mber in the
position where he will have to affirm or deny it. A great cry has been
raised of a contemplated attack on the government, and, after all, it
has turned out that their fears have been excited by a newspaper
paragraph. The government has fortified all their outposts, and His
Excellency and two aides have been on the lookout for the coming attack.
At length my honourable colleague [Mr. Fisher] brought forth his
resolutions when they said to each other, 'Why, this doesn't mean
anything; there is no attack.' But they slept over it one night, cracked
some wine upon it, and while sitting under the mahogany they
said--'Hazen, there is something in these resolutions of Fisher's,
depend upon it--some hidden meaning--what shall we say it is? what will
we call it? we must give them some ugly name, or they will pass.' 'Oh,'
said Hazen, 'I have it--initiation of money grants--that'll do; I'll
just go down to the House and cry out "mad dog," "initiation of money
grants"; members will become alarmed, and we'll succeed in defeating
them.' But the honourable member from St. John [Mr. Jordan] has made the
most wonderful discoveries; he has taken a peep from the lookout station
at the enemy; he has looked through a political microscope, and has
discovered more than the commander-in-chief himself. 'Why,' says he,
'there's everything there--I see "free trade" and "protection" both, and
let me see--I--there's the "Board of Works," too; and round on the other
side I see "Municipal Corporations."' I will endeavour before I sit down
to prove that the arguments of my honourable friend Mr. Hazen are
fallacious. He has been developing at a great rate yesterday; he was not
asked to develop the money, but to bring down such measures as would
develop the provincial resources; this is the meaning of the resolution,
and, had not my honourable friend become alarmed for the safety of the
government, there is no man into whose hands I would sooner place the
resolution. But he has chosen to put the construction upon the
resolution which he has done, and other honourable members said, 'Oh, he
knows what it means better than I do; he has cried "mad dog" and we'll
follow him.' The government is not asked to bring in the revenue bill,
or any other bill which involves the principle of money grants. All the
resolution requires is, that they shall be prepared, at the opening of
the session, with such measures as may be considered for the general
welfare