Letter from Lachlan McCallum to Sir John A. Macdonald, 8 July 1889

Abstract

A letter written by Lachlan McCallum to Sir John A. Macdonald reads: "Yours of the 4th inst. is at hand and contents noted. In reply would say Mr. Wood no doubt will perform the duties of commissioner if your government have given him the power to make the searching investigation promised. That is to say power to subpoena witnesses and evidence under oath question and answer by short hand reporter nothing less will be satisfactory to the public.

On seeing a report in the Empire newspaper that Mr. Wood was to be appointed a commissioner I wrote a letter to Mr. A.P. Bradley, Secretary of the Department of Railways and Canals making some requests as to the investigation and requested Mr. Bradley to bring my requests to the notice of your Government as to the investigation is to take place and to give an answer to my requests at an early date and it will depend on the answer I get from your government whether I will take any part i the investigation promised. If it is to be of a searching character I will do all that I can to get at the facts but if otherwise I will defer from taking any action for the present but look to your Government to carry out the searching investigation as promised by the Hon. Mr. Abbott in the Senate last session or the dismissal of Mr. Ellis and Mr. Demare from their position on the canal which they have held too long for the public interest. You may think my expression about Mr. Ellis and Mr. Demare is only a matter of opinion but I will try and show that it is correct when the opportunity offers no matter what others may say.

Pardon me for troubling you at such length. It thought that you ought to know how I feel about the matter of the investigation is my excuse."