words, that the equipment of the I.C.R. be also, to the expenditure on the Pacific Railcompleted. a 2nd. That any line of steamers subsidized by Government shall have its terminus at a Dominion port. 3rd. Thet, for the purpose of making the I.OR. available for the object for which it was built, the Government shall arrange freights with other railroad lines and steamboats, and grant through rates of fright on as favorable terms as by other routes, and that they shall employ sharp business men as freight agents at the principal grain depots of the West." In other words, Mr. Bremner thinks that the Government should act as any Company owning a railway would act in order to secure business for their road. Further on, this gentleman adds :- Why should we pay over $126,000 per aunum to a line of steamers to help to build up the cities of a foreign country? What would the Montreal people say if, during the summer months, the Allan line of steamers, instead of making Montreal its terminus, were to pass on to Ogdensburg, in the United States (if it were possible for such steamers to do so), and only call at Montreal for the mails on the way down the river? How long would that be tolerated? And yet this is exactly the way that Halifax is treated by the Allu steamers. If that line were obliged to make Halifax its terminus during the winter months (and, if they wou'd not, there would be no difficulty in finding a line that would), with proper shipping facilities and arrangements, all the diflialties about the winter port would be ended." Mr. Bremner concludes as follows:- Is it creditable to this Dominion that we are indebted to a fore gn country for an outlet to the sea for our surplus products? Was it for this that we entered Confederation? Have we no national aspirations? He thought that wo had higher aims, and were not content to remain commercially dependencies of the United States. The object which we aim at is also in strict accordance with the protective policy of the Governm nt, and he thought in a few years, if attained, it would render the railway much more remunerative than it is at present. We also have lately had very plain evidence that, if the railway do not secure the down freight, it will not only not increase its up freight, but will lose a great portion of what it hitherto has had But, even if it did not pay directly, would not the indirect benefits to the country be large ? Suppose that what we ask would necessitate greater outlay than returns. Suppose it should be found necessary to lower rates still more, do we ask for any thing unreasonable? Do we grumble because the canals of the West are operated not on 'commercial principles' as regards tolls, but with a view to the development of the coun try? Have we objected to the millions now being spent on these canals without the slightest expectation of direct returns? With regard, way, how are we to derive any benefit from that exp nditure, or from the road when built, unless by the operating of the 1.C.R. in the manner which we are advocating? The I.C R. i, or, rather, should be, our great national highway, and ought to be operated, not on 'commercial principles,' but in such a manner as will realize the great national purposes for which it was built. We have a right to expect this, and should be satisfied with nothing less." Then I shall quote a few words from of the gentleman who was a member of the speech of Mr. Thos. E. Kenny-son the former Conservative Administration of Canada, and a member of this House --one of the most influential supporters of the present Government in the Lower Provinces. Mr. Kenny moved the fol lowing resolution: "Whereas, The Intercolonial Railway has not yet fulfilled the promise made previous to Confederation, that Halifax would by it be made the winter slipping port of the Dominion; and, "Whereas, The necessary terminal facilities for making it so are still withheld; "Therefore be it Resolved, That this meeting requests our representatives in the Dominion Parliament to urge upon the Government the necessity of at once erecting a grain elevator and completing such other terminal facilities as may be required at this port; and also of making such freight arrangements as will secure for the Intercolònial Railway a fair share of the carrying trade of this Dominion both to and from the Atlantic seaboard." Referring to the resolution, after some preliminary remarks, he said: "One is reminded of that interesting period in the history of this country when, thirteen years ago, the people were discussing the great question of the union of the four Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia under one government, and when the advocates of that measure were wont to portray, in eloquent terms, the great advantages which a railway system passing through all those Provinces, and terminating at this port, would be, not alone to the city of Halifax, but also to the whole Province of Nova Scotia. Not only was the Intercolonial Railroad to be the great national highway, but, on the completion of it. we were led to believe that at certain seasons the exports of the Western Provinces would pass over it for shipment heuce to Europe. He had listened with delight and enthusiasm to the enunciation of those ideas, and cheered them to the echo, and he felt assured that the gentleman who made these statements had at that time the implicit faith in them that he had; but he regretted now to have to say, in the words of our resolution, that as yet, those predictions have not been fulfilled, and cannot be, till the Intercolonial Railway has the same terminal facilities as every other railroad in America." A little further on he adds: as it is one which they understand a great deal better than I do; but there is one other subject in connection with the railway to which I wish to call attention. Before doing so, I wish to remind the House, that in January, 1878, Sir John Macdonald wrote a letter, which I had the honor to quote to this House last year, in which he insisted that it was the duty of the Government to make Halifax the winter port of the Dominion, "Without grain elevators and other necessary terminal facilities we can never have an export trade, and for an example of this we have only to look to the neighboring port of Boston." Mr. J. S. McLean, also a very prominent member of the Conservative party, spoke to the same resolution. Referring to the promises made at the time of Confedera-and if they did not do that they should tion, he said:-be called to account for it by their conNow, I do not suppose that stituents. the right hon. gentleman who leads the Government now, and who thought it was the duty of the Liberal Government to carry out this project, meant to confine that duty to a Liberal Government alone, Somewhat later in his speech he used or that he has changed his mind; and I the following language -- "It was then supposed that Halifax was to hold the key to the trade of the whole Dominjon. He had supported that scheme in such a hope because he believed it would be to the advantage of Halifax and himself in his business as well." We have been told by our Upper Province friends that we are asking too much--that we are in fact asking to have the food put in our mouths. This was not true. The Intercolonial was one of the terms of union, and the Intercolonial was not a finished road without a grain elevator at its terminal port (applause). In the case of Boston cited by Mr. Kenny, the elevators erected there had not been erected by the merchants of Boston, he believed, but by the railway companies that made Boston their terminus. The Government should do the same for Halifax, not only in our interest, but in their own as well. The Intercolonial was hope he will take such steps as are necessary to carry out what he believes to be the duty of the Government. His expressions in this connection were more than endorsed by the present Minister of Railways, and, if they only do now what they then said it was the duty of the Government to do, we shall have what we want. Last year I called attention to the absence of traffic arrangements between the Intercolonial and North Shore Railways. Now I am happy to not a commercial, but a national undertaking. say that since that time arrangements He was informed on good authority that this have been made by which passengers can year it would show a surplus over expenses of be ticketed through, but no arrange$25,000. This should encourage the Governments have been made with reference to ment to go on and develop its trade, and there was no way they could better do that than in the way proposed. A line of steamers once established between Halifax and England, it would have any amount of feeders, and he bclieved any amount of freight. At present the Lower Provinces were practically without any proper facilities for export trade with Europe." I know I have been a little tedious in my remarks, but this is a matter of very great moment to the Province and city from which I come. There were several other speeches made at the meeting to which I have referred, some of them by gentlemen whose political views are the same as my own; but I have quoted only from speeches of prominent Conservatives as they appear reported in the Conservative organ at Halifax. The language of the speakers as reported in the Liberal paper is still stronger. I do not propose to add anything to what those gentlemen have said in connection with this matter freight. I hope that before the next "I have the gratification of informing you that Her Majesty's Government has gener ously presented to Canada, for training school purposes, the steam corvette Charybdis, lately returned from service in the Chinese seas, etc." the speech of the Senator from Halifax, I am not willing to follow my usual practice and remain silent on the motion We have reason to be gratified at the before the Senate. I listened with infipresentation of this corvette to the nite pleasure to the able and eloquent Dominion; and the only question which speeches of both of the hon. gentlemen suggests itself to my mind is, as to the the mover and seconder of the Address location of the training ship. There was-to-day, and can only reiterate the rea rumor current some time ago, that marks which fell from the bon, the leader this ship was to be located at St. John. of the House that it would be presumpNow, I do not wish to say a word tion on my part, even more than on his, against St. John, but I think that any- to pay a compliment to those gentlemen one who knows anything of the two on the manner in which they discharged harbors, of St. John and Halifax, will the duties devolving upon them. I can not hesitate for a moment in saying that only say it was what might have been the proper place for the training ship is expected from gentlemen who have taken so prominent a part in public affairs for many years, and fully realized all that their great ability led us to expect from them. I listened also with pleasure to the able and moderate speech, from his tion, and I felt that it was strongly in standpoint, of the leader of the Opposifavor of the paragraphs in the Address, with one exception-its reference to the National Policy. The hon. gentleman in the harbor of Halifax. Hon. Mr. CHAPAIS-Quebec. Hon. Mr. POWER-I feel that I have trespassed at an almost unconscionable length on the time of the House; but I feel at the same time that I have done no more than my duty, and I regret that, owing to want of time and ability, my remarks have not been what the Occasion called for. could not but feel that the Government Hon. Mr. MILLER-I rarely trouble had presented to the House and country the House on an occasion such as this a bill of tare which was by no means in fact, I do not remember that I have meagre or unsatisfactory; a bill of fire ever taken part in the debate on the Ad- which was very different from those disdress in reply to the Speech from the mal exhibitions which it was the misforThrone. Perhaps this is partly due to tune of my hon. friend, year after year, an excessive feeling of modesty on my to present to the House during the part, but it is chiefly owing to my obser- period he was on the Treasury benches. vance of the wholesome rule which pre- It is rarely a Government has it in its vails in the Imperial Parliament, which power to present so satisfactory a proallows the mover and seconder to place gramme to Parliament as was presented the views they represent before either to us yesterday by His Excellency, and I House, and confines, as a general rule, think they may congratulate themselves the remarks which are made on such oc- upon the proud position which they occasions to the leader of the Opposition, cupy to-day. His Excellency has adand the leader of the Government in verted in terms of thankfulness to the reply to him, and a few of the most bountiful harvest which has been vouchprominent members of Parliament. Isafed to us by a kind Providence. He have always considered that pratice a might have gone further and congratulawise one, and, therefore, I have seldom, ted the country upon the fair success if ever, ventured, myself, although not a which has attended upon other branches young member of the House, to trespass of productive industry, such as the at any great length on the patience of fisheries. It is satisfactory to know that kon. gentlemen in debates on the Ad-this great industry, which is one of the dress. I think the English rule is a safe chief sources of wealth in the Maritime and salutary one, because, where a mem-Provinces, has been fairly remunerative ber ventures to travel outside of the during the present season, and the contopics of the Address, he takes the dition of our fishing population in the House by surprise, and places those who Lower Provinces is much superior to that may not be ready to reply on the spur of which existed at this time last year. the moment at a disadvantage. After With regard to the National Policy which my hon. friend (Mr. Scott) has | ment with the Syndicate may have been thought proper to discuss at such great decided upon in England, still the details length, I shall not trouble the House could not be definitely settled on the with many remarks at the present time, other side of the Atlantic, and until because I think a more suitable opportu those details were agreed upon as they nity will be presented on other occasions | have been on this side of the water, it to discuss it, but one thing I cannot help was impossible for the Government to observing my hon. friend denies SO have called Parliament together. Havemphatically that the National Policy ing arranged those details, they have has done anything to promote the pre- done so as soon as possible. I have no vailing prosperity of the country. My doubt this explanation is correct, and the hon. friend denies it, but the facts Government have, I believe, immo liately are before us to speak for themselves, after the final conclusion of the negotiand there is one thing which he cannotations which have fixed all the detail. deny that there is, at least, between the immediately summonel Parliament for National Policy and the return of pros the consideration of the whole scheme. perity to the country a marvellous coin- For my own part, I must say that I feel cidence, a coincidence which cannot no ordinary degree of satisfaction that be altogether accounted for by the this negotiation has resulte I successfully. general improvement in trade and From the time when, on the floor of commerce on this continent. With this House, I gave my support to regard to the main question, which has the union of British Columbia and brought us here so early in the season, the construction of the Pacific Railway. for my own part I should have greatly I have always considered that the method preferred, had the Government, in and manner in which this road shou'd their wisdom seen proper to delay the be built was that which has now been session a little longer, but we must all adopted. It was t e expectation of those admit that the important interests with who at that time agreed to the terms of which they had to deal--the most im- the union, and the construction of the portant which, perhaps, this country has Pacific Railway as one of these terms. ever had under its consideration-fully that it was not to saddle the country justified the extraordinary course which with a debt of one hundred or one hunhas been adopted. I think the House dred and twenty millions, but that the and the country will be perfectly satisfied responsibility of the Dominion was to be with the full and fair explanation given limited to a grant of money limited at by the hon. Postmaster General as to the thirty millions of dollars, and a grant of reason why Parliament has been sum-land fixed at fifty millions of acres. moned so early. I believe the House, and the country too, will fully endorse the remarks of my hon. friend in regard to the propriety of first submitting the result of the important negotiations which have taken place during the recess to Parliament before giving them to the public. It has been said, if it was necessary for ministers to proceed to London to negotiate an agreement | which has resulted in a contract with a Syndicate for the construction of the Pacific Railway, they must have accomplished that before they left London, and therefore that Parliament should have been called together on their return and the terms of the agreement given to the public at an earlier date. I think an answer has been afforded to that objection through the public press-that while the leading features of the agree This was the understanding on which Parliament agreed to the union with British Columbia, and it was an understanding and arrangement that were perfectly within the resources and means of this country, and would have been, I have no doubt, faithfully adhered to, as it has now been gone back to by the present Administration, if these gentlemen had not been driven from power in 1873. After the change, the late Government inaugurated a new policy in contradiction to the sentiments of the leading men of the party who had placed on the records of the House of Commons a resolution, when these terms were before the Legislature, that this, road should only be built with subsidies of land and money. The late Government departed altogether from their pledge made on that question, and seemingly a railway where passengers can travel with greater comfort and security, or a more substantial line than the Intercolonial Railway. That the rolling stock has not been allowed to go down, is evident from the fact that a larger business has been done, and is being done, on the road now than when it was a burden to the extent of seven or eight hundred thousand dollars a year to the country, Nothing is wanted to prove most conclusively that not only has the permanent way been kept in good repair, were about to involve this country in a state of things which must ultimately have landed the Dominion in bankruptcy. It was fortunate that at a crisis in the history of this country the electorate stepped in and removed those gentlemen from power, and reinstated the right hon. gentleman who to-day so ably and wisely guides the destinies of this Dominion; and if he had done nothing more since his return to power than successfully to inaugurate this new scheme for the construction of the Pacific Railway and bring back but that the 1olling stock has been Parliament and the Government again to the original project, which was at the foundation of the terms which he negotiated with British Columbia, he would well have earned the lasting gratitude of the people of Canada. hope and feel conilent from the ability and patriotism and the knowledge of the subject possessed by the able Ministers who represented us in London, and who afterwards represented us in the negotiations with the Syndicate on this side of the water, that when the terms of the agreement are submitted to Par-striking illustration. liament, they will be such as will give not much interest the forcible language of the only satisfaction to both branches of the President of that country on this question Legislature, but will send a thrill of joy in his last message, in which he forcifrom one end of this country to the bly urges Congress to the task of Civil other. With regard to some of the Service reform, to the introduction of other questions in the Address, as I am the system which prevails in Great Brion my feet, I desire to say a word or tain of competitive examina.ions, the Some reference has been made to system of basing the appointments of the Intercolonial Railway by one or two office and promotions in office on qualispeakers, and I think it is a matter of fication and merit. We shall never have sincere gratification not only to the an efficient Civil Service until that is the members from the Maritime Provinces, case, and I shall rejoice to see the patronbut also to hon. gentlemen from every age of the country taken out of the hands portion of the Dominion, that the Inter- of members of Parliament, where it now colonial Railroad occupies its present sat-practically is, and left where it ought to isfactory position. Not only is the road admitted to be one of the finest on this continent, but it is also largely increasing its traffic, and under the able administration of the present Minister of Railways, is likely very shortly to cease. to be a burden to the Dominion. This to the remarks of the hon. Senator from desirable end has been attained without Halifax, and as it is so near six o'clock, any unwise economy in the running of I am sorry I cannot reply to him as I the road, or keeping up the permanent would wish. I was not astonished, in way. Every hon. gentleman who has some respects, at the tone of that hon. passed over it recently will admit that member's speech. I was sorry, however, it is impossible to find-and I have that it was of so very sectional a charactravelled over a great many roads, not acter. I am sorry to be compelled to only on this continent but in Europe-add it was worse than sectional. The kept up, and is equal to all the calls of very largely increasing traffic. With regard to the Civil Service, I am very happy to see that the Government is about to take some steps in the Idirection of reform. I think it is one of the most important questions which can engage the attention of Parliament. If we want an example of the evil effects of making the Civil Service a means of bestowing patronage, as I am sorry to say, our syster so largely is, we have only to look to the United States for a very I read with very two. be, in the hands of the Executive, whose proper function it is to make all appointments to office on a well defined basis of merit and qualification-not through political influence or any other or improper cause. I must now say a few words in reply |