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

There is nothing in the British North America Act or in any Act of the parliament of Canada which requires or contemplates the printing of Dominion notes in two languages. The Finance Department has not contemplated the advisability of any departure from the practice which has existed under all governments from the beginning of confederation down to the present time.

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Hon. H. R. EMMERSON (Minister of Railways and Canals) :

1 and 2. 'It lias not been the practice in Canada to print the time tables in French, only as advertised in papers printed in the French language. Time tables published for use of the employees have always been in English, but the employees are all conversant with that language.

The non-publication in French has not been found to cause any inconvenience.

If it be found that there is any necessity for such publication, the department will arrange accordingly.

1. A tender has been accepted, but tbe goods have not yet been delivered."

2 and 3. Tbe highest tender was accepted. It is not in the public interest, however, that the names of those who tendered or the prices offered should be made public until the transaction is completed and tbe purchaser has bad reasonable time to dispose of tbe goods If be desires to do so.

Mr. J. W. DANIEL (St. John City).

Before the Orders of the Day are called, I would like to ask the attention of the Minister of Railways to the new time table which is to be put into effect on the Intercolonial Railway, I think, on the 4th or 5th of this month. At the present time the express from St. John leaves that city in the morning at 7 o'clock. Under the new time table that time has been advanced one hour, so that the train leaves at 6 o'clock in the morning. I am advised that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction with regard to this change, and that it will be a very considerable trouble to tbe travelling public, and there is dissatisfaction among that class of people on that account. I would like to ask from the Minister of Railways i'f it is not possible for him to continue the running Mr. FIELDING.

of that train leaving St. John at 7 o'clock as at present. I believe the change will be a very unsatisfactory one. I understand it relates to tbe Halifax express alone, find I cannot see what advantage there would be in the change. I hope the Minister of Railways will reconsider that change and, in the interest of the travelling public, allow the train to leave at 7 o'clock in the morning and not change it to 6 o'clock.

Hon. H. R. EMMERSON (Minister of Railways and Canals).

It is absolutely impossible to arrange a time table that will suit the convenience of every section of the Intercolonial Railway without entailing unwarranted expense. Last season there were a number of trains following each other on the Intercolonial Railway between Halifax and St. John. The train referred to by my bon. friend is known as No. 2 train. There has been at the same hour a train known as No. 1 leaving Halifax for St. John. In the consideration of the time tables during tbe present season tbe great aim that I bad was to suit as far as possible tbe convenience of tbe people and to minimize the cost of running trains. Nos. 1 and 2 cross each other at Amherst. I found that it was possible to discontinue No. 2 train as a through train from St. John to Halifax and also to discontinue No. 1 train as a through train from Halifax to St. John.

At the same time, we would meet the convenience of the people and the requirements of the traffic by having No. 2 train run from St. John to Moncton, connecting with the maritime express from Montreal in the morning; and the maritime express could do the whole business between Moncton and Truro. Last year the maritime express reached Moncton in the vicinity of 10 o'clock and went through to Truro. Then, 15 minutes after, No. 2 train from St. John followed, without passengers, without traffic, but not, of course, without very great expense. By tlie arrangement we have made, this difficulty is overcome. It is true that it necessitates the St. John passengers getting up at an earlier hour, but it meets the convenience of the travelling public along the line, because it is a local train ; it is not designed to do through passenger traffic between St. John and Halifax. As a matter of fact No. 2 train has not done that traffic for years. Originally it was a train started out with that object, and for a number of years, when the Intercolonial was a mere by-way it served that purpose. But, now that we have trains going every few hours, the Canadian Pacific Railway and other trains, this through train from St. John is no longer a necessity; it is only a bill of expense. Having regard to the necessities of the traffic, I felt that No. 2 train should leave St. John at an earlier hour and run to Moncton coming back in the evening at six o'clock and meet-

ing the requirements of the people between these points both going and coming, and that train No. 1 should leave Halifax and run to Amherst, returning in the afternoon and meeting the requirements of the people between these points. This will obviate the necessity of running a through express between St. John and Halifax. As a matter of fact, that train has been going out at seven o'clock in the morning without passengers, without traffic. And, in the interests of the railway, and, I think, quite agreeably to the convenience of the people, there should be a change ; and I have ordered accordingly. There is no great amount of traffic from St. John to local points by this through train. They have the local trains to depend upon. The suburban train service at St. John is unexceptional-they have trains at almost all hours. As to through traffic, they have a night train leaving St. John about eleven o'clock. This takes the through traffic. The Canadian Pacific Railway train, during the summer season reaches St. John about 11.30 a.m.-certainly not later than 12. The Boston train reaches St. John at 11 o'clock. The Intercolonial train connecting with that train and also with the train for Montreal leaves between 11 and 12.

Mr. DANIEL.

It leaves at 11.40.

Mr. EMMERSON.

I think I was sufficiently accurate in saying between 11 and 12. But, at 11.40, to be precise, that train leaves for Halifax. That takes practically the whole day business between St. John and Halifax. Recognizing that fact, I thought the country should be saved the expense of running No. 2 train which existed simply because it had been started at the time of the initiation of the Intercolonial service, and which has continued for years without any pressing necessity for it. Of course, I regret that, in order to connect with the maritime express from Montreal to Halifax we are obliged to start earlier from St. John. These are the facts, and I think the facts are sufficient justification for the action decided upon.