it is intended, where there are duplicate specimens, to leave them in Montreal in custody of McGill University, where there are triplicates or still more numerous specimens, they will be distributed elsewhere. It could not have been the intention of the late Government or of any Administration to impair or destroy the national collection by allowing a part of it to remain in Montreal. The whole of it must come to Ottawa, except where there are duplicate specimens.

Hon. Mr. FERRIER.-- When inquiries were made it was ascertained that no instructions had been given to Mr. Selwyn to keep those specimens in Montreal. There wil! unnecessarily be the cartage of the specimens to Ottawa and back.

Hon. Sir ALEX. CAMPBELL -- The late Secretary of State says that instructions were sent, but if they were not sent it was by accident, because the intention has been to leave the duplicates there.

Hon. Mr. AIKINS I enquired at the Department of the Interior if such instructions had been given, and was informed by the Deputy Minister that they had been.

Hon. Mr. RYAN I am ass tred that Mr. Selwyn never had such instructions.

"Hon. Mr. Scott said he had been making inquiries of the Minister of the Interior, and was informed that the building in Montreal was quite unfit for the purpose, that they had tons of specimens now boxed up which they were unable to exhibit, and they must either Hon. Sir ALEX CAMPBELL I get a new building in Montreal or remove shall take care that he receives them, elsewhere. He was further informed that there would be no difficulty whatever in leav-and if the duplicate specimens are here ing a very respectable museum in Montreal, they shall be sent back. in consequence of having duplicates, and the hon. gentleman from Montreal would be gratified to that extent. A very considerable portion of the collection would remain in Montreal."

We know that the boxes sent to Ottawa contain duplicate specimens to supply all that will be required in Montreal. I simply rise for the purpose of pointing out that the then Secretary of State at the time that this Bill was before the House, made the statement that a very considerable portion of the collection would remain in Montreal.

Hon. Sir ALEX. CAMPBELL
I have already stated to the House that

ASSINIBOINE BRIDGE COMPANY'S BILL

THIRD READING.

Hon. Mr. VIDAL, from the Commitmittee on Standing Orders and Private Bills, reported Bill (27) "An Act to amend the Act 43 Vic., cap. 61, intituled An Act to incorporate the Assiniboine Bridge Company,' and to change the name of the said Company."

Hon. Mr. GIRARD moved the third reading of the Bill.

The motion was agreed to, and the Bill was read the third time and passed.

AND" An Act to incorporate the European, American and Canadian Cable Company (Limited)."

The motion was agreed to, and the and has no line running east of Sackpetition was presented.

The answer being in the negative, I found that there was a general feeling expressed that there should be such a clause introduced, and it was in accordance with that feeling that I introduced an amendment to one of the clauses of the Bill, which was adopted by the House, I think the hon. gentleman himself, being the only member dissenting. I introduced the amendment because the hon. gentleman was an assenting party in the first instance, and the feeling of the House was

a disadvantage in competing for business | such a clause in the Bill as I proposed. with the established companies. If we were sure that the present rates would be continued, there would be no objection to the clause, but the Montreal and Dominion Companies can at any time change their rates, and can in many ways discriminate in favor of the companies with which they are connected. Even within the older provinces of the Dominion, the local rates are not uniform. The rate up to certain points in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is 20 cents for ten words, but to Prince Edward Island it is 70 cents, and east of Sack-strongly in its favor. I had some ville, 30 cents, so that this clause is an unfair restriction upon this new Company. I shall therefore move that the Bill be not now read the third time, but be referred back to Committee of the Whole, to be amended by striking out this clause.

Hon. Mr. BOTSFORD. The shortest course, and the one followed in the House of Lords, would be to move the third reading of the Bill, and then

move the amendment.

After a brief discussion as to the procedure,

Hon. Mr. WARK moved the third reading of the Bill.

Hon. Mr. SCOTT moved that the Bill be not read the third time, but that it be referred back to Committee with instructions to strike out the clause fixing the tariff.

delicacy about doing so before that, but on the assurance of hon. gentlemen who were promoting this Bill that not only did they not object, but those who were interested in it had no objection, I moved the amendment. Now, hon. gentlemen, it has been urged that this amendment should not pass, because the Company organizing under this Bill has no land lines at present. But neither had any other company that has been incorporated by this House. Some regret has been expressed that a clause of this restrictive character was not introduced originally when Parliament first began to give charters to cable companies, and it was also stated by the hon. gentleman from Amherst, with a good deal of force, that the longer it was delayed the more difficulty there would be in introducing such a clause into bills of this kind in this branch of the Legislature. I therefore felt it was my duty to introduce such a clause in this Bill, and to press it upon the notice of the House. While there may be some force in the remark of the hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. Scott) that this is the first restriction of the kind that has been placed on any company askBy myself only, ing for a charter, if this amendment is accepted by the House it will virtually apply to some, if not all, other companies in this way. The Dominion Telegraph Company has an arrangement with the Direct Cable Company. Among other things that arrangement provides that the Direct Cable Company shall transmit messages from one side of the Atlantic to the other upon as low and upon as favorable terms as any other line doing business across the Atlantic. The effect of this amendment will be to

Hon. Mr. GIBBS. I regret that I was not present yesterday when this measure was up, and when, as I understand from the remarks of the exSecretary of State, the question was fully discussed.

Hon. Mr. SCOTT · not by other gentlemen.

Hon. Mr. GIBBS I understood that the hon. gentleman went over the arguments which he used to a certain extent to-day in favor of striking out the amendment proposed by myself, and adopted in Committee. I do not suppose it is necessary that I should refer to what took place in Committee the other day on this Bill, but when it came into the House, it was asked whether there was

cable messages, so far as this Company is concerned, were restricted to the present, rates. But what I do say is that You are putting this Company entirely in the hands of the land lines. It is a different matter on the other side of the Atlantic, where the British Government have control of the land lines, but on this side the land lines are practically in the hands of the United States Companies. There is no doubt of that. The Western Union can at this very moment dictate the terms on which messages can be carried through Canada. Parliament has no power to interfere, and the Government has no power to interfere. The dictum can go forth from the City of New York, and the rate can be fixed at any price the directors may choose to dietate. In view of that fact, I do think it would be extremely unfair to place this Company, so far as land rates areconcerned, at such an extreme disadvantage. If the House choose, I have no objection to accept a propsition limiting the rate to the cost of the cable message, and the message through Great Britain and Ireland at 45 cents.

restrict that Company from charging a higher rate than is charged to-day, which is the same as the maximum rate fixed by the amendment in the charter to this Company. I cannot speak as to the arrangements of other companies. The Montreal Company may have nothing to do in making arrangements with the Cable Companies. The lines in the Maritime Provinces with which they connect are all under the control of the Western Union, and any arrangements that are made with the cable companies are probably made by the Western Union. The Western Union has its arrangements with the AngloAmerican Company, and this new Cable company will have to make its own arrangements with the land lines now existing, or do as the Direct United States Cable line did when it had to compete with the Anglo-American. If the introduction of this amendment restricts this Company to this charge, it does them no injustice either at the present moment or in the future, because they think it is a fair rate, and there will be such competition for traffic across the Atlantic that it is not likely to be any higher. In view of these facts I feel more disposed than ever to press Hon. Mr. DICKEY I wish to upon the House the acceptance of the point out to my hon. friend that he is amendment to which it assented the mistaken when he says the whole lines other day. I think I may add that it is of communication between the extreme rather an unusual proceeding an east of Canada and the west are under amendment of this kind having been the control of Americans. I am under duly considered in committee, and having the impression that the Dominion Telebeen concurred in by the House-that graph Company has a line extending the House should be asked to reverse its through Nova Scotia to the extreme decision without any sufficient reason end of Cape Breton, which is in no being given for doing so. I think in the way connected with the Western interests of the public this principle Union.. should be maintained. I do not want to do this Company any injustice; I would be very sorry to do anything that would prevent it from laying its cables, but they must find the same outlet for their difficulties as other companies have found in the past. If they cannot make their arrangements with existing land lines, they must construct new lines of their own.

Hon. Mr. SCOTT When I was pressed on this point the other day I stated that I had no objection to the restriction as far as cable messages are concerned, nor would I now, if the

Hon. Mr. SCOTT. I am credibly informed that a very considerable amount of that stock is held by Americans, and that practically the dividends in the Dominion are guaranteed by Jay Gould. If that is the fact that he has a controlling influence in that Company, and the Western Union has a controlling influence in the Montreal line, it bears out my argument.

Hon. Mr. GIBBS The hon. gentleman ontends that the land lines are practically in the hands of the Americans, and that they may raise the rates