do so.

the use of local names in some of the countries that are entirely unknown in other countries in which the same language is spoken; and, as a consequence, it was not acceptable to them. Of the nations that entered into the agreement to form the union, the Argentine Republic notified the State Department in a communication through its minister of its withdrawal under date of March 2, 1892, and shortly afterward Colombia also notified the department of its intention to withdraw after paying its quota to June 30, 1893. Chile and the Dominican Republie had neither ratified the recommendation constituting the union nor declared their intention of entering it, but in March, 1892, the Dominican Government announced its desire to enter the union and authorized its representative to pay the amount of its annual assessment. The annual report of the director of the bureau for 1893 shows that the Argentine Republic, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Peru had not paid their quotas, though nearly all of them promised to The existence of the bureau gradually became so uncertain that it was finally decided by the State Department to make a determined attempt at reorganization, and an invitation was extended to the accredited representatives of the Latin-American republics to this country, requesting them to meet the Secretary of State for the purpose of consulting in regard to the future work of the bureau and enlarging its scope. This meeting was held on April 1, 1896, in the diplomatic room of the State Department, and all the nations were represented with the exception of the Argentine Republic, Bolivia, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. The result of this meeting, after an animated discussion on the part of the various representatives, was the unanimous request that the Secretary of State appoint a committee of 5 members to act as an executive board of the bureau, to whom all matters should be referred. Accordingly, this committee was appointed, and at a meeting held June 4 it made its report, which was adopted as a basis for the government of the affairs of the union, and it was ordered that the provisions be put into force at once, without prejudice to their being referred to the respective governments represented.

Under this new plan of organization and the active interest taken in the affairs of the bureau by the diplomatic representatives forming the Executive Board, the bureau began a new existence, and its scope was much widened. An office was opened in New York for soliciting business, as it was decided to publish advertisements of reputable firms in the Monthly Bulletin, and an agent was employed for that purpose. This action, however, soon brought forth a vigorous protest from the publishers of export papers, who declared that the soliciting and publishing of advertisements was not within the province of an official organ of the Government, and that this was interfering with their legitimate business. Arguments were presented by the director of the bureau favoring the advertising project, but it was subsequently shown that with the increased business the expenses of the bureau had increased to such an extent that it was necessary to call for an appropriation of $41.972 to meet the deficiency for six months ending June 30, 1898, which appropriation was made by the United States without objection. At a meeting of the Executive Board it was shown that of $36.000 in advertising contracts made, 40 per cent. was required to be paid to the solicitor, who demanded his percentage before the bills

The

against the advertisers could be collected, which required an additional outlay of capital by the bureau, and as a consequence it was decided to terminate all existing contracts for soliciting advertisements and subscriptions to publications of the bureau upon commissions, and to discontinue the New York office. This action was taken at a meeting held Feb. 28, 1898. previous year had seen the completion of the code of commercial nomenclature in the three languages proposed, and also that of a commercial directory that cost $48,000. Through the good offices of the representatives of the LatinAmerican countries in the United States and ministers accredited by the United States, the bureau obtained the privilege of sending its mailmatter free of postage from the governments of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Venezuela through their respective territories. Mexico was the only country that had hitherto granted these privileges. Soon afterward the Argentine Republic, which had withdrawn from the union, announced its intention to take the formal steps necessary to enter it, and this announcement was shortly followed by that of Chile. Colombia and Paraguay, although they had not formally withdrawn from the union, had failed to pay their annual assessments, but now they paid their indebtedness, thus showing their disposition to become active members of the union. This was followed by Bolivia and Peru granting postal franchise privileges, which now made 14 of the republics granting this privilege, including our islands and Canada.

The second International Conference, held in Mexico in 1901-'02, fully recognized the importance of the bureau to all the republics; and the Mexican Government assigned two rooms adjoining the conference hall for its use and the installation of a reference library. With the view of rendering the bureau still more useful to all the countries represented in its administration and making it still more valuable in establishing and maintaining closer relations between them, the conference adopted a plan of reorganization that is intended to increase the efficiency of the bureau and enable it to discharge its duties to better advantage. One of the aims in the adoption of the plan was the making of the management of the bureau more truly international. The new regulations provide that the bureau shall be under the management of a governing board composed of the Secretary of State of the United States, who is to be its chairman, and the diplomatic representatives in Washington of all the other governments represented in the bureau. This governing board is required to meet once a month, excepting in June, July, and August of each year, and may hold special meetings any time on the call of the chairman, or on the request of any two members. The merit system of filling places is adopted, and it is provided that all applicants shall be examined to determine their fitness for the places for which they apply. It is required that an itemized budget be prepared annually, estimating the expenses of the bureau for the succeeding year, and this budget is to be transmitted to each government, together with a statement of the amount to be paid by such government on the basis of the existing apportionment of the expenses, and each government is required to transmit the amount of its assessment to the Secretary of State of the United States six months in advance. The bureau is given authority to correspond, through the diplomatic representatives of the several governments in

Charles Fitzpatrick was to succeed him as Minister of Justice; that Henry George Carroll, K. C., M. P. P., was to replace the last-mentioned as Solicitor-General, without a seat in the Cabinet; and that the Hon. William Templeman, of British Columbia, was to become a member of the Government without portfolio. Mr. Fitzpatrick was sworn in on Feb. 22. The Hon. James Sutherland, M. P., who had been a member of the Government since 1899, without portfolio, had already been sworn in as Minister of Marine and Fisheries on Jan. 16, in place of Sir Louis Davies, who had gone to the Supreme Court in the preceding December.

The most important political event of the year, however, was the retirement of the Hon. J. Israel Tarte from the Government. As he represented a considerable French following in preceding elections, and had old-time Conservative party associations, his separation from the Liberal ministry created a sensation. His speeches during some months had been very protectionist and had become more so as the time of Sir Wilfrid Laurier's return from England drew near. On Oct. 20-two days after the Premier's returnMr. Tarte sent in his resignation, and in his letter made the following statement: "I shall not discuss with you at the present time the question as to whether I was right or wrong in the course I have followed. You are the leader of the Government, and your opinion, as far as my attitude is involved, must prevail. You told me that my utterances are causing trouble. I have no right and no desire to be a source of embarrassment to you or the party with which I have been connected since 1892. My views on the tariff are well known to you. I have on several occasions stated them publicly in your presence, and diseussed them often privately with you. Enter taining the opinion that the interests of the Canadian people make it our duty to revise the tariff of 1897, with the view of giving a more adequate protection to our industries, to our farming community, and our working men, I can not possibly remain silent. I prefer my freedom of action and speech under the circumstances, even to the great honor of being your colleague."

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, in his reply, accepted the resignation upon constitutional grounds and for the following expressed reasons: If you had reached the conclusion that the interest of the country demanded without delay an increase of the customs duties, the first thing for you to do as a member of the Government, before addressing your views to the country, would have been to place them before your colleagues, with the the object of obtaining that unanimious action of the Cabinet which is the very foundation of responsible Government. If you had not been able to obtain from your colleagues their consent to the course you recommended, you would have been obliged then either to accept their views or sever your connections with them, and then for the first time you would have been free to place your views before the public. Such was the very simple course which was binding upon you; but to remain a member of the Government, and at the same time to advocate a policy which had not yet been adopted by the Government, was an impediment to the proper working of our constitutional system, and implies a disregard for that loyalty which all those who are members of the same administration owe to each other, and have a right to expect from each other."

A few days later Mr. Tarte assumed editorial charge of La Patrie, a French-Canadian Liberal paper in Montreal, and announced that he would

entertain an independent attitude toward the Government. After a short delay Raymond Prefontaine, K. C., M. P., formerly mayor of Montreal, was appointed Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and the Hon. Mr. Sutherland was transferred to Mr. Tarte's late department Nov. 12. Meanwhile R. L. Borden, M. P., the Conservative leader, had been making a tour of Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and British Columbia, accompanied by Messrs. E. F. Clarke, J. Clancy, R. Blain, D. Henderson, and other Conservative members of Parliament. A great many speeches were made, and the ground was taken that Mr. Tarte was coming over to Conservative policy and fiscal principles. Mr. Borden left Winnipeg for his home in Nova Scotia on Oct. 21, and before doing so issued a final appeal to the people of the west to support a policy of adequate protection to Canadian industries and of a national transportation system. Parliament had met and dispersed many months before this. On Feb. 13 it was opened by the Earl of Minto, GovernorGeneral, with a speech from the throne, in which he said:

66

'Application having been made by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company for approval of an increase of its capital, to meet the demand for additional rolling-stock and other improved facilities for handling the growing traffic, my ministers availed themselves of the opportunity to stipulate that the long-pending question of the power of the Governor in Council to regulate the tolls of the company should be submitted to the courts for a judicial decision. The correspondence and others papers will be laid before you.

The inventor, Mr. Marconi, having met unexpected obstacles to the carrying on of his experiments in wireless ocean telegraphy in a sister colony, my ministers deem it expedient to invite him to continue his operations on the coast of Nova Scotia, and they availed themselves of his presence in Canada to enter into negotiations resulting in an arrangement through which, should the project prove as successful as is hoped for, the Government and people of Canada will enjoy the benefits of the invention on very favorable terms, including rates for transatlantic messages very much below those now existing.

"I am pleased to inform you that the display made by Canada of her products at the several expositions at which they had been exhibited during the last year has attracted much attention, and has already resulted in many inquiries and orders for our goods. I may also congratulate you on the satisfactory condition of the revenue, and on the steady and continuous expansion of the general business of the country as evidenced by the increased volume of exports and imports. With the view of still further facilitating and developing our trade with other countries, it will probably be found expedient to increase the number of our commercial agencies; and Parliament will be asked to consider the desirability of making additional provision for that purpose.

"I have also pleasure in informing you that the governments of Australia and New Zealand have accepted an invitation from my Government to attend a conference in London next June for the consideration of trade, transportation, cable. and other matters of intercolonial concern, and it is hoped that the meeting may lead to an extension of Canadian trade with those important portions of his Majesty's dominions. I have further to advise you that my Government, having caused inquiry to be made, has reached the conclusion that the establishment of direct steam

ship service with South Africa would enable Canada to secure in that country a profitable market for her varied products, and, to that end, will endeavor to arrange for such a service." The session was comparatively quiet. The principal events were the act authorizing the Canadian Pacific Railway to increase its capital stock considerably, the legislation enabling Manitoba farmers to erect free grain warehouses at railway-stations, and the granting of representation to the Yukon Territory. The following were the chief acts passed and duly assented to by the Governor-General at the prorogation of the houses on May 15:

To incorporate the Indian River Railway Company.

To incorporate the Sovereign Life Assurance Company of Canada.

To incorporate the Nipissing and Ottawa Railway Company.

To incorporate the St. Lawrence and Northern Railway Company.

To incorporate the Strait of Canso Bridge Company.

To incorporate the Crown Bank of Canada. To incorporate the Knapp Tubular Steamship Company.

To incorporate the Canadian Manufacturers' Association.

To incorporate the Pacific Northern and Omenica Railway Company.

To amend the bills of exchange act. Further to amend the Canada evidence act, 1893.

Further to amend the acts respecting the Northwest Territories.

Further to amend the Yukon Territory act and the acts in amendment thereof.

To incorporate the Toronto and Niagara Power Company.

To amend chapter xli of the Statutes of 1901 respecting the administration of justice in Yukon Territory.

To amend the land titles act, 1894.

To amend the Chinese immigration act, 1900. To amend the naturalization act. To incorporate the Yukon Pacific Railway Company.

To incorporate the Manitoba and Keewatin Railway Company.

To incorporate the Canada Eastern Railway Company.

To incorporate the Nepigon Railway Company. To incorporate the Canada Central Railway Company.

To incorporate the North Shore Power, Railway, and Navigation Company.

To provide for the establishment of a Medical Council in Canada.

To amend the immigration act.
To amend the fruit marks act, 1901.

To incorporate the Securities Bank of Canada.
To incorporate the Metropolitan Bank.
To incorporate the Union Life Assurance Com-
pany.

To amend the Manitoba grain act, 1900. Respecting the coasting-trade of Canada. To amend the customs tariff, 1897. To incorporate the Canadian Northern Telegraph Company.

Respecting the incorporation of joint-stock companies by letters patent.

The Budget of 1902.-On March 17 the Minister of Finance presented his sixth annual statement to the House of Commons. He had no changes in the tariff to announce, and he said that machinery and structural iron for beet

sugar factories would remain free of duty for another year from April 1. He estimated the revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, at $56,800,000, the expenditure at $51,000,000, and the addition to the debt of the Dominion at about $6,000,000. He was able to say that his expression of belief in his last budget speech that the country had about reached the crest of the wave of business prosperity had been proved incorrect by the activities and progress of the past year. The revenue had been greater than his estimate, and larger than that of the years 1899-1901, as the following table showed:

In

Mr. Fielding drew special attention to the postoffice returns. There was an increased revenue of $235,969, and the total receipts of the department were $3,441,504. But the expenditure was $3,939,446. He said, however, that the deficits had once been as high as $800,000, and that in the meantime Mr. Mulock had not only reduced the amount, but had cut the British postage in two and reduced the Canadian postage one-third. In railways he described the condition as noteworthy. From total receipts of $3,140,678 in 1896, when the Laurier Government took office, the amount had risen in 1901 to $5,213,381. The total expenditure in consolidated fund account, or permanent expense account, was $46,866,367, against $42,975,279 in the preceding year. legislation there had been an increase of $342,424; in arts, agriculture, and statistics—which included the census-the increase was $235,645; in militia there was an increase of $215,495; in railways and canals-chiefly the working expenses of the Intercolonial Railway-the increase was $1,136,660; in public works the increase was $1,096,743; in the Government of the Northwest Territories, $150,177; and in the post-office, $173,431. Adding to this consolidated fund expenditure and the capital account expenditure such as railway subsidies and the South African War and a certain class of public works-the total was $57,982,866, against $52,717,466 in 1899–1900. For railways on capital account there was an expenditure in 1901 of $3,914,010; for canals, of $2,360,569; for public works, of $1,006,983; for Dominion lands, of $269.060: for militia, of $135.884; for the Canadian Pacific Railway, of $8.978. The total was $7,695,488, an increase altogether of $226,645. The net public debt was described by the minister as having been $268,480,003 on June 30, 1901, against $265,493.806 in the previous years. In the five preceding years, he

added, the increase had been $9.982,570, an average of $1,996,514, compared with an average of $6,563,075 in the preceding eighteen years. The exact increase for 1900-'01 was $2,986,196.

The statements of the minister were variously criticized, and on May 13 Mr. Borden, the Opposition leader, introduced the following motion:

in 1901, $57,982,868. That the Finance Minister estimates that the total expenditure for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, will be $65,250,000; that the annual expenditure on both consolidated revenue and capital account has increased between 1897 and 1901 by no less a sum than $15,010,110; that during the period above mentioned the revenues of the country have been unusually large, and the Government claims a total net surplus of $19,743,527.69, but no portion thereof has been applied in reduction of the publie debt, which, with the addition estimated by the Finance Minister for the current fiscal year, will have increased from $258,479,432.77 in 1896 to $274,480,000 in 1902, an increase of more than $16,000,000; that the Minister of Finance estimates that the total revenue for the year ending June 30, 1902, will be $56,800,000; that notwith standing this very large revenue the Minister of Finance estimates that the public debt will be increased during the current year about $6,000,000; that the House desires to place on record the opinion that the expenditure for the year ending June 30, 1902, and the proposed expenditure for the year ending June 30, 1903, are excessive and extravagant, and regrets that the Government, with the exceptionally large revenues at its command, has not only failed to reduce, but has largely increased the public debt and has incurred capital expenditure for which the country does not receive and can not expect an adequate return."

The motion was lost on a party division of 84 to 41.

The supplementary estimates for the fiscal year ending June 30 were presented to Parliament on May 6. The total was $5,739,301. Of this amount, $3,386,201 was chargeable to consolidated fund and $2,353,100 to capital account. This made the main estimates $59,100,939 for the year beginning in July, 1902. There were $10,000 for experimental farms; $175,000 for the St. Louis Exhibition; $20,000 for the Cork and Wolverhampton Exhibition; $50,000 defenses at Esquimalt; $300,000 arms and ammunition; $150,000 to purchase rifles; $50,000 for the coronation military contingent; $315,000 for the Halifax garrison: $1,315,000 for the intercolonial and $36,000 for Yukon public buildings; for the Northwest Government, $107,000; and for the Yukon Government. $384,500.

Canada at the Coronation.-During the greater part of the year the subject most universally discussed in Canada was perhaps that of the coronation. Bound up with it also were the visits of Canadian premiers and leaders to the motherland; the conferences held there upon many important subjects; and the hospitalities extended to Canadians. The royal invitation specially extended to the Premier of Canada made him the guest of the British nation during a specified period, with headquarters at the Hotel Cecil, in company with the Premiers of Australia, New Zealand, Cape Colony, Natal, and Newfoundland, and certain appointed representatives of the Crown colonies and the Indian Empire. The premiers of all the provinces of Canada were also invited to be present at the coronation, though not as guests at the expense of the nation. In accordance with the King's desire to make the coronation an imperial event, each part of the empire was asked to send a contingent of troops. Canada sent 656 soldiers, chiefly veterans of the war, the cavalry being under the command of Lieut. Col. R. E. W. Turner, V. C., D. S. O., of Quebec, and the infantry under Lieut.-Col. H. M. Pellatt, of Toronto.

The Coronation Conference. In a communication addressed to the Governor-General of Canada, on Dec. 27, 1901, Mr. Chamberlain conveyed a formal intimation of the coronation having been fixed for June 26 following, and an expression of the King's desire that the Premier of Canada should be present and be a guest of the Government, together with his wife, for a fortnight from the time of arrival. On Jan. 23, 1902, the Colonial Secretary cabled Lord Minto as follows: "It is proposed by his Majesty's Government to take advantage of the presence of the premiers at the coronation to discuss with them the questions of political relations between the mother country and the colonies, imperial defense, commercial relations of the empire, and other matters of general interest. Should your ministers desire to submit definite proposals or resolutions on any of the above questions, or should they wish to suggest any further subject for discussion, I should be glad to be informed of the purport by cable, in order that the other governments can be communicated with." The period of three weeks after the coronation was suggested as that during which the premiers should remain as his Majesty's guests. Under date of Feb. 3, Lord Minto replied, accepting the invitation for Sir Wilfrid and Lady Laurier, and dealing with matters of policy as follows: "Referring to the several questions mentioned in your despatch of Jan. 23, the only one which, in the opinion of my ministers, gives promise of useful discussion, is that of the commercial relations now existing between the mother country and the great selfgoverning colonies, and particularly Canada, which are regarded by my ministers as entirely satisfactory, with the exception of a few minor details; and they do not anticipate that in the varying conditions of the colonies there can be any scheme of defense applicable to all."

This correspondence was laid before the Canadian House of Commons on March 11, and Mr. Borden, leader of the Conservative Opposition, brought up the subject in the House on May 12. He read the correspondence between Mr. Chamberlain and Lord Minto; deprecated as discour teous the action of the Government in declining to discuss imperial defense; declared that of the three possible features before the country-independence, annexation, or present conditions-he preferred the last, and believed that it would be the permanent one; and pointed to advantages which Canada had long received from its protection by the British naval and military forces. He then, at considerable length, discussed the existing preferential tariff and the various proposals for preferential trade in its wider sense; quoted the Premier's statement in the session of 1901 that preferential trade throughout the empire could not be discussed without premising the abolition of the protective conference, and could have no useful result under present condition of government in the Dominion. He concluded by asking for an authoritative statement as to the policy of the Government in connection with the coming conference. "We want to know whether the Government, while retaining for Canada full control of all her public moneys and her system of defense, is prepared to discuss with the imperial authorities a system of imperial defense. We want to know whether the Prime Minister proposes, as he did in 1897, and as the Minister of Agriculture did in 1901, to tell the Government and the people of the mother country that Canada desires no preference in the British markets. We want to know whether the Government are yet fully seized of the fact that