once a fortnight it is quite a large sum to pay for the service which we would receive. It is a serious matter for us in Nova Scotia where we have a great deal to do with the small amount of money that is spent. We think of our province as the wharf of Canada jutting away out into the Atlantic ocean and therefore we require a great deal. The province of Nova Scotia has done much for the west and for other parts of Canada. There is not a harbour in that province that does not. require some expenditure in the line of providing breakwater accommodation for the fishermen. Therefore, I was anxious that this sum should be divided up amongst some of the other ports. I have no objection at all if the government are willing to spend $30,000 for the accommodation of a very small steamer which will run perhaps not more than once a week or once a fortnight to Ingonish. I think it is not fair to other parts of the province of Nova Scotia which are really in need of breakwaters and wharfs, and which will continue to be in need of them as everybody knows in that part of the country.

Some resolutions reported.

THE BUDGET.

Mr. FIELDING. With regard to the budget, I would propose to move that Thursday be made a government day and on that day I expect to make the budget speech, if there be no objection to taking Thursday for that

purpose.

Mr. FOSTER. I do not often have to ask for delay in these matters but there is an engagement made several months ago that is due on Thursday, and I will not be able to be here. Of course, the Finance Minister may go on, but it would deprive me of the pleasure of listening to his speech.

Mr. FIELDING. I would not care to go on in the absence of my hon. friend. His face opposite is always an inspiration to me.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN. Thursday is government day, I think, without any motion.

Mr. FIELDING. Not this week.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER. One month after the opening of parliament.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN. I thought it was

Mr. FIELDING. I think the fourth week. I believe it is the last Thursday which is private members' day. Thursday would be the only day available. The trouble is that if we get into the following week we are getting dangerously near the recess. However, I will not bring it up on Thursday, if my hon. friend will not be present. I will probably bring it up on Tuesday of the following week, but I will later make a more definite statement.

QUESTIONS.

DISTRIBUTION OF SEED GRAIN.

Mr. LAKE:

1. What was the average price paid by the government per bushel for each of the different grades of wheat, oats and barley distributed as seed grain in the year 1908?

2. What was the additional cost incurred per bushel for cleaning the grain, sacking, freight, distribution, customs duties, and other expenses in connection therewith?

3. What was the charge per bushel for each grade made to the farmers to whom the seed grain was supplied?

4. What was the average price per bushel at which the surplus of each grade, not distributed as seed grain, was sold by the government?

5. What was the contract price paid for wheat and oat sacks and at what price were the unused sacks sold?

6. What was the total amount charged against farmers to whom the seed grain was supplied, and how much was paid on account of such seed grain by the farmers to the government up to March 1, 1909?

DOMINION POLICE FORCE.

Mr. SMYTH:

1. How many members of the Dominion Police Force were sent into the districts of Thunder Bay and Rainy River, West Algoma, East Algoma and Nipissing, at the last general election, respectively?

2. Upon whose request, and by what representations were such police sent into the ridings, and for what purpose?

3. Who ordered them to go, and what instructions were given them?

4. Were they, or any of them, in any instance sent upon a special train? If so, why, upon whose request, what was the cost of special transportation, and who paid it?

5. What was the total cost per constituency of sending out and maintaining these police? 6. Has it been the custom of the government to utilize the Dominion Police Force for this purpose? If not, why was an exception made in these instances, and upon what authority? 7. Was the sending out of these police preceded by any request of the Ontario government to provide such? If so, by whom was such request made, and with what result? 8. Was there any correspondence with the provincial government on the subject?

Hon. A. B. AYLESWORTH:

1. To Thunder Bay and Rainy River, none; to West Algoma, three; to East Algoma, eight; to Nipissing, none.

2 and 3. It was stated in the Toronto Conservative newspapers of 19th October, 1908,

that a number of men, not regular constables, were being given special authority by the government of Ontario to make arrests and were to go into the constituencies of East and West Algoma in connection with the elections then proceeding, to polling places called backwoods polls to patrol day and make arrests as they might think the approaches to such polls on the voting fit. It is the ancient and undoubted privilege and right of this House to conduct its own elections by its own officials, who are responsible to it alone. The House of Commons has at all times been jealous to guard this privilege and right, and quick to circumstances, believing the statements in resent any interference with it. In these the newspapers above referred to, to be true, I, upon my own responsibility as servant of this House, directed that sufficient Dominion police to protect honest voters from intimidation or interference with the free exercise of their and under instructions to arrest and prosefranchise cute under section 269 of the Dominion Elections Act any one guilty of such indictable offences should be sent at once from Ottawa to the Electoral Districts of East and West Algoma. I directed the Commissioner of Dominion Police to despatch the men and to give them their instructions in the words above stated.

a

4. Two of the men went on a special train

which, for a different purpose altogether, left Ottawa for Sault Ste. Marie on 25th October, 1908. No request was made by anybody that men should be sent on that train and there was no cost of special transporta

tion. The circumstance that the train was going was simply taken advantage of.

5. $338.12 in all, for the two constituencies.

6. No, because this is the first instance, so far as known, in which any such interference with the conduct of elections to this House has been attempted. What was done in this case was done upon my authority alone.

able an estimate cannot be given of the 1. From the information at present availnumber of acres of coal lands there are in the province of Alberta. Coal has been discovered in many parts of the province, but in the large majority of cases the development of these several discoveries has not been sufficient upon which to base an estimate as to the extent of the coal-measures. In addition to this, more than one-half of the province lies north of Edmonton, and as no great demand for coal in this northern part of the province has yet arisen, very little prospecting has been carried on. New discoveries of coal in the southern portion of the province are still being made, and while it is known that the coal-measures of the province are of very great extent no estimate has been attempted as to the number of acres of such lands or the

total tonnage of coal within such areas.

2. The total area of coal lands disposed of up to the 31st of March last is: Disposed of by sale, 259,525 33 acres; disposed of under lease, 83,830-28 acres; the average price per acre obtained for coal lands under sale is: For surface and coal mining rights, about $10 an acre; for surface rights only, about $7 an acre; under lease, about 85

cents an acre per annum.

HALIFAX AND ESQUIMALT DEFENCES. Mr. WORTHINGTON:

1. Is proper care being given to the expensive machinery in the workshops and other buildings taken over from the imperial government at Halifax and Esquimalt to prevent undue deterioration?

2. Is sufficient care being given to the defence works, fortifications, mines, buildings, machinery and defence appliances of every nature on ordnance, command or district