attention of the hon. Minister to the question, his duty was discharged; he had no further objections to offer, if the honorable Minister was himself satisfied. Hon. Sir JOHN MACDONALD asked the hon. member for Chateauguay to state the objections. Hon. Mr. HOLTON said the Bill was to amalgamate a railway in New Brunswick with a railway in the State of Maine, and the object was in itself quite an objection. But what was more exceptional in the Bill was that it proposed to make part of the Statute Articles the agreement entered into between the two Companies some years ago. Those articles were not framed with a view to their becoming a part of the Statutes, but for an entirely different object, and they were scarcely in such a form as to adorn our Statute Book. Hon. Mr. FOURNIER stated that the sub-committee having reported in favor of the Bill, he could see no objection to its passing. The Bill passed through committee without amendment and was read a third time. On motion of Hon. Mr. CAMERON, (Cardwell) the House went into Commit tee on the Bill to consolidate and amend the Acts relating to the Provincial Insurance Company of Canada, (as amended by Standing Committee on Banking and Commerce). Mr. MCKAY WRIGHT in the chair. The Bill was reported, read a second and third times, and passed. On motion of Mr. MACKENZIE (East Elgin) Bill to authorize the Canada Southern Railway Company to acquire the Erie and Niagara Railway and for other purposes, was read a second time, and on motion referred to the Standing Committee on Railways and Telegraphs. On motion of Mr. JETTE the Bill to change the name of the Montreal Permanent Building Society to that of "The Montreal Savings and Loan Company," and to extend the powers thereof, was read a second time and referred to the Private Bills Committee. THE PETERSON BILL. Mr. JAS. MACLENNAN moved the second reading of the Bill for the relief of HENRY WILLIAM PETERSON (from the Senate.) Mr. TASCHEREAU moved, seconded by Mr. POZER, that the Bill be not now read a second time but that it be read a second time this day three months. Mr. MACMILLAN said if the Bill were now passed he was afraid justice would not be done. He was made aware from circumstances that came came to his knowledge that the respondent was lying ill, and could not be here for the purpose of defending herself as she could have done; and the evidence taken before the Senate was merely the evidence of the petitioner without a particle on behalf of the respondent. He had been desirous of placing some evidence before the Senate. But it had arrived too late; the Bill had passed before the Committee of the House before he was aware of it, or he would have brought the evidence before them. He read the certificate of Drs. HART and CLARK of Guelph, to the effect that the respondent was ill with an attack of rheumatism and was unable to come; and he also read an affidavit by Mrs. PETERSON denying the charge. This affidavit was not perhaps quite so full as the affidavits in the suit before the Court of Chancery, in which the respondent and co-respondent denied the charge. If the Bill were pressed he would claim the right to read the evidence taken before the Court of Chancery. Mr. STIRTON said he had just received a telegram from a most respectable authority in Guelph that Mrs. PETERSON was walking about on the streets this week. The caschad come before two law courts in different shapes-before the Court of Queen's Bench and the Court of Chancery and the verdict had been given against the mover. He did not see why the House should now hesitate in doing an act of justice. Mr. THOMSON (Welland) had voted for the first reading of the Bill, but would now vote for the amendment as he had learned from a friend capable of judging evidence that the evidence was not clear against the respondent. The House then divided on the amendment with the following result: Hon. Mr. Holton. 1 Mr. SINCLAIR moved for copies of papers and correspondence between the Dominion Government and the Government of Prince Edward Island, relative to the building of the Prince Edward Island Railway, and the transfer of the same to the Dominion Government. He said he had various reasons for moving for this correspondence. First he understood that the Prince Edward Island Railway had been accepted by the agent of the Dominion Government under protest, and he, (Mr. SINCLAIR) would like to see what the agent had to protest against, for that railway had not run one day since it was taken off the hands of the contractors. No doubt the weather had been the chief cause of this, but even if it had been fine, the rails and machinery were not good, and the opening might have been delayed. The Government had laid on the table correspondence up to June. What he wished to obtain was the subsequent correspondence relating to the transfer, and extending into November and December. If the terms of the contract had been fulfilled the railway should have been handed over to the Dominion Government in September, and it was expected every Mr. Macmillan. week that it would be opened for traffic. Speculators had purchased grain along the line, and after waiting until winter had set in were obliged to make an arrangement with the contractors for conveying the grain to the harbors. He (Mr. SINCLAIR) would like to ascertain whether the charges then imposed were to be continued in the future. If so it would be found that the road would be unprofitable. Many speculators not expecting the line would be worked this winter had purchased grain at the ports and shipped it by vessels. They found that they could do so much cheaper than conveying it by rail at the rates charged by the contractors. He did not want to see the tariff reduced below what would be a profitable rate for the operation of the road, but the Government would find that the Island was in a different position from the continent. Railways on the mainland passed through sections of country of which they formed the only outlet for trade, but on the Island the railway was obliged to compete with water transportation. He thought the Government should reduce the tariff, and he wished to know whether the correspondence for which he asked would contain any reference to the matter. Mr. DAVIES said he was bound to admit that the Government had done everything in their power to open this railway. The gentleman sent down to manage the road went to the Island in May and was told by the contractors that it would be ready in July. He went in July and was told that although the trunk line was finished, it would not be handed over until the branches were finished, which would probably be in October. He returned in October and the road was not then ready. When it was handed over at last, a snow storm set in, and for ten days the road was blocked. He (Mr. DAVIES) made it his business to go to Mr. SWINYARD and tell him that it was unnecessary to waste fifteen or twenty thousand dollars in trying to keep this road clear of snow. It was covered with ice and could not be cleared. If it had been handed over at the proper time it could have been set in operation without this expense. Mr. SWINYARD, nevertheless, tried it for a week and failed. He (Mr. DAVIES) believed it was the worst road in the world, full of curves and easily blocked with snow. Time would show what tariff ought to be established, but there was no fault to be found with the Govornment in this matter. The motion was carried. At natural outflow of the Gananoque and LEASES OF WATER POWER ON RIDEAU CANAL. Mr. JONES (South Leeds) moved an Address to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL for a statement of Leases of Water Power made by the Department of Public Works between the Dominion Dam at the Whitefish and Kingston Mills on the Rideau Canal, both inclusive. Date of Lease or Leases; Time such Lease or of getting a few hundred Leases expire; Quantity of power rented dollars into their coffers. He did not and approximate power used during past object, though he might do so, to this, but year, under each Lease; with copy of he did object to their leasing the waters of Reports and papers, if any, submitted by the canal in such a way as to interfere the Superintendent Engineer of the Rid- with private rights. At Gananoque he edu Canal during the past twelve months believed the present Government were to the Department of Public Works on making some inquiries into the matter. this subject. This motion, he said, related At that town the manufacturing establishto an interference with private rights, ments gave employment to between five which he would endeavor to explain. In and six hundred persons, and were run 1866 he brought this matter under the with water power. On the Whitefish notice of the then Minister of Public and Gananoque there were some 800 hands Works, and some action was taken on it employed in mills and manufactories, in the way of making reservoirs for while on the Cataraqui there were only supplying the Rideau Canal in low some fifteen men employed. In order to water. It had also been brought keep these men at work, the water supply within the past few weeks to the notice was diverted from its natural channel, and of the Public Works Department but he 800 men were kept for months at work on did not know whether anything had been half or three-quarter time. done in the matter. On reference to the caused by leasing water to the extent of office of the Superintendent of the Rideau two or three hundred horse power where Canal it would be found by the maps and only twenty-five or thirty horse power plans there that there was a diversity of was required. He hoped that the Governopinion among the Royal Engineers who ment would see that those licenses when built the western end of the canal, with they expired were not renewed, or at any regard to its outlet. One route was by rate that no more water would be supplied the height of land and the Gananoque than was actually paid for. River through to the St. Lawrence; the other by the River Cataraqui to the Bay of Kingston. It would be seen by the plans that locks were proposed to be placed at the Whitefish where the Dominion dam exists. The route by the way of Kingston was taken for the reason, he supposed, that it was the head of river and the foot of lake navigation and also for the reasons that it was a long distance from the American frontier and a well fortified place. In order to take that route it was necessary to place the dam at the Whitefish to divert the water from it and the Gananoque to the Cataraqui River, so as to supply the Rideau Canal. Therefore, there was a diversion of the Mr. Davies. This was Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the hon. member for South Leeds had no doubt brought the subject before the House in order to call attention to it. The truth was that when the canal was constructed there was an ample supply of water for the canal and the works on the stream down to Gananoque, but as the country got cleared up the sources of water supply failed, and now there was not sufficient water for both purposes. He had given directions that in every case the leases for saw-mills and factories requiring very large power in proportion to the number of hands employed be cancelled as soon as possible, and that the water power should be given, whenever it was to be given at all, to such factories as employed the largest number of hands. He was aware of the peculiar difficulties experienced in the section to which the hon member referred, and while the Government could not at present cancel the leases, they would be able to give some little relief to the works referred to. The Public Works Department would do every thing possible to meet the exigences of the circumstances referred to by the hon. member. The motion was carried. LONDON EMIGRATION OFFICE. Mr. COLBY moved an Address to His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL for a Return giving the annual amount paid, at the time of the late Mr. DIXON's death, for salaries, permanent and temporary, at the Dominion Emigration Office, London, England, distinguishing the yearly, monthly and weekly amounts paid to such officers or persons, also the amount of all personal, travelling or other expenses, the contingent expenses of the office and amount paid for rent; Also, the amount now paid for the same services and ses, giving the names of all officers and persons now employed, nationality and previous residence, the designations and saaries of the same, distinguishing in the case of Mr. EDWARD JENKINS the salary paid him as Eignation Agent, and as Agent General. The motion was carried. expen CASTERN CONNE.DION WITH THE RAILWAY. Works in considering anything that related to the position of the Province of Quebec on the Pacific Railway question was bound to follow to a greater degree the advice offered by his friends on that side of the House, than to the advice tendered by him (Mr. MASSON) and his friends. He would have desired that the petition had received some consideration at the hands of the hon. Minister of Public Works, but after the expression which had fallen from the hon. member for Chateauguay on the subject of that petition, he had lost all hope of the wishes of the Legislature of the Province of Quebec, as manifested by an unanimous petition, receiving any consideration at the hands of the Government. He would not, therefore, appeal to the hon. member for Chateauguay-who had lately been appointed President of the Reform Association of Montreal, but not of Quebec-but to the hon. Minister of Public Works, and would leave the case presented by the Quebec Legislature in his hands. Legislature in his hands. That hon. Minister had not up to this time said it was a moribund Legislature, and that its petition was not worth the paper on which it was written, and therefore, he (Mr. MasSON) hoped that hon. gentleman would see his way clear, if he could not grant the first part of the petition (he was not expressing his own opinion but that of the people of Lower Canada as represented by their Local Legislature) he would take measures so that the line would not go to Renfrew and Douglas as was provided for, but would take means, as suggested by the Quebec Legislature, of carrying the route round by Pembroke. Hon. Mr. HOLTON said the hon. member for Terrebonne had referred to an expression used on a former occasion in discussing the petition from the Legislature of Quebec. The hon. member seemed to think that the expression was a very peculiar and offensive one. A little reflection would lead the hon. member to the con Mr. MASSON moved an "Address to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL for copies of all correspondence between the Canadian Government and the Government of the Province of Quebec on the subject of Railway connections between the eastern terminus of the Canada Pacific Railway and the Province of Quebec." He said that his intention in placing the motion on the notice paper was to obtain from the Government a copy of the petition sent by the Leg-clusion-what he certainly meant to cɔnislature of Quebec in relation to the Quebec railway connection with the eastern terminus of the Pacific Railway. It was not, perhaps, of much use to submit the motion at the present time, because the question had been decided by the Government, and their policy had been supported by the House. He quite admitted that the hon. Minister of Public Hon. Mr. Mackenzie. vey-that in the use of that expression he meant to emphasize this and this only: that the address referred to was passed in the last moments of the last session of that Legislature. A moribund Legislature it was necessarily-moribund, for it could not meet again, and an Address was passe l at the very last moment of its last session. without very much discussion—without |