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with his workman for the waiver ol any otf the rights of the workman under this Act, or that the liability of ths employer shall be less than that imposed upon him by this Act, and every agreemont contrary to the provisions of this see-- tion shall bo absolutely void." This is a matter which has bad a good sceal of attentien given to it in the Esglish Parliament, and the o'd law has never boeen amended in that respect. That very feature was discussed, and the quss-- tion was rased whether the effect of such legis-- lation migzht not be that if employers tound them-- selves liable to hsavy damages by reason of the effect of the now law they would not reduce wagos, because, having ornly a certain amount of capital, it their liabilities were to be increased, the chanees were that they could not,aford ta con-- tinue the former rats of wages, I say this ape= cial provision is so serious in its character, both from the standpoint of an employer and of a workman, that both should be aliowed ample time to consider it. 'Then if we ware preopared to adopt this measure we might prevent workmen making a contract, that they might otherwiso be prepared to enter into, A case of this kind wight occur in this way. A numbsr of work-- mien might band themssives together to carry on a special trade, as many do in these days of co-- operative societies, The company would be AN EMPLOYER OF LALOUR, ard it might be aimost an abso.ute necessity to agree among themselves that thay would not as against the Company enforce any of the pro-- visions of this B:l!. _ Yet my hon. friend would prevent their so directing to their own benefit and advantage. When there are so many in-- dustrial companies of this character formed from amongst the labouring classes I would suggest to my hon. friend the propriety of the House not proceeding with the legisiation at present but allowing the matter to stand over until next session, and meanwhile taking such steops as will ensure a fuiller discassion, 'There is another rea« son for delay, HMe proposes a very much mors sweeping change than any in the English Act, in subsection six of section one. It is not in the English Act, and therefore it is a daugerous thing for us to adopt it for the first tims here without very full consideration, if wa are to be guided by the experiencs of the English Act. But there is more than this against the measure. e makes the word workman so broad that it would apply to every person working for another. The English Act, which was considered so sori-- onsly, excludes domestic and moental servants. This Bill servant, and to any person to whom the Employors' and Workimen's Act of 1875 applies. It is uut only this, _ but he proposes to make the liability very largs. Ho proposes to include not only railway em-- ployees, but those engaged about engines, boilers, or other machinery. 'Tnat would effect every farmer who worked by steam on his place, Now, I have told you that 1 myself have taken a good deat of trouble to gathoer together data and in« formation with respect to this subject, and I would suggest that this Bill ought not to be pressed to any further stage this session, but that it should be leit jover until next session ; and meanwhile, for the purpose of discussion, that we should have placed in print such par-- ticulars as the reports of the Special Commuttees of the Haglish Parliament on the subject con-- tain tcgether with other important _ in-- formation which _I have in my pos-- session, and in the early days of next session the wholo matter can be taken up and then those whose intorests would bae invoived wou'ld haye an opportunity of being heard, and we could not be charged with precipitation. In conciusion he stated that he had a resolution to move if Mr. Meredith would not consent to withdraw bis Biil, Mr. MEREDITH--Go on. Hon, C. F. Fraser then moved, seconded by Mr. Pardee :-- 1. Such portions of thereports and proceedings of the Special Committees of the Imperial House of Commonsin the years 1876 and 1877 respect= ively as have spocial reference to employera' lias bility for injuries to their servants (but not so as to include the examinations of witnesses before said Committees.) _ id That all of the original motian after the first word *"that" be omirted, anad instead theraof thore be inserted the followin#@:-- * Bill No. 97 bo read a second time this day six months, sad that pean white there be laid before this House and printed for distribution;-- _ Aud 2. A copy of the letter addressod by Lord Jusuce Bramwell to Sir Henry Jackson, a mems ber of saidCommittees, with respect to the matters enguired into by said Cominittees. _ _ _ ue 4 Mr. CLARKE, as an employer of labour, bad no objeciion to the measure. HMe showed by an uccident in his own factory how difficult it is to deline between pure accident and negligence. Me did not think they could go too cautionsly, and he would prefer that the leader of the OUppo-- sition should accent the amendment and with-- draw the Bill, though if it were pressed to a division he should vote for the Bull. Mr, GIBSON (Hamilton) thought there was great force in the observation o¥ Mr. Fraser, that what has engaged the attention of Logisia= tures on the other side of the water for yoars should not bo bastily doalt with hero. Ho sug-- gested that the Bill should be withdrawn for this ses=10n. Mr. ERMATINGER agreed with some of the romatks of the Commus--ioner of Public Works that they should proceed with caution, though he considered that the matter was of suchimnort-- APPLIES TO ANY RAILWAYT PWE Greu css s i0 s titeetleee en e Emm meen 00 CK ance that in proference to having the matter lay l over . till next sossion tho House would be justified in lengthening the session in order to Consider it onvetully. He suggested that the Bill should be referrad to a Spscial Committee. Mr. PHELPS objected to the Bill on the | ground that the manufacturing interests in the | Province were nout aware of the provisiouns of the Bill,and ho suggested that it should be laid over till next session. HWon. A. 8. HARDY--The _ matter in a Bill which proposes _ to change in a very -- vital _ mauner the _ relations be-- tween employers and labourors should be con-- sidered with due care. It is not sufficient that the House has had time to consider the measure, but the country should be informed what the House is doing,. _ I am not aware that there is any groat demand for the Bill at the present time. The newpapers don't seem to have learned of the wmeasure, and I have not seen it discussed in any leading newspsupor, None of them seem to have l understood the drift of the Bill, it any rate it | has not bsen discussed to any considerable ex-- tent. -- Then also emplovers of isbour, immagufac-- turers, railway managors, and othors should have an opportunity of being heard before a Commut-- teo or before the House, and the workingmen's organizattons should know what is being done, as they might want a larger measure or modifica tions. It is quite probable that they may not | have given the Act a great deal of attontion to what has been done in England, and that what lis good for the employers Ia'u:d workmen in . woy d No T $s c 1. cgig Lc TS 400 M is Py O o 0 C En;l:\nd is not as suitable Tor Canada Mr. CREIGITTON considered that the clause preventing work men contracting was the most important of the Bill. He expressed himself strongly against a posiponement of the Bill. It being six o'clock the Spsaker left the chair, PRIVATE BILLS. The following Frivate Bills were considered in Committee and reported :-- _Mr. Blythe--To consolidate the debenture debt Uf--the town of Durbsm, -- s coo0 _ 3 _ Mr. Monk--To amend the Act to incorporate the Long P int Company. in' . %;, hx _ Mr. Neslon--Respecting a certain bysliaw of the viliage of Beamsville. f _ Mr. Jili--To incorporate the Parry Sound Colonization Railway Company. | _ _ _ © _ Mr. Froeman--To incorporate the Tuarkey Point Company. _ _ Amecopniuirainen+ i _ Mr. Morrick--To incorporate the Brockvilie, Merrickvill», and Oitawa Railway Company. _ --Mr. Baxter--To confirm a cortain by--law of the towa of Niagara Falis, and for other pur-- p{lfl(','. Co «h2 kx C T M _ Mr. Creighton--Respecting a certain by--law and certaim dobentures of the municipal corpora~ tion o Owen Sound. that which had previously been passed. _ I thin': the leader of the Opposition would not be willing to bring in a J3ili of the same nature as the one he quoted as a precedent to pass here without a protest. He would be the first man who would object to & 13ill abolishing the right of contract between land-- lord and tenant being passed here. He would object to making one class of people wards of the Province. In Ireland the laws of entail and pri« mogeniture had reduced Ireland to such a state that it was imperative that something shoul!d be done. Theextent of the influence which the Bill would have should be fuiiy considered--how far it will affect the industries of the country, the manutacturer, the empleyee, and the rallways. Take, tor instance, the luimbering interests. One class of men are sent out to construct a road, then the men draw tho logs over the road, and if an accident happened to tho latter class, then it would be an absurd thing to say that the employer should beresponsible because the men happened not to be doing the same class of work and the former didn't make the road sufliciently wek, Then the Biil VISITS OXE CLASB OF PEOPLE with a money penalty and gives the right of action _ Myr. FELRIS--Because a Bli has been on the Statute Book of Great Britain for a number or years is uc reason that a Bill with the same goueral features should be passed here. There are a great many regulasting Bills that may be very _ appropriate to the conditions -- of society existing there which are not appropriate to the state of affairs in this country. While Vrere is a great deal in this Bill which furnmshes food for reflection and consideration, it is a sub-- joet that will require a great deal of consideration now far we can go in this direction. The whole of Eogland boing ono great workshop class legisla-- tion has estapiished a state of things that other legislation may be Mr. Dowling--To amend the Acts incorporat-- ing the College of Ottawa. _ 6 x# The following Private Biils were read a second time :-- The dob to on the second reading of the Em-- povers' Tisatbulity Bill was resumed. ; Mr. Dul--'To confirm the incorporation of the Bishop of the Diocese of Algoma. y Mr. Morris--Respecting the Royal Canadian Y¥ acht Club, ENPLOYERS' LIABILITY. Mr, Meredith--Respocting St. Paul's Cometery in the city of London, Mr. Balflour--To authorize the corporation of Essex Coentre to borrow certain moneys. _ 4 After recess. NEEDED TO CORRECT to rnother party, who does not stand in the same | position,.and who cannot be visited with the same ' penalties. The employee may cause groat dam-- age to his employer, but the latter would have ' no right of action under this Biil. I don't think that this House should taks away the right of contract when they cannot deal with all equally. There are a great many employers making pros vision for employees in case of death, and have given largoe sums to funds to provide for insurs ance. -- Would not thess parties want the money back, and would not the workmen objest to this ? Then does the BJll make the Government re: sponsible for accidents on the ra¥Zways? Are we, unsolicited by parties to an arrangement, to . step in and dissolve the ties which have for years existed, becausesuch a law as this has been in force in England for several years, It is we'liknown that workmen are not under the hee! of the em-- ployer in this country like it is in England, and there have been many occasions on which they have hare approached the emplovers on some-- thing like equal terimns, or in some cases as masters, In the case of railways it was well known that the work must be done, and when a difficulty cccurred the workmen must be satisfied. He concluded by asking the House to proceed with circumspection and allow both sides a hearing, Mr. GIRSON (Huron) thought the Bill mostly in favour of the workmen, and that something could be said on the side of the employer. Look-- ing at it trom a farmer's standpoint he thought the country had not had sufficient time to con-- sider it and he should voto against the second reading _ a T We saiipe k a 2u® e oA 0 ud c e m oJ Mr. WOOD thought that the Bill was one of a class which should be considered without rela~ tion to party exigencies, and on its merits, He thought if it wount to m spscial committee the Government could prevent undue haste. Mr. MEREDITH reviewed the objections to the measure and asserted that it was one to place the artisan on the same footing as the farm labourer. -- He stated that so far from being class legislation it removed unjust discriminations and put the workman on the same ground as if he were not employed at the place where he was injured. Hon. 0. MOWAT said that the Government had no hostility against most of the principles of this Rill, There is a very great deal of sympathy for injured workmen, and evorybody of any feel-- ing would desire that they should receiva com» pensation as far as possible, and it is cortainly & very vreat thing in favour of such a Bill that it has been sdopted in England and that after it has been adopted thers is no proposition to repeal it. But then, is thero any pressing necessity for its being passed this session without giving notice to the public that any such Bill is in contempla-- tion? It is a Bill of very great imports ance. It affects almost the whole coms munity -- because the employers are . not few in number. _ There are employers all over the country who have persons in their employ, and who would be subject by this Bill to pay d mages in consequence of injuries to which they are not parties, for it is to be observed f.h_'it an employor is made liable for damages for injuries to a vorkman caused not by any act of his own,. or want of good faith or cars on his part. 1 merely montion this to show how very important the change is, and how very desirabie that we should proceed carefully with it. 1 attach great i importance to what has been done in Engiand, ! but I cannot forget that the Act was passed | there five years ago, and yet we have had no ; demand in this country from the work. ' men for such a Bill. There have been workmen's socioties in existence, and they j have -- brouzht thsir -- influence to bear i in seeking levislation, but of all the subjects j about which thoy have asked our opinion this is ; not one of them, so that my hon. friend will see, | or the Houso will see if ho' will not, that the } workmen thomselves ato not pressin« it. They | have uot felt the want cfit. If there had bsen a strong pressure from them that might have been a reason for not dealing with it for another year, | but since our workmen have not thougzht worih while to ask our attention to it we can surely wait another year. The House has soen that the Commissioner of Public Works has given much I more attention to the subject than the leader of ' the Opposition, but aiter consideration we have come to the conclusion that we ought to givo the empoyers generally information of the change we ars proposing, and an opportunity of urging any objection they can urge against it. It is noteworthy that in the United States, a country than which there is no | other in the world whero workmen have a larger ' influence in handling elections of ali kinds, | there is no State in which the Bil has passed. Tnere is not a single ono of theim bhas asked for such a law, becouss they have only to ask for it to get it, In sections of this country it may not be for the advantage of the workmen to have such a stringent law, but if it is a Bill for the advancement of the workmen then I say we ougzht to have it, and the Governmens wili do ali it can to have such a measuro passed inito law, but we must go into the subject deliberauteiy and carofu®y, and we will be all the more sure that 1t will be in the interest of tho workmen without being any injustics to the employers. 4 ¥YEras--Messrs. Awrey, Radgerow, Balfour, Bax-- ter, Bieczard, Cascaden, Cook, Dili, Dowling, Fer. ris, Fraser, Frecman, Gibson (Huron), Grabam, Hardy. Hart, MacKenzie. Mowat. Murrar, Par-- Mon,. °C,. F. Fraser's amendment was _ then voted on, and carried on the following division:--