, 1880-03-28

OttHtra Latter in Ncsr York Wurid
Even when Parliament Is in session and the
Capital is ut It's gayest their Exccllcncies lind it
oppressiycly dull. for Canadian society is about
as stupid u melange as could be well imagined.
The members of the House and their wives know
all about numbering, farming. and running
country store, but into the realms of poetry and
art they never enter, There Is wcli-known
story Of the beautiful hut Ignorant time. de
Tnlleyrand-how her illustrious husband had
informed her IN advance lhqt he was great
tfnveLer; how she bothered the guest by qucs-
tonng him about his sojourn and prfvatfons on
asked him with much concern after cher Ven
dredi that 1t dawned upon him that she t,ok
him for Robinson crsoe. a. go%d mate for thas
suit came up In conversation ut dinner one
evening, and the Princess asked a member of
hnd been unjustly treated by his English crit
les. The Minister replied that he knew the
Whistler case well, and the fogKing administer
cd to him BY tho regi1ncntal urt-martfal, net
ing no doubt on secret Instructions from tho
War Office, was an outrage that would forever
stain. the annals Of the British army. Her
Royal Hiyhncss WIS completely "set back.
The key to the answer is thut Alexander S0mcr-
willie, the soldier who under the non dc plume Of
The whistle & Ut + tie re Rtew nj th %
bill discussion forty odd years ago, and who for
his remerity received the full number Of stripes
Canada. and Is often employed By the Minister
referred to in writing for tho immigration De-
Lord Dutrcrin used to tell good story Of a
conversation he once had with u wealthy Scotch
man of Montreal He was boring the eompany
bis Lorsiship remarked; Why, Mr. D.. You're as
Creesus," said be Of shoddy "but iii wnger ye,
NY Lord can pit doom dollar FOR dollar WI
The blunders, however, are not altogether On
one side. for when the members or the Vice
Kegnl party touch the geography Ut tho country
the laugh Is with the Canadians In his notes ot
his recent tour through America the Duke Of
Rocky Mountains, and the McCaItum Move IL rs
well up Oh the subject Us the average f3ritisher-
Some years ago tho Lords Of the Admiralty
built two g1lnboats for service on the Canndinn
lakes, and each was fitted up with tank for
fresh water, which was providing coals for New
w,h 5f aas Wsa sns
they came here. but they art Industrious sttt-
dents and could now pass an examination In tho
geography ut this continent very cret1ftabiy.
As rule the Frencn-CAaadiAn members ara
better informed than the English speaking rep
resentatives- Nearly all Of them have been ed
ucatcd Mt Laval University. or 4. the scrninaries
which abound in Lower Canada. and most OF
them have made the Krand tour OF Europe
Here and there; Of conrsc there IL an exception
cllssing motion giving bill the six-Inonths-
hoist. said he saw quite well that the object WIZ
To cOnsgn the Mctlsure to the quaraAte &rrca.
He meant the caten,les grecauc6.
While Ut Quebec last summer her Royal High
ness made the acquaintance Of several Irlshn,en
1s49. when the Irish immigrants necinx from
famine were stricken with cholera, thousands
died at the quarantine station aud along the
gulf, and the orphaned children were adopted
intn French Canadian families, and arc now
Freuch-canadians In everything but birth
and name. AT Cacouua. oppoAit Tedousac,
there IS large family Of SaIsr'cns who havc q.
strange history. Fifty years ago an Irish sailor
was shpwrecked in tho gulf ind started TO
travel afoot- He could speak but four words of
habltant French. aud these formed his stcre.,-
typed reply to all Inquiries ~ to where he came
from and whittier he was gutny: Jc u'en xa!s
rien-l don't know. These words he had rcnhy
picked up. because their pronunciation re-
setnbled that OF his name, which was John c.
ftyan- At Cacounn he went 10 work for
wealth French Canadian furmcr In whose
household he was known rs J'cn-sais -ltien. and
married his daughter, the parish register de-
scribing him as ~ Jen-s sais-k Elem dit Tfrlandals"
-i-Don't-know. aitus the 1Fishnan-ant kyan's
numerous progeny bear That nnmc tn DAY. The
Princess met L. young Sasrien Mt Cacnuun in tho
summer, and the lad shaving marvellous skill ~
aE artist, she pfnced him in tho hands of u DUG
bee painter, and will send him to Europe when
hc IL old enough