The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-20
SIN Arxxaxprm saIr DEAD.


The HreAtest canadian Esu1ncteF-fto-
n<er In the Federation Mevemsnt-
MoxrsrArs Sept l9.-Sir Alexander Gait.
the retired Canadian statesman. died tbs
morning.
TAlexander Tiiloch Gait vas : son OF
John Gait. the Scotch novelist. and xas
born IN Cnelsea, London. England. sep
ability, contributing 20 Frassrss Magazine
when only IL He cmigrated 10 Ianada
when boy, and in 1853 became c.erk IN
the service OF the British ard American
Land Company, whose operations were
limited to the eastern Townships OF Lower
Canada lie was appointed c0m missioner
OF the company in fsi4. add held the Once
for twelve years. and under his MANAGE
ment the business % the corporation De-
came prosperous. In 1910 Mr.. Gait Was
elected q member of parliament for the
county of sherbsooke. and though he was
then = Liberal in politics he opposed the
administration Of BALDWIN and Lafontaane.
voted against the rebellion losses bill. and,
despairing at that time OF Can
ton msnifesto. When Toronto became
the seat Of governments. after the destruc-
ton Of the parliament buildings a. Mont
real, Mr. Gait resigned and did not re-
enter politics till is53. when he was again
elected for Shcrhrooke, and continued IN
parliament until his resignation IN ISL.
On the resignation Of the Brown-Dorlon
government in August, ls56, the governor
general, Sir Edmund w. Head. calico
upon Mr.. Gait 20 form an administration,
bat he declined. The same year he pro.
posed resolutions in parliament IN favor
of federal union of the British North
American colonies, and these became the
basis of the policy of the Cartier Macdon-
aid government when he joined the same
year. Together with SIR George E. Car
tier and Jonn Rose, he went as delegate
To Great Britain TO urge the confederation
OF the British North American provinces
and the construction of the lntercoionial
railway before the imperial government.
He was a member OF the executive
council and minister OF finance from Au-
gust, 1858, till May, 1852, when the minis
try was defeated on the militia bill, and
held the same Office again from March.
1854, till August, fs66, when he resigned
in consequence of his opposition TO the
educational policy of the administration
relative to the British population OF Lower
Canada. He became a third time mem
Der of the privy council. and minister OF
finance of the Dominion on July l, 1867,
but resigned on November 4 of that year
for private reasons. lie was delegate 10 the
Charlottetown union conference IN 1864 and
20 that of Quebec the same year; member
OF the confederate council of trade held in
Quebec in 1865; delegate to Washington
City respecting the renewal of the reci-
procity in 1866. and to the London colonial
conference in 1861. In 1853 he went to
London with DIR. Charles III. Upper,
now minister of marine, to confer
with the imperial government on
the Nova Scotia question, and
again became finance minister on the
resignation of Sir John Rose in 1859. He
was member Of the fisheries commission
Of 1875. appointed under TIE treaty OF
Washington City; conducted negotiations
on behalf of Canada for q commercial
treaty with France ard Spain in 1879, and
in 1881 was the delegate for Canada at the
international monetary conference In
Paris. He was the Canadian high COM
missioner to Great Britain from 1880 TO
1883. He was fluent speaker, and his
monetary statements were always noted
for clearness. The most noticeable features
Of his financial administration were the
consolidation of the public debt, with pro-
visions for its redemption; the encourage
ment of direct foreign trade; the abolition
OF the canal and Lake st. Peter tolls, and
the issuing of provincial notes as currency.
He was president of the st. Lawrence 81
Atlantic railway in iS52-SS and carried
out the amaigamation OF that line with
the Quebec & Richmond, Toronto Il
Guelph aud Montreal e. Toronto. forming
the railway system now known as the
Grand Trunk railway, Of which line he
was in 1888 a government director. He
was made a knight of the Grand Cross of
the Bath in 1878, and Edinburgh university
gave him the degree of LID. He was .
Liberal until 1887, and after that Liberal
Conservative.
James X. Folks Body In . New Tomb.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Sept. i9.-With sim