigation and indicate
that, in the absence OF any party of the cp-
position or of any important witness on that
side, the Canadian ministry, or at least a
very large part oft is convicted by the tes-
timony Of the members themselves.
II is true that there was Urge number of
witnesses called who knew nothing of the
matter, but the Ministry is condemned by the
testimony of Sir JOHN 4. Macdonald and his
associates who tell for themselves the most
plausible story that they can under oath.
Had keen cross -questioner examined these
gentlemen, it is very probable that many
more damaging facts would have b en- elicit
ed. Sir John A. Macdonald testiies that he
never encouraged the Americans TO believe
that they could participate in the Canadian
Pacific enterprise; but in this case there is
nothing but his denials against the cores
pondence already made known by parties
who refuse to appear before the tribunal.
But in respect to the election fund, Sir
John A. gives evidence respecting himself
that cannot be otherwise than damaging.
He denies that there was any agreement with
Sir Hugh Allan that made it incumbent upon
him to furnish funds to aid the elections and
on the government to grant him the charter;
but he does testify that Sir Hugh Allan ad-
vanced large sums of money as gifts to
carry the elections simply because he was
sure that the ministry was thoroughly de-
voted to the Canadian Pacific enterprise!
his 'gifts' is very direct. He gives them as
follows:
To Sir George E. Carriers committee,
$4,000; to Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald,
toward election expenses in Ontario, $40, 900;
W ilOu. II. L. LdEStNiu, lOWdTu eleCJOral eX-
penses in Quebec, 1882 ,6O6; total, $162, 900.
also paid for the assistance of other friends of
my own in connection with. election, between
$4,000 and $4,000. These sums, with the
preliminary expenses on the various railroads
on which was engaged, more or less directly
connected with the Pacific enterprise. made up
the amount of my advance to about $350000
By the last few lines, it will be seen that
Sir Hugh regards the sums paid out to elect
parliament that would support the present
Ministry as preliminary railroad expenses.
In other words the party who secures the
election of twenty or thirty members at
cost of two or three hundred Thousand has a
good right to expect that in any question af-
fecting his personal interests, the man whom
his money elected, would not vote against
him.
The vote ofparliament authorizing govern
ment aid to build the Canadian Pacific rail-
road, being nearly unanimous, shows how
futile is the reason of Sir John for the gift
such large sums of money on the ground that
Sir Hugh was anxious to secure '!ralway
Parliament" The. non-partizan observer
will See that Sir Hugh was not only anxious
to secure Railway parliament but one which
would be in favor his scheme. Hence the
large sums of money given.
BY their own testimony, as the case stands
the Ministry were alarmed lest it should be
'overthrown in the pending elections. Sir
Hugh Allan learned of its precarious condi-
ton and advanced as gifts to various leaders of
Sir John A. Macdonald S part over Sl50.000,
which secured them a majority of twenty
members. ''There was no understanding
about the NATTER" say these marvels of inno-
cent simplicity. The contributions of Sir
Hugh were induced by motives of patriotism.
The government. after the election, had a
charter and contract to give, and, moved by
the same motives, conferred the same upon
Sir Hugh, to whose money it owed its polti-
cal existence. There was no bargain before
the election, no understanding, 1t only hap
pened so.
There are thousands of intelligent readers
who will not credit these statements of Sirs
John A. Macdonald and Hugh Allan; but
granting that what they say is strictly true,
the Dominion Nil istry is convicted by its
owl admission of the most extensive election
corruption ever made known.