The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-05

where the ottawa ana the hlueau rivers Join.
These rivers dash over a great falls at TINS
point, and the Rideau canal has been built
through the city in order to connect Lower
Canada with Lake Ontario and thus prevent
the necessity of vessels going up the st.
Lawrence river under the enemy's fire. This
canal cost about two and a half millions OF
dollars, and it is said to be worth 1t. OF
tawa, like Washington was cut out of the
woods. It had 10000 inhabitants in 1854, and
it was four years later that Queen Victoria
chose 1t as the capital of her American do
minions. Today the chief businesses of the
city are numbering, lobbying and legislation.
The lumber business amounts to about So
GOO 900 a year. Legislation, l judge, is even
more profitable. for 1t costs about S31, DOC, 900
annually Il to run the government, and I tne
was over $500, 000 900. This makes $50 for every
man, woman and child in the dominion. an
average of $500 per family an enormous debt,
to say the least. The annual charge on the
debt in way Of interest is more than $40
family and the figures are still going up.
In business of this kind lobbying pays
somewhat in proportion to the legislation. so,
OF Ottawa must be thriving.
SLOT BOXES FOR CONDUCTORS.
Ottawa has a good system of street car
lines. The cars are moved by electricity,
generated by the Chaudiere falls and the
fare is cents trip. Each car has motor
man and a conductor. The conductor col
lects the fares. but he does not handle the
money. On entering the car at the station
L
sengers' heads what looked to me like
beer mug stein fitted into an iron ring
placed for the purpose in the walls OF the
car. When the conductor entered he took
down this beer mug and poked it under my
nose. then saw that the mug had top
like boys savings bank, and that there
was slot in it for my scent piece. l hand
ed the conductor a dime. He returned me
two scent pieces and again fiourished the
stein under my nose. 1 put of the coins
in the slot 1t stuck and it took the con
ductor about five squares to shake it to the
bottom. 1t was the same with the next
nickel and more than half of the conductors
time was spent in shaking the coins through
the Slot. The same method of collecting
fares prevails in Montreal save that the boxes
there look more like f1atirons than beer mugs,
and when the conductor approaches you with
one of them you fear he may be about to
assault you with some deadly weapon.
A LOOK AT PARLIAMENT.
l took a look at the parliament houses this
afternoon. They are built upon Parliament
hill, just above the commercial part of the
town. and in as commanding a location
is our capitol at Washington. The lawn about
them covers many acres, and it is as velvety
as that of an English park. At the back,
away below you flows the wide Ottawa river
its banks lined with piles of lumber and its
waters covered with saw logs. Beyond you
can see for mics across the country. Beauti-
full farms extend in every direction, and
above and below you flows the river. Near
by you hear the falling of water You walk
to side of the grounds and look down
upon the Rideau canal The parliament build
ings themselves make you think more of
cathedral than great government structure.
They based on the Gothic architecture
of the twelfth century and have many tur-
rets and towers Their material is a cream
colored sand stone, the arches over the doors
and windows being of sand stone of terra
Gotta red, so that the whole forms a fine COM
bination in way of colors. The buildings
cover, 1 judge, about hat the area of our
capitol at Washington. l entered at the
senate chamber, and from there went into
the house of commons The two houses are
much alike. They are Gothic chambers, with
ceilings of glass. The windows in the walls
filled with stained glass, that you
think yourself at first, in church. At one
end of each room is the throne, or chair for
presiding officer. This chair is carved and
there is royal coat of arms above it. The
speaker faces the door, and there is an aisle
in front OF him which runs from his desk
back to the door. The seats rise either
side CT this aisle to the walls the members
of one party having one side of the chamber
and those of the other sitting opposite. Par
lament is not now in session, and l cannot
tell as to how real parliamentary scene
- ABERDEEN AND HIS COURT.
The governor general of Canada here takes
the place of the queen. He is, you know,
appointed by her at a salary of $4,000 a
the capital. and entertains magnificently:
Lady Aberdeen is well known in the United
states. AS lar as L can leaTH,' DUH sue
and Lord Aberdeen are much loved here The
governor general has considerable power. He
dominates or appoints the senate as vacancies
occur. Senators hold their terms for life
each province having the right to so many
senator's There are now eighty-one senators
N the Canadian parliament. Each senator
must be at least thirty years Of age and
he must reside in the province for which he
is appointed. He must also have property
to- the amount of $4,000. The senate thus
corresponds to the house of lords in the
parliament Of England. The house of COM
mons is elected by the people, certain num-
Der of members icing allowed to each province
according to the population. The speaker OF
the house gets 81, 900 a year, or just half
what Speaker Reed receives. Each member
receives $40 per day, UP to the end of thirty
days and if session lasts longer than tbs,
the sum OF 81 eco constitutes lis salary Tor
absent while the house is in session he is
fined SIS, unless he can prove that his absence
was caused by illness. If the same law pre-
vailed in the United States congress our
house would seldom lack quorum. The
governor general of Canada has twelve cab
met minister's each of whom gets $1,000
year. with the exception of the premier, who
receives SS,C9O In addition to this general
government each of the seven provinces of
the Canadian dominion has a separate parlia-
ment of its own, which manages its local af-
fairs. So you see the Canadian government
is a sort OF a cross between that of the
United States and that of Great Britain. The
government in many respects treats Great
Britain as though it were a foreign coun-
try. It taxes imports from Great Britain just
as it does those of other countries, and the
money collected for taxes is spent in Canada,
none of it going to the mother country.
Frank O. CarDenter.