The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-03-11
CORRESPONDENCE.
Our Quebec Letter.


opposing parties. In these parishes
there is no public hall large enough to
hold the crowds, so they hold forth in
the open air. They do not use the same
methods in conducting political cam
paign as in the United States. Political
opponents meet at the same time and
place, and speak alternately. In the
course of arguments they occasionally
call each other names more expressive
than elegant, with now and then a Sdcre
to emphasize it. On the whole, con-
sidering the liberty of speech allowed,
they are conducted much more good ma
turally than one would suppose. 1t
look at this time as if the Liberals were
losing ground. The government is
determined to GUST them from power,
and are using every means imaginable to
accomplish it. 1t was for this purpose
the government at Quebec was dismiss
ed, they stole the Liberals thunder, as 1T
were, on the reciprocity question, and
made pretense of going to Washington
for that purpose, when everybody knows
the Conservative party does not want re-
ciprocity, besides everybody knows they
cannot negotiate anything of the kind
without the consent of Great Britain.
Why in such hurry at this particular
IlHl6 10 70 W w GOu duNt llShO IL
the midst of an election campaign ? 1t
carries plainly on the face of it that it
was only political claptrap to catch
votes, as the farmers are in favor of free
trade, they went there so discuss the
very projects which they roundly de-
nounced only last session of Parliament.
The royal commission appointed by
the government to enquire into the Bal
de Chalene railroad crookedness, in
which eX-Premier MERCER was implicat-
ed, has decided that he is guilty, there
is more to it however. Three judges
were appointed to decide the question,
during the enquiry one of the three was
taken i'll with Ia Grippe and had to retire,
they were in such hurry to condemn
him, they did not postpone proceedings
and wait until the other judge was able
to be present, but rendered their decis-
ion at once. Now that he has fully re-
covered from his untimely sickness, he
has sent in minority report eXOnorating
Mr.. MERCER entirely from any inten-
tional dishonesty. This does not help
him much only opens moral point of
view, as he was the leader and ought to
have known what was going on among
his ministers. Nevertheless the Liber-
ais are taking advantage of this tribute
to his character, and are playing some
lively tunes on that string of the polltl-
cal fiddle. A desperate effort is being
made to break down the Liberal Pro-
vincial Government by which the Do
minion government is surrounded, and
to certain extent held in check. If the
plot succeeds it will throw the whole
country for many long years under the
blighting influence of Toryism, that is
the way it looks to disinterested and
impartial outsider. 1t brings smile to
the most serious phiz to hear them talk
ing of corruption at Quebec, when the
Ottawa gang are as much more in the
mud and mire of boodling as one can i'm
agine there is however an eternal fitness
in getting ''rogue to catch rogue" to
set up tribunal of rOgues to try and
punish rogues. Such is the hands en-
trusted with the publication of Canadian
government. Poor Canada! Whittier
are you drifting?
There is the RUNS of an old English
Manor house in this town that has an in
teresting history. When the American
colonies were yet under British rule,
there was an educated German with his
Scotch wife, who was lineal descend
ant of the Duke of Argyle, emigrated
from his native city of Stultgartel to
America. He settled somewhere near
Lake George in the State of New York,
and in the course of time acquired large
tracts of land there. When the Colonies
rebelled he cast his lot in with the tories
or loyalists, and when independence was
declared, his property was contiscated
and he escaped and came to Quebec.
Both to reward for his loyalty and in
consideration of his high born wife, they
gave him immense tracts of land in this
township, which was then wilderness,
with rowing tribes of not too friendly In
dams. With the sturdiness and courage
of his race, he came here, opened roads,
built saw-mill and grist-mill and made
an opening in the forest for his dwelling.
The mansion is built almost on an island,
the stream on which his mills were built
nearly surrounding his house. 1t is of
stone; that fact alone is evidence that il
was a costly one, and especially at that
time with no roads and few workmen;
the stone had to be brought long dis,
lance, as in this part part of the country
there are very few stones. The house il
beautifully located, surrounded by
stately elms and naples, which fol
aught know, are the mates of those
that were felled in the primeval forest tC
Lldh6 IOOIu lOI INC BTduu uWelluB IOl
those early times. The walls are full
three feet thick, steep rooted and gabl
ed with dormer windows everywhere,
and like Gov. Wentworth's mansion in
Longfellow, with "stacks of chimnies
rising high in air." a gallery rar
around on which windows opened, the
walls were of sufficient thickness to
protect them both from the Indians and
the rigorous climate. When all was
ready lie brought his family from Que
bee, he was now a Seigneor or landlord
and had gathered quite little colony OF
employees around him, for those thai
had families he built houses, leased
them lands and looked after their genera
welfare. Quebec was the nearest point
of any account to trade, thither twice q
year he would journey to buy provisions
for the wants of his growing family
Here he lived in almost royal style, anC
the officers stationed at Quebec used Il
come with their wifes to visit this loyal
family and many grand ball and enter
tainment were gotten up for their bene
fit. As l stood in the dining hall, now
in ruins, l gave my imagination full
play, and could see banquet in pro
gress,: such as became the Lord of the
Manor, saw velvet coats and powdered
hair, saw stately, dignified men drink.
ing tOasts to King George, saw beauti
full high-bOrn danes, dressed in narrow
short skirts and decOllet waists, as
moved to the dancing hall l saw thest
same ladies dancing the stately minuet