The Portland daily press., 1873-10-03

tnaC Tue cOHuaSI was w NC gwen, puL IL uOeS
appear beyond question that the contribu-
tons we're made rather to maintain in power
the party by whom the contract was given in
the first instance, than to procure contract
not already made, or not certain, under any
circumstances likely to exist, to be made.
From The testimony, the following facts zap
pear, the most of which are known to be true
from other sources of Information. Sir Hugh
Allan had invested oyer six millions OF dol
lars, in ocean and lake ships in the Canada
trade. One of the great feeders OF those
ships was the Grand Trunk Railway: but
there were indications of no uncertain charac
this road would at time not remote, be TAX
en- from him al d given to ships furnished by
itself or its stockholders. Withdraw the traffic
furnished by the Grand Trunk and Sir Hugh's
ships must be taken off, for the remaining
trade would not pay expenses. In this state
of things, Sir Hugh, like shrewd and enter
prising merchant, sat himself to work to see
how he could protect himself against the loss
which the Grand trunk policy threatened to
infiict He saw this could be done but in
one way, to wit, by the constructing of new
lines of railway in Canada which should sup
ply the place Of the Graud Trunk as feeders
to his ships. So he projected grand scheme
of roads ia Canada-of roads that would
open up the interior of the country and Or
game a sharp competition with the Grand
Trunk, all of which would be for the benefit
of Canada, while his own interests would be
subserved. There was to be road from
Montreal to Ottawa another from Ottawa to
Toronto there to male, by means of the
Great Western road ard the Canada South
ern, connections with Chicago, Cincinnati
and all the West; still another to Georgian
Bay and the Sault St. Marie. The lines to
Ottawa and Toronto are now in course of
construction, and will be finished, including
the branch to Georgian Bay, in about two
years. Having entered upon the in
auguration of these works before
the introduction of the Canada Pa
out of that, prepared to understand how
greatly important it was for him to have that
road connect ed with his own lines as viz
tual extension, and especially how dangerous
it would be to his enterpri e if the Pacific
road should fall under the control Of the
Grand Trunk He therefore decided to ally
himself with tie Pacific scheme and to pro-
mote its execution. His interests in steam
ships, and in railroads whose construction he
had already determined upon, required that
he should do so. That the charter and con-
tract were given to his company, was, as we
have seen, natural and necessary result.
For the government to have given them to
an opposing party on the same terms, would
have been a palpabie and gross betrayal of
the interests of the Dominion. To have Civ
Ell them to the Toronto company would have
been against the manifest interest of the
to have awarded them to the Grand
Trunk wonld have been to close up all chance
of competition in the future with that great
line, and to place the trade of the country
beneath its heel. So far, then, the way is
clear Sir Hugh's desire to obtain control of
the Pacific road was natural and justifable,
aud the action OF the government in com
hitting it to him was il harmony with the
best interest of the country and was clearly
right.
The real controversy comes after, or at
least is independent of, this action. McPher-
son and his Toronto co-operators, heretofore
friends Of the government; the Grand Trunk
and its managers, always of the party of Sir
John Mcdonald and the abused of the Tc-
ronto Globe and the ''Grits,' '.join drives"
as a Penobscot lumberman would say, with
Geo. Brown. Blake, Dorion, Huntington &
Co., leaders of the Opposition, to break down
the government, and thereby breck up the
contract with Sir Hugh. Seeing this danger
impending to investments of many millions
of dollars made years before, the Knight of
Ravenscraig was, not unnaturally, moved to
take thorough aud vigorous measures to retain
in power the party through whose ascendancy
alone his interests and investments could be
prote tied. 1t thus was to sore contract
rather than to obtain one, that the political
disbui sements of Sir Hugh Allan were made.
That in the Parliamentary elections which
would decide whether Sir Hugh should enjoy
the benefit of this contract, or whether il
should go to the Toronto people or to the
Grand Trunk, of whether the scheme should
be altogether abandoned, the Opposition re-
sorted to means and expedients quite as OBJ
jectionable as those of the administration
party, no one who has kept himself familiar
with Canadian politics, will doubt. That the
opposition has been more desperately reckless
taan the administration is beyond question.
The manner in which it got bold OF the proofs
presented by Mr.. Huntington, would have
disgraced beyond redemption any party in
america, while its theft in the interest of Mr..
John Yourg, Of a private letter, written by
the Canadian Premier to an associate IN the
ministry, the Hon. Mr.. Pope, suggesting, if
we remember Alright, the tender of an ulti-
mate place in the Senate to Montreal mer-
chant if ne would consent to run for the other
house to fill the vacancy that would be oc-
casioned by Mr.. Young's ipresumed) retire
ment-and rightly presumed as appears from
a letter rom Mr.. Young himself-was more
infamous still. This letter marked ''private"
was stolen from the post Office, sent to Mr.
Young and by him, after consultation with
the opposition leaders, published in the Mon
treal Herald!
While the people and the press of the United
States will condemn many things in the con-
duct of the administration in its struggle to
keep in power, and especially its use of so
much money in the elections of Ontario and
Quebec as it seems to have been supplied with,
they will look upon the Opposition (who by
their policy and tactics appear to be the No
docs Of modern politics. as far less worthy of
their respect. And in this view it is obvious
that they are at one with nearly all the leading
statesmen and respectable journals Of Great
Britain.
Current Notes.
The Rochester Democrat thought there
would be some fearful defect discovered in the
New York Republican ticket, but was not pre-.
pared for the horrible charge that the men
composing it are not evenly distributed ovel