ill a
self-governing country and not a military satrapy. Professor Skelton
does nothing more than barely allude to these troubles; the story,
which would be most interesting and suggestive, will perhaps never
be told. But some idea of what was afoot can be drawn from the fact
that at a public gathering in Montreal in the month of November,
1899, Lord Minto was advised and instructed by an active politician
and leading lawyer that under his powers as the representative of
Imperial authority he could order the Canadian militia to South
Africa without reference to the Canadian parliament!

Associated with Lord Minto in the applying of Imperial pressure to
the Canadian government was General Hutton, commander of the
Canadian forces. In those days this position was always filled by an
Imperial officer who was given leave of absence in order that he
might fill the position. He was thus a Canadian official, paid out
of the Canadian treasury and subject to the Canadian government; but
few of the occupants of the office were capable of appreciating this
fact. They regarded themselves as representatives of the war office
with large but undefined powers in the exercise of which they
frequently found themselves in conflict with the Canadian
government. General Hutton's interfering activities were so
objectionable that he was got rid of by a face-saving expedient; but
four years later a successor to his office, Lord Dundonald, was
formally dismissed by order-in-council for his "unpardonable
indiscretion" in publicly criticizing the acting minister of
militia. Lord Minto, unofficially advised by military officers and
opposition politicians, resisted signing the order-in-council until
it was made clear to him that the alternative would be a general
election in which the issue would be his refusal. The incident was
conclusive as to the necessity of having a Canadian at the head of
the Canadian forces--a change which was subsequently effected.

These controversies and conflicts of opinion became factors in
Canadian politics. The Conservatives sought in the general elections
of 1900 to make an issue out of the government's hesitation in
taking part in the South African war in advance of the meeting of
parliament; this, plus injudicious and provocative speeches by the
incalculable Mr. Tarte and the general indictment of Laurier as
lukewarm towards the cause of a "united Empire" weakened the
Liberals in Ontario; but this loss was easily