: S hests C ts -- / 17A T sR * : T : TAE s Hiag I ' * A--h"i---------n--------------- { Moxnay, March 3. The Speaker took the chair at 3 o'clock, CcoMMITTEE REPORT. Mr. GIBSON (Hamilton) presented the ninth | report of the Standing Committee on Private Bills. c FIRST READING, Mr. FELL--Bill to amend the Consolidf.bed Municipal Act of 1883, THIRD READINGS. The following bills were read a third time :-- Respectiang the debt of the county of Middiesex ; to incorporate the Sarnia & Lambton Southern Railway Company ; and to incorporate the Mid-- land Junction ltailway Company. | IN COMMITUEE, | The House in Committee with Mr. Baxter in l the chair. _ The following private bills were re-- ported :--To incorporate the Cascadilla Railway | Company ; to legalize, confirm, and declare valid n cortain by--law of the corporation of the city of Kingston; and to amend and consolidate the Acts respecting the Napanes River Improvement Company. css SECOND READINGS. \ _ The following bills were read a second time :---- i To amond the charter of incorporation of the Untario Methodist Camp Ground Co.; to incor-- porate the Toromto Teneiment Building Associa-- | tion : to consolidate the dept of the Town of \ Palmerston ; to revive and amond the Act incor. oratinz the Port Stauley, -- Strathroy, and i"'urt Franks Raiiway Company ; to authorize the corporation of the Town of Strathroy to purchase . certain lands therein for a public cemetery ; to ; enable the Romau Catholie Episcopal Corpora-- | tion of the Diocoese of Toronto to sell certain | lands ; respecting the Yorkvills Loop Line Rail-- way Co.; and to incurporate the Silver Creek | Tramway Company. VOLUNTEERS OF 1837. Mr. LELBS asked whethor it was the inteontion of the Government * to take into consideration | the claims of the Voluntcers of 1837, with a view to acknowljedging such claims for their valuable services." Mr. MOWAT said it was uot the intention of the Giovernment at presont to take the matter into consideratiou. ' PUBLIC FIRE PROTECTION,. Mr. PRESTON asked whether it was the in-- tention of the Government to introduce legisla-- tion to compel owners of public buildings, such as hotels, halls, schools, boarding houses, and other bumidings in use by the public, to keep fire escapes attached to said buildings, Mr. FRASEKR explained that the matter was engaging the attention of the Government, though it was not probable that any sch=--me would be formulated this session, so that legis-- lation could be passed except one or two pro-- visions in that direction,. Mr. MEREDIUH _ moved for a return of copies of ail correspandenes between the Junior Judge of the County of Onturio and the At torney--General with regard to the conduct of Mr. J. P. Foley, of Mara, one of the Justices of the Peace for that county. He stated that Mr. Foley had arrested a young man, the son of a farmer, for a crime, threatened to try him, and reiused to allow any communication with any ons but the youth's father, who gave a note for $20, which, it was alieged, had procured the young man's release. A Mr, MOWAT said the charges hard been com-- municated to Mi. Foley, who deniod the charge, and that the letter of the Junior County Jadge did not bear out Mr. Meredith's statement. The motion was carried. RAILWAY BONUSES. Mr. GIBSUN (Muron) moved for a return showing the amount paid, or to be paid, to each ; railway in Ontario by the aifferent municpali-- ties therein, by way of bonus. He stated that since Confederation the Province had built about 1,700 miles of railway, which had been bonused by from $4,000 to $5,000 per mile. _ 1f they took the average at $4,500 there would be about 87,-- 500,000, which had been given to railways. Tue matter had assumed greater significance in view of Qusbec moving for better terms. IJf the Provin-- cial bonuses were added, it would bring Ontario's contribumon jor rwilways to about the same as Quebec's, withthis difference, that in Quebec \} the municipalities bad pard nothing and the % -- Provincial Government ali. He was not in fas vour of seeling better terms, but still, knowing | the burden the municipalities were carrying in his riding, he did not want to have to labour un-- | s der the additional one of paying heavy Domimion c taxation to benefit another Province,. He thousht A that a commission ought to be appointed to make & || | a full enguiry. 3 ||| -- Mr. J. GILLIES said that in 1871, 1872, 1873, ';' | | and 1874 large amounts of money were voted to-- | 3 | wards the construction of the Wellington, Grey, & ', || | Bruce Railway, Since then a new road had been & |\ | projected, in the years 1877--8, called the Stratford § || | & Lake lMuron. -- Owing to representation of pro-- 3 |, | moters of that road a vote of $120,000 was made to 3 |,| that road. It was to procure competition that 3 road was built, and the amount being voted for G that purpose it was reasonable to expect compeili~ o -- _ | tion, but there had been none, in consequence of | 3 the absorption of the road by another road, and / & °® . the people werecomplaining. He concluded by pro-- 4 ])Oilllz that a commission should be appointed to -- _ lcok into the mutter.)