Mr. NORRIS moved an Address to His Excellency the Governor General for all correspondence between the Government of Canada and the United States, in reference to the regulations imposed compelling foreign vessels to call and report at Duncan City, in the Straits of Mackinaw, before being allowed to enter Lake Michigan; also in reference to the payment of tonnage dues on all foreign vessels in American | ports.-Carried.

PACIFIC RAILWAY CONTRACT NO. 15.

Mr. HIGINBOTHAM moved for an Order of the House for copies of all tenders for the construction of contract No. 15 Canadian Pacific Railway; also all correspondence with reference thereto, together with copies of instructions, if any, issued by the Department of Public Works to the Engineer in charge having reference to said contract.--Carried.

SECTION EIGHT,-INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY.

Mr. FISET moved for an Order of the House for copies of all correspondence between the workmen on section 8 of the Intercolonial Railway and the Government, in relation to the nonpayment of their wages for work done under the direction of John O'Donnell, agent of Duncan McDonald, contractor for the said section; copies of their sworn accounts transmitted to the Department of Public Works by divers persons; also copies of all correspondence which may have passed between the Government and the Superintendent of Dominion Railways for the Government, between the Government and the parties interested. -Carried.

THE CHARGES AGAINST JUDGE

LORANGER.

On the order being called for the motion for a Committee to enquire into the charges alleged in the petitions respecting Judge Loranger,

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Mr. BECHARD said he would not,. at this late period of the Session, proceed with a motion involving so important an investigation; but he gave the House an assurance that the subject would be brought up next Session.

THE RAILWAY STATION AT BIC PARISH.

Mr. FISET moved for an Order of the House for the correspondence between the Government or the Intercolonial Railway Commissioners, and the interested parties of the Parish of Bic, with reference to the change of the site of the Railway station at the said place; also for the correspondence between the interested parties of the parish of St. Octave de Métis, and neighbouring parishes, and the Government asking that the station of St. Octave be placed in a more convenient situation.-Carried.

THE ALASKA BOUNDARY LINE.

Mr. ROSCOE moved an Address to His Excellency the Governor General, for copies of all correspondence between this Government and the Government of the United States regarding the settlement of the boundary line. between Alaska and British Columbia.

Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said the correspondence was of a semi-private nature, and he was not sure whether it could be brought down.

The motion was carried.

THE DISTRESS AMONG THE FISHERMEN

Mr. CIMON moved for an Order of the House for all correspondence with the Department of Marine and Fisheries, in the course of last autumn, in the matter of the distress among the fishermen of the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, and the replies of the Department to such correspondence. -Carried.

GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AT SOREL.

Mr. BARTHE moved for an Order of the House for copies of all correspondence of whatsoever nature, telegrams, &c., between the Government and the Reverend M. Dupré, priest, Curé of Sorel, President of the Board of the Directors of the Classical and Commercial College, Sorel, Robert Sewell, S. Hayden, Esquire, Provincial

Land Surveyor, and any other person; of any report by the said Hayden or any other person, respecting offer to purchase a piece of land belonging to the Government, situated in the town of Sorel, by the Corporation of the said College of Sorel, together with copies of all communications from any person whomsoever, of whatsoever nature, in relation to this matter, between Colonel Coffin, an employé of the Government, or any other employé of the Government and any other person whomsoever, residing in the town of Sorel or elsewhere, in relation to the said offer to purchase the said piece of land. Carried.

DREDGING AT LAKE ST. CLAIR.

Mr. STEPHENSON moved for an Order of the House for a return of all expenditure in detail incurred in dredging a channel at the entrance of the Chenal Ecarté, into Lake St. Clair; also, the dredging at Johnson's Bend, as well as in the River Sydenham, together with the Engineer's Reports connected therewith.-Carried.

THE POSTMASTER AT GLENCOE.

Mr. ROSS (Middlesex) moved for an Order of the House for copies of all the evidence taken by the Post Office Inspector in regard to charges brought against the Postmaster at Glencoe, together with all reports made to the Post Office Department in connection therewith.-Carried.

COUNTY OF LOTBINIERE.

The third reading of the Bill entitled an Act to detach a certain portion of the County of Lotbinière and to annex it to the County of Beauce, being moved,

Hon. Mr. LANGEVIN moved that it be not read the third time, but that it be referred back to the Committee

of the whole House to be amended as follows:

"Whereas the parish of St. Sévérin, in the county and district of Beauce, including therein a portion of the seigniory of Beaurivage, in the county of Lotbinière, has lately been constituted, and whereas the said parish of St. Sévérin forms a separate and distinct municipality, and it is expedient to detach the said portion of the seigniory of Beaurivage from the county or electoral district of Lotbinière and to attach it to the county or

electoral district of Beauce, for the purposes. of representation in the House of Commons; and consent of the Senate and House of Therefore Her Majesty, by and with the advice Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:-

From and after the coming into force of this Act, that portion of the municipality of the parish of St. Sévérin, now forming part hereinafter mentioned, shall be detached of the County of Lotbinière for the purposes from the said county of Lotbinière, and shall be annexed to the county of Beauce for the purposes of representation in the House of Commons.”

Mr. JONES (Leeds) explained that he had opposed the second reading of the Bill, on the ground that Bills of this nature should not be brought in by private members, for if hon. gentlemen began changing their constituencies, to suit their own convenience, he did not know where this would end. It had been said that there was a precedent for it in the proceedings of the Parliament of 1873; but the precedent was bad; and he had objected to the measure because he had frequently heard rumours about the House, to the effect that alterations were to be proposed with regard to electoral districts in Ontario. Constituencies in Quebec were, however, to a certain extent different from those in the sister Province; and under present circumstances he withdrew his opposition.

The amendment being carried, the House went into Committee of the Whole. The Bill was reported with the amendment, which being read the first and second time, and concurred in, the Bill was read the third time, and passed.

CONCURRENCE.

Hon. Mr. CARTWRIGHT moved concurrence in the reports of Committee of Supply.

THE WELLAND CANAL.

$2,000,000 for the work of construction On item No. 87, appropriating on the Welland Canal,

Mr. McCALLUM said he was of opinion that it would be much cheaper to raise the masonry of the locks during construction, so as to prepare for a fourteen feet draught, instead of a twelve feet draught. He wished to know whether it was the intention of the Government to do this, as it could be done much cheaper now than after

wards; and, also, if they intended to build a new aqueduct across the Welland River or deepen the existing one. He asked whether the Government intended to deepen and complete the feeder, as formerly intended. It was totally useless as it was, and unless about $100,000 more was spent upon it the money which had already been expended would be lost to the country. He also wished to get information in regard to the rock excavations—if they would be able to complete this work within a reasonable time, and at a reasonable expense-and wanted to know why the work was not let before.

Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said he did not think the Government intended to deepen the feeder. They expected to get the rock excavations at Port Colborne executed as soon as possible. It was intended to deepen the aqueduct so that it would allow 14 feet of water ultimately, and this work would be placed under contract as soon as the engineer could get his plans ready. It was not the intention of the Government to construct any of the works for 14 feet that could as well be done afterwards. In places where it was necessary to do any sinking to attain the depth of 14 feet the excavation would be done.

Mr. McCALLUM contended that the rock cutting was a work that ought to have been let because it would take a long time to complete it, and it was questionable whether the work could be done at anything like reasonable expense. Mr. Page in his report on this subject said as to the aqueduct, it was questionable whether they could obtain a depth of 12 feet without injuring the present structure, and he thought it would be better to build a new aqueduct at once than to make these alterations at an expenditure which would be thrown away. thrown away. Now, in Now, in regard to the feeder, the action of the Government had been the means of squandering $150,000 or $200,000 of the people's money. Mr. Page said on this point :

"During seasons of very low water there are, however, occasionally for short periods, less than 12 feet of water on the present locksills at Port Colborne. It is therefore proposed when increasing the length of that

structure, or building another one, to lower the sills say 12 inches.

"The contemplated depth of the aqueduct can be obtained by cutting down the crown of the arches from ten to twelve inches for a space of about 20 feet in the centre of the channel through it.

"This can be done without injuring the wrought iron are let into the stone, extended stability of the structure, if strong bands of

down into the haunches of the respective

arches, and throughout well fastened to the masonry.

"The space above mentioned might then

be covered between the abutments with heavy plate iron, well fastened to bands and bearers and otherwise secured so as to prevent displacement from any cause whatever.

"By adopting this course the present aqueduct can be made available for the passage of vessels of the full draft of the enlarged canal, and in this way one of the chief diffi culties in carrying out the enlargement at this important point would be obviated at a very moderate outlay.

"Means must, however, be provided for supplying a large volume of water for canal service than could pass through the aqueduct.

And again Mr. Page says :

"It is, however, important that the feeder should be thoroughly cleaned out, the bottom lowered about two feet, and some additional passing places made.

"By doing this, it is believed that a much greater volume of water could be drawn from the Grand River at its low stages, even in dry seasons, and in this seasons, and in this way the difficulties hitherto arising from short supply would doubtless in a great degree be obviated. In case of a wet season occurring during the enlargement of the main line, the deepening of the feeder would admit of the trade passing temporarily by that route, as was done when the construction of the present canal was in progress.

"By adopting this course, it is probable that the work connected with the rock cutting below Port Colborne, instead of being confined to the winter months of several years, might be carried on at least one year continuously, and would greatly facilitate the operations and enable the pressing demand of the trade to be met at the earliest possible period.

"From this lock to Stone Bridge, and be low the latter place, there are rock cuttings, in the aggregate fully 1 miles in length, and 58 feet in width, the bottoms of which are from 1 to 1 feet higher than the present mitre sill of the lock. To deepen this will be a work of great difficulty, and will require several winters for its performance, as the cuts are so situated that water pours in in every direction from fissures in the rock, and no drainage from them can be formed within the limits of anything like a reasonable expense. It will therefore be necessary to divide the work into short sections by means of coffer-dams, and have powerful steam pumps at each end of a section so as to unwater it. In

fact, it may fairly be assumed that the indis pensable unwatering of the work will cost fully as much as the actual cost of removing the rock."

The Hon. Minister of Public Works had told the House last year, in answer to a question by the hon. member for Toronto, that this work was to be finished by 1876, and yet they had the statement of the engineer that it would take several years to finish works that had not at the present been commenced. It was doubtful to his mind whether they would be able to excavate the rock or not, but he thought they should go to work at once deepening the feeder as was recommended in the engineer's report. $100,000 more expended on the feeder would be well expended. He was of opinion that it would be years before the carrying trade of the country would be able to take advantage of the benefits accruing to commerce by the enlargement-and the present Government is very much to blame in this matter.

Mr. NORRIS was satisfied that the Welland Canal would in future have to be deepened to the extent of 14 feet, and he would suggest that while they were building the banks of the canal they should build them so as to allow a depth of 14 feet, as they could not be SO well raised afterwards as at the present time. If they did not do this, a large sum would be lost in casting aside the lock gates. He hoped this would be taken into consideration. As to the water in the feeder, he agreed that the money that had been expended there had been thrown away, but the hon. member for Monck forgot to tell the House, when he was speaking on the subject, that a large portion of that work was done before the present Government came into power at all. He had no confidence in the scheme when it was proposed by the late Government, and it had turned out as he had anticipated. Mr. McCALLUM did not wish to deny that the work was commenced by the late Government, and that undertaking was creditable to them, but it was commenced at the recommendation of their own engineer, and he supported the Government in their Canal policy long before the hon.

member for Lincoln had a seat in tais House.

The item was concurred in.

On

THE PARLIAMENT GROUNDS.

item No. 66, appropriating $331,000 for the Public, Buildings at Ottawa,

Hon. Mr. MITCHELL asked what course the Government intended to pursue in regard to the embellishment of the grounds in front of this building.

Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said that immediately in front of the terrace wall would be simply grass. Some trees would be placed in the open angles between the departmental buildings and the central building. Around the building gardens would be laid out, but it was deemed advisable to have an unbroken lawn in front.

The item was concurred in.

MILITIA.

On item No. 12 appropriating $20,000 for drill pay and other incidental expenses connected with the drill and training of the Militia,

Hon. Mr. VAIL explained in regard to the cloth that had been selected for the uniforms that some of it had not given satisfaction.

Mr. MACDONALD (Toronto)-Is that the grey cloth manufactured at Cobourg?

Hon. Mr. VAIL replied that it was not. The cloth he referred to was the scarlet and green which had been manufactured at Cornwall and Ottawa. So far as he could learn, the grey cloth manufactured at Cobourg had turned out satisfactorily, but it had been found that the red cloth could not be dyed nearly so well in Canada or the United States as in England.

Mr. MACDONALD (Toronto) submitted that if an inferior article was manufactured in Canada, the defect must be in the dye. It would be only fair to our manufacturers to afford them an opportunity for seeing whether they could produce good scarlet cloth

or not.

In reply to Mr. Bowell,

Hon. Mr. VAIL stated that every yard of the cloth had been inspected by Mr. Fingland, a merchant of Ottawa,