Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-27
THE O'BRIEN NEGOTIATIONS

| Are Called Up in the House of CoHa.
 mons-An Amendment Declaring the
 Jesuit Order a Secret Organisation
 Fraught With Danger to Canada.
 OTTAWA, March 26.-When the O,Brien
 resolutions were called up in the house of
 commons this afternoon Colonel O'Brien
 moved an amendment declaring that the ! Jesuit order is secret organization and Is l fraught with danger to Canada. He said that ] he moved his amendment owing to the con- ! victions of his constituents and what he be- ! lieved to be the sentiments of a majority of l the people of the dominion, although he was | elected as @ supporter of Sir John Mcdonald, He had said on previous occasions, in antici- patton of such an act as the Jesuits' estates ! act, that he would, when the time cane op- pose any efforts to obtain rights not guaran- l teed by the treaty.
 While it might be true that the bill was within the spirit of the British North Ameri- I can act, yet parliament possessed authority
 to deal with matters imperrilling Canada's national existence. He reviewed the history l of the Jesuit order. Far was it from him to say anything derogatory to their functions | At conquest they held vast estates for the promotion of their ends. It was true that ! the first work in the direction of Christian | izing the heather was performed by Jesuits | and hundreds of them with 8 self-sacrifcing | method which was admirable had lost their I lives. The reservation in the subsequent l equalization applied to all religions The name of Jesuit would not be a by-word and reproach in America if a majority of the members of the order were as heroic in the discharge of their duties. Since the time of Elizabeth they were suppressed in England. Their object was to overthrow Protestant establishments in England. If they were not expelled they were on the point of being expelled from scores of other countries There had been men of great attachments in the order, but the time had come when the world must know that Canada, brooking no interference-civil or religious-desired d to remain British. He then moved the fol lowing resolution:
 Resolved, That an humble address be ore. sented to his excsllency the governor gener- al setting forth:
 That the House regards the power of dissllowing the acts of the legislative assem- plies of province vested in his excellency in council, as prerogative essential to the national existence of the Dominion,
 2.-That this great Iower, while it should | never be wsntonly exercised, should be fear lessly used for the protection of the rights of the minority for the preservation of the | fundamental principles of the constitution, and for the safeguarding of the general in- terests of the people.
 3-That in the opinion of the house the passage of the act by the legislature of the province of the queen entitled "An act re- spectiug the settlement of sthe Jesuit estates' is beyond the power of that house, firstly, because it endows from public funds a relig- ious organization thereby violating the un- written but undoubted constitutional ! principle of the complete separa- tion of church and state and of the absolute | equality of all denominations before the | law. Secondly, because it recognizes the I usurpation of the right by foreign author. l ity-namely the Pope of Rome-to claim l that his consent was necessary to empower | the provincial legislature to dispose of the | public domain, and also because the act is | made to depend upon the will, and the ap- propriation of the grant thereby made sub- ject to the control of the same authority: and thirdly, because the endowing of the ! society of Jesuits, an alien, secret and polit- | ical-religious body, the expulsion of which l from every Christian community wherein it | has had a footing has been rendered neces- | saTy by it's intolerant and mischievous inter. | meddling with the functions of civil govern | ment is fraught with danger to the civil and | religious liberties of the people of Canada. And this house, therefore, prays that His Excellency will be pleased to disallow said ! act"
 MT. Rykert, who followed, declared that majority of the people were not in favor of the disallowance. If Ontario | was canvassed it would support the action of Premier Merciers. Papers and | members of the order said that no orangemen | dared support allowance in the house. Speaking as an Orangeman he was prepared to support the government. MT. Rykert read from the rules of the order to show that Orangemen were obliged to support civil and religious liberty for all classes. He could not join the anti-Catholic crusade and, knowing | what he did, would not attempt to smash the | confederation. The Catholics in Quebec would be equally justified in crushing the Frotestants.
 Clark Wallace supported the amendment and MT. Colby opposed it. The debate was then adjourned.