New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-22
THE TRIAL OF MR.. MERCER.
ABUSES THAI RESULTED FROM THE POLICY
OF GRANTS-IN-A1D
THE EXPREMIER DENIES KNOWLEDGE 'of
BOODLING-HIS CHARGES AGAINST TORY
OFFICIALS APPARENTLY sUBSTAN-
TIATED IN THE CASE OF cARoN.

OFFICIALS APPARENTLY SUBSTAN-
TIATED IN THE CASE OF CARON
Quebec, oct. 81 tspeciaD.-Probaby for the irst
time In the history OF British institutions man VINO
has occupied the position of First Minister OF ne crown
Is about be tried by court and jury for aieash'e
and embezzemcnt while I'm Office. The Grand jury
AT the as,zcs now being held here has found true bis
on those charges against Mr. ionore Mercer. lately
Premier of the province. and Mr. Ernest Pacaud, one
Of his chief supporters. The trial will begin tomor
row. Mr. Mcrcicr Is n Count Of the order "i 81
Gregory the Great. honor conferred upon him ie"
wears ago by the Pope. The indlcmeDl covers soo3
deal Of ground In substance, 1t charged Una MI
Mercier pockced 80 265. part and parcel Of Govern
Uent subsidy intended for the Pale des ChaleurS hai
.av; then tha' he received $4,000 and Mr. pncauo
II 600 from a subsidy the Hereford Railway .
lastly that Mr.. Mcrcicr and Mr.. Iacaud together maui
away with $14.903. portion g. subsidy 70 'he ''o"
rcal and Ottawa Railway The accused Will De 'ii'o
an these charge, but other indictments are hanging
over chem In one II Is charged that Mt MeN'er
made prctencc of letting stationery contract to
ouebcc bookseller and advanced him S6OOoo rom ''
nub,c treasury with which TO begin operations the
sco 600 ras then handed by the bookseller TO MI
pocaud and spcnt by Mr.. Mercler and Pacaud lot
o,oc,ion n,rno.cs II l. stated by the new Govern
mon Of the province that one way ana another 'uese
two men robbed the treasury ol nearly u'ce'q
NJ million dollars. some Of the money was po'he'V
n ,hom ,omc by subordinate members Of Mr. Mercier
cabinet and some spcn In electons III urhAi -,
Mr. Mcrccrs party and Of the Liberal party In Federal
,i,ic since ne wa, defeated at the polls last spring
49,, ,,ro,or bas hoconc bankrupt Mr.. Pacaud Is ne
dt,r of ,Elcctcurn the leading LIBERAL Na1ohuhI
nopcr In this district.
McanvliI- y royaI commission Is Investigating simi
ror charges preferred against sir Ad"phe 'af"h' !"
member of The Federal Cabinet AT Ottawa. Last
. he
,,r,od that Sir Adophc had obtained large suns
from railroads which had received Federal substitutes
and from contractor, and trad'Sm'n doing bu'lh'''
in the Federal Government and had spent ,h' lIn''
I'm brblng the clcctor. In twenty l"o CONSTITUENCIES
,,c, ,-or. named As soon ~ the charge was made,
t daft drawn hy Caron and 10y Sir Hector lAnse'ih
a member Of the Federal Cabinet down to u wear ago
wore ,,,ll,hcd In fac-simile in Liberal newspaper
7, wa, shown that these two Ministers had di-bursed
~ 10 600 for bribery alleged. and that most oi the
money had been obtained from Government contractors
and railroad. subvcuoncd by the Government dt w
,nra The Government mutilatcd the charges pre-
f,rrcd In Parliament and then appointed royal com
sion TO investigate them. The commission was
nrohably expected 10 whcwash the accused but It has
stumbled upon evidence which virtually esiabli,hc-
tha co.e against Caron Who however. Is not charged
with pocketing any Of the money.
Mr. Mcrcier says that If Pacaud any other friend
of his WAS GUILTY OF dvcrtlng Puhlc money TO part!
Uses, he did because hls party the lAtrr]l Nhu"h
aUst-was suffering from the enormous bcodling ana
bribery carried Oh Quebec 10y the Tory Ministers AT
OttaWa headed Ly IHng",in and Cnron. II wa shown
l,y 4 paramentary Investigation I'm 1901 That certain
Government contractor, who furnished the Ottawa
men with large election funds had been allowed 10
cheat the public treasury {" the amount OF several
hundred thousand dollars. Mcrcicr maintains that
gigantic sum was used against him and his party ana
Mead, I'm effect that n WI. to fight the devil
with fire but he will have to enter better defence
than this bef0re the Whether hr l. innocent or
guilty. the jury will I'm all likelihood fisgrc% The
feeling Is that hc ought not 10 hc sent 10 jail whr
Caron and Inngcvin are allowed 10 e-cHp".
The frauds aud bopdling at ottawa and quebec have
had their origin In The policy ~ grants in aid which
has been carried 10 extraordinary lengths IN canada
To comprn ,ac The people for being shut oui Of thd
nearest and best market I'm the United Niatr- and 10
keep them from clamorinc for political union The
Federal Government. Including The OUTLAWS prior 10
Confederation in -G7 has spent -lriopp 600 IN onn,
and bonusn- niiWay~ the Prov slDna' Governments
$50 900 .OuO and the muuld dua"- -lGOf u.OuO. while
go 600 900 la, been -rt On rduil--I total II 80
100000 for n community not 20 pnpulou- within q
million and nothing Hike 80 rich a- th" state oi Now
Work. In addition 5oooo.uuo acro- ~ land I'm Nan
itoha and th" te~r'torr, beyond Manitoba have been
ed ID r1l