FIRST READINGS.
Bill (No. 74) respecting the Medicine Hat
and Northern Alberta Railway Company.Mr. P. Talbot by Mr. Parmelee.
Bill (No. 76) respecting the. Red Deer
Valley and Coal Company.—Mr. Campbell.
Bill (No. 77) respecting the Canadian
Agency.—Mr. Bickerdike by Mr. Campbell.
Bill (No. 78) respecting the Macleod, Cardstone and Montana Railway Company.Mr. Turriff
by Mr. Campbell.
BATTLEFORD AND LAKE LENORE
RAILWAY COMPANY.
Mr. PARMELEE moved for leave to introduce
Bill (No. 75) respecting the Battleford and Lake Lenore Railway
Company.
Mr. HENDERSON. I would like the hon. gentleman to
explain that Bill. I do not know if it is a new Bill or an extension. I
have a suspicion that it is extending a very bad Bill.
Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first
time.
FIRST READINGS.
Bill (No. 79) respecting the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway Company—Mr.
Zimmerman—by Mr. A. Johnston.
Bill (No. 80) to incorporate the Woodstock
and Lake Huron Railway.—Mr.
A. H. Clarke.
Bill (No. 81) respecting the Ottawa River
Railway Company, and to change its name
to the Central Trunk Railway Company.Mr. Piché.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT IN THE
NORTHWEST.
Mr. FOSTER. Before the Orders of the Day are called, I
would like to ask the First Minister as to the cause of the delay in
printing of the Autonomy Bill.
Sir WILFRID LAURIER. I think there has been no delay so
far. I am just as anxious as my hon. friend is to have the Bill
printed immediately and to take it up as soon as possible. I expect to have
it at the latest on Tuesday.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. I ought to say that I am responsible
for some of the delay that has occurred. In consequence of an error
1672 in the description of the boundaries of the provinces, I had to get
that corrected, which I did as soon as the Bill was in the hands of
the Clerk of the House, and I returned it to him yesterday afternoon.
MANITOBA ELECTION RETURNS.
Mr. FOSTER. Has the First Minister had an opportunity
to look into the question which I put to him yesterday as to the
Manitoba election returns?
Sir WILFRID LAURIER. I speak subject to
correction, but I believe I am right, when I say that all these returns are
in the hands of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, who is an officer
of this House, and it seems to me that the procedure would be to have
a motion made for his attendance here. I have been waiting for my hon.
friend the leader of the opposition to return in order that I might
confer with him on that point. I can see no objection to that.
CONTRACTS FOR GOVERNMENT
WORKS.
Hon. CHARLES FITZPATRICK (Minister of
Justice) moved second reading of Bill (No. 51) respecting contracts for
government works.
Motion agreed to, Bill read the second
time and House went into committee thereon.
On section 1—tenders to be invited; exceptions ; contracts to be awarded by the
Governor in Council-
Mr. FITZPATRICK. The first clause practically
re-enacts the law as we have it now ; that is to say, it provides that the
minister shall invite tenders for all works of which the estimated
cost exceeds $5,000, the exceptions being those works which are of
immediate and urgent necessity and those of which the estimated cost
does not exceed $5,000. The new feature is the second paragraph, which provides
that all contracts let by tender are to be let, not
by the minister directly, but by the minister under the
control and with the approval of the Governor in Council. Having
looked into the law, I found it necessary to make this change. As a
matter of fact, contracts for works costing less than $5.000 have been
let without tender, but there has been no legislative sanction for that. I
am making this change so as to provide for the full approval of
council to every contract that is made.
Mr. HAGGART. As the laws stands, I understand that all
contracts must be let by tender.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. The law as contained in 31
Victoria, chapter 12, section 20, re-enacted in the Revised Statutes as
chapter 36, section 13 provides that all contracts shall be let by
tender except works of im-[...]
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