The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-12
CANADE'S POLITICS.
Executive. Party and I'M
perial PrerogatiVee.
HIDDEN POPULAR SENTIMENT.
Threats of Annexation Thinly
Disguised.
MONTREAL. August 8. 1879.

MONTREAL, August 8. 1879
Canadian politics. usually dark to people in the
United States. have had u new light cast on them by
the discussion of the "Letellier affair" This dis
CUSTOM which is by means ended, involves the
very existence of parliamentary local self-govern-
ment in Canada. and the relations Of the Dominion.
in whole and in part. to the imperial government.
pointed consideration of future relations with
the United States has also lent piquancy to tho ut
terauces of an exasperated provincial press.
To get idea of what 1t all means it is worth
while to recur for moment to political vicsstudes
in Canada only SO Tar back the Reciprocity Treaty
of 1854 with the United States. which was abolished.
as all know. in 1866. That treaty great
thing for Canada. whose resources were stimulated.
whose natural products found outlet and whose
shipping throve. During the continuance of the
treaty Canada is said to have developed the fourth
largest mercantile navy in the world. The abroga-
ton of the treaty was felt to be misfortune
that for eleven years no Canadian statesmen dared
to advocate protective duties on imports. Men of
all parties continued to favor tariff and the
utmost practicable freedom Of with the outside
world.
Not until 1877. ten years after the confederation Of
Upper and Lower Canada, New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia. q change Of trade tactics decided upon.
The widespread financial depression had been pecu-
traffic became a failure in consequence of the nabil-
ity Of England and the United States to buy There
falling off of $4,000 900 in exports The ship
ping trade rapidly declined. and Canadian in
land marine ports threatened with decay.
At this juncture the conservative tory
party. under the leadership of Sir John
A. Macdonald, announced that it would seek
a remedy in protection" The Americans
having put protective armor forty to sixty per
cent thick. Sir John and his followers resolved to
don q similar It encountered ut once q forest
of spears at home. and the tariff dispute has ever
since widened the breach between the tories and the
Hberals-the bleus and the rouges-of the Dominion.
EXECUTIVE PRERoGArIvEs
The Leteer case affords an interesting glimpse Of
the progress of the domestic combat and of the
operation Of the domestic constitutions. The ex-
ecutive power Of the Dominion is vested in the
Queens representative. the Governor General; and
there is Queens Privy Council to aid and advise
the Governor General in exactly the way as the
Queen Is aided and advised by her responsible Min
listers at home Under the terms of confedera-
now known as Ontario and ouebec~to-
gether with Nova Scotia and New brunswick
each ruled by lieutenant governor. appointed by
the Governor General in council, the Lieutenant
Governor Of Ontario and of Quebec having power
appoint his ministers to form the Executive
Council in each province general Canadian Par
Lament and Legislative assemblies for the respective
provinces were. Of course. provided for; but it is
especially to executive prerogatives that the affair at
hand relates.
The general constitution gave the Governor Gen.
eral a sweeping field OF appointment throughout the
Dominion, and the tory party, under Sir John A.
Macdonald. was first in power. tories for nearly all
offices. including tho lieutenant governors ap-
party continued down to 1873. when in the Province
OF Quebec, Mr.. Caron acting tory Lieutenant
Governor and Mr.. De Boucherville Prime Minister
aud leader OF the French Canadian tories in the
sembly Al the same time Mr.. Letellier, the French
Canadian liberal, had attained to the leadership of
his party in the Senate and both psrties-the tories
having decided majority-were holly arrayed
against each other.
In 1873 Sir John A. Macdonald retired from tho
premiership Of the Dominion ministry and Mr.. Mac
kenze the leader OF the liberals took his place. Sub
sequently Mr.. Csron retired from the Lieutenant
Governorshp OF Quebec Mr.. Mackenzie promptly
recommended the Governor General to fill the
| vacancy by the appointment Of Mr.. Letelier who
| took office December Is. 1875 He thus became o
Liberal Lieutenant Governor hampered by q tory
| administration. position which be compared
| by American readers with that held by Andrew
johnson toward the republican Congress-. The De
Bouchervile party carried matters with q strong
| hand and finally brought them to crisis.
UBIQUITOUS LEGISLATION.
In 1873 Mr.. Letellier dismissed his tory Ministry
onerous for the Provncc that they proposed tho
amounts Of disputed taxes by post Caco leg
which would debar redress by the courts; that they
extravagant in their apportionment Of salaries
to officials. and that certain forms of making him
acquainted with these proposed measures had not
been complied with. Although the exact nature OF
the legislation then in progress Ia secondary to
| the question which arose the removal of the
Ministry, illustration Of it will better reveal the
motives assigned by the Lieutenant Governor for
his action. A railway bill based q series Of
resolutions introduced and carried through the
House. the first of which bound the government to
proceed with tho construction Of the Quebec. Mon
treal. Ottawa and Occidental Railway for which
certain bonuses had been voted by Quebec Mon
treal and other municipalities along the line The
second resolution affirmed the validity of certain
stipulations and conditions formerly agreed upon
lafvv a fha cit Mnnfr
and Quebec. The third prescribed the time and
manner of payment OF these municipal bonuses.
characterized by Mr. Letellier ''unconstitu-
tional, unjust and ruinous," were az follows:-
4. Tho Lieutenant Governor in Council may. on the
report OF competent cngineor establishing the
tent TO which the conditions Of the saSscr.ions of tho
the and quality Of work as also
ns q o. the ne ss
the ease may be- copy Of the said report shall be for
days before the said shall taken
shall ava. justify sDSS1an
sga and deliver to the Of the Proynee
by the % ovsr % hi him the
shoaa prefer 10 DO SO she said or the said balance
shall declared that these may exacsd
ss ~ % to sn sss
tho Mayor Wsrs" ' nsap r.
such dsben,ures without incurrns any personal
liability thereby for the amount tie bal
of tho subscription OF the municipality
or corporation of which he is the CHIEF officer
head And these said debentures signed and exc
cutcd by the Mayor Warden shalt have effect
they had been signed and executed with the
and upon the order Of the municipality corporation
itself and such Mayor Warden deliver
said dcbentures tho Treasurer Province at
his in accordance with the dates maturity do.
tcrmncd by tho Lieutenant Governor In Council. And
such dcbentures shall form OF tho consolidated
way fund.
T. ln default Of any said municipalities or
corporations of Its Mayor Warden case may
be. signing and executing the said debentures the
amount BALANCE of the said subscription and OF deliver
ing them Treasurer of tho the
Lieutenant Governor In Council may authorize syndic 10
and the said OF tho said
municipality or corporation. aud such dcbenturcs so
signed and executed by the syndc shall the same
effect IL they had been signed by the au
thoriEcd persons or officers belonging tho said munich
paity or corporation.
BOLD VENTURE
The Toronto Globe ventures TO say that no moro
inquitous Legislation than was ever proposed in
any Parliament in the world" but the Globe prob
ably did not keep track OF the debates ut Albany in
Mr.. Twecds time, when good many worse things