This took a good deal of business and money out of the hands of the Canadians, and there was an outbreak of indignation over it.

There promises to be a good deal of trouble before the matter is settled.

The Canadians will allow no American workmen to be employed on the Public Works, nor can they hold any good positions in the towns.

The Americans profess not to mind this in the least, declaring that the Canadians are welcome to manage their towns as they please, if they will only let the Americans in the mines alone.

This law against Americans does not, however, meet with the approval of the Canadian Parliament, the Legislature which passed it being only the local one of British Columbia.

Many of the Canadian mine-owners are as annoyed over the matter as the Americans are.  They say that the citizens are helping to open up their country, and that it will be a bad thing for British Columbia if the Legislature makes it impossible for Americans to remain there.

The chances are that the Parliament will take the matter in hand and straighten it out.  We can but hope that it will do so, for Americans and Canadians have so many ways in which they can be helpful to one another, that it will be a pity if they become estranged.

* * * * *

Mr. Elverton R. Chapman has gone to Washington to serve his sentence of thirty days in jail; and Mr. Havemeyer is also in that city, awaiting his trial.

Efforts were made by Mr. Chapman’s friends to obtain a pardon for him, and a petition was circulated among the Senators, begging the President to release him.  No action was taken, however, because Mr. Chapman did not personally ask for the pardon; so he has gone to jail.  When he has served his sentence he will still have a fine of $100 to pay before he can be freed.

The Senate Committee which Mr. Chapman offended must not be mistaken for the Lexow Committee which held its sessions a few months ago.

Mr. Chapman’s breach of the law took place in 1894.  In that year the United States Senate held a Sugar Trust Investigation.

The committee in charge of the investigation asked Mr. Chapman to give the names of some of the Senators who were said to have been speculating in sugar stock.

Mr. Chapman refused to answer, and was arrested and tried for contempt of the Senate.  He was found guilty and sentenced to thirty days in jail and a fine of $100.

For three years Mr. Chapman has been fighting this decision, on the ground that the question was not a proper one to ask, and that he had been right in refusing to answer it.

The result of the various appeals in this case has been watched for with the greatest interest.

The final decision has upheld the dignity of the Senate, and shown the people that a Senate committee is not to be trifled with.

The Senate itself was a little ruffled over the matter.