September 14, 1867

LIBERAL SWEEP

The Liberals have swept the elections held in five ridings over the past two days winning every seat contested for both the House of Commons and the Ontario Legislature. With these victories the Liberals are once again the largest single parliamentary grouping within the House of Commons and bring them within seven seats of the forty-one required for a majority within the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Hon. Matthew Crooks Cameron, the Ontario Provincial Secretary and Registrar was defeated by John Thompson in his bid for a seat in the Commons representing the constituency of North Ontario.

ELECTION DEATH TOLL RISES

A man has died after being hit in the head with a rock while delivering an election speech in New Liverpool, Québec, in the riding of Levis. The man, named Canlin, was addressing voters in front of the local hotel when someone in the crowd threw the rock at him. Canlin was hit in the side of the head and knocked unconscious. He died a short time later.

CHAOS IN PRESCOTT CHURCH

Chaos has reigned in the Catholic Church in Prescott on consecutive Sundays after parishioners have twice ignored their priest’s exhortations in favour of the Conservatives. On the Sunday prior to the election in that riding, Father Roche delivered an hour long sermon from the pulpit demanding his parishioners vote Tory. The speech, an observer writes, “would not have done him credit on a week day, and in a less sacred place” resulted only in the congregation leaving the Sunday service en masse with the priest shouting epithets at them as they left.

This was followed up the next Sunday by another angry screed from Father Roche who singled out two parishioners in particulr, a Mr. J. Gray and his brother, who has recently sustained a spinal injury. After the priest attacked the brother, Mr. Gray admonished Father Roche and called on the congregation to once again walk out of the church. The observer writes:

At this point indescribable confusion reigned. Women and children wept and screamed while all arose to leave. Two men seemingly, with hostile intent, approached Mr. G. but an overpowering number of his friends and sympathizers rushed to the rescue. One of the congregation was struck by a supporter of the priest, but the assailant was quickly pitched out of doors.

FREE TRADE DEBATE LOOMS FOR CANADA

As our neighbours south of the border begin to look beyond their Reconstruction to new challenges, various societies have been aroused to debate the merits and demerits of free trade versus protectionism. The determining factor in whether one supports protectionism seems to be whether or not one’s industry is already protected.

With the issue getting more and more attention in the United States it is only a matter of time before Canada herself must take a position. For that reason it is a disservice to Canadians that the issue is only being raised at this late date in the election calendar.

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

Those who ventured outside yesterday evening were pleased to witness an eclipse of the moon which occurred from eight minutes past seven until approximately nine minutes to ten, though the moon did not itself rise in the sky until nearly ten minutes after the eclipse began. It was a remarkable sight for all who saw it.

ADMITTING THE RED RIVER TO CONFEDERATION

The admittance of the Red River colony to Confederation requires only an address from the two houses of Parliament to the Queen, that the Queen sees fit to approve. In this way, the barrier to entry for the North West to the Dominion is much lower than it is for the colonies of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia, which requires petition from their individual legislatures, in addition to Dominion concurrence.

Such low barrier, The Globe points out, also negates the necessity of any negotiation with the Hudson’s Bay Company, which, following the annexation of the territory, can bring its claims against the government the same way any other company in the Dominion might.

The Globe advocates for the joining of the Red River colony to the union as one of the first acts of the first Dominion Parliament.

THE 2 CENT STAMP

Reducing the price of postage from 5 cents to 2 cents will have many positive effects including an increase in the number of letters sent within Canada and to the mother country. With the price of a stamp currently at 5 cents Canadians are choosing to send only those letters that are absolutely necessary rather than keeping up a steady correspondence with their friends and acquaintances. The Liberal press is urging the government to adopt this policy in the upcoming legislative session.

DAILY ELECTION REPORT

Final Results

North Waterloo

Ontario Legislature

• Moses Springer (Liberal) 908 ELECTED
• John Zoeger (Conservative) 884

Prince Edward

House of Commons

• James McCuaig (Conservative) 942
• Walter Ross (Liberal) 1779 ELECTED

Ontario Legislature

• Absalom Greeley (Liberal) 1605 ELECTED
• Mr. Solmes (Conservative) 1131

North Victoria

House of Commons

• Mr. Cameron 403
• John Morrison (Liberal) 687 ELECTED

Ontario Legislature

• Alexander Cockburn (Liberal) 676 ELECTED
• Joseph Staples (Conservative) 407

South Perth

House of Commons

• Thomas Guest 1393
• Robert Macfarlane (Liberal) 1490 ELECTED

Ontario Legislature

• J. Donovan (Conservative) 1192
• James Trow (Liberal) 1552 ELECTED

North Ontario

House of Commons

• Hon. Matthew Crooks Cameron (Provincial Secretary, Registrar, Ontario) (Liberal) 1362
• John Thompson (Liberal) 1628 ELECTED

Ontario Legislature

• Mr. Gillespie (Conservative) 1192
• Thomas Paxton (Liberal) 1694 ELECTED

Partial Results

West Durham

House of Commons

• Edward Blake (Liberal) 483 vote majority
• Mr. Milne

Ontario Legislature

• W. Martin (Conservative)
• John McLeod (Liberal) 807 vote majority

South Waterloo

House of Commons

• James Cowan
• James Young (Liberal) 200 vote majority

Ontario Legislature

• Isaac Clemens (Liberal) 200 vote majority
• J. Crombie (Conservative)

Algoma - None Reported

House of Commons

• Mr. Beatty
• Mr. Macdonell
• Wemyss Simpson (Conservative)

Ontario Legislature

• Frederick Cumberland (Conservative)
• Mr. Duncan (Independent)
• Mr. Palmer (Liberal)

Addington - None Reported

House of Commons

• D. Cameron
• Mr. Ham
• James Lapum (Conservative)
• Mr. Lott
• Mr. Price
• Mr. Shibley (Liberal-Conservative)
• Henry Smith

Ontario Legislature

• B. Davy (Independent)
• Edmund Hooper (Conservative)
• Mr. Joyner (Liberal)