September 24, 1867

THE CALLING OF PARLIAMENT

With the elections concluded there is not yet firm word of when the Dominion and provincial parliaments are to be called for the despatch of business. Rumours have identified several dates and sitting plans over the last week or so and today brings a new date, that being November 2, 1867.

The Act of Union requires that the Parliaments (Dominion and provincial) must meet before January 1, 1868.

No fewer than 17 MPs also hold seats in the provincial legislatures of either Ontario or Québec, complicating the scheduling of the meetings of these three bodies.

ORGANIZATION OF ONTARIO GOVERNMENT

Nearly all employees of the Ontario Crown Lands Department have been relocated from Ottawa to the Ontario Legislative Buildings in Toronto, save for those in the Accountant’s branch who remain in the Dominion capital. They will move to Toronto once they have finished work copying and separating the Ontario records from the Québec ones.

The government is not expected to begin the distribution of land until the cabinet has met and a land policy developed. The minister, Hon. Stephen Richards is reported to be hard at work organizing his department despite having lost his bid for election in South Leeds. The remaining ministers, Hon. John Carling (Agriculture and Public Works), Hon. Matthew Crooks Cameron (Provincial Secretary and Registrar), and Hon. Edmund Burke Wood (Treasurer) have not yet begun the organization of their departments.

It is all the same as the Ontario government reportedly has no funds at its disposal, with timber dues being collected in Québec and being held in trust for the province.

Road work is being undertaken to connect Ontario to the Red River Colony. Approximately 40 men are working near Fort William where three miles of road have already been constructed and another three miles are expected to be completed before the snow flies.

SOUTH GREY ELECTION TO BE PROTESTED

Word has arrived that Mr. Dagliesh intends to protest the victory of George Jackson (Conservative) in the riding of South Grey on the grounds that Jackson secured the seat as the result of illegal and fraudulent votes.

Mr. Jackson had withdrawn from the candidacy here on the grounds that he was not interested in spending the campaign discussing the Grey and Simcoe railway. He later re-entered and it was rumoured that he did so only once he had received assurances that his campaign expenses would be covered.

Mr. Dagliesh was also a late entry into the race here. Early reports had suggested that Abraham Lauder was to have contested the seat.

SHADY DEALINGS IN ALGOMA

More details have emerged of the disqualification of the Indian vote in Algoma, earlier reported. A letter from a resident of the riding describes the to-ing and fro-ing engaged in by the returning officer of the riding with respect to whose votes he would accept. His initial statement was that Indian votes would be taken and counted. This was subsequently changed to deny the eligibility of Indians living on a reserve or receiving annuities from the government. Finally, all Indian votes were denied. The letter-writer, who goes by the nom de plume “One Who Knows” has drawn a line to show that the position of the Returning Officer shifted along with the confidence that Hon. Hector Langevin (Secretary of State for Canada) held that the Indians (said to number some 200) in the riding would support the Government candidate, Wemyss Simpson.

Simpson was elected with a majority of nine votes.

MONCK TO MOVE IN OCTOBER

It is reported that His Excellency, the Governor-General, Lord Monck, will depart Québec with his family in early October to take up residency at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Lord Monck’s term was recently extended and he has earned much enmity in Québec for having ordered the removal of several plants belonging to the province from Spencer Wood for transplant to the new vice-regal home.

MEDICAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD

The Medical Society of Québec has convened a meeting of doctors to be held in Québec City on October 9. The purpose of the meeting is to arrange for a uniform system of granting medical licenses across the Dominion. The resolution to be debated calls for the issuance of medical licenses by a Central Board of Examiners in each province. If adopted, medical degrees issued by universities and other learning institutions will retain honorary value only. All medical societies, schools, and universities throughout the Dominion have been invited to send delegates to the meeting. Dr. Charles Tupper, MP for Cumberland is expected to be in attendance.