Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-02
BIG FAMILIES IN QUEBEC.


Bountfes Paid to Fathers of Twelve
Children or More.
Nearly 10000 acres Of rich agricultural
land In the province Of Quebec has been
given away in bounties for large families
IN the last four years by the provincial gov
eminent. These bounties are regulated by
law, and are paid at the rate Of 100 acres
OF government land for every family Of
twelve or more children. The act governing
the bounties was a creation of ex-Premier
Mercier; was entitled IAN act to confer
privilege upon fathers of families who have
twelve children living" and contains the
following preamble:
Whereas, 1t is advisable, following the ex-
ample OF past centuries. to give marks of
consideration for fruitfulness in the sacred
and civil bonds Of matrimony, therefore her
majesty, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the legislature of Quebec. enacts as
follows.
Then come the provisions of the bill,
granting 100 acres of public lands to every
father of family. whether he be born or
naturalized in this province. who has twelve
children living. issue Of a lawful marriage"
In order to obtain the bounty the appli-
cant must present a petition to the provin-
cial secretary, accompanied by his certifi-
cate or marriage, a certificate OF baptism OF
each OF his children. and a certifca.e,sworn
before a justice of the peace, giving the
number and names of his children. Up to
this date Lap fathers Of twelve or more
children have complied with the conditions
Of this act and received the state reward
They Want Their Proportion.
Not all of them, however. are satisfied
with the amount of the bounty. Instances
Of families Of twenty or more children are
not rare, and the fathers Of these usually
look for a reward superior. proportionately.
to that acceded those who barely come
fhn OF % thn mob Ion,
G. Ominet. the present superintendent of
education in the Quebec province, is the
twenty-sixth child of the same father and
mother. There is a letter on record in the
crown lands department of the government
from Paul Belanger of River du Loup, an
old man who fought in 1898 against the
rebels of that period, who states that, de-
string to serve his country alike In peace
ana in war, he has given her many chill
dren as he has killed enemies of his nation
ality-namely, thrty-six. Mr.. Belanger asks
whether three lots of land will be given the
families, which, like his own, contain thir-
ty-siX living children. Otherwise he con-
tends that the law would not be complete.
The number of lots of land so far conced-
ed under the provisions of this law by no
means represents the total number CT fam
lilies OF twelve or more children. Applica-
lions FOR bounties continue to come in at
the rate of over 300 atyear or nearly thirty
a month. In some cases they are from
parents whose twelfth child is yet Of ex-
ceeulhSly tender age,' and who could not
earlier have complied with the conditions
OF the law. Other applications are constant
ly received from people who have only re-
Gently heard of the law, or who have held
back until sure that II was the correct and
fashionable thing 10 do to take the official
bounty.
In claiming that the new law simply fol-
lows the example of past centuries, its
authors are strictly correct. The "Ordi-
nances of Colbert framed by the famous
minister of Louis XIV, accorded 800 francs
per year to the father in Canada Of ten liv-
ing children, born in legitimate wedlock.
and 80 francs to the father Of twelve horn
under similar conditions BY the same or
FINANCES, 70 francs was paid to every young
man marrying at the age of twenty or un-
der. and the same amount to every young
woman marrying at the age Of sixteen or
under.