TAG PO SETE

The Beginning of a New Era. 517

power was conferred upon the Government to make a contract with any chartered company which might apply for the work of constructing the road. Another subject which evoked a long and interesting debate was an Education Act passed during the session of 1871 by the local Legislature of New Brunswick, whereby a new Common School system was introduced into the Province. It struck at the whole Separate School system by enacting that all schools receiving legislative aid must be non-sectarian. The measure had been vehemently opposed by the Roman Catholic population, whose opposition, however, had proved inoperative. They accordingly addressed themselves to the task of endeavouring to secure the disallowance of the Act by the Governor-General ; and in this endeavour they were seconded by Roman Catholics throughout the Dominion, more especially by those of Quebec. The Privy Council were petitioned to advise the disallowance. This prayer was refused, upon the ground that the subject was one wherewith the local Parliament of New Brunswick was fully competent to deal, and that to advise a disallowance would be to interfere with the constitutional rights of the Province. The matter was now brought before the Dominion Parliament on a motion for an address to his Excellency, praying for the disallowance of the Act. The House refused to sanction the address, but the minority in its favour presented their case in a very strong light, and convinced all who heard them that

they believed themselves to be advocating the removal of a genuine

grievance. Numerous amendments were proposed, one of which

was finally passed. It expressed regret that the Act was unsatis-

factory to a portion of the inhabitants of New Brunswick, and em-

bodied a hope that it would be modified by the local Legislature during the next session. The resolution concluded by recognizing the expediency of obtaining an opinion from England as to the true legal aspect of the question. This allayed the excitement, and for the time put an end to the discussion.

518 The Last Forty Years.

The prorogation took place on the 14th of June, and eight days afterwards the Governor-General bade adieu to Canada. During his stay among us he had been created a peer of the United Kingdom, by the title of Baron Lisgar of Lisgar and Bailieborough, in the county of Cavan. His conduct during his tenure of office was marked by the exercise of calm good sense, without egotism or display. “Lord Lisgar,’ says one of the foremost writers of the present day,* “was a veteran public servant, satisfied with his carcer ; he had no objects of personal advancement, or desire to fill the papers on his own account. He was content to perform his allotted part without exagverating it, and to appear as a faithful and dignified sresentative of the Crown. He did not go on the stump, meddle with the press, or use his high station to propagate his own opinions. His influence was exercised only in teaching colonial politicians to observe English rules, and in tempering the violence of their condicts. He was courteous, but did not hunt popularity. His hospitality was simply that of an English nobleman: it had no ulterior object, and as an example could do nothing but good. When he spoke, his words were those of sobriety and truth; nor did he ever court applause by indulging in the unmeasured flattery which is at once most seductive and most poisonous to a young nation. If, among English noblemen and publie men his counterpart could be found, supposing that the office is to be retained, Canada might go further and fare worse.”

Lord Lisgar’s successor was Frederick Temple Hamilton-Blackwood, Earl of Dufferin, a nobleman who was destined to win for himself a wider popularity than has been achieved by any other Governor known to Canadian history. Lord Dufferin is the eldest son of the late Cuptain Price Blackwood, afterwards Fourth Buron Dufferin and Clandeboye, in the peerage of Ireland. His mother

* Professor Goldwin Smith, in an article on ‘* The Canadian Tariff,” in the Contemporary Review for September, 1881,

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The Beginning of « New Era. 519

was à granddaughter of the illustrious author of “The Rivals,” and she transmitted to her son no inconsiderable share of the talent and brilliancy which are inherent in the Sheridan family. He was born at Florence in 1826, was educated at Eton and Oxford, and succeeded to the title upon the death of his father in 1841. His estates lying chiefly in Ireland, he naturally took a special interest in the question of tenant-right, on which he wrote and published a work wherein many of the features of Mr. Gladstone’s Irish legislation were foreshadowed. He also delivered several noticeable speeches on Irish questions in the House of Lords. He was a moderate Whig in politics, and his abilities were early recognized by the leaders of that party. In 1850 he was created an English Baron. He at various times filled several diplomatic positions of importance, and was for some years Under-Secretary of State for India. Later on he was successively Under-Secretary to the War Department and Paymaster-General. In 1871 he was created an Earl and Viscount of the United Kingdom, becoming Earl of Dufferin and Viscount Clandeboye. His appointment as Governor-General of Canada was made on the 22nd of May, 1872. He set out a few days afterwards for the seat of his Government, and reached Quebec on the 25th of June, three days after Lord Lisgar’s departure.

The First Parliament of the Dominion, having lived out its allotted term, was dissolved by proclamation on the 15th of July, and a general election came off during the summer and autumn. The result was the return of à majority ii favour of the existing Administration. thous' their majority was considerably reduced, and in Ontario there were very perceptible evidences of reaction. The accession of the Blake Ministry to power had tended to strengthen the hands of the Opposition from that Province. The failure of the Dominion Government to punish the murderers of Scott was a serious blow to them in Ontario, to which Province the murdered man had belonged. The Washington Treaty was another ground o° offence,

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520 The Last Forty Years.

and was very effectively put forward throughout the campaign. The gigantic scheme of a transcontinental railway was also an effective party-cry. The Opposition proved conclusively enough that the agreement which had been entered into to construct the line in ten years was impossible of fulfilment, and the tremendous cost of such an undertaking was represented as likely to involve national bankruptey. The public mind of Ontario took the alarm, and returned à majority against the Government. Sir Francis Hincks, Minister of Finance, sustained defeat in South Brant, but subsequently found a seat for Vancouver, British Columbia. Even in the Province of Quebec the Government majority was slightly reduced. Sir George Cartier himself was defeated in Montreal East, and was compelled to accept a seat for the Manitoban constituency of Provencher. It is a somewhat significant fact that whereas the Government lost strength in Ontario for not punishing Scott's murderers, their loss of strength in Quebec was largely attributable to their not condoning that murder, as well as all other excesses of the Red River insurgents, by proclaiming a general amnesty. Another fact which arrayed against them the influence of the Roman Catholic hierarchy was their action in advising the Governor-General not to disallow the Act respecting Education which had been passed, as already mentioned, by the local Legislature of New Brunswick. In the Maritime Provinces the Government gained very material strength. In Nova Scotia, such was the change wrought in publie opinion during the last five years that only one decided opponent of the Government now secured a seat. In New Brunswick the Government won several seats; and in Manitoba and British Columbia all the members were returned as Government supporters. Taking the elections all in all, however, the Opposition gained at least twenty votes, and a number of the supporters of the Administration had become 80 lukewarm that any contrary wind might array them on the hostile side.

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