Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-19
CRISIS IN CANADA,
The Bitter Conflict Now Rag.
ing Likely to Come to
a Head Very Soon.
MERCIER'S GREAT DANGER.
Lieutenant Governor Anglers Demands
That He Be Investigated.
THE QUEBEC PREMIER OBJECTS.
This Defines the Line of Battle, and Some
body Will Soon Fall.
MERCIER'S GREAT DANGER.
THE QUEBEC PREMIER OBJECTS.
TIE BIG hETELIIER FIGHT RECALLED
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO ruv p,sp,rcH,

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.l
MONTREAL, Sept. 1S-The greatest ex-
citemeut prevails throughout the Province
of Quebec on account of the conflict that
arises between Lieutenant Governor Anglers,
the representative of the Crown and Mr.
NIercer the First Minister of the Province.
The Lieuteaant Governor persists in his
determination TO appoint a royal commits
sion to inquire into the recent scandals, in
which the Quebec Premier is implicated by
the Dominion Government and the United
Conservative press throughout the country.
Mr.. Merciec finds himself In a most criti-
cal position and to-day determined upon
calling an emergency meeting of his follow
ers in the Quebec Legislature, to decide
upon what action shall be taken. Should
the Government refuse to agree TO the Lieu
tenant Governors proposal, there is no
doubt that the latter will dismiss the Minis
NV, and one of the graveSt constitutional
conflicts in the history of Canada will en-
sue The conflict Will be between the rep
rcsentatives of the Crown, backed bv the
Federal administration, on the one hand,
and the Quebec Government, elected by the
Province, on the other The conflict will
thus be resolved into the old question of
S;ate or provincial rights.
ONLY ONE SIMILAR FIGHT.
Only once before has such a question
arisen in connection with the government
Of the country, and it gave rise to famous
controversy, which was not settled until the
Imperial Government was appealed to-
Should Lieutenant Governor Anglers dis
miss the Mercier Government the situation
viii be analogous to that arising out of the
famous Letellier episode.
In 1876 Hon. L. Letellier de st. just
who was one of the Confederate Senators
and the Minister of Agriculture in the
Mackenzie administration, was appointed
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. The Gov
eminent of the province was then Conserva-
tive, and it commanded strong majorities in
both branches OF the Legislature Mr.. De |
Boucherville, who sat in the Legislative |
Council, was Premier, and Mr.. Anglers, the |
present Lieutenant Governor, was Attorney |
General and leader in the Assembly. |
Lettellier was a strong Liberal, as his Gov |
erHment was Conservative, and took no |
great pains TO conceal his party predilec- |
tions while occupying the Gubernatorial |
chair.
TURNING ON LITELLIER
In return the Ministry lost no oppor-
tunity of making matters unpleasant for
him, and the relations between the Gov |
ernor and his advisers speedily became
strained. The latter adopted every pos
si5le means of humbling Mr.. Letellier and |
lowering his position to that of a mere |
fgurehead. Measures were introduced in |
the Legislature without his sanction and |
against his wish; proclamStions which he
had not signed were published; he was Pc
= IL e.
10 the proceedings of the Legislature. In /
all conceivable ways his Office was belittled
and his authority ignored.
The result was a crisis. In March, 1878,
the Governor dismissed his advisers, assign
ing as his reasons for this action first, that |
he doubted whether they possessed the con-
tidencc of the people; second, that they had
measures without laying them
before him and obtaining his sanction, and
Jhird, that although they knew of his hos
tility TO certain specified measures they
put them through the Legislature, nom
inallv with his consent, although he had
never given it, when they should, instead,
have abandoned them or have resigned.
a LIBERAL VICTORY.
Nh jolly, the leader of the Liberals, was
sent for. He assumed all responsibility
and formed an administration. The Con-
stopped the supplies, and a dis
solution and a general election followed.
The Conservatives, including three of the
were defeated In the mean
time both the Lieutenant Governor and Mr..
De Baucherville had appealed to Ottawa,
aach sending a statement of his case to the
Governor General
The matter was brought up in Parliament
Dv a resolution moved by Sir John Macdon-
aid, declaring that the dismissal of the
Quebec Ministry was ''unwise and subver-
sive Of the position accorded to the advis-
FRS Of the Crown sinc9 the concession of the
principle of responsible government to the |
British North American colonies" In the
0ng debate which followed MANY interest
ng points were ably discussed, among them
the questions whether Lieutenant Gov
ernor represented the crown and whether
he had the right 10 dismiss Ministry hav-
ing majority in both branches of the Leg
stature. The resolution was defeated by a |
vote Of 112 to 20.
THE PRESENT CRISIS.
The position of the parties in the present
,risis is reversed The CONSERVATIVES are |
low supporting the authority of the Lieu
enant Governor, and the Liberals, with
/ few exceptions, oppose it. The French
lress is very bitter against the Dominion |
? /
Lc Lecte,T, Mr.. Mercier's organ, tonight
avs:
To-day the gravity of the situation cre- :
tied by the action OF the Lieutenant Cover
lOr and Federal Government requires ali |
ur GOODNESS and prudence. 1t is quite evil
snt that we are nearing a crisis, if one does |
.Ot now exist. If we review ali the facts |
he polemics of Tory papers, the indiscreet
with which they speak of the dis
liSsal OF the ministers; i: we ioin those
acts with the eagernesS of Anglers and Alb
0tt to accuse the Ministry before the nub-
c and with all circumstances before us we
rc forced to conclude, and we do so with
he most profound regret, that our Minis =
ers have been victims of a most criminal
onspiracy, Matched at Ottawa and put into
vccutiOn at Quebec by q leader of the Pro-
iucial Executive, and that Mr.. Anglers
orgot that he was a constitutional Lieuten-
Mt Governor to remember that he was a
artisan.
AN ASSAULT ON MERCER
The attitude of the Globs, the most En-
lish Liberal organ, has created a sensation
I adopts a hostile attitude to Mercier and
avs:
The constitutional aspects of the questions
re no doubt OF great Importance. But 1t is g
lore important stiil, in our Judgment, that
he prima facie case of fraud or embeZZle- I
lcnt made out against Pacaud by the Senate Z
all way Committee should be Investigated
Ithout unnecessary delay by some thor
ughly impartial tribunal The duty of 8
5ght-thlnl5ing men in both parties is {
.G2r. car They can hold no parley
nender. 1t is their duty to do their
uty; TO demand that in each and every in
acn ana every instance the truth shall be
lclted by the most expeditions and COM j
lete means at hand, and the guilty pun
hed according to the measure Of their
rlme NO one can wish to see the Consti-
itlon upset II Governor Anglers is going
lat the prime consideration in tbese roses