Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-12-14

vi 1917, the country was governed
under the constitutional act by two
distinct councils-eXecutive and leg
islative. They were independent OF
each other and through abuse Of
privilege began to think themselves
Independent of the people The pi-
oneer settlers, whose only thought
was for the clearing and tanning OF
the wilderness, cared little for pol
itics. Theirs was a fight against the
primal and the wild and they thought
of the government only as a help to
them in their mighty efforts.
The men in whose hands rested
the responsibility of welding civic
power abused their trust. They gave
valuable lands to political friends and
spent money corruptly that was in
tended for the settlers who needed
aid. These abuses brought about dis
satisfaction and distrust and the pi-
oneers began a fight for a better and
more competent form of government,
a fight which ended years later in
bloodshed and rebellion but which
finally obtained for the Canadian peo-
pie the almost perfect constitution Of
which they boast today.
For years the prejudice existing be-
tween the French and English was an
obstacle to the great struggle against
privilege and injustice
Canada in those days was divided
into two provinces, known as Upper
and Lower Canada and while Mac
kenzie was fighting for justice in
Upper Canada, NJ. Papineau was
struggling with the corrupt powers of
Lower Canada. The latter was de-
feated in his peaceful fight and, fired
by all the passions that liberty in
spires, he resorted to rebellion Thus
by means of bloodshed he succeeded
in obtaining the suspension of the
constitution of Lower Canada The
rebellion spread to Upper Canada,
where Mackenzie took up the fight,
and although he was defeated and ex-
lied the principles for which he
fought won out in the end and the
act of Union of 1910 gave Canada
its first united and responsible gov
eminent. The provisions of the act
OF union were by no means COM
plete and factions and dissatisfactions
were the result until 1867 when the
North American act gave to the land
of the maple leaf a government I'M
der which it has grown and pros
pered
Provisional Legislatures.
The provisional legislatures of the
Dominion of Canada correspond In
a great many ways with the state
governments Of the' United States.
In every way they resemble the Do
minion parliament, having, with the
exception of Ontario, house of
commons and senate. The lieu
tenant governor Of the province
stands in the same relation to the
provisional legislature as the govern
or general of the Dominion to the Do
minion parliament. The premier Of
the province is supreme in the pro-
vincial parliament, just as the pre-
mier of the Dominion is all over
Independent and supreme in It's
own Dominion the Canadian parlia-
ment, always loyal to the British
crown, stands a separate and distinct
body, in no way subservient to the
imperial parliament of England. 1t
has the power OF making it's own
treaties with foreign countries and
since the establishment of the Su.
preme Court of Appeal, In 1875, the
Canadian parliament has been prac-
tically Independent OF the British
Privy council. Legislative acts re-
garding Canada are never passed by
the imperial parliament unless they
are stamped with the approval OF the
house Of commons at Ottawa.
From the days of the northwest
rebellion to the recent clash over the
reciprocity treaty the Canadian ship
of state has weathered some rough
seas. Among the many events that
stirred parliament to its depths the
Manitoba school question stands out
The credit of it's settle
ment rests with Canada's foremost
Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Limi-
tations of space prevent the men
ton of all the storms that rough.
ened the waters of Canada's political
sea. but most important among the
many were the Bering sea fishery dis
pute, the Alaskan boundary cues
ton, the Atlantic fisheries question
and. most prominent among recent
storms, the Canadian naval bill.
For the last Is years the Canadi.
an parliament has been remarkable
because of its wonderful chief, Sir
Wilfrid Laurier He has grown old
in the battle of Canadian betterment
and the great deeds of true life have