The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-10
THE QUEBEC ELECTION.

The general election tor the Canadian
province of Quebec, held on Tuesday last,
resulted in the defeat of the Mercier
party. Mercier himself was elected. 1t
will be remembered that Mercier was re-
moved on the charge of malfeasance in
office by Iieutenant-Governor Anglers, an
appointee of the Tory Dominion govern
ment. The friends of Mercier fairly
claimed that the charges against Mercier
should be regularly investigated by ju-
dicial tribunal; that his removal by the
Tory government before he was found
guilty was an unconstitutional act.
The Tories, who have undertaken to
punish Mercier in an unconstitutional
way, are trying to whitewash members of
the Dominion government who are ac-
cused of offenses precisely similar to those
imputed to Mercier. Even the Dominion
premier, Abbott, was tarred with the stick
of the Canadian Pacific scandal under
Lord Dufferin's administration. The
friends of Mercier hold that the Canadian
Tories resolved to punish Mercier not be-
cause he was guilty of corruption, but be-
cause he was not corrupt in their interest
To the charge that certain congressman
was scoundrel Thad Stevens answered {:
''ls he our particular scoundrelP" Mer-
cier was not one of the Tory party's par
ticular scoundrels," for he threw his in
tluence on the side of the Liberals at the
last general election, and enabled them to
carry the province of Quebec.
While the motives of the Tory cabinet
were sordid enough, nevertheless the
charges against MERCER, though not vet
legally proved, include very grave offenses,
and the popular estimate of the strength
of the case against him may be measured
by the severity of his defeat In Justice
TO MERCER it should be said that the three
judges, who were requested 10 make a
preliminary investigation of the charges.
did not concur in their opinions. Judges
Baby and Davidson pronounced Mercier
guilty of the malversation in office i'm
puted to him, but Judge Jette, in his re-
port, completely exonerated the accused
minister. The constitution of Quebec
does not authorize the lieutenant
kC'NAaNA W ANAAtNS vic iltiI OF
the ministry except on the passage of q
vote of censure by the lower house OF the
legislature. The lieutenant governor
feared that the Quebec legislature might
refuse 10 censure their leader. so of his
own authority he dismissed Mr.. MERCER.
Mercier and his Nationalist colleagues an.
pointed Tory ministry al interim under
Mr.. De Boucheryille, dissolved the provin-
Cial legislature, and ordered a new election
for March S lS92. The lieutenant COVER.
nor not only broke the organic law max.
ing the provincial ministers accountable
only to the peoples representatives, but
he violated tie provisions of the British
North American act requiring one session
of the Quebec provincial legislature to be
held in every year. There had been in
1891 no session of the Quebec legislature
when Mr.. Anglers dissolved it, and put of
the election OF its successor nearly three
months, until March $. 1892. Nevevthe-
less, the belief in the guilt of MERCER is SC
widespread that the voters Of Quebec or
Tuesday last evidently looked mainly a
the charge Of malversation and consented
10 indorse the lieutenant governors uncon
Ehtutional proceedings.