Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-09
SIR JOHN TO RESIGN.
CANADA'S VETERAN PREMIER TO RETIRE
FROM PUBLIC LIPE.
Government Will Appeal 10 the Country on the An
nsxatOn QusstiOn-An Active Element in Favor
Of a Union With the United States.
In Important Event.

OTTAWA, ONT, February 7.-Great
changes are pending in Canada-changes
which will materially affect the future Of
this country and may seriously alter..the
relations between the United States and
Canada.
II is reported on the best Of authority
that, at the conclusion of the present ses-
sion of the Federal Lei islature, the Gov
erument will appeal TO the country on toe
annexation question. Sir John Macdonald,
Premier, and the leader of the Govern
nent, will retire from public life, and
Sir Charles Upper, present Canadian
Commissioner in England, will assume the
eadership of the Conservative party.
The snnexetion question has excited
considerable discussion in Canada during
the past twelve months, especially in the
western portion of the Providoe Of Ontario.
There is an element in the country at large
full of activity in favor of union between
the United States and the Dominion. This
movement has been spreading during the
past year, and is generally understood that
during the present session the Liberal party
in the Federal Parliament will openly
espouse the issue of commercial union
with the United States.
This fact is clearly demonstrated by the
utterances Of the leaders of the Liberal
party, espe ialiy those Of the Hon. r. W.
Scott, leader of the opposition in the Sen.
ate, who few days ago openly, on the
floor Of the Senate, declared in favor of un.
restricted reciprocity. They ere coming
to it rapidly and ere the session is over
will be out and out anneIatiOnists, - was
the remark of promiuen. leader Of the
government a few days ago. "If the
Liberal party makes the annexation ques-
tion or the commercial union question a
plank in their political platform, it will be
in order for the government 10 appeal TO
the country at once. By so doing they
will obtain q new lease of power before
the movement has spread sufficiently to
render ii dangerous issue for the present
government 10 deal with"
Sir John Macdonald il now seventy-iour
years Of age, and he has led the govern
ment OF the country for upward Of forty
years. with the exception of two terms of
eight years, when he and his party were
defeated at the polls. Ever sirce confed-
Grafton he has been known ss the great
chieftsin of the Conservative party, and by
his supporters As the "King of Canada.
Father Time is, however, bound to claim
his due and the veteran Premier, although
still full of life and activity, is rot the
man be was twenty years ago. With old
age has come the desire to pass his last days
in the quiet repose Of private life.
Sir Charles Upper has always been spo-
ken OF as the leader of the government
after the present Premier II is announced
here that the government has been notified
that Sir Charles will visit Ottawa toward
the close of the present session of PaIlia-
ment. A telegrsphic dispitch from Kings
ton, Ont, announces that Sir John Mae
donald will resign his seat in Parliament
for that place. Tine action of the govern
ment, as well as the significance of these
announcements made through government
circles, seems to point clearly TO the facts
above stated. If the change forecasted
takes place it will lie ono Of the greatest
events in the history Of Canada for many
years.