Document Information

Date: 1865-08-08
By: Province of Canada (Parliament), Morning Chronicle
Citation: “Provincial Parliament. Legislative Assembly. Tuesday, August 8” [Quebec] Morning Chronicle (9 August 1865).
Other formats: Click here to view the original document (PDF).
Note: All endnotes come from our recent publication, Charles Dumais & Michael Scott (ed.), The Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada (CCF, 2022).

The Speaker took the Chair at three o’clock.

The following members were in attendance:

Messrs.

Archambeault
Beaubien
Bellerose
Biggar
Blanchet
Bown
Brousseau
Brown
Burwell
Cameron
Caron
Cartier (Attorney-General)
Cartwright
Cauchon
Chambers
Chapais
Cockburn
Coupal
De Boucherville
Dorion (Hochelaga)
Dorion (Drummond & Arthabaska)
Duckett
Dufresne (Iberville)
Dufresne (Montcalm)
Dunkin
Evanturel
Ferguson (Simcoe South)
Ferguson (Frontenac)
Fortier
Gaucher
Gagnon
Galt
Gibbs
Harwood
Holton
Houde
Howland
Huntington
Haultain
Irvine
Jones (Beauharnois)
Jones (Leeds & Grenville North)
Knight
Labreche-Viger
Laframboise
Lajoie
Langevin
Macdonald (Glengarry)
Macdonald (Attorney-General)
Mackenzie (Oxford North)
McConkey
McDougall
McGee
McIntyre
Morris
Munro
Magill
O’Halloran
Paquette
Perrault
Pinsonneault
Poulin
Pouliot
Raymond
Rémillard
Robitaille
Rose
Ross (Dundas)
Ross (Prince Edward)
Scatcherd
Scoble
Smith (Durham East)
Stirton
Taschereau
Thibaudeau
Tremblay
Wallbridge (Hastings North)
Walsh
Wells
Wright (York East)
Wright (Ottawa County)

By command of His Excellency [Viscount Monck] the members proceeded to the Council Chamber, to hear the Speech from the Throne.

On their return—

The Speaker read His Excellency’s [Viscount Monck] speech in both languages.

Routine Business

John A. Macdonald [Kingston, Attorney-General West and Minister of Militia] moved

The first reading of a bill to provide for the administration of oaths to Justices of the Peace.

Carried.

John A. Macdonald [Kingston, Attorney-General West and Minister of Militia] moved

That the Speech from the Throne be taken into consideration to-morrow.

Carried.

Antoine-Aimé Dorion [Hochelaga] asked when information as to the re-construction of the Cabinet would be given to the House—also, whether the Government would bring down the correspondence relative to the mission to England[1], before the discussion of the Address?

John A. Macdonald [Kingston, Attorney-General West and Minister of Militia] said the explanations would be given, respecting the re-construction, immediately after the Address was moved and seconded. The correspondence respecting the mission to England would be laid on the table the moment the Address was answered. It would be unusual and improper to pursue any other course.

Antoine-Aimé Dorion [Hochelaga] was understood to say he was aware that such a course was not usual, except on special occasions. It had, however, been done last year—as also in 1856 or 1859, in reference to the Seat of Government question[2]. It would be much more convenient on the present occasion if the correspondence to which he referred were brought down before going on with the debate on the Address.

John A. Macdonald [Kingston, Attorney-General West and Minister of Militia] said he would much prefer that the ordinary practice of the House should be pursued.

The matter then dropped.

The motions relative to bribery and corruption at elections, and to the appointments of the Select Standing Committees of the House, were also made and carried.

The Speaker laid before the House a list of the bills of last session left in an unfinished state—also, a report on the state of the Library of Parliament.

The House then, at 20 minutes to 4 P.M., adjourned on motion of the John A. Macdonald [Kingston, Attorney-General West and Minister of Militia].

ENDNOTES

[1]      The Canadian delegation consisted of John A. Macdonald, George-Étienne Cartier, and Alexander Galt. They drafted a report on their discussions with the Imperial Government on Jul. 12, 1865. That report and other correspondence on the mission was presented to the Legislative Assembly on Aug. 9, 1865, p. C:15.

[2]      Papers relating to the Seat of Government question. For 1856, see Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada (1856), pp. 281-283. For 1859, see Journals of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, Appendix No. 2. (1859).