Sir John A. Macdonald

“ In 1878, when the people had come to their senses and restored us to power, the majority was Conservative. Who, then, is to decide as to the political proclivities of any constituency? The only principle is representation by population, and that we carried out. To give a striking illustration of the absurdity of trying to lay out constituencies with regard to supposed political leaning, look at the North- West. Twenty, twenty-five, or even fifty thousand Ontario people may go there this Summer. ”

“ It is my duty in my position to disregard fears of unpopularity, to do that which though it may prejudice me in the eyes of some, I believe in my conscience to be for the good of the country, and to protect the rights of property in the community, even at the risk of losing the position I hold. ”

“ I am confident the result of the elections will be that the country will declare that the policy which the people calmly, coolly, and deliberately adopted in 1878 shall be the policy of Canada for the next five years. That is the reason we have appealed to the country, because, as I have said already, we know money is waiting for investment, and all that is wanted by capitalists in Canada, England and the United States, aye, in France and Germany, is to learn whether this country is of the fixed, constant opinion that the National Policy shall be continued as in 1878. ”

“ Well, they say in Parliament I am too old for my friends in Opposition. (laughter) You, the people of Canada, know the party that laid down the great principle of national protection, and you put a Government in power to carry it out. You know that the present Government have honestly and sincerely carried that policy out, although they have been attacked in England for so doing. We all desire to stand well with the great old Mother Country, but her people are the judges of their interests and we of ours. ”

“ Let us remember the time of depression, the time of sinking hearts, empty pockets, and empty larders (hear, hear, and applause) and let us bear in mind that since the National Policy has been inaugurated we see in the country a prosperous, contented, and happy people, and we find Canada standing amongst the first of the nations in the world in credit, in resources in standing, in reputation, and in fruition. (cheers) Mr. Chairman, I owe much, and those who act with me owe much, to the people of Toronto, to The Workingmen of Toronto (loud cheers) . ”

“ And why are we not in maturity already? Three years is a short time, but in three years much has been done. Why, then, I ask, has not more been done? Because we have had an unscrupulous Opposition; because we have had an unpatriotic Opposition. ”

“ A Long Life in the Country's Service Gentlemen, I feel great pride in occupying the position that has been awarded me by the people of this country. I can, at my age, have no other wish than to live well in the minds of my fellow-countrymen, and when I die to live well in their recollection. ”

“ I tell you this, that the hesitation I have in my mind about telling you that I am sure we will have an overwhelming majority is caused by the fear lest my friends, knowing that, and conscious of the justness of our cause, will rest on their oars, and stay at home. ”

“ We had only six constituencies to add, and we so arranged the matter that if you look at the population, you will find that wherever a change was made, it was in the direction of representation by population. That is the only true principle. A Government is not bound to see that certain counties are Grit and other Conservative, and arrange them according to their supposed political proclivities. In 1874, when there was a sweep made of the Conservative party in consequence of the Pacific slander, when we had not a corporal's guard, the majority of the constituencies in Ontario were Grit. ”

“ Gentlemen, those who do that take upon themselves an awful responsibility, and they will, should we lose, carry to their dying day the reproach in their consciences that they, by their neglect, have been instrumental in bringing about the ruin of their country. ”

“ There was an attack -- a causeless, senseless attack upon the rights of the property of a single, humble individual, ruining him and his1 property -- an attack upon the legal tribunals of the country, introducing an element of uncertainly which would prevent people from Germany and England coming here, because it would prove to them that no man's rights in property were safe, and that the Legislature could sweep them at any moment. ”

“ And at the end of five years the manufacturers will have generated so much capital, while the workingmen, the skilled and unskilled labor that surround those varied industries, will have become so powerful, the capitalists will be linked together in associations, and workingmen will be bound together in trades unions, and they will fight the battle together. ”

“ That, in effect, has been their statement, and I tell you -- and this is not a matter of supposition, but of certainty and knowledge on my part -- that there are millions of dollars waiting to be invested in Canada; millions in England, and large sums in the United States, waiting to come to Canada, waiting to be invested in every kind of industry, in mines and in manufactures of every kind ”

“ Capitalists, men who have by hard work and great industry, but by slow degrees, collected capital, are naturally timid with reference to the investment they make. They do not like to put their money in an uncertain enterprise; and they have written to me, and to Sir Leonard Tilley, saying, "We are ready to invest large sums of money; Canada is a great field for enterprise; it is a country of all others where manufactures can be most successfully introduced and carried on, but we are told by Mr. ”

“ It is true, gentlemen, we see yet but the infancy of the manufactures and industries which we have established, or have tried to establish. These things cannot be established in a hurry. You cannot plant the seed to-day and get the crop to-morrow. But we have sown the seed; and much more rapidly, much more speedily, than even I -- sanguine as I was of the success of the policy -- expected, it has grown ”