John Abbott

“ Its seats are garnished by men from every profession and business in the Dominion, and from the most experienced men among them in every section of Canada, and if valuable opinions on banking, law, and business of all kinds, are required in any detail of legislation -- and they are invariably needed, as everyone knows -- they can be found on the benches of this House, I venture to say, in as great perfection and efficiency as in any assembly in this Dominion. It appears to me, therefore, that with these two great functions and others analogous to them, this Senate has plenty of work before it. ”

“ To my mind, the Senate to some extent is in a transition state. At first its functions were not, perhaps, thoroughly well understood. We had Ministers here who ruled over large spending departments, and who were obliged to seek their resources from the people by the medium of deputies, or agents, or representatives in the other House, not being in a position to speak directly to those who held the purse, and give the requisite information as to what they proposed to do with the money. ”

“ The kindly feeling, the unduly warm appreciation which my small labours have met with in this House, have won from me a regard for the House and its members, and its business, and reputation, that would lead me and carry me to the greatest extremity of my powers possible, in order to further its reputation and its usefulness, and to assist my hon. friends in this House, all of whom are always ready to work in the same direction, in placing it in the position before the country that I think it deserves, and that it ought to have and will have. ”

“ Something like the principle on which it is reported some men are selected as candidates for the Presidency of the United States: it is not that they are so able, it is not that they are so wonderfully clever, or such great statesmen, but it is that they are harmless, and have not made any enemies. ”