Ontario Community Newspapers

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 14 Feb 1879, p. 4

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| | to take it, he said that it would have been untair to let the whole Provinace have the benefit of it, as it belonged really to the city which he represented. He had given B Cauy mt BC HY L cuctkst V..J EEemeanent COdE CS IP the money as a donation to the Hospital, and theretore his name had not appeared in connection with it. He claimed that the conversation was rcally a private one, and that he had stated to the hon. gentleman that he was the first persoa to whom he had spoken of the matter. Mr. FRASER ridiculed the idea of the hon. gentleman being so particular in keeping his name from appearing in con« nection with the gift of the money, and then coming aud in the hearing of several gentliemen speaking of it so that all might Mr. SINCLAIR said it ssemed strange to hear with what ease the gentlemen learned in the law got over the rule of the House prohibiting members from using language which would be offensive to others. 'They spoke of the epithets which they would use towards each other were they outside the walls of the House. When he heard them speaking thus he sometimes wished they -- would go outside . and _ use the words they _ spoke of, _ or if they felt it incumbent upon them to re-- tain their places, that they would not at-- tempt to violate one of the best rules of the House under such a fiimsy pretenge, (Hear, hear, and laughter.) ln the matter of the indemnities, he thought the Government had been ill--used. Hethen pointed out the circumstances under which the incrense had been made, and how the motion of the Treasurer to reduce them to the old stan-- dard had been defeated, He considered the course of the Opposition not by any means a fair and manly one. Mr., WOOLD narrated tho cireumstances under which > Gover : sent increased the indemnmity ts asn.a the Opposition whether 1. s not a matler oi {).¢ play that the Gov. .m« .. shoald b«avo nad the same trank notice that the wu. ssition lutended Mr, MOWA'T pointed out the strange-- ness of the position taken by the hon,. gen. tlemen who had just sat down, that it did away with the propriety of the action of the Government that the decrease was made in obedience to the wish of the people. He was surprised also at an old Parliameonta-- rian like the hon,. gentleman blaming the Government for not iuserting a reference to the indemnity in the Speech from the Throne. It would have been quite out of place to promise a decrease there., 'The hon, gentleman had also stated in the most positive manner that the Government had had _ no intention, before the House met, of decreasing the indemunity, 'The bhon. gentlieman couid havye no possible means of knowing the in. tentions of the Government on the matter. They bhad had the matter under considera-- tion before the opening of the House, and had determined that they could not take any other course than that which they had adopted. 'The increase in the indemnity had certainly not originated with the Gov. ernment, aud it had only been decided upon on the understanding that it would be tully concurred in by all the members. 'The Government had boeen waited upon by deputations of meimbers asking for an in-- creaso, and they had acceded to the re-- quest. Mr., MORRIS said that It was perfectly obvious that when the session opened the Government had no intention of reducing the indemnity, and were only forced to do so by the strong opposition to the increased amount exhibited in the country and by members on that side of tue House, He be-- lieved the country would give them no credit for making the decrease, HMe re-- gretted that conversations which had oc. curred outside of the House had been intro-- duced into the debates, and trusted that the example that had beeu set to--night would not be followed. Mr, DEACON contended that the Gov-- ernment were bound to give the Opposi-- tion notice that they intendea to reduce the amount of the indemnity, in the same way that the Opposition had given the Government notice in a former segsion that _ they intendesd _ to move for a reduction, 'Tho fact that the sum for indemaity to members was the same in the estimates for 1879 as it bad been in 1878 was a proof that the Government had not intead=" to reduco the sum, to move to reduce the indemnity as they bad ' had of the desire of the members to Lave it increased. He explaincd the mauner in which the sum appeared in the estimates at the same amouut which was paid in 1878 . The estimates for 1879 were printed with the same fizures opposite the items as in 1878, and wrnen chapged to the figures at which they now stood the total was left the same as in 1878. Mr. MEREDITH asked when the change in the figures was made. Mr. FRASER said that the manner in which the motion made in the earlier part of the session was brought forward was | what he censured, and ho would not have | objected if the Opposition had given notice | that at a future stage they would move to reduce the amount, The breach of faith on the part of hon. members opposite was the bringing forward as a motion of want of coniidence a _ resolution condemn-- ing the Government for what they themselves were _ equally _ responsi. ble -- for. He had always defended | the increase in the indemnity, and ne would always contiaue to do so, and hne thought --that if members of the House had stood by one another, public sentiment would not have gone so strougiy in the direction in which it had goune. Mr. CLARKKE (Norfolk) moved that the item in the estimates, © Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, $400," be struck out, He also gave notice that in Concurrence he would move that the amount in the estimates to be voted for the Inspector of Rogistry Oflices be struck out. He would thus give hon. gentlemen opposite an opportunity of exbibiting their desire for economy. He been charged with not stating that he would move for a reduction in the indem-- nity, He quoted from a report of his speech in the Norfolk Reformer to show that he had declared his intention of movy-- ing at the proper time to have the indem-- nity reduced. 'The hon. member ftor North Renfrew had also charged him with being the author --of the round--robin, but he stated advisedly that that was truo as the statement he had just now nailed as false to the counter, He had been told that that hon. gentleman was one of the parties who had pressed the Government to Mr. WOOD said the policy of the Gov-- ernment was so well understood that he himself had changed the figures without consulting his colleagues, as was the prac-- tice with other items. Mr. MEREDITH asked whether it was made before or after the meeling of the House. Mr. WOOD said that he was not prepared to say whether it was made a week before or the week after the meeting of the House. Mr. SCOTT said that the hon, Attorney. General had placed the matter in an en-- tirely new light. It appeared that the House had been acting a farce during the earlier part of the session, which might have been prevented by the Government's announcing the policy which they had, it seemed, intended to pursue in regard to the indemnity, _ He contended that the (Government should have given thse Oppo-- sition notice of their intention to make & reduction . Mrc, MEREDITH coutended tkat the le-- gilimate conclusion from the action of the Government was that they had endea. voured to gain credit for a _ re-- duction in the indemnity, He point. ed out that no member of the Govern-- ment had during the debate on the motion moved by the hon. member for South Sim-- coe given any intimation that they intended to place a reduced sum in the estimates tor 1879 for indemuity to members, lfany such notice had been given the motion of the hon,. member for South Simooe would hbave been at once withdrawn, It had been said that the leaders of the Opposition had spoken in tavour of the increase. He ad-- mitted that they had, but ho called on the hon, Commissioner of Crown Lands to say whether they had not done so in con-- sequence of some statements which he had made, Mr, McLAWS said that members oppo-- site had suid that no one on that side of the House was prepared to move a reduc-- tion in the indemnity, _ He himself had becn pledged to move in the matter, and thero were hon. gentlemen on the other side of the House who were well aware of the fact, aptpch \oeat Y¥

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