ax ter , ▁Fer g us on , ▁Nova ▁Scot ia ▁Premier ▁Ed gar ▁Nelson ▁Rh odes , ▁and ▁out going ▁leader ▁Arthur ▁Me igh en ▁were ▁all ▁nominated ▁but ▁decl ined ▁to ▁run . ▁ ▁Ben nett ▁had ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁Fer g us on ▁and ▁Stevens , ▁who ▁worked ▁the ▁convention ▁floor ▁on ▁his ▁beh alf . ▁Ben nett ▁spoke ▁no ▁French ▁in ▁his ▁speech ▁to ▁deleg ates . ▁Gut hr ie ▁miss po ke ▁by ▁saying : ▁" L ad ies ▁and ▁gentlemen , ▁I ▁welcome ▁this , ▁the ▁greatest ▁Liberal ▁convention ▁in ▁all ▁history ," ▁and ▁hurt ▁his ▁prospect s ▁in ▁Quebec ▁by ▁saying ▁he ▁wished ▁to ▁" ob liter ate " ▁dist in ctions ▁between ▁French ▁and ▁English . ▁ ▁Resol utions ▁were ▁passed ▁favour ing ▁prefer ential ▁tar iffs ▁throughout ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁but ▁not ▁if ▁it ▁hurt ▁far mers ▁or ▁workers , ▁social ▁legisl ation ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁un emp loy ed , ▁ill , ▁and ▁elder ly ▁" so ▁far ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁pract ic able " ▁and ▁an ▁imm igration ▁policy ▁that ▁supported ▁sett lers ▁from ▁Britain ▁and ▁ex cluded ▁" such ▁races ... ▁as ▁are ▁not ▁capable ▁of ▁ready ▁assim ilation ." ▁The ▁party ▁also ▁committed ▁itself ▁to ▁maintain ing ▁the ▁Canadian ▁National ▁Railway ▁as ▁a ▁" public ly ▁owned ▁and ▁operated ▁utility " ▁and ▁aff ir med ▁the ▁" trad itional ▁ad her ence ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal - Con serv ative ▁Party ▁to ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁loyal ty ▁to ▁the ▁Crown ,