OTTAWA, January 2nd, 1874. "TO ALEX. MORRIS, "Fort Garry, Manitoba : "Will you communicate confidentially to Bishop TACHE that I am particularly desirous in the interest of his people, in order to avoid excitement, that RIEL should not be a candidate. A. A. DORION. (Signed,) "That on the 5th January, 1874, Governor MORRIS telegraphed to the Hon. A. A. DORION, Minister of Justice, that he had seen Archbishop TACHE, and that he (DORION) could 'communicate with RIEL through Father LASCOMB ' at Montreal, who knew where he was."" "That Bishop TACHE says: 'I wrote to Father LASCOMB immediately after the com'munication with Mr. MORRIS, about the first ⚫ week in January, that very likely the Cana'dian Government would open negotiations with ' him about RIEL'S election;' and that Father LASCOMB informed Bishop TACHE that Mr. DORION had communicated with him, either directly or through some one else.” The amendment was declared lost on a division. Dawson, De St. Georges, Devlin, Richard, Ross (Durham), Baby, Brown, Mitchell, Bunster, Caron, Dugas, Platt, Plumb, Flesher, Pope, Currier, Pinsonnault, THE Blain, Blake, Bordon, Borron, Bourassa, Brooks, Buell, Burk, Burpee (St. John), Mr. Farrow. Lajoie, Gaudet, Gill, Hurteau, MacDonald (Cornwall), Haggart, Little, Robitaille, Roches' e ', Ross (Prince Edward), Rouleau, Stephenson, Tupper, Wallace (Norfolk), Macdonald (Kingston), White, Masson, Wright (Ottawa), Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE moved that the resolutions be referred to a Select Committee, composed of Messrs. FOURNIER, GEOFFRION, HOLTON, CAUCHON, BLAKE and the mover, to prepare and report the draft of an address to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL in conformity with the said resolutions. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE from the Committee reported an Address founded on the resolutions. The Address was read a first and second time and adopted, and ordered to be engrossed. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE moved that the Address be presented to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL by such members of the House as are of the Privy Council.-Carried. JOINT COMMITTEES. Mr. SPEAKER informed the House that he had received a message from the Senate informing this House that they had appointed certain members to act with members of the House of Commons as Joint Committee on the Library, and on Printing. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE moved the adjournment of the House. The House adjourned at 2.40 a.m. the company drunk, or intoxicated while on duty, or known to the company to be in the habit of or addicted to the use of intoxicating liquor shall incur a penalty not exceeding two thousand dollars in the discretion of the Court before which the suit for such penalty is brought, and an additional sum, in the discretion of the Court, for each day during which such employment shall be continued.” The reason for making this very stringent enactment rested in the fact that several accidents had occurred through pointsmen or switchmen having opened instead of shutting a switch, or shutting it when it should be opened, resulting in very serious loss of life and property. It was conceived that any legislation in this direction that could be practically carried out must be ultimately of great service to the public in the saving of human life. The second section contains the following provisions : "The Governor in Council may from time to time, on the report of the Railway Committee of HER MAJESTY'S Privy Council of Canada, make regulations, First, for obliging the Company owning or working any railway, to make on every passenger train run on said railway, such arrangements as he may, on the recommendation of the said Committee, deem necessary for establishing an easy, safe communication by the passengers by means of the cars or platforms or stages from car to car through the whole length of such train while it is in motion. Second, for providing that no cars for the conveyance of passengers shall Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE asked leave be run on any railway unless the doors of to introduce a Bill entitled, "An Act for such cars are constructed, hinged and the better protection of persons and pro- fitted in a manner to be prescribed in such perty conveyed by railways." This law, Order, so that they may be easily opened he said, embodied the provisions of the inwards or outwards from the inside or several small Bills which were suggested outside of the car; and every such Order during last session of Parliament. The in Council shall have the force of law after first section provides that any person the expiration of six months from its publicaemployed by any railway company, whether tion in the Canada Gazette, and any company upon any locomotive engine, tender, train running any car with respect to which any or car, or as pointsman, signalman or in such Order in Council is not complied any capacity in which by neglect of duty, with, shall incur a penalty in the discretion inattention or error might endanger the of the Court before which the suit is brought.” safety of human life or property, who shall A number of lives had been lost on account be drunk or intoxicated while on duty of the clumsy connection between passshall be deemed guilty of misdemeanour, enger carriages, some being constructed so and that any railway company knowingly as to render it very difficult to pass from employing or continuing to employ any one car to another, while there was person in any such capacity as aforesaid, insufficient protection by ordinary rails. who has been convicted of such misdemean- It was deemed proper and advisable that our or proved to be to the knowledge of the platforms of all passenger carriages Hon. Mr. Mackenzie HOUSE OF COMMONS, PROTECTION OF LIFE ON RAILWAYS. should be brought so close together as to make it impossible for a human being to fall through, and the sides must be protected by a proper railing. With reference to the provision respecting the doors of carriages, it would be remembered, no doubt, by most members of the House that very serious loss of life occurred last year on the Great Western Railway, near London, the loss of life being almost wholly caused by the door opening only inward. The fire spread rapidly from the front of the carriage. The passengers rushed to the rear. One or two escaped, but the remainder jammed against the door, and only those who had the courage and presence of mind to jump from the windows were saved. Some twelve or fourteen were burned to death. If this provision had been in force, no lives would have been lost. The third section provides that "Compliance with the require ments of this Act shall not be construed as exempting any railway company from any obligation to adopt in the construction and working of their railway and for the engines, cars and other appliances thereto, the best plans, devices, arrangements and provisions for the safety of persons and property conveyed thereby, which may be then acknowledged and in use, or from their responsibility for neglect to adopt the same. When he first proposed this measure it was in amendment to the General Railway Act, but it was thought better to introduce it as an amendment to the criminal law so as to bring all railways under its provisions, whether chartered by He the Dominion or local authorities. moved the first reading of the Bill. Mr. ROCHESTER suggested the propriety of making provision in the Bill to regulate the speed of trains on leaving the stations. A great many accidents were caused by trains starting off at a rapid speed, and if it was stipulated that the speed of a train running out of a station should not exceed a certain limit until it was past the platform many accidents which now occur would be prevented. Mr. OLIVER said that several Bills respecting railways were before the Railway Committee last session, and a promise was made by the Government that they would deal with the subject matter of these Bills. He had one Bill before the Committee which he noticed was not treated of in the Bill just introduced. It referred more parHon. Mr. Mackenzie | ticularly to the carrying trade of the country, and it would obviate the necessity of his asking a question he had put upon the notice paper, if the Government would now state whether they proposed dealing with that matter. He might state that several of the present Ministers of the Crown, previous to their taking office-particularly the Minister of Marine and Fisheries-had stated to him, and to the Committee that the subject was of such great importance that it should not be left in the hands of a private member, but should be dealt with by the Government. Sir JOHN A. think the hon. gentleman acted very wisely in drawing up this Bill as a branch of the criminal law, because it relates to that branch of the law. I would ask my hon. friend if he intends to refer the Bill to the Railway Committee. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE.-I think it should go to the Railway Committee. Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD.—Then I will not trouble the House with any remarks upon it at this stage except to say that I think the clause respecting the punishment of persons addicted to the use of liquor, is rather vague, and it would be difficult to obtain a conviction under it. However, if the Bill goes to the Railway Committee we can discuss that point there. Mr. MILLS observed that it was somewhat singular to propose to send a Bill relating to the Criminal Law to the Railway Committee. Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD—I merely asked the question. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said he thought that as the Bill affected the Railway Companies, it should go to the Railway Committee. Hon. Mr. BLAKE said that although it might be very convenient to make the Bill an amendment to the Criminal Law, the House should remember that this Parliament had no power of declaring crimes in order to bring matters within their jurisdiction which were not properly within their jurisdiction. Mr. STEPHENSON, in a few remarks, endorsed what had fallen from the hon. member for Carleton, and made mention of the fact that, greatly in consequence of the rapid movement of the trains from the railway stations in the part of the country he came from, several valuable lives had been lost; and it was only a few days ago that at the Chatham station one life was lost and two other lives jeopardized, as not a few think from the rapid approach of a train to that station. He therefore hoped that the Government would, in the Bill just introduced, provide some clause whereby the evils complained might be remedied. CONTROVERTED ELECTIONS' ACT. Mr. COOK introduced a Bill intituled "An Act to amend the Domirion Concroverted Elections' Act of 1874." He explained that the object of the Bill was to give the judge trying any election case four days to make his report to the SPEAKER. Under the present Act the Judge was required to report immediately, and he knew of cases where considerable Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD observed that one reason why this Bill should go to the Railway Committee was that it interfered with the position of the railway companies, and therefore it would be right that the companies should have an opportunity of being heard before the Railway Com-inconvenience had arisen from that omis mittee. Bill read a first time. sion in the law. Bill read a first time. EXPULSION OF RIEL. Hon. D. A. MACDONALD introduced a Bill, intituled, "An Act to amend the Act for the regulation of the Postal Ser- Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE—Before the vice." He stated that it would be more House proceeds to the other business of convenient for him to make the explana- the day I desire to intimate the course tions upon the Bill when it came up for that I proposed to take with reference to the second reading, because in the mean- the expulsion of Mr. RIEL, who is at time members would have the Bill in their present the member elect for Provencher. hands, and would be in a position to dis-On Wednesday the 10th instant the final cuss it. He would therefore postpone any remarks upon it until it came up for the second reading. Bill read a first time. sentence of outlawry was pronounced in the Court of Queen's Bench in Manitoba, and upon the same day the formal record of the sentence was forwarded to the I think it is the PRESERVATION OF THE PEACE IN THE VICINITY | Secretary of State. OF PUBLIC WORKS. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE introduced a Bill intituled, “An Act to amend the Act for the better preservation of the peace in the vicinity of Public Works." He stated that the object of this Bill was simply to extend the authority which the Government now had to prohibit the sale of liquor, and to take other measures for the preservation of public order in the vicinity of Public Works. At present the authority was confined to certain classes of public works, and it was proposed in this Bill to extend it to other classes. Bill read a first time. SUITS AGAINST THE CROWN. Mr. IRVING introduced a Bill intituled "An Act to provide for the Institution of Suits against the Crown by Petition of Right, and respecting Procedure in Crown Mr. Stephenson. most convenient method, and one that perhaps will best place upon our Journals the precedent for any future action, to have that formal sentence laid upon the table of this House, and to base upon it the motion for expulsion, precisely as was done in the Imperial Parliament in the case of O'DONOVAN ROSSA. In that case Mr. GLADSTONE first laid the judgment of the court on the table, and then made his motion in accordance with the fact that was established by the judgment, namely, that he had ceased to be qualified to be a member of the House. He hoped that course in the present case would commend itself to the hon. gentlemen opposite and to the House. Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD— I think the proposition made by the hon. gentleman is the best course to be adopted, and I have no doubt it will meet the views of all those who think RIEL ought would be unjust, to introduce any measure to be expelled. SANITARY BUREAU. Mr. BROUSE inquired whether the Government intend establishing a Sanitary Bureau in connection with one of the Public Departments, and if not, do they propose any legislation on the subject during the present session? Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the Government had given a great deal of attention to the whole subject of vital statistics, as well as to general statistics with a view to determine whether they could see their way to introduce a mea sure of a comprehensive character during this session; but the difficulty of reconciling the local and general powers of the Government had operated so as to place a very serious obstacle in the way of carrying out what he was very desirous of doing While up to the present time he had not given the matter up, he had been compelled to postpone the introduction of any measure on the subject. COMMON CARRIERS. Mr. YOUNG inquired whether the Government have under consideration and propose to lay before Parliament this session, a Bill similar to the Imperial Act in force in Great Britain regulating the rights and defining the liabilities of common carriers by land and water? Hon. Mr. SMITH said the subject was under the consideration of the Government, and he was not prepared now to give an answer to the question. RAILWAY CARRYING TRADE. Mr. OLIVER said he supposed the answer given to his hon. friend from South Waterloo would be the same that would be given to him; but he would, nevertheless, ask whether it is the intention of the Government during this session, to introduce a measure to regulate the Railway Carrying Trade of the Dominion in accordance with a promise made during the last session of this House? Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said his hon. friend from Oxford had been very anxious during the last few years, to introduce a measure establishing a pro rata charge upon railways. He might say that the Government considered it impossible, as it Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald that would carry that principle out in the sense contemplated by his hon. friend's bill. So they were not prepared to do what the hon. gentleman asked. They would not resist any fair modification of the existing regulations, and, indeed, they had it in their power to enforce uniform charges in a certain sense; but in the sense proposed by the hon. member it would be impossible to enforce a pre rata system for goods and passengers. INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY. Mr. DOMVILLE inquired whether it is the intention of the Government to purchase the property in the harbour of St. John, N. B., of FRANCIS FERGUSSON, Esq., for the purpose of a deep water terminus for the Intercolonial Railway, or for any other purpose? Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the question was one that would require a good deal of explanation in order to give it a complete answer. He had directed the Chief Engineer to make enquiries as to the value of the property in the vicinity of what is known as RANKIN's wharf, and there was a report upon the subject in the Departments, but no resolution had been arrived at in the matter. Mr. DOMVILLE asked if the report could be laid upon the table, as it would save further questions. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the Government would not bring the report down at present, but he had no objection if his hon. friend would call at the office and see it. GEORGIAN BAY BRANCH OF THE PACIFIC Mr. WOOD inquired what measures have been taken to secure a connection of the Georgian Bay branch of the Canada Pacific Railway with the Eastern Railway system; and whether it is the intention of the Government to aid a line running south to connect with lines terminating on the shores of Lake Ontario; and whether the Government purposes to lay on the table any papers on the subject; and, if so, when ? Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the measures taken were to advertize for tenders for the construction of the road from the mouth of French River to the |