The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-11
mes their size in everything but terri

| sutulon INTO operation. 1t provided for
adding to the four provinces above men
toned all the other portions of the Brit
ish possessions on the North Amer
lean continent. The statesmen sue
eeeded in quieting the title of the Hudson
Bay company to what was known as the
Northwest Territory. By this stroke of
policy, which cost only million and
half dollars, an addition equal to about
one-haH the size of.the United States was
added to the new Dominion. British Co
lumbia and Prince Edwards Island Were
also added in this period, and Manitoba,
carved out of the great Northwest, was
added as a province of the confed-
Grafton Newfoundland is now the only
| portion outside of the confederation,
and negotiations more or less active are
now i'll progress for its admission.
In addition to this enormous expansion
during the first five years, the government
dealt with the construction of the Inter-
colonial railway. The improvement of
the canals. harbors and lighthouses
|
the construction of the Canadian Pacific
railway had also made some progress.
on commercial lines the record of the
new Dominion was prosDertty-the times
were propitious. Our own country's COM
rnerce had not yet recovered from the
backset O. the Civil war. The farmers
Of Canada found here ready market
for ell they had to sell, and their fac
tories had orders in advance for their
full output 10 meet general election
under such circumstances was like go
! ing to picnic.
But opposition to the government had
| developed. It was contended that they
were going ahead at too rapid a pace
4 Fault was found with the plan proposed
! for building the Canadian Pacific railway.
The amount of $5O,COO0OO in cash as
bonus to d company and 25,OOO,O0O acres
OF land was considered altogether be-
yond the ability. of the country. The
! plan proposed by the opposition was to
construct the roadsas a government work
and to proceed only as fast as the re-
sources of the country would warrant
without going into debt. The amount
mentioned was $2,eeo.OOO year. This, at
the estimated cost would require about
seventy-fve years5to complete the job,
whereas the gtyerpRnent plan contemplate
/ ed its completioas IN ten years Thus
the issue of. t6e3skeond general election
was Joined, and, the contest was carried
on with considerable acerbity The
government was triumphantly returned.
and Immediately commenced to put their
! policy into operation. Sir Hugh Allen, OF
the celebrated steamship line, got the con-
tract, his scheme being substantially the
same as has since. been adopted.
by the Canadian Pacific. Railway
company. viz TO. have line
of steamers on the Pacific ocean to con-.
meet the Vest and East .,fsat now fell
a thunderbolt intot the government 1t
was asserted blythe spppqsitIon thatJa cor
rupt bargain ]. had been made. between
Sir John ~ Iaedona5fsyd q premier. aud
Sir Hugh 4ftens y WHICH latter, for
and in cd8kldera ton ,zof money furnish
ed for the election fund, was to get
the contract for building the road This
was what became known as the Pacific
i Scandal" 1t was not denied that Sir
Hugh had contributed literally to the
! election fund. The matter came to a
head when one of the leaders of the OPP
position,:. rlsings to a question. Of: priv
ilege in. parliament stated that if he
| were granted royal commission he could
prove that the Eumor was correct The
premier accepted ne5chalienge, appoint
/ ed three judges assa commission. and,
with his party resigned the reins of gov
| eminent. W;
/ Hon. Alex. Mckenzie, as leader of the
opposition, was called upon to form a
government. his was at the close of the
! year 1873. In The beginning of 1874 a gen
eral election. was CALLED and the old gov
1 eminent party was defeated, a large con-
tingent of Sir Johns political friends Civ
ing credence to the scandal voting for
I the Liberal party.
ton of. the country. The revival of the
Industries of the United States had clos
ed our markets on the Canadians. A pro-
/ gressive government had been supple
mented by another that was noted for its
| inertness. The opposition, now led by Sir
! john A. Macdonald, urged the govern
ment to adopt a protective policy which
/ they contended would remove the pre-
vailing distress. The leading members of
the government were, however, professed
free traders, and would hear to nothing
of the kind, The governments slowness
4 in building the railway and their unen-
! terprising policy generally Disguised many
| of their followers, and was Notifying
to those Conservatives who had turned
| cry of the Pacific Scandal" and. when
the parliamentary term expired the
! fourth general, election in 1878 proved a
I general landslide for the Conservatives
/ Immediately the country experienced a
business revival The adoption of the
National Policy so-called-a protective
tarif-seemed to infuse new life into
:. every department of trade and commerce.
The railway construction was also taken
up and vigorous policy on the old lines
adopted The contract was let to a syn
dictate to be completed in ten years The
leaders of the opposition declared that