Volume 3 — THE HON. WILFRID LAURIER.

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Mr. Laurier was born at St. Lin, L'Assomption, in the Province of Quebec, on the 20th of November, 1841. He was educated first at L'Assomption College, and subsequently at McGill University, where he took his degree of B.C.L. in 1864. A year later he was called to the Bar of Quebec, his law studies having been pursued in the office of Mr.—now the Hon.—T. A. R. Laflamme. His health having suffered by too close attention to his professional duties, Mr. Laurier, at the end of two years, left Montreal, where he had practised, and became the editor of Le Défricheur newspaper at Arthabaska. His predecessor in the editorship was the late Mr. J. B. E. Dorion, the paper being devoted to the advocacy of Liberal principles. It did not, however, long continue in existence, and on its suspension Mr. Laurier once more returned to his professional pursuits, in which he soon obtained a high position, his personal popularity being as marked as his intellectual attainments. In 1871 he was the Liberal candidate for the representation of Drummond and Arthabaska in the Local Assembly, and carried the seat by a large majority. His talents as a debater and his statesmanlike cast of mind soon made him prominent in the Legislature, and when, in 1874, Mr. Mackenzie, shortly after accepting office, appealed to the country, Mr. Laurier relinquished his seat at Quebec to enter upon a more enlarged sphere of work at Ottawa. He was elected for Drummond and Arthabaska after a keen contest, and on the opening of the first session of the new Parliament was selected to second the address in reply to the Speech from the Throne. The manner in which he discharged this duty made a most favourable impression. He was at once recognized as one of the foremost of the many able representatives Quebec had sent to support the then-existing Government, and has since never failed to impress the House favourably when he has taken part in the debates.

It was evident from his first introduction to parliamentary life that he must, at no distant day, be called upon to take his share in the responsibilities of office. Even before that time his status as a leader of opinion and a representative man in relation to public affairs had been very clearly marked out. In a lecture delivered by him at Quebec in July, 1877, on "Political Liberalism," he made a splendid defence of the Liberals of Quebec against the misrepresentations and aspersions to which they had been subjected. He insisted on the distinction between religious and political opinions being maintained, and showed how strictly moderate and constitutional were the views of those with whom he was politically associated. Of the Liberal Party of the past—of the follies that had characterized too many of its actions and utterances, nothing, he declared, then existed, but in its stead remained the principles of the Liberal Party of England. On the other hand, sketching the party opposed to him under the name of Conservative, he spoke as follows:—"Sir George Cartier," he said, "was devoted to the principles of the English Constitution—if Sir George Cartier were to return to the world again he would not recognize his Party. I certainly respect too much the opinion of my opponents to do them an injury, but I reproach them with knowing neither their country nor the times. I accuse them of estimating the political situation not by what has occurred here, but by what has occurred in France. I accuse them of endeavouring to introduce here ideas which would be impossible in our state of society. I accuse them of laboriously endeavouring, and, unfortunately, too effectually, to make religion the simple basis of a political Party. It is the custom of our adversaries to accuse us Liberals of irreligion. I am not here to parade my religious principles, but I proclaim that I have too much respect for the faith in which I was born ever to make it appear as the basis of a political organization. We are a happy and free people; we owe this freedom to the Liberal institutions which govern us, which we owe to our forefathers and to the wisdom of the Mother Country. The policy of the Liberal Party is to guard these institutions, to defend and propagate them, and under the rule of these institutions to develop the latent resources of our country. Such is the policy of the Liberal Party, and it has no other." Mr. Laurier's Liberalism, in fact, is of the strictly British type, and to the immense benefit which has accrued to his French compatriots by the concession of free British institutions he has borne eloquent testimony. Few men, indeed, could be found better calculated than Mr. Laurier to effect a union of thought, sentiment, and interest between those distinguished by difference of race and creed, in the interest of their common country. It was not, as we have seen, at all surprising that on a vacancy occurring in the Quebec representation in the Dominion Cabinet, Mr. Laurier should be offered the vacant portfolio. His fitness for the position was disputed by none, either on personal or political grounds. In Ontario, no less than in Quebec, his acceptance of office was hailed as a just tribute to his worth and ability. In September, 1877, he was sworn of the Privy Council, and became Minister of Inland Revenue. The knowledge of his strength in Parliament and the country served to stimulate the determination of his opponents to defeat him at all hazards when he returned to his constituents for reëlection. The contest terminated by Mr. Bourbeau, the Conservative candidate, being elected by a majority of 22 votes over the new Minister. The defeat only served to show how highly the importance of Mr. Laurier's position in the country was estimated. Several constituencies were at once placed at his disposal. Ultimately the Hon. Mr. Thibaudeau, member for Quebec East, resigned, in order to create a vacancy. After a short but very exciting contest, Mr. Laurier carried the division by a majority of 315 votes. The result was the signal for general rejoicing, his journey to Ottawa and his reception there being one continued ovation. He retained the portfolio of Minister of Inland Revenue until the resignation of the Government in October, 1878. At the elections held on the 17th of September previous he was returned for Quebec East by a majority of 778 votes over his opponent, Mr. Vallière, and he now sits in the House for that constituency. He speaks both the French and English languages fluently, has a large amount of French vivacity sobered by great self-command, can strike home without too severely wounding, and commands the respect and good-will of his warmest political adversaries.