The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-05
PAY FOR WIDOW m'LINN's COW.
How a Canadian Premier Was Wor-
ried Into Settling a Bill for $40.
I1rnrn the Wnshinptnn Post.

How q Canadian Premier Was Wor-
ried Into Settling a Bill for $40.
From the Washington Post.
When Sir John Mackenzie was premier
Of Canada, years ago. the most uncom-
Portable thorn in his side was Sir Peter
Mitchell, member of parliament. from
New Brunswick, Sir John was railroad
magnate, and just before the opening of
parliament one winter, Sir Peter called
upon him and endeavored to get him to
pay $40 to a widow named Mary McLinn,
whose COW had been killed on a road con-
trolled by the premier. Sir John refused
and Sir Peter swore to get even during
the session. In the speeches he made
every day against the measures and
methods Of the government, then under
serious suspicion, he told the story of
widow McLinn's cow, and trotted her out
with such frequency that must have
seemed like cruelty to animals.
Finally the last day of the session dawned
and the consideration of Mackenzie's ex-
pense budget was resumed. 1t provided
the appropriations for the coming year.
Sir Peter Mitchell took the floor early in
the morning, and launched into a eulogy
of the deceased COW, and the prOpriety of
making an appropriation for the widow
McLinn. He was greeted with laughter
and mock applause, and then his auditors
waited uneasily for him to finish. He did
not finish. He told the story over again
with embellishments and celebrations.
Meantime Sir John Mackenzie was per-
spring with wrath and anxiety in the
premier's apartment hard by. All his
hopes were bound up in the appropriation
budget. What if it should not come to a
vOte} The honorable member from New
Brunswick could not be stopped for this
was the one bill in a Canadian parliament
on which a member could speak as long
as he wished. There was no way of cut
ting short the debate. No motion was in
order while he was speaking except the
motion to adjourn, and that would be adj
journment sine die.
The government members were in con-
sternation, as decorator began an elabo-
rate grafton on the blessings of yaccina-
ton, explaining "the uneXampled services
of James Phipps in spreading the mystic
rious prophy lactic," eulogizing the hero
ism of Edward Jenner, Mary Wortley
MOntagu and Caroline, Princess of Wales,
and ending that branch of his subject
with the fervid outburst: 1T thrills the
heart to reflect that perchance the vari-
olous pustule whose virtues have revolu-
| tionized therapeutics and saves mil
lions of lives, was contributed to afflicted
humanity by an illustrious ancestress of
Mary McLinn's cow
This was received by a shrek of rage by
the government benches, but Sir Peter
accepted the attention as so much APP
| plause. He then looked at the clock and
| presented some valuable statistics on the
| cost of fences in the United States, and
enlarged on the methods of hobbling COWS
! in Russia, on the various uses of cows
! horns and hOofs, on the immense superb
| GRITTY for draft purposes of Devon cattle,
| to which class the deceased domestic
! friend of the bereaved widow McLinn
| belonged, and on the activity of the COW
| in ancient times and lands whore, in jul
| venile mythology, she sometimes had "a
| crumpled horn" and is alleged to have
vaulted even higher than our principal
| nocturnal luminary, and then he began to
| describe the religious ceremonies in which
| the sacred COW of Burmah takes part
when the bell rang for vespers. A short
| true more and the session would expire
! by law, and the government had passed
| no appropriation bill.
At this critical juncture one of the gov
eminent members returned eXcitedly from
the premier's room, rushed to the orators
desk and exclaimed:
in the name of God, what ails you
| Mitchelll What do you want?n
And still" said Sir Peter, finishing
| the sentence he had on his lips, mot a
cent has ever been paid for Widow Nc
Linn's coW!"
The member uttered a vehement and
profane imprecation about that ANNA
and added; John Mackenzie authorizes
me to say that he will pay for the COW il
| you'll let this bill come to a Vote.'
Sir Peter sat down, rather tired, anC
the widow got her pay. The govern
ment organs declared that the widows
COW had cost $40, 000