Mr. HACKETT.
In reply to the hon. Minister of Marine and Fisheries (Sir Louis Davies), I just want to say one word. He would like to make it appear that, myself, or 'some friend of mine, had to do with the stealing of that ballot box, and that we prevented a recount by doing that. The recount went on.
It went on by consent, but the recount could not legally go on. It only went on by consent, and by taking the sum total of the ballot boxes and counting it in without being able to count the ballots. There could not be a legal recount under those circumstances.
Mr. HACKETT.
Perhaps not, but the judge thought otherwise.
No, the judge refused to go on, and counsel for both sides had to sign a written consent that he should go on and count such of the ballots only as were there.
Mr. HACKETT.
The hou. minister is very desirous of standing between the public anil this thief, whomever he may be. Why should I have stolen the ballot box ?
I do not accuse the hou. gentleman of stealing the ballot box. I did not say he did. I say that he is the only one who had a motive for stealing it.
Mr. HACKETT.
I had a motive in purloining a ballot box when I had a majority of 33 votes in that poll ?
It stopped the recount.
Mr. HACKETT.
It is ridiculous. I am amazed that the hon. Minister of Marine and Fisheries should stand up here and say that I would be in any way connected witli that. I could not imagine an act of this kind, that I would go into a baggage car and take a ballot box containing the rights of the people. I know the hon. minister would not do it.
Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).
Was he on the train too ?
No, I was in Ottawa.
Mr. HACKETT.
No, he was not there, but I was on the train.
I was not there.
Mr. HACKETT.
This is a serious matter. There has been no investigation by this government, or any attempt to discover the thief. I was informed by the baggageman that the boxes were taken from the baggage room at Alberton and placed in a car. There were twenty-seven boxes. They were purposely placed thirteen in each row. thirteen below and thirteen above, and the twenty-seventh box, the box in which I had a majority of thirty-three votes, was placed on top, in order that it might be convenient for the thief to take it.
Mr. HACKETT.
Mr. COWAN.
Did you not make a mistake in the box ?
Mr. HACKETT.
You are treating with levity a matter that endangers the rights of the people of Canada. I was travelling on the train in the first-class car in the rear, and this baggage car was away in front, and I saw the returning officer reclining at his ease travelling as luxuriously as he possibly could and leaving the ballot box at the mercy of robbers in the baggage car. I was astonished to see the man having these ballots in charge so careless and negligent. I am endeavouring to have this law so amended as to prevent that, and the government not only will not accept my amendment, but with the greatest disregard for law and order they are seeking to protect the thief who stole these ballots. If the government want to do their duty, let them set their detectives to find out who the thief was. The Minister of Marine (Hon. Sir Louis Davies) was not serious when he said I had anything to do with it.
Oh.
Mr. HACKETT.
Let him find the thief and if he tries to he will not find him far from the government. He will find that the man who stole this ballot box was associated with the men who burned the ballots in West Elgin and Huron. That is all I have to say.
Go on.