Hon. Mr. CARTWRIGHT said some 636 armories would have to be built if that suggestion were adopted.

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL thought the Minister of Militia had not treated the hon. member for Terrebonne fairly in not stating specifically whether the Government intended to adopt the recommendation of their responsible

officer or not.

Mr. BROWN did not see how the present system could be improved upon without a large increase in the expenditure. The captain of a company was held responsible for the arms. He received $40 or $50 for looking after them, and this money was paid to some trustworthy man to discharge the duty.

Mr. WRIGHT (Pontiac) enquired what had been the result of negotiations between the Minister of Militia and Defence and the corporation of the city of Ottawa, respecting the present armories, which were quite inadequate for the purpose?

Hon. Mr. VAIL replied that nothing definite had as yet been done. The matter was certainly important in the interests of the city, and he could not but say that the armory and drill shed were in a disgraceful condition.

Mr. FLESHER thought that it was neither expedient nor necessary to establish new armories at every point; but he fancied that the arms in those which now existed could be better preserved by securing greater isolation from the damp, at slight expense.

Mr. BOWELL thought that it would be more satisfactory to the House and country if something like an answer were given to the question of his hon. friend from Terrebonne. The suggestions in question were not new; they were made last year with reference to the care of arms, and the appointment of sergeant-majors or permanent adjutants, in the different districts, to look particularly after Government property. The hon. gentleman stated that he had the matter under consideration; one year had passed, and he supposed that another year must be allowed. The Major-General reported that a large portion of the arms were unfit for

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL-We ought to have a more explicit answer.

Hon. Mr. CARTWRIGHT—The hon. gentleman has stated that he has taken the matter into consideration.

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL-I do not think that this is an answer which a free Parliament should be satisfied with. The hon. gentleman should say whether he intends to carry out the recommendations of a responsible officer or not. The hon. gentleman has no right to make the reply he has given.

Hon. Mr. VAIL-I am afraid that no answer which I can give will be satisfactory to the hon. gentleman. It is not the time to appoint a permanent salaried officer when we are reducing the expenditure in connection with this item. This is a very good reason for not doing so at present; another is, that $40 is allowed per company, which is paid on certificate of the Brigadier-Major, who is responsible for

the arms.

The matter will be looked into and the suggestions in question will be taken into consideration.

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL-I quite approve of the explanation as far as it has gone. I do not think that it is desirable to add additional officers to the staff of the militia, and I believe that if a good many of them were discharged it would meet with the approval of the country. I understand that the hon. gentleman does not intend to accept the suggestions of his of his responsible officer. I hope, however, that whatever he may do, he will not increase the expenditure with relation to the militia service, or add to its charges on the revenue of the country.

Mr. MASSON said the reply of the Minister of Militia was almost an attack upon himself, that he had recommended a course that would create a great deal of extra expenditure on the Militia force. He had had some experience in Militia affairs, and had to see that the officers under him took care of their arms. If the hon. gentleman thought this was not a proper time to take care of these arms he would tell him it would be far better to withdraw them from the force, and store them in the Government armories. The arms could not be properly taken care of without the expenditure of money, and he feared if the course he had suggested were not adopted the

House would see next session the arms

would be reported as being in bad

order.

Mr. WRIGHT (Pontiac) said the Captain of each particular Company should be held responsible for the good condition and state of the arms in his charge.

Mr. BOWELL said he fully concurred with the Hon. Minister of

Militia that this was not the time to

add permanent officers to the staff. He thought it was already too large and expensive for the work which they had to perform. He had understood the Hon. Minister of Finance to state a few minutes ago that there were 636 armories through the country to be looked after, to each of which he proposed to give $40 towards looking after and taking care of the arms. That amounted to $26,440. Two or three well skilled armory sergeants could perform the duty more satisfactorily and keep the arms in better condition for a very much smaller sum of money, and then more could be saved by dropping out a portion of the

staff.

Mr. KIRKPATRICK said the House should have some statement from the

The

Mr. WRIGHT (Pontiac) enquired if there was any of that amount for the Wimbledon team.

Hon. Mr. CARTWRIGHT said provision was made for the different Rifle Associations of the Provinces in a general way amounting to some $18,000 or $20,000, but he did not think a vote for that special object had ever been taken specifically.

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL asked for an approximate statement of the cost of Major General Smythe's trip across the Rocky Mountains.

Hon. Mr. CARTWRIGHT said it was distributed over two or three Departments, the Mounted Police, Militia, &c., but he would be able to get the statement before concurrence was taken. He was of opinion that it would not exceed $7,000.

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL said he had

heard the expenses of the Major-General and staff across the continent amounted to between $30,000 and $40,000. He hoped it was not true.

Hon. Mr. CARTWRIGHT thought this was a great exaggeration.

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL would be glad to hear so, and hoped a detailed account of the cost of the expedition would be submitted to the House.

Hon. Mr. CARTWRIGHT promised, if possible, to bring down the items on

before the next examination.

Hon. Mr. TUPPER said it was

With

evident the conditions of admission were too rigid, and it was a question whether they should not be modified in some respects. The very fact that only twelve persons had applied for admission to the institution, indicated that the difficulties to be encountered were too great.

Mr. KIRKPATRICK said it was now too late to consider whether or not it was expedient to establish the Military College. Both parties in this House were committed to it and had voted for the Bill establishing it. It could not be denied, but that there was an impression that it was in advance of the times. He, however, believed that it had every prospect of success. The professors had been well chosen, and were were well qualified for their positions. The only rock of danger ahead was the want of students, and that must be avoided by holding out greater inducements to young men to enter the College. What was offered by the present regulations to the best student after finishing his course of instruction was a sword, to the next best to antedate his commission in the Militia one year. This was altogether inadequate. Parents would not send their sons to

spend four of the best years of their life—from 16 to 20-in a college where they were not specially trained for any profession or occupation that would enable them to earn their fortunes in this country. The Government should offer them some inducements. The staff should be selected from the first students of the college, and the scientific men required on the great public works likely to go on for years to come should receive their

education there. He offered these suggestions with a desire to aid the college, and he hoped they would be considered by the Government.

Mr. WRIGHT (Pontiac) said the Government had removed the highest prize in the service-the position of Major-General — from the reach of Canadians. He had no fault to find with the gentleman who now filled the position, but what he did object to was,

Hon. Mr. LANGEVIN stated that the Minister of Militia and Defence would see at once that the regulations were framed without any regard what ever to the interests of the French population, and in such a way as to lead to the supposition that the race did not exist in the country. He did not say that this was intentional, but it was the result. Successful candidates were obliged to be able to write English correctly and in a legible hand; if French replaced English he wondered how many English-speaking young men could pass this test; probably not one out of a hundred. Then they should be capable of writing an essay, exercise, or letter in English; this was not fair to French-speaking youths. He did not like to speak of these distinctions of nationality, he never did; but both populations were on an equal footing, and this college was intended to supply training for our young men generally. These regulations would, in fact, exclude French Canadians from the college.

He asked whether out of

the six or eight candidates who had presented themselves there was one a member of this nationality. French and German, under clause 13, were to be considered as alternative subjects, and proficiency in either was sufficient; and if this was so arranged as to permit the writing of translations and essays in French, a knowledge of English or German otherwise being optional, it would be satisfactory. The officers who commanded the French Canadian militia should speak their language; and they all knew that effective service could not be expected if the men had no confidence in or sympathy with those who commanded them. He hoped that the regulations would be changed to meet these suggestions; they were also too stringent-more so

Mr. IRVING had understood the Minister of Militia and Defence to concede the propriety of the remarks of the hon. member for Charlevoix. Nothing would be more gratifying to the English-speaking population of the Dominion at large than to hear that their fellow-subjects of Quebec could enter the College at no disadvantage whatever compared with themselves. He did not think that the standard of examination should be lowered; it should equal those required of boys who sought to pass from the High Schools of the Provinces generally into the Universities. He wished to draw the attention of the hon. and, he would add, accomplished member for Charlevoix to the fact, that the student who stood highest on the list, and who had outstripped his competitors almost in the proportion of 24 to 1, was a young gentleman from the Province of Quebec, educated in the City of Quebec.

Hon. Mr. VAIL replied that he would take a note of the suggestions made and would consider the subject more fully, if that were in his power. The examinations, when they next took place, would be less rigorous; but they desired to keep them at as high a standard as possible. The hon. member for Frontenac wished them to make promises and offer inducements to these students, but it was to be remembered in this relation that we did not have a standing army. The object was to give as good an education as could be obtained in ordinary colleges at five times the expense and he was sure that the institution would be a great advantage to the country. It would besides be dangerous to make promises, which a future Government, if there was a change, might refuse to

honour.

Hon. Mr. TUPPER remarked that the hon. member for Frontenac had brought forward a very important question. It was not to be forgotten that we were attempting to establish something like another West Point in Canada, and the and the latter had been extremely successful, not alone because. it furnished students with a first-class education, but also because they had an

secure situations. We, however, had no standing army, and he hoped that it would be very long before this would become necessary. The College, to be a success, must attract young men of character and standing, and of talent. For many years to come this country would have extensive public works in progress, and the preference might be given by the Government in bestowing employment to engineers who had passed through this institution; while a similar system might be adopted in connection with the Civil Service. There was an additional reason—the ulterior object of the administration should be, to put it in their power when

any emergency arose, to lay hands on trained and skilled officers for the defence of the country.

If these young men after being educated in this Military College had remain in the country, they might be attracted over to the neighboring republic, and their skill would not only be lost to the Dominion Government, but in certain contingencies it might be turned against us. Measures should be taken to keep these young men in the public service, so that their services might at any moment be available to the country.

no inducements held out to them to

The item passed and the Committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again.

VETERANS OF 1812-14.

meet the probable amount required On concurrence, on item $50,000 to for pensions to veterans of the war of 1812,

Mr. MASSON said some of the veterans were not paid last year because the vote was exhausted; he wished to know if the vote of this year provided for the payment of such arrears, or if in the meantime a veteran who was unpaid had died, could his family

receive the amount.

Hon. Mr. VAIL said it would be impossible to make a payment under the circumstances, as the man might leave a wife and children, and it could not be decided who was entitled to receive the money. In the first place