fire. He had nothing to say against the company, but, before the House placed it in such a position as to enable it to get rid of its obligations, they should see to the shareholders paying up the calls now owed.

Bill read the second time.

MERCHANTS' BANK BILL.-[BILL NO.11] (Mr. Jetté.)

SECOND READING

Bill read the second time.

SOCIÉTÉ DE CONSTRUCTION MUTUELLE INCORPORATION BILL.-[BILL NO. 12.]

(Mr. Malouin.)

Bill read the second time.

KINGSTON ELECTION PETITION DEPOSIT BILL.-[BILL No. 15.]

(Mr. Haggart.)

SECOND READING POSTPONED.

Order for second reading read. MR. MACKENZIE said he had to ask his hon. friend to let the Bill stand for several reasons, into which he would not enter, though one of them, perhaps, was conclusive. He thought that this was not a private Bill, and that, if they had any right to pass it, it was as an amendment to the public Act. It could not be proceeded with as a private Bill-at least, this was his then impression. At all events, it could not then be proceeded with, as various matters connected with the position of Mr. Stewart relative to the deposit of money had to be considered.

Order postponed.

ONTARIO MUTUAL LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY BILL.-[BILL No. 16.]

(Mr. Bowman.)

SECOND READING.

Bill read the second time.

QUEBEC FIRE ASSURANCE COMPANY CHARTER AMENDMENT BILL.

[BILL NO. 21]

(Mr. Taschereau.)

SECOND READING.

Bill read the second time.

CARILLON CANAL AND DAM.

QUESTION.

MR. CURRIER enquired, Whether it is the intention of the Government to proceed with the canal and dam and other contemplated improvements at Carillon during the present season?

MR. MACKENZIE : It is the intention of the Government to do so. It is a matter very much to be regretted that circumstances over which the Government had no control has prevented this work from being proceeded with as we desired. Mr. Page is at present perfecting arrangements with the object of proceeding with it as soon as the season opens.

OVERPAYMENTS BY STEAMBOATS

QUESTION.

MR. CHEVAL enquired, Whether it is the intention of the Government to place in the Estimates a sum of money to provide for reimbursing the proprietors of steamboats such as the steamboat Cultivateur, Cultivateur, which paid in the St. Ours Lock a sum of $321, when the vessel ought to have paid in reality but $138?

MR. SMITH (Westmoreland): I may inform my hon. friend that it is not the intention of the Government to submit any such amount in the Estimates.

DEEPENING THE CHANNEL AT THE MOUTH OF THE MIRAMICHI.

QUESTION.

MR. MITCHELL enquired, Whether it is the intention of the Government to prosecute, during the coming season, works for the deepening of the channel over the Horse Shoe Bar at the mouth of the Miramichi River?

MR. MACKENZIE: The arrangements for the season are not yet made, but, as usual, dredges will, be sent where they are most wanted, and, if they are most wanted at this place, they will go there.

MR. MITCHELL: Then I suppose we are not to get any.

MR. MACKENZIE: Oh, I did not say that, by any means.

MR. MACKENZIE: I have no desire to even imply that.

MR. MITCHELL: I take that inference from it, and I wish it to be so understood.

IRON RAILS IN CAPE BRETON.

QUESTION.

MR. MACKAY (Cape Breton) enquired, Whether it is the intention

of the Government to aid the construction of Eastern Railway Extension in Cape Breton,-now subsidized by the Statutes of Nova Scotia-by a transfer of iron rails?

MR. MACKENZIE: The Government in the first place have already apportioned the rails, under the resolution of the House, to those roads which were conceived to be feeders to the Intercolonial Railway; and we had no authority to apportion any rails for any other purpose. All that were to spare-about 70 miles-we expect to be used; and these were apportioned to certain roads, as the return brought down to the House shows. It is impossible, therefore, for the Government to entertain any further proposition in that direction; and other roads have been refused on account of there being no rails for disposal or on account of such roads not being feeders to the Government railway. Of course, if the projects which have been aided through that Order in Council do not carry out the arrangements that were made for building their respective roads, it will then be for the Government and the House to consider what disposition may be made of the rails which would be otherwise apportioned to these roads.

RED AND ASSINIBOINE RIVERS.

QUESTION.

MR. ARCHIBALD, for Mr. SMITH (Selkirk), enquired, Whether it is the intention of the Government to remove the obstructions to navigation on the Red River between Pembina and Lower Fort Garry; and whether it is the intention of the Government to improve the Assiniboine River so as to

boats of light draught?

MR. LANGEVIN moved for, 1st. A return of all correspondence, since the 1st January, 1875, of and with the Postmaster-General, the Minister of Public Works or any other Department, relating to Mail communication with the British West Indies; 2n‍l. A return of all correspondence had between the Government of Canada and the Imperial or any Colonial Government with regard to a subsidy for a line of steamers between Canada and the British West Indies. He said he wished to remind the hon. the First Minister that, last year, he (Mr. Langevin) had called the attention of the House, and especially of the Government, to this matter. Ile understood that certain arrangements had been made in this regard, but he was told these were not concluded between the Government of Canada and the companies that ran steamers between Halifax or New York and other ports and the West Indies. At all events, he desired by means of this motion to obtain the correspondence and the facts connected with this matter. He regretted that, so far as he was informed, it did not stand in a better position than was the case last year. A gentleman who now or lately was travelling in the West Indies had, the other day, written him a letter showing the great inconvenience existing, owing to the fact that these postal arrangements were so defective. This gentleman said that, on letters sent to New York via the subsidized steamer for Halifax, the charge was sixpence; and on letters to Halifax

not

tenpence or a shilling, his correspondent forgot which nearly double, because Canada was in the Postal Union; and this gentleman also said: "The GovernorGeneral of the Danish islands of St. Thomas and St. Luce, a short time ago, stated in the Legislative Council that, at present, rearly the whole civilized world has joined the Union, with the exception of the few British West India Islands, those countries which have not entered the Union, or such as have no regular mail service, and whose political system is such as to give no guarantee for the fulfilment of those obligations which they would have to undertake towards other countries in the event of their entering the Union." He (Mr. Langevin) did not suppose that this Governor-General referred to Canada, but, at all events, these were the facts :-We were not in a better position than those countries; no such arrangements of any kind existed in our regard; and the postal communications between Canada and the West Indies were very defective. Last year, if he remembered aright, the hon. the First Minister, looking at this question from a broader point of view than mere postal arrangements, had stated that we could not supply these islands with flour, for example, because the trip was too long to permit flour reaching there in good order; and, therefore, that we could not rely on the growth of a trade which would allow this or any other Government to undertake to subsidise a line of steamers to that point; but he (Mr. Langevin) was now told that a Canadian firm was manufacturing flour for the Brazils, necessitating much longer trips; and it was said that flour could be made to stand the influence of the sun in that quarter for three weeks. And, if flour could be sent to the Brazils, it could, without doubt, be sent to the West Indies; consequently, he did not think that any ground remained or the statement, of the hon. the First Minister in question. He would leave this part of the subject to the hon. the Minister of Militia, who, being a shipowner, and largely concerned in the West India trade, knew a great deal about it; but he could not refrain from saying that the claims of Canada in

this respect were very great; and particularly under the present circumstances, when trade was in so languishing a condition, they should certainly endeavour to find new outlets for our commercial enterprise. commercial enterprise. He understood further from the letter mentioned, that an arrangement had been made between the Cunard company and the British Government, whereby a new contract had been entered into, in this relation, by that company. He did not know that the hon. the First Minister had been informed of this, but he had heard that the subsidy had been renewed in connection with the sending of a Cunard steamer from Halifax to St. Thomas. He hoped that the Government had taken advantage of this circumstance to have this steamer extend its trips to the British West Indies, in order particularly to give us the benefit of postal communication, and had communicated with the British Government to this end. He was, of course, quite in the dark as to what might have passed between the British and Canadian Governments on this subject; and this was why he moved for this correspondence. He trusted his motion would be considered by the Government, as it deserved some consideration; and that it would furnish members who were of the same opinion as himself in this respect with an opportunity to express their views.

MR. FORBES said this matter had received a great deal of attention and called for more, both at the hands of the Government and of the House. The Province of Nova Scotia, in particular, was largely interested in it, as that Province probably did more business with the West Indies than the other three or four Provinces together. This subject had been before the country since 1866; a great deal had been done in urging it upon the Government; and the Government had again and again led them to believe that they intended to have considered it upon its merits, which were not, slight, but very substantial. In 1866 a Commission was appointed with delegates from the different Provinces, with the object of bringing this question before the different Governments of the West Indies; they did so, and those Governments then entered

heartily into the subject, and they would, no doubt, have at once joined

with the Provinces in the establishment of a line of steamers, but Confederation, in the meantime, was brought about, and it was not done. However, a report was made, and from it he would read as follows:

"The communication between British North America and the West Indies was now very unsatisfactory, the only regular service being performed by a steamer leaving Halifax once a month, the day of her sailing depending on the arrival of the European steamer there, and that of her arrival at St. Thomas being consequently uncertain, and not so timed as to meet, with regularity, inter colonial steamers which distribute the mails among the Islands. In consequence of this, letters from North America frequently lie for several days in the post-office at St. Thomas, and the time occupied before replies could be received was such as to deter merchants in the British Provinces from sending orders to Demerara or the Windward Islands."

This service was performed by one boat, which went to St. Thomas, landed the mail for the Windward Islands, went from St. Thomas to Bermuda, and from Bermuda to Halifax. It again returned; and it performed this service once a month. Letters were under this system, when proper connections were not made at St. Thomas, frequently delayed, not for a few days, but for a month before they reached their destination. In 1871, a memorial was presented to the Government, signed by a large number of Senators and members of the House. He would read this memorial with the permission of the House :

Foreign West Indies is altogether inadequate barrier to the increase which better to the trade now existing, and is a great

accomodation would develop.

Mail

"That this Dominion carrying on so large a trade with these Islands should only have one Mail a month, and that sent by the British Government, calls for some consideration, particularly as these Islands furnish so large an amount of business, and absorb so many of the products of the Dominion of Canada.

"The value of the trade between the British and Foreign West Indies and Canada, carried on by Dominion vessels, amounts to about seven millions per annum, of which Nova Scotia contributes about three, and this, large as it is, would, no doubt, be greatly increased if fostered by better Mail accomodation.

Occupying as the Dominion now does, the proud position of being the fourth maritime power in the world, it is not without confidence we place the interest of this industry in your hands, knowing the estimate you place upon it, and feeling you will do it that justice which its magnitude demands.

"Considering the importance of the trade now existing between the West Indies and the Dominion, the amount of tonnage employed, we can well understand the inconvenience suffered by the large and important community mail a month, and that the time has arrived engaged in the business by having only one when the people of the Maritime Provinces, who are so largely interested, can ask with justice to themselves and the Dominion, the establishment of a semi-monthly Mail Service between the British West Indies and the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, all must be free to admit.

"OTTAWA, February 28th, 1871.” That memorial was, as could be seen, very largely signed. The question at that time received a good deal of attention, and the Government appeared to be anxious to do something to forward that service. That interest of the Government still continued and still would continue to exist He

hoped the time would come when the Government would effect something. In 1872, there was another memorial forwarded to the Government, the names appended to which were, unfortunately, not kept, but they had a copy of the memorial which he would read. It was dated 24th April, 1872 :

A memorial of the Representatives of the Dominion of Canada humbly urging that the people of those Provinces, fully alive to the necessity of more direct and efficient mail communication between the Dominion and the West Indies, desire to press the consideration of this important service upon the attention of the Government that in carrying forward Railway enterprises to benefit the distant Provinces of the West, it was highly desirable to foster the Eastern interests, which would make the Dominion one of the first maritime powers in the world.

"That the Governments of the different West India Islands offered the Commissioners