588 COMMONS
DEBATES June 2, 1869
Sir George E. Cartier moved an amendment
to the 16th clause, providing that the Minister
of Justice should examine every patent, and
certify that all the requirements of the law
had been complied with.
Hon. Mr. Holton said the office of Minister of Justice might be vacant for some
months, and during the time no patent would
issue.
Mr. Blake - Perhaps the Minister of Militia
will not forever be in a position to take care
of that. (Laughter.) He (Mr. Blake) thought
the proposed amendment useless and mischievous.
Sir George E. Cartier said it was a repetition almost verbatim of a clause which had
been in the patent law of the late Province
of Canada for fifteen or twenty years.
The amendment was agreed to, and clause
16 as amended passed.
Clauses 17 and 18 were agreed to with
some verbal amendments. Clauses 19 to 26
were agreed to.
On clause 27 a discussion arose as to what
was to constitute the carrying on of the manufacture without which the patent would,
within three years, become void.
Mr. Blake contended that the manufacture should require to be continuous from
the time of being commenced.
Sir George E. Cartier defended the clause
as it stood, and argued that it should be left
to the Commissioner of Patents, what constituted a carrying on of the manufacture.
The clause was agreed to. At the suggestion of Mr. Blake, 3lst clause was altered
so
as not to exclude British subjects and render
them liable to residence in any of the Provinces for a year. The remaining clauses
having
been adopted in Committee.
Hon. Mr. Holton said he rose to express
as an old friend, his intense sympathy with
the position in which the hon. Minister of
Public Works was placed. Last session that
hon. gentleman's colleagues stripped his office
of the only great duty he had to perform in
the construction of the Intercolonial Railway.
This session they had taken out of his hands
that other great question which he had made
589
peculiarly his own, the acquisition of the
North-West Territory. Tonight he had not
been allowed even the poor comfort of taking this Patent Bill through Committee. These
repeated indignities being heaped upon his
(Mr. Holton's) hon. friend were very much
deprecated.
Sir George E. Cartier desired to relieve the
hon. member for Chateauguay of the too
heavy current sympathy which threatened to
drown the heart and affections of that hon.
member. The Patent Bill had been carried
through Committee by him (Sir George
Cartier) simply because his hon. colleague
happened to be absent when the Bill was sent
in from the Senate. It was to be hoped this
explanation would prevent the noble heart of
the member for Chateauguay from throbbing
needlessly. (Laughter.) The hon. gentleman,
amid roars of laughter, went into what he
called physiology or bumpology to sustain his
position, and expressed the hope that he had
thereby relieved the member for Chateauguay
in his dolorous sympathy.
Mr. Mackenzie thought the member for
Chateauguay unjust towards the Minister of
Militia, as it was well known that hon. gentleman was always ready for any description
of business on the shortest notice. (Laughter).
He was like a well-known English statesman,
who pressed himself as ready to take command of the army, the Channel fleet, or
govern England. (Laughter). As for the
measure before the House, it would, perhaps,
have been better had it been conducted
through by the Minister of Public Works,
who would, at all events, have listened to
some of the suggestions made in the amendment. (Hear).
Hon. Mr. McDougall thought, that though
the member for Chateauguay might be sincere enough in his sympathy, the House and
country would, under the circumstances,
believe that there was something else meant
than a mere expression of sympathy. For
himself, he was not conscious that there was
any occasion for the expression of sympathy.
His relations with his colleagues had been of
the most pleasant and agreeable character.
Any claims or credit due to him he was quite
ready to share with his colleagues. As to the
North-West acquisition, he thought he was
serving the Province in according cheerfully
to his hon. friend that position in the negotiations, to which his seniority entitled
him. As
to the manner in which the negotiations
were conducted by that hon. gentleman, as
well as by his conduct of the measure in that
House, and the support he brought to carry
590
COMMONS DEBATES June 2, 1869
it through, its success was in a great measure
to be attributed. With regard to the present
Bill, though the framework of it was substantially his, he was quite content his hon.
colleague should get the credit of carrying it
through.
The Committee rose, and the reception of
the report was ordered on Friday.
IMMIGRATION
Hon. Mr. Langevin moved the House into
Committee on the Bill respecting Immigration
and Immigrants, Mr. Magill in the chair.
The Bill, as amended, was subsequently
read a third time, and passed.
IMPROVEMENT OF HARBOURS IN
THE MARITIME PROVINCES
The House then went into Committee to
consider the following resolution, on the motion of the
Hon. Mr. Tilley;—"That it is
expedient that provision shall be made, as
hereinafter mentioned, for improving the
harbours and channels, and facilitating the
navigation at the several ports of Bathurst
and Richibucto, New Brunswick; Mabou,
Port Hood, Margaree and Cheticamp, in the
Province of Nova Scotia; and for the purpose
of making good to the Consolidated Revenue
Fund any sums which may hereafter be voted
by Parliament for that purpose, to authorize
the Governor in Council to impose by proclamation, from time to time, a tonnage duty
not exceeding ten cents per ton on vessels
entering any of the ports aforesaid mentioned
in such proclamation, such duty to be payable not more than once in each year on any
vessel not exceeding one hundred tons, and
not more than twice in each year on any vessel exceeding one hundred tons measurement
by register."
The Report was concurred in, and the Bill
founded thereon, which was introduced.
Second reading to-morrow.
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
Hon. Mr. Rose was going to move the House
again into Committee of Supply, when
Mr. Mackenzie called attention to the fact
that there had yet been no audit of the public
accounts, and it was not fair to ask the House
to pass an opinion on them in that shape.
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