REPRINTING OF THE STATUTES.

Mr. POZER (in the absence of Mr. Béchard) enquired whether it is the intention of the Government to cause to be printed in French and published in a separate volume, all the Criminal Laws relating to the Dominion; as was done in English last year? Also, whether these two volumes, English and French, will be distributed like the ordinary Statutes?

Hon. Mr. BLAKE said the circumstance which called for the reprinting in English of the Criminal Statutes last year arose out of the admission of British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island after the passing of these laws. Application for the Criminal Statutes had been made by some of these Provinces, and the reprinting was mainly to meet this want. The attention of the Government had not been called to the subject suggested by the hon. member's question.

"1st. That whenever the tolls on any Railway in Canada, now or to be hereafter constructed, and subject to the jurisdiction of Canada as respects the matters hereinafter mentioned, are reduced or raised by by-law in accordance with the provisions of any Act of the Legislature of the late Province of Canada, or of the Parliament of Canada, such reduction or raising of the tolls shall in no case be made to apply to any particular section of the railway, but shall apply pro rata to the entire length thereof.

"2nd. That every railway company shall, according to their respective powers, afford all reasonable facilities to all corporations and individuals for the receiving and forwarding and delivery of traffic upon and from their railway; and no company shall give or con、 tinue any preference or advantage to any particular corporation or individual in any respect whatsoever, nor shall any Railway Company subject any particular corporation or individual to any prejudice or disadvantage in any respect whatever; and any agreement made between any railway company and any corpora tion or individual contrary to the foregoing provisions, shall be unlawful, null and void.

"3rd. That if any railway company, or

any officer, servant or agent of any Railway Company in any way contravenes the provisions of the next preceding sections, such railway company, or such officer, servant or agent, personally, shall, for each such contra

engaged the attention of the Committee on Railways and Telegraphs; and from Session before that Committee, he had statements made by Ministers last

no doubt it had also entered into the con

sideration of the Government when they were preparing their Common Carriers' Bill-a Bill which in his estimation was of very great importance to the people of this country. He very much regretted that the House was not to have an opportunity of passing the measure in question through this Session. He had no doubt some of the resolutions he had put upon the notice paper some time ago found their way into that Bill, although what he conceived to be the principal one did not. The subject had commended itself of late to the earnest consideration of the commercial community, and the Dominion Board of Trade had it brought before them at their late meeting in this city the following resolution:-

"Mr. Farrell, then moved, seconded by Mr. Lukes: 'That, considering the injustice done to the majority of shippers of produce in Canada, a memorial be presented to the Government, asking them to take the subject of preferential railway freights into their consideration.""}

This resolution had been carried, and although he was not aware that it had been pressed upon the attention of the Government by the Board, he had fact of their having passed such a mocome to the conclusion that, the simple tion was enough to impress the Administration with the reasonableness of the proposition. Another very important body, the Millers' Association, at their meeting in Toronto last year, had also arrived at similar conclusions

in regard to the existing state of the carrying trade, and agreed to the fol lowing motion on the subject:

"Whereas some railways of the Dominion being largely subsidized by public funds are in the practice of giving preferential shipments and rates on foreign freight; also, private

preferential rates and shipments on local and through freights to certain individuals of the Dominion, the former being a manifest injustice and flagrant breach of faith towards the peopie of this country by the diversion and use of public moneys for purposes which were never intended or designed-the latter as being unfair toward the majority of producers, manufacturers, and shippers by monopolizing prices, markets, and freights. And, whereas, the aggrieved parties who are daily suffering and being imposed upon are powerless in their individual capacity or influence, to remedy the abuses, that this Association do instantly and earnestly call the attention of the House of Commons and the Government to the palpable injustice to the community at large.”

It appeared, however, that instead of pressing this wise resolution upon the attention of the Government, instead of coming down here and asking for justice with respect to railway rates, they had petitioned Parliament for protection.

There were many grievances against the railways of which the people of this country very justly complained in regard to the carrying trade. Foreign freight was carried at a very much lower rate than Canadian freight, there were local differential rates distinguishing between places in Canada where there was and was not competition, and different individuals even, although residing and doing business in the same town, were accorded different rates. The rolling The rolling stock of the through railways were for the most part employed in carrying foreign produce to the markets of the Eastern States, and it was impossible for the Canadian shippers to get accommodation. These complaints were heard upon every hand, and referred to in strong terms in the public prints. That the produce of the Western States was carried at a very much lower rate over Canadian railways than was Canadian produce would not he presumed be denied, but he would point out a few notable cases. Let us take the article of wheat, an it would be found that that it had been carried over the Grand Trunk from Chicago to Liverpool for less than Canadian railways carried it from

Guelph to Toronto-less, indeed, by one cent and a half per hundred pounds. This was stated, not only on his (Mr. Oliver's) own authority, but upon the authority of Mr. Boulton, a prominent gentleman engaged in the grain trade, whose opinion was thus reported in the newspapers :

"Mr. Boulton said that the railways were continually apologizing for the necessity of their cultivating a through trade, but he did not see how the rates could pay them; if they did, then by the local rates they must be making fortunes. He said that wheat had been carried from Chicago to Liverpool at one and a half cent less than it had been carried from Guelph to Toronto."

It was also stated upon good authority that grain had been carried from Detroit to Portland over the Grand Trunk for $13 per car load less than from Toronto to the same place. Pork had also been carried from Chicago to Ottawa for 25 cents per barrel less than from the city of London to Ottawa. It was stated upon authority which could not be disputed, that the freight per barrel of flour from Chicago to Portland was 69 cents, while from Toronto to Portland it was 70 cents. At a manufacturer's meeting in Toronto recently, it was stated that the invariable practice of the railway companies in this country was to carry all kinds of manufactured goods from the United States to all points in Canada at a less rate than they carried goods manufactured in this country. If any one were inclined to dispute this, they had but to examine the published proceedings of the annual meeting of the Great Western Railway Company in London. It was there stated that there were eight through freight trains from the west to the east and but two local freight trains. The earnings of the through trains were 60 per cent. of the whole, while the earnings of the local trains formed 40 per cent., thus showing that each through train only earned 7 per cent. of the income from freight, while each local train earned 20 per cent. There was no room to doubt that the rolling stock of the Canadian railways was being used to convey foreign freight to our own and foreign markets, to the utter neglect and great disadvantage of our own products. It would be remembered that a

few years ago the City Council of Montreal appointed a Committee to investigate this matter, and a very valuable report was published, in which there appeared a correspondence which had taken place between themselves and the Manager of the Grand Trunk. At that time it was proved that the commercial men of Canada had lost an immense sum of money in consequence of the proportion of our Canadian rolling stock employed in carrying the produce of the Western States to the markets of England and the Eastern States, to the exclusion of Canadian produce. At non-competing points it was ascertained that freight had to wait the convenience of the railway companies, and that the necessary the necessary facilities were afforded only after the Western produce had been carried to market. That was a grievance of which the people of this country had a right to complain. The people were being yearly taxed a great amount on account of these railways. The Grand Trunk The Grand Trunk owed us, principal and interest, some thirty millions, having received a subsidy of $15,000,000,or $15,000 per mile; and we loaned money to the Great Western, cancelling $1,250,000 in the settlement of the debt. Surely when all this was remembered it would be admitted to be a fair and reasonable proposition that these railways should carry the products of this country upon at least the same terms as they offered to foreigners.

to

Another complaint made by millers was that the railways gave preference to wheat as compared to flour in the matter of rates. The milling interest in this country was of great importance. We have about 1,000 mills of different capacities, in which there are perhaps six millions of capital invested, giving employment to some 16,000 or 17,000 hands directly and indirectly. It was stated upon good authority that during the time navigation is closed, the railways did everything in their power to favour the English manufacturer of flour, and that they carried 220 pounds of wheat for 25 cents from Toronto to the seaboard, while for a barrel of flour of the same weight they charged 40 cents. This was a direct bonus to the manufacturers of England

and the Eastern States, and operated injuriously against the millers of this country, without benefitting the producer of wheat a single cent. He took three points on the Great Western Railway as an illustration of the unfair system upon which rates were levied. Barley, per 100 pounds, from Paris to Detroit, 160 miles, costs 16 cents; from Woodstock to Detroit, 140 miles, 19 cents; from London to Detroit, 160 miles, 13 cents; thus showing that there is a preference given to competing points against those which are not. Another instance was quoted by the President of the Millers' Association of a dealer who had a contract to fill a large order for a firm in Boston. He had a quantity of flour at Guelph and another at Rockwood, seven miles to the east. The freight from Guelph to Boston was 50 cents per barrel, and from Rockwood to Boston 78 cents. What this trader did was to ship that portion of his consignment lying at Rockwood to Guelph, re-shipping it from thence to Boston, and thereby realizing a handsome profit.

Dairy producers, in his (Mr. Oliver's) constituency had to ship their cheese, intended for export, to London----a competing point---and thence re-ship it to Liverpool, in order to have the advantage of a reasonable rate.

He might also state that it was found on certain sections of the Great Western Railway, in consequence of the enormous rates for local freight, more profitable to resort to the old system of conveying articles of manufacture from one point to another, and not to make use of the railway at all. As an instance he quoted from a Dundas newspaper the following extract:

Mr. J. P. Bellington, of Dundas, who is extensively engaged in manufacturing grain drills, and who sells largely in Waterloo and Wellington counties, is now shipping his drills to Galt, Preston and Guelph by teams and saving about $1 on each drill; and this, too, over bad roads and with tolls to pay every five miles."

It was unnecessary for him to go over any more instances wherein railways had been unjust to the people of this country. It was universally admitted that such was the case, aud that the injustice was done, not simply to one interest, not sim ly to one locality, not simply to particular indi

viduals, but to the general public. He would make one honourable exception. He found the Canada Southern, built with foreign capital, and controlled by Americans, did more justice to the people of this country than roads which were built with Canadian capital and worked by parties sent out from the old country to manage them.

It was easy to see how one district was placed at disadvantage as compared with another. London, for example was a competing point. Every effort was made to draw traffic to that city. It was an easy matter, when a railway company owned property in any town or city which it was desired to make valuable, to draw traffic to that point at the expense of other places. If one commercial man had the ear of the company, too, it was quite possible for him to drive all his competitors out of the market. This was more especially the case in the commission business. In this way one or two men were able to control the markets in the towns, and get prices regulated just to suit themselves. Mr. Boulton, of Toronto, in a Toronto, in a recent letter to the press, gave the following

instance:

"Within the last fortnight two brokers were negotiating for the purchase of a lot of flour for shipment to the Maritime Provinces. One of the parties on application to the Grand Trunk agent here, was refused a concession of five cents per barrel which would have enabled him to fill an order for the purchase, and his chance fell through; the other, for some reason best known to themselves, was granted the very same abatement. Surely it is a glaring impropriety that these discriminations should be made in matters of personal competition; but I contend, moreover, that the public, from their peculiar interest as investors in the Grand Trunk stock, have a right to insist that from the highest to the lowest all should be treated alike."

It was stated it was nothing but fair and right that competing points should have the advantage of reduced rates which competition gave them. That might be very well if the railways were private commercial undertakings, but they were the property of the people, and more or less under the control of the legislature of this country. In Oxford County they paid about $12,000 interest yearly on the debt of the Grand Trunk and Great Western Railways, and yet they had

to pay $50,000 a year more for the carrying of their produce than if they were placed at a competing point. So long as these railways were built in the interests of the people, they ought to deal with the public in all sections upon equal terms. It was stated in extenuation of the conduct of the railways that they were bankrupt, or, at any rate, in greatly reduced circumstances. He need scarcely ask He need not from what this arose. inform the House it was not in consequence of carrying the freight of Canada, but of the ruinously low rates at which they carried the freight of other countries. The recent investigations with reference to the Great Western and Intercolonial Railways revealed a sort of management which, if the same were carried out upon all the railways in Canada, it was no wonder they were bankrupt. Why, the Great Western had invested in some of the most extraordinary and unproductive works. When the idea of building the Canada Southern was mooted, the Great Western undertook to prevent it, and, failing in that, built a competing line from Glencoe to Fort Erie, which was quite unnecessary for their work.

The toll by-law was a dead letter, in so far as it was supposed to afford protection to the public interest, for the railway companies just charged what they pleased.

He might be allowed to say that he was not wedded to the resolutions he had placed on the paper. A grievance existed, and he was not particular as to the remedy so long as one was applied. His resolutions were not introduced, as had been stated by some hon. gentlemen, with a desire to bring about à pro rata Bill; they simply provided that if any reduction took place it should be pro rata, and that if there was any increase it should be pro rata. So far as the people were concerned, he believed such an arrangement would remove their grievance. If any hon. members had a more preferable position, or if the Government would state that they would take the matter under serious consideration, he would be perfectly satisfied. In certain sections the people had endeavoured to cure the existing evil themselves by building local railways to compete with the

Trunk lines. But the all their power to bear on the destruction of those projects. Even when the inhabitants of various sections were willing to tax themselves for the construction of lines, with this object the Great Western and Grand Trunk railways tried in every way to defeat that laudable object----even going as far as to destroy the railway credit of the country in the English money market. We were at present, and would be for some time to come, at the mercy of the Trunk roads, and every effort should be used to break up their disastrous monopoly. The Local Government of Quebec had done all they could in this direction, coming down with a bold policy, and declaring they would not have the local lines, which were calculated to benefit the people, destroyed in consequence of the influence of the Grand Trunk road in the English market; and they introduced a scheme by which those lines should be constructed by the Local Government. In Ontario certain lines had remained in abeyance owing to the exertions of the trunk railways, and would probably not be completed until these were willing to withdraw their opposition. There was no other remedy but an appeal to the Federal Government at the present time, and he trusted they would make every effort to assist the people in this very desirable way. It had been stated at Boards of Trade and Miller's Association meetings that the Government have no control over railways, but no railway in this or any other country could be constructed without the permission of the Government; railways could not levy a dollar toll without the consent of the authorities, and were, in fact, completely under their control. The same grievances from which Canadians were now suffering were experienced in England. Previous to 1873, all disputed cases were referred to the courts, which was found a tedious operation, but in that year commissioners were appointed to investigate into every grievance from railways, canals and shippers, and such matters are dealt with promptly at the present time. If our Government would follow the example of Groat

benefitted by the advance. The productions of the Western States are carried in until the markets become glutted, and we have to wait until it suited the convenience of the railways which the people of Canada built to transport our products. This was a state of affairs which should be remedied, and he trusted the House would favorably consider the resolutions he now moved. It being six o'clock, the House took

a recess.

AFTER RECESS.

On the debate on Mr. Oliver's motion being called,

Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said he quite admitted many of the grievances complained of by his hon. friend from North Oxford, and had hoped that they would have had an opportunity to discuss those matters relating to the carriage of goods upon a Bill, which, however, had not passed the ordeal of another place, and would consequently not be brought before them for discussion. He supposed from the remarks of his hon. friend that he also expected to reach a debate upon the introduction of that Bill promised in His Excellency's Speech to Parliament. At present he could only say to him that they had had the matter under consideration, and would have it again under consideration, but he was not able to say precisely what they might be able do in the premises. It was, however, entirely too late in this session to attempt to introduce any measure with the slightest prospect of success, and while he was not prepared to say that the Government would be able to do anything except to direct the attention of the proper officer to the table of rates and charges of the respective railways, he hoped he might ask his hon. friend not to press the motion upon the House at the present