The weekly examiner, 18 novembre 1879, mardi 18 novembre 1879

[" 'Oil OY, S, 'nil.Hi, Ir«hiii.iakur lr 'f t«, a< tiinj J ' \u201c Verj \" M Wilt i /«' 50 mill Fou- it.POM, DM y&G 79.r;S!!! HIES t LE ItrySafe RERS, (I Andm et ami Fini t, J-HAM.¦JD.îvcliants a ».respectfully t kies for the Eli-the connection: imes be able to is r prompt attentia ml of any cok i \u2019with, together* :aah remittances,!; ace and support,' to test their ab§i f any commodity! narkets.lolis of the * tense popslaM arts of the count, Ungland for tit-Farm Product.no, forwarding,0 jtlior infomiüj» ation to ttlH.n.: ' \" OlfMC'X .Î.F Q AT 10' great )ut Salt r EIETYS1I 'KE, P.Q- ItTMENT K «* yet to be dispose reduced prices ?ET \u201cIf you would crush corruption ami extravagance, stand shoulder to shoulder for McMaster.On paper or in speech there is no one so gushing in generous feelings anil large sympathies, so tolerant, so forbearing, as your Conservative.Take him at his professed estimate, and he is the epitome of all the virtues without any alloy of any of the vices.It is a sad thing when any of them, especially one with a little ephemeral prominence, violates this creed of universal good will.At the nomination last week, Mr.Ives, who is not regarded as over-scrupulous as to the means to be used to compass his object, had the audacity to charge the Liberals with supporting Mr.Joly and his policy because he is a Protestant.It is true he sneaked out of the falsehood on being loudly contradicted by the Liberals present, and even the better sort of his own friends joined in reprobation of the libel.Mr.Ives evidently would become a political incendiary if ho dared, with impunity.All agencies, even to the falsehood of charging his opponents with a grave crime, they never did and never will contemplate\u2014that of supporting Mr.Joly, or any other, on purely religious grounds, or opposing them only for the same mischievous and wicked reasons.Those who conceal the truth, and those who circulate falsehoods, need retentive memories.Who wore they, when Mr.Joly became Premier, who excited opposition to him on the ground that he was a Protestant % Why the very party of which Mr.Ives constitutes himself a prominent leader.It is nothing to him to scatter lire brands among the population.He would fiddle, nero-like, while the flames blazed around him.Who called the Gov.General a pirate because he hesitated to listen to the clamour of a party for Mr.Letellier\u2019s dismissal ?The very men who are the political associates of Mr.Ives.Such men reverence neither the Altar nor the Crown.They value them just in so far as they are made available for the interests of the party.There is another matter which escaped Mr.Ives\u2019 memory.Pecently a leading French Conservative newspaper apologized for calling Doctor Howard an Irishman, and then hastened to apologize for the insult by stating he was of English descent.Mr.Ives sympathises, acts in concert with the party who cast the nationality of Irish in their teeth as a disgrace and a reproach.What Irishmen were in the De Boucherville Government ?And were it not that Mr.Joly had offered a seat to Mr.Flynn, an Irish Koman Catholic, the prejudice against the race that hitherto excluded them from the local Ministry, would have excluded them from the present one.The present Premier was afraid to ostracise the Irish with Mr.Joly as a precedent, and if Mr.Flynn be in the Ministry, he owes it not to the love of JjjeXkQservatires for his nationality.Irishmen of Sherbrooke, you should ponder on these facts,and not reward men for insulting your race, when they may do so with impunity, and only cringe to or flatter you when their own interest is to be secured.It cannot, with truth, be alleged, that the Provincial Treasurer is too modest to blow his own trumpet.But the music is alwaj^s the same ; it is now so tiresome from its monotony, that people can whistle it without his prompting.Last Thursday, the old notes were again rehearsed, not to a very \u201c appreciative audience \u201d and certainly there was no deman d for an \u201c encore.\u201d The music has this merit, that it is select ; that in its _selection he carefully omits all that would jar on the ears of his friends and adherents ; he and they are in complete harmony, he fingers his instrument for the gratification and profit of himself and them.But the Treasurer represents more than himself and the bigotry of his partisans.He was elected by acclamation some eighteen months ago.And now when he is called on as a performer in the political orchestra, he should play far more than \u201c his his sisters, his cousins and his aunts.\u201d Last Thursday little was told by him that his audience did not know.The occasion was exceedingly appropriate for a more comprehensive explanation than that given.Apart from other issues it is wholly without importance whether he be elected or not.But as representing a policy he should have told his views on some questions, not yet consigned to history and in which the people take an absorbing interest.There was a hope that he would have given his opinion on the dismissal of the Hon.Mr.Letellier, and the manner in whjch it was brought about aud accomplished.It was expected he had some views to give as to the opinion, very sjgnifieantly expressed, of the Colonial Secretary, that the Government at Ottava should reconsider its decision.It wjs thought also, that he might have formed an opinion on the memorandum of Sir John Macdonald of the 17th ot April to the Governor-Geneial in which ¦feedenounces the stoppage of the sup-jtjles by the Legislative Council (an ex-ÿaet from which is given in another column).There was also a very natural wish to know his views regarding the mcreasing debt of the Province, which has gSifte on continuously, although while hejwas in office his financial exhibits always showed an excess of revenue o*ver expenditure.People were also curiipus to discover his opinion about the yailway rings which coerced the De Boucïïî?Si''\"e Government and finally led to theSl>smissal °f that Ministry.They expecçoJ t°0 that some explanation would b'O given of the Bill brought in by thatGiovernment to transfer the powers of courts of law in certain cases, to sheriffs aiid bailiffs, and exclude parties from the remedy which the law provided.They were also anxious to ascertain his views regarding the assumption of the Legislative Council in stopping the Supplies, and dictating to the Lieut.-Gov.the party from whom he should select his advisers.Theywere curious about his views as to the usurpation by theLegislative Council of the rights of the electors as to their choice of representatives, to administer their own money.They thought also, he should have given his views regarding the existence of a Council at all, and if 1 5 expenditure was not more than an eqtm aient for its services, especially wnen it becomes an obstacle to progress, and strikes a blow at Responsible Gov-ernment.They hoped, toq, the Treasurer would have promised them some security, that the Council would never again repeat their outrages on the rights of the people ; and that theTreasurer would invent some scheme which would de- THE WEEKLY EXAMINER EXTRA.SHERBROOKE, NOVEMBER 18, 1879.stroy their irresponsibility.Above all they hoped he would show that the present Government was not the successors of that of Mr.De Boucherville ; that it was not\u2019its legatee, with the same interests and hopes and aspirations ; and that it does not exist on the sufferance of the Council, nor takes office owing to the illegal action of that hod}', and that the powers of the Council will be so abrogated, hereafter as to prevent it from obstructing the administration of the business of the country .As itwas not convenient to the Treasurer to elucidate these subjects or enlighten our ignorance, we must wait till another election gives the opportunity.PRINCIPLE AND PREJUDICE.Why should I, or you, or anyone, vote against a candidate, because we may dislike him ?Are our principles ; is our political system founded on personal dislikes or partialities do we measure our loyalty to our principles by the exact proportion of our prejudices?And are we quite sure our dislikes are not not caused by the reports of our opponents ?A story without any truth but plausibly told may excite our prejudice : is it not our duty to withhold our decision till we investigate its truth.That is due both to ourselves and the party maligned.The man or candidate may by slandered, and hasty action may do injustice to him and an injury to our own cause.He must be an idiot or nearly one, who fixes, measures, and proportions his political integrity on the extent cf his own prejudice, which after all may be groundless.But the unfitness of a candidate has nothing to do with our loyalty to our principles.Even supposing the worst possible case, a candidate unworthy of confidence, is that a good reason, one that should satisfy our own conscience that we should vote for another, who is bitterly hostile to our principles, and who, if elected, i would destroy or neutralize them to the extent of his power.If we cannot elect a friend, is that a valid reason we should assist to elect an enemy, and thus entirely aid in our own political ruin ?Will any Liberal incur that responsibility?The utmost that can with truth he said of our Liberal candidate is that he is accused of a libel 'on the Minister of Agriculture.But this is not yet proved, or even tried, and a man is considered innocent until proved guilty.The Conservatives twist the story and circulate the falsehood that Mr.McMaster is out on bail as a crim-inal.The whole story is thisiMr.McMaster conceived, rightly or not, that his friend and Pastor was being oppressed by the Minister of Agriculture, and came to his defence in a letter to the Examiner.He may have been indiscreet or injudicious in the language used.That he admits.But he has given security that he will prove his charges against the Minister of Agriculture, or abide the consequence.That is the whole story ; there is nothing in it to make an honest man'blush\u2014nothing of which to be ashamed.The Conservatives are fertile in finding {expedients to slander an opponent.They should remember the adage about those living in glass houses.The temptation to retaliate may become too strong to he resisted.If they are prudent they will circulate no more lies, though they have others afloat, compared with which, the one under notice is a veiy venial crime.BOTH CANDIDATES.It is much to be regretted that on occasions like the present when political feelings are warmed up to more than ordinary fervour, personalities of the coarsest kind and infamous insinuations and charges, take the place of candid impartial argument.Some margin may be allowed in the ardor of political excitement for forcible language, but not so as to trench on the domain of veracity.We are to liable to regard rumors as truth, aud give them currency so as to damage an opponent.'If we sin in this manner, we must expect retaliation, for the time has not arrived when men will offer both cheeks to the smiter ; nor have we yet cultivated the charity that thinketh no evil to the extent that we will not render railing for railing.We have nothing whatever to do with the.private or moral character of our opponents except to the extent which it is associated in public questions and measures.The Liberals do not, and will not asperse or traduce the Tory candidate for this constituency, in his private or individual capacity.If they cannot succeed except through slander, they would prefer to discontinue the contest.We are sorry to observe that the same policy ; the same forbearance ; the same reticence, have not been extended to the Reform candidate.Not that the slightest evil can result to him from the personal aspersions in which some of our opponents have so profusely and so wickedly indulged.In any comparison of the merits of both gentlemen, or of contact to establish the claim of either for support, they should he crit-cised in their representative character.A trespass beyond this limit is owing to an ignorant bigotry, to a partizanship which will scatter slander broadcast, for the sake of damaging an opponent.The Tory candidate and his Tory supporters point with pride to his administration of the finances of this Province while he was in office.We would be the last to withhold whatever merit he may have earned.But how is it that under conservative rule, a succession of Conservative Governments since 1867, when this Province did not owe a single dollar, and at the period of Confederation she was entitled to large assets most ot which she has since realized, that the debt of the Province of Quebec has reached the enormous sum of twelve millions of dollars,aud this, too,exclusive of municipal debts still owing to railways ?This fearful financial liability was run up by the extravagance and corluption of Conservative administrations, and had not the ruinous waste been clicked last year by the Joly Government, it is probable another million would now have been added in the financial burden under which the province staggers.It may he replied thii Hon.Mr.Robertson is not accountable tor the entire of this Provincial indebtedness ; no, hut he was the strong unswerving supporter of the policy by which this enormous liability was piled up.And he has a strong personal interest, with others, in adding to it.He embaiked in a railway enterprise\u2014a thing in itself legitimate enough.But the moment he demanded a subsidy, he'became an active supporter of that financial policy which has assisted to push the country to the verge of bankruptcy.He had a personal interest in adding to the huge debt.From the day he entered the Legislature to this hour, has he ever ceased to support a Conservative policy?While in the Cabinet, or out of it, that support was steadily and continuously given.And for what purpose has he accepted the office of Treasurer, and asks re-election as the Finance Minister?Is it to diminish railway expenditure and refuse an increase of railway subsidies ?That would he an abnegation of self-interest the present Government never heretofore displayed, and one, from any evidence.their former history supplies, we have no reason to expect.The present Government is essentially a railway combination.A majority of the Ministers are directly interested in these enterprises.Others are indirectly interested, so that in fact the present Ministry is the old De Boucherville organization renovated and revived under a new name, but with the same policy the same instincts and the same interests.But we have heard it observed in defence of the Hon.Treasurer\u2019s claim to he re-elected, \u201c he lias nearly completed the Quebec Central Railway, opening up a portion of this district to settlement, and developing its resources.\u201d That is all true ; but no more so than those who are constructing the International Railway and similar roads.They are all patriotic, benevolent men, giving their time and talents to benefit the public ! 1 But whose money builds these railways?Does it belong to the promoters of these enterprises ?How much have the Pres-dent of the Quebec Central and his directors invested in that road ?The money that builds it is contributed by the Province generally, and by local municipalities.So that the Hon.Mr.Robertson and others in a similar capacity are merely the almoners of public gratuities, and if they expect to receive only the public gratitude, that is a new phase of benevolence in their character, a development they had given us no reason to expect.The Hon.Treasurer and others have offered to the public'to become their hankers, use their money in railways and appropriate it to themselves eventually as their own personal property.Now the liberal candidate for this constituency is as much a representative man as the Provincial Treasurer.He is the agent or rather the representative of a Scottish Company who have invested about half a million of dollars in this district, a goodly portion of which is sunk in the International Railway.This money was not raised by a levy on the industry of this Country.It was and is owned by the members of the Glasgow Canadian Land and Trust Company.When they conceived the project of investing their money here, they did not come to the Legislature begging a subsidy, asking to have the people taxed for their personal benefit, and promising incidental advantages as an equiv aient.They staked their own money at their own risk : the enterprise on which they have already expended half a million of dollars, owes nothing to subsidies or public levies on rihe population of Sherbrooke,and chiefly this district has shared largely\u2014directly and incidentally in the benefits of this invesment.And is it too much to say, that the Liberal candidate is as much a representative man as the Provincial Treasurer\u2014 with this important difference that the former represents a Company who have used their own money ; the latter represents himself ; and while the plea of doing good to the public is in his mouth his hand at the same time is in the public chest.If you not want to bave railway rings revived, and tbc courts of law shut In your face, tben cast a solid vote for McMaster.A Few Facts for the Electors of the County of Sherbrooke.No.1.The present seems the most opportune time for you to relieve your county from any connection with the Railway ring inaugurated under the De Boucherville Government which was for a time overthrown by the Joly Government coming into power, hut is now once more in the ascendant under Messrs.Chapleau & Co.Mr.Robertson, your late representative and now asking re-election at your hands,'was and is a member of this railway ring, and interested to the tune of about $200,000 in on increased subsidy of $2,000 per mile to be given to the Quebec Central Railway.Mr.Chapleau is also another member of said ring and largely interested in an increased subsidy to the St.Lin R.R.Mr.Paquet is also largely interested in an increased subsidy to the Lin and Arthahaska R.E.Messrs.[Lynch and Eacicot are also largely interested in an increased subsidy to the railroad lying west of us.The International railroad is also largely interested in the sum of$160,000 increased subsidy.Should Messrs.Chapleau & Go\u2019s Government be supported by the people, the first step to he taken by them is to pay the increased subsidy to the respective roads named and others to the amount of at least $1,000,000, out of the public Treasury of the Province of Quebec ; and Mr.Robertson, if his appointment as Provincial Treasurer he will have the disbursing of that amount of money as well as all others monies to he paid out on behalf of the Province.Largely interested as Mr.Robertson personally is to the amount named of at least $200,000 for which he has made \u2022himself liable, do you consider him a proper person to be placed in that position, then by giving him the power, to take the sum of $1,000,000, or more out of the public funds and pay it out to his political friends to retain themselves in office, to his personal friends to support him in his situation and to the Quebec Central to retain himself from a personal liability on behalf of said road, under which lie has placed himself.From my personal knowledge of the situation,Ibm satisfied that it is a matter of life and death, financially, for Mr.Chapleau, Mr.Robertson, Mr.Paqitet, as well as the promoters of the International, Black River and other railroads west, that the new ministry should get control of the public funds and thus save themselves aud their connections, and their friends from financial ruin by increasing the subsidies as named.Whose money do they, propose to use for this purpose ?Is it not yours and mine and every other individual who contributes by taxation, duties, or otherwise to make up this fund ?Are you disposed to contribute of your hard earnings for this purpose ?If not, now is your time to so declare, and by your vote' say to Mr.Robertson that you consider him personally interested to far too large > an extent to again place the power in his hands to make any such use of the people\u2019s money.Under the directions of Messrs.Chapleau & Co., the Legislative Council were induced to withhold their vote for the supplies as passed by your representatives in the Legislative Assembly at its late session, tor the special purpose of embarrassing and upsetting the Joly Government ; thereby causing great damage to the public credit and stopping the payment of all monies owing by the Province of Quebec to its employees and creditors generally.The members of this council are appointed by the government and not elected by or in any way responsible to you the people.Is it your pleasure to continue this power in which you have no voice and allow them at any time they may see fit to thus thwart the expressed will of the people through their representatives chosen by yourselves ?If not, you have now the opportunity to say so to Messrs.Chapleau & Co., and to the world by casting your votes against Mr.Robertson.Weigh well these matters and vote as your consciences shall dictate, and in the interest of yourselves, your country and those who shall come after you.Observer.no.2.From careful observation of the affairs of the Province of Quebec which have been enacted under our eyes during the past year, 1 have been perfectly satisfied that the whole matter was started and has been pushed along under the direction aud guidance of the powers that be at the Dominion Capital at Ottawa.The first part of the programme appears to have been the dismissal of.the Lieutenant-Governor Letellier at Quebec who, on Mr.DeBoucherville advising him that he could only rule the Province through the voters of a railway ring, was positively asked to step aside that some one else might try and see if it could not be done without the dictation of this ring.This action of the Lieut.-Gover-nor gave umbrage to Mr.DeBoucherville and liis triends and although rectified at Ottawa, could not be forgiven, and as soon as Sir John A.McDonald came into power a vote of censure was passed upon him and a request to the Governor-General to dismiss him on the flimsy plea that, his usefulness had gone.This however was refused by the Governor-General, and thus Sir John and .his friends found themselves in a fix out of which he could only relieve himself by a resignation or a reference of the point to the Queen\u2019s advisers.This latter course he took and immediately started with several others to England to get the matter dicided as they might wish, which they succeeded in doing, consequently Lieut-Governor Letellier had to retire and Mr.Robi-taille put in his place as one on whom Sir John could depend to cany out his wishes.The next step was to embarass the Joly Government then in power, but whom the Opposition failed to overthrow after some 22 motions of want of confidence were pressed to a vote but unsuccessfully, by inducing the irresponsible Legislative Council to withdraw their assent to the supplies as passed by the people\u2019s representatives in the Legislative Assembly, which they very complacently did.This, however, not succeeding in overturning the Joly Government a new shuffle had to he made and during the interval of adjournment by some hocus pocus process, some five of Mr.Joly\u2019s supporters were bought over to the other side of the House and on the re-assembling of Parliament, Mr.Joly was outvoted, and he at once asked the Lieut.-Gov.to grant him an appeal to the people.This, however, did not suit the views of the Opposition and after sundry telegrams to and from Ottawa for instructions, was refused, and there was no other way but that Mr.Joly and his Ministers must resign which they accordingly did.Mr.Chapleau was then called in and formed a new Ministry, with himself as leader and Mr.Robertson as Treasurer, and these and other Ministers are now before their constituents for re-election.On Thursday next you are notified to assemble at Sherbrooke, and choose from one or more candidates who may offer themselves\u2014one to represent you in the Quebec Legislature, and by your voices then, or votes on the Thursday following you will have the opportunity of declaring whether you are ^satisfied to be handed over to be governed by the railway ring, the Legislative Council who are in no way .responsible to you and to the dictation of the Ottawa Government as to who shall and who shall not conduct the affairs of the Province of Quebec, in which 'you are more immediately interested in.Hoping and trusting that you will weigh well the consequence of your action at this most important crisis, I leave the matter in your hands.Observer.If yon would escape from the tyranny and usurpai ion of the Legislative Council, give McMaster your Vote.The Quebec Government\u2019s Prospects.In\u2019the composition of the present cabinet at Quebec, there are elements of weakness and decay.Its members are bound together not by a common principle but by a common lack of principle.The gentlemen who \u201c conciliated \u201d Mr.Chapleau and the Legislative Council by passing over to their side, comfort their consciences by calling this a fusion \u2014a coalition, and the members of the old clique who form the majority of the Cabinet,hardly conceal the fact that for their part they donotconsiderthe present arrangement a permament one.There are men who have done longer service that will not be satisfied without reward.One doughty supporter is already on the war-path against them, and is said to have some following- Mr.Chapleau, it is said, does uot show too gushing cordiality towards some of his new acquisitions.But with them, as is well understood between them, it is not a question of cordiality at all, but of one thing more substantial.It is said that there is only one or, at most, two members of the new Ministry that have not a personal interest, direct or indirect, with railway grants.This is a matter their own constituents can best enquire into.If it be so, it must prove expensive to the Province if the Ministers are elected.It is said, too, that it has cost one contractor a hundred thousand dollars to bring about the change.Whether that be the sum or not, it has certainly cost one contractor a great deal of money, and it the Ministers are elected, this will have to be repaid.If it has cost so much to bring the reconciled together it would from all appearance cost more to keep them together, even should this election go in their favor, all of which would have to come out of the pockets of the people.The prospect of their success is, however, constantly darkening.The member of Parliament for Cardwell, Ontario, made the remark some months ago at a meeting in this city that it was absurd to talk of a man\u2019s being a Conservative at Ottawa and a Liberal at Quebec, but absurd or not it is getting to be a very general fact that men who are staunch Conservatives at heart, and who vote Conservative in dealing with Dominion matters, are supporters of Mr.Joly, himself a natural Conservative, and the number of such increase daily.Our constitutionalists have every reason to hope for an early return to power stronger than ever.What is now most to be feared is their accepting support in the present struggle of the sort that would have to be rewarded later at the expense of the people.Temptations to this sort of thing will not fail to offer themselves, and only the sternest principle will avail to resist them.But by accepting any support with condition, stated or implied, they would simply be drifting upon the very rock on which their opponents are wrecking themselves.The raison d'etre for a Joly Ministry is its purity, economical policy and its constitutional stand.Without this their usefulness would he gone.Let them go to the country on their own merits, and we are much mistaken if they are not triumphantly vindicated-\u2014 Witness.The People Have Seen.Circumstances have placed it in the power of frte constituencies to settle the greatest constitutional difficulty which could possibly have arisen in the administration of this Province.The electors who are about to settle it by their votes will be anxiously regarded by every intelligent man in this Dominion who appreciates the freedom and privilege which his fathers bought for him at a great price.And they will be judged by the result.If they prove untrue to themselves and their fellow citizens of this Province, they will not be able to plead ignorance.The question is a constitutional one, but like all truly great and important constitutional questions, it is one which cannot for a moment be misunderstood.The people have seen it take shape before their eyes.Step by step, until it reached the present stage, they have watched it closely.It commenced when a weak Ministry, supported by a majority made up largely of claimants for railway grants, was compelled by those claimants in order to satisfy their demands, to take steps to illegally tax the people, and threaten to take them by the throats when they resisted .They have seen Lieut.-Gover-nor Letellier refuse to abet the act of illegal taxation, and on his doing so they know the excuse which Mr.De Boucherville offered, that his government was in the power of railway rings, so strongly represented in Parliament that he could not resist thorn.They have seen Lieut.Governor Letellier first refuse to accept illegal measures dictated by railway rings for the express object of robbing the people of the Province openly, and then entrapped by his advisers in conspiracy with the railway rings into consent to those illegal measures.They have seen the Lieutenant Governor then resist these advisers and finally dismiss them.They have seen that Mr.Joly was called in and accepted the responsibility of the Lieutenant Governor\u2019s act.They know that immediately the Lieut.Governor, by dissolving the House, submitted his own course and that of his late advisers to the people.Fifteen or sixteen of those railway ring representatives were dismissed by the people, and Mr.Joly came back so strengthened as to be able to hold the administration of affairs, and for twenty months he has economically and righteously administered the affairs of this Province.That the people themselves know how wisely their affairs have been managed and have rejoiced in honest and pure government, let results of the elections for the constituencies of St.Hyacinthe, Yer-cheres.Ron ville and Chambly attest.They have seen, however, that a power which they could not reach has deposed the Lieutenant Governor, who made it possible for them to overthrow an oppressive Government, placing another in his stead.They have seen how loyally Mr.Joly accepted the new head of the executive, and under him carried on the Government, in spite of the most factious opposition from the disappointed and hungry railway clique, who are guided by Mr.Chapleau.They know how the expenses of the session were uselessly increased by an obstructive and fruitless Opposition in the Assembly, and how, in spite of over a score of moY lions of want of confidence in Mr Joly\u2019s Government, the popular House voted the supplies intact to the advisers pf the Crown.Had it ended here, Mr.Joly and an economic and righteous government would have been in power to-day, thousands of dollars would have been saved to the people, and what is more than all this, the privileges of Parliament and the liberties of the people would have been preserved intact.But when defeated in the Assembly, the people have seen how the clique \"instigated the Council, an irresponsible body, to usurp the privileges of the Assembly and the rights of the people, by demanding that the Lieutenant-Governor choose other advisers than those who had been confirmed in that position by the people.They have seen, how, taking advantage of their immovable position, this Council enforced their unconstitutional demand by blocking the supplies, an outrage which no one has gravely attempted to defend.They have seen how Mr.Joly stood out in their defence, which he would have done successfully had he been supported by those representatives whom the people sent to support him.They have seen how these representatives have betrayed both them and their leader at the hour of their greatest need.They have seen how when thus betrayed Mr.Joly made a final attempt to defend the people by advising the Lieut.-Governor to give them an opportunity of at once defending themselves from the unconstitutional encroachments of the Council, and of punishing those who so basely betrayed the right of self-government by the people, of which they were the elected guardians.They know how this rightful demand was refused, and now they see Mr.Joly and the Government elected by the people replaced by whom?\u2014whom but the old railway clique, whom they overthrew for corrupt administration of affairs and for illegal taxation, with the addition of two or three of the turncoats.Mr.Chapleau\u2019s accepting office is an en-dorsation of the unconstitutional act of the Council whereby the people were robbed of the right of governing themselves.He has taken into his Cabinet Mr.Ross, the Councillor who moved the motion blocking the supplies.Mr.Ross has been thus rewarded for robbing the people of their dearest right.The head and front of his offending is the act whereby he has gained the position he has gained to-day against the will of the people.The present Government is the Government of the Council, not of the people, and the people have watched jealously the means by which they have attained power.Having seen all, the people know thoroughly that the point at issue is, whether they are to he governed by a Government chosen by themselves or one chosen by the Council.Their answer should be unmistakeable.A free Government should not fail from off the land.\u2014Witness.It' you woul«3 avoid inscreased Taxation, support McMaster.Sherbrooke and Brome.To the Editor of the .Montreal Witness.Sir.\u2014The people of the Eastern Townships are supposed to be the best educated, the most enterprising and the most intelligent in the Province of Quebec.Their representatives in the Legislature, as a rule, compare larorably with those from any other part of the Dominion, and the judgement of their election in political questions is generally solid.Under these circumstances the people of other districts of the province will attach a great deal of impor-tanco to the Verdict' tC h\" rendered by the people of Sherbrooke and Brome on the 20th inst.Both these constituencies are Conservative, but in a crisis like the present it is to be supposed that the importance of the questions involved will outweigh all considerations of party.Messrs.Robertson and Lynch are well-tried representatives, who, asa rule,have the confidence not only of their own constituents, but of the.whole province.Under ordinary circumstances these gentlemen, returning to their people with the prestige of having been made Ministers of the Crown, would be returned by acclamation.But to-day there are two other considerations which the electors should weigh well before giving their votes ; they are the circumstances under which the new Ministry have come into power, and the composition of that Ministry.The causes which have led to the change of Government are, firstly, the dismissal of Mr.Letellier.This was done in direct contradiction to the wishes of tlie Governor-General, in opposition to the advance of the Imperial Government, which recommended that question should be reconsidered, and to public opinion in England as expressed by the London Times ; and notwithstanding that the people of the province had endorsed Mr.Letellier\u2019s conduct at the general elections, and in violation ot the Constitution, which declares that some weighty reason must be given for such a dismissal.The second cause was the action of the Legislative Council in refusing the supplies, a proceeding at variance with all parliamentary government, and dangerous to the freedom and privileges of the people.Thirdly, the disgraceful manner by which the votes of some members of the Government side were secured.By such means as these was accomplished the defeat of a ministry which had governed with economy and saved the province from the extra taxation which their predecessors had decided to impose.The second consideration is the composition of the new Ministry.The Premier, a man who is celebrated as the hero of the disgraoefulTanneries swindle, and whose bosom friends are Senecal and Dansereau.Two other members of the Ministry are men who have treacherously sold their party and deceived their constituents ; the fourth is the man who is the author of the outrage perpetrated by the Legislative Council.Such are the men with whom Messrs.Robertson and Lynch propose to govern the country.Will the intelligent electors of Sherbrooke and Brome be so blinded by party feeling or personal respect for their members as to endorse such conduct, or support such a Ministry ?A Conservative.The New Ministry.The act of usurpation is complete.Tlie Council\u2019s demands have been complied with, and they have been gracious-pleased to vote the Supplies.The Council demanded that the Lieutenant-Governor choose other advisers than those to whom the representatives of the people had voted the Supplies.Tlie Lieut.-Governor ignored tlie advice of the Council and retained his advisers, and the representatives of the people supported his responsible advisers by adjourning ihe House, in order that the Council should in the interval have an opportunity of learning the will of the people.Never were expressions more unmistakable, and yet the Council persisted.Now some of those who were elected to represent and carry out the will of the people have .succumbed to personal interest and the demand of the Council, and so the will of the irrespon-sibles of the Council has become law.The names of those who by the grace of the Council and tlie will of the renegades have become the sub-rulers of this Province were published by us last night.With the names of most of the Ministry the people of this Province are familiar.Messrs.Chapleau, Loranger and Robertson are very different men, hut are alike members of the \u201c brute force \u201d administration which attempted to take the people by the throat, hut who were hurled from power by their intended victims, a fall which has been approved at every by-election held since.Mr.Ross is one of the immortal fifteen who blocked the Supplies.He has his reward.Mr.Paquet is another representative of the railway ring power, which terrorized poor Mr.De Boucherville, who was too honest to conceal it, and who is apparently satisfied to remain outside of our future Cabinet, which is composed of similar elements.Mr.Paquet is, therefore, a representative member.He is not insignificant\u2014he signifies to the people the return of the old railway ring influences which make more taxation necessary.Mr.Flynn was a supporter' of Mr.Joly, and was highly considered by that gentleman\u2014a recommendation which, coming from Mr.Joly, means something more than mere flattery.If he is acting conscientiously, as we are glad to presume he is, we sincerely hope that he will act in the interests of the people at all times.I:-.such a Cabinet his opportunities will be neither small nor few.The Gazette, the Legislative Council, Mr.Chapleau and his clique are satisfied.The people have-had no say in the matter of a change in administration.They have in every possible way, but the decisive one which was denied them, protested against the act of the Council, and the railway ring Government.Their quarrel is henceforth not alone with the Council, but with those members who by confirming the act of usurpation of the Council have betrayed their own privileges, and with then} the rights of the people.Their constituents will have an opportunity of pronouncing upon such a base betrayal\u2014Witness.The Main Question.But we must be careful that in tlie swirl of election excitment we do not lose sight of the main issue, which is whether we are to acknowledge that the members of the Legislative Council are our actual rulers or not.The present change of ministry has been brought about by them as thoroughly as if they had dismissed one Gouernment and elected another.Having stopped the Supplies so as to give M.Chapleau a chance of buying up a few members, there is no reason in the world why they should not in a month or more from now refuse assent to some othe rmeasures imtikthe coalition Government shall give way to one made up entirely of the bleus.An apperl to the people would bring about some sort of popular settlement of the matter, but that is denied by the Lieut.-Governor.And it comes to this, and nothing less, that at present we are governed by the irresponsible Council, and not by the responsible Assembly.I can understand newspapers supporting this unconstitutional iniquity when they have an eye to advertising and printing patronage ; but how men calling themselves British, and crediting themselves with a knowledge and love of British Constitu-tiowri Government, can advocate it, is something Ï do no understand.\u2014Canadian Spectator.The only thing we can do now is to make strenuous efforts for the abolition of the Council.The thing was an anomaly at its birth\u2014an experiment afterward\u2014a failure now.The day for an oligarchy has gone by.Let the Liberals of the Province of Quebec get up a petition to the Imperial Parliament for the removal of this governmental absurdity, and they will certainly succeed.It was never intended that such a power as that which they have so wickedly exercised should be invested in their hands and freedom-loving Englishmen would put an end to their office at once, if the case were laid before them.Whether Mr.Chapleau and his Cabinet exist or not the Quebec Council should be snuffed out.\u2014lb.The Eastern Townships Elections.To the Editor of the Montreal Witness.Sir,\u2014Your remarks on those of your correspondent respecting the Hon.Jos.Robertson have met with the approval of many of your readers knowing him personally.I have watched his conduct in the House of Assembly, and have often been made sad by seeing that in his votes and by his speeches, he showed himself to be one of the mosf slavish supporters of the Chapleau faction.I think it is doing him no injustice to state that lie never gave a single vote in support of the Joly Government.Besides, did he not justify in the House the conduct of Mr.Chapleau on the matter of the St.Lin Railway scandal, when it was under discussion ?Many people wonder how it is that members from the Eastern Townships representing constituencies of more than the average intelligence, should be found supporting men and measures of the most objectionable kind.Where would the Chapleau party be now had it not been supported by such men as Mr.Robertson and Mr.Lynch ?The latter is, if possible, the most culpable.Before the House adjourned in summer, in strong terms he expressed his disapproval of the factions opposition which the Government had received ; and it is reported on good authority that almost the same time he gave Mr.Joly to understand that in future he would give him an independent support ; and yet, he was the person chosen to lead the attack on the Government which through treachery and corruption of the vilest kind, succeeded in overthrowing the only honest and capable one the Province has had since Confederation.\u201cHistory repeats itself!\u201d Was not similar conduct too often seen in the neighboring States during the struggle on the question of Slavery before the war ?Doubtless that iniquitous system would have been brought to an end sooner, and probably in a peaceful way, had it not been for the support it received in Congress from members representing the free States.It is to be hoped that at this crisis in our provincial affairs the electors oi the Eastern Townships will not allow any local interests to influence them in the choice of representatives, but will elect men who will not be the servile followers of a clique, who by vile intriguing and jobbery, has not only made this Province a by-word and reproach throughout Canada, but has brought it to the verge of bankruptcy.\tAY.Quebec, 11th Nov., 1879.McMaster is tlie People's CaniU-