The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-07-14

Parkes, the Premier of New Soutf
Wales, there was this difference be
tween the two men at the start
that young Macdonald being taker
to Canada by his parents at five
years of age was well educated al
Kingston, Ontario, while the Aus
tralian statesman was the son of 6
Warwickshire farm laboter anc
emigrated to Sydney at the age o
"a, with probably the amo INT ant
quality of education that the sons
of English field laborers were like
ly to get seventy years agb.
Sir John Macdonald was born in
1916 (the same year as Patkes), and
as we have seen landed ii Canada
in 1920. He was called to the ban
of Upper Canada at the age of q
and ten years later became &
Queens Counsel, having already
sat nearly two years in the Parlia-
mont of Canada as member fol
Kingston.
Elected in 1914 he has sat III
Parliament continuously for 9
period of over forty.six years
With the single exception of Mr.
Gladstone, who entered Parliament
three years earlier than Mac
Donald, no man of English race has
been so long in public life and SC
thoroughly identified with public
interests as the Canadian Premier
Sir John made his mark at once
and entered the Cabinet in 1917
only three years after his first elec-
ton.
From the beginning to the end
of his career be was staunch Con-
servative. He led the movement
for the confederation OF the various
provinces and was Chairman oi
the London Colonial Confer
ence in 1867, when the I'm
perial Parliament, led by the
late Lord Carnarvon, passed
the "Act of Union" For these
services he was created x. c. b.,
and was chosen as the first Prime
Minister of the dominion, a post
which he held till 1873, when he
resigned and led the Conservative
opposition for five years, having
removed for a time to Victoria,
B. c., whence he was Immediately
returned to Parliament.
In 1878 he was again called
upon to form Ministry which
continued in Office till the present
date, though considering that the
Conservative majority at the last
general election was not so large
as he hoped it is more than likely
that the loss of his guidance, his
great influence and experience may
occasion unother change.
Sir John was concerned in all
the chief public measures Of Canada
for over forty years, including
Confederation, the Canadian Pa
cifc Railway and the settlement OF
the State Church question by the
secuIarIzation Of the "cIergy " re-
serves"
He was nominated Privy Coun-
ciIlor in 1879. In 1884 he again visit.
ed London to assist at the formation
of the Imperial Federation League,
and was then raised to G. @. B.
A writer in an exchange says
of Sir John: "He secured direct
steam communication with Europe,
the enlargement of canals, the ex-
tension of the dominion, the build
ing of the great railroads were all
fostered, and in some cases directly
inspired by him. He was con-
structive statesman, of a conserva-
tive temperament.
"In figure and feature he was not
unlike Disraeli whom he some
what resembIed intellectually. He
was one of the foremost represen-
tives of the imperial idea. The
splendor of a worldwide empire
with the United Kingdom as its
centre was his guiding idea. The
Scots of Canada, certainly the most
numerous and probably the most
intelligent of the immigrants held
loyalty to Sir John from the day
in 1874 when he first addressed his
supporters in full Highland cos
tune on the advantage of the
British connection"