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Hon. C. F. FRASER pointed out that the Government had clearly power to arrive at the right amount due to the Crown, and that if it were shown that the amount first claim-- ed were not due, had not been expended by the Government, or that it had been wroug-- fully expended, then they had power to re-- duce the amount claimed. Mr. MEREDITH contended that the action taken had been unconstitutional, and contrary to the rules of the House. Hon. 0. MOWAT said the work was com-- Eleted in 1877, and yet up to this moment the rovernment had been unable to collect a single dollar. There had been a great deal of lwgfotiut.iou about the claim, when the town-- ship said the work was not worth the amount charged for it and that some money had been improperly spent. Amonfst other things he fi)uml a letter from the Reeve, written in 1879, to the Commissioner of Public Works, st.utim}lt.hat some of the work had injured some of the land. After dealing with the negotiations leading to a settle-- ment, he contended that as an executor or a trustee had power to compromise, so the Mr. CREIGHTON 'contended that the Government had no power to reduce a debt due to the Crown without the authority of the House. Mr. CLANCY contended that the people of the Township of Sombra had not had notice of the coniirmation of the assessment. Hon. C. F. FRASER said he would like to know where it was laid down that the Gov-- ernment had no right to effect a compromise of this kind,. The Attorney--General had brought suit against the township, and surely it would not be contended that he had no power, as the Solicitor for the Province, to settle the suit, Suppose that in a certain case it a}iggared that $10,000 had been paid by the partment of Public Works, but that the value of the work done was only $5,000. In such a case the member for Grey would lay down the doctrine that the Gov-- erement had no option but to enforce the pay ment of the $10,000. Mr. FERGUSON said that he had seen the Reeve of Sombra, who had expressed himself as perfectly satisfied with the arrangement. EC pipdagint * uo. °. ht Ned 4+ 22 04 Aindi old t lt trch cinl 3 4 LiA d i4A d Hon, T. B. PARDEE said that both parties in the Township Council were now anxious for this legislation, and no remonstrances had been received against it. _ His hon. friend from Kent (Mr. Clancy) was contending for a mere technicalit y. _ It did not follow that when from the peculiar civreumstances of the case the amount of the nominal debt was re-- duced?} there was any forgiving of the debt ; for the reduced debt represented the amount realiy and justly due by the township. After recess the House went into Com-- mittee on the Bill respecting the drainage indebtedness of the Township of Sombra. He explained that the township was in-- debted to the Government for drainage works,. An arrangement was made with the Township Council but the Council of the following yeard refused to carry it out. A suit was hrought by the Attorney--General to compel the completion of the assessment roll, in order that the cost of the drainage works might be recovered by the Province. This action was settled and the amount of the indebtedness fixed at $42,500. The Bill was to contir them minutes of judgment em-- bodying this settlement, and t})le assessment rolls of the drainage works as settled by the Court of Revision of Townships. _ § the Bill read the third time. * x RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS. Hon. A. 8. HARDY moved the House in Committee on the Bill to amend the Act re-- specting the application of the Religious In-- stitutions Act to the Church of England. - t_'l'he Bill was reported and read the third ime. ASRICULTURE AND ARTS. Hor. A;M. ROSS moved the House ir Committee on the t:iil to amend anda con-- solidate the Agriculture & Arts Act. Mr. DRURY moved in amendment a clause providing that -- anyone _ who knowingly signs a false or spurious Mr, CREIGHTON said the Government had no right to forgive a debt, or virtually to expend the moneys of the Province without the consent of the House. It being six o'clock the Speaker left the chair. pedigree for the purpose of registration in any herd, stock, or stud book, be liable to a penalty of not more than $100 and not less than $25.. m e Oe ait > Hon. A. M. ROSS moved the House in Committee on the Bill to make further pro-- vision regarding the Public Health. An amendment was inserted making the {xrovision for erecting smallpox hostitals read 50 yards instead of 100. This makes it im-- Kfrati\'e that a smallpox hosPiLal shall not » established within 150 yards of a dwelling. The Bill was reported and read the third time. The Bill was reported and read the third time. trustee of a nation had the same power. 'The right to comfiromlse was incident to the executive authority of the Province. The agreement, therefore, was legal, and it had not been contended that the settlement was not a fair one. The Bill was reported. Mr. CLANCY moved an amendment to the third reading, providing that the town-- ships of Sombra, Moore, Dawn, and Chatham should participate to an equal extent in the reduction. The amendment was lost on division, and the Bill was read the second time. THE BRIDGES QUESTION. On the third reading of the Bill to amend the Municipal Act, Hon. C. I'p FRASER moved in amendment that the Bill be referred to the Committee of the Whole to be amended so as to make the clause and amendment relating to the main-- tenance of bridges in towns and to wnships inoperative for a year. _____ _ [ This was adopted. -- The Bill was reported, and read the third time, NIAGARA PARK,. Hon.O. MOWAT said before the next order was procecded with he desired to make a statement in respect to the Niagara park Froje(-t. in resFect to which a Bill was passed ast session. It was well known to the House that it was the intention of the Government to procure the park and provide to a certain extent for its management. It would pro-- bably be known to t%e House that under the Act of last session -- Commissioners were appointed for the purpose of discharging the duties for which the Act provides. The Commissioners were appointed notlong after the Act was passed, and they had been at work from that time until now. It is well known, said the speaker, that we have done all we could to prevent a feeling that there was any political capital to be made out of the proceedings, and of the three Com.missioners, only one of them belongs to our party. They are all men of ability, men of taste and judgment, and men in whom the public have full confidence. They have acted all along without compensation, and have taken a great deal of interest in the working out of the project. The Chairman, Col. Gzowski, has specially interested him-- self in the matter, and the success of the scheme--for 1 am sure it will ultimately be successful--will be in no small extent due to the zeal and ability displayed by him. I have prepared a Bill which I had some hope that we might be able to pass during tge present session, but on account of it being so very late I have abandoned the hope. Again, no awards have been made by the Commis-- sioners, and with the owners of the properties, and we are yet to a great extent in the dark as to what the cost of the park will actually be, the amount needed for maintenance, and the mode of raising the money. In view of all these considerations and the lateness of the session, 1 have somewhat reluctantly de-- termined _ not _ to _ proceed with the Bill which I _ had _ prepared. The Commissioners suggest two methods of raising the funds ; one of these, and the one &t;eferred by the Commissioners, is to float nds. Their report shows what therevenue may be expected to be, and after making enormous allowances, they state that enough will be realized to pay the expenses of man-- | agement, interest, and for needed improve: ments. Their suggestion is that the Pro-- | vince should issue bonds for $500,000, or that the Province should guarantee bonds to be issued by the Commissioners. It will be a matter for after--consideration which of the two shall be adopted, or whether a third plan should be tafien-up. I will only say in conclusion that it is the settled policy of the Government to secure the park for the pub-- l.c'.l'he SPEAKER read a message from His Honour transmitting further supplemen:ary estimates amounting to $500. DEBENTURE DEBT OF COBOURG. Hon. A, M. ROSS moved the discharge of the order for the second rcndin% of the Bill respecting the mun\oi%ll loan fund debt of the town of Cobourg. He said that the Gov-- ernment had, for a number of years, held de-- benturos of the town af Cobourg on which no interest had been paid for 11 years. Demands were made from tFme to time upon the town of éobourg. but no settiement was arrived at. Last year the Government took power to make an arrangemont with the town of Co-- bourg for a reduction ofi debt or an extension of time. After some unsuccessful negotia: tions with the town, the Government adver. tised the debentures for sale. _ The town uf Cobourg then approached the Government -- and -- proposed -- that _ they should issue uew debentures for a reduced amount, and thereupon the debentures were withdrawn from sale. The Council of the town passed a rosolucion affering to issue NO AGREEMENTS MADE