, 1883-04-05

tied to some degree of recognition by
the Dominion What British Colum-
bia needed very badly was immigrants.
1t wanted men upon its farms. 1t
wanted men in its industries. 1t
wanted men upon it railways. This
summer he believed the Pacific rail
way could employ 1000 men, if it
could but get them. Heat, hear
One honorable gentleman holding Il
high position in the house, had said
that British Columbia was a sea of
mountains. Well. there were a great
many mountains, but they We're noun
tains of wealth of silver, of copper
and of gold. The more British Co
lumbia became known, the greater
would be the astonishment of the peo.
pie of the dominion at the tactics of
the government for not at an early
date making efforts to developit The
people Of Washington Territory had
their agents in San Francisco and in
various parts of the states. Their
pamphlets and maps descriptive of
the country We're distributed wher
ever possible, and the result of this
was that nearly every ship leaving
San Francisco for the north was
crowded with immigrants for Wash
ington Territory. 1t was, however
seldom that emigrants found their
way to British Columbia, and that
Notwithstanding that the province Of
fered better opportunities and finer
climate than any portion of the Do
minion. 1t was astonishing what an
amount of ignorance was displayed
in this part of the Dominion regard
ing that province. Some people seem
to imagine that the country was near
China. Probably this was because
they heard that so many Cinnamon
men whose presence was detrimental
to the best interests of a civilized
community ty--were there. Others had
applied to the government for pam
phlets descriptive of the province,
but while there were plenty of pam
phlets to be had about Manitoba,
there were none to be had about Brit
ish Columbia. 1t was in view of the
absence of information about this
province, of the great openings which
the province offered for immigrants,
and of the necessity for organized eff
fort to increase its population, that
he brought the subject under the no
tice of the house. (Applause)
Sir John Macdonald said the whole
subject of immigration would no
doubt be discussed when the esti
mates were before the house. He
might say, though, that as a general
rule the department of agriculture
principally confined its efforts to as
sisting emigrants from other coun
tries to our shores, and emigrants
leaving Europe generally made up
their minds as to what province they
were going to before they left their
native country. AS regarded the dis
tribution of information respecting
the capabilities Of theolder provinces
the primary duty in that regard rest
ed with the provincial governments.
Those governments owned the land.
They could dispose of that land as
they thought proper, with the auth
ority OF their respective legislatures,
and they alone could properly de-
scribe to settlers the Inducements
their provinces offered. The primary
step must be taken in all those prov
inces by the provinces themselves,
and the dominion government could
only be called upon to aid these prov
inces in their exertions. 1t was true
that there had been no specific effort
to aid immigration to British Colum-
bia, but he was not aware that the
government of that province had it.
self taken any steps toward promoting
immigration, He did not know that
that province had agents in Europe,
IN the United States or anywhere.
The initiative in making the resourc
es Of the province known must rest
with them, and this government
would, with the sanction of parlia-
ment, aid any effort that might be
made by the province. 1t was not to
be forgotten though that Canada had
already voted a considerable sum for
the romotion of immigration into
British Columbia. Twenty-Five mill
ion acres of land and $25,O00,000 had
been appropriated for the purpose of
building "a railway to that province,
and when it was completed immigrl-
ton might be expected to follow.
The Chinese question, to which ref
erence had been made, was certainly
an important one, and he had no
doubt his honorable friend (NIr.
Shakespeare would press itupon the
consideration of Parliament before
propagation. 1t was a very seric us.
question, one that could not be over
rated, one that could not be neglected.
It's consequences to British Columbia
must be considered. Some principle
must he laid down with reference to
it, and that principle must be carried
into practice.