To such
pusillanimous propagandists of a preposterous pessimism, I answer,
Mr. Speaker with all confidence, never! never!" As a rhetorical
effort this is striking, though there seems a lack of lucidity
about it.
In the Canadian House of Commons there are a number of little
pages who run errands for members, and fetch them books and
papers. These boys sit on the steps of the Speaker's chair, and
when the House adjourns for dinner the pages hold a "Pages'
Parliament." One boy, elected by the others as Speaker, puts on a
gown and seats himself in the Speaker's chair; the "Prime
Minister" and the members of the Government sit on the Government
benches, the Leader of the Opposition with his supporters take
their places opposite and the boys hold regular debates. Many of
the members took great interest in the "Pages' Parliament," and
coached the boys for their debates. I have seen Sir John Macdonald
giving the fourteen-year-old "Premier" points for his speech that
evening.
All-night sittings were far rarer at Ottawa than with us, and
constituted quite an event.
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