Broad 195 Length in Miles.... ing. Earnings since opening... Net earnings since Net loss since open 128,671,000 1,019,000 25,581,000 opening.. 26,192,000 Net loss other broad gauge roads. 610,000 Earnings, year end ing, June 30, 1877 24,343,000 Expenses year end 20,008,000 4,325,000 ing June 30, 1877. Net earnings, year ending June 30, 1877. Net loss year ending Narrow cisco. The gold, silver and lead crop Gauge west of the Rocky Mountains, for last year, amounted to $75,919,013; total exports of flour to China, Japan, New Zealand, England, and countries in and around Pacific Ocean, 435,000 barrels, value $2,567,495. Total wheat exported, 127 vessels carrying 4,929,690 centals, valued at $11,017,353; total wool clip 60,612,000 lbs; wool exported 52,584,902 lbs.; total goods 132,000 manufactured in the State, estimated value $50,000,000. The population of San Francisco was 300,000, it having increased since 1870 from 150,000. This was an increase at the rate of 100 per cent. during the seven years, and should she continue to increase her population in the same ratio she would have in 1891 at least one million people. Her assessed property last year was $300,000,000, 83,000 but in reality it was worth about $500,000,000. She had 188 steamers and and steamships in the 24,432,000 1,497,000 China, Australia, Panama, and coast trade. Now it was not generally known, at all events it had not been alluded to in connection with this railway, that California had but a small number of square miles of territory in comparison with British Columbia. 463 647,000 60 The whole of the American States 102,606, and Washington 71,300 square ( a mad or insane agreement that was made by the late Administration with British Columbia." It had always appeared to him, whilst occupying a seat on the floor of this House, that the true Great West of Canada was unknown apparently to Ministers of the Crown as well as to the members of Parliament and the country. That Great West must find its chief port in British Columbia. Let any one take up a map and look at the country between the head of Lake Superior, Fort | William, and the west shores of Vancouver Island, and they would discover that all the country west of the 110th meridian must of necessity do its business at a port on the Pacific Ocean. If any one would take the trouble to examine the country from the 49th parallel, extending to the north of the 60th parallel, and from the eastern boundary of British Columbia | to the 110th meridian, he would find a large tract of country that was capable of settlement, a country rich in minerals as well as pastoral and agricultural land. That tract of country measured 257,000 square miles, and, if added to the total area of British Columbia, would make a territory of 587,000 square miles that must do its trade from the Pacific Ocean. And if they followed down the 110th meridian until it intersected the international boundary and stretched away to Mexican territory, and took in all the States he had mentioned, they would find that it cut through a portion of Montana, leaving Idaho and Washington territory on the west, through the eastern line of Utah, and stretched down the eastern boundary of Arizona. They might, therefore, expect that our civilization and their civilization would be built up from that meridian westward. He would take another point. If they started at Fort Chippewyan, Lake Athabasca in 59° north, which was near the 110th meridian—if they measured the country east and west from these points, they would easily perceive how true it was that a port in British Columbia must do the trade of that great country. If they stretched a line from Fort Chippewyan to the head of Bute Inlet, by the Peace River Valley and Pine River Pass, following the Pacific Railway projected line 250 miles, from Stewart River to the sea, they had a distance of 958 miles from where the 110th meridian intersects Lake Athabasca; and if they took another line, from Fort Chippewyan to Fort William, on Lake Superior, including the projected line from Battleford to Fort William (961 miles) they had 1,411 miles. Now, was it to be supposed that wheat would be carried from Port Chippewyan to Fort William on Lake Superior, 400 miles further than to Bute Inlet, to find water communication to the ocean, when it could be moved 1,000 miles by rail to a port in British Columbia, and save the cost of 400 miles of land transportation, besides lake and river transportation to Mortreal? Ho need not adduce evidence to show the fertility and resources of the true Great West, further than to draw attention to a recent lecture by Mr. Macoun, botanist, who was sent out by this Government to explore that country. That gentleman said: "As to the capability of the country for producing grain, the barley and wheat raised at 59° north latitude took the bronze medal at the Centennial, and the size and quality of all vegetable products was astonishing; all the weeds which in Ontario are small and stunted, are there, in the North-West, in some cases as high as a man's head.' This extract showed that this country north of 60° parallel, the northern boundary of British Columbia, and 958 miles north-east of Bute Inlet, was a good country for growing all kinds of cereals. cereals. Before he sat down he might call the attention of the Minister of the Interior to a matter which he (Mr. DeCosmos) had before taken occasion to refer to in that gentleman's presence in private. He (Mr. DeCosmos) thought that the portion of this great country east of the Rocky Mountains, along the watershed of these mountains, along the eastern boundary of British Columbia and to the 100th parallel ought to be explored, and explored thoroughly, so that at the next meeting of Parliament they might determine what that country was worth for minerals and for pastoral and agricultural purposes. Having given the House the benefit of these facts, and shown hon. members. .{ the necessity of some 300,000 square miles east of the boundary of British Columbia being supplied with some port on the Pacific coast within our own territory, he took it that this Government would make a very great mistake indeed if, for the paltry consideration of a few millions of dollars to-day, it should select the wrong route. If the route by Bute Inlet cost a few millions of dollars more than any other route, that would be a mere nothing in comparison with the advantage that we would derive as a commercial people from selecting the best sea-port which we possessed on that coast. MR. MACKENZIE said he presumed that some mistake had been made in the wording of the last line of the motion in which the word bridges was introduced. MR. DECOSMOS said the motion was intended to include any estimate that had been made with respect to bridges as well as anything else, and the words "including bridges" ought to be in parenthesis. MR. MACKENZIE said there was no objection at all to the motion. He was not aware of the existence of any report of this kind except a hurried report of Mr. Marcus Smith respecting bridges that was not already before the House; but, if there were any, they would of course be brought down. Motion agreed to. ALLOTMENT OF MINORS' LANDS IN MANITOBA. MOTION FOR RETURN. MR. SCHULTZ moved for a return of all parishes in the Province of Manitoba for which the minors' land are unallotted; all correspondence between the Dominion Government and the Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba in reference to the same. He said he had moved this motion thus early in the Session that he might have an opportunity of placing before the Government some of the grievances of which a portion of his people complained, with a view to their being considered and, if possible, redressed. He had often had occasion to bring the matter up before, and trusted now that this was the last time that it would be requisite. Long as was the interval between the passing of the Manitoba Act and the present time, a portion only of the lands granted by that Act had been given to those who were entitled to receive them. and The delay had caused was still causing the greatest possible damage and loss, and the recipients of the land last allotted, that of the parish of St. Andrew's found when they knew where their lands were situated that they either had been or were in process of being denuded of the timber which alone made them valuable. Again, in the case of the parish in question, the largest in Manitoba, a very great grievance existed in the fact that the allotment which had been made did not cover the lands which were chosen by the parish at the invitation of the Dominion Government through Lieut.Governor Archibald, and consequent upon this fact many people had received their allotment in bogs and swamps where they were utterly useless, and where it was distinctly understood and agreed that no land should be given. He (Mr. Schultz) had drawn attention to this fact early in the Session that the hon. the Minister of the Interior might have an opportunity of carrying out in good faith the promises of the Government to this parish especially, and he would respectfully urge that the Domiuion land agent at Winnipeg be at once instructed to ascertain the number and holders of such claims, and that immediate steps be taken for the drawing of good land out of the unallotted portion of the St. Andrew's Block or rather the block which should have belonged to St. Andrew's, in lieu of the useless lands of which they were at present the recipients. Indirectly connected, too, with this matter was the grievance caused by the state in which the contractors had left the portion of the Pembina branch of the Canadian Pacific Railway between St. Boniface and Selkirk. Although called for in their contract, scarcely a decent crossing has been laid between these two points and the inconvenience, loss, and damage caused to the river settlers, who constantly had occasion to cross the line, was very great indeed. In addition to this nuisance, their hay had been stolen, wasted and destroyed; their wood cut for rails almost within sight of their houses, and any attempt at redress rudely repelled by those engaged on the works. Under the circumstances, he thought that not one penny more should be paid the contractors till their private wrongs had been redressed and until the road itself was put in a condition to be a benefit instead of the nuisance it was at present. Touching the questions of loads to the rear, it was a very general feeling expressed in all parts of his constituency that the Government should lend their aid, and on all sides the proposition was made to be allowed to pay the Relief Wheat accounts into a fund which should be expended for local improvements, and that the full sum should not be exacted when grain was at its present depreciated price, but that bushel for bushel or something near it should be accepted. In matters concerning the river belt, patents were issuing but slowly, and the regulation which necessitated a separate application for the hay privilege was felt to be a burthen in its increased expense and the trouble necessary to be taken. Again, now that the necessity for running side lines has been felt, it seemed that some modification of the existing law regarding surveyors was necessary and desirable. He trusted that the Government would give these matters their attention, as they were of vital interest to many, and that, in addition, they would see that every power was given to the natural guardians of allotted minors' land to protect these lands from spoliation during the minority of their recipients. MR. MILLS said that no allotments had been made since those that were mentioned in his annual report were concluded, and all the information that they could give in reply to this motion was contained in that report. He expected, when the House rose last April, that these allotments would have all taken place before the present date; and they had done everything they could do to hurry on the work; but, as the late Lieutenant-Governor could only give a portion of his time anl attention to this work, they were obliged to avail themselves of his leisure in making these allotments. Up to the time of the retirement of Mr. Morris from the office of LieutenantGovernor, this work was not completed, and, when Governor Cauchon was appointed, he (Mr. Cauchon) was instructed to proceed with all possible speed with the allotment of these Halfbreed reserves. Mr. Cauchon had, however, been written to by certain persons who protested #gainst it proceeding on the report made to the Government, by parties appointed for that purpose. He (Mr. Cauchon) was also insormed that there were a number of persons who had rights in this connection, and who had actually settled upon portions of these reserves, and before these reserves had been made, whose rights had been overlooked. They had written to Winnipeg for all the papers connected with these lands, which were yet unallotted, with the view of giving directions in the matter. These papers had not as yet been received, and, until they came to hand, no action could be taken; but he trusted that the work of allotting the Half-breed reserves, which had not yet been distributed, would be again begun at a very early date, and that it would be completed before the Session terminated. He thought, however, that at the present moment no further information with reference to these allotments could be given the hon. member; and there was no correspondence of any consequence that could at present be brought down to the House. withdrawn. Motion, with leave of the House, WELLAND CANAL CONTRACTS. MOTION FOR RETURNS MR. LANGEVIN moved for a return showing: 1st, the amounts of the six lowest tenders received in Sep temler or October, 1873, for Sections 2, 3,., 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 of the new Welland Canal, together with names of tenderers; 2nd, the amounts of the six lowest tenderers; 3rd, the names of the ten derers to whom these sections were awarded; 4th, copies of the Orders in Council awarding such Sections; (Mr. Langevin) had not so acted in the House towards the hon. gentleman ; and, as he had acted in this relation in the past, so he would deport himself to the end. He (Mr. Langevin) had always remembered the difficulties attending the position of Minister, and, consequently, he had not attacked the hon. gentleman's motives, or found fault with him, unless there was apparently good cause for doing so. The hon. gentleman had stated at those meetings that he (Mr. Mackenzie) had not done what his predecessors had done-he had not opened the tenders which were sent to the Department. He (Mr. Langevin) would take this opportunity to say to the hon. gentleman that, whenever tenders were called for by his Department he (Mr. Langevin) had never opened a tender unless he had either the Deputy or the Secretary of the Department to open them with him; every tender so opened was endorsed by the officer present, and by himself; the envelope was marked with the date and hour when it was endorsed, and signed by both; each envelope was numbered; a statement was made out with respect to all the tenders, giving the number corresponding to that of the envelope and tender, and this statement was signed by that officer and himself; consequently there could have been no tampering with these tenders afterwards or at that moment unless the hon. gentleman would suppose-which he did not imagine could be the case-that he (Mr. Langevin) or the Minister of the time could have been in any way party to tampering with these tenders, with the officer of the Department. He did not believe that the hon. gentleman would make any such accusation against any of his predecessors. When these tenders were so opened, they were handed over to the Chief Engineer of the Department, Mr. Page, or to the engineer Mr. Page would select for the purpose, to be extended. The hon. gentleman knew very well, though this might not be as well known to the House, how this extension took place. These tenders were based on a schedule of prices, according to which the tenderers stated that they would fulfil the contract in question. The quanti 5th, copy of all correspondence | gentleman must have observed that he relating to such award. He said he did not intend to go into the subject at any great length; but he must say that he had brought for ward this motion in order to show that the hon. the Minister of Public Works, when he stated at meetings held last summer that the late Government had again and again passed over tenders which had been received, and had shown favouritism in giving out contracts to certain contractors who belonged to the Conservative party, was certainly in error; and that the hon. gentleman, when he was so speaking, forgot that one of the first things which he or his Government had done when they acceded to office was exactly that with which the hon. gentleman reproached his opponents; this was the reason why he asked for this return. He (Mr. Langevin) desired to establish, if common report could be relied on-and such report must be and was based on the statements of tenderers in these cases-that such tenders were passed over, though these tenders were much lower than those of the tenderers favoured by the Government; and also that, in all these cases, the former tenderers were treated-he would not say unjustly, for he sincerely hoped that the hon. gentleman, when he brought down these papers, might show that the favoured tenderers had been so selected because, under the circumstances, they should have been chosen-but passed over, though quite able to fulfil these contracts, while their offers were lower than those which had been accepted by the hon. the Minister of Public Works. The hon. gentleman had prided himself on the new contract system adopted by the present Government as better serving the interests of the public than the system which had been in vogue under the late Administration. He regretted that the hon. gentleman had made use of such language, in this respect, as was attributed to himthough the hon. gentleman, perhaps, had not been properly reported or in the heat of the moment he might have employed expressions not so guarded as the hon. gentleman would have made them at another time —and had so attacked his predecessors in office. He was sure that the hon. |