Mr. W. M. GERMAN.

Mr. Speakei, before the Orders of the Day are called, I desire, by way of personal explanation, to bring to the attention of the House a speech which is reported in 1 Hansard ' of June 10 as having been made by the hon. member for North Victoria (Mr. Sam. Hughes). The hon. member, speaking of the 2nd Dragoons in the Niagara peninsula, in connection with alleged political interference in militia matters, is reported as having said :

. An officer second in command, not yet qualified to command, communicated with the hon. member for Welland (Mr. German), and he, in language more befitting Carnal street, Buffalo, than an hon. member in this House, stated that Lord Dundonald would be taught that he had no power to give the extension. I shall give the story, and then we shall see whether the facts bear it out or not. He made the statement that there would be no extension -of command, and the notice which Lord Dundonald - had given was cancelled.

Further down he said :

I have not said that the hon. member for Welland (Mr. German) wrote or spoke to the minister, but I have stated that the hon. member for Welland stated that in his county.

Now, Sir, I am not aware what sort of language is peculiarly fitted for Canal street, Buffalo. Evidently the hon. member does, possibly from experience. But I do say that no officer, second in command or otherwise, of the 2nd Dragoons asked me at any time to interfere to prevent Colonel Gregory from getting an extension of his command. I at no time spoke to the minister or to any officer of the department suggesting that Colonel Gregory should not get an extension, or that any recommendation that should be made for him to have an extension should be cancelled. During the last winter i had the honour of dining with Colonel Gregory and other officers of the 2nd Dragoons at St. Catharines. My hon. friend from Lincoln (Mr. Lancaster) also was present. On that occasion Colonel Gregory stated that he had been recommended for an extension of his

term of command. I had the honour and pleasure then of congratulating him upon that fact, and never at any time did I suggest that he should not get or receive that extension. The statement that I said that Lord Dundonald would be taught that he had no power to give the extension is absolutely and unequivocally untrue. I never made such a remark ; X never made any remark which, by any tortuous construction, could be so interpreted ; and I defy the hon. member to bring any individual who will suggest that I ever made any remark that could possibly be interpreted in that way, 1 am inclined to think that it has been evolved from the hon. member's own vivid imagination. _

Mr. J. E. ARMSTRONG.

Mr. Speaker, before the Orders of the Day are called, I would like to draw the attention of the government to the serious state of affairs among the crude oil producers in the counties of Lambton, Essex, Kent, Elgin and Middlesex. When the government brought down their tariff resolutions they do not seem to have made any provision for paying the crude oil producers their bounty. The crude oil is gathered in tank wagons and shipped in pipe lines to the receiving station. The crude producer takes receipts for the oil as he delivers it, and receives payment for the receipts from the Standard Oil Company or from 'the independent refiner. For several days they have been receiving only $1.62 a barrel. Previously they received $2.09 a barrel. What I am anxious to know is how these men are going to get their bounty money. There are hundreds of them scattered throughout those counties, who have been receiving payment from the refiners at the $1.62 rate. I would like the Finance Minister to explain how these men are likely to get their money, and how soon.

Hon. W. S. FIELDING (Minister of Finance).

I am sorry that I cannot give the information which the hon. gentleman wants, nor is it possible for anybody to give it. The payment of a bounty requires an Act of this parliament. Notice of motion has been given, and in due course that notice of motion will come forward. If it is found to be in any way defective, we will, of course have it rectified to make it serve the purpose announced. It will then be crystallized into an Act of parliament, and that Act, as usual, will take effect from the date on which the announcement was made. Until that Act passes we shall not be in a position to pay a cent of bounty to any one. As to the details which the hon. gentleman mentions, these have been brought to the attention of the government by several gentlemen. To these and other questions relating to the tariff we shall give careful, attention, and when the resolutions come up to be dealt with, we shall endeavour to make them as Mr. GERMAN.

satisfactory as possible. But it is not possible at present to state to my bon. friend more than I have now said.

Mr. ARMSTRONG.

Seeing that it is customary that tariffs, when they are changed, are brought into effect on a date when no inconvenience would be caused to any one, had the Minister of Finance, in his statement with reference to the tariff on oil, stated that it would come into effect on the 1st of July, I feel satisfied that we should have had very little trouble, and the government would have had time to investigate the matter. But it seems to me that the government of this country were anxious to make a sort of fireworks display-

Mr. FIELDING.

Order. The hon. gentleman has a right to ask for an explanation. He has no right to make a speech unless he intends to move the adjournment of the House, and I think there is nothing in the circumstances to warrant it.

Mr. ARMSTRONG.

Then let me state the predicament the producers are in. They are not likely to receive the bounty themselves-

Mr. COWAN.

Why not make the speech on the tariff ?

Mr. ARMSTRONG.

I will make it, my good fellow ; and you will not perhaps be so happy after it is made.

Mr. COWAN.

My learned friend always makes me happy.

Mr. CLANCY.

I desire to state what is within the knowledge of the Minister of Finance, that the citizens of the town of Sarnia have sent to the government a largely signed petition having regard to the supposed readjustment of the duties on crude and refined oils. I would ask the Minister of Ifinance if he has any objection to laying that petition on the table ?

Mr. FIELDING.

I know of no objection I have already furnished a copy privately to hon. gentlemen opposite, and I will have another copy prepared and laid on the table.

Mr. A. A. LEFURGEY.

Mr. Speaker, before the Orders of the Day are called, I have a matter of some importance to bring up respecting one of the most important industries of this country, namely, the fishing industry, and more particularly a very important branch of it carried on in Prince Edward Island-the lobster fisheries. Early in April I received a communication from some people at the eastern end of Prince Edward Island, accompanied by a petition signed by ten or fifteen of the most important business people in King's county, protesting against certain abuses of the lobster regulations that had taken place during the

last two years. I read a copy of the petition which was forwarded.

Mr. SPEAKER.

Does the bon. gentleman intend to move the adjournment ?

Mr. LEFURGEY.

If necessary I shall do so. The matter is of such importance that I thought possibly the motion would not be necessary.

Mr. SPEAKER.

It may lead to debate and it would be more in order for the hon. gentleman to make a motion.

Mr. LEEURGEY.

I shall do so. This is the petition :

Souris, April 11th, 1904.

Hon. Raymond Prgfontaine,

Minister of Marine and Fisheries,

Ottawa.

Dear Sir,-The undersigned lobster packers of Prince Edward Island wish to call your attention to the following abuse of the granting of licenses for packing lobsters on Prince Edward Island

We were given to understand that, acting under an Order in Council passed some time since, no more fishing licenses would he granted upon Prince Edward Island.

Last season, through the influence of Mr. J. J Hughes, M.P., for this county, a fishing license for packing lobsters was granted to Mr. McEachern, of Black Bush, thereby opening a new factory between that of Mr. A. D. Mc-Isaac and Messrs. Matthew and McLean-.

This season we understand that Mr. Hughes has gone into partnership with Mr. John Ryan, of Priest Pond, and is securing for him another license for packing lobsters between Matthew's and McLean's factory and Donald Leslie's, Campbell's Cove.

We consider this action on the part of the department very unfair, and we should either have licenses for every person that asked for them for packing lobsters, or else the Order in Council should be adhered to.

Before these latter licenses were granted, there were five factories from Black Bush to East Point in a distance of eighteen miles, and if these two factories are allowed to run. it will mean seven factories in a distance of eighteen miles on a straight shore.

We trust, therefore, that your department will see fit not to grant any license to Mr. Ryan, and that the license of Mr. McEachern will be cancelled, otherwise that all fishermen applying for licenses for packing shall he granted to them.

We remain, truly yours,

Location Factories- East Point.

Bayfield & North Lake Campbell's Cove,

Bay Fortune, Annandale,

St. Peter's Harbour, Black Bush, Georgetown, Georgetown,

C. H. S. STERNS. .MATTHEW & McLEAN, DONALD. C. LESLIE, JAS. W. DINGWELL, EDWIN McFARLANE. H,D. McEWBN,