the canadian dominion-第25章

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eighborliness　could　not　secure　an　hour's　attention。　This　plan　having　failed；　the　Canadian　Government　fell　back　on　the　letter　of　the　treaty。　A　Commission　which　consisted　of　the　Honorable　E。　H。　Kellogg　representing　the　United　States；　Sir　Alexander　T。　Galt　representing　Canada；　and　the　Belgian　Minister　to　Washington；　M。　Delfosse；　as　chairman；　awarded　Canada　and　Newfoundland　5；500；000　as　the　excess　value　of　the　fisheries　for　the　ten　years　the　arrangement　was　to　run。　The　award　was　denounced　in　the　United　States　as　absurdly　excessive；　but　a　sense　of　honor　and　the　knowledge　that　millions　of　dollars　from　the　Alabama　award　were　still　in　the　Treasury　moved　the　Senate　finally　to　acquiesce；　though　only　for　the　ten…year　term　fixed　by　treaty。　In　Canada　the　award　was　received　with　delight　as　a　signal　proof　that　when　left　to　themselves　Canadians　could　hold　their　own。　The　prevailing　view　was　well　summed　up　in　a　letter　from　Mackenzie　to　the　Canadian　representative　on　the　Halifax　commission；　written　shortly　before　the　decision：　〃I　am　glad　you　still　have　hopes　of　a　fair　verdict。　I　am　doubly　anxious　to　have　it；　first；　because　we　are　entitled　to　it　and　need　the　dollars；　and；　second；　because　it　will　be　the　first　Canadian　diplomatic　triumph；　and　will　justify　me　in　insisting　that　we　know　our　neighbors　and　our　own　business　better　than　any　Englishmen。〃

Mackenzie's　insistence　that　Canada　must　take　a　larger　share　in　the　control　of　her　foreign　affairs　was　too　advanced　a　stand　for　many　of　his　more　conservative　countrymen。　For　others；　he　did　not　go　far　enough。　The　early　seventies　saw　the　rise　of　a　short…lived　movement　in　favor　of　Canadian　independence。　To　many　independence　from　England　seemed　the　logical　sequel　to　Confederation；　and　the　rapid　expansion　of　Canadian　territory　over　half　a　continent　stimulated　national　pride　and　national　self…consciousness　Opinion　in　England　regarding　Canadian　independence　was　still　more　outspoken。　There　imperialism　was　at　its　lowest　ebb。　With　scarcely　an　exception；　English　politicians；　from　Bright　to　Disraeli；　were　hostile　or　indifferent　to　connection　with　the　colonies；　which　had　now　ceased　to　be　a　trade　asset　and　had　clearly　become　a　military　liability。

But　no　concrete　problem　arose　to　make　the　matter　a　political　issue。　In　England　a　growing　uneasiness　over　the　protectionist　policies　and　the　colonial　ambitions　of　her　European　rivals　were　soon　to　revive　imperial　sentiment。　In　Canada　the　ties　of　affection　for　the　old　land；　as　well　as　the　inertia　fostered　by　long　years　of　colonial　dependence；　kept　the　independence　movement　from　spreading　far。　For　the　time　the　rising　national　spirit　found　expression　in　economic　rather　than　political　channels。　The　protectionist　movement　which　a　few　years　later　swept　all　Canada　before　it　owed　much　of　its　strength　to　its　claim　to　be　the　national　policy。


But　it　was　not　imperial　or　foreign　relations　that　dominated　public　interest　in　the　seventies。　Domestic　politics　were　intensely　absorbing　and　bitterly　contested。　Within　five　years　there　came　about　two　sudden　and　sweeping　reversals　of　power。　Parties　and　Cabinets　which　had　seemed　firmly　entrenched　were　dramatically　overthrown　by　sudden　changes　in　the　personal　factors　and　in　the　issues　of　the　day。　In　the　summer　of　1872　the　second　general　election　for　the　Dominion　was　held。　The　Opposition　had　now　gained　in　strength。　The　Government　had　ceased　to　be　in　any　real　sense　a　coalition；　and　most　of　the　old　Liberal　rank　and　file　were　back　in　the　party　camp。　They　had　found　a　vigorous　leader　in　Alexander　Mackenzie。

Mackenzie　had　come　to　Canada　from　Scotland　in　1842　as　a　lad　of　twenty。　He　worked　at　his　trade　as　a　stonemason；　educated　himself　by　wide　reading　and　constant　debating；　became　a　successful　contractor　and；　after　Confederation；　had　proved　himself　one　of　the　most　aggressive　and　uncompromising　champions　of　Upper　Canada　Liberalism。　In　the　first　Dominion　Parliament　he　tacitly　came　to　be　regarded　as　the　leader　of　all　the　groups　opposed　to　the　Macdonald　Administration。　He　was　at　the　same　time　active　in　the　Ontario　Legislature　since；　for　the　first　five　years　of　Confederation；　no　law　forbade　membership　in　both　federal　and　provincial　Parliaments；　and　the　short　sessions　of　that　blessed　time　made　such　double　service　feasible。　Here　he　was　aided　by　two　other　men　of　outstanding　ability；　Edward　Blake　and　Oliver　Mowat。　Blake；　the　son　of　a　well…to…do　Irishman　who　had　been　active　in　the　fight　for　responsible　government；　became　Premier　of　Ontario　in　1871　but　retired　in　1872　when　a　law　abolishing　dual　representation　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　choose　between　Toronto　and　Ottawa。　His　place　was　taken　by　Mowat；　who　for　a　quarter　of　a　century　gave　the　province　thrifty；　honest；　and　conservatively　progressive　government。

In　spite　of　the　growing　forces　opposed　to　him　Macdonald　triumphed　once　more　in　the　election　of　1872。　Ontario　fell　away；　but　Quebec　and　the　Maritime　Provinces　stood　true。　A　Conservative　majority　of　thirty　or　forty　seemed　to　assure　Macdonald　another　five…year　lease　of　power。　Yet　within　a　year　the　Pacific　Scandal　had　driven　him　from　office　and　overwhelmed　him　in　disgrace。

The　Pacific　Scandal　occurred　in　connection　with　the　financing　of　the　railway　which　the　Dominion　Government　had　promised　British　Columbia；　when　that　province　entered　Confederation　in　1871；　would　be　built　through　to　the　Pacific　coast　within　ten　years。　The　bargain　was　good　politics　but　poor　business。　It　was　a　rash　undertaking　for　a　people　of　three　and　a　half　millions；　with　a　national　revenue　of　less　than　twenty　million　dollars；　to　pledge　itself　to　build　a　railway　through　the　rocky　wilderness　north　of　Lake　Superior；　through　the　trackless　plains　and　prairies　of　the　middle　west；　and　across　the　mountain　ranges　that　barred　the　coast。　Yet　Macdonald　had　sufficient　faith　in　the　country；　in　himself；　and　in　the　happy　accidents　of　timea　confidence　that　won　him　the　nickname　of　〃Old　Tomorrow〃to　give　the　pledge。　Then　came　the　question　of　ways　and　means。　At　first　the　Government　planned　to　build　the　road。　On　second　thoughts；　however；　it　decided　to　follow　the　example　set　by　the　United　States　in　the　construction　of　the　Union　Pacific　and　Southern　Pacific；　and　to　entrust　the　work　to　a　private　company　liberally　subsidized　with　land　and　cash。　Two　companies　were　organized　with　a　view　to　securing　the　contract；　one　a　Montreal　company　under　Sir　Hugh　Allan；　the　foremost　Canadian　man　of　business　and　the　head　of　the　Allan　steamship　fleet；　and　the　other　a　Toronto　company　under　D。　L。　Macpherson；　who　had　been　concerned　in　the　building　of　the　Grand　Trunk。　Their　rivalry　was　intense。　After　the　election　of　1872　a　strong　compromise　company　was　formed；　with　Allan　at　the　head；　and　to　this　company　the　contract　was　awarded。

When　Parliament　met　in　1872；　a　Liberal　member；　L。　S。　Huntington；　made　the　charge　that　Allan　had　really　been　acting　on　behalf　of　certain　American　capitalists　and　that　he　had　made　lavish　contributions　to　the　Government　campaign　fund　in　the　recent　election。　In　the　course　of　the　summer　these　charges　were　fully　substantiated。　Allan　was　proved　by　his　own　correspondence；　stolen　from　his　solicitor's　office；　to　have　spent　over　350；000；　largely　advanced　by　his　American　allies；　in　buying　the　favor　of　newspapers　and　politicians。　Nearly　half　of　this　amount　had　been　contributed　to　the　Conservative　campaign　fund；　with　the　knowledge　and　at　the　instance　of　Cartier　and　Macdonald。　Macdonald；　while　unable　to　disprove　the　charges；　urged　that　there　was　no　connection　between　the　contributions　and　the　granting　of　the　charter。　But　his　defense　was　not　heeded。　A　wave　of　indignation　swept　the　country；　his　own　supporters　in　Parliament　fell　away；　and　in　November；　1873；　he　resigned。　Mackenzie；　who　was　summoned　to　form　a　new　Ministry；　dissolved　Parliament　and　was　sustained　by　a　majority　of　two　to　one。

Mackenzie　gave　the　country　honest　and　efficient　administration。　Among　his　most　important　achievements　were　the　reform　of　elections　by　the　introduction　of　the　secret　ballot　and　the　requirement　that　elections　should　be　held　on　a　single　day　instead　of　being　spread　over　weeks；　a　measure　of　local　option　in　controlling　the　liquor　traffic；　and　the　establishment　of　a　Canadian　Supreme　Court　and　the　Royal　Military　Collegethe　Canadian　West　Point。　But　fate