WEST INDIA MAIL SERVICE. Mr. FORBES asked whether the Government has accepted any tender for the conveyance of mails between the British West Indies, foreign West Indies and British Guiana and the Dominion of Canada during the present year; if so, when will the service commence, will it be fortnightly or monthly; to whom was the contract awarded, and what is the amount of contract; also, what is the length of contract. Hon. D. A. MACDONALD-Tenders are received but not accepted, and the matter is now engaging the attention of the Government. CANADIANS IN THE UNITED STATES. Mr. MASSON asked whether it is the intention of the Government to extend to Canadians who have emigrated to the United States and other immigrants the advantages which they propose to extend to Menonites. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-As I stated the other night when the estimates were before the House, the Government have the matter under consideration, and they will see what can be done. STORM SIGNALS. Mr. FORBES asked whether any provision has been made to render the storm signals throughout the Dominion, more reliable by an appropriation sufficiently large to accomplish the same; also, whether any arrangement has been entered into with Telegraph Companies to forward information to stations at the earliest pos sible moment. ધ Hon. Mr. SMITH said the Government were endeavoring to secure more reliable information, but not by an increase of the appropriation. They had made arrangements with the Telegraph Companies to obtain information at the earliest possible moment AGENT GENERAL OF CANADA. Hon. Mr. TUPPER asked who performed the duties of Agent General of Canada at the office in London, during the absence in this country of that officer, in September and October last. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE There were no duties to perform except those connected with emigration and those were discharged by the senior clerk. Mr. Moss. ENROLMENT OF RESERVE MILITIA. Mr. LITTLE asked whether it is the intention of the Government to cause an enrolment of the Reserve Militia to take place this year. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-It is not the intention of the Government to do so. NAVAL STATION AT ESQUIMAULT. Mr. ROSCOE asked asked whether the Government have taken any steps to carry out No. 9 of the terms of Union with British Columbia, which is “the influence of the Dominion Government will be used to secure the continual maintenance of the Naval Station at Esquimault." Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE— The question of continuing or discontinuing the Naval Station by the Imperial Government at Esquimault has never come before the Government in any way, but communication has been made in that interest from the point of view the hon. gentleman desires. "HANSARD" REPORTS. Mr. FARROW asked whether it is the intention of the Government to have printed and bound an extra number of copies of the Hansard Reports, so that members desirous of receiving copies may have the privilege of purchasing them at a reasonable price. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-The hon. gentleman will remember that this matter is entirely in the hands of the House, and unless the House makes an order on the subject the Government have nothing to do with it. Perhaps the Acting Chairman in this House of the Printing Committee will state if anything has taken place in committee on this matter? Mr. ROSS (West Middlesex)—The contractor for the printing is printing an edition of 500 of 500 over and above that required by it, and those extra copies can be purchased. ONTARIO LAND GRANT IN AID OF CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. Hon. Mr. BLAKE asked whether the Government had had any communication with the Ontario Government on the subject of a Land grant in aid of so much of the Canada Pacific Railway as passes through Ontario; and it so, whether the Govern ment will lay before the House the result of such communication. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-The Government did communicate with the Ontario Government in reference to a grant of land for that purpose, but so far there has been no result from that communication. As soon as there is it will be laid before the House. LEPINE COMMUTATION. Hon. Mr. BLAKE asked whether the Government intended to bring down any further papers touching the commutation of LEPINE'S sentence in answer to the Address of this House on the subject. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-The Government intend to bring down everything that they have in this connection; and they propose to bring the account of the trial including the Judge's charge with the other papers so as to make one package. I hope they will be down in a day or two. TRANSPORTATION OVER DAWSON ROUTE. Mr. FARROW asked whether the Government had publicly advertised for tenders for carriage of of travellers and baggage over the Dawson route. when advertisements appeared, and upon what terms the Government proposed to award the contract. If so, Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE The advertisements appeared, as nearly as I can recollect, in March, 1874, and the tenders were laid before the House. The lowest tender I think was accepted, and the contract was to continue in force from year to year. NATURALIZATION OF ALIENS. Mr. YOUNG moved for copies of any despatch or despatches received from the Imperial Government on the subject of the Naturalization of Aliens since the despatch of the Earl of KIMBERLEY of date the 3rd September, 1873. He said the despatch of the Earl of KIMBERLEY dated 3rd September, 1873, spoke of further communications being likely to be made by the Imperial Government to the different Governments of the colonies on this highly important subject. He desired before taking other action to ascertain whether any such despatches had been received, and, if so, he trusted they would be brought down. Hon. Mr. Blake. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said he was not quite certain whether any subsequent correspondence on the subject which the hon. member referred had been received. He thought not, but he would make inquiries and inform the hon. gentleman to-morrow. Motion carried. FREE DELIVERY IN MONTREAL. Mr. OLIVER moved that an order of this House do issue for a statement of the yearly expenses connected with the free delivery of letters and papers in the City of Montreal. Motion carried. EXAMINERS OF FISH INSPECTORS. Mr. FORBES moved for a return of the number of Counties in Nova Scotia in which Examiners of Fish Inspectors have been appointed; the number of Inspectors appointed in each County; also, the quantities of fish or fish-oil inspected, with description of package, and by whom inspected, and amount of fees collected. He asked that the return might be brought down on as early a day as possible. Carried. BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORY. The Mr. THOMPSON (Cariboo) moved the adoption of an address to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL, praying that he will take the necessary steps to have the boundary line between British Columbia and the North-West Territory (especially towards the North-Eastern boundary of the former) defined without delay, in view of the anticipated extensive immigration to the recently discovered gold mines on the Arctic Watershed. He said he would state briefly the reasons which led him to submit the motion to the House. miners who had settled in the Stikeen river country had ascended the river 160 miles, and crossed the high-land separating the waters which ran into the Pacific Ocean by the Stikeen from those which ultimately flow into the Arctic Ocean by the Mackenzie river. During three monthis, because the miners reached there late in the season, between one million and one million and a quarter of dollars worth of gold was taken out of the streams tributary to the Mackenzie. A number of miners had gone two hundred and fifty miles further up than any point hitherto discovered; laid in a stock of provisions there, and were engaged in prosecuting mining operations in that section. In travelling through an unsettled country it was impossible for those men to know when they crossed the boundary line separating British Columbia from the North-West territory, and passed under different jurisdiction. The Chief Justice of British Columbia, on a trip made into that section last year, took observations from which he came to the conclusion that the mines then being worked were between 58 and 59° parallel of north latitude-the boundary line being at 60°-and when the miners proceeded between 250 and 300 miles further in a north-easterly direction, it was impossible for them to know when they might strike one of the boundaries of British Columbia, and therefore whether they were within the jurisdiction of British Columbia or the North-West territory. He believed there was no officer of the North-West Government in that section of country, and it was therefore highly important that either the boundaries be definitely settled, or powers be delegated to the British Columbia Government to exercise jurisdiction on the boundaries of the North West territory. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the Dominion Government would have, in the first place, to take steps to ascertain as far as possible, from existing documents, where this boundary should be located, and then they would determine what steps should be taken in connection with the Columbia Government to determine the boundary. Communications would, therefore, have to take place with the Columbia Government on the subject. He hoped the motion would not be pressed, because the matter would be dealt with by the Government as a matter of course, and it could only be dealt with, in the first place, by correspondence with the Local Government. Mr. THOMPSON said that on the understanding that the matter would be brought before the Provincial Government by the Dominion Government, which he hoped would be done without delay, he would withdraw the motion. Motion withdrawn. VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS. the adoption, during last Session, of the seventh report of the Joint Committee of the House on the Printing of Parliament, reducing to two the copies of the Votcs and Proceedings of the House of Commons, now distributed to each member of this House, said number be increased to eight, the number distributed before the adoption of said Report. He explained that the motion was necessary in the interests of the French members of the House. Mr. ROSS (Middlesex) said the Print ing Committee considered it advisable last Session to reduce the number of copies of Votes and Proceedings distributed to each member from eight to two. It was felt by many members that the distribution of such a large number of those documents was not advantageous to them, but a source of constant annoyance. It might be, however, that inasmuch as so few public documents were printed in the French language, the request of the hon. member for Joliette might be considered a reasonable one. If the hon. gentleman chose to refer his motion to the Printing Committee, he (Mr. Ross) would call the attention of the Committee to it at their first meeting, and perhaps they would be able to meet the hon. member's wishes. He would, however, oppose any increase in the number of Votes and Proceedings in the English language beyond that agreed upon by the Committee last year. Mr. MILLS enquired whether the motion did not involve an expenditure of money. Mr. MASSON desired to know if the Government opposed the motion. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the motion went as a matter of course to the Printing Committee and it would be for them to report on it. It was a domestic matter, and the House could order, on the motion of a member, the printing of documents. Hon. Mr. HOLTON said that perhaps eight copies to each member was a larger number than was absolutely necessary, but to now give only two copies of the Votes and Proceedings to each member was too great a reduction. He thought the point of the hon. member for Bothwell was not well taken, for they were constantly ordering printing to be done for Mr. BABY moved that notwithstanding the use of the House. The motion was referred to the Printing | late Minister of Public Works submitted Committee. THE SPRING HILL BRANCH RAILROAD. this as the policy of the Government, to the House, and it was endorsed unanimously. Subsequently the Spring Hill Coal Company, in the County of Cumberland, applied to the Government for similar facilities. Although the policy of the Government on this question had been definitely settled, the Government thought proper to submit the application to the House. He had himself an interest in the enterprise, but parted with it at a considerable loss in order that he might be in a position to give the question impartial consideration. The company were able to show more substantial reasons for having this branch constructed than the Acadian Iron Company. The Government required coal for their road, and unless they connected with these mines by a branch of five miles, they would be obliged to carry coal a distance of something like one hundred miles from Pictou for that section of the line between St. John, N. B., and Truro. The company were, therefore, in a position to claim consideration at the hands of the Government that the Iron Company were not, because they could show it was eminently in the interests of the Government that the branch should be built. They were treated in precisely the same way as the other company. They were told if they would acquire the land, grade the line, and furnish the ties at their own expense, the Government would complete the line and take possession of it, charging the company the same rates for freight as other companies. This also was sanctioned by the Honse, he believed, unanimously. He was surprised, therefore, to observe in Mr. BRYDGES' report a statement conveying the impression that the late Government had made an arrangement which was disadvantageous to the public interest. He would not say anything as to that gentleman's motives for making such a statement, but merely mention the position of affairs. The present Government considered Hon. Mr. TUPPER moved an Address to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL for all correspondence between the Government or their Officers and the Spring Hill Mining Company, for all Orders in Council relating to the said Company, and any agreements that may have been made with the same. He explained that he would like to have all the communications between the Spring Hill Company or any of their officers and the Government, whether the present Government or their predecessors. The report of Mr. BRYDGES to the Government in relation to this matter would naturally lead to the inference in the minds of persons who did not understand the question, that the late Government had made an arrangement with the company which was not beneficial to the public interest. The first time that the question of connecting the Intercolonial Railway with local industries along the route was brought under the notice of the Government, was when the Acadian Iron Mining Company at Londonderry applied for such connection, showing that the establishment would be able to furnish a very large amount of traffic to the railroad. As this was likely to be a precedent for some time and was a matter of a good deal of importance, it was thoroughly examined by the late Minister of Public Works, and he believed there was a report in existence of the Intercolonial Railway Commissioners on the subject. The Government finally proposed to Mr. DEVESEY the Manager of the Acadian Iron Mining Company that the company should show its confidence in the substantial character of their works, and the necessity for the proposed branch, by grading and furnishing the sleepers for it at their own expense the Government agreeing to find the superstructure and lay the track, the fee it wise to entirely change simple of the road to be conveyed by the policy which Parliament had Government, and the line to be owned and on two occasions formally sanctioned worked by them in precisely the same way in relation to local industries. This as the Intercolonial Railroad. The Gov- Government had not only made a present ernment would charge the company who of the road to the company, but had had thus contributed their money pre- bound them to furnish a new superstruccisely the same rate upon the branch line ture for the entire line, between four and as on the Intercolonial Railway. The five miles in length. Hon. Mr. Holton. the Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-New rails, you mean? Hon. Mr. TUPPER-New rails for the purpose of laying the entire line. In addition to this, they had largely reduced the rates of freight-he did not say improperly, because he believed it was in the interests of the country to develop these great mineral resources to the largest possible extent, and that every facility should be given to those engaged in developing such industries. They had reduced the charge established by the late Government for the conveyance of coal to the extent of something like 40 per cent. per ton between the junction of the branch with the main line and St. John. Hon. Mr. SMITH-Do you object to that? Hon. Mr. TUPPER-Not at all. But he believed, when an important statement was made by an officer of the Government that the late Government had, for some reason best known to themselves, unduly favored the Spring Hill Mining Company, that it was right for him (Mr. TUPPER), in dealing with the question, to show precisely the position in which affairs stood. He believed he had a right to say that, instead of the Spring Hill Company being in the slightest degree indebted to the late Government, they certainly were to the present Ministry for the extremely generous manner in which they had been presented with five miles of railway, which the Government bound themselves to fur nish with new rails to lay the entire track, and make besides a reduction in the freight rates on the Intercolonial Railway of 40 cents per ton to St. John. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE had no objection to submit the papers. He might remark, however, that the hon. gentleman seemed to have made his statement with a view to giving the impression that the present Government had unduly favored this company, though he did not find fault with them for doing so. The Government policy was that these short lines should be, if possible, managed by parties immediately or wholly interested, and that the Government should receive their cars at the junction and run them over the main line. He entirely differed from the hon. gentleman that the policy of the late Government was a proper one to pursue. They were bound to give every facility to the large companies along the Hon. Mr. Mackenzie. line and carry freights for them at the lowest possible rates, especially where there was water competition. This was the case between the Spring Hill mines and St. John, and, unless the rates were reduced, they would lose the carrying of the coal. He did not see anything in Mr. BRYDGES' report to convey such an impression as that indicated by the hon. member for Cumberland. It was simply the intention to convey the impression that the arrangement made in the matter by him was one not in the interest of the country or the Government either, and that a change would be advisable. He (Mr. MACKENZIE) entirely approved of that change, and, whether right or wrong, it had been made with the general approval of both sides. He did not admit at all the doctrine that because a vote of money was passed for a specific purpose on this occasion that thereby the Government became pledged to the policy involved in it. So far from the House having unanimously adopted the policy of the late Government in this respect, he (Mr. MACKENZIE) for one objected to it very strongly at the time, and whether he divided the Committee or not he certainly stated his objection. If he yielded, it was simply because, like the hon. gentleman opposite at present, he could not help himself. Hon. Mr. TUPPER said his object was simply to show that the Government had taken a retrograde step. The Spring and valuable coal area, it was true, but Hill Mining Company owned a very large they did not own the entire coal field at Spring Hill. There was There was one Association believed to be very valuable, and there which owned four square miles of coal, were several other large coal properties independent of that held by the Spring Hill Mining Company. The fact of the change in the Government policy was that either all these companies must expend very large amounts of money in building parallel lines to that recently owned by Government but now presented to the Spring Hill Mining Company, or submit to whatever terms that Company might impose, since they had the monopoly of the branch. He mentioned this as one of the reasons why he thought it was not wise to change the policy of this House in relation to this local enterprise. The motion was carried. |