the same arrangement for the next meeting and I agreed.

But I was not caught napping that time. He spoke very pleasantly in his first address, but I used the opportunity to criticise his Government in the severest terms and evened up the score. And as Mr. Mackenzie had only fifteen minutes in which to close the meeting, he did not make a very effective reply. The election was won by the Conservatives, whose candidate was the Hon. Peter White, who later became the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Another memorable by-election was the contest in Toronto to fill up the vacancy created by the elevation of Mr. Moss, the Liberal member, to the bench. Our candidate, the Hon. John Beverly Robinson, won by over five hundred majority. It was at the declaration of the poll that Sir John A. Macdonald made his first public reappearance after his defeat. He received a hearty reception. We toured the province together for the next two years. Our party unseated many Liberal members in the Court for corrupt practices, and we won a majority of the by-elections in every one of which in Ontario and the Maritime Provinces I actively participated. In our various tours the Toronto Globe criticised my speeches the day after their delivery, and it was my invariable rule to demolish its arguments at the very first opportunity.

One of my other favourite subjects was the so-called "Pacific Scandal." I publicly defied the Liberals at their own meetings to put their finger on one parliamentary supporter who had left us on that account, and proved that bribery by the

Liberals had caused the defections in our ranks. No fewer than six of our supporters left us to accept seats in the Cabinet; others were placated with governorships or with fat contracts. Sir Albert Smith, of Westmoreland, first elected as a Liberal, got back to the House in 1872 by running as a Conservative. His reward for bolting was the portfolio of Marine and Fisheries. The Hon. Mr. Cauchon, later Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, got a seat in the Cabinet for deserting. He was the individual whose "corruption smelt to Heaven,' according to the indictment of the Toronto Globe.

The Hon. Isaac Burpee, a former Liberal elected as a supporter of Sir John, was given the Customs portfolio. Two other renegades, Ross of Cape Breton and Coffin of Shelbourne, also became Cabinet Ministers. The Hon. David Laird became Minister of the Interior and afterwards Governor of the North-West. Laird hailed from Prince Edward Island. I went over there in 1872 to take part in the general election. Laird persuaded me to leave. He said that the Liberals on the island would give solid support to the Conservatives, because the Liberals in Ottawa had declared the union terms granted the island were too favourable.

The following letter from Sir Francis Hincks is interesting in relation to this "Pacific Scandal" question:

418 St. Antoine Street, Montreal,

3rd Feb., 1873.

MY DEAR MR. TUPPER,-There is a subject on which I had thought of speaking to you during your late visit to Montreal, but I did not get a favourable opportunity, and at last decided that I

could do better by writing. You must have noticed how the Press, in the interests of the present Ministry, ring the changes incessantly on the alleged "Charter selling." That is the favourite term for our Pacific railway policy. Now, for many reasons, there is no one who can deal with this cry so well as yourself. There was not a dollar of Allan's money spent in the Maritime Provinces; there was not a member of the Government from the Maritime Provinces who was aware of any fund for carrying elections -or, rather, for aiding in the payment of those expenses-which have been sanctioned by long usage, and which both parties resorted to, as the late proceedings have established. You, therefore, apart from your aptitude, for other and obvious reasons, are peculiarly competent to deal with this charge, and although I would not recommend the introduction of the subject, I can hardly doubt that an early opportunity will be afforded, if not by the Ministers themselves, by some of their warm supporters.

You could completely demolish these charges, at all events, by showing that the Ministerial plan for constructing a Pacific railway received the sanction of Parliament, and was never deviated from in the slightest degree except the very humble alteration regarding the land, which was to be subject to the approval of Parliament. Now if you look at the names in the two charters, 1872 Caps. 72 and 73, you will find that there was reasonable ground to hope that the scheme would be successful. The Ministry had no desire but to carry out the scheme. The amount of subsidy in land and money had been fixed by Parliament, and if there

had been only one charter no further question could have arisen. But much against the wishes of the Ministry, so popular was the scheme, and so anxious to all appearance were the leading capitalists of the country (e.g. Allan, McPherson, MacMaster, Kenny, Frank Smith, Causton, John Simpson, Gzouskei, David Torrans, Howland, Gooderham, Wilsons, D. A. Macdonald, Asa B. Foster, David Christie, Donald A. Smith, etc. etc.) to accept the Government terms, that we were placed in the embarrassing position, much against our will, of having to deal with rival syndicates of capitalists between whom there was really no cause for contention but the empty honour of which should be the president of the company. The Government decided that the stock should be allotted proportionately among the several persons, and should be open to the subscription of every one on the prescribed terms. The sole alleged cause of difficulty was the alliance between Allan and certain citizens of the United States which would never have been entered on but for the apathy displayed for a long time by Canadians which led the Americans to propose building the road on the terms proposed. Allan, being unable to attempt to carry out the scheme unaided, and seeing no chance of aid in Canada, was induced to enter into the agreement with certain Americans, but without the knowledge or authorisation of the Government, which took the most prompt and effectual means to prevent the possibility of such an arrangement being carried out; and so satisfied were the promoters of the Inter-Oceanic Company, the rivals to the Canadian Pacific or Allan Company, of the

efficacy of their means, that although McPherson, who himself aspired to the Presidency, would not join the new organisation, several of them—including Major Walker, Mr. Cumberland, Mr. Shantcy— joined the new company, which had only one name on it for Ontario which was on the Canadian Pacific list.

A good point can be made of the fact that Ministers-e.g. D. A. Macdonald, J. Burpee, David Christie (and probably others)-were applicants for charter. The terms were not settled with Allan but with a committee of the new company, and his influence was not predominant, as throughout jealousy was manifested of his influence. You can testify that Sir John never tried to promote Sir Hugh Allan's views, and that it was impossible that any arrangement could have been carried out more satisfactorily; indeed, one of the alleged causes of failure was the refusal of the Government to accede to demands which they thought against the public interest, although not inconsistent with the Charter. Now, after all this, why did Allan give large contributions to carry the elections?

Simply because the opposition to the Government were publicly avowed enemies of the scheme, and determined to upset it per fas et nefas. Allan was thus forced into the same boat with the Government, and to save his scheme helped all he could to carry the election of those who were in favour of carrying out the railway policy of the Government. But the charges of corruption are absurd. It may be admitted-indeed, it is patent-that certain expenses which the law does not sanction have for many years been paid on both sides by the candi