calling upon the government of Manitoba to take the necessary measures to restore to the Roman Catholic minority such rights and privileges as were declared by the highest court of the empire to have been taken away from them.  The Manitoba government not only refused to move in the matter but expressed its determination “to resist unitedly by every constitutional means any such attempt to interfere with their provincial autonomy.”  The result was the introduction of a remedial bill by Mr. Dickey, minister of justice, in the house of commons during the session of 1896; but it met from the outset very determined opposition during the most protracted sittings—­one of them lasting continuously for a week—­ever known in the history of the Canadian or any other legislature of the empire.  On several divisions the bill was supported by majorities ranging from 24 to 18—­several French members of the opposition having voted for it and several Conservative Protestant members against its passage.  The bill was introduced on the 11th February, and the motion for its second reading was made on the 3rd March, from which date it was debated continuously until progress was reported from a committee of the whole house on the 16th April, after the house had sat steadily from Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock until 2 o’clock on the following Thursday morning.  It was then that Sir Charles Tupper, leader of the government in the house, announced that no further attempt would be made to press the bill that session.  He stated that it was absolutely necessary to vote money for the urgent requirements of the public service and pass other important legislation during the single week that was left before parliament would be dissolved by the efflux of time under the constitutional law, which fixes the duration of the house of commons “for five years from the day of the return of the writs for choosing the house and no longer.”

In the general election of 1896 the Manitoba school question was an issue of great importance.  From the commencement to the close of the controversy the opponents of denominational schools combined with the supporters of provincial rights to defeat the government which had so determinedly fought for what it considered to be the legal rights of the Roman Catholic minority of Manitoba.  It had looked confidently to the support of the great majority of the French Canadians, but the result of the elections was most disappointing to the Conservative party.  Whilst in the provinces, where the Protestants predominated, the Conservatives held their own to a larger extent than had been expected even by their sanguine friends, the French province gave a great majority to Mr. Launer, whose popularity among his countrymen triumphed over all influences, ecclesiastical and secular, that could be used in favour of denominational schools in Manitoba.