THE HON. THOMAS MOSS

The Beginning of « New Era. 521

In October an important change took place in the composition of the Government of Ontario. The local Legislature had passed an Act prohibiting dual representation so far as that Province was concerned.* Mr. Blake, Premier, and Mr. Mackenzie, who also held office in the local Ministry, was thus compelled to choose between the Federal and Ontario Parliaments as the scene of their future labours. They both chose the former, and this choice necessarily led to a reconstruction of the local Government. At Mr. Blake’s suggestion, the Lieutenant-Governor applied to Mr. Mowat—who, it will be remembered, had retired from politics to the bench in 18644 —to reënter the political arena as Premier of Ontario. Mr. Mowat responded favourably to the application, and on the 25th of October the reconstruction took effect, the new Premier assuming the office

of Attorney-General—a position which he has retained without intermission down to the present day.

Towards the close of the year the local Government of Quebec were subjected to a severe strain in consequence of certain disclosures which have attained historic significance. Ever since Confederation Mr. Cauchon had sat in the local Legislature for the county of Montmorency. From November, 1867, to July, 1872, he had also held the position of Speaker of the Senate of the Dominion. At the date last named, being desirous of becoming a candidate for the Commons at the impending elections, he had resigned the Speakership; and he had soon afterwards been returned to the Commons for Quebec Centre. In the local Legislature he had all along been recognized as a great power, and his influence had been exerted in favour of the Government of the day, which was con-

* A similar measure had been passed by the local Assembly of Quebec, but had been rejected by the Legislative Council. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick the local Legislatures had prohibited dual representation years before, See ante, p. 478, note, During the session of 1873 the Dominion Parliament carried a general measure to the same effect,

+ Ante, p. 448,

522 The Last Forty Years.

ducted by Mr. Chauveau. Certain deplorable facts having become known to Mr. Joly, leader of the local Opposition, that gentleman, during the session of 1872, had moved for and obtained the appointment of a Parliamentary Committee of investigation. The facts elicited at this investigation were now made public, and the result was disastrous to Mr. Cauchon’s reputation. It was proved that he, while occupying the position of a member of the local Assembly, had long been a secret contractor with the local Government in respect of the Beauport Lunatic Asylum. The disclosures were of a most humiliating character, but no good purpose would be served by going into them at full length in these pages. Suflice it to say that a credible witness swore that Mr. Cauchon had admitted the spending of large sums of money in securing the return of members favourable to Mr. Chauveau’s Government, and that this had confessedly been done in order that he, Mr. Cauchon, might be able to force from that Government a renewal of a contract to which he was virtually, though not nominally, a party. Such evidence as this could not be ignored, and Mr. Cauchon, in order to avoid expulsion, was compelled to resign his seat in the local House. His constituents showed how fit they were to be entrusted with the franchise by straightway reëlecting him. His Parliamentary influence, however, was gone, and the aroma of the transaction has ever since clung to him. The Government itself was to a considerable extent compromised by the disclosures, and was reconstructed early in the following year, when Mr. Chauveau retired from the leadership.

In December the Hon. Alexander Morris succeeded Mr. Archibald as Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba and the North-West Territories. His acceptance several months before of the post of Chief Justice of that Province had caused a vacancy in the Dominion Cabinet, in which he had held the portfolio of Minister of Inland Revenue. The vacant portfolio was assigned to Dr. Tupper, who resigned the Presidency of the Council. The latter oflice was accepted by Mr. John

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