“THE CAMPAIGN!

RECEPTION AND OVATION TO

ne — ne

ON. D. FEREUSON, P. L

mt

À Splendid Demonstration.

— ne re + es ee

PERFECT ARRANGEMENTS

—

VERY FINE TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION

Al Paris of the Province Represented by Influential Men

ADDRESSES OF WELCOME.

The Ministers Able and Practical Speech,

Wepxespay, May 6.

We shall not attempt to describe in de- taii the Welcome Home to the Hon. Don- ald Ferguson. Notwichstanding the vernal rain and a late arrival, it is, today, uaiver-ally admitted to have been the largest and most exthusiastic political demoustration ever given in Prince Edward Islgud.

The arrangements cf the committee were perfect and in the highest degree creditable to the gentiemen wuo composed it.

Patrick Blake, E:q., President of the Liberal Conservative Association, met the Minister at Point du Chene. Arrived at Summersi le, they were met by Richard Huntand Edward Hackett, Esquires,and many other prominent gentle- men, who extended to the honorable gentleman a hearty welcome home. Mr. Fergusou was accompaaied by his two sons, William and Colis, fresh from their echolastic triumphs at McGill University. A considerable delsy took place at Sum- merside, and the train was half an hour late in leaving. At Emerald Junction there was another short delay, duriug which an address was read and presen- ted by Mr. P. J. Trainor. To this Mr. Ferguson responded appropriately in a few words. It is creditable 10 Oonduc- tor Gillis and driver Armocr that, notw tA- stand:nz the delays, the train made the Er to Charlottetown in exactly two

ours. *

It was anticipatel that the rain would “spoil the demonstration,” and the party accompanying. the Minister was agreeably surprised by ths report of torpedoes and the hearty cheers by which h18 arrival was greeted. The station was literally packed, and chser upon cheer went up wben the Minister appeared. After warm haudshakings, the Minister wac borue upon the arms of enthusiastic youug men present, tbrough the throng to the coach in waiting. The scene upon the street was briliiant with the lights of a hundred and twenty torches carried by young men and boys. Galbraith’s Land led the long procession of _ carriages and pedestrians to the Market Hall. The “ ol flag” was carried aloft in advance by -an oki soldier Mr. Thomas Wakeling.

The decorations of the hall mere appro- priute and tasteful. Around the walls hung pictures of Canadian statesmen, past and present, and above these were suspend- ed mottoes in colored iettera,<kilfally paint- ed by Mr. Afred J. Quirk. These includ- ed such patriotie and appropriate, legends as “A United British Empire,” “Canada for Canadiaus,” “Branch Railways,” “Our Dairvy Industry,” “Esïcouragement to Butter and Cheese,” etc. and over the platform werethe werds ‘ Sir Cnan Es Turrer, Our LEADER.”

The hall was deousely erowdel. The seats, the aisles, every inch of space was occupied by men and women standing and sitting. ;

Upon the platform were the five Liberal- Conservative candidates-— Dr. Jeukins, for Queens Wesi; Mr. Martin, for Queens East; Mr. A. C. MacDonald, for + Mr. Hackeit for West Prince and Mr. Hunt for East Prince—Rev. Dr. Curren, Rector of St. Dunetans College; Rer.Ig- natus MacDonald, also of St. Dunstan:;

Rev. Father Hogan, of Tracadie; Senator MacDonald, Dr. MeNeill. of

Star ley; Hoo. William Campbell, Park

Corner; Hcn. James Nicholson, of Eldon;

M. MeUready, editor of the Guardian;

Mr. Mclsaac, editor of the Herald; Mr.

MecCourt, editor of the Watchman; Mr.

W. L. Cotton, editor of Tue ExaAMIXER; Mr.

J.T. Me:lish., Mr. J. B. Dawson and Mr.

Alfred Quirk, President and Secretary of

the Youag Liberal-Conservative Associat

ion; Mr. R. B. Norton, of Norton Brothers,

aud mauy others. Patrick Blake, Esq, presided. Amid

hearty cheers be extended te Hon. _

Ferguson a cordial Welcome Home an

read the following

ADPRESS.

The Honorable Mona Ferguson, P. Css Sen- ator of the Dominior of Canada : Srr,—The Liveral Conservatives of un

Edward Island extend to you a hearty wel-

come home, from the delicate and arduous

duties devolving upon ns at the recent par-

i session at Ottawa. À

Pr that we have not failed to

note.and appreciate the unremitting ogg

and care which have characterized you as © : representative, Ver since you obtained a sea

i janadian Senate.

. ten constantly laboured to promote

the best interests of the Province, and to z

cure for it advantages which have been in © ;

past utteriy overlooked by the Opposition _ resentatives sent from time to time to ne use of Commons.

RE congratulate you on the succ

which has at length crowned your efforts

b-half of better railway facilities for the peop e

of Belfast, Murray Harbor, and other sec-

ions of our Province. Sa ;

: We regret that the unpatriofic policy 4 Sage

struction, pursued by the Opposition, : ne

the last session of Parliament, has delaye ,

mm2diate construction of those most import-

ant and necessuy public works, and es is jus rc laint on the part ©" Our just grourd for comp Ù Er people, that this fatuous policy nowhe _

more active and persistent champions 2

from tre Grit representatives of this PES We are glad, however, that, in the face +

this policy of obstruction the pen o

Canada has pledged itself to the .immed tate

construction of branch railways in our ] vor

ince, and that for the future our people have .

guarantee that we will receive most libera

treatment in the matter of public works. £

We also rejoice at the measure _of sucress whick has attended your efforts to increase the pay of the employes ofthe Island Railway.

As our representative in the Cabinet, you have been most zealous and untiring In Pro- moting everything tending to forward our best

ess in

interests and we gladly bear testi- mony to the care and patience with which you have applied yourself to every call made upon yen by any of the electorate.

We desire to thank the Government,through you, for the care and attention which it ha: given to the butter and cheese industry of this Province. This business has now attained a marked development among us, and we :r: sure that our people highly appre- ciate the efforts of the Government to better the condition of our farmers.

We feel gratified to know that the cause of progress in Canada is not to receive a set-bacx, and that the wealth, prosperity and industries of Canada are not to be placed at the mercy of a party whose past and present render it an object of supreme suspicion.

We have the utmost confidence in the pres- ent Government, and we shall do all in our power, to the end that, when on the 23rd of June next, the rest of Canada shall have sus tained it by a large majority, this Province shall no longer hol& the unenviable position of electing representatives to oppose and thwart the good intentions of the (sovernment to- wars it.

. Evils present and future beset our Province,

owing to a wasteful, extravagant, administration of our local afiairs. Financial ruin and embarrassment are speedily overtaking us. It will tax to the very utmost the energies of our people to recover from the

great havoc which grit rule has brought upon our Island home, and we are cheered by the prospect that the general affairs of the Dominion are to continue to be administered by the present able amd progressive Govern- ment. P.. BLAKE, Pr silent West Queen’s Lib.-Con. Ass. «+ JAS. CLOW, President East Queen’s Lib.-Con. Ass. J..B. DAWSON, President Young Lib.-Con. Ass. In reply Mr. Ferguson spoke until half- past eleven o’clock holding a large pro- portion of the great audience untit the end.

Hon. Mr. Ferguson in cominz forward received a great ovacion. He said:

Mr. President, Ladies an 1 Gentlemen— This is truly one of the prou ‘est moments ef my life. The demoxsiratiou whieh 1 bave witnessed this evening is something which was totally unexpected. The re- ception you have given me to night over- whelms me. I appreciate highly this reception in s0 far a+ it relates to myself, but Ï must at the same time frankly and freely admit that I see in this demou-t'a- tion in a far higher degr-e a rgcognition on the part of the people of Charlottetown and its vicinity of the principles cf the Lib- eral Conservrtive party, of which I am *imply, to some exient, au exponent thi« evening. Irecognize in this demonstra- tion before me, and which I have witnessed since lentered the railway station this evening, a repetition @f that which is to be seen in almost every city of Canada to-day, from the fat- janticto the Pacific, (hear, hear) a great determination in the brea*ts of the people of this country to rally around the flag of our great party. (Cheer-) You are kind enougb, Sir, in the address which you have read to me, to make some very flatiering references to the part Î[ have tsker with regard to matters pertaining to the interests of our Province since I have had the honor of a seat in the Senate of Can- ada, and more particularly since I have bad the honor of holding a seat in the Cabinet of the Dominion. (Applause).

WHAT P.E. ISLAND HAS RECEIVED.

You will pardon me if I make some

slight reference to, and explanation of these things because they are not alte- gether so freely admitted by our friends on the uther side, as they have been by the President of the Liberal Conservatire As sociation, and the gentlemen who bave been instrumental in getting upthis ad- drese. The véry day that I received an offer of a seat in the Government of Sir Mackeuzie Bowell, one ofthe very first things I did was to write a letter to my colleague, the Horn. Mr. Costigan, setting forth the position of the Island with regard to winter Re cation by the steamer “tauley. I had : fore that time re atedly pressed upon the Goverument of Canada, the neceseity of popularising, As it were, that winter ve vice. Away back in the Mackenzie Ad- ministration, wben that service was inaugurated, & stupid policy was acOpted of exacting heavy charges O1 freight and passengers. Î always felt that it was wrong, and the first thing I did ae a Minister of the Dominion was to pres« upon my colleagues the desirability of making the rates for both passengers and freight on that service the same as under the summer serv ce. Thatdemand was con- ec ded aniffrom that time to the present tie winter service las been put upon he same rates fur passengers and freight as we have had for summer Com- commuaication with the mainland (Hear.) Again, the two principal towns of the Province bad been deprived during the

| was considered a very

. = Sbich i season of the moruiog train wi: dl great inconvenience.

I at once tried to remedy that grievance,

; and I succeeded with the assistance of Mr.

|

Hunt other aud gent'emen in restoring that

in, which the public had emjoyed for mn years, upon the P. E. L. 7. We then applied ourselves 10 the question of closer commuication with the “el land during the summer months. In this matter we met with some sage pire some doubts as to the _advisability of at- tempting too much in that ee: But ladies and gentlemen, you know wai followed. We succeeded ne effecting such chauges 1n the time-ta re the Jatercolonial Railway, the Point Fe Chene and Sumwerside boat and > : E. I. Railway as brought Prince Edward

Lomme)

Island within practically one da of the great centre of the Domtèton 1h oity of Montreal — both going and coming. (Ap- plause). Away back in the early days wheu our Railway was startei, à most invidious and unfair ‘distinction was made against the men on that Railway in the matt:r of the wages paid them. É'or some reason not easily understood or explained, a dstinction was drawn between the com- nsation for the services of a P, E.I.

tailway employe and the wages pus the men on the Inte-co'onial tailway. My colleagues, the Senators,

our Members for King's County and my- self have vigorously applied ourselves to the work of remedying this state of affaire. We morked earnestly long years ago to remnedy this grievance, but we were not then in a position to do much, as we had no member in the Cabinet. During iast winter aud last summer, by one -te after another, we succeeded in remedy ng, to a large extent, that invidious and dis- honcring distinction made against the men un the P.E. I. Railway by the Mackenzie aiministratien, and which I am sorry to

Say Our Party had not re- mov d., However, to a ‘arge extenut this grievance bas been taken

away, and our Railway mn are being practically placed in the same position a» the employes on the Intercolonial. Aud it Will be my effrt as well as that of my colleagues and friends (0 remove ever: anomaly that yet remains 80 thet the P. E. Isisnder, «0 long as üe p rforms ‘be same work and does it a4 well #klall re- ceive the same pay as is siven to men in the othr Provinces. (ear, hear audi cheere).

CLAÏiMS OF THE PROYIXCE.

When I took my seat in the Senate of Canada I addressed myself very soon after being introduced to that honor- able body to a discussion of the claims of the Province with regard to public works and ateum communication with the Mainland. As my friends who were with me know very well, we assisted each other and consulted with each other, aad I made a very elaborate statement in the Senate, being careful that every word should be weighed, and every figure a cur ate, so that nothing in that statement could be successfully contradicted. Afier discussing that question en the floor of the Senate, as I did, for an hour or two, I had the pleasure of having Sir Mackenzie Bowell admit to me «a few hours after- waids ‘“Fergu on, I caunot say that I ever understood the case of P. E. Island until I heard your speech to-day.” (Applause.) And I had the honor of receiving only a short time afterwards a letter from the late lamented Sir John Thompson, in which he con- gatulated me on the fairness of the state- ment Ï made in the interests of the Pro- vince of P.E. Island. (Applause) Up to that time, we had pressed the question

of a tunnel between the Island and the Mainland on the Dominion Gov- ernment. During that speech (to

which I have just referred) I discussed it in the Ight of such information as had been e‘icited by the public men of the count y, wti rgri toit; and 1 admitted fank'y thatthe work was of very grave magnitude and cf such grea'

aud fair to ak the Dominion Government to rush bliadly into it without very full formation, and until more light had been thrown on the feas,bility, practic- ability and cost oftle undertaking. And [ closed my address on that occasion by painting out to bon. members of the Sen - ae, and more particularly to members of the Government in that body, thut, as years murt intervene before the tunnel question could dealt with, as more information was wanted, and as the peuple of Prince Edward Islard had suffered for many years by not having their he of the public works of tLe country, the matter of some very much needed

BRANCH RAILWAYS IX P, E. ISLAXD

could be taken up in the meantimë# (Ap- piause.) year later [ became a mem- ber of 1h@" Government, and then [ pressed the matter on the Government as strongly as possible. My hon. friend, Mr. Mac donald, one of the worthy representatives of King’s County, addreesed the House of Commons on the question in 1895 in a very well prepared and careful speech, in which he presented-the claims of the Island in a forcible manner that attracted the ear of the (Government, and the members of the House. And as the result of chis advocacy où the part of my- self and collengues, we had a delaratior made on the floor of the House by the

on. Mr. Haggart, in which bhe outlined the diff:rent branch railways asked for by the representa.ives

cf the Province. I say here in this con- nection, and it would be verv wroug were Î to omit the mention of this fact, that my friends Mesars. Hunt, Martin, Hackett and Dr. Jenkins, (hear, hear) feeling the great importance of this work, visited Ottawa themnselres in person at that time, and interviewed the members of the Govern- ment, and presented etrong and well reasoned meinorials to the Government, urging that they should take up this work of branch railways in P. E. I:land. (Applause.) As a resuit of these eflo:t:, the Minister of Railways, the Hon. Mr. Haggart, started ir the House that he be- lieved these branches asked for iy the people of the Island were no morethan the Province was entitled to, and he pledged himself and for the (Government that whenever the Government would nunder- take the voting of any money for aïd to Railways in auy of the other Provinces, they would deal fairly and justiy with P. E. Islnud. (Applause.) Sir Mackenzie Bowell in his speech in the Senate, when Senators Prowse and Macdovald had pre- sented the case of P. E. Island with regard to these branch railways, also stated that the Government would deal justly with P. E. Island, and would carry out the promise that Mr. Haggart made in the House of Commons. I remember that some time before this, we ha pressed this matter of Railways in this Province. My friend, Mr. Martin, hal been very strenuous in his advocacy of the Belfast Railway in particular, and I recollect very well that when we did s0, we were greeted with a storm of derision on the part of our opponents who said it was a mere ele tion dodge, that :t was wrong and immoral to advocate railway branches 80 near an elec-

tion as we were thoughtto be. Jt was ail right tbey said, to advocate Rail- wars on ihe floor of Parliament,

but it was not right to advocate them throughout the country. The election was not quite so near as these gentlemen thought it was. But in counection with that matter, I may say that in 1899, my friend, Mr. Davies made a speech in the House of Commons, in which he advocated the buildiog of a branch railway from Peake’s station to Wood Islands Break- water. This was in the session of 1890, the last session before the last general election, and the last opportunity that he had in Parliament of advocating a public sork for this Province. A little before the campaign of 1891, a meeting was call- ed in Caledonia, which I was invited to attend, together with Mr. Davies. We were both present, and at that meeting the people criticized Mr. Davies’ plan for a brauch railway. They said we want a branch railway, but a line from Peake’s station to Wood Island Breakwater would be of no use 10 tbe great scuthern country. It was too distant from Charlottetown, would not run lengthwise through the coun- try and would be useless. Mr. Davies frank- lv admitted that the road the people desired namely, from Southport to Murray Har- bor tapping the P. E. I Railway near Feake’s or Uardigan station would be a preferable route. He almitted that, and pledged himself at that meeting that, if re- turned, he would advocate the construc'ion of that railway as the people then des'red it. À was then, or likely to b, a candi- date for Queen’s County; and I was asked to pledge myself in the same way, and 1 did so, I did not forget that pledge, and 1

importance that it would not be reasonable

took tho very fret opportunity when 1] entered the Senate that presented itself of fulfilling the pledge I ‘had made to the people of Caledonia and Belfast, that 1f 1 were elected to Parliament I would en- deavor as far as I was able to support the construction Of that brauch railway to that part of the country. (applause.) My friend, Mr. Davies, was successful, and I was defeated. I did not reach the Senate until about three years later; but he spert four years in the House of Commons without ever saying a word, good, bad or indifferent about the Belfast railway. (applause.) And th's same gentleman who criticized my friend Mr. Martin and Senator Prowse and others becau-e during the autumn cf 1894 and the winter of 1895 they advocaied a branch railway to Belfast had advocated a road-—not the same exactly but nevertheles: a road from Peake’s station to Wood Islands Breakwater,—and bad solemnly promised the p-ople of Cale- donia that if elected to Parliament it would have his eupport. But this pi: dge, I believe, he forgot to carry out. It was not gotten up before an election. If it was, it was Mr. Davies who brought it up in 1890. -T was pledged in 1891 to advocate it, an+ Î embraced the first opportunity 1 had cf doing ro. Last year the Govern- ment were pledged at the very fir:t time they underto:k to vote aid to Railways to leal fairly and justly with P, E. I<lard. They were pr pared to do that at this last se«sion, and would have done so hal they noi been prevented by the «btructive tactics of the Opposition in Parliament. L don't intend, at this stag», to discuss this questioa of cb:truction, but à little later ] way have something more to say about it. But I want to draw your attention, Sir, to à *tatemeut made on this platform, and which Ir ad in the Patriot newspaper to- day—2 statement made by my friend, Mr. Davies, to the effect that these branch rail- ways are only ELECTION DODGES

and that there is ro sincerity inthem. That the motion which was submitted to Parliament by the Hon. Mr Haggart. (1 am not sure that I am giving his exact words as Ï had but a hasty glance at the paper) was not a bodafile motion from the fact that it had not obtained the sanction of the Governor General before it was sub- mitted to the House. Now I Lave seen the letter written by Mr. Davies in which be explains this. He says that Mr. Haggart did not make any reference to the Governer General’s assent, and that ‘* Hansard” does contain this statement by Mr. Haggart. Well, Hansard may not contain it, aad Mr. Haggart may not have used the exact formula in all respecte. 1] think he did not; for I have only to look at the motion made before it in Hansard— a motion with regard to railway subsidies —and in this as well as in the other there

does not appear the statement that Mr. Haggart submitted the motion with the sanction and concur- rance Of the Governer General. Bat

the fact remains that the official proceed- ings of the House, the document that is realiy binding, that forms the record, and determines the conatitutionality of it, in this record the very words are used (ap- plause). I am surprised that my friend Mr. Davies should have made so rach à statement on euch very imperfect evidence when the records of the proceedings ot Parliament were available, and when he could easily have corrected his mistake. And I'am al-o surprised that in thi- microscopie examinstion which he gave to every proceeding with regard to tie P. E. Itland branch railways, he did not cast his eye a little further up on the page ot Hansard aud discover that the same for mula was missing in another motion tha! Mr. Haggart made as wellas in this ] am aleo great|y astouished that Mr. Davie- should be #0 entire'y deficient (as he seems to be) in constitutional knowledge as to imag'ue for a moment thst any swore minister under the Earl of Aberdeen would venture to go to Parliament with auy proposition Of this nature without the proper sanction. We know very well that British statesmen stand upon the constitu- tion, ani Mr. Haggart wouid Lever dare to go to Parliament with any proposition for which be had not the sanction of 1he Governor-General as weil as that of his colleagues. Think Mr. Davies also made the statement that this motion was neglected and the Government passed it over. Why, gentiemen,—the Government pass it over! He might as well tell us the Government did not want to pass the main, estimates of 1896-97, They were placed on the order paper on the 21th of January and one item was passed on the 31st:of January; and from that day uptothe prorogation of Parliament tbe Government were rever able ts go into committee on the estimates. They were passed ov.r, not once, but a score of tiines, for the plain reason, which everyore here knows, that the Opposition cau-ed such obstruction that it was jim- possible to give that consideration to the business of the country which it deserved andths interests of the Dominion demand- el. I notice the siatement îs mad: th:t this proposition to build branch railways iu P. E. I-land should be received and treaied as a bribe tothe people. It is s'range that Mr. Davies, did not l'ok atit in that light in 1899 when he made that speech * in favor of branch railways, in the House of Com- mone. Jtis singularly strange that it did uôt dawu on, any of his friends that that was an immoral kind of business for pub

lic men to be undertaking and carrying on. But, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentle- men, you remember that history repeats itself. In the vear 1836, my worthy col- league, the then Premier, now the Chief Justice of this Province, and myself, were sent to England to present the claims of the Province with regard to winter com- munication; and as a result of the discus- sous which we had with Sir Charles Tup- per andthe Eul of Granville on this matter, in the summer of that year (186) we secured for this Province $20,000 a year fer all time, equivalent to half a mil- lion of dollars. (Applause) Of course parliamentary sauction could not be got. The arrangement was made between Mr. Sullivan and myself, acting fur the Gov- ernment of P. E. I-land, aud the Govern- ment of Sir John Macdonall. The ar- rangement had ben made. An order in council was pa:sed. Bat it couli not be carr.ed into law until the sanction of the Parliament of Canada bad been obtained for that purpose. During that time an election unfortunate:y came on, and from one end of P.E. Island to the cther we fouud our Liberal friends denouncing us fur offering a bribe to the people, for rais- iag an election dodge, au election ery. The truth is we thought we were two clear years away from an election when we took that matter up. We took it up in 1895, In 1886 we advanced it to aconclusion so far as our dealings with the Government were concerned. The elections, as you know, iadies and gent'emen, were sprung upou the country that vear, at the end of the fourth vear, and x year earlier than we expected. Our opponents declared, and they got the people from one end of the country to the other to believe, that they were being imposed on, and that we were only raising this matter as an elec- tion dodge. I believe the stand Mr. Sul- livan and mvself took in 1886—-epresent- ing our colleagues in the government, representing the Conservative Party in the Province—the stand we took in going to England to advocate the claims of the Province—had no small effect, ou account ofthe way it was viewed by our oppo- neuts, in causing the Province to go for the Liberal Partv at the <election of 1#87. [ believe our act on that occz-ivn, al- though we acted inthe truest :nd best interests of the Proviuce, owia x; to the manver in which our opponents tr :ated us

owing 10 the use they made of ji he advo- cacy we had presented in Englano and to the half million dollar arrangenient we made, actually resulted in a very large number of people believing we were fool

iog th-m and not acting fairly with the people, and ended by the Province record- ing a vot: against us in 1887. You rc- member, after the elections were over, that

arrangement was

CARRIER OUT YO THE LEYYER, _

and twenty thousand dollars a year has been paid to P. KE, lIejand ever since on account of the arrange- ment made then. (Applause.) The Hon- orable Mr. Peters, fiads that but as a drop in the bucket of his extravagance, He has uot even got the common gratitude to say On any (CCasion that he is indebted to Sullivan and Ferguson for that twenty thousand dollars a year, which he knows so well how to spend. (laughter and ckeers)

As a result of our efforts in 1836 the steamer Stanley was built. It was due to the vigorous protest which we made at that time. It was due tothe earnest efforts which we had put forth that the Domniniou Goverament addressed itself so manfully to this question, and it is a credit to the Domiuion Government which has done s0 much to remove the grievances of which the people of this province have so loug and jastly complaired. (applause.)

A FEW WORDS ON THE TUNNEL.

Now, gentlemen, I want to say a few words on the subject of the tunnel beforeI undertake to discuss some questions of great concern and importance which may be in your minds on the present occasion. [understand that my friend Mr. Davies stated the other evening that the lJiberal Conservative party had gone to the coun- try in 1891 pledging that, if they were successful, they would build the tunnel

. between the Island and the mainland. My

friend must bave a very short memory. Îf he merely recalled what took place during the elrction of 1891 he would find that a mao, for whom he has a high respect and veneration, the Honorable Wilfred Laur-

ier, and Mr. Davies himself made very much -stronger promises than Sir John McDonald or his supporter:, In à meeting held in this hall

on the ]1th of February, 1891, Mr.'Davies made a speech, and owiug to the limited time at his disposal he said: [I am just going to take up two planks in the plat form of the Liberal party—the constrnc- tion of the tunnel and unrestricted recip- rocity with the United States.” These were two plaike in the Lioeral policy on that occasion— the construction of the tunnel and unrestricted reciprocity with the Un- ited States. I would ask you, gentlemen, where are these two great planks in the plat- form ofthe Liberal party to-day? Mr. Davies said: * * * “[ will show you that the Government are not in sympathy with the tunuel project, They will not go one doliar over $1,650.00. We havethe promise of the Government that they will incur an expense of $1650,00 and that they wiil not go one cent over that. That is all the Government are willingt pay. I believe the Liberal party are coming into power ou the 5th of March next, and I wrote Mr. Laurier and told him I was in full ac- cord with thg project and asked him if he was ready to approve it, and received this reply :

“<[ am in favor of the tunnel providing the surveyors show the scheme is reason- able and practicable.

SW. Laurier. ”

He was not sa'isfed with this; but at the same time he wrote a letter to the editor of the Guardian, who had written asking for an expression of his opinion. [n it he says :

“1 have your favor of 2nd of Febcuary, inst, I hardy would save thought that an expression of opiu- ion a3 to the construction of a tunnel be ween the [sland of Prince Edward and the mainland should be required of me. Every man who has given any attention to the condition of things and the neces- sities involved by the entering of the I:land into confederation must admit that such 8 tunnel must be con<tructed if the thing is reasonably practicable. The first requisite is to have an accurate survey and rel:ab'e estimater. 1 am oniv sorry that these were nut obtained long ago.”

W. Laurier.

Mr. Davies forgot to teil the people of this speech of his in 1891 on the tunnel question. He forgot to tell the people of thiStelegram. He entirely forgot that Mr. Laurier bad written that letter tothe edit. or Of the Guardian pledging himself to the censtruction of the tunnel, if at all reason- able and practicable. What were the expressions of opinion on the question on that occasion ? The Patriot newspaper AY :

“We-have the Honorable Mr. Laurier’s

the

telegram sigaed by himself. It is clear and without equivocation. It is stronger than auything from Sir John. Again on

the 17h of February the Patriot says:

‘If the Conservative party are in earues on the question, and Sir John McDonald” Government are in sympathy with them, as they allege, let us have a statement to thar cffcct over Sir John’s signature, at least equally binding &s that of the Houor- able Mr. Laurier.”

Sir John McDonald also wrote a let er- [ will read the letter, s0 that I may not be charged with keeping anything back. 1 daresay it has been presented to you be: fore :

My Dear HowLax,—

In response to your pressing request with respect to the tunnel across the Straits, Î desire to repeat that under the preseut circumstances the Cabinet are not in a position to deal with that question. If, as [ believe, the country will continue to give us their confidence, the ministry will, under my guidance, take the matter up without delay. I understand that Sir Douglas Fox is of opinion that the scheme is a f-asible one. The chief thing still unknown is the cost of construction. 1 fully appreciate the nature and extent of the obligation incurred by the Dominivn

to maintain continuous connection between the Island and the main laud. We have tried to carry this out by

the Stanley, but of course she cannot fizht againet the elemeut:; so if the cost comes within a reasonable amount, such as Par- liament feels itself justified in iucurriug, I shall be prepared 10 submit the question for their favorable consideration. I am, Sincerely yours, Joux A. McDoxazp.

Here we find that Sir John McDonald ani Mr. Laurier had placed themselves on record in, to some extent, the same way in 1891. But we wire told, and told on every platform in Queen’s County, that Sir John's letter was s0 vaguely written that it amounted to nothing at all, while Mr. Laurier’s was a square and definite promise mn tunnel would Le con- structed. NOW, you would at least expect that the Liberal Party, through their re- presentatives from this Province, and through their Leader in the House of Com- imons, would have taken at least some in- terest in that question from that time for- ward. They were pledged more strongly than we were, to take up that question. Bat =e find, instead of doing that, that Mr. Davies especially commenced to throw difisulties in the way from the very time he gained his election. In order to prove the statement [am making to you I will read some extracts from a speech made by

him in the House of Commons in the vears 1892 and 1894. You may remember that, immedi-

ately afcer the last election, the Guvern- ment of Sir Joha McDonald uudertook to have borings of the Strait made under tne direction of Sir Douglas Fox. The con- tract was let to a Mr. Palmer, who made a considerable number of boriugs, but who failed to fulfil his contract. He got into a number of difficultiss, financial and otherwise, which preveuted him from carrying on the work.

The Government, in the following vear, made a contract with the gentlemen who owned the diamond drill used by Mr. Palmer; but these men, though they labored hard and spent a large amount of money, were n"t successful in bori:g ay noles. The next year they were still allowed to go on. They were to be paid for the work actuaily done, and were not to receive any money unless they made a certain number of borings. They com- pletely failed in boring one hole. They spent $4,000. They never earned a cent, and never received a cent, The Govern-

ment felt those nie hed male such strenu- ous efforts that they were entitled to fair consideration, but, having failed, they re- ceived nothing. The next year they made a contract with another company, after baving called tenders from nine companies owniog diamond drills: They made a contract with a company who engaged to work a certain period of time for $6,000, for, after the experience already acqnired by the others, no company could be found

to enter into a contract on the same basis. After, working eighty-two days, they received $6,009. They

worked all this time and sunk four holes very successfully. A few still remain to be sunk in the very exposed and deepest part of the strait, where the difficulcies to be contended with in making the borings would be very great. While the Govern- ment was doing this they were contiuu- ously accused by the Opposition of doing ‘nothing in the metter. I find no fault with that. It is the work ofan Opposition te pick flaws. But I do find fault with the representatives from this Province who showed their unfaithfulness to this tunnel question altogether.

Sir Douglas Fox made a very elaborate report. He reported that a small tunnei which would admit cars such as would be possible to use on the railway, not such cars as are used now, but cars suitable for connection with the tunnel could be con- structed for five and a quarter millions, that a tunnel which would accommodate cars such as are used on the Intercolonial would cost nine millions, and a still larger one would cost eleven millions.

Mr. President, Lad'es and Gentlemen, whenever I saw that report I made up my mind at onc: that it was a question of having a small tunnel or none at all. I knew that these engineers’ estimates al- ways have to have a marg n allowed for contingencies, and I felt that we might talk about a five million tunnel, but when it came to a nine, ten or eleven million dollar tunnel, with such reasonable addi- tions as have to be made for contingen- cles, we would be advocating a work which would not be reasonable for the people of P. E. Island to expect from the Government, and I had partly made up my mind that it was worth our while to press for the small tunnel because if we gotitwe would have a very reasonable system of communication.

What did we find Mr. Davies doing in tlre House of Commons. In 1892, almost as soon as this report came out, he said: “I believe nothing short of the largest tunnel will b2 of any particular benefit to the p-ople. I do not think the sma!l tun- uel would be worth considering. If the cost of the tunnel istoo much,” he said, ‘in Heaven’s name let us know it. 1 don’t want to urge, year after year, a scheme which is impracticable. Will not the Government say it 18 impracticable and drop tbe matter forever.”