Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

THE CHARTER 41meetings, secured a lengthy interview with the Minister ofFinance, who received their suggested modifications in goodpart; they asked for a simplification of the returns, and thatthe percentage of their reserves to be held in Dominion legaltender notes should be reduced from fifty to thirty-three andone-third per cent. On March 12 he reports that most of theamendments regarded by the western bankers as importantare likely to be conceded. Speaking of the debates in the1House of Commons, he says: "Brydges, Gait, Sandfield, 2Cartwright 3 and King have been hard at work for some daysin order to have the headings struck out which required thedeposits and discounts in each province to be given separately,and also that the liabilities growing out of exchange drawnby a bank on itself should be furnished and form part of thebank's indebtedness to the public. I need not tell you theywere successful, and in this respect the western banks arenot treated fairly. I am sick and tired of the bankingquestion and would give anything to be home, but I feelmyself bound by a sense of duty to remain and do what Ican to make the measure as perfect as possible." Two daysCharles John Brydges (1826-89). President of the Mechanics Bank. Mr.Brydges was born in London, England, and commenced his business career in 1843as a junior clerk in the employ of the London and South Western Railway Company.He subsequently became secretary of the Company, but resigned in 1852 on beingappointed managing director of the Great Western Railway Company of Canada.In 1862 he also became managing director of the Grand Trunk Railway Company duringthe negotiations for the fusing of the two companies, and managed both untilSeptember, 1862, when the negotiations having fallen through, he resigned as directorof the Great Western Railway Company. In 1868 he was appointed one of fourcommissioners to superintend for the Dominion Government the construction ofthe Intercolonial Railway. He resigned from the Grand Trunk Railway Companyin 1874, and in 1879 succeeded Mr. Donald A. Smith, afterwards Lord Strathcona, \as Commissioner of the Hudson's Bay Company, with headquarters at Winnipeg,/where he resided until his death.'John Sandfield Macdonald (1812-72). A native of St. Raphaels. GlengarryCounty, Ontario, he was called to the bar in 1840, and in 1841 elected to the House ofAssembly in the first Parliament of the united province of Canada. In 1849 he wasSolicitor-General in the La Fontaine-Baldwin Government, and subsequently heldvarious offices, being Premier from 1862 to 1864 in what is known as the "Caretaker"ministry. After Confederation he was selected to form the first Government of the