August 28, 1917 (12th Parliament, 7th Session)

Mr. BOULAY (translation):

Would the hon. member read Mgr. Bruchesi's letter?
Mr. LAFORTUiNE (translation): I would rather be silent than to gainsay my own bishop, a thing you cannot do; I would rather pass for being in the wrong than to begin a fight against the archbishop of Montreal, .and what I have said was relevant, I will let you know that, Sir. And, as to the learned member who has just made such a remark, I would like to know whether he can very well throw me the first stone, for I never did any shuffling, any way.
Mr. Chairman, Mackenzie and Mann are notorious millionaires, and in order to reward them for not having respected their engagements, they were given titles of honour, they were knighted. Isn't that fine! Reward those who don't keep their pledges toward the State and give them the highest titles. Well, the people do not like that. 'Generally, when men are crowned with such high honours, given titles so lofty as that of Sir, it is on account oi honourable conduct, because they have won their bars and received a well-deserved reward, but when I hear the member for Calgary call them thieves, scoundrels, bribers, and declare that these men have passed their lives in bribing everybody, I'd rather not be knighted; under such circumstances, it is an almost worthless and emp+y honour.
In my province, Mr. Chairman, where I have the honour of practising as Crown Attorney for the twelve past years or so,
if a man lies to obtain any tiling of even little value, we call that false pretences; such a party is arraigned before the court and, upon conviction, he is sentenced to jail. .Here, it is all the reverse. The more values one can get under false pretences, by doing all sorts of criminal .acts, the more honours one is sure to receive. What a fine country! What an encouragement for those people who try to .be honest!
I was just speaking of millionaires. But, Mr. Chairman, one must make a distinction in this matter. Some men are found who have become millionaires, thaniks to their energy, to their labour, their good conduct or their skill in honest transactions. We must admit that there are millionaires of this kind; let us respect those who have made their millions in honest transactions, but not those who accumulate their wealth through fraud and bribery, as stated by my hon. .friend from Calgary (Mr. Bennett).