West Territories, or either of them, and of all Orders in Council, despatches and other papers respecting the same. The motion was carried. THE CULLERS' OFFICE. Mr. McDOUGALL (South Renfrew), moved for an Address to His Excellency the Governor General, praying for a Return:-1st, Of the names of persons who have ceased to belong to the Cullers' Office since 1st January, 1875, through death, superannuation or otherwise, distinguishing the cause and employment in each instance, sur: surprising that additions should actually have been made. It was the habit of former Governments, I know, to put a great many persons in the cullers' office, as it was a convenient position for persons who had made themselves useful at elections; but there is no reason why that practice should be continued under the present Government; therefore it was rather prising that any addition should have been made to the staff. At the same time, I am glad that those additions did not go to any great extent; but I think it is the duty of every person in this House to call the attention of the Government to any neglect in this direction so that it shall not be repeated. I trust, Sir, that the Government will give their attention to this subject, which may not appear important to them, or at least to the country generally, but is of vast consequence to the lumber trade, particularly as it was understood that this office shail be self-sustaining. While on this subject, I may express the hope that no persons still capable of doing duty, and who are required in the office, will be superannuated. But before anything is done in the way of providing employment for additional people, I trust that those not actually required and whose services can be dispensed without injustice, will be dismissed. If there is money over and above the expenditures of the office in the hands of the Government, I think--although that is left to the Administration---that the superannuation allowance be paid out of that fund, and no levy made on the lumber trade for it. But if there is no such surplus the trade should, of course, make provision for this allow ance. Mr. WHITE (North Renfrew)This question was brought up in 1874, and a Committee appointed to investigate the working of the culler's office. Those of us engaged in the lumber business felt that a larger number of cullers were employed than was necessary for the requirements of the trade. The object of the Committee was to obtain information from parties connected with the trade as to whether that feeling was general. The evidence taken was conclusively in favour of a reduction, especially in the square timber department. The Supervisor of Cullers himself testified that 20 men were amply sufficient to perform the duties in the square timber department, and all the other evidence pointed in the same direction. As has been observed by my hon. friend from South Renfrew, it was understood that the office should be self-sustaining, and not a charge upon the revenue, and I believe such is the fact. In the several Acts relating to the Culler's Office at Quebec, power is given to raise or lower the tariff of fees so as to make the office selfsustaining, and I may say here that not only has the office been selfsustaining, but a considerable sum has been added to the revenue. Under these circumstances, the lumber trade naturally expected that the recommendation of the Committee would have received some attention at the hands of the Government. We expected that the number of cullers would be reduced as speedily as possible, having a due regard to the rights and privileges of those who held positions in the office. I am sorry to say that the expectation has not been fulfilled. I think some gentlemen have been superannuated and removed from the office, and perhaps one or two have been added to the staff. Those who are connected with the lumber trade feel that an injustice has been done them by the additions that have been made to the office. I trust this motion will pass, so that we may be enabled to see how many cullers have been added since the 1st of January, 1875. I trust, also, that hereafter, notwithstanding the sins of the late Government, no cullers may be added so long as it is shown they are entirely unnecessary. Hon. Mr. BLANCHET-There is a difference between the cullers of timber and the cullers of deal. Does the Address include all the cullers? Mr. McDOUGALL-The point is this-It was felt there were too many cullers in the office. It was also felt that there being no more in the deal department than were required, any vacancies there should be filled from the timber department, where there are too many. Therefore, there was no object in finding out whether the number had been reduced in either department. Mr. CURRIER--From the speech of the hon. member for North Renfrew it would appear that additions have allowed to act as cullers. The best many cullers were appointed. maintain still that is the only thing that can be done to reform the unjust practices of that office. I hope the Government will look into the matter and remedy the evils of which we complain. The Minister who has charge of that Department, I regret to say, is not in the House. He has been ill for a long time, and therefore I hope the members of the Government who have charge of that office will look into this and correct the evils that now | exist. Mr. COOK-This is a question of more importance than some hon. genthis country is second only to the tlemen suppose. The lumber trade of agricultural interest, and should re ceive that consideration which is due the members of the Select Committee it. I had the honour of being one of appointed two years ago. At that time it was understood the number of cullers in the square timber department should be reduced. I am very sorry to see that instead of a reduction there has been an increase. At that time there were 40 cullers, and the interests of the trade demanded a decrease in the number. Although a hint has been thrown out that perhaps the increase may be due to the rewarding of political hacks, I do not believe that the Government of the day would put incompetent men into the office on that account. Still there are men employed who are not fit to perform the duty. It was supposed that some of them would be superannuated from the fund on hand, amounting to about $40,000, which was held not for purposes of revenue but for the benefit of the cullers. I hope it will not be necessary to bring this matter up in the House again, but that the Government will improve this department as they have all others since they came into office. Mr. ROCHESTER--Does this motion include all the cullers ? Mr. McDOUGALL-I am very glad to remove a misapprehension from the hon. gentleman's mind. I did not make use of the words----I merely said that gentlemen who had been useful or assisted in elections had been appointed. Now, I think it would rather be a charge against the Government if they did not put into office men who had supported them if they were other wise qualified. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-I regret I did not notice the motion sooner, or I would have made particular enquiry into the facts. My recollection, however, is this :----The Minister of Inland His Revenue was to proceed to Quebec early in the season in order to have this department reorganized. long and severe illness prevented that consummation from being realized. My impression is, on making some enquiry for some other reason into the operations of this department, that two clerks were put there at some period last season to do some special work--copying specifications, or something of the kind----but I believe no additions were made to the permanent staff of the office. The return, of course, will be brought down as fast as it can be made out, and we will have the precise facts placed before us. It was the intention of the Government, and is now, to economize the labour of the department and reduce the number of officials. The hon. gentleman is quite right in stating there is a small surplus to the credit of the cullers in the hands of the Government. It wag the intention of the House, I believe, that the fees collected should be merely sufficient to cover the expenses of this department. I will attend to the remarks that have been made so far as they convey either information or suggestions. Mr. ROCHESTER-The lumbermen were notified last summer that some change would be made in the tariff for culling deals. I find by the returns that it remains unchanged. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-That return is only up to the 30th of June. Mr. ROCHESTER-That makes the difference. Mr. WHITE (Renfrew)-The lumbermen have no objection to the appointment of a sufficient number of culiers to do the work of the office. What we ask of the Government is this -until the number of cullers in the square timber department is reduced to 20 (and that is a sufficient number to do the work of the office) that no additions be made to fill the place of those who retire either by superannua tion or otherwise. The motion was carried. BRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT. Mr. KIRKPATRICK moved an Address to His Excellency the Governor General for all Orders and Minutes of Council, papers and correspondence with the Imperial Government relating to the introduction and passage through the Imperial Parliament of an Act chaptered 38 Vic., 38 and 39, in tituled "An Act to remove certain "doubts with respect to the Parliament "of Canada under Section 18 of the "British North America Act, 1867.” The motion was carried. ST. PETER'S CANAL. Mr. FLYNN moved an Address to His Excellency the Governor General, for a copy of the report and plan made by Mr. Perley in the summer of 1873, for the enlargement of St. Peter's Canal, with all subsequent reports, Orders in Council, advertisenients, tenders and contracts appertaining to that work. He said:--St. Peter's Canal is a work in which the people of Eastern Nova Scotia feel a deep interest. After many years of agitation, that work was commenced by the Government of Nova Scotia in 1864, the hon. member for Cumberland being then. I believe, Provincial Secretary. A year or two after Confederation it was completed to its present dimensions, but only a very short time elapsed before it was found to be unfit to accommodate the trade of that portion of the Dominion. A glance at the map will show that the canal connects Bras d'Or Lake with the ocean. It is not necessary for me to say anything with regard to the resources of that important Island. Its vast mineral wealth is yet in the infancy of its development. Since 1859 or 1860 we have opened some 18 or 20 coal mines. Up to that period the General Mining Association had the exclusive ight of opening and working our coal ueposits, but by the settlement of that question by the Government of Nova Scotia which gave a great impetus to our mining industries, anybody discovering a coal area had the right to open and work it. The inadequacy of the canal for the trade was brought to the notice of the late Government by the members representing the Island in the winter Session of 1873. That Government sent Mr. Perley to inspect the canal and report upon it, and make the necessary plans and specifications. As regards that gentleman, I may say I think nobody could have been chosen who was more competent to discharge the duty that he was instructed to perform. In 1864, when the Govornment of Nova Scotia was working the canal, he was chosen engineer of the work. He made himself thoroughly acquainted with the question, and the plans and reports submitted by him in the autumn of 1873 were the results of his labours on that occasion. When I came here in 1874, in the discharge of my duty as a representative from that Island, I found it necessary to ask for the report, plans and specifications, and they were laid on the table. I was not then satisfied with the depth of water, because I believed it would not be sufficient for the large vessels that would use that route; but I expressed no dissatisfaction, because I found the Government were then willing to proceed with the work on Mr. Perley's report, and had placed $75,000 in the estimates for that purpose. In that year no tenders were asked for, and no work was done. I felt a little annoyed, and had some communication with a member of the Government. In the Session of 1875 I found tenders had been invited, and the $75,000 was re-voted. I, of course, felt satisfied and said nothing about the delay, believing the work would go on that season. The tenders were to be in before the 10th of May; and after a considerable time had elapsed, seeing that the contract was not awarded, I telegraphed to a member of the Cabinet at Ottawa---the Minister of Militia and Defence. The answer I received was, that more information was required before the work could proceed. Nothing was done; and I heard nothing further of the matter until I saw in the newspapers invitations for tenders under amended plans and specifications. The contract was awarded to Mr. Tuck of St. John, who has been ready since October last and up to the close of the season to proceed with the work; still nothing has been done. been done. Now, this is undoubtedly a serious cause of complaint; moreover the expenditure of the sum of money involved would have been of great assistance to many of the labouring men of that section. We, in common with every other portion of the Dominion, have felt the depression which has paralyzed our industries during the past year, and the expenditure of this money would have been a great benefit. In Nova Scotia, previous to | Confederation, when any public work for which a large sum of money was required was advocated, it was not secured without much difficulty, but as soon as the assent of the Legislature was obtained, the required expenditure was at once maae. Here, however, it appears to be the reverse; no trouble is experienced in getting appropriations, but the difficulty seems to be in getting the appropriations expended. No dissenting voice touching this project was raised either in the Session of 1874 or the Session of 1875; but nevertheless the appropriation has not been expended. My object in making this motion is twofold. In the first place, I wish to enquire of the Government why two years have been allowed to pass, without paying out any of this money which has been voted by Parliament, and in the second place, I desire to know why the plans and specifications submitted by Mr. Perley have been reduced from 50 feet to 36 feet? Then that gentleman reported in accordance with his instructions, he undoubtedly had not only the present but the future in view. He looked to the probable expansion of trade, as he saw that the Island was, perhaps, one of the richest portions of the Dominion in proportion to its size and population; the eastern section of it is one vast mineral bed; and aware of its resources, and knowing how its trade would increase, found it necessary in the interests of the Dominion, and of that portion in particular, to recommend the construction of a canal of suitable size. Our Nova Scotia railway systemwhose progress was arrested at the period of Confederation-for we have not built a mile of local railway since -goes no further than Pictou. The Prince Edward Islaud steamer boats connect with this railway, carryrying passengers and freight to the Strait of Canso; but owing to the insufficiency of this canal they have to be taken by land for a distance of fourteen miles to connect with the waters of Bras d'Or. If this canal was sufficiently enlarged this passage by land would be avoided If Mr. Perley's recommendations were carried out, steamers could pass through to the Strait of Canso and the Lennore passage, using the canal to enter the Bras d'Or, and thence to Sydney. This should he done at all events in the interest of one of the great commercial centres of the Dominion-Montreal. minion-Montreal. Previous to Confederation the Gulf steamers were only few in number, but they have since that period been greatly increased — the number, I believe, is ten or eleven. Hon. Mr. MITCHELL-Eleven regular steamers, and half a dozen others. Mr. FLYNN-The trade between Montreal and Pictou is also rapidly extending at the latter place, where they terminate their voyage, and we have no regular communication between Pictou and the castern portion of the Province, at all events between it and Bras d'Or. This trade might besides be greatly increased if facilities were given to importers from Montreal and Quebec, by the enlargement of the canal. If this be not done, many of the advantages he expected to derive from the enlargement of the canal will be denied us. More than this the P. E. Island steamers, of which I have spoken, have been subsidised for eight or ten years to carry mails, and this is another argument in my opinion to convince the members of this House of the necessity of widening the canal to improve the means of communication with these commercial centres. The action of the Government in this matter, I must say, has greatly surrised me, rised me, as well as every other resident of the Island of Cape Breton. I could Breton. I could not believe that Mr. Perley had altered his plans as being too extravagant, nor can I think that the Minister of Public Works would do so without consulting some one. I feel it my duty, under the circumstances, as one of the representatives of the Island, to protest against that reduction, and in doing so I am sustained by the unanimous public sentiment of the Island on this question. I take still stronger ground, and hold that the Government should have made no material alteration without consulting Parliament. The facts are, that in 1874 I asked for the plans and specifications; they were laid on the Table of this House, and they shewed that the recommendation was for the widening of the canal to the extent of fifty feet. If the Government has the right to materially alter the dimensions of Public |