New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-27
OUEBECYS COUP D'ETAT.
IT'S ORIGIN FOUND IN POLITICAL CORRrp
TON
THE STORY OF THE BAIE DIS CHALEURs RAN,
RoAD-THE MIGRATION OF CANADIANS
TO THE UNITED STATIC

TO THE UNITED STATES.
Quebec Dec. % SpecaD.-The so-callcd comp 4, "a.
In this province had It's origin in corruption
| few years ago the Tory Government at Ottawa CAV.
| a subsidy for the construction OF a railroad loo
miles In length in the squald region along the sho.
of the Bale DIES Chaleurs. There was no tane mr.
the railway nor any chance Of It's attracting population
Sir John Macdonald simply found IL expedient IA
bride the people, many Of whom are half Indian hlf
French fishing being their chief occupation A
| company was formed 10 build the line with several
| prominent Tories at its head, including Thomas Me-
| Greevy. who expelled from the Dominion Parna
ment for boodlIng last session. The promoters I'D moi
put up any money OF their own, but carried the
work by means of the Dominion subsidy Of $40
600 which was reinforced at late stage by another
! n, 300 900 from the Government Of Quebec IN.
| intention was tO build the road wholly out OF thss
public appropriations, and then To bond II
| in England at profit 70 everyone
cerned except the Englishnen In course Of time
however. McCreevy and his associates Quarreed and
| the work was stopped. Sixty miles had beea built
and 1926 900 OF the Dominion subsidy melted 10 the
process The Quebec Government was impor,unod
10 complete II and TO pay the debt which the McGrevy
| company had contracted In the locality.
Mr. MERCER. who was dismissed from the provincial
Premiership the other day. was elected to Office IN
1885, through the agitation which broke out smons
| the French Canadians over the execution Of Louis
a Liberal he had been Beu' or Tory. but At tie
RieI campaign assumed for himself and party the
mama NJ Nationallsts. lie found that unless he
kent step with Sir John Macdonald In broing the
people the people would prefer TO be ruled By Tory
Cabinet Accordingly he embarked upon what he
STYLED "p0llcy Of material deveopment'-buildins
local railroads courhouses jails bridges. highways.
etc and outrunning the constable generally. The
debt Of the Province when he took hold amounted 10
ala 600 900. 1t Is now getting on TO s40O0O.OC0.
with the publc credit so badly shaken that II Is
douhtful II more money can be squeezed out OF the
foreign bondholder The population wmch mas 70
carry this load-a load equal TO one-ffth OF the a
gregate OF all the State debts on your she oil he nhe
numbers under 100000, and probably earns less
than any 100000 OF white people on this continent
MFR. MERCER was particularly free with railroad sub
sldIes Like sir John, he saw that money, and o's
81 A. WAS essential TO the working OF Canadian IN
sttuons. People who are Isolated Commentary i'om
the continent TO which they belong ana eil 70 msss
the best of things in fringe of territory soo hss
long by about ESQ deep, with the Mckinley ACT gla-
ing their faces every day require soatium OF some SORT
His most active hepmeet was Ernest Pacaud' to ou'"
OF the Nationalist newspaper in this city laeaOo
is said WAS I'm the habit OF eXacng commissions nom
the promoters of roads which received suDslue' "
was q case Of " come easy, 90 easy anu u'o "o"'
was squandered in politics and in champagne, houses
horses and fine linen, for Paeaud himself anu one
two Of the members Of the Cabinet
For a long time the Tories were unable to put their
hands upon any evidence nominating Pacsud, but
thew succeeded at last When The Cabinet resolved To
complete the Bale des ChaleuIs road an act OF tho
Legislature passed authorizing SUBSIDY :"
100000 acres of land commutabe into cash at the ra
of 35 cents per for the forty miles leu uhnhsnea
by McGreevy. This was to be paid TO any company
which formally undertook to do the work ana 70 py
the privileged debts of the former company IN Apni
last two or three persons applied for the contract ana
employed Pacaud to act intermediary between t1em
and the Government Ultimately an understanding W.
arrived al between Pacaud and Charles \. Armstrong
A contractor and relative Of Sir Hector Lsnse'n'
the Dominion Minister who was dlsgraced rev mohl"
ago. whereby Pacaud agreed TO get the MERCER uoven
ment 10 pay a claim which Armstrong had against inc
old company on condition that Armstrong should give
him a "boodlen OF $1,000 The payment 10 ATM
strong was to be made The basis OF new dea i'r INC
formation Of a company to finish the. railway An
strong's claim against the old concern was genuns
enough but 1t was not due payable under the terms
OF his contract, and in any event 1t was not privileges
debt within the meaning OF the statute authorizing the
subsidy in short, lie had no more right 10 receive
money from the Provincial chest than from the Treas
ury OF the United States. But the Dominion sehe@
elections were Just over and MERCER and Pacsud' VINO
had worked hard for the Liberals, wero in debt Ihey
owed money too account of their own provincial
elections Mr.. MERCER leaving for Europe about
the time Pacaud and Armstrong came to an agreement
and IL was finally closed the train which carried NJ
Mercle several OF his Cabinet Pacaud and Armstrong
to New-York. TIE return OF the subordinate MINIS
ter To Quebec they issued two letters Of credit one ior
$40 900 and tho other for 100000, In favor u Arm
strong The banks suspected that something "S
wrong and were wary about cashng The letters. ATM
strong turned the 100000 TO Pacaud VINO so ZIG
money in the end and applied II IN Sa.lSuS TaIs, ,ns
paid Tor house out OF H. lie gave SeNeral thOuses
dollars to Mr.. Langeer, one OF the Mstetsi VII" hS
also building house. lie lifted DoJes WINCH ne I
Seli' ~ he ,mount Of Sl3OJD lie sent MERCER, Who
mad gone France, draft for @ooOO; IHsse ssp
other OUTLAWS had reduced the PIE 10 aoout FoV,V,
when all at once the mater was iouIu out u! 10 S,nd
mittee Of the Dominion senate when hsd Oin ~ i's
relating TO the formation OF new colnpdH! Ioi u
completion OF the line Pacaud drew OUT M nS,iaioS
and fed 10 Europe lie Hturled alter tlo DV ,,Irs
war eoman mac to Mr. Anger Governor u:
Province Of Quebec. Mr.. Angers Is Lor{ app has
caught Pacaud in the act, he proceeded 70 'ura
the matter to the advantage of his parry cor1t
Judges, was appointed 10 investigate the anN'
In behalf OF the Governor paeaudi Ar uSS.,
OF the commission. Judge Jefe fell in but che other
two made interim report last week upon TIE ssns'
Smmarily dismissed Mr. Mercier from office nOtwit,
standing taht the Legislature, in which MERCER ma IA
Boucherville a Tory, who Premier once before,
been entrusted With be has task OF f Sssd for Il.
Goth inst The Governor will open it with a.
from the throne In which be will rees hs wp meeting
ia necessary in order 10 comply with the consuuuon
REQUIREMENT that the Legislature shall be summonsa
once a year When Do Boaeheryls on Il new new
| the Legislature will be dissolved ana ~, ~
| elections held This will be In February or hmen.
Theoretically the sovereign In England or ner and
resentatve In Canadian province, Is "a6SoIus s NV
| unconditioned,' Walter Bageh6t put It, IWat ~"
Anglers had the power 20 dismiss his Ministers - con-
| enough, but the question Is whether IT was rst
stitutiona according to modern practice. A. hsS
ter of fact, he has not allowed his Ministers 10 us
any public business since september. The pasnme.
of government has been at Standstill. and now ~
has installed In defiance OF the VIII oi Is
Legislature The whole affair sayors OF the t ..a
American mode OF running parliamentary institutions.
The boodIing part Of 1t Is. however. essen'AH -
madam. 49,.
In 1873 O similar occurrence took place; m.
Leteer, an old Liberal, was Governor. siI.
Il Maud a ,aun nnninr nd