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'VI ■' . ,'
■«
I THE IRISH IN CANADA; l
%
A. LEG T U IZ K
■ ■■/^
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"^W". JBL. SJ^j^J^LuJElTl, EIkSQ.,
MAYOR OF OTTAWA,
»,
DELIVERED AT ST. PATRICK'S HALL, OTTAWA,
<D1^
TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 26ih, 1877.
4.'
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Republication, tvith correct iou6, q/' I'Jte Trihmte's report..
#
if TRIBUNE BOOK AND JOB PiaKTlN(J OI'FICK, H« Ar>KLAlbK STUKKT KAST.
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THE IRISH IN CANADA.
St. Patrick's Hall, Ottawa, was crowded to
its utmust copacity, on Tuesday evening, the
2l)th ult., to hear the promised lecture, by
Mr. Mayor Waller, on the sbbject of "The
Irish in Canada." In the audience were many
leading citizemi of all classes and different
shades of politics.
Ex -alderman Honey Mas called to the
chair and the Rev. Father Whalen also
occupied a seat on the platform. The chair-
man having briefly introduced the lecturer,
who on rising was greeted with a jierfect
storm of applause,
Mr. Waller said -.—Before immediately pro-
ceeding to oar subject, I deem it but right to
state that in the remarks I am going to address
j'ou this evening my object is not political.
My pur{)ose is simply, ia our interests, as a
component part of the Canadian people, to
convince you that we are not so l)adly off in
our adopted country as certain parties — for
whatever object— would lead you to believe ;
and to point out that it is not in our interest,
nor in the general interest of the country,
that we sliould be carried away by the false
impressions attempted to be created by a few
dissatisHed individuals in Ontario— and in
Ontario only- -who, charged with havittg per-
sonal ends and objects in view, desire to ac-
complish thciu at our expense ; and who, in
pursuing so unpatriotic a course, would do us
an amount of mischief or injury if not check-
ed in their career. (Applause.) I projjose to
demonstrate to you the weakness and
absurdity of the position taken up by those
would-be leaders or dictators, and in con-
cluding, to point out what in my judgment is
the true course for us to pursue with the view
of obtaining that one thmg which alone 've
have any reason tt) complain about in Canada
— adec^uate representation in Parliameut. I
am not going to treat you to a flowing or
flowery dissertation, hut to a recital of plain
facts, which I consider it in our interest
should be generally known, and which it
will be to our benefit to reflect upon.
The population of Canada is, as you are
aware, a mixed one, being made up of no less
than
KUJHTEKN UIFFKRKNT NATION ALITIKS,
and some twenty-five or thirty religious de-
nominations. All of these are on an e((uality
in the eye of tlie law and the constitution,
and all of them are — and must be- equally
interested in tlie welfare, prosperity, and
advancement of the country ; for if it be
prosperous and progressive, all must enjoy
their proportionate share of the prosperity ;
while, on the other hand, if stagnation lie the
order of things, all in their respective degrtses
or stations must proportionately suffer.
Now, these being the facts, it is a plain pro-
position, easily established, that it is not only
m the interest of those eighteen nationalities
whose lot is cast together in this happy land,
but in the interest of his their native or
adopted country, that pe<..ce and unity should
prevail amongst them, and that they should
live together in friendsiiip and hannony, and
as far as practicable all pull together for the
general good. (Applause.) The soundness
of this proposition, I take it, can hardly be
denied. I am safe in asaerMng, then, that
whoever acts in opposition to these senti-
ments, and counsels an opposite course of con-
duct, is an evil genius in the country, whose
advice, in so far as it clashes with the princi-
ples laid down, is not safe to follow,
and whose influence for mischief, as far as
possible, should be counteracted by the wise,
the prudent, and the go(xl. (Applause.) A
house divided against itself cannot stand . A
hou.-<e or family is but a nation in miniature,
and no more can a divide<l nation prosper and
pn)gre88 than can the memberB of a family
who seriously disagree. It is not, tiierefc-e,
in the broad interest '•t
its people, in its social
cerns, that national or
should be unnecessarily
aroused ; and where there
tionalities associated together in one great
partnership, as it were, for a common object,
xi any
ONE Ot THOSE NATIONALITIES
singles itself ov^from all the rest to create
this country or
or political con-
sectional feelings
appealed to or
are so many na-
1*';
■%,
-1*.
national iirojnilicos aiifl kcq) alive Hei'tariun
iHRUi'B, a niitural ciins('<|iU'i>pe of the operatiim
of huinuii iiiitiire will be that that, nationality
or sect will inherit in a grt^at douree the ho«-
tility of all the rest, and will (Certainly l>oa suf-
ferer and no gainer to the full extent of ita iudis-
eretion in this resncct. This hfing ndmitttd,
and it cannot well ne denied, it is obvious to the
least retleeting that the true interests of the
Irish in ('anada — whether I'rotestant or Ca-
tholic — lies in avoiding the occupancy of bo
anotnaloiis anil unjirolitable a position : and,
in every way in their power, to discounte-
nance and disapprove of tiie conduct of ^unau
thorized individual:! who, devoid of a broad
patriotism, to answer seltish ends and jiur-
po8«8, continually deal and dabble in national
and sectariai issues. (Applause.) In my ad-
dress on 8t. Patrick's Day last, which, it is
pleasing to me to know, met with so exten-
sive an approval from the leading and think-
ing Catholic men of the Dominion, I pointed
out that in trade and connnercc, arts, agri-
culture and manufactures, and in the nnvtter
of public contracts, the Irishmen of Canada
were in uo way behind their neighbours of
other nationalities in either enterprise or suc-
cess. This cannot be vlenied — no one pretends
to contradict the assertion —and on this head,
therefore, we hear no complaint from the
conatitutioaal grumblers and igitators,
will) profess to have so much at heart the
welfare of their countrymen and co-reli-
gionists. It ujay be taken for granted,
then, that on these heads there is no room for
complaint ; although to my mind, if thou-
sands of our countrymen who drag out a
miserable existence in large towns and cities,
both in l^anada and elsewhere, were to make
an effort to settle tiiemselves on a farm— how-
ever humble their beginning — they would bo
tar more ccmifortable, far more independent,
far happier, more contented, and better off in
every way than they can ever possibly hope
to be depending on the precarious subsistejico
of a day 8 labour. Much bett'^r would it be
for theui— much more in their true interests
— to direct their attention in this way, and
encourage them to proceed in a course that
leads to independence, health and comfort,
than to eternally iitipress upon them the false
idea that one-half of them are entitled to
government situations ; that they are not
getting their due ; that they are crushed out
by a grasping? ascendency party ; that they
should bury all these grievances m their souls,
and hope and w-ait for a day of retribution,
under the guidance of some self-constituted
guardian, to mete out vengeance upon the
pol'tical oppressor of their race and creed.
The Irish are not a mereenar< , place-hunt-
ing people ; they are a people of honour, pride
and principle ; a people who love fair play
and justice, and ask for no more ; and, in
the exercise of their elective franchise, cast
their votes intelligently, accoaUng to political
(jonnction or through jMirsonal appreciation
and rcsjiect ; but there are a few scheming
demagogues of their number in almost
every community, as there are rotten
branches on every tree and sickly sheep in
every flock, who for the advancemenu of their
own private interests, take the name of the
Irish people in vain, and incessantly talk about
want of justice to Irishmen and Catholics
want of representation in Parliament -and
want of fair jilay in the di8tribution of public
jMitronage ; all for the sake of di-awin-^ an at-
tention to themselves as leaders or spokesmen
— self-elect — that thereby they may benefit
themselves or their connections, by a liberal
share of that patronage they speak so much
about. Sucii persons as these are the worst
enemies of the Irish Catholics of Canada. (Ap-
plause) Their conduct is a course of libel and
detraction of national character ; they provoke
for us ail hostility and op]>osition that we
would not otherwise encounter, and seriously
i.npede our social, material, and political
advancement. It is my purpose to convince
you before I have don'i, that more than one-
half the agitation of these unpatriotic in-
dividuals, which is so injurious to our intcidsts,
is misreproseutation.
According to the last census,
THE POPULATION
of the Dominion WPS .S, 579, 752 souls, or, with
the addition of probable populations of
British Columbia and Manitoba, say, for round
numbers 3,600,000. This total population, as
I have told you, is made ujp of some eighteen
different nationalitiea, dividetl into some
twenty-tive or thirty religious denominations ;
the principal divisions by nationality Ijeiug as
follows :
English and descent 706, .169
Iri^ " " 846,414
Scotch " " 549,946
French Canadian 1,082,940
Germans 202,991
Other nationalities 97,101
British Columbia and Manitoba
say 21,218
Of this total the Irish number, as nearly as
possible, 850,000 ; the religious complexion
of the population being as foUows :—
Protestants of all denominations . . 2,035, 0i)6
Catholics 1,537,923
Religion not given 26,981
Of this 1,537,923 Catholics, about 400,000, as
nearly as can be estimated, are Irish and of
Irish extraction. Now, with these few facts
and others I will refer to, in our possession,
and for the sake of accommodating ourselves
to the arguments of the agitators, making
population according to nurnbers, a basis of
national representation in the Civil Service, in
the Senate, the Cabinet, and the Parliament
of the Dominion, we can, with a littie oalcu-"
lation, tell exactly how maay officers, how
many Senators, how many W inisters, and how
many members of Parliair.ent the Irish in
4. -„.-,.--
Canada are ontitle<l to under the Dominion
ftovemment. In all these respects the gram-
biers charge that the Iriwh aiut tlie ('atholicg
are ostnicined, and that the Scotch are swal-
lowing up the fat of the land. Well, lot us
investigate for a littlo and see how far the
charge is true. In 1872 the
TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOVKEM,
nuder the Dominion Ooveniment, was a little
over thirty six hundred ; for round numbers
we will say three thunsand six hundred. As
you are aware, the number of members in the
House of (Jommons is 206 ; the number of
Senators 77, and the numl)er of Cabinet Min-
isters 13. Now, let us tiiko a few sums in
simple proportion, as follows: If .3,600,000
peojile employ S,600 liaiuls, how many of this
number are 850,000 Irish entitled to ? An-
swer, 850. Again, if 3,6(X),000 people give
200 members to the House of (,'ommon«, how
nwiiy of this number are 8i>0,')00 Irish en-
titled to ? Answer, 49. Again, if 3,600,000
peojilc give 13 Cabinet Ministers, how many
of this iiumlier are 850,000 Irish entitled to ?
Answer, 3. The Senate, or House of Lonls, is
composed of 77 meml>er8, and by the .same
system of calculation just resorted to we find
that the Irish in Canada are entitled to 18
Senators, on the basis of representation ac-
ci)rding to population. From these calcula-
tions, the correctnoas of which cannot be
denied, it will be seen that according to the
contention of the agitators the Irish in Canada
are entitled to 850 officers under the Dominion
(roveminent, ic> 49 members of rarliamcnt,
18 Senators and 3 Cabinet Ministers. But the
Irish are divided into Protestants and Catho-
lics, and unfortunately too sharply lietp up
th«i dir.tinction for their own good or the
good of the country ; antl the grumblers will
insist on an even distribution of the honours,
offices and emoluments. Well, again to
accouintodate ourse.lveM to their views, let us
assume nunibfrs shop Id be a basis for
denominational representation. In this case
the Irish Catholics wouhl be entitled to 400
offices under the Dominion Oovernment ; they
would be entitled to 23 members in the House
of Commons, to 8 representatives in the Senate,
and to one Minister in the Cabinet. Tli«se
facts being all ascertained, it now remains for
UR to see how far
THE IRISH AND THE CATHOLICS
are represented in the several positions in-
dicated.
It will be remembered that in 1872 a return
was made to Parliament of the names, origin,
creed, position and pay of all the employees
of the Dominion Government. That return I
hft\ e carefully analyzed, and tind that those
in the emijloy of the Government classing
themselves under the hea<liiig "Irish and Irish
Canadian '" were 780.
English and English Canadian 506
French Canadian 450
Noy» Scotians 393
Few Brunswickers 2H
Scotch and Scotch Canadiana 297
Canadians 449
British Canadians 290
Other Nationalities 175
Of those who cliissitiod themselves as " British
Canadians," 69 arc of Irish extraction or Irish
Canadian, 50 being Protestants and 19 Catho-
lic ; and of those who registered themselves
as "Canadians," 130 are of Irish extraction
or Irish t-'anadian, 94 being Protestants and
36 Catholics ; so that, by adding those of
Irish extraction, included under the headings
of "Canadians " an<l " British (Canadians," to
those who have put thomselvos down as "Irish,
and Irish Canailians," th<' total number of
Irish in the emjiloy of the [>oniinion (Jovern-
meiit in 1872 was 979. m 129 o\or what they
were entitled to on the basisi sought for by
the demagogues. And if to these we were to
add the large nninber of Irish appointments
that have been made within the !ant tivr
years, the figures would be still more in-
creased. So that, in so far as appointments
to office under the Goverinnent, arc concerned,
it will be seen no justice has been done the Irish,
and there is no room for complaint on this
head. (Applause.) Of these 979 Irish em-
ployees. 496 wenf Protestant, and 483 Catho-
lic, showing ttie Irish Protestants having 46
over their due, on the basis of representation
by j)opul.ition, and the Irish Catholics 83.
The total amount of salaries of these 979
employees, annually, wius about -§4.30,000, the
proportion of the Irish Protestants being
about $224,000, and that of the (Jatholics
about ?206 000. In the face of those indis-
putable facts, deduced from the statistics of
the country, carefully gone into and ascer-
tained by myself, I think it must be verj'
plaiii, to everyone, that there is no room,
whatever, for the disturbing cry of unauthor-
ized individuals, that Irishmen, and (/atholics
in particular, do not get their fair share of the
public patronage.
In the Senate, or House of I,ords, the Irisl,
are entitled to 18 members. At the present
time they have 13, leaving them short five of
their number in that body. Of these 18
members, the Protestants are entitled to 10
and the Catholics to 8. The complexion of
the 13 memlwrs now in the Senate is 6 Irish
Protestants and 7 Irish Catholics, leaving the
Irish Protestants four short of their proportion,
and the Irish CJatholics one. So that, in so fai-
ius the Senate is concerned,
. IRISH CATHOLICS '.' . ,
have no reason to complain of want of justice
being done them there. Now, as to the
Cabinet, I have shown you that the Irish are
entitled t() only three members on the princi-
ple we have b^eii c<m8idoring — two of those
three Irish Protestant, one Irish Catholic. As
it is, there are two Irishmen in the Ministry,
one a Protestaut, the Hon. Etlward Blake,
one of the ablest men in the Dominion ; a
■HBR
'/*■
.^■
f(entlein»ii whose great mental powera and
force of character not only conatitute him an
ornament to the House of Commona, but a
credit to the nationality to which he b«long«,
and of whom for these ((uslities his countrymen
in Canada have juiit reason to feel proud.
(Applause. ) The other member is an Irish
Catholic- the Hon. W. R. Scott— (Applause.)
— a gentleman of refinement and ability, well
qualified to fill the responsible position he has
'Jie honour to occupy, and to whom also for
tliese reasons his countrymen and co-reliffi()n-
ists may look up with a desree of justifiable
pride. Here, again, it willbe seen that the
Irish Catholics of Canada have their full
number allowed them in the Cabinet, thus
<{iviug the most emphatic refutation to the
stock-in-trade cry of the Kruniblers, that Irish
Catholics are not sufficiently reprmented in the
Cabinet.
I would ask you now to note particularly
this fact, that in the three Departments I
have referred to — the Civil Service, the
Senate, and the '"'abinet — to none of those
Department!^ are the appointments elective —
they are not made by the popular vote — but
by the act of members of Parliament and Min-
isters of the Crown ; and when we, also, make
a note of the additional fact, that the
MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT
and in the Cabinet is largely Protestant, we
have a very good evidence — a clear proof — in
the facts adduced, that the disposition is to
deal fairly with aJl creeds and nationalities,
and that there is no room, in this country for
creating ill-feeling and division among the
people, by stirring up false issues of a national
character. In the words of his Grace Arch-
bishop Lynch, "Any attempt to cause dis-
sension and distrust amongst our citizens,
and especially among the Catholics of this
Province, by stirring up national prejudices
and personal antagonism, is injurious to Ca-
tholic interests, as well as to the community
at large, and should be strictly avoided. " In
the facts I have just laid before you, I have,
as you perceive, made my calculations on the
basis of representation according to popula-
tion, as this is what our disinterested advo-
cates only ask for, and the result is tliat if we
are to be satisfied with this, we must have 129
Irishmen dismissed from the service of the
Dominion— 40 Protestants and 83 Catholics —
we can get only one more representative in
the Senate - ana he. it would appear, is about
to be appointed — and no more in the Cabinet,
as there we have our full quota. (Applause.)
But I do not believe in this arrangement. I
do not believe in limiting ourselves to what
we can get on the basis of representation ac-
cording to numbers. I do not believe that
the establishment of such a system would be
in the inter«rt of the country. I believe
that
FITNRSS AND ABILITY' FOR THE POSITION,
irrespective of national oi religious considera-
tions, should l>e the recommendation to office
or position, and that these qiialitications
should be the only passimrts to preferment in
public lite. (Applause.)
While in the ( 'ivil Service of the Dominion,
in the Senate and the Cabinet, as I have
shown you, there is little room for Irishmen
to complain, there is some ground for dissat-
isfaction as to Irish and Catnolic representa-
tion in the House of Comnums. On the prin-
ciple of representation by })opulation, we are
entitled to 4i* meniber«i in that assembly 23
Catholic and 26 Protestant* ; but, as now con-
stituted, we have only 28 representatives out
of the 206 ; 20 of these being Protestant and
eight ('atholic, thus leaving the former short
six of their number and the latter fifteen.
Here, I say, there is room jterhaps for some
complaint. The present complexion of the
House «f Commons is 0(1 Scotchmen, 54 Euf,-
lishmen, 48 Frenchmen, 28 Irishmen, two
Germans, and eight members of other nation-
alities, returned Irom the different provinces
in the foUoving proportion :
i i . -s i 4
* W A Pt; O O
Quebec 3 10 3 45 . . 4
Ontario 40 28 15 1 2 2
Nova Scotia... 13 5 2 .. .. 1
New Brunswick 4 7 4
Prince E.I 4 1 .. 1 .. ..
British Col 3 3
Manitoba 1 1 I
Of the 28 Irish representatives m the House,
Ontario, it will be seen, gives 15, Quebec 3,
Nova Scotia 2, New Bruriswick 4, British
Columbia 3, and Manitoba 1. Of the 21
members that the Irish are now short of their
number in the House of Commons, Ontario
should furnish 15, Quebec 4, New Brunswick
2, Nova Scotia 1, and Prince Kdward Island
1 — deducting 2 from British Columbia, which
gives that number over its proportion. Now,
if there was a law by which, according to
numbers, members of
THE DIFFERENT NATXONjLITIES
were to l>e nominated for Parliament and
elected in the ditfereut Provinces, every na-
tionality would have its full quota of mem-
bers, good, bad, or indifferent, and no na-
tionality would have any more than its due.
But there is no such law in the Dominion, nor
is there ever likely to be such a law— nor
would it, perhaps, he in the interest of the
people of the couutry that any such law
should be enacted, as the operation of ^uch &
system wouli; have an enervating mental ten-
dency, and in time under suish a mode of
selection Parliament might possibly degene-
rate, and the country suffer in the character
of its legislation in consequence. At the pre-
sent time, as I have already dhown, the popu-
lation of Canada is made up of no less than
1
j
'•$
w
i'
•
L,
■ S
'fc ■
i
B^^u^i^^.i^
E.MV-.i,^;l^
■«f
•7
eighteen nationAliti«M ; uf these, however,
Ihcro are only Hv« in )nrf(e iiroportioiis— the
Kn^liili, Irish, .Scotoh, French, and (Jurnians.
The»e five principal coiiiiKmentt nf viur {xtpu-
lation <lu not iuh/ibit Kvo iiartiinilar diHtrictM,
each jieculittrly Kn^lish, Irinh, Scotch. French
Mid (ierman, each having pt>rticiilar intcreHtM
^4> conserve, or he legislated fiU, neparatu and
distinct from all tht; rcHt ; on the contrary,
this complex population of ours inhabits the
Mrholu Dominion, uru all mixe<l up with one
another in the matter of local habitation, buHi-
ncHH relations, and uocial intercourse are all
mutually d«iH!ndcnt u[Mni one another for in-
dividual pros{)erity or Huccor, and the country
depending en the unite<l and harnioniouH
eliorts of the whole of them for its j<enBral
• welfare, stjtbility, and development. Theso
being the incontestible facts, the necessity for
the enactment of a Irv oven if wuch could
reriousl y engagt- the attention of legislators - to
give representation to nationalities according
to p(>pulation is not very apparent - for the
men who asfiemble from all parts of the Do-
minion ill the halls of Parliament to make the
laws which govern the country are not sent
there, nor do they come there to legislate for
nationalities or for particular interests of any
kind, but for the general interests of the
whole country ; and, therefore, if one na-
tionality be in a maj.)rity and the other
in a minority in Parliament, no injustice
Could be done the general interest thereby.
No-one coinpouent of the ]iresent Parliament
is strong enough, of it«elf, to undertake to
make special legislation in behalf of its own
nationality or creed, that would be prejudicial
to the others ; and if any such attempt were
nia<iu, or attempted to be made, the immediate
punishment would be found in a united acti-.m
of the other nationalities reproseiuisd, to
crush out so unjustitiable a breach of our
» liberal constitution. (Applause.) While
these are facts, however, and while these are
my sentiments concerning them, I am free to
admit, and always have conteiuled, that the
number of the Irish in Canada, their influence
J and inteliigente require that they should
, have a
LARGER VOICK IN THK OOVKHNMKNT
of the country than what they have at pre-
sent ; but I, as an Irishman, and having a
, proper respect for myself, for my native
country and my fellow-countrymen in Canada,
am only prepared to advocate the increase of
our present members, by the means provided
under the Constitution, and that is a free and
fair competition at the polls. (Applause.)
And if in this way we fail to get it, it must
certainly be our own fault to a great extent.
If in this way we cannot get it, never let us
descend to the menial position of begging for
it from any party in power, as if incapable of
helping ourselves ; never let us be trapped
into trading in religion or nationality to
. enable us to gain what wo ought to secure in
a fair, manly, active, constitutional wwy.
Much a course would not Ik; digniHe<l nor
honouralile, nor cfgenial to the 'nstincts of a
iiroud |HH)pl« such as the Irish are ; it would
tte t(Mi low, too meiui, t<H> hontile to Irish
interests in Canada, ttwi dangeroi4H an example
tt> set or be emulated ; and in this young
country with its niixeil popidation, with the
elements of peace an<l pDsperity within it'j
ontinos, I trust the co'inscl of those •.'.ho
advocate such a weak and undesirable course,
destruction of harmony and goinl citizenship,
may never prevail. (A[i])huiso).
Hut I have shown you that, complex aa «<ur
population is, no injustice could hn done to
any partii'ular nationality in the H'nise of
Parliament, by its being m a minority there ;
and I have also shown you, from the indis-
putable statistics (>f the country, that Irish
interests do not sutler in the Dominion, al-
thouKh Irishmen have not their full numlHir
in Parliament. There is, therefore, no real
or logical necessity for advising the Irishmen
of Ontario to make themselves
XS KXrKrnoN IN THE IMIMIMUN,
by banding together, apart from all other
nationalities, for the anvaiiceineut of Irish
political interests. Such a course iu quite
Uiexi>odient ; such a course is quite imprac-
ticable — impossible of acconiplishnient for
very obvious reasons— and, if it were prac-
ticable, and attempted to be carried into
effect, it ivould result in stimulatinu hostility
against us, and, instead of bettering our
prohci.. condition, would sadly impair oi
injure our m terial and jiolitical prospt^rity in
the future. The only ptissible justification
there could be, for asking Irishmen in Canada
to divest themselves of their political princi-
ples, and band together as a national or religi-
ous organization, would be the evidence of a
well-defined disposition on the part of thtir
fellow-subjo jts of other creeds or nationali-
ties to do them an injustice, or, by a factions
attitude, deprive them of their rights. No
such evidence of any such feeling or intention
exists — no such evidence can be lound in the
broad extent of this Canada of ours — and,
therefore, there is no necessity for a policy of
isolatitm or extlusiveness, an<l ihose who
counsel such a course of conduct are not
friends but enemies (it may be ignorantly so)
of the Irish in Canada. Steadily our position,
sot:ially, materially, and politically, is getting
better year after year — not getting worse ;
and, with the advantages this country aflords
the rising generation, in the exoylleut
provision made for their culture and educa-
tion, and with the disposition manifested
by the Irish people to give their children the
fullest benehts possible of aueh a provision,
we can safely predict that whoever lives for a
quarter of a century will find, "* the end of
that time, our status, as a component of the
Canadian people, one hundred per cent,
I)etter than even it is to-day. In i.t8 model
6
address at Uxbridge, in Jam ary last, his
Grace,
ARClinSHOr LYNi'il,
(applause) couiisellort Iiih boarc ruin the folic, r-
ing wovds : '' I would advise our people,
Catholicn efjieciulij. to tndeavour and iiiaki-
comfortable homtH for tlii'iiiselves and their
children, and to e-liuute theni well litfort
they begin to meddle miu-h in politics, except
to cast their votes, and tlun in favour of fin-
pa'-tythat the)i ivnucientioimli/ roxxliltr ifilf hftil
adminisler the ajfairit of thi- nation. Some too
soon and very imprudently pcok after civic
and Parliamentary honoiirsi, at the <ixpense of
their own business, and almost ruin lluin-
selves and tiieir families. It is pri;fcrid)Ie to
have honours thrust upon us than to lie run-
rinj? a break-neck ehaiice after them.
Thirty yeais ago you
would see but few Iribh nanies as members of
the learned ]irofe8sion8, of Pariiament, or of
Congress. Now, looking over ihe general
almanacs of the year, I tind Irish naims by
the huni'red, in every walk of life. The sanc-
tuary of the church is filled by the sons of
Irinhmen, some in the highest othces ; and
<.jr convents are erowded with the nobl-;-. and
self sacrificing daughters of the Island of
Saints. Honesty of faith, industry, sobriety
and relic.oe on Providence are aids to health,
strength and independence . . . Let us
shoulder to shoulder Vjuild un our own country
with a generous loyality without forgetting
the land of our birth. I expect to live and die
in Canrda, I have always endeavoured, in my
own sphere tn identify niyK'jlf with the best
interests of the country. I wish to see it a
great nation — great in the morality of its
people and that eminent prosperity which
God bestows on dutiful and obedient
ihildren.'' (Applause.) These are the senti-
ments of the wise and prudent Archbishop of
Toronto — words of wisdom and ]>atriotism,
honestly uttered in the interest of his country
and his c untrymen, and in marked contrast
with i.he wihl ravingb of unauthorized dema-
^;.^ueB, who <lepict the Irish in Canada as
a dowii-trodden pt:opk, unde: the iron heel
of a terrible asctudeney, and who frantically
(.all upon them t(t nuite toorgani?.e— in soine
un<letinable form to emancipate themselves
trom an imaginary thraldom I (Applause.) l-'or
months {>a«t.
SCOTf'II ASCKNDKNCV
\\a« t'.H cause astiigned for the want of rejire-
.sentation in Parliament, and as a cure for this
(;vil it was pro,>oaed by those who have im-
periou:iiy constituted themselves our dictators
— the guardidns of our riahts aad lil)erties—
that the Irish and the English and other na-
tionalities should unite together to crush out
S<x>tch ascendency. W hat a noble pr<>i>osi-
tion this was, in a free country bke this,
whv-re all have equal rights and privileptes,
and wherH ail have the same course oper. to
them to walk to honour, fame, or comwiercial
prosperity, to auk a. million and n qnarter of
people to set themselves up against 300,000,
to prevent tliem from attainit,^ honour and
jiower, through the legitimate exercise of
energy, in<h:stry, and perseverance ! (Ap-
])lau.<e. ) Such counsel was unwise and im-
prudent, and iio nationality in the Dominion
would act upon it. It 'vas not in harmony
with Irish honour, Irish fair play; o«- Irish
valour. T^jitterly, however, this absurd pro-
position has been partially abandcned, and
the Trish Catliolics of Ontario are now .^l-
viscd to be neither (Conservatives nor Refor-
mers — fi;;h nor flesh, iK.r f;ood red-herring —
(laughter) — but to eonie lut from both parties
-take a central jxisition, like .Mohammed's
cortin, 1 etween earth and heaven, and throw-
ing iirinc'jiie and politics, iiononr and honesty
overboard, be prepared, under the comaict of
our masters, to gravitate in 'ihe coming elec-
tions to the party that wwld promise the
most patronage or support. Who ever heard
of sui'h nonsense, from men pretendi'ig to be
leaders of Catholic opinion, in a country, too,
like this, with its ei;3hteen diffcent nationali-
ties and twe /-.ty five or thirty religious deno-
minations t The jiroposition is really as mis-
chi' v<)us and absurd as that of uniting with
every one else against the .Srotch wa.i stupid
and vicious. It is more than this -it is offen-
sive to every intelligent Irish Catholic in On-
tario. The 190,000 Irish Catholics in this Pro-
vince have ])olitical principles and consciciiti-
ons feelings, lib" other people in the Domi-
nio)\ They are, like other people, divided
into Conservatives and Reformjrs, and cast
their votes in election C(mte8t.8 according to
their settled conviction of right. To act other-
wise would be to rob themselves of principle,
influence and respect. This they cannot very
well do. and those who counsel them in that
direction arvj not their true friends. (Ap-
ph.iise. ) lint suppose <. iwlicy of isolation
wore practicable, and the frish Cati'olic Con-
servatives and Irish Catholic Refonners joirtd
divestl themselves of tb -ir political principles
and affinities, and ilegenerate into the position
of mere puppets, to be jerked about from t>ne
side to the other at the will of heartless denia-
goi.'ues ; 1 will convinee you, by a few more
fayts of an indi.Hputabio (character, that no
good, but only miseliit,'', could possibly come
from such an anooialous and unnatural atti-
tude. As you are aware, there are eighty-
eignt constitneneies in Ontario, to which I
will co.ifine myself for illustration. The com-
plexion of those constituenciei I have care-
fully analyzed, and have ascertainei' the total
number of the ]to]iulatiMn in each, and as
nearly as jKissible the t;>t<vl number of Irish
Catholics in •^ach ; and the result is that in
every one of these eighty -eight oonatituenciea
the Irish Catholics arc m ^r - ' -
A HOI'Kt.lvHS .MINORITY,
and if they v.'eit; |K)litically to isolate them-
selves from the rest of the iwpulation, or from
existing (Mirties, they would be powerlesn to
better tiieir present condition, and could only
">i:
',:..:,.,\
«
in such a /ooHhIi attempt, iujurc their future
prospocta. Out of the 1, 620,801 of a popula-
tion in Ontario tKbv are only about
190, 1 2.>, and in sucn small fragments
in the <liffercnt constitueii'iics — anil being
(lividcil iut' t.'ouservatives and Refdrm-
crs, and bubdividod uufortunately by
jealousies of one auutlier-staiuling alonu
they would be powerless to (lo any-
thing for themselveH, and could only in the
assumption of suuh an attitude forfeit int'uence
and respect. Supposing it were possible to
divest Catholic Keforni-rs of their ecnvictinns
and Catholic ConservativeH of their political
prmciples, and th;it they wcix' to unite
together to bring about an increase <>( Catho-
lic representiition in l.'arlianK'nt, they are not
sufficiently strong in any one constituency in
Ontario to elect an Irish Catholic without the
co-operation of some other nationality. What
powerful ally in Ontario have these li)0,C(X)
Irish Cathelics that th(iy can afford to be
placed in a position of auta^'onism to their
Scotch fellow-citizens or anyone e'se ? Not a
single one. What is to be gained then by a
cry of Scotch ajcendency or ny counselling a
policy of isolaticm ? Most certainly nothing
to gain but everything to l.ise. Nv'ere we to
assume an attitude of this kind we would place
ourselves in t)ie position of a>i inharmonious
and dissatisfied comiwnent of the population
— and the only <me out oi IS nationalities and
25 or 30 religious denominations in the whole
Dominion. If wo wore, in eompliance with
the id vice of our would-be leaders, to divest
ourseh'es of our political principles, and band
together.
A.S CATHOLICS ONLY,
with the view of supporting whichever party
would give us tl:e most lilieral terms, M'e
would place ourselves in the position of mer-
cenaries, who hotl no interest in the general
welfare of the country, anil were prepared to
•upport any party in politics whether pure or
corrupt — whether extravagant or economical- -
whether competent or incomj)etent — who
would gi"o us the most patronage and pro-
mise the most consideration. (Applause.)
Is this the position that a proud and high-
spirited people such as the Irish are, desire to
b-e placed in in the Dominion of (^anada ? The
answer, I am sure, of nineteen-twentiethit of
the Cathol C8 of the country is an emphat'c
and an indignant "no!" (Applause.) The
assumption of such an anomalous attituds, it
must be apparent to the least reflecting, would
bo to rob us of symijathy. intlueuce aud respect
— would be to make aliens of us in the coun-
try, sojourners and not citizens, would be tf>
'lihxe us in the repugnant por'tion of un-
principled men, ready for sale in self-interest
— tlie unreflectiug tw^lsof aspiring individuals
and could only result in ultimate disaster — in
engendering a hostility - gainst us, on the ]>art
of every utuer nationality in tlm Dominiou.
la brief, it would be dtstnictivo of our iuter-
' ^ta to have the idea prevail that the Irish
Catholics of ('anada, were in harmony with
any such wild, visionary, dishonest and dis-
honourable course of coiiduet. (Ajiplausi;.)
But, tor the sake of argument, let us see how
far the uni''«d action of the Catholics of On-
tariu is i)ractic'able. Is there anythiitg prac-
ticable about it ? I rontend that there is not ;
and I have uiven you already sufilcieut
grounds for thinking so ; but to m(tke mat-
ters i|uite clear, I will remind y<m of a few
more faot.s.- ^^)st of you will remember that
in l)t;ecmber, 1870, — a little in advance of the
general elections, as usual, — a number of Ca-
tholic gentlemen were called together in To-
ronto, by a geiitleman of that city, privately
to consider "what, if anything, could be ilone
towards securing to the Catholics of Ontario a
just reiirescntation in the manigoment of
public atiairs." They complained that the
Ir sh Catholics were "almost totally unrepre-
sented ill the halls of the Legislature," and
thi.s "humiliating jKisition " they attributed
" partly if not principally to the want of har-
mony and unity of political action among the
Catholics themselves." From this meeting
resulted
TllK r.VniOlJ'' I.EAliUK,
anil its "avowed object wao to bring about a
uniaii of the ( atholics throughout the Pro-
vince of Ontario." Did the Leag"e succeed
in this undertaking '! It is well known that
it did not. After an ephemeral existence of
about t\vel"e months, or thereabouts, the
o.-gaiiization fell to pieces, and soon after was
as dead as an embalmed herring. What was
tiie cause of the collapse '! I will let gentle-
men who Icvl been members of the League
veil you. In a " Protest " signed by
Hon. Frank Smith, Hon. John O'Connr.-
and four other members of the League, we
are tcld that, "from the very imtset, bad
faith characterized the conduct of the League."
" It \v!>s proposed to submit," they tell us,
' to the leaders of the two political parties,
certain propositions in the name and on behalf
of tne ('atholic body, in view of uniting the
support of ti>'it body in favour of "^'ir John
Macdonakl or Mr. George Brown, according
as either one or th • other would guarantee with
reasonable certainty the most liberal terms."
But it Would appear Ui\t the Convener of the
Lengue, the Toronto gentleman, who was
ainijitious of Parli unentary honours, flow into
the arms of iMr. Biom'h or the (Jrits before
the terms of Sir John Macdonakl were com-
municateil ; aiid, for this aud for other
reasons stated in the protest, the gentlemen
just named withdrew from the League and
advised their friends to do likewise in the
fo'lowing language : "By reason of those
plain aud palpable evidences of bad faith and
lactionism ; ami, furthermore, on account of
the manifest failure of the League to bring
about the results proposed by its establishment
— iustciul of unanimity and harmony, we find
diiKensiou and discord : instead of the
language of conciliation and friendship on
^^
10
the i»rt of its spokesman and organ, that "t
insult and vinJictiveness — we consider it our
bounden duty thus publicly to announce
our withdrawal from all connection with the
Catholic licague. Moreover, we advise all
those who have joined theorganization, through
our instrumentality or on account of having
seen our names coupled with its pro-
ceedings to consider well the advisability and
necessity of severing their connection with
men whose manifest aim is to wheedle the
Catholics of Ontario into a political alliance
with (Jeorge Brown." Is anything more than
this necessary to convince us of the utter futi-
lity of any attempt at brin^^ing about a united
politi- 1 action on the part of the Catholics of
Ontario irrespective of party proclivities ? I
should think not. The thing is utterly im-
pvacticaMo, and even if practicable, as I have
deniojistrated, could do us no good but posi-
' tive harm. Besides all this, the highest dig-
nitary of the Catholic Church in Canada puts
his veto on such assumption of powers in the
following words : "No association of persons
or journaU has any right to dictate on sub-
ject's affecting Catholic interests, without con-
sulting the prelates of the C!!hurch, who are
the natural guardians of those interests."
But let US reflect for ; moment on the injus-
tice — the more than injustice — put upon the
Irish Catholics of Ontario by those Catholic
Leaguers, excellent and all as their intentions
may have been. Without consulting leading
Catholic gentlemen, we are told, and without
having any expression of opinion from the
Irish Catholics of the Province as to the desi-
rability of the movement, one officious gentle-
man of Toronto, who fancies, no doubt, that
he ought to be a member of Parliament or of
the t'abinet, and who would appear to be in a
hurrj' tr get there, calls a pre'iminary meet-
ing foi the oftensible purpose of uniting
the Catholics of Ontario, and thus in-
creasing their numbers in Parliament.
And how was this end to be ac-
complished? By proposing to Sir John
Macdonald, on the one hand and to Mr. (ieorge
Biown on the other, to make an offer for the
Catholic votp and whoever was the highest
biddc, I! be declared the purchaser. And
all this has to bo done ' ' in the name and on
behalf of the Cabholics of Ontario." Was
this an honourable or dignified jwsition in
which to place us as a component part of the
Canadian people ? (Cries of " no 1 no !") I
think not. Anything more unwarrantable
than this — anything more shameful fo- men
professing to be representative Catholics to
propose — anything more degrading to the ill-
used Catholics ot Ontario, " in whose nam*
and in whose l>ehalf " the humiliating bargain
was to have been struck, it ia not easy to con-
ceive. The men who were to have sued for
terms from Sir John and Mr. Brown were
self-elected to the position ; they had no com-
mission from the Catholics of Ontario to barter
away their political rights and privileges in
the then coming elections — no right what-
ever ; and yet unauthorized and all as they
were to negotiate, they were to have commit-
ted the Irish Catholics of Ontario to the one
party or the other. Do we desire a repetition
of such weak and undi^ilied conduct in our
name and on our behalf at the present time ?
(Applause.) I should think not; and if so,
it is not one bit too soon tliat the Irish Catho-
lics of Ontario should rise in their power, in
every jiart of the Province, and through the
men in whom they have confidence, denounce
this degrading antl damaging conduct on the
part of self-constituted chamnions, who, to
advance their own individual interests, are
continually taking the Irish Catholic name in
vain : placing us in a 1<jw or inferior position
in the eyes of our fellow-citizens of other
creeds and nationalities, and seriously injuring
thereby our social, material anil political pros-
pects for the future. Having thus far endea-
voured candidly to convince you that, except
in the matter of inadc([uate
REPKRSKNTATION FN rARLI.^MENf,
the Irish Catholics in Canada have no reason
to complain—nor do they complain — of their
condition as a part of the Canadian people ;
and having exposed the unauthorized aiuf in-
jurious conduct of a few dissatisfied individu-
als who take unwarrantable liberties, ' ' in our
name and on our behalf," to better their own
condition, you naturally expect me to tell you
what in mv opinion is the best course to adopt
with the iew of improving that representa-
tion in Parliament, which we are all agreed
upon, it is desirable to accomplish. Well, ac-
cording to my judgment, the course for us to
pursue most likely to conduce to our general
interests, and in the shortest time to improve
our political status would be this : Let us
leave all matters jiurclv Catholic or alTecting
Catholic interests as such, in the hands of the
priests, Itishops and archbishop. ConKded to
their care ana keeping, such interests will be
in the proper repositary and will not bo at
all likely to suffer in the trust ; and in doing
this we would be n< t only showing
proper respect and f^onslderation for
our spiritual advisers, but would simplify
our political action and afford our-
selves much freer 8co^)e in the exercise
of our political opinions of a general
character. Having settled on this part of the
programme, we should reflect on the advice of
his Grace Archbishop Lynch, re8i)ecting an
education and a competency for our children
before meddling much in iwiitics, "except to
cast our votes, and then in fa\'our of the party
that we conscientiously consider will best ad-
minister the affairs of the nation." Such of us
who find that we cannot actively engo^e in '
politics without injuring ourselves or our
families, should severely let the profession
alone except in the respect pointed out by his
Grace the Archbishop. To aid ur in forming
correct conclusions, however, as to our course
of action in this regard, and with the view of
m
T
11
I
t;
acquiring a general knowledge of the affairs of
the country— in all of which we muat be, and
are interested — wo should at least read two
good weekly papers, on opposite sides in poli-
tics, if time nor means will not admit of our
subscribing for daily journals ; and carefully
weighing all the facts we should form our own
opinions and openly and honestly, when the
occasion required, identify ourselves with our
convictions. We should learn to think as
much as possible for ourselves on ((uostions cf
general politics ; and on occasions of elections
from a knowledge of facts be able to record
' V votes without making n-.ir own judgment
Biibservient to that of a candidate or his ean-
Tassers. (Applause.) Such of us, however,
as find ourselves in means, and fe«l that we
can afford to
iDKNTIFV OIR.SBLVB8 WITH THE POLITKW OF
THF OOlTNrKY,
and
with the ever recurring incidents of o
local character — and there are many such
Irishmen and Oathc'-os in the Dominion —
■hould never allow .e opportunity to pass,
where a question of neral i:;ii)ort or of loc^
interest required consideration, without show-
ing ourselves interested in the movement. If
we do not do this -if we hide our light under
a bushel — U we say t'l ourselves, us too many
of us do, " there will be plenty there without
me " if we stay at home and mind our own
business, and allow ur neieh}>ours of other
nationalities to attei exclusively to business
and interests that concern the whole of us —
that we are interested in as much as they are —
it must be obvious to the least reflecting
'bat {Mjliticallv and otherwise we are standing
in our own light. If we have fitness and
poaitions— and many of us
an ambition or desire
•Molutely necessary that
js and our abilities in
and in doing so bring
A notice ; or, like the rose
in the desert, we may be born, mature and
die, without attracting any attention. This
is so self-evident a truth that there is no deny-
ing it. It is equally true, unfortunately, that
too many Iiish Catholic men of means and
ability are entirely too apat t\^ in this re-
spect ; they do not identify emselves suffici-
ently with our public atfairt, either local or
general, and in refraining from doing
so they not only do themselves and
their co-religionists an injustice, but they
set an example which has a bad effect
on the young Catholic men of the daV,
who to a very great extent, takm^ them as a
whole, are copying too faithfully the apathy of
their fathers. Now this one drawback, and
it is a serious one, ban more to do with our
want' of Catholic representation in Parliament
than many of you would be willing to believe ;
but it is nevertheless a fact, and with the
view of remedying the evil so muc'.li com-
plained of, it is oasentially ueceasary that this
ability for public
have — and if we h
for public life, it '
we must use our i
the general interc
ourselves into genei
apathy or bashfulness, or whatever we may
call it, must be overcome, and we must
^H)MK TO THE SURFACK
a little more than we have been in the habit
of doing. A waking up in this respect on the
part of individuals in the different cities,
towns and villages of Ontario, manifesting an
interest in public affairs, and at the same time
exhibiting an aptiti.de and fitness for ])ublio
position, wouln do more in a year or two, in
the period to elapse between general elections,
to increase our numbers in Parliament than
all the Catholic Leagues you could form in
Canada in the next 25 years. (Applause.)
Such a cour le of conduct yon must see is ab-
solutely necessary to increased representation —
it is an esseutial condition of such an increase,
f nd in the absence of such a line of conduct,
no amount of organization can remedy the evil
complained of. Who are the men to-day in
the occupancy of public positions throughout
the country ? Are they those who up to the
hour of their Ix'.ing elected to public office,
minded their own business and took no part
in public affairs ? By no means. Almost
every one of them carved their way to those
positions by previoup'y identifying themselves
with general interests, p<ilitically and other-
wise ; and in :io other way could the ' v any
possiliility, in a free country like .ere
competition is so sharp in every . . cment
of life, have attained to those positions. We
cannot fix this ir.disputable fact too finnly in
our minds ; for thinking ujxin it, and acting
upon it, in a very great degree will be found
the remedy — the certain remedy--for the
defect we are so often reminded of by inen
who desire a short cut to Parliament-
ary position, ' ' in our name and on our
behalf."
[Mr. Waller here (|uoted from the Ohhe
of 1874, and from an article in the Catholic
Tribune of that date, written by a j'oung
gentleman of Ottawa, Mr. James J. Kehoe,
to sustain his position in this respect, and
then continued as follows : — ]
In a forcible letter, written to the lri«h
Canaditut, in January, 1875, our fellow-coun-
tryman and co-religiouist, Mr. O'Hanly,
whom we all admit t<) be a man of ability,
wrote as follows : "I hold firmly to the doc-
trine, that it id not in the public interest of a
country like ours, composed as it ia of a
heterogenous population of diverse races and
creeds, that any one nationality, or any one
sect, should l>e as a unit on the most im-
portant of all temporal cincerns- -politics.
The only bond of union that can be approvixi
is community of feeling- -unity of sentinieut
on public ({uestionp, and in the management
of national affairs ; and where those are
wanting, principle, honesty, good government,
are not to be found. " ( Applai .se. ) How very tme.
Mr. O'Hanly then went on to prove that
the Scotch are not a unit .in politics, and gave
the following forcible incident of the fact : —
m
" W* have at this hour a lively illr.dtration of
it in North llenfrew, where the Prime Minia-
ter of the Domiuiou — a very luiusual thing jn-
deetl has left his desk to brave the nguurs
of a 'Janadian winter in that primitive mfnle
of conveyance, the sleigh, to use his great m-
flaeove ton^ Irishman against a .Scotchman."
ThM refers to Hon. Mr. Mackenzie's going up
to Renfrew to support Mr. Murray against
Air. White. (Loud applause.) In the same
letter Mr. O'HanJy further remarks :— "The
Irish in Canada, even if a policy of isolation
were desirable, are in a hojieless minority to ac
complish anytiiing for or of themselves. They
must have allies, they have to ohooeo one of
two alternatives, aai alliance with tb« Ttries or
the Libei-als. " ThesV sentiments are all soujid
and do not by any ueans savour of the false
and impracticable idea of national, religious
or p«)litic»l organization for lettering the
Irish » atholic poaitiOD in Canada. We must
nnmistakably be on the one side or the other,
according to cur c<mviction», and in our owil
especial interest, as well as in the general
interest of the country, we must be on the
best and most friendly turms possible with our
literature, and science. Let them join o'lr
Reform or Conservative Clubs, according to
their convictions, und ttike an interest in tTieir
concerns. Let tliem become members of the
boards of Trade in their respective localities,
and learn there to debate matters of interest
to the country, and in this way not only edu-
cate themselves politioally, but familiarize
themselves to speak • on public cjuestions, and
in doiui/ this they break down the barrier of
exclosiveness, exhibit their iiatinal abilities,
and thus certainly jjave the way ld their pre-
fermeJit to higher stations in life. Here in
Capada we have the tinest, the freest country
in the world. Here we are invested with a
measure of freedom and liberty, beyond
which it would not be in the interest of the
State or the subject to be endowed ; here
peace reigns supremo and prosperity smiles on
th<' labours of the sober and industrious. Our
climate is healthful and invigorating, our re-
sources almost exhaustless, re<piirtng only de-
velopment to make us a grand and powerful
nation.
Wealth of the forest, t.
neighb<.urs of other "creeds .^d nationahtks; K^^fve^X^'^rfc'fe
with whom m this comi-ion country our lot is Vast fields wht re yet
oast. How can we assume an attitude of this
•if < "^^ ^^^^ ^y ®^*"^y thinking Catholic
IB 1 as essential to the at! vancement of
ouru- -aks, if we band ourselves together
mto exclusive religious or natioMl i>o4itical
organizations? The thing is iJtteriy im-
pssible. These being all inooutestible fa«its
It appears to me that the plain unmistakable
course lor u« to pursue is that which I have
endeavoured to point out. Let us identify
onrselveemore actively, such of us as have the
means, time and talents, and can afford them
to our country in public affairs. l^t us from
a knowledge of the aims and objects of politi-
cal parties, ally ourselves intelligently on the
one side or the other, and there firmly remain
untU we can justify ourselves on broad prin-
ciples for a change. Let us show ourselves in
every way, not merely in the country, but of
the country.
LKT OCR YOl N(. MK.\,
as it is their right and privilege, and as they
owe It to this their native country- become
memhers of our volunteer c.-rps, and enjoy the
several advantages to arise from such an a«t
l^t Viem, instead of wasting valuable time in
bowling alleys or billiard rooms, seek more
tretiuently hbrary associations, and the public
journals of the day. and works on history
tsures of the hills,
. rills,
18 and sunny plains,
pri>'iieval nature reigns.
E::hau8t lo;;8 treasures of the teeming toil,
These loudly call to enterpriBinjj toil, t Applause.^
Let us all as the people of a common country,
then, join harmoniously together to develope
those grand resources of this Canada of ours,
and contentedly enjo. the blessings to result
from our labours. " et us," in the words of
his Grace Archbishop Lynch, for whose senti-
ments we all entertain a profound respect, and
by whose excellent aflvice we cun all safely
be governed, " shouldor to shoulder build up
this our country with a generous loyalty,
without forgetting the land of ovir birth," and
under such happy aus,' ^ it will l)ecome "a
great nation in th' ure — great in the
morality of its peo; .nd in that eminent
prosperity and conttt leut which God be-
stows on dutiful and obedient subjects.'
(Loud and lon|[ continued applause.)
Mr. M. Beiinet here advanced, and amidst
cheers presented his Worship with a hand-
some iHHiuet of flowers, while the band gave a
selection.
A vot« of • anks was then m»)ved to the
leotorer by Mi , W. Kehoe, seconded by Mr.
Marpby.
Mayor Waller replied and after some dis-
cussion the motion was earned amidst loud
^oheers, and the meeting broke up.
f-.i
■oe» "
.1