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Date: 1854-10-31
By: The Globe
Citation: “Quebec Correspondence. QUEBEC, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 1854,” The Globe (31 October)
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Quebec Correspondence.

QUEBEC, Wednesday, Oct 25, 1854.

The ministerial explanations had been so much broken in upon by the premature conversation on Mr. J. S. McDonald’s motion with reference to the order of introducing Government measures, very little remained for Sir Allan to explain after the Hon. Postmaster General’s arrival; his looked-for speech, therefore, was shorn of its interest. He, as you will perceive by the report, had nothing to add to the partial explanations offered by his colleague, Mr. Attorney General Macdonald. There was, however, one point on which the gallant knight elaborated somewhat satisfactorily. He stated the extreme anxiety of the ministry to make such amendments to the proposed secularization bill as the sense of the House demanded. Now, if this accommodating spirit is to be extended to effecting a still more final and unquestionable disposition of these properties, it will be hailed with great satisfaction by the country. As the details will be fully discussed in committee of the whole House on Friday or Tuesday next, the seeming pliancy of the coalition will be proved to the fullest extent. There was another noteworthy point marking Sir Allan’s brief speech,—he had adopted the Elective Legislative Council principle after the vote was given on the Address, in reply to the Governor’s speech; all objection was then “entirely removed.” If it were necessary to find any new evidence of the transitory character of Sir Allan McNab’s professed principles, any want in that respect would be abundantly supplied by this instance of sudden conversion to the democratic scheme of an Elective Council. As to the details of Mr. Morin’s bill, he could not be far wrong in approving them, for they certainly are even a more ridiculous conglomeration (if that were possible) of fossil toryism and progressive liberalism than the combination of which he is the head—caput mortuum—for Hincks in the only live thing about it.

I perceive some ambiguity in the reference made in the body of one of my letters, to an interview between the late Inspector General and Mr. Galt, and an understanding come to on that occasion as to the support which might be counted upon from the latter gentleman under the given circumstances that afterwards occurred at the mid-summer meeting of parliament. Mention that this interview took place in England, whilst Messrs. Hincks and Galt and Lord Elgin were met together there. I also observe that a lapsus pennœ occurs in another letter, by which I am made to say, that stated annual sums from the Clergy Reserves fund were to be paid to Roman Catholic and Methodist “incumbents,” whereas there are no incumbents, and the allowances of course pass to each body.