New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-28
CANADIAN CORRUPTION.
TRACING THE SOURCES OF THE REPTILE
FUND

DOMINION ER-A QUhhNhb AMSf"
THE PLUNpERERs LEADING TO con-
FEsSoNs-cANADIAN KNIGHT
HOOD AT DISCOUNT.
Ottawa. July 2O-Curiously enough, the
shsrges now being Investigated against sir Hector
Langevin, the Minister of Public Works IN 'he
Dominion Government were first preferred against
him by the newspaper organ Of one OF MS COL
leagues Mr. Chapleau, who fills the pest oil
Secretary of State-an inferior office III ohe
Dominion Cabinet-has long been an enemy Oh
Sir Hector's Both are French-Canadlahs, ana
both are Bleus or Tories, as well as members VI
the same Administration; nevertheless '"ey anu
their respective factions have been at logserheaos
for years, Though they always contrive 10 presehV
united front before the Liberals al eiec'ioh
time. In 1886 La Presse," Montreal Jourhh
which backs Mr.. Chapeau, came out WIN sweep
ing Indictment OF Sir Hector. Sir rector had
been regarded by most persons as uul pouuins'
careful Minister whose political fortunes had been
made largely by the accident whlcn hao pI''eeu
3 a brother of the same mould in Roman Cathohc
bishoprie in Quebec. The writer In " La fresse'
whose articles were subsequently published III
pamphlet entitled lie Meter de Ministre-Notes
pour servir a. rhistOre de notre temps, enlarged
fbe populsr conception of the He told how
Public Works Department in 1879, had accepted
a testimonial amounting TO $22 600 in cash from
seekers, office holders and Government con-
tractors There was nothing in this, for
the subject of the testimonial had been discussed
In Parliament by the Liberals, who tried IN vain
10 induce Sir John Macdonald and Sir Hector 10
mass an act against such practices. but Id
Presse" went on TO charge that the testimonial
had cost the Canadian taxpayers S5OO,OOe-usa'
the contractors had made the treasury sweat 10
that extent for their admiration and esteem. IL
added that Sir Hector had carried the testlmohlai
business TO its logical conclusion and persuaueu
the contractors to establish reptile fuho Ior
the good Of the Tory party, they recouping uieni-
selves from the public chest through the Hauuu-
lent manipulation of specifications and prices to
which he was privy In Canada the DOMINION
Government is the universal provider. 1t grants
annual subsidies to the various provinces 10 ehaoe
them 20 defray the cost of provincial govern
ment and three or four of them devote portion
of tho money 70 the construction and repair OF
local works which in the United States are thrown
upon the municipal taxpayer. 1t builds canals,
docks vharves and lighthouses dredges harbors
improves river navigation, and performs obher
services of q like kind; and 1T constructs ana
operates railroads, besides bonusing railroad cor
norations Down to June 80, 1880, IT had spent
ON railroads S145,500,000 of borrowed money,
chiefly in connection with the subsidies to the
Canadian Pacific and in the construction oil
The Intercolonial and other purely Government
lines in the Maritime Provinces. Forty-hve
millions more had been spent on railways oy the
Provincial Governments and by municipalities,
exclusive Of land grants. The Public WORKS De-
partment over which Sir Hector presldes. mas
spent only about 10000, 900 on docks. dredging
~ n al. ryn0 IL
a considerable sum for five millions of people not
over-rich The method said to have been pur-
sued by Sir Hector was infinitely described. The
contractors in the ring were told to tender at
such-and-such a price, lower than that OF the
others; and Immediately the contract being
awarded to them the departmental officers dis
covered that some capital plumbers had been made
in the specifications. The Minister thereupon sane
lions change either in the specifications or In
she prices and the change ia so adjusted that the
contractor makes pot of money out OF the Joo
and conveys portion 10 the reptile fund The
REPTILE fund il was alleged, was used for various
party requirements-to maintain newspapers, TO
help Tory workers who happen to be out at elbows
and to return Tory candidates to Parliament
All this and much more was crcumstantially told
by ia Presse," which declared that in no single
instance since 1879 had contract let by Sir
original conditions-that in every instance, with
o. out exception fraud had been pfactsed WIN
his knowledge and consent.
Nothing more was heard of the matter until
two years ago. when the Bleu members of the
Quebec Legislature signed a round-robin urging
Sir John Macdonald to investigate the relations
of the Department with certain contractors, who
were doing work for it in the harbor Of the city
of Quebec. II is supposed that Sir John detected
the hand of Mr. Chaplain in this move; at any
rate he pigeon-holed The request and nothing came
of H. year ago the contractors referred TO
auarreled among themselves. They did business
under the style and title OF Larkin, Connolly o. 20.
Besides Larkin. and Michael and Nicholas Con-
molly, the firm embraced U. Z. Murphy ana
r II. McGreevy the brother of Thomas McGreevy,
who is Tory Member of the Dominion Parliament
from one of the constituencies in the city Of
Ouebec and a close friend of the Minister Of Pub
lie Works as well as member of commission
Amounted 70 superintend the harbor works under
The direction Of the Department. Thomas McGreeVy
himself was paid agent Of the firm and partner
I'm everything but name, in spite OF the law o1
Parliament providing against members taking a
hand in Government contracts. Murphy is known
in Ncw-York He testified the other day that he
left there in 1877. He was an excise commits
sioner lie vacated the office in hurry, for, he
saws. IL had used $4,000 of public money in an
election. and in the excitement Of the fight be
tween Kelly and Tilden in 1876 my friendt
neglected TO make 1t good" Some real estate
which he owned fell in value, and he took $4,000
more of the public funds to keep himself afioat
So that when he bade good-by to New-York hi
was short $4,000. The evidence shows. how
ever, that Murphy's Canadian friends, including
Sir Hector, were well aware of this shadow on hi
life when they consOrted with him. The upsho
of the quarrel in the firm was that Murphy ant
r. II. McGreevy resolved to peach upon thei
associates. not in the public interest so much a
to get even" Accordingly they turned over TIN
private correspondence to Mr. Tarte, the Edito
of lie Canadien," Of Quebec, Tory paper oil
the Chaplain side Tartc opened fire, and at tn
general election in March last obtained seat II
the Dominion Parliament TO carry on the wal