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 , — i .^-±a,.. ' LJji; ' .LJ 
 
 The Cornwall Reporter 
 
 SATURDAi', JANUARY 8, 1881. 
 
 THE CANAOE^A- 
 GIFIC RAILWAY. 
 
 »PEE€I. m MK. JOHW McLElV- 
 U% M.P., FOR CILEIVCIARRY. 
 
 A terse, Tlgorous, and convinc- 
 ing address. 
 
 ^'Fanciful Estimates*' dispos- 
 ed of. 
 
 A«yc^eiiT«)S tbai have lo«i their 
 
 lorco because they taavc been 
 
 loo familiarly used. 
 
 The Mlntoier ofDefleltaaud the 
 Paiiqiilno of l>ebater. 
 
 A Contract that aflTords no op- 
 <)nlng for I^oK-rolllnff. 
 
 Ik tk« ffoua* of Comino«», on th« 
 Slit D«e«nber, apMkiog to tk« railway 
 rctolniioBc, Ma. Johm Mc1.»nin, M!. P. 
 for -GUagarry, aaid ; 
 
 Mr. McLkn.nan.— What I (lenire to say on 
 the subject of the resolution, I BhiiU endcav- 
 or to put in as fe w wordK aH may bo ronsist- 
 «jnt with the importance of the «ubje<'t, and 
 the magnitude of the interests that aie in- 
 
 ,Tolvod. I think the House will agree with 
 m*^ that it in impossible for us to «>ver.eiiti- 
 laate the iiiiportanre of this subject. It in 
 cne that concerns an extent of «.'o<mtry, of 
 which we car. only form a very v.igue cou- 
 ••eptioa, and Jrtie probable future, in their 
 materia', und social interests, of a multitude 
 that no man can number. The importance 
 
 .of the Kubject is established by the 
 fact that for seveml years it bus 
 been before this and tiie preceding 
 ParliarrtentH in variotis forms of settlement. 
 ft comes before ly^, to-day, a stage forward, 
 by the right hon. lcad«!r of the Goveriyuent 
 And hii} colleagues presenting it to us in a 
 tifTm so fiiir for sofution, that it bcoomos 
 our duty to give it our best consideration. 
 k tliink, Sii", il oocuiiicii ouniuty todml witli 
 it -with all the wfsdom, tiie common sense, 
 and the highe>^t patriotism we can apply. 
 The controct that is before the Committee 
 is not ft contract tor building a houK*.* or ft 
 «ewer, or even a short line of railway, every 
 factor «nd condition in relation to which we 
 4:an fully comprehend and provide for in the 
 lermR of the written contract, wliich wi' ciin 
 
 nm in connection wUb the National Poll, y 
 was, beyond any other, in the interest of tho 
 farmer ! l)Ut I can safely apj)ca) to every re- 
 presentative of this House HH U) the condi- 
 tion of the farming community at the pres- 
 ent moment. I believe that every hon. gen- 
 tleman in this House who comes from tlic 
 country will tell us that if (he farmer — one 
 of wRosM great privileges as a Hriton is the 
 privilege of grumbling — is iwlicd atthipn <- 
 ent moment about his conditit>n, bo will 
 generally say that he has nothing to complain 
 of. Wh(!n tlio farmer, the inveterate 
 grumbler, hfts nothing to complain of — 1 
 mean no oflence to the farmers ; I ain cme of 
 tliem myself and can tlieref«,e speak with 
 more confidenc«! and freedom — I nay when 
 the inveterate grumbler has nothing to com- 
 l)lain of. we may be quite suie there is no 
 matter for complaint against the National 
 Poliiy, so fur as he is concerned; it does 
 not pinch him at all events. I bt-Peve we 
 might go further, I think there area great 
 many moderate Keformers who have nothing 
 to complain of, though, at the same t'me, 
 there is a bodyof inveterate Reformers w oso 
 full barns an<l larders turn to ashes wncn 
 they reflect that those terrible T<nics are in 
 power. The hon. member for Centre Huron, 
 after exhausting bis own vo<'ubulury, olTercd 
 u,s a morsel from aLondon joTirnal,to establish 
 l>eyond <loubt that his statments were true. 
 What was the substance of tl»e ijuotation '.' 
 It does not prove quite so much as the hon. 
 gentleman proved himself; Imt it proved one 
 thing wliich no one will- gainsay, and 
 thiit is. that a L<mdon journaliiit <;au follow 
 tlie descent of a Canadian o.\ -Minister 
 ar. rt very considerable interval. 
 
 I think the hon. genteman has established 
 further, that a gentleman who has entered 
 upon public life in ('anmla under circum- 
 stances and (;onditions so favorable that T 
 regret very nuich that there are so few of 
 our pnhlit; men possessing such advantiiges, 
 )uis consigned himself, or will consign him- 
 self in the natural tide of tiwQ, fo that con- 
 dition in whi<'h he shall ntit njeroly 1>e 
 known as <he Minister of deficits, but as the 
 Pasquino of debate — the sayor of bitter 
 things. I shall endeavour brieHy to show that 
 the old ladies of botli sexes, who have been 
 very much alarmed liy the opining of this 
 dt'>l)ate, may lay down their heads in peace 
 during tl*« holidays — no longer Qorgon 
 he.'uls of Ui)r>or A0<1 dt-.spair. In the many 
 phases througli whbj, JJ;is questiim has 
 passed, and in the fru«juur*t vflf'ijrrence ot 
 these forms, I tiiink notliing has hom tH^^c 
 fully established in this House and in tWis 
 country than the general desire that the con- 
 struction of the Pacific Railway should '«>« 
 carried on by private hands ; that tho 
 Government ofilie country should not be 
 responsible for a public work involving so 
 ibili^h cxpemliture and so much action. 
 The htilii eypprieucc tliat has betMi had of 
 tl.i Pcmbiiiu ^rui».df. n !ipc only, I thin!; 
 about 05 miles long, maQa||/s4 J >^oi)ti]ro to 
 say, under the direction of a chief who it, 
 economical and careful to the last degree - 
 the many complaints that beset memliers of 
 tbix House from day to day as to the runn- 
 ing of HiiH very small branch line is a slight 
 indicatioa of »^at rffiffht bappoa if w^e had 
 2, 1)00 milei of road in th«» sawfe |i'>ni0o.i. 
 
 the late Ooveiument. N 
 we arc done ; for ther*- 
 ijacltground o/ their prop 
 to the contrat ;ors to sn/ 
 sum they wi'l take 4 
 we were to have had 
 brail' h tackcfl on to the '. 
 wc are cunsid< ring to-d.ij 
 further have i .( re>ued th 
 pended. The • were son 
 of safeguards (o be att 
 Two-thirds ot this great 
 was to be soji 1 at orices ti 
 and the proj» rds lo be pu 
 tors apart iron anycharg 
 If my theory is right — an 
 — that th'- u.s( of those h 
 mental don't think itwc 
 pur;)<!se that (lie sale oft 
 l)e hampered 'ly the nun 
 of a contracttr naming 
 Nothing COP.!' more serio 
 the proper au' necessary 
 than that con.lition. Th 
 tion has arise i upon the 
 lands, and I \.:nture tore 
 jioints liecaus'^ they have 
 ject of difficul y in connei 
 tract. Amom, other thin 
 1874 provided that the G 
 have the righ! of repurchi 
 sumption when this road 
 iiig the contra tors 10 per 
 to the money exp(!uded i 
 that one of tli merits of 
 day is. that th re is no su( 
 for embarassii u: the Gov 
 applications, the perseve 
 requirements 'f people t 
 Govennient aij always a 
 fee ting the gr-at interest 
 tiiink it is vein much bett 
 not be prepart l or left o 
 nmnds. A qie.stion hai 
 quantity of laids in theh 
 betn objected that, with 
 posed to be g ven (he < 
 no {)iiblic doir lin will bt 
 Jarjtjti vyill be taken up foi 
 railway. Well, w(! haye 
 of the most re iable goolo 
 amipod that c nintry, in 
 Gov rnmont, which sh 
 250, ' 10,00()aci :ftoflandir 
 able forcultivi.tion or as 
 thatwill yield tiibstance t 
 is precisely similar to th 
 made in 1H74 in the pro 
 tajier} hy tl>( railway 
 lar((li> of fiiir au'cage qua 
 and hoi)- gerit'cmen who 
 country know very well t 
 traots of avJiiUblo bwid t 
 be considered "f a lairavc 
 tier who is ent tied to the 
 ter section of iiind. The 
 case, has to ^aake liih 
 aviiMo lan;i, I. ■ r-MplircK 1 
 foot of which 'le can cu 
 of» tljH otJiuB l.ttrH. Bpctlr 
 spgrsed with akolets ati' 
 presenting among other 
 landscape, vciy dcslrahli 
 men who are lot hound j 
 and very well adapted 1 
 £ razing, and J>ra varict 
 xi^iiut lio u,n IkhI by at) 
 
 
IE CORNWALL REPORTER. 
 
 u) lute Government. Nor can wo tell when 
 « an' donn; for thent ik lurking in the 
 sokKround oi thoir propo.mil an invitatiV-ii 
 > Iho contrH* .ora to HH/ upon »» liut t'urtJ»cr 
 iim they will take 4 per cent interest; 
 ■c wore to liavo hftd tho (iior^ian liny 
 ranch tacked on to tho 2,G00 oi 2,7'i(l inilen 
 ■e are con8iili riux to-d.-xy, >vhirh would still 
 nthcr have i ;( re'ined tlie aniouTif to Im; ex- 
 ended. The ■ wore Hoinn tliin).c.s in the way 
 f uafcgnardrt to be attjuhed to their Hill. 
 I'wo-thirdfi ot thin great <iuantity uf land 
 .•aH to be 8oM (it nriees to b»! a.jrecd upon, 
 nd the pro^'< i-dH lo be paid to the contrac - 
 ors apart iron any charge of adi linistratlon. 
 f my theory iti ri^ht — and I niaiitiiin it is 
 -that tt;>' nsi of those lands ifi for t^ettlc- 
 iient— Idnn't tliink it would Kerve that great 
 lUrM^se that the sale of tlioHC lundH tshoiild 
 le hampered '>y th(t lumeccsHary condition 
 if a contract(r naiiiinK »i prit .' for thcni. 
 Nothing coul' more seriouKly intefcre with 
 ho proper am neoesbary une of those lands 
 han that conilition. Then, ufi^ain, a «|uc»«- 
 ion haK arinc i upon tho locivtiin of thoso 
 unds, and I \ .nture to refer toHc)nie of those 
 »oint« because they have been made a snb- 
 ect of diffictil y in connection v.ith this con- 
 ract. Amoni: ether things the propoHnl of 
 .874 provided that the liovemnient should 
 lave the righ! of repurchase, thill is, of rc- 
 luraption when this road was built, by pny- 
 ng the contra tors 10 per cent in addition 
 ,o the money expcsnded upon it. 1 think 
 Jmt one of th merits of the eonlnict of to- 
 lay is, that th re is no such prov isioii in it 
 'or embarassii g the Govcrnmei.t with tho 
 ipplications, the persevering and p«-rsi«tont 
 (jquiremontH 'f people that in >• change of 
 Ltovennient oij always askiuij for favours af- 
 let ting the gr.^at inlorosts of the coinitry. I 
 think it is ven much better that i. way ihould 
 not be prepartil or left open for iiny suih dc- 
 tnnnds. A <i.ie.stion has arisoi. as to the 
 quantity of la:id.s in theNorth-^\ est. It has 
 been objected that, with the huu.s now pro- 
 |)osed to he g ven the ('orapan> ali-juated, 
 IM ptd)lic donviin will be left— that all the 
 Infjijn will be taken up for the purpose of the 
 railway. Well, W«i hftye n lopoi t froni one 
 [)1 the most re iable geologists v^-ho haB es.'- 
 uminod that ctuntry, in tho service of the 
 CJov rnmont, which shows thnt there are 
 250, n0,000aci '.ft of land in that country avail- 
 able for cultivition or as pasture land, lands 
 thatwill yield uibstaiice to man.'J'hi.s contract 
 is precisely similar to the proposal Hhat was 
 made in 1874 in the provision that tho lands 
 tajier} hy i\]i railway company, shall be 
 \iutlU ot fiiir a.eiago quality ft)r hett!on»ehtj 
 and hoq. gent' croen who hnvft b'^ n in that 
 cotintry know very well that thee are largo 
 tracts of avJiiUblo land there that might not 
 be considered "f a lair avorsgo value for the set 
 tier who is ent tied to the settlonr nt of a quar- 
 ter section of land. The settler, in such a 
 case, has to ,aake his living, he recjuires 
 avablo land, 1. ■ r.-iqttirc? lftndev«y nor-:, every 
 foot of which le can cultivate. There are. 
 Oft th« othoB |.«r)fl, 80ct}pna of c( \|4t|!y lifter. 
 Bpgrsed with .akolets and holts ^■t wood, and 
 presenting among other thinga a mu fl»« 
 landscape, vci y desirable for r<;s|fBI»ceB of 
 men who are lot bound so dogely tothe soil, 
 ami very well adapted for the purposes of 
 grazing, a»(i 1m- a variety of piirjMm-s that 
 (^iiot bg lo.'t liud by yj t>rdi|jar ' sut^lpr v<ho 
 
 Htruction of this road, and I call attention 
 to the inot, that that frcedoni Ik limited ab- 
 solutely to the material requirtd for the cyn- 
 Htruction uf the road. And that in this spe- 
 < ial exemption are not included steel rails, 
 wliich are not manufaetured in the country, 
 but the smaller articles which are required, 
 nuch as nuts, bolts and tls!) plates, u 
 good many of whhh, I believe, arc manufac- 
 tured in the country, and that the policy of 
 the (iovernment would ro<iuire that imported 
 goods of these descriptions sh(uild be subject 
 Ui the duty imposed upon them in thoTariiT. 
 Hut lion, gentlemen hliould bear in ndnd 
 that this is a contract between two parties, 
 and that the contractors who are to build 
 this road were not responsible for the Na- 
 tion**! I'olicy. On the contrary, they may,be 
 Free Trailers for all I know, and it is rither 
 <l't!i(;ult lor men coming from England, 
 where the Free Trade system prevails, to 
 appreciate iiic conditions that make the Na- 
 tional Policy a good one for us. I can, there- 
 fore, very easily underetand'tliat these g«n- 
 tlemcn should adhere tena( iously to their 
 Free Trade policy, and 1 think it would have 
 br'cn u weakness in tho fiovernmcnt to spoil 
 the prospect of thin contract upon so small a 
 condition, and I bclievo tho country will 
 sustain them in this concession. Objection 
 has been made to the standard adoi)ted by 
 this road, and we have heard a good deal 
 about the dangers of locomoti(>n on tho ' - 
 nion Pacific llailway, when cars first lie^an-to 
 run upon it. Well, it is well kmiwn that 
 cars are used upon all roads during the 
 proce!isof'conrttruction,and before their com- 
 pletion. The course of the I nion Pacific 
 Uailway was no dill'ereiU from this, and I 
 beliovc there are gentlemen in liiis House, 
 as woU as my lion, friend the Minister of 
 Rail wayf, who are tolerably convciKunt with 
 the history of the Union Paciti' Uailway,and 
 who are well a))ori8ed of the fact that the 
 Union Pacitii' Uiiilway, when constructed, 
 Iwcame a goo<l, sulistiintial road, as it is at 
 this day. As to the olqeetion to freedout 
 from taxati(m of the roadbed and stations of 
 the Company, it should bo rcmomborod that 
 tUis rofvd will be. tlui great highway of this 
 dominion, and 1 would ask any gentleman 
 in this Honsi! what tin; result would be of 
 an applit ation to any or all of tho rau!iici- 
 palities into which that great extent of 
 country will bo divided for freedom from 
 taxation of such a highway. Why, there can 
 be but one answer. No municipality or co. 
 munity would tax a highway of intvstiuiatablo 
 benefit to then^selvoa, and the very point in 
 thU matter-, it seems to mo. is that this ques- 
 tion U disposed of once for all in tho con- 
 tract, instead of being relegated to the hands 
 of tho diffyront munloipaliticb with which 
 the company would have to deal, and involv- 
 ing great labor, txpense and delay, with no 
 diflferent result from what we Ijave in tho 
 contract. Then we are told, and it lmRl«Mjn 
 rop'jntt"1 ov<r and over agfili\, tli^ttt wo •^hall 
 have i}o contro\ p^w vhlu road to guard 
 niiainst enorbitant tolls and charges, and in- 
 stances have been given to us of railway 
 C(»mpanio8 charging exorbitant i tee. These 
 instances are of railways in the IJnitec^ 
 States.'and we are told in the saiue \iX4»th 
 that if wc were only qift|iiii\ij connection 
 with tbe T^lhvajh In the United 
 Ht^Hfift) wV siiould be ul)!c tn guard 
 
 r do not think it would injure the compari- 
 •on if We took the land aa yielding one dol- 
 lar to tlif Here to tho company to show that 
 it will not h« in the interest of a laud holder 
 to keep his land lied up for "ten or twenty 
 years wifhoutj cultivation. But this Com- 
 pany will not'ho withcmt competitors in the 
 North-West. There are alreaily existing 
 charters for important lines of railways 
 which cannot lo interfered wiith by this " 
 contract. One ot these lines will open a 
 road to tho i oal fields of the South-West, 
 und 1 believe tln^ Government which tnado 
 the arnuigcmeut for granting land to this 
 great corporation retains power to roscrvo 
 coal lields or any other lauds that it may be 
 desirable in tho pubtio interests to reserve. 
 But wo have something more in tho North 
 West, an 1 the P ovirlence that has given us 
 sueli a VI'. I xtoiit of valuable land has not 
 left it without a iiiir supply of water. There 
 is reasonable pr ivisions for communication 
 by water m th(!^orth-We8t. 1 do not mean 
 to say that there are mere water stretches, I 
 do not mean to r'^fer to anything so futile as 
 the policy of the preceeding Government, 
 but there are wnter stnptches as wide as tho 
 Atlantic, and gi\ing tJlho North-West com- 
 munitatiou to tie great Hudson's Hay. We 
 have been tdd 1 itcly by Pro?". Boll, who has 
 been employed by tho Government, that 
 there are live o.- live and a half months nav- 
 igation in the 11 idsno's Bay. We shall pro- 
 bably have tilt; report before long, but if 
 there are five auu a half months navigation 
 to Port NelFon, I think we are secure in the 
 competition that will protect us against any 
 monoply of larijingto or within tho North- 
 West. It is woi) known that there are char- 
 ters for two coiniianies to extend from Win- 
 nipeg toHudrioni Bay. end if gentlemen will 
 look at the map diey will discover that tho 
 distance from Winnipeg to tiie settlement of 
 Prince Albert, n(ar the forks of of thoHaska- 
 tcht'tvan, is aiioui the same distance as from 
 Winnipeg to Por. Nelson, that is about tho 
 same distance hum this central point where 
 th<;re h a cousi lerable settlement in tho 
 great fertile belt upon tho Hackatcbewan. If 
 gentlemen will i-onsider that here wo have 
 a sea-board broncht to this great fertile belt, 
 biought within the distance of Winnipeg, 
 that there are t vo charters in existaiico to 
 connect the Ijmk. of this triangle, that is, from 
 Winnipeg to por Nolson ; that there is water 
 cummuuication i r hiklf the distance, requir- 
 the construction of only 250 miUs of railway 
 to form an inil pendent connection with 
 Wiimipeg ; that '.here is the same facility for 
 independent con lection with the fertile lauda 
 nortli of the Sasl -itchewan, making commun- 
 ieatiou and stretching away Into 
 the great IVace Siver; I think, 
 we may relieve o ir minds of any apprehen- 
 sion of a mon(>por, of which w« have Iwjen 
 warned in Bucli eiiphatic terms. Some gou- 
 tloiDcn may dou t whether the sort of com- 
 jctitiou t<.. whuh I liftvu ft.fuucti it. ft sufViv;!- 
 cnt safeguard. 1 do not think wc nectl to 
 look beyond tUfe Wt. Lawrence to establish 
 that fact. We lave here one of the best 
 routes of comu unication witli the grnat 
 I^vince of Ontario and deriving 
 supplies of f eight from the great 
 North-West as w ;11, and niwn terms that en- 
 able UR, as the trtb of the port of Montreal 
 for the last y^av Til! fully establish, to ^om- 
 
i'TU»K of tJiPwnt 
 
 miam [wnw mm hi u. 
 
 itU'O contruft, which iv<? i m 
 ful IjeBtimaUMtni fully gUAnlufTHioHt. On the 
 t^riit reuding of thin contract wk iiotirii lliu 
 •bHcnce of Much ordinary ((uaruutccH and 
 t.-umUtiunH, but ui>on rcadiag il nguin w<; 
 iiiscuvor tliat the subject in uan U> which 
 t<u«;h ordinary guarantees and con(^tioaa will 
 not apply, that its ft:atur«8 arc upon hik h a 
 ««c-alu that these ^aarant(^«)H can only be Hn\». 
 plied >>y tho highur guarantees of a firm, 
 mutual intoreHt, and depeiidenc-e of the cuu- 
 Jtractiof; partieH. Without HU(;h conditioiiH 
 it iM quite uvideat that no progreHH could bu 
 auade ou «itherMidi9. Bearing in mind theHc 
 /'onHiderutiouH, I Hhall aot troiiblH myself to 
 consider the (^uostiouM of \im^, h»rltiy^i>rnn- 
 and incbuti of gradient and curva, j^of of 
 fractiouff or centa in ruteK of toll. Nor »\mH 
 I. on the oth«r hand, undertake to formulate 
 /anciful eHtimat«M of the value of the land 
 which forms a coDniih^ratiou to the builders 
 of thio rood. The valu« of that land hurt 
 Utxa dtated ut variouH ^gur^RUpto, I believe 
 lour do'.larH au acre, and a vei^ formiduhl*) 
 amount iif money hna been Btated au thu 
 *<um that tlie construction of the railway was 
 to coHt. 5Iy idea is that, in dealing with 
 thiti subject, we muHt deal with the lundR in 
 the North Wewt iu tho way in which they 
 bav^ been dealt with under corre(»l)on<ling 
 ^'ircuraiitances in the United Htate«. I h»d 
 thf.te that by common consent the general 
 purpoM for which land grants are made in to 
 facilitate settlement anil advance the gener- 
 «1 prosperity, rather than to make tlie landw 
 A Hource of roveniie. With this imdcrstand- 
 ing I Ixdievc that, to this day, tho public 
 Jntids of the Unitcii Ktatcg ari; bald ond sold 
 to settlers ut $1.25 an acre. Dut i^' wm uQt 
 •Alertaku 'u> extabliKh fanciful eHtiuiatei) of tlut 
 value ol land, I do not know why we Hhould 
 not say $40, as well as 94. It in impoKHibie 
 for us t*> say what the land is worth. Land 
 1* not like the foot! iu our larder, or the rai- 
 ment upon our back, or the creation of our 
 handiwork, that perish with iikb. Wc migift 
 *•* well undertake to put a price upon the 
 light of tho sun, upon tho rain that falls 
 I'nun the clouds ; we might as well under- 
 take to sot a price upon tlie liberty which is 
 our birthright, upon t^ie privilege of using 
 ^>ar energies, and our faculties, as freemen. 
 The value of the land is itv its une by tho 
 husbandman, and its developament and oc- 
 <'np»tJon by a free, industrious and well gov- 
 erned and contented people. Again, th« 
 itinegtion ariHes in connection with this con- 
 tract, as to tiie advantages »t' the other party 
 t« it, and the poHHibility of their a<,quiring 
 great wealth. I think this Committee will 
 a^ree with mo that uo men ot' substance or 
 < haracter could be found to undertake siich 
 H < ontract without, in the first place, free- 
 dt)m of action, freedom from tlinse ordinary 
 conditions and restrictions to which I have 
 referred, and with the further prospect of a 
 very great reward. In coming to the discus- 
 sion of this question, \ e must not be dis- 
 mayed by the flowerf? o( rhetoric to which 
 this contract has been subjected iu its intro- 
 dnctlon to this House. We are familiar 
 >itli «uch tcjnif., ii'inis thnt have lost tht'ir 
 force here, at all events, such terms as mild- 
 ness, insanity, incapacity, national ruin, sui- 
 cide. The adjectives have lost their force 
 to ns, they are too familiar. They have 
 been applied for the last two years to a sub- 
 ject which, I think, is a tuir demonstration 
 of what I suy. There is not one of those 
 adjectives that has not been repeated over 
 and over again, in application to 
 the National Pulley from the Opposi- 
 tion side. Well I i'^ glad to nee in 
 the Hinitt^ of Finance tbe imiUng condi- 
 tftfn of A tefcn wttH » idU purst. Ths anath«- 
 
 J, •'<)() milet ui rouii lu iii<. wii«f(i j/'>i)it.io.(. 
 I believe that the dilHcult'os <.f iiich n 
 scheme as that would destroy any Oovorn- 
 munt. At the same time it is quite under- 
 stood, and I think, most completely (ulmitt- 
 ed by lK>th sides of the House, that this rcjud 
 tthu^ld be built. It is tbe only way in 
 whh\^ M/>* Pominiun can have the railway 
 facilties wo ru()uii»->:t|p pit^ly thi?)^ vrhich 
 will make us tmu peoplo, and hii^g aboi^t a 
 reul uniAn of this bomiuion, so that we shall 
 b(! something more than the prcvorbiul bun- 
 dle of Hticks. Tlie able leader of the Oppo- 
 sition, in dealing with the subject, in one of 
 those pleasant moods in wliich he mingles 
 wit and wisdom so charmingly, drew a very 
 nlco picture of my right hon. friend look- 
 i;jg "do^n ^]iot^ hiti Kijbjorts — his children 
 one n^igiit cail theifl,— •^hi»Hl}i( f'Vcr t^ftt 
 r«»iid at the rate of 'I'f utiles an Ijoifr. Them 
 is a goo<| deal in this of practical use 
 and value, as 1 have no diuibt was fully in- 
 tended by that hon. g«'ntlenian when he 
 drew the picture. 1 think that wh<Uev<r 
 the u.sos of this road n a material or social 
 poiijjt of yiov, they will bu n>nc)j jfrcater 
 with tbe entire lii^u ujm>i) oiir own^ t^oll. 
 When I come to deal witli some other ques- 
 tions I think I shall be able to show that in 
 some other connection -the connection with 
 tht) rates of charges und th? questi<m o*" uk*- 
 nopoljcs wh)c)i )l/i8 bi't'n st^irted — it it. still 
 more important that ti^e l|i|ii should be biiili 
 entir(Jy on Canadian soil. IJow, ititisaldby 
 some that there is uo difficulty in a Goveru- 
 uiont building and owning a railway. It is 
 n well-known fact tliat railways arc run in 
 the Kotithern countries of Europe, in France, 
 Qormany and Italy, by the Government, and 
 a)u kppt ifr^dMr t^ffective control. Tm-o things- 
 may be ijaid ii> thU coijuogtiou ; iu (ho fin^t 
 place, those arc very short rojujf^ ar>d very 
 small countries. In the next place, tho 
 Governments of those coujitries are very dif- 
 ferent from the Govern raout of a free peo- 
 ple extending from the Atlatitic to the Paci- 
 ttc. MMHy thinga (•an be done in a compact 
 State likii jfraifCB orGerrnany that cannot be 
 done in our country jf iiiopp fFeuiftStitutioqB, 
 with tlic great freetlom of action that prcKails ; 
 and rnuny things can be done that we should 
 not desire to see done in our country. I 
 siiall not be at great pains to reply to the 
 arj;nraents from tlio Opposition side, .ind to 
 show that almost every member of the Op- 
 position who has dealt with this subject, has 
 comqiittivl liinisjdf to the precise terms of 
 this contraiL't. I bioiipvo that fact is so clear 
 on the face of it, that I expect, fuHyi tbp ad- 
 hesion of the member for Lambton, jvhom I 
 am glad to see is in his place, and who, I 
 hope, will support the Rill. I am sorry tliat 
 the leader of the Opposition is not in his 
 place. 1 should like to call his attention to 
 the maxim of a great legal authority, whicli 
 may come in here. Capt. Bunsby says very 
 frequently that *' the bearing of this oVtserva- 
 tiom lips in tiie application of it."' I should 
 like to cfllJ the licm. ger^tleman's attention 
 to the proposals >nade in 187-^ very similar 
 to tbe terms of this ci)rttrttct. with this sim- 
 pl'.' (5iffer«'n<'v t^f the '•ftpi>Uoation "' by tiic 
 gentleman who then led the Governinent. I 
 find that in 1874 he offered to pI! the world 
 the sum of $16,000 per mile and 20,000 acres 
 for tjje whole length of 2,600 milen of rail- 
 way, without any limitations, or conditions 
 to be applied, to the prairie or any othcir 
 lands in choice or preference. That was not 
 all ; although this sum, a very • oasiderable 
 oinount, judge«l by the arithmetic of to-day, 
 for, valuing this land at tlie lowest sum they 
 have conceded, $2.00 an acre, we have hera 
 $50,000 a mile, for the 2,600 miles, wo are 
 not done with the consideration offered by 
 
 fi/'iiHi 'Wid (m II v.iiicty i4 piirjMjscrf liu 
 i,ai(i|ot hi) lua' liud by au (pliuartButfler wli 
 requires 100 ncios ot land fioni wliich 1 
 mukc his living. There is a dilerenco b( 
 twcen the prrvlsmn in this ctntrnct, an 
 that in the pr iposui of 187 t, iu rcsptjct 1 
 the selection i,nd the quantity of land ofl'erei 
 and its po«iti(n in regard to the main < 
 bnaiich lines (f railway. ]t^ thv pronuHnl ( 
 
 quantity of Ipr^d woijld bo given to any ej 
 tension or an^ branch that might loprojcc 
 od from the nain Hue. There is no sue 
 provision In tue' contract before) iis to-da; 
 The contractir may select, subject to the a| 
 proval of the i.lovernor in t-'ouncil, to tli 
 extent of 2.'>,( 00,000 acres in rdl, but tl 
 grant of land IS confined absoh'tcly to tl: 
 linjitof 2.'5,Q(^<,0Q0acr(n. J utatd thk uu; 
 ilctilarly, buciuso I have liuard ihe quosuu 
 proposed, and 1 have seen It stated wit 
 such persiflt(a,cn by parties opposed to tl: 
 undertaking, that I lind it is dcfiirublcto e: 
 plain so siuip'o a matter as tliis. Disposin 
 then of this hind question, therefore, we fin 
 that thv Hifiit is 25,000,000 acres, vyhich, qpo 
 atjy coiiiputnt oi^ of the le^ngth t,n<l' broadt 
 ot that countiy, is but a very snuill portio 
 of the lands t lere, that arc availublo for lu 
 in scjme form >r other. Leaving for thcpn 
 sent the quesi ion of lands, we come to tli 
 question of tliH money, that the road is t 
 cost us. 'flut;, in i^s entirety, }.>; tl;e «uij^ i 
 $;)3,0(»0,000. 'fthis Is reuUy whai. wo have t 
 leal with, upi n which wo can put moui 
 value. bccauKi I maintain that "vhutever w 
 may call the nominal value oi the land 
 thfy really d« not enter into the (juestion i 
 computing th ■ cost to us of tins railway. 
 ■ maintain llutt they arc elements apart, coi 
 Uected with t le settlement of the coun(r 
 which we caif'ot puducu to tigures in est 
 mating the c« st of the railway. The amour 
 of money thei in question is $53,000,00 
 Al>out $18,00C.0O0 of tlie grant has ahead 
 been expended or provided, leaving the sin 
 of $35,000,000 to be provided, -ir a charjj 
 upon the country, at 4 per cent, i.f $1,400,0( 
 per year. Wl y, it is a suin that is ^o grcfk 
 *r than OT\Q o'thosQ deficits of tho previoii 
 Government, Vhich we have paid so easi 
 under the inflience of our Nati«)niil Polic 
 If we get incrjased receipts from our preset 
 TariiT, 1 think we can see whore this inont 
 is to come fro n, leaving us a surplus to 1 
 applied to otl er and more gouiial uses. 
 think I can ihow in a very )Vw minuti 
 wiiere wi- mn.' expect to get this mone 
 without ai)y reference to the prwsoi>t f()»ai 
 otftl aipect of th" country. I do not (;oui 
 on lands iu this catimato, because, as 1 ha^ 
 said before, I d( not take this inioquestior 
 but, in 1870, th • receipts from Customs, Iv 
 ciscand .Stan.ps amounted to $l8.4V(J,rio 
 Now, there is i little uncertainty as to wh( 
 this railway nay be completed, when v 
 shall require -hese $35,000,000. It, may 1 
 in tive years O' it may bo in ten years, liut 
 do not think ii requires great stictch of im 
 gination to si jtjiose that in tb.esft five yeai 
 we shall have a million of rtdditioi.al pecjp 
 iu ti'in l)o»niri"ii, l^'i-ongh tho s^-tn-rofTit, 
 the North-weoi ; and if you add 25 per ecu 
 to those coUo'tjons you will find, not mere 
 the $1,400,001' tliiit wj require, hut a sum 
 about $4,G00,<i00. I do not think that tli 
 subject re(iuir".s to be dwelt upon. I thii 
 it is clear thai it will satisfy c-'ory cand 
 member o.' this House and e^'ery reasonab 
 man in tho i.uintry at huge." Well, he 
 are some othe- objections made to the coi 
 tract, and I sliall not detain the House loi 
 but I shall rcierto a few of them. One 
 these is, the fieedom from duty of certu 
 things that aia to be brought in for the co 
 
\.u'uiy oi j/iirjM»sis lliat 
 l.y armr'l'U"' ■ ^>><tMur \v\u> 
 
 Of liirnl f4"lil vyhi<'li to 
 Tlmro Id ft ilifforenoo b«- 
 m In this ctntrmt, an«l 
 il of 1871, in ic8pi!( t to 
 ho quMitity ofland oflered, 
 
 regard to the mmri or 
 
 I way. ]i\ t!H' nr'>n<JHn| of 
 
 TIjaiiti hi'«a()i'i^i Mint i\\U 
 foi\U\ 1)0 If i veil to auy cx- 
 tich that mif(lit loprojict- 
 
 lino. TUoru in n(j huoIi 
 ontract Ijofonj uft to-day. 
 y Holcct, Htdijcct to the ap- 
 srnor in l-'ourail, to tlic 
 
 00 arrcH in .'*11, but the 
 •nfined aliH(»li'tt ly to the 
 ftcrm. ] Utatd tj«ln, JfiH 
 J liavo Jiqard iho huohIiou 
 lavo Hoou It 4tatod with 
 V parties opposed to the 
 
 1 lind it is dcKiraltlo to cx- 
 liattor as tlii.s. DlBpoKlug 
 liu'stion, tluTcforc, wo find 
 ,000,000 aiT«'K, iivl|i<.='i| "IfK'n 
 )t th<i Itjnfftli i.ikI' hroudth 
 
 hut u very small portion 
 
 that ari' avaiinhlo tor nne 
 :lier. Leaving; for the pre- 
 of landK, M'o (•i)me to the 
 )iiey, that the rf)ad is to 
 
 i^s entirety, js \]\('. tn\\^ o|,' 
 I Ix leally wluu. wo havo to 
 hicli wo can put monby 
 lainlain that whatever we 
 linal value ot t)ic lands, 
 
 enter into the question in 
 it to us of tills railway. 1 
 y arc olenientw apart, eon- 
 ;ttlemei)t of th^ coiin(ry, 
 [luduotj to t^gui-es in estl- 
 f the railway. Tiic amount 
 I question h $53,000,0t»0. 
 ' of the grant has already 
 
 provided, leaving the sum 
 be provided, or a charge 
 at 4 per cent, i.f $1,400,000 
 t is a suin that i8 Jio grofk^, 
 )NQ doflcits of the jirevioiiH 
 ;h we have paid so easily 
 :^e of our Nati.jnal Policy, 
 d rec eiptft from our present 
 can see where this money 
 saving us a surplus to b«; 
 ,nd more gcneial uses, f 
 r in a very few minutes 
 xpeet to get thi.s money 
 .meo to the pr(iHor\t t^nan- 
 coimtry. I do uot eount 
 jtimato, because, as I have 
 lot take this into question ; 
 •eeeiptR from Customs, Fjx- 
 amountod to $i8.470,rioo. 
 ;tlo nr.eertainty as to when 
 be eomplotoit. when we 
 i $3.1,000,000. li may bo 
 may be in ten years, but I 
 juires great stietch of ima- 
 se that in thesft five years, 
 lillion of Tidditioi al people 
 
 ^IfOiigV. tlio K»'tH'*")er>t cf 
 md if you add 25 per cent. 
 IS yon will find, not merely 
 it wo require, I ut a sura of 
 I do not think that this 
 :> bo dwelt upon. I think 
 will satisfy c^-ory candid 
 ouse and e^ory reasonable 
 try at large. Well, here 
 jeetions made to the con- 
 not detain the House long 
 a few of them. One of 
 om from duty of certain 
 
 be brought in for the cou- 
 
 "itli Ui'i iitU«A)>. in the Ignited 
 JiiUt^da, wo siiuuld be able to guard 
 against the monopolies. I think 
 Hir, it dooh not require nnich higic, to show 
 that we should be subjci-t to the monopolies 
 several times over. Wo have alsu ^ yor? 
 complete general KailwiiY ^ot ujxoa the Sta- 
 tute-booH to iv-oyide. n^aTnst thiMiO oxcegsivo 
 cj\a^^|4\8. i Was miner uurpristjd to hear the 
 hoiv leader of tlio'OppoKlti(m road the other 
 niglit the distinct provisions of that Act to 
 piotoct the piiees of tolls and rates to tlie 
 ert'oct that no toll should be levied or taken 
 until approved of by the Governor in Couu« 
 cil, nor until after two weekly pi\VUc'AtionH 
 in the Canada Gazette of thv by-J*w establish- 
 ing and of the Ordei, iu iX>uneil confirming 
 it. {( ii^ truu tho hou. gentleman gave it as 
 )tisujiinion that that low was nugatory; t'uo 
 oxpressioa is his own. 1 do not know ex- 
 actly what it means, but my impression as 
 a layman is that if we enact a law \}\ this 
 House, and it is jdaced on tli»« Htftlttto-book, 
 it is applicable and rr^^iua in force. I do 
 not kno>Y y^\\\^i would happen if the hon. 
 IwailtM' of the Opposition were the adminis- 
 trator of the law. Perhaps he means that he 
 would not put it in force; but we have a 
 v(!iy ctficient provision for the enforco»»i>nt 
 of this law. 1 believe every gontlemun in 
 this House recognizes tliO great energy of 
 my hon (r(v.iv\ Utw Minister of Puiilways, and 
 1 ViftUovethat, loader this Act, ns well as un- 
 der the General Act, one part of his <lut> 
 would be to see that tliis law is carried out. 
 I believe this corporation would be undev 
 his particular care, and, I think, we may be 
 satislied that, ntider the present airango- 
 ment, it will receive \\i^ e»v<is a« ho will have 
 time to deyv^t^ (.«• i» Ho will l^i; relieved uf 
 tl^o (iuormous strain and l)urdon which have 
 boon put upon him by this very project, 
 leaving him with scarcely any time to de- 
 vote to the other great inttrests of his de- 
 partment. I make this statement in ju&tico 
 to the Minister of Uail ways, becaustj iboliovo 
 this House and tho cowutry have scarcely 
 appreciated tht lahop which tliat hon. gen- 
 tloiiv^'U has \ieon compelled to assume in tho 
 present condition of this uadertaking. Then 
 we have been told, in very expressive lan- 
 guage, that the North- West country is hand- 
 ed over as a perpetual monopoly to this great 
 corporation. Well, the hon. leader of th» 
 Opposition the other dby told w- in his 
 loftiest style, that modern eo»Vi*norce knows 
 no such liinitatioi^s, his idut. being that we 
 8hi>nt4 hj\YO compotitiun for the carrying 
 trade of the North- vVcst. Well Sir, i believe 
 he was right ; i agree with hi-n. Modern 
 oo'um&rce has always found tho means of 
 overriding anything in the form of a mono- 
 ply, and it there were no provision in this 
 Bill to guard the public interests, T think tlie 
 eonsidcration of mutual interest, and ^|fle- 
 podonce of the interests of the corporation 
 iu having the country settled and in 
 providing every facility for carrying traffic, 
 would of themselves be a safeguard in this 
 respect. A great point is nuulein this connec- 
 tion of what the contritctora ra'ght possibly 
 <lo in holrling lands fur advance I price and 
 then charging high rates of freit.,ht. Well, I 
 think tho statement made tho other night 
 effectually meets that objection. We were 
 told that there wert^ Instances on the railway 
 that crosses Minnesota of cultivated land, 
 from which a revenue equal to $4 an acre 
 was deri^ ed by the railwaj' company in th*" 
 wav ,i h .jight. That is an excessive case, 
 but the best proof that there is much don« 
 in that way is the well-known fact that the 
 company has returned purchase money to 
 the extent of $2.50 per acre to tho farmer 
 lifter the lands werj in a state of cultivation"* 
 
 Montreal 
 
 able us, as the tri'l;.' i>f till- port v)f 
 forthelastyjur Till fully establish, to xoni- 
 pefo fully and \m< i-essfully with the great At- 
 lantic {VOkts of th<t United States ; to competo 
 iT'iih them in the face of all their advantagft 
 of largo lines of ^ essols controlled by wealthy 
 merchants and ea<irmouR capital, that havo 
 • great deal to d( with the direction of tha 
 trattic and its coi trol ] that in the foiu of that 
 competition, tht route of the Ht. Lawruuc» 
 has been otitabliihed and improved from yeai- 
 to ye»r% And w ty ? Keeause this water way 
 id u)i«u to all th< world, and cdthough it l.> 
 closed for six mcattiS in the year, the facilities 
 are sufTlcient to enable the carriert and deal- 
 «rs in this great i icrchandicie that travels over 
 the country, to r sist monopoly and to estab- 
 lisl< freedom ^)f t> rtion and sucii guarrintces otf 
 are noce&sary. need not dllatu upon thi« 
 poiut ; every mi n who has paid the slightest 
 attention to thi great water-ways tl" the 
 country, knows t perfectly, li it were not 
 for ihis it would be impossible that the groat 
 linus of Rtcamer , owned, controlled and run 
 by Ca'iadians, s) ould be kept upon thisrouti^ 
 in the fiice of tb smaller business of our owu 
 country with foi r millions of jK'oplo only to 
 C'omiietc with 1 irty millioub, and with the*- 
 sratiUer capital '/e liavo to control the direc- 
 tion of trade, and with u smaller importation 
 of goods, as com.iarcd with the Atlantic portft 
 of tho United Sates. I I think if we consider 
 these points,, anii if we consider that Port Nel- 
 son is GO or 80 i liles nearer to Liverinxd than 
 tho ^lori of Now York, and that it is as near to 
 the gvoat whei t fields of the ijaRkatche- 
 wan as Winiipeg, 1 think we nee<l 
 not be afraid that tho monopoly of th© 
 fieight of the pioducts of that country croo|>- 
 ingfor 1000 or jou luiles over a railway i» 
 going to destroy tho power of tho producer 
 to carry them to the sea. Now wo hAvo 
 heard a good d( al about what these controc- 
 torn might do. They might gobble up the8» 
 lands, they migtit put them in their pockets,, 
 they might sell them and go to tho world's 
 cud, (uid spend the money, and all this kind 
 of thing. 1 am glad to say that in this cf 
 Uaxt i see the I and of my right hon. friend 
 and bis collcag .es in their best form. They 
 have dealt wit! this question In tho tru© 
 spirit of statesKtanship. Thoy have assumed 
 tiwit men wouK act fairly and honorably. 
 They have assu ned, that under ordinary cir- 
 cumstances or iuder extraonlinary circum- 
 stant-c.B osthe f ise may be, the interests oi 
 the contractors would keep them, right lot 
 connection witi this work, and that iiua% 
 whoever they liitiy be, who have the energy 
 and the ability to earry on tlds work, will 
 have wisdom eiiough to discover their great- 
 interest in acting in coiimon with the inter- 
 ests of this couitry, by which means alouo 
 their project cflu be made profitable to them- 
 selves as well IS valuablu to this counrry. 
 I think it is to the credit of my right hou. 
 friend that he has exhibited his practical 
 knowledge of rhis method of dealing, that 
 he has not dis ruBted or doubte.d, but has 
 left the splittiLg of liairs to tho dieamora 
 and speculatorf who ascend to the clouds or 
 <lf>pp«nd to t)i'> 'l'. pths 1 have no dov.Wt thit^ 
 the House will justify the courso taken by 
 my riglit hon. friend. I believe the con- 
 tract luis been luide ui the interest of Cana- 
 da, and tl'.at t will secure the settlement 
 and developmeat of our great North- West^ 
 and that that a<;hievement will be added 
 to the many pu die services rendered to the 
 country, by the leader of the present Govern- 
 ment. I believe this so fully in every respect 
 that, discardin:; all those little doubts and 
 difhcultiea aiul fears, I have no hesitation in 
 saying that I ihull give the reuolntion taj 
 firm support.