friendly but unsuccessful attempt to induce | railway enterprise in districts not touched son and Lower Frazer Rivers has been made with a view to ascertain definitely whether that route presents more favourable features than the routes already surveyed to Dean Inlet and Bute Inlet respectively. It is believed that the additional information now obtained will enable my Government to determine which route is the most advantageous from Tête Jaune Cache to the sea. Full information will be laid before you at an early day of the season's work in this and other directions. I am happy to be able to congratulate you on the abundant harvest reaped in all quarters of the Dominion; and I rejoice that under this and other influences there has been some improvement in the Revenue returns, thus indicating, I trust, that the commercial depression that has so long afflicted Canada, in common with other countries, is passing away. My attention has been called to some imperfections in the existing system of auditing the Public Accounts, and a measure providing for their more thorough and effective supervision will be submitted for your consideration. The prospect of obtaining, at an early day, greater facilities for reaching the North Western Territories and the Province of Manitoba is sure to attract a larger number of settlers every year, and, as much of the prosperity of the Dominion depends on the rapid settlement of the fertile lands in these Territories, it is desirable and necessary to facilitate such settlement as much as possible. In order to effect this, measures will be submitted for your consideration concern. ing the registration of titles, the enactment of a Homestead Law, and the promotion of by the Canada Pacific Railway. Your attention will be called to a measure for better securing the independence of Parliament. A Experience has shown that certain changes may advantageously be made in the departmental arrangements existing at present. Bill will be submitted to you for accomplishing this purpose without increasing the expenditure or the number of Departments. It is very desirable that there should be uniform legislation in all the Provinces respecting the traffic in spirituous liquors. Hitherto that trade has been regulated by Provincial laws, or laws existing before the Confederation of the Provinces, although there has been lately a conflict of authority as to the jurisdiction of the local authorities. A Bill making the necessary provision will be submitted for your consideration. Various measures found necessary for the amendment of existing laws will also be submitted for your approval. Gentlemen of the House of Commons: The Estimates for the ensuing year will be laid before you at an early day. They have been prepared with an anxious desire to provide for all the branches of the public service and the execution of pressing public works, within the limits of the expected revenue, without increasing the burden of taxation. I have directed that the Public Accounts of the past financial year shall be laid before you. MR. MACKENZIE moved "That His Excellency's Speech be taken into consideration on Monday next." Motion agreed to. SELECT STANDING COMMITTEES. "That Select Standing Committees of this House, for the present Session, be appointed for the following purposes:-1. On Privileges and Elections; 2. Un Expiring Laws; 3. On Railways, Canals, and Telegraph Lines; 4. On Miscellaneous Private Bills; 5. On Standing Orders; 6. On Printing; 7. On Public Accounts; 8. On Banking and Commerce; 9. On Immigration and Colonization,—which said Committees shall severally be empowered to examine and enquire into all such matters and things as may be referred to them by the House; and to report from time to time their observations and opinions thereon; with power to send for persons, papers and records." Motion agreed to. REPORT. MR. SPEAKER laid before the House the report of the Librarian of Parliament, on the state of the Library of Parliament. OFFICIAL REPORTING OF THE DEBATES REMARKS. MR. MACKENZIE said that on Monday next he would propose the appointment of a Committee regarding the supervision of the reporting of the debates. In the meantime, he thought it might be perhaps well for hon. gentlemen to consider whether it was de sirable that the system of last year should be continued; the one volume which contained the debates of last Session being extremely voluminous and inconvenient, and whether it might be desirable or not to curtail the reporting of the debates somewhat so as to compress it within one reasonable volume, or to extend it indefinitely according to the character and extent of the debates. He merely asked the attention of the House to the subject in order that, when the Government asked for a Committee on Monday, the House might come to some definite understanding on these points. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD said he quite agreed with the hon. member that it was extremely in. convenient to publish the debates in so large a volume. It was not a pocketbible by any means, which could be carried about anywhere; but he would be very sorry to see the reporting of the debates curtailed, for, to be valuable, it should be as full as possible, perhaps not the ipsissima verba, but nevertheless so full as to give as nearly as possible the whole sum and substance of whatever each member said. Otherwise, the value of the reporting would be greatly diminished. As regarded the portability of the volume, he thought some arrangement might be made by which the debates of each Session would be spread over two volumes, and in a few years he believed three would be required for the purpose. House adjourned at HOUSE OF COMMONS. Monday, 11th Feb., 1878. The Speaker took the chair at Three o'clock. PRAYERS. REPORT. MR. SPEAKER laid before the House-Account Current of the Ac countant of the House of Commons, of the amount received and disbursed by him for Contingencies, from the 1st July, 1876, to the 1st July 1877 with the Auditor's Report. OFFICIAL REPORTING OF THE DEBATES COMMITTEE APPOINTED. MR. ROSS (West Middlesex) moved, "That a Select Committee be appointed, to supervise the official Report of the Debates of this House during the present Session; with power to report from time to time; said Committee to be composed of Messrs. Ross (Middlesex), Oliver, Dymond, Béchard, Charlton, Tupper, Bowell, Desjardins and Colby." MR. HOLTON said he did not object to the motion on the ground that it was not a right and proper motion, for, of course, it was the settled policy of the House to continue these reports, but they had strong complaints last year of the extraordinary delay which took place in the distribution of the reports. The delay was so great that the reports were really of no practical value, except as records of proceedings. for reference in after years. He hoped the Committee proposed by his hon. friend, the member for West Middlesex (Mr. Ross) would see that arrangements were made this year to secure a prompter distribution of the reports than took place last year. was quite sure that such was the sense of the House at largo, and he hoped that expression would be given to that sense by other members. He sard had only been decided cn late in the Session, and the hasty selection of the necessary staff had caused part of the translation to be confided to persons who were, perhaps, of inferior ability. But it being understood that the work would be given this year to the same officers who had charge of it previously, he anticipated that the translation for the present Session would be such as would render justice to the speeches delivered by hon. members. MR. MASSON said he had no complaint to make about the Hansard; he understood the difficulties the reporters had to contend with, especially with regard to himself; but what he had to complain of was the translation | of the Hansard. The translation two or three years ago was something awful. That of last year was a great deal better; there were parts of it that were excellent, but there were other parts that were really absurd. As an instance, he might mention that, when he spoke upon the question of MR. ROSS (West Middlesex) said the prayers, upon which he took strong he was quite aware there was considergrounds, he said that the first Com- able delay in having the bound volumes moner should say the prayers, but of the Hansard issued at the close of the French translation of the Hansard last Session, and considerable delay in made him say to the House, "que ce having the daily report of the speeches devoir devrait être rempli par le pre-laid upon the desks. mier venu." If the matter were not so serious, he would be inclined to laugh, and he could not but think that the matter should receive careful cousideration. This was the record for or against hon. members, and, in MR. ROSS said this matter came begoing through some parts of the counfore the attention of the Committee try, among the French population this year, he had found the Hansard every-indenture was drawn up between the of the House last Session, and a new where ; but it was natural that the House and the contractor for the HanFrench would not refer to the English sard, in which a clause was inserted Hansard to see what their representatives had been doing, but would go to the French copy. And not only in the Hansard, but in the Statutes, he had the same thing to complain of, and in the translation of the Sessional Papers also there was ground for complaint. He had compared the French with the English copy of the Hansard,and, in the former, had found that the most absurd and damaging things appeared. He believed the motion would meet with the approbation of most of the French speakers. They must have a Hansard which expressed their ideas as they were expressed in this House. MR. HOLTON: I did not complain of the bound volumes, but of the daily reports. We did not get them last Session until August. to the effect that the contractor should forfeit a penalty of $15 per day if his share of the work was not completed in time. Of course last Session their contractor had entered for the first task, and the Committee were aware time upon this delicate and difficult there were many difficulties to be surmounted which he would not expect sion. He hoped they would be able to encounter during the present Sesdifficulties, as well as from the inthis Session, by the removal of several creased skill and experience of their contractor, to comply with the intentions of the Committee, MR. DESJARDINS said it would be in having the reports laid upon unjust to leave unanswered the re- the desks of hon. members at marks which had just fallen from his least within twenty-four hours of the hon. friend the member for Terre-time at which the speech was debonne (Mr. Masson), and leave the livered. The matter was one which House under the impression that the had been surrounded by great diffiFrench translators had not done their culties from its inception, but he duty last year. They were bound to believed these difficulties were being remember that this work had been removed from year to year, and he executed under very difficult circum- hoped the result this year would be stances. The steps that had been more satisfactory than in previous taken to secure the translation of Han-years. MR. DECOSMOS said he trusted | stated elsewhere, that, as far as his the Committee would take into own personal sentiments went, he was consideration the question whether in favour of the repeal of the Insolit would not be much better to vency Law. Even if he did make the allow hon. gentlemen who desired to statement attributed to him, and he revise their speeches, to have a printed did not think that he did, he spoke of proof of their speeche instead of his own sentiments and not of the manuscript that was exceedingly diffi- policy of the Government. cult to decipher. MR. CARTWRIGHT said that to his certain knowledge, in the Hansard of last Session, two or three rather important statements were omitted. He knew that the reporters experienced great difficulty in following the proceedings, and particularly interjections; but occasionally statements were made from one side of the House to the other that, to a very large extent, bore on the question at issue. Now, it must be understood that the Hansard, although very reasonably faithful as showing the general tenor of the speeches, and very often giving the exact language, could not, as it was at present, be regarded as absolutely authentic record. Motion agreed to. INSOLVENCY LAW REPEAL. INTRODUCTION OF BILL PROPOSED. an MR. BARTHE moved for leave to introduce a Bill to repeal the Insolvency Law now in force in the Domin ion. Mr. TUPPER said he would like, in this connection, to enquire of the hon. the First Minister if the report was authentic which stated that the hon. the Minister of Inland Revenue, on the occasion of his appeal to his constituents in Drummond and Arthabaska, had stated that it was the intention of the Government to repeal the Insolvency Law. MR. LAURIER said he thought he could appeal to his hon. friend from Terrebonne (Mr. Masson) as to the fact that he never made such a statement. He never stated that it was the intention of the Government to repeal the Insolvency Law or any other Act. He had been sworn in the day before, and it was only natural for him to make no statement of that or any other kind as to the future policy of the Government. He said there, as he had MR. MACKENZIE said he did not think it fair that any hon. gentleman should ask such a question without previous notice. MR. MASSON said the hon. gentleman need not have answered the question, but he did. He was sorry the hon. gentleman had made an appeal to him. He had only gone into the counhe had not made the statement, of ty twice. As the hon. gentleman said course he could believe that he did not intend to make it, but he had understood him to say that he was opposed not be repealed at this Session, but proto the Insolvency Law; that it would bably at the next Session. He remembered it particularly, because he had spoken of it to his friends at the time. MR. MACKENZIE said he really must ask hon. members not to discuss in that House things said by others in another place. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD said that, with regard to the remarks which had fallen from his hon. friend the member for Lambton (Mr. Mackenzie) there was a motion before the Chair, and it was quite germane to ask if certain remarks in reference to this subject had been made by the Minister of Inland Revenue at any time. Notice would be required of the question put to the Premier, because, without it, he could not have the opportunity of enquiring of his colleague. This was a discussion on the first reading of a Bill, and perhaps it was unusual to introduce a Bill at all, except the measure which was always introduced to assert thở rights of Parliament, until the Speech from the Throne had been answered. But, the motion having been made, the discussion was quite in order. MR. MASSON said it was painful to see hon. members who had been known always to speak the truth, holding different opinions on matters of fact. It was painful to him to again refer to it, but, when he did so before, his hon. friend wished to make him believe that his (Mr. Masson's) memory was at fault. But he remembered the occasion particularly, because when the statement was made, he made the remark that his hon. friend was going too far, that he was pledging Parlia ment two Sessions. This was what struck him at the time, and made him remember the fact now. MR. LAURIER said he had appealed to the testimony of his hon. friend because he thought there could be no doubt about it. His memory was not in accord with that of his hon. friend (Mr. Massen), but, although they were at variance, his hon. friend did not impugn his statement, and he did not impugn that of his hon. friend. Still, they were at variance, and one might be at fault. It seemed to him that it was quite natural that, having been sworn in only on the previous day, he could not state what would be the policy of the Government. MR. MOUSSEAU: I heard the hon. Minister use exactly the same words as those remembered by the hon. member for Terrebonne (Mr. Masson). MR. SPEAKER: I would suggest to the hon. member (Mr. Barthe) not to press the Bill at present. It is contrary to our usual practice to introduce a Bill before the Speech is answered. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD said the motion which was always made, was to protect the right of the House to introduce Bills if they chose, but even then it was considered not exactly respectful to the Crown, and therefore the motion for the second reading was not made. He would suggest that the hon. gentleman should allow his motion to stand until after the Address. It would be considered that the motion was not made, and that it was still on the paper. Motion, with leave of the House, withdrawn. ADDRESS IN ANSWER TO HIS EXCEL LENCY'S SPEECH. The House proceeded to the consideration of His Excellency's Speech at the opening of the Session. us. MR. DE ST. GEORGES: Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to propose that a humble address be presented to His Excellency in reply to the Speech from the Throne; and at the outset, I hasten to solicit the indulgence of the House, convinced as I am, that the task which has devolved upon me, is much beyond my power. I am about to have the honour to serve the House with a bill of fare, which certainly should give satis.action to the most exacting; but which, nevertheless, the hon. Leader of the Opposition will not fail, as usual, to find very meagre. I remember that last year, the hon. member (Sir John A. Macdonald) made us this compliment, but that did not, meanwhile, prevent three long months, and sittings prolonged at times until the morning being required, though the Government used all possible diligence to forward the despatch of business, before we passed through all the programmic that was submitted to As His Excellency has very appropriately remarked this year, nothing beyond the ordinary affairs of Parliament requires the convocation of Parliament; the country at present being in a most satisfactory condition. It is true that we have suffered and still suffer from commercial depression, but this is a misfortune common to-day to all civilized countries, and, after all, we can say that we have suffered here less from it than any other country, no matter where situated, and that Canada occupies a relatively prosperous condition. The commercial position of the country has improved during the past few months, and our revenues have increased. The second paragraph of the Speech from the Throne informs us that, when Parliament will be convened anew, His Excellency Lord Dufferin will have ceased to be here the representative of the British Crown. This news, I am sure, will give rise, everyment of regret, and the Canadian where in our midst, to a lively sentipeople, without distinction of nationality or of religion, will look upon the departure of His Excellency as a misfortune. Lord Dufferin, whose presence each city, each town and each locality in the Dominion, has disputed since his arrival amongst us, has |