vision taken on Hon. Sir John Macdonald's | he appealed to the House and the country motion, which was carried. Yeas, 104; to say whether the power vested in the nays, 43. Government by the British North America Act was misused or abused at the last general election. Neither in the House nor out of it had there been a single attack made upon the conduct of a return. ing officer. RETURNING OFFICERS. Mr. FOURNIER moved the second read. ing of the bill to provide for the nomination of Returning Officers for the next general election of members for the House of Commons. Hon. Mr. DORION said the object of the bill was to reinstate the law as it had been before Confederation, or in other words, to provide that those who were returning officers before Confederation should be hereafter returning officers, thereby tak. ing away from the Government the power of appointing returning officers Hon. Sir JOHN MACDONALD thought the question was fully disposed of by Parliament last session, when it was deliberately agreed that all the laws relative to elections should be continued, except in so far as altered by the British North America Act. It was then settled what the law should be at the next general election, and he could see no reason for altering the decision of both Houses of Parliament last session, there having been no change of circumstances. He would, therefore, move" that the bill be not now read, but that it be read a second time this day six months." Hon. Mr. BLAKE charged the Minister of Justice with inconsistency in having voted the bill of the member for Victoria, N.B., the principle of which he had voted against last session. He had warned the hon. gentleman, and would do so again, that a large portion of the people of Manitoba would be disfranchised during the next election, owing to the manner in which the voters' list had been prepared unless a special act on the subject was passed dur ing the present session. Hon, Sir JOHN MACDONALD said he stated in his previous remarks that there was no change of circumstaaces between the passing of the Act of last session and the present time. He could not say the same in respect to the bill of the member for Victoria, because there was a marked difference in the circumstances. The hon. gentleman had said that a certain portion of the Dominion would be disfranchised. Such would not be the case. He did not require any warning from his hon. friend to keep him to his duty. He had been in Parliament and held office for many years and thought his legislation would be found quite as complete as that of his hon. friend from West Durham, should'that gentleman have the opportunity of serving so long. As to the appointment of returning officers, Hon. Mr. DORION asked how about Kamouraska. Hon. Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD replied that there had been a row there, but there had not, he thought, been any charge of impropriety of conduct on the part of the retur:ing officer, who in that instance was the registrar, and the very man who would be appointed if the bill under discussion became law. The Government took great pains at the last general election to see that proper persons were selected for returning officers, and would do the same in future. Hon. Mr. HOLTON said the Minister of Justice had averred his responsibility for the bill of the member for Victoria. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE argued to the same effect as the member for Chateauguay, and said that it had been denied by the hon. gentleman's own organ, and he must now be recognized as proprietor of a newspaper. Hon. Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD-And a good newspaper. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-Yes, a good newspaper, but he could not say so of the news it contained. To return to his sub> ject, that organ had denied the responsibility of the bill, but the hon. gentleman had at last acknowledged the fact. Hon. Sir JOHN MACDONALD said he had never averred that he knew anything about the bill of the member for Victoria. The hon. gentleman was in the House and he was at liberty to question him on the subject. Mr. COSTIGAN said he had been repeatedly asked how the Government felt in regard to this bill, to which he had replied that he had never spoken to them or they to him in reference to the bill. Hon. Mr. DORION argued that there were at least ten constituencies in the Province of Quebec disfranchised through the action of the returning officers at the general elections. It being six o'clock the House rose. AFTER RECESS. THE ANTICOSTI COMPANY. Mr. WORKMAN moved concurrence in the amendments to the bill to incorporate the Anticosti Company. Mr. CHAUVEAU said the bill should have been initiated in the Quebec Legisla ture. There were certain powers in the bill BILLS ADVANCED. the bill to incorporate the Dominion Trust Mr. GIBBS moved the second reading of Company. Carried. The bill having passed through committee was read a third time and passed. Mr. SMITH (Selkirk) moved the second reading of the bill to incorporate the Bank of Manitoba.-Carried. The House went into committee on the bill, which being pro-reported was read a third time and passed. which were under the jurisdiction of that MONTREAL TELEGRAPH COMPANY. Hon. Mr. HOLTON moved the House into committee on the bill to extend the powers of the Montreal Telegraph Co. He said that this bill had been allowed to stand for some time on the orders, in the hope that an arrangement would have been made by the Montreal Telegraph Company with the Nova Scotia Telegraph Company in the sense that was understood when the bill was before the Railway Committee. The negotiations, however, had failed for the present, and as a num ber of gentlemen from Nova Scotia who had withdrawn their opposition to the bill in the belief that this arrangement would have been entered into, had left for home, he did not feel at liberty to proceed with that part of the bill that had been ob jected to, and that gave power to the Montreal Telegraph Company to extend its wires into Nova Scotia. He had had a conference with the President of the Council upon the subject, and had agreed with him to except Nova Scotia altogether from the operation of the bill for the present. He would move an amendment in committee to extend the powers of the company to New Brunswick, Manitoba and British Columbia; but that clause of the bill relating to Nova Scotia be struck out. It was probable that during the recess the negotiations for the purchase of the Nova Scotia telegraph lines by the Montreal Company, which involved negotiations with a foreign company, the Western Union Telegraph Company, would be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Hon. Dr. TUPPER said there could be no objection to the bill as it would be amended by the hon. gentleman. The House went into committee on the amendments made and reported, and the bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. GIBBS moved the second reading of the bill to incorporate the Ontario ShipThe bill went through committee, was ping and Forwarding Company.-Carried. read a third time and passed. The following bills were also read a second time, referred to committee, adopted, and then read a third time and passed. An Act to change the name of the District Permanent Building Society of Montreal into that of the Loan and Landed Credit Bank- Mr. Paquet-and to grant certain powers to the Bank. An Act to incorporate the Board of Trade of the Town of Chatham-Mr. Stephenson. An Act to incorporate the Superior Bank of Canada. -Mr. Kirkpatrick. An Act to incorporate the St. John Board of Trade-Hon. Mr. Tilley. An Act to incorporate the St. Clair River Railway Bridge and Tunnel Company-Mr. Morrison (Niagara); Act to incorporate the Detroit River Railway Bridge Company-Mr. Morrison, (Niagara); an Act to incorporate the Coteau and Province Line Railway and Bridge Company-Mr. Macdonald (Glengarry); an Act to amend the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway Act-Mr. Shanly. RETURNING OFFICERS. an Hon. Mr. DORION renewed the debate on the bill to provide for the nomination of returning officers for the next general election of members for the House of Commons. For a period, he said, of from twelve to fifteen years after the Union the appointment of returning officers was vested in the Government, and it was found that great impartiality was shown by these officers in favor of the Government appointing them. Hon. Mr. CHAUVEAU was not in the House when the bill was passed last session, but in reading the debates thereon he had noticed that the member for Hochelaga had moved an amendment which certainly was not in favour of returning to the old system. That system, if renewed, would vest the power of appointing Re turning Officers for the Dominion elections in the hands of the local authorities who might be hostile to the Dominion Govern ment. The hon. gentleman had made an unfortunate statement as to the corruption of Returning Officers if the bill under discussion became law. With nine excep tions, the whole of the Returning Officers of the Province of Quebec were Registrars or Sheriffs, and the Government were compelled to appoint four out of the nine owing to the absence or employment else where of the Sheriffs and Registrars. The trouble at Kamouraska had been greatly exaggerated, and the returning officer at the last election would still hold that office if the amended bill was passed. The returning officers had a very knotty question to decide in regard to duplicate lists. One of them had gone to him for advice and he had replied that the Government should not give an opinion on the subject, and told the applicant to get the best legal advice he could. If the hon. gentleman had had any charges to make, he should have presented them at the time, in order that an investigation could be had. They should at least give the bill passed last session a fair trial. Mr. ANGLIN said it was quite under stood that the bill passed last session was a temporary measure, merely to provide, as the Minister of Militia then stated, for any possible election that might take place in the meantime, and that a general election law was to be passed during the present session. Hon. Sir G. E. CARTIER would explain the extraordinary assertion of the member for Gloucester. It would appear that the hon. gentleman had not read the bill, nor listened to the debate when introducing that bill. He (Sir George) expressly stated to the House that the measure was in view of the general election, as they could not alter the system during the present ses sion on account of British Columbia entering the Union, and would not have time during the last session of the Parlia ment to alter the lists. Hon. Mr. TILLEY was surprised at the speech of the hon. member for Gloucester. The bill of last session left New Brunswick in precisely the same position as in 1867. Messrs. BELLEROSE and CHAUVEAU spoke in French against the proposed measure. The members were called in and the vote taken on hon. Sir John Macdonald's motion, with the following result-yeas, 95; nays, 53. BILLS OF EXCHANGE. Hon. Mr. CAMERON (Peel) moved the second reading of the Act to amend the law relating to bills of exchange and pro missory notes. He referred to the differ. ent clauses, and said that in committee he proposed to provide that the bill should come into operation on the 1st October next, so as not to affect bills now drawn. Carried. The bill passed ahrough committee, was read a third time and passed. VOTERS' LISTS. Mr. ROSS (Victoria, N.S.) moved the second reading of the bill to provide for the revisal of voters' lists for the election to the House of Commons in a certain district in the County of Victoria, N. S. Car ried. The bill passed through committee, was read a third time and passed. Hon. Sir FRANCIS HINCKS moved that the House go into committee on Friday next on a resolution to provide for the imposition of harbor and tonnage dues at Montreal, to make good to the Consoli dated Revenue Fund the sum voted for improving the navigation of the St. Lawrence between Montreal and Quebec. Carried. SUPPLY. The House went into Committee on Supply, on the item reported from the Committee of Supply to meet the increase under the Civil Service Act, or possible new appointments in the Civil Service. Hon. Sir GEORGE CARTIER moved that the item be reduced from $25,000 to $10,000. Carried. On the item $70,000 to aid the Provinces to encourage emigration, Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE objected strong ly, as the Provinces would be in no way accountable. Hon. Sir FRANCIS HINCKS defended the vote and had perfect confidence that the Provinces would properly apply the money. Hon. Dr. TUPPER referred to the conference on emigration where the delegates of the Local Government stated that there was a want of means when it was decided to help the Local Governments in the matter of assisting emigration, and could not understand what objection the member for Lambton could have. The Local Governments were fully responsible to their respective Legislatures, and there could be no misappropriation. There would be great advantage from the co-ope ration of the Dominion and Local Govern ments, and the proposed action would commend itself to the House and the country. The amount was comparatively small for the purpose intended. Hon. Mr. MACDOUGALL thought there was no direct responsibility by the Local Governments in the matter, and that there Hon. Mr. BLAKE said there was no arrangement between the Local and Dominion Governments as to such a grant. He thought the provision was a mode of alteration of the British North America Act to the Constitution of the Local Legislatures. The grant would only have the effect of increasing the general revenues of the Lo. cal Governments contrary to the British North America Act, and the course was a most dangerous one. Mr. CONNEL thought the proposition was an experiment, and there was strong reason that it should be carried, as every effort should be made to induce emigra tion, though he entirely differed from the principle of grants to the Local Govern ments. was force in the objection on that ground. | vey to emigrants in Europe, and it was The object might be good, and the money evident therefore, that unless there was might be properly expended; but if the joint action on the part of all the Govern practice of making grants to the Local ments there could be no efficient system Governments became general, it would be of emigration. The Government of the unsafe and unconstitutional. If Parlia- Dominion, therefore, communicated with ment chose to make the Local Govern all the Provinces, and representatives were ments their trustees some return ought to sent to a conference by Ontario, Quebec be made of the expenditure. and New Brunswick, and an agreement for joint action was come to, the General Go vernment agreeing to appoint agents for Europe for the purpose of disseminating such information as should be furnished on the authority and responsibility of the Provincial Governments to the Dominion Government, and it was understood that | the Dominion Government would appoint agents on the main line, while the Local Governments would have local agents to distribute the emigrants to the different points where they might be required. At vernment got votes for the purpose, and the following session, the Dominion Go he might say that the Dominion Government had always been in advance of the Governments of the Provinces in their exertions in favor of emigration. From the United States, and the extension of the large works in progress in Canada and bounds of the Dominion, a great demand for labor arose and in consequence of the general desire for a renewed and increas ed effort in favor of emigration, a confer sentatives were present from every Pro. ence was held recently, at which reprevince in the Dominion, including even British Columbia These representatives set themselves to work out a scheme for general action, but the representatives of the Lower Provinces pointed out that their requirements were so peculiar that the ef forts of the agents of the Dominion were only benificial to Ontario and Quebec, while their wants were set aside. emigrants they wanted were fishers and miners, and if the Dominion really desired to help them to develop their mine. ral resources and their fisheries, they must assist them to have special agents and to make special efforts themselves. The Go vernment told the representatives that they had no power to make any pledge of assistance, and that they believed that Parliament would vote an amount for the purpose of aiding the different Provinces, and he believed the Local Governments had since calculated with some confidence that the vote would not be thrown over by Parliament, and he was sure it would noi be thrown over, so that without reference to the constitutional question he would ask the House to accept the proposal for the present year, leaving it hereafter to be fought out on a larger scale, and on a ques Hon. Mr. WOOD said everybody desired to encourage émigration, but whether the present grant would further the desired object more than if the amount were expended by the Dominion Government was very doubtful. The vote was a simple decrease of the subsidies of the Provinces, though no doubt it was proposed with the best possible motive. Ontario had voted $80,000 for emigration purposes, and could not expend any further sum. He hoped that the Government would not press the matter, as it might lead to trouble. Hon. Sir JOHN MACDONALD said that in his opinion there was no constitutionality in the matter, as the people of the country were a free people, and had a right to do with their money exactly as they pleased, and it was absurd in the nine teenth century for the representatives of a free people to fetter themselves in the matter of spending their own money. Immediately after the first session of the present Parliament the Government of the Dominion made an attempt to act in concert with the Governments of the Provinces of the Dominion on the subject of emigration, as it was evident that the Dominion Government, without the aid and assistance of the Provincial Governments, were without any real power to promote emigration. At that time they had no increase of land and no means of offering cheap or free lands to anyone, and they were without reliable information to con The tion more worthy of dealing with the constitutional question. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said we had a right to vote as much money as we pleased for emigration purposes, but he did not believe we had a constitutional right to vote money and hand it over to the Local Governments to expend; and he protested against that doctrine. The expendi ture would not be accounted for to this Government, and he contended that the money shonld be paid to the respective Governments in proportion to the number of emigrants brought into the country. Hon. Sir JOHN MACDONALD said that the object of providing that a certain sum should be paid to the different Provinces out of the Dominion Treasury was to meet to a certain extent the large revenue they had given up to the Dominion, and a bar gain was made by which the Government of the Dominion were to pay a certain sum for that surrender. They were not bound however, not to exceed that sum, the amount agreed upon being an assurance that they would never receive less. He contended that this Parliament had a perfect right to do what it liked with its own money, and he instanced Ireland as a case in point, and referred to the motion brought in by Mr. Maguire at the last session of the Imperial Parliament on the ground that that country had not received the amount agreed upon according to the terms of union, It was then contended, and he believed established, that country had received a great deal more. He alluded to the fact that Her Majesty's Government had declared that the additional subsidy to Nova Scotia was perfectly constitutional, and reported that there was no unconstitutionality in the present vote. Mr. MILLS maintained that the grant asked for was unconstitutional, and that the effect would be that the Provinces would look to the Parliament of Canada for any money they required instead of taxing their people. Hon. Sir GEORGE CARTIER replied that he was surprised at the argument of the member for Bothwell, and maintained that there was nothing unconstitutional involved. Dr. SCHULTZ said that whether the grant was unconstitutional or not it was a very wise course. He could not understand why Manitoba should be overlooked. It was true that a large sum had been expended on the Dawson Road. The population was small, but the extent of territory for settlement should be con sidered. Mr. ANGLIN had no doubt of the cor rectness of the matter constitutionally, as Parliament could deal with its money as it chose Mr MASSON (Terrebonne) complained that it should be urged that because money had been spent on the Dawson Road, nothing more should be done for Manitoba. Hon. Sir FRANCIS HINCKS said they were giving cheap passages and in other ways assisting emigrants by free grants of land, and that was quite enough, in his opinion, for promoting emigration to Manitoba. Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE said last year $50 000 had been spent in sending emi、 grants to Manitoba. Hon Mr. POPE said no grant was given to Manitoba because the whole of the land belonged to the Dominion. The item was declared carried on dis vision. On the item for the Temiscouata, Metapediac, and Huntingdon and Port Louis Roads, Hon. Mr. LANGEVIN, in reply to Mr. Mackenzie, explained that the Temisconata road was in very bad repair, and until the Intercolonial was complete, it was absolutely necessary that it should be kept in good order, as it was the only road between Canada and New Brunswick. The item was carried on division. Hon. Sir GEORGE CARTIER said tomorrow the Militia Estimates would be proceeded with. Hon. Mr. BLAKE complained of the Distribution Bill not being in the hands of the members. Hon. Sir GEORGE CARTIER promised to call the attention of the Minister of Justice to the matter. The House then adjourned at 12:10. SENATE. THURSDAY, 6th June, 1873. The SPEAKER took the chair at three o'clock. PILOTS. Hon. Mr. AIKINS presented to the House a Return to an Address to His Excellency the Governor General dated May 1872, praying His Excellency to cause to be laid before this House, a copy of any corres pondence which has taken place between the Department of Marine and Fisheries and the Imperial Board of Trade in London, relative to the relaxation of the Rules and Regulations relating to the granting |