Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-12-27
CANADIAN CORRESPONDENCE.
ST.. Thomas, Dec. 9th, 1888.

The past week has been comparative.
| ly barren of political news in Canada.
InOntariO the two most noted events of
the week are the opening of the Art
Exhibition by the Governor-General.
Lord Stanley at Hamilton on the 4th
inst, and the welcome recorded by To-
ronto to O'Connor, the champion OARS
man of America OH his return from
his victory over Teemer. Over $1,000
| Torontonians and visitors joined in the
celebration Of his victory including as
it did torch-light procession and a
meeting in the horticultural Gardens
where the crowd yelled itself hoarse
and Mayor Clarke presented flatter-
ing address and purse OF OIL 900 which
WAS followed by the presentation of
$500 in gold by his Canadian friends
who witnessed his victory.
The recent Protestant Conference in
Montreal with Its discussion of ROmish
aggression has stirred the anger of our
Roman Catholic citizens and has raised
the question us to which is most ag-
gressive, Catholicism or PrOtestism.
Professor Goodwin Smith hints ut
his early retirement from public life.
In recent scathing criticism of the {.
Z. II. II. monopoly in the Northwest he
pays his compliments to the eX-leader
of Her Majesty's loyal opposition in
the Parliament. the Hon. Edward
Blake, in this fashion:-"It is inn
possible for an admirer of Mr.. Edward
Blake not to regard with a pensive
feeling his appearance in court as the
advocate of cause which by his elo-
quence in Parliament he taught us to
regard us the cause of iniquitY. If
Sampson ground in the mill of the
Philistines. it was involuntary and
without fee. Professional etiquette
may i'll strictness require an advocate
to take any brief which may be pressed
upon him. But would any client be so
un-wise as to press brief upon an adj
vocate who declared that if he tried to
plead for such a cause his tongue
wonld cleave to the roof of his mouth?
Could Oliver st. John ever have held a
brief for ship-money? Could Somers
have held a brief for the arbitrary pre-
negatives of James II? Surely not
without political fall"
The discussion of the future of Can
ada in the Toronto Globe, lndepen-
dence, Imperial Federation or annexa-
ton, has almost died out. Quite a
number of correspondents favored An
neXatiOn.
The Canadian restrictionists press
have been circulating Il statement to
the effect that the farmers of Ohio are
carrying total mortgage debt of over
S7OO,OO0,OOO.
Toronto is consolidating its debt of
ten millions.
The statement is attributed to Mr..
Bowel. Minister of Customs, that the
Government is willing to consider any
claim for compensation presented to it
on behalf of the owners of the seized
ship Bridgewater.
1t is tolerably clear from the utter
ances of certain Government papers
that the tariff is to be made more re-
strictive at the coming session.
Professor Goodwin Smith declares
that if the present course of policy is
pursued Manitoba and the Northwest
will never be peopled, and unless Mani
toba and the Northwest are peopled,
there will be verylittle use in adding to
the attractions at the Bantf Banif hotel.
The supporters of Annexation held
meeting at Windsor on Friday night
and resolved to form society favoring
the union of the States and Canada.
The Methodists of Ontaria are badly
divided OH the subject of College Fed
Grafton with the Provincial University
at Toronto. Their general conference
two years ago after an exciting debate
resolved on Federating Victoria Uni
versity with Toronto University which
implies its removal to Toronto and the
loss of its degree--conferring power in
arts and the raising of half "a million
tor buildings and endowments. The
general conference being pretty evenly
divided OH the question, section of
the church under the leadership of the
opposition in the Board and Senate
have refused to cooperate in the work
of raising the necessary funds and have
re-opened the wholequestion in thepress
especially since it has been found that
after two years efforts less than half
the amount required has been raised
and since the Senate of Victoria at a
recent session condemned not only the
action of the Board but also the general
principles OF federation The church
paper, the Guardian, Is filed weekly
with the question and several of the