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The Beginning of a New Era. 515

—where he remained undisturbed and free from arrest—tendered his services to Lieutenant-Governor Archibald to assist in opposing the “invasion.” His services were not needed, and the Lieutenant- Governor was strongly censured by the press for holding any intercourse with him.

The decennial census taken in April of this year showed the population of Ontario to be 1,629,842; of Quebec, 1,190,505; of Nova Scotia, 387,800; of New Brunswick, 285,777. Adding to these the population of Manitoba, as taken during the previous year, the entire population of the Dominion was, in round numbers, three and a half millions.* The increase since the last census was proportionately much greater in Ontario than in the other Provinces but even in Ontario the increase was somewhat less rapid than had been anticipated. A great change took place in the political situation of that Province during the year. The appropriation of a large sum of money for railway subsidies, without the consent of the local Legislature, proved fatal to Mr. J. $S. Macdonald's Government, which resigned in December, and was immediately succeeded by a new one formed under the auspices of Mr. Blake. The incoming Government took decisive action in the matter of the Scott tragedy, and early in the new year an appropriation of 55,000 was made and offered by way of reward for the arrest of the murderers. It was notorious that Riel and Lépine were living quietly at their homes in Manitoba, and that no attempts had been made to arrest or punish them. It was also notorious that the Dominion Government connived at this forbearance, and a strong feeling was aroused against them in Ontario on that account. The truth of the matter was that the Dominion Cabinet were in an awkward position. They were divided among themselves as to the propriety of punishing the rebels, Sir George Cartier and his French supporters being in favour of the

* As noted in the text, the enumeration was made in April, at which time British Columbia had not entered the Dominion,

516 The Last Forty Years.

granting of a complete amnesty. Then, the Government had been compromised by Bishop Taché, who had promised an amnesty on their behalf. Lieutenant-Governor Archibald had also gone a long way in the same direction, and though he had had no authority to make any pledge, yet the Government naturally wished to ratify his promise in so far as that could be done without manifest injustice. Riel had waxed bold, and had come to be spoken of as a candidate for the representation of one of the Manitoba constituencies in the House of Commons. This was a contingency which it was manifestly desirable for the Government to avoid, and negotiations were opened with Bishop—who about this time became Archbishop— Taché, with a view to Riel’s withdrawal from Canada. The reward offered by the Ontario Government had the effect of assisting these negotiations by frightening Riel out of the country, and he was supplied with money for his support by Sir John Macdonald. Lépine also received a considerable sum of money through Lieutenant-Governor Archibald, and withdrew from the Dominion. Thus matters stood at the opening of the last session of the First Dominion Parliament, on the 11th of April, 1872. The session was largely taken up by debates on the Washington Treaty of the previous year. As already mentioned, the sanction of Parliament was obtained, but not without very strong expressions of opinion from the Opposition, who held that Great Britain’s policy of “ Peace at any price” had once more proved disastrous to Canadian interests. Mr. Blake indulged in a scathing review of various clauses of the treaty, and produced a very perceptible effect upon the House of Commons. Nor was the dissatisfaction confined to the Opposition. The Government themselves passed à resolution expressive of opinions strongly unfavourable to the settlement which had been made. The only ground upon which the treaty was finally accepted was that Imperial interests would be imperilled by refusal. The session was signalized by the passage of the Pacific Railway Bill, whereby

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