July 16, 1867

CAUCHON’S OPPOSITION TO PROTESTANT EDUCATION BILL LED TO HIS UNDOING

Details of the demise of the never-was Québec ministry of Joseph-Edouard Cauchon continue to emerge. Yesterday it was reported that Cauchon had been undone by the deeds of Hon. George-Étienne Cartier (Militia) and Hon. Alexander Tilloch Galt (Finance). Reports today from M. Cauchon’s own newspaper, the Journal de Québec contend that demands for the reintroduction of Hector Langevin’s Protestant education bill led to premier-designate’s ultimate resignation. Cauchon had opposed the bill when it was first introduced last year owing to a lack of reciprocity for the Roman Catholic minority in Upper Canada. With M. Cauchon’s objections unaddressed, he could not accede to Protestant demands. This impasse, and the refusal of Protestants to serve in his cabinet, led to M. Cauchon’s resignation from a position, the Journal contends, he accepted only when His Honour Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau (Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Québec) declared it a “necessity”.

Another report, from the Québec Daily News, lends credence to the idea that Messrs. Cartier and Galt conspired against M. Cauchon. The paper reports that Christopher Dunkin, asked by M. Cauchon to serve as Speaker of the Assembly, acting on the orders of M. Galt, made the re-introduction of the Education bill a condition of his accepting the position. Whether it was known that M. Cauchon would not, or could not, agree to the demand is not relayed but, the paper goes on to suggest that M. Cauchon had been set up all along for failure “by the tricksters at Ottawa.”

SANDFIELD STYMIED

Ensconced in the Queen’s Hotel at the corner of Front and York Streets in Toronto, Ontario’s premier-designate J. Sandfield Macdonald continues to fail in his attempts to convince members of his own Reform-party to join his cabinet. The Globe reports that those rejecting the not-yet premier now includes former MPPs Alexander Mackenzie, John White, E.B. Wood, and John Shuter Smith, as well as Senator Simpson and Mr. Stephen Richards. It is reported that Mr. Macdonald met with Mr. Mackenzie on two separate occasions to no avail. The Reformers continue the party line that they are not rejecting government per se, but only government by coalition.

ELECTION NEWS

South Grenville Liberals McCarthy and Patrick have begun their respective campaigns for the Dominion and Ontario elections. Their first campaign meeting will be held at Brady’s Hall in Prescott at 8 pm on July 18.

A meeting of Liberal candidates in the riding of West Toronto was broken up last night by supporters of the Conservative candidate’s in the riding. According to The Globe, disruption occurred when local Tories left their own meeting and descended upon the meeting of Liberal “lambs” “forcing their way into a room already crowded, breaking through the windows and putting a stop to the meeting by the most unmitigated ruffianism.”

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

Toronto

A dog with distemper was shot in Toronto, kicking off a rash of dog-poisonings. The poisonings appeared to be related to the worrying of sheep in the City, an occurrence for which Council was compensating owners. Poisoning is not a sanctioned method for the removal of “vicious curs”.