April 23, 1902 (9th Parliament, 2nd Session)

Mr. D. MONET (Laprairie and Napier-ville).

Mr. Speaker, I wish for a few moments to refer to some of the remarks made by the hon. member for East Grey (Mr. Sproule). That hon. gentleman admitted the unquestionable right of this parliament to express its opinion on every important issue with which the motion now before us deals, but he claimed that the resolution was untimely. And in that contention he followed the right hon. the leader of the House, and his own lieutenant-leader, the hon. member for Jacques Cartier (Mr. Monk). This contention being the very contention- of the hon. leader of this House and his own lieutenant-leader, the hon. member for Jacques Cartier (Mr. Monk),
I hope the hon. member for East Grey will not charge me with any lack of courtesy if, Instead of replying to every item of his speech, 1 merely refer him to the criticism which I intend to make on the speech of the leader of the Conservative party in the province of Quebec.
The hon. member for Jacques Cartier opened his remarks by saying that he regretted very much the absence of his leader from the House to-day, because owing to that absence it became his duty to voice the feeling of the opposition on the subject that was being discussed in this House. I believe the hon. member for Jacques Cartier was right when he regretted the absence of his leader. I believe it would have been far better for the hon. member for Jacques Cartier if his leader had been here, and had himself taken the responsibility of the attitude that has been taken by the hon. member for Jacques Cartier. What is the conclusion to be drawn from the speech of the hon. member for Jacques Cartier ? It is this : that the lieutenant leader of the Conservative party, the leader of the Conserva-