Thursday, May 18, 1967

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: Mr. Speaker, since we are starting nice and

fresh in the early morning probably we are fresh enough that I could read my docu- ment.

(Laughter).

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: I hope that you don’t get too tired because I don't propose to speak for over an hour.

Walter R. Shaw: Did Sigsworth write that speech for you?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonuell: No this speech came from Ontario. And what 1 want to do Mr. S eaker, with the speech is to read this passage called “The Golden Leaves from Cans ’s Past.” It is a collection of the first pages of Canadian news- papers over the past hundred years. The first headline is for July first, 1867, the report of the Confederation of that day from the London Free Press, and it goes on over the years covering the happenings of the day. One of the important headlines is 1901 when Queen Victoria died: one of the other big headlines is when the Par- liament Buildings were destroyed in Ottawa. I would like to leave this paper for the perusal of any of the members that would like to see it. We have on the very back page a picture of Sir John A. Macdonald. . . .

Some Members: Good old John .

Honourable M. Lorne Bonuell: And a draft, his working copy, a hotostatic copy, of the British North America Act which Sir John A. used persona y.

Honourable Alexander B. Campbell: Is David MacDonald’s name there?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: And there is no David MacDonald. Some Members: There will be

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: It is interesting to note on the working copy that Sir John A. struck out certain words to suit himself: originally the British North America Act started, “Whereas the union of the British North American colonies, for purposes of government and legislation, will be attended with great benefit to the Colonies and be conducive to the interests of the United Kingdom" etc., etc. Sir John A. changed that; Sir John A. struck out the word “whereas the union” and put in the word with his own hand “whereas such union” and when he came down to the part of the “British North American Colonies for purposes of gov- ernment and legislation” he struck out those words so that the draft which went through the House stated, “Whereas the union of the British North American Col- onies would be attended with great benefit to the Colonies.” In other words for ur- poses of government legislation he checked off the different little arts. An he had a little amendment up on the top which read as follows; “If I ha any influence over the minds of the people of Canada, any power over their intellect, I would leave them this legacy. Whatever you do adhere to the union; we are a great country and shall become one of the greatest in the universe if we preserve it. We shall sink into insignificance and adversity if we suffer it to be broken.” (Applause). These books by the way I think can be made available to any member of the government or Opposition by writing to the Mayor of the Borough of Etobicoke, I guess it is, just outside of Toronto. This is a Centennial project of the people of that area.

Henry W. Wedge: That is something similar to the project we are trying on the Island here.

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: We? Who is the ‘five”? Those three people. Now also, Mr. Speaker. . . .

Henry W. Wedge: Does it describe the 1967 Ministers?

Honourable M. Lorne Bonnell: The last page is a headline of 1967 announcing the death of Governor-General Vanier. That is the headline of the pa r of the last year. It is also interesting to note that in the middle of the book ere are head- lines, just parts of headlines of many pa rs across this country of different ages, 1867 right up to 1967, and including one in the Province of Quebec where Bill 25 was being fought by the teachers. There is a headline from the Journal-Pioneer"

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