first drew Mr. Abbott's attention to the great scheme of a railway across the continent. From the beginning he pressed in public speeches and otherwise the idea that the Canada Central was susceptible of infinite extension until it reached the Pacific Ocean, and that it might ultimately be the gateway of the great Pacific system. His interest in trans-continental communication never ceased from that time. In 1871-72, being still interested in some degree in the Canada Central, he urged upon Sir Hugh Allan the project of constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway, and he was actively engaged with Sir Hugh as Provisional Director when a company was formed by that gentleman. The object of this was, in the first place, to secure its amalgamation with the corresponding company organized in Toronto by the Hon. (Sir) D. L. Macpherson, and, afterwards in the formation of the company which made the first attempt in England to raise money for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. “Mr. Abbott was one of the delegation of four-composed of Sir Hugh Allan, the Hon. Adams G. Archibald, Major Walker and himself—which visited England in 1873, for the purpose of floating the bonds of the railway under the charter granted by Sir John Macdonald's Government in that year. In June, the delegation succeeded in procuring the signature of the late Baron Strousberg to a preliminary agreement for the construction of the line. That agreement, the negotiations for which were kept private, was immediately cabled to Canada, and the next day Mr. Huntington made a statement in the House which was the inception of what is usually referred to as the Pacific Railway Scandal. The attack thus made upon the Government and upon the enterprise caused Baron Strousberg to abandon immediately the preliminary agreement that had been made, and the delegation returned to Canada unsuccessful in their mission. Subsequent events are well known to every Canadian. After a stormy session, a committee was appointed with power to examine witnesses under oath, but the Law Officers of the Crown having determined that this power was not legally justified, a Commission was instituted to inquire into the allegations of Mr. Huntington. After a long investigation the committee reported, Parliament was called together, and, after a debate of some weeks, the Government of Sir John Macdonald resigned office in November, 1873. In this affair, Mr. Abbott had some prominence as the confidential legal adviser of Sir Hugh Allan, and in that capacity he became cognizant of some of the transactions which were complained of by Mr. Huntington between Sir Hugh Allan and the Government. He was present on the occasion of the request of the late Sir George Cartier to Sir Hugh Allan for a subscription to the election fund, and assisted in writing the letters which were exchanged between Sir George and Sir Hugh on the occasion. Subsequently, Sir Hugh having left for Newfoundland, Mr. Abbott, as his confidential adviser, was applied to by Sir John Macdonald to request further subscriptions from Sir Hugh to the fund. This he did, and he was the medium of the transmission of that renewed subscription. Mr. Abbot was re-elected at the subsequent general election of 1874, but was unseated in 1875 on an informality in the voters' list for one of the parishes of his county. At the new election which took place in that year, he did not offer himself, but the gentleman who opposed him in 1874 was again a candidate and succeeded in being returned. Upon a contestation of his election, this gentleman was unseated and personally disqualified for acts done in the election of 1874 against Mr. Abbott. At the general election of 1878, Mr. Abbott again presented himself but was not returned. Dr. Christie, his opponent, had the recorded majority, but was unseated on a contest. In 1879, Mr. Abbott defeated Dr. Christie, but was unseated, and at the election which followed, he was again returned by a large majority, and sat until the end of Parliament. At the next general election he was elected by an increased majority. Commons and declined re-election. In 1886, he retired from the House of In 1876, while not a member of the House, Mr. Abbott was consulted in connection with legislation, more especially on the subject of the Insolvency Law, relating to which he assisted in framing an Act which was introduced by the present Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, but which was not ultimately passed. Upon the accession of Sir John Macdonald to power in 1878, the question of the propriety of the dismissal by Lieutenant-Governor Letellier de Saint-Just of his Provincial Ministers came under consideration. After an important and instructive debate, a resolution was passed condemning the action of the Lieutenant-Governor. This was followed by a recommendation to the Governor-General that the Lieutenant-Governor be dismissed; but before acting upon this recommendation, it was determined to refer the whole question of the constitutionality of the dismissal of M. Letellier to the Home Government. For this purpose, Sir Hector Langevin and Mr. Abbott were appointed delegates to lay the matter before the Colonial Minister. They proceeded to England and remained there during a period of three months, while the subject was under discussion. While in England, and on this occasion, Sir Hector Langevin and Mr. Abbott conducted several matters of importance for the Canadian Government, among which were measures relating to the admission and transport of cattle from the United States, through Canada, which have been successfully continued to the present day. Mr. Abbott's connection with the Canada Central Railway, besides tending to direct his thoughts towards the great Pacific transcontinental scheme, led to his ultimately becoming the purchaser of a share in the whole Canada Central enterprise, Mr. Duncan MacIntyre being the principal owner. Under the energetic management of the latter gentleman, the construction of the Canada Central was pushed forward towards North Bay, and, in the spring of 1880, the road being nearly completed, and the scheme of Mr. Mackenzie's Government not appearing likely to be in any degree successful, Mr. MacIntyre and Mr. Abbott discussed the possibility of forming a company to construct the Pacific Railway from North Bay. It was thought feasible that it might be brought on from that point to a junction with a portion of the railway which the Mackenzie Government had begun near the Pacific coast, taking in the link that had also been begun by that Government between Port Arthur and Winnipeg in March, 1880. A suggestion to this effect was conveyed to Sir John Macdonald, which was prepared by Mr. Abbott, and signed by Mr. MacIntyre. The latter gentleman communicated at the same time with Messrs. George Stephen, James J. Hill, of St. Paul, Sir Donald Smith, Mr. Kennedy, of New York, and Mr. R. B. Angus, and finally obtained their concurrence in the project which had been submitted to the Government. An informal intimation was received that the project was |