1904-03-16

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEES.

Rt.   H@: Bell,
Bennett,
Bickerdike,
Birkett,
Blain,
Blanchet,
Borden (Sir Frederick) Bourassa,
Boyd,
Brock,
Broder,
Brodeur,
Brown,
Fiuce,
Bruneau,
Bureau,
Calvert,
Calvin,
Campbell,
Carsoallen,
C'asgrain.
Champagne,
Charlton..
Christie,
Clancy,
Clare,
Clarke,
Cochrane,
Copp,
Costigan,
Cowan,
Culbert,
Daniel,
Davis,
Delisle,
Demers (LSvis), Donnelly,
Douglas, [DOT]
Dugas,
Dyment,
Earle,
Emmerson,
Erb,
Ethier,
Fielding,
Fitzpatrick,
Fortier,
Fowler,
Gallery,
Galliher,
Ganong,
Gauvreau,
Geoffrion,
German,
Gervais,
Gibson,
Gilmour,
Girard,
Gould,
Gourley,
Grant,
Guthrie,
Hackett,
Haggart,
Hale,
Harty,
Harwood,
Haszard,
Henderson,
Heyd,
Holmes,
Hughes (King's), Hughes (Victoria) Hyman,
Ingram,
Johnston (Cape Breton), Johnston (Cardwell),
Logan,
Loy,
Macdonald,
Kemp,
Mackie,
MacKinnon,
Maclaren (Huntingdon), ' MacLaren (Perth), Maclean,
Macpherson,
McCarthy,
McColl,
McCool,
McCormick,
McCreary,
McGowan,
MoGugan,
McIntosh,
Mclsaac,
McLennan,
Malouin,
Marcil (Bagot),
Marcil (Bonaventure), Matheson,
Mignault,
Monet,
Monk,
Morin,
Morrison^
Mulock (Sir William), Murray,
Northrup,
Oliver,
Osier,
Parmelee,
Pope,
Porter,
Power,
Prgfontaine,
Pringle,
Proulx,
Puttee,
Reid (Grenville),
Riley,
Rivet,
Robinson (Elgin), Robinson,
(Northumberland), Roche (Halifax),
Roche (Marquette), Rosamond,
Ross (Ontario),
Ross (Rimouski),
Ross (Victoria),
Ross (Yukon),
Rousseau,
Russell,
Schell,
Scott,
Sifton,
Smith (Vancouver), Smith (Wentworth), Sproule,
Stephens,
Stewart,
Sutherland (Essex), . Sutherland (Oxford), Talbot,
Tarte,
Thompson (Haldimand and Monck), Thomson (North Grey), Tisdale,
Tobin,
Tolmie,
Tucker,
Tupper (Sir Charles Hibbert),


Sir WILFRID LAURIER.: Johnston (Lambton), Kaulbach,
Wade,
Kendrey,
Kidd,
Lancaster,
Lang,
Lapointe
Turcot,
Vrooman,
Wallace,
Ward,
Wilmot,
Wilson, and
Wright.-186.
And that the Quorum of the said Committee do consist of twenty-five members.
No. 4-ON MISCELLANEOUS PRIVATE BILLS.
Messieurs
Alcorn,
Avery,
Ball,
Beland,
Bell,
Bennett,
Birkett,
Bourbonnais,
Brock,
Broder,
Brodeur,
Bruneau,
Calvert,
Carscallen,
Casgrain,
Cochrane,
Cowan,
Culbert,
Daniel,
Desjardins,
Douglas,
Dugas,
Dyment,
Earle,
Ethier,
Fitzpatrick,
Galliher,
Gauvreau,
Gibson,
Gilmour,
Girard,
Guthrie,
Hackett,
Harty,
Hughes (King's), Johnston (Cape Breton) Kaulbach,
Kendall,
Kidd,
Lapointe,
LaRiviere,
Lavell,
Lavergne (Drummond and Arthabaska), LeBlanc,
Lemieux,
Logan,
Loy,
Macdonald,
MacKinnon,
Maclean,
McCool,
McCreary,
McGugan,
Marcil (Bagot),
Meigs,
Mignault,
Monet,
Mon};,
Morin, '
Morrison,
Pope,
Power,
Pringle,
Proulx,
Puttee,
Roddick,
Rosamond,
Ross (Victoria), Russell,
Schell,
Stephens,
Stewart,
Sutherland (Essex), Sutherland (Oxford),
,Tobin,
Tolton,
Tucker,
Turgeon, and -Wade.-79.
And that the Quorum of the said Committe* do consist of ten members.
No. 5.-ON STANDING ORDERS. Messieurs
Ball,
Bazinet,
Brown,
Clancy,
Clare,
Copp,
Davis,
Demers (Ldvis), Demers (St. John), Donnelly,
Douglas,
Erb,
Fortier,
Gallery,
Grant,
Guthrie,
Halliday,
Lavergne (Montmagny)' Law,
Lefurgey,
Mackie,
McEwen,
McGugan,
Marcil (Bagot), Matheson,
Morin,
Puttee,
Reid (Restigouche),
Richardson,
Roche (Marquette). Ross (Rimouski), Sherrltt,
Smith (Vancouver), |
Stewart,


Rt.   H@: That the report of the special committee appointed to prepare and report lists of members to compose the Select Standing Committees of this House be concurred in.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

Rt.   H@: 
[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

Rt.   H@: 
[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.
ADDRESS IN ANSWER TO HIS E*' CELLENCY'S SPEECH.
House resumed adjourned debate on proposed motion of Mr. Grant for an a". j dress to His Excellency the Governor Gep® ml, in reply to his speech at the opend* j of the session.
Mr. JOHN  W.@: 
Mr. DANIEL.: 
Mr. CHARLES MARCIL (Bonaventure).: 
Mr. BENNETT.: It was tbe Sunday meetings held by your French speakers that helped to kill you.


Charles Marcil: Tbe Sunday meetings were not only held by Liberals but Conservatives as well.


William Humphrey Bennett: It disgusted the English Liberals.


Charles Marcil: Sunday meetings are held also by the Conservative friends of tbe lion, gentleman from East Simcoe.


William Humphrey Bennett: Never in that riding ; they were introduced by you.


Charles Marcil: The member for East Simcoe will have to find some other reason when he is trying to hoodwink the House, and to throw dust in the eyes of tbe people of Ontario. I say, Mr. Speaker, that this idea of fomenting a solid Ontario as against a solid Quebec, is not a patriotic work, and I am sorry that some of the gentlemen opposite should attempt in this discussion to convey the idea that the people of Quebec are standing to-day behind that Liberal party and its leader, because of his origin. Such is not the fact. They are standing behind the Liberal party in Quebec because there is no Conservative party behind which they can stand. There was a time when the Conservative party in the province of Quebec was led by Sir George Oartifer. and there came to this House a solid phalanx from that province.	They
were called ' les moutons de Cartier : les moutons bleus.' Cartier's sheep.	They
kept Sir .John Macdonald in power and never was a word uttered, and never was a threat made against the province of Quebec at that time. But, when the immense majority of the people of the province of Quebec, Conservatives and Liberals found that the Conservative party had lost its leader, found that the Conservative party had lost its Macdonalds, had lost its Thompsons, had lost its Abbotts, when they found that Sir Hector Langevin was driven from public life, and Sir J. A. Chapleau refused to enter a Conservative administration ; when the people of Quebec had found all this, how could they he blamed for turning around and casting their votes in favour of a man whose career had been unimpeached and unimpeachable, and who lias since shed so much glory upon this country.
The hon. gentleman from East Simcoe (Mr. Bennett) will have to find another reason than the vote of the poor electors of Lafon-taine, to explain why his majority of 246 in

189C, dwindled down to 39 in 1900. He will have to tell us how it is that in some townships where (according to the census) there is not a single French Canadian man, woman or child ; in Muskoka township for example where there is not a citizen of French Canadian origin, there was a majority of eight votes cast against him. In Ora township with only eight French Canadians, there was a majority of 51 against the hon. gentleman (Mr. Bennett). In Me-dora and Wood with 59 French Canadian men, women and children on the census, representing probably a dozen votes, there was a majority of one against him. These are facts, Mr. Speaker, which the hon. member will have to explain. According to the last census the French population of the whole constituency of East Simcoe is 4,950 and the English speaking population is 31,726. How is it that with only a few hundred French Canadian voters in the riding- not all of whom voted against him, since at Lafontaine he took 47 votes as against 171 cast for his opponents-how is it that the hon. gentleman can make the charge he has made. He will have to find other reasons why it was, that 3,447 citizens of East Simcoe voted against him after he had represented the riding in parliament for seven or eight years. It is no argument to contend, that because he was in a minority in Lafontaine, I had gone up there or any other member of the Liberal party had gone there, to stir up race and religious discord. Sir, on every and upon all occasions I have condemned such conduct as that. In the county of Bonaventure which I represent nearly one-third of the population is English speaking ; New Carlisle, New Richmond, Metapedia, Port Daniel west ; these are all settled by the descendants of United Empire Loyalists, and if I were on any occasion or in any locality in this country to utter one word against English representation, it would be suicidal not only to myself in my own constituency, but suicidal to the party I have the honour to represent in that locality.
Sir, upon all occasions I have stood up for the principle of cementing the different races which inhabit this country. Let us hope that once and for all, that this cry of race and religion shall fall. When I had the honour of uttering the first words in this House in seconding the address at the opening of this parliament, the first wish that I expressed, in the first year of this century, in the first year of the reign of a sovereign who has given us an example in toleration which we may all imitate ; the first word I uttered in this House was, for peace, for concord, and for harmony among all the people of Canada. Do not blame the province of Quebec for the vote it has given to the Liberal party. Do not blame the Conservatives of the province of Quebec for the Liberal votes they have given. Do not blame the French Canadians for the Lib-Mr. MARCIL (Bonaventure).
oral votes they have given in East Simcoe. Why should not the French Canadian people be proud of the fact that for the first time in the history of confederation, Quebec, the mother province of this Dominion, produced a man who was worthy of occupying the first position in this land. Is it because the leader of the Liberal party is a French Canadian, that the province of Quebec should vote against him ? Mr. Speaker, when the Conservative party offer to the province of Quebec, men who are worthy of the old Conservative leaders, when we have in the Conservative party men who can agree amongst themselves, and not men who though numbering less than a corporal's guard are unable to agree among themselves ; one refusing to appear on the same platform as the other ; then may the Conservative party expect a measure of confidence from the people. Until the Conservative party can offer the electors of the province of Quebec men who are worthy of their confidence, no sane man in this country will blame the independent French Conservative for casting an honest vote in favour of the Liberal candidate, when he finds that that Liberal candidate is the best man, has the best policy, and has the best leader.


Mr.  W. B.@: position of Canada, of which we talk proudly as stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. and considering that Labrador, which most people suppose to be a part of Canada, really belongs to Newfoundland, and remembering how much we have lost by unfortunate arbitrations with our American neighbours, that a time like this, when the mother country and France are on the best possible terms, is the most favourable time for the settlement of that vexed question.
It is a matter of regret that the government have not only not referred to this subject in the speech from the Throne, but, so far as we know, have done nothing to bring about what every one would admit to be a most desirable consummation-the rounding off of this confederation by bringing into it the sentinel standing at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. We all hope that the government will show readiness to take up this matter, and do all they can thus to complete our Dominion, which can never fulfil the purpose designed for it until it includes within its territories what is now known as Labrador and Newfoundland.
Then, no reference is made in the speech from the Throne to the subject of granting autonomy to the Northwest Territories. Surely a reform government, after six or seven years in existence, should have found something to reform. Surely hon. gentlemen opposite should be ashamed to come down year after year, and have to admit that they can find nothing to reform, and thereby admit the wisdom and statesmanship of their predecessors. Those who have been to the Northwest and who have heard the complaints of the people out there, as I have done, must feel that they are justified in considering it a hardship that they should be treated as children and as wards of the government, while those in other provinces are treated as adults and allowed to manage their own affairs. And I trust, Mr. Speaker, that among the subjects which have not been referred to in the address, but which we are promised will be brought up later, will be a Bill to grant autonomy to the Northwest Territories.
Of course, we find in the speech from the Throne a reference to the Grand Trunk Pacific, but it would be out of place to occupy now any time discussing that measure, which in a few days will be submitted to the House. I would ask permission, however, to draw attention to one or two general principles, which may fitly be referred to here. Hon. members, Sir, will remember that last session, when the contract between the government and the Grand Trunk Pacific was before the House, it was submitted to us as a holy thing on which no one should dare lay a hand. We were told that we had no power to change that contract in any respect. The people of Canada were as powerless as were the people of Newfoundland or of the United States to vary that solemn agreement come to between


Mr. NORTHRUP.: 

BEVISED EDITION1 COMMONS

[Stage Direction]
Absolute refusal of all leave asked by an officer of the militia to take part in an imperial war.
Now, I will go as far as my lion, friend and say there should be no provision by which, because a man joins the militia, he should be compelled to take part in an imperial war, but surely in the light of the experience of four years ago, when from one end of the country to the other there was such a unanimous uprising that the government, strong as it was, would have been driven from power if it had refused to allow Canadians to volunteer, it would not be fair to those who wished to serve the motherland to say : We will not allow you to serve because we do not wish to serve. If you do not wish to serve, do not serve ; but in heaven's name do not prevent those who do. The last clause, taken with this one, is the most absurd :
Command of the Canadian militia by a Canadian officer appointed by the Canadian government.
I would like to see the Canadian militia commanded by a Canadian officer, but it is one thing to allow your Canadian officer to gain experience, to acquire training in the service of the empire and then to place him in command of the militia ; it is another and a very different thing to prevent him hearing a gun fired or seeing an evolution except in a parade, and then say that only from this class of officers, which we have carefully restrained from seeing any active service and becoming fit to command a force, the commanding officer shall alone be selected. X cannot go so far as my hon. friend who has just spoken, and say that I will support the Militia Bill, because X do not know its contents, but if the object of that Bill is to make more and more useful our militia forces, and the proposals are likely to produce that result, I will support the measure as readily as any hon. gentleman who sits on the other side of the House.
I do not feel that I owe any apology for addressing the House. It seemed to me, and I do not believe that I was singular in my view, that this question which was brought up by the hon. member for Labelle was a most'important one. I myself have never been able to see any reason for having a racial feeling between the two provinces, and yet. as a matter of common sense, surely one is only using the observation every one lias when one says that when a general election is held in Quebec and one party is returned with seven followers and the other with fifty-eight, you can hardly expect the people of the other provinces to believe that the election was carried on upon absolutely *political grounds, and that every vote was cast as the result of full discussion of political questions and a desire to promote the best interests of the country.
I certainly hope that whatever I may have failed to do', I at least linve said nothing that will be offensive either to the hon. member Mr. NORTHRUP.
for Labelle or the hon. member for Moat' magny.
Mr. E. A. LANCASTER (Lincoln).: 
Edward Arthur Lancaster: Minister of Finance (Hon. Mr. Fielding) who comes from Nova Scotia, and who must be aware of what is published in the newspapers there, even, though a special appeal was made to him, did not announce the opinion of the government on this extraordinary transaction. I made inquiries for myself, and I am sorry to say that the case is' even worse than as presented by the member for East Simcoe. I, as coming from another part of the province of Ontario, wish to further deal witli this subject, because I know that the people of my district, irrespective of politics, desire to see the affairs of Canada administered in a" honourable and honest manner. I find the Digby ' Weekly Courier ' of Friday. January 8, 1904, a report of the proceeding9 of the town council which is as follows



' TOWN COUNCIL.'

[Stage Direction]
The adjourned' meeting of the council January 2nd, 1904, at 8 p.m. Present, acting Mayor Hayden and Councillors Titus, [DOT] Sy"a' VanBlarcon and Letteney.	,
Minutes of previous meeting were approve^ The following motion to rescind, notice 0 which had been given at last regular meeting' was moved by Councillor Letteney.	a
Whereas., on the 27th day of November 19hc>
certain resolution was adopted by the to council of the town of Digby, authorizing ^ Mayor to enter into an agreement and contr^ with A. J. S. Copp, for the payment, to the s*
A. J. S. Copp, of the sum of $5,000, for securing improved wharf accommodation at the Digby ; and subsequently to wit on the "*\,t November, 1902, an agreement and contu*i was entered into under said resolution, "* 9 the sum of $500, a portion of said $5,000, ' paid to the said A. J. S. Copp thereunder, account of expenses ; and it is deemed des ble that the said resolution should he re3.c,'g : ed, and the agreement cancelled and annul l®^, Therefore resolved, that the said resolution ^ and, the same is, hereby, rescinded and g voked, and that the said agreement e ntered thereunder be forthwith cancelled and annu and the said sum of $500 refunded to the Councillor Syda seconded the motion.
C* r*
Now, Mr, tli re is a statement in the i paper published in the town of Digby ii^f province from which the Finance Mi* ,et comes. The Finance Minister was P1 . )tlbt of that province for years, and no ^ the province feels honoured in having ^g as a representative to-day, but when member for East Simcoe (Mr. Benner U a pealed to him for liis opinion of JVnigteJ transaction as this, the Finance	0f
had nothing to say as to the mor (.Ipt % this queer transaction, and lie sat su his seat. Now, there is a contract „ ve hceI* to in the newspaper report, and I ha^e fortunate enough to find a copy of to l1 tract, which I shall read to the Hot [DOT] is ns follows	o(
This indenture made this
29th ''Hi'
November A.D.: ted $5,000 of the taxes of the people of that little town, because they thought that was necessary in order to get a wharf built at that place at the expense of the people of Canada, and $5,000 to the people of Digby is perhaps more than $5,000,000 to the people of Canada. I have no doubt that one of the main qualifications of these men for election to the town council was that they would carefully conserve and take care of the finances of the little town : and when they coblly take $5,000 for the purpose of paying a member of parliament a fee to secure that wharf, they do it be cause, in their opinion, at any rate, if they did not pay that money, they could not expect to get justice in regard to the expenditure of public money. I will not detain the House any longer on this matter. I have spoken for the purpose of drawing the attention of the government to it, because, whenever the campaign comes on, if the government fails to take up the matter and deal with it, X will call the attention of the people to it wherever I may address them. I appeal to the government to take out of our hands that trouble and out of our mouths that argument against them, because we have enough to urge against the present government without making a political issue of a transaction of this land.
Motion (Mr. Grant) agreed to.


Wilfrid Laurier: That the said address be engrossed and be presented to His Excellency the Governor General by such members of this House as are of the hon. the Privy Council.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

Hon. W. S. FIELDING (Minister of Finance) moved :: That this House will, on Friday next, resolve itself in Committee to consider of a Supply to be granted to His Majesty.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
lion. Mr. FIELDING (Minister of Finance) moved :
That this House will, on Friday next, resolve itself into a Committee to consider of the Ways and Means for raising a Supply to be granted to His Majesty.
Motion agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
Report of the Department of the Interior for tin* year 1902-3.-Hon. Mr. Sifton.
,Mr. LANCASTER.
Trade and Navigation Tables for the year ending 30th of June, 1003-Hon. Mr. Paterson.
Report of the Postmaster General for the year ending 30th of June, 1903.-Sir William Mulock.
Report of the Department of Labour for tbe year endiug 30th June, 1903.-Sir William Mulock.
Report of tbe Department of Public Works for the year ending.30tli of June, 1903

Hon. Mr. Sutherland.
Report of tbe Department of Trade and Commerce for the year ending 30th June, 1903.-Hon. Mr. Sutherland.
The Public Accounts of Canada, for the year ending oOth June, 1903.-Hon. Mr. Fielding.
Report of the Secretary of State of Canada, for tlie year ending 31st December, 1903.-Hon. Mr. Sutherland.
Report of the Department of Inland Revenue for the year ending 30th June, 1903 ; Part I. Excise, &c.-Hon. Mr. Bro-deur.

Hon.  W. S.@: 
[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.
Rt. Hon. Sir WILFRID LAURIER (Pri Minister) moved the adjournment of tu House.
Mr. TAYLOR.: What will be tbe busin009 to-morrow ?	,
Sir WILFRID LAuRlER. It is not tot me but for hon. members opposite to dec1 __ that, as to-morrow will be a private mcl bers' day.
i	, ,]t


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to, and House adjourned 1 5.45 p.m.
[Stage Direction]

Thursday, March 17, 1904.