Laurier having a clear working majority of twenty or more, as compared with a conservative majority of about fifty in the last house.

The most significant overturn of sentiment, as stated, was in the province of Quebec. Outside of that province a slight majority was returned against the liberals. In Quebec, however, three conservative ministers-Messrs.

Angers, Taillon, and Desjardins were defeated. Mr. Dickey from Nova Scotia was the only other member of the Tupper ministry who failed of re-election. Of M. Laurier's lieutenants, Mr. Mills, ex-minister of the interior, and Mr. Wm. Paterson of Brantford, Ont., were also beaten. Another noteworthy feature of the election was the return of a conservative majority from Manitoba-which, however, loses some of its significance from the fact that many supporters of the government had made a reservation freeing them from committal to the policy of remedial legislation. Still another remarkable feature of the election was the wrenching from the conservatives of a number of representatives of cities. Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Hamilton, Kingston, Halifax, Vancouver, and St. John contributed to the liberal ranks. Winnipeg, London, and Victoria, B. C., however, went conservative. Hon. Hugh John Macdonald, minister of the interior, was elected in Winnipeg, where Mr. Joseph Martin, framer of the anti-separate school law, was defeated.

The patrons of industry did not make a strong showing. Of their 33 candidates (28 in Ontario, 3 in Manitoba, and 2 in the Northwest Territories), four were elected, three of them in Ontario. Of the twenty-nine patron defeats, ten occurred in ridings in which there was but one other candidate. In most of the other ridings, the patron got a smaller vote than either of the other can

didates. Mr. Mallory, president of the order, was defeated in East Northumberland, Ont., by a conservative, by over 400 majority.

Laurier Ministry Formed. It was not until July 8 that the resignation of Sir Charles Tupper and his colleagues was formally accepted by Lord Aberdeen, the delay being due, it is said, to a difference which arose be

The

tween the government and His Excellency over the closing up of some executive business in the matter of appointments. liberal leader, M. Laurier, was at once intrusted with the task of forming a ministry; and on July 13 the new cabinet was sworn in as follows:

Premier and President of the Council-Wilfrid Laurier (Que.).

Minister of JusticeSir Oliver Mowat (Ont.). Minister of Trade and Commerce Sir Richard Cartwright (Ont.).

Minister of Marine and Fisheries-L. H. Davies (P. E. I.).

Comptroller of Cus

toms-William Paterson

(Ont.).

Comptroller of Inland Revenue-Sir Henri Joly de Lotbinière

(Que.).

Minister of Finance-W. S. Fielding (N. S.).
Postmaster-General-William Mulock (Ont.).
Minister of Militia-Dr. Borden (N. S.).

Minister of Public Works-J. I. Tarte (Que.).

Minister of Agriculture-Sydney Fisher (Que.).

Secretary of State-R. W. Scott (Ont.).

Minister of Railways and Canals-A. G. Blair (N. B.).

Without portfolio-R. R. Dobell (Que.) and C. A. Geoffrion (Que.).
Solicitor-General-C. Fitzpatrick (Que.).

The portfolio of the interior remained for the time being unfilled. It will be noted that the two comptrollerships have been raised to the rank of ministerial posts. The new administration contains five Roman Catholics-Messrs. Laurier, Tarte, Geoffrion, Scott, and Fitzpatrick.

Owing to the transfer of Sir Oliver Mowat, premier of Ontario, from the provincial to the federal arena, a readjustment of the Ontario cabinet was necessitated, beginning with the transfer, on July 14, of the Hon. Arthur S. Hardy, formerly commissioner of crown lands, to the vacant post of premier.

The two most important tasks confronting the Laurier

administration, are the settlement of the Manitoba school question and the revision of the tariff. What may be looked for in the school case, none can tell. Negotiations between the provincial and federal governments will be resumed; and M. Laurier is confident, as he has several times stated, that a settlement satisfactory to all interests concerned will prove easy of arrangement. And, as regards the tariff, it is positively known that no immediate radical changes calculated to disturb business are to

be made. While M. Laurier looks upon free trade as the ideal system toward which all should strive, he has frankly admitted in his speeches that the necessity of raising revenue by custom duties will prevent any radical reductions in the tariff for some time to come. Whatever is to be done, will be done slowly, with due notice to all interests likely to be affected.*

LAURIER, HON. WILFRID, new Canadian premier, seventh to hold that office, was born at St. Lin, L'Assomption county, Que., November 20, 1841. At thirteen years of age he was sent to L'Assomption College, Montreal. He began the study of law in 1860, in the office of the Hon. R. Laflamme, with whom, seventeen years later, he became a colleague in the government of the late Hon. Alexander Mackenzie. After obtaining the degree of B. C. L. at McGill College, Montreal, he was admitted to the bar in 1865. For a short time he was editor of Le Défricheur. In 1871 he entered public life as member for Drummond and Arthabaskaville in the Quebec legislature, his term expiring in 1874, when he was sent to the Dominion house of commons, of which he has since remained a member. In

*The above record of Dominion politics is brought up to July 15.

1877-8 he was minister of inland revenue in Mr. Mackenzie's cabinet. From 1878 to 1888 he was leader of the French liberal opposition; and, since the latter date, leader, in succession to Hon. E. Blake, of the Dominion liberal party. He has splendid gifts of oratory, to which his success is in large part due; but he has at the same time a spotless reputation; and, as a parliamentary tactician, he has had no rival since the death of Sir John A. Macdonald, whom he resembles in several ways. He is married, but has no children. His wife belongs to the Lafontaine family, to which also belonged the late Sir L. H. Lafontaine, Bart., at one time premier of Canada and from 1853 to 1864 chief justice of the Queen's Bench. M. Laurier comes to office with the cordial respect of political opponents as well as friends. His private record is as stainless as his personal character is engaging and attractive.

The Prohibition Judgment.-Judgment in what is known as the "Prohibition test case was delivered by the judicial committee of the imperial privy council, May 9. The case was an appeal-"The attorney-general for Ontario vs. the attorney-general for the Dominion of Canada and the Distillers' and Brewers' Association of Ontario "from a judgment of the supreme court of Canada handed down in January, 1895 (Vol. 5, pp. 157, 669). It will be remembered that the seven questions submitted were all answered in the negative by the Canadian court, the tenor of the decision being that the power to prohibit the liquor traffic belonged exclusively and in all its phases to the Dominion and not to the provinces.

The judgment now rendered by the privy council of England, in a word, allots to the federal government the exclusive right of absolute prohibition as to the Dominion. or the provinces, but affirms the constitutionality of ali the local-option legislation enacted in the past by both federal and provincial legislatures. Prohibition is a question for the Dominion government to settle; but the provinces may legally employ the principle of local option to close saloons and abolish licenses wherever a preponderating number of the inhabitants of any township, city, town, or incorporated village are in favor of such a step, and provided also that the Scott act is not already in force.

As regards the first six questions, the negative answers of the Canadian court are sustained.

The seventh question, however, is now answered in the affirmative; and the autonomy of the provinces is emphasized, the Dominion rights of legislation being strictly confined to matters which are un questionably "of Canadian interest and importance." The Ontario legislature had jurisdiction to enact Section 18 of the Act in 53 Vic. -the local-option law; but, where localities in a county which has adopted the Scott act have passed a local law, the provincial localoption law is null and void.

Business Failures.-Bradstreet's shows an increase

of 21 per cent in number, and of 19 per cent in amount, of failures in Canada during the half-year ended June 30, 1896, as compared with the corresponding period of 1895. The record by provinces, in both periods, is as follows:

BUSINESS FAILURES, CANADIAN, FOR HALF-YEAR.

Mineral Production.-The following figures regarding the mineral production of Canada during 1895 are valuable for reference.

The total production, metallic and non-metallic, was in value $22,500,000, of which $6,370,146 was metallic and $15,875,197 was nonmetallic, with $254,657 as the estimated value of products not returned. The total production in 1894 was $20,900,000; in 1893, $19,250,000; in 1892, $19,500,000; in 1891, $20,500,000; in 1890, $18,000,000; in 1889, $14,500,000; in 1888, $13,500,000; in 1887, $12,500,000; and in 1886, $12,000,000. The production of 1895 was the largest in any one year during the past decade, and there was an increase of $10,500,000 from 1886 to 1896.

The metallic productions last year consisted of copper of the value $949,229; gold, $1,910,921; iron ore, $238,070; lead, fine in ore, etc., $749,966; mercury, $2,343; nickel, fine in ore, etc., $1,360,984; and silver, fine in ore, etc., $1,158,633.

The non-metallic productions were: Asbestos, $368,175; baryta, $168; chromite, $41,301; coal, $7,774,178; coke, $143,047; fire clay, $3,492; graphite, $6,150; grindstones, $31,532; gypsum, $202,608; limestone for flux, $32,916; manganese ore, $8,464; mica, $65,000; ochres, $14,600; mineral water, $111,048; molding sand, $13,530; natural gas, $423,032; petroleum, $1,201,184; phosphate, apatite, $9,565; precious stones, $1,650; pyrites, $102,594; salt, $180,417; soapstone, $2,138.

The highest production in any previous year was $20,500,000 in 1891, which was exceeded by $2,000,000 in 1895.

Personal and Miscellaneous.-The following Canadians shared in this year's distribution of birthday honors by Her Majesty Queen Victoria: Hon. W. R. Mercdith, chief justice of the court of common pleas for Ontario, knighted; Sir Donald A. Smith, high commissioner in London, promoted from K. C. M. G. to G. C. M. G.; and Hon. J. A. Chapleau, lieutenant-governor of Quebec, made a K. C. M. G.

The entrance in May, into the Tupper ministry, of