A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time by Rose

both being scrupulously honest and equally devoted to the public interests. At that time the North Shore Railway, which had been talked about for thirty years, was yet in an embryo state, private enterprise having failed to carry out the scheme; they resolved to build the road as a government work, with the help of the municipalities which had voted liberal grants towards the construction of the road, Montreal and Quebec having given $1,000,000 each. The wonderful debating powers of Mr. Angers, and his keen foresight in looking upon this railway as the future link of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and probably of a direct route to the seaboard, helped to carry the measure. Thanks to the construction of the North Shore Railway, Montreal, the metropolis of Canada, and Quebec became _de facto_ the terminal points of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and since the completion of this gigantic national highway, Montreal has added 40,000 to her population. As a legislator, Mr. Angers ranks among the foremost representative men of the Dominion; the Electoral Act and the Controverted Elections Act bear testimony to his intimate knowledge of law. The former act has been universally admitted by the courts to be superior to the Dominion act, while the latter ranks equally high. The _enquête_ is made before one judge only, and the case is pleaded before three judges, whose decision is final, whereas in the case of the Federal law, a controverted election case that can be carried in appeal to the Supreme Court is distasteful to the people of the province of Quebec, and an appeal invariably entails long delays and enormous costs. The Superannuated Fund law, providing for the widows and orphans of civil servants, is also due to Mr. Angers. This law is now in force, and gives satisfaction to all the parties concerned. Not the least important of the laws introduced by Mr. Angers, and carried through the Lower House, in 1876, was the act framed by the government concerning education, and giving control to both Catholics and Protestants over their respective educational matters. It was mainly due to his efforts that the new departmental buildings were erected in Quebec, this being a guarantee that the historic city and the capital of letters of the Dominion will permanently retain the seat of provincial government. Montreal and many other municipalities having failed to meet their obligations with respect to the grants they had voted to the North Shore Railway, a measure was introduced during the session of 1877-8, to compel these municipalities to hand over the amounts they owed to the provincial treasury. Great importance was attached to this measure, inasmuch as the province would have had to pay the large amounts subscribed by the municipalities if the latter were allowed to evade their just liabilities. This bill, however, as well as another government measure having for its object an increase of revenue, created some agitation in political circles. The lieutenant-governor, Mr. Letellier de Saint-Just, a strong Liberal partisan, who had been a bitter enemy of the Conservative party during twenty years, dismissed the de Boucherville administration from power on divers pretexts, proved groundless since, alleging among other pretences, that the premier had not obtained the consent of the Crown before introducing the two measures above mentioned. It was shown afterwards that Mr. de Boucherville had obtained from the lieutenant-governor a blank form for the introduction of the government’s financial measures. On the dismissal of Mr. de Boucherville, the subject of our sketch took the leadership of the Conservative opposition, and caused the legislature to adopt several votes of want of confidence in the Liberal government, with Mr. Joly as premier. The latter appealed to the electorate, and at the general election held on the 28th of May, 1878, Mr. Angers was defeated in his constituency (Montmorency) by a vote of twelve. His defeat was due partly to the united energies of the Liberal party, and partly to the influence of the city of Quebec, whose million Mr. Angers had endeavoured to obtain for the province, were thrown in the balance against him. Thoroughly convinced that the conduct of the lieutenant-governor was contrary to the usages of responsible government, and that such a precedent would prove dangerous to provincial rights, Mr. Angers determined to bend his energies towards procuring the dismissal of Mr. Letellier, and when Sir John A. Macdonald came into power at Ottawa, at the general elections of 1878, he (Mr. Angers), together with Hon. J. A. Ouimet (now Speaker, 1887), and the late Hon. Justice Mousseau, took steps to attain that object, and their efforts were crowned with success. In 1880, Mr. Angers was elected a member of the House of Commons for the county of Montmorency by an enormous majority, and after sitting one session, was elevated to the bench, to the great regret of his friends who had every reason to believe that a brilliant political career was still in store for him. After the election of 1886, the provincial premiership was offered to Mr. Angers, but as his acceptance of the post involved a question of principle, he did not feel inclined to accept it, and on the Hon. L. O. Taillon’s resignation, Mr. Mercier was offered the position, which he accepted. The parliamentary career of Mr. Angers showed that as a debater he had no superior, and few equals in the country. A generous heart, a manly, straightforward character, an unblemished reputation, profound legal learning, such are the sterling qualities that will make of Mr. Angers an honour and an ornament to the Canadian bench. It may be added that he is a Canadian, in the sense it is understood by the men who intend to make this Dominion a great country. * * * * * =Wood, Robert Edwin=, Barrister, Peterboro’, Ontario, was born on the 31st of August, 1847, in the township of South Monaghan, county of Northumberland. His father, Robert Wood, emigrated from Yorkshire, England, and settled in South Monaghan, in 1833, and died in 1857. His mother was Sarah Armstrong, of Monaghan, Ireland. Robert was educated at the Cobourg Grammar School and Victoria College. He graduated in arts in 1873, and immediately afterwards entered the law office of the late John Coyne, then M.P.P. for the county of Peel. Upon this gentleman’s death, he entered the office of the late W. H. Scott, M.P.P., Peterboro’, and afterwards studied with Edward Martin, Q.C., Hamilton. He passed his final examination in Trinity term, 1876, but owing to the fact that only two years and nine months had elapsed between his primary and final examination, he could not be called to the bar until Michaelmas term of the same year. He then commenced the practice of law in Peterboro’, in September, 1876, and has so continued to the present. He has a large and increasing practice, and owes his present position mainly to his own energy and exertions. In March, 1886, upon the elevation of C. A. Weller to the bench, he received from the Ontario government the appointment of county crown attorney, and clerk of the peace for the county of Peterboro’ (on the 31st of March, 1886.) Mr. Wood takes a deep interest in Masonry, and is master of Corinthian lodge, No. 101, A. F. and A. M. He was master of the same lodge in 1883. Prior to his present appointment to office, he took a leading part in all parliamentary contests, on the Reform side, principally in advocating the principles of this party from the platform. Mr. Wood is an adherent of the Presbyterian church. He was married on the 17th of February, 1881, to Henrietta Frances, daughter of the late Philip Roblin, of Rednersville, Prince Edward county, Ontario. * * * * * =Flynn, Hon. Edmund James=, Q.C., LL.D., Quebec, M.P.P. for Gaspé county, is a native of the county he so ably represents in the Quebec legislature, having been born at Percé, on the 16th of November, 1847. His father, the late James Flynn, who was of Irish descent, was during his lifetime a trader and farmer in Percé, the place of his birth. His mother, Elizabeth Tostevin, was also a native of Percé, though her father was from the island of Guernsey, one of the English channel islands in Europe. The Hon. Mr. Flynn was educated at the Quebec Seminary, and at the Laval University, Quebec, graduating with honours, having taken at Laval the degree of master-in-law (LL.L.), in July,