Mr. MONK.

What appears to be a little strange is that when the difficulty supervened which I regret had been caused by the government in regard to the voting of supplies, some method should not have been made to place in a distinct column separate from the rest of Supply, the necessary vote for the payment of civil servants. It is a great pity that is not done every year and it is a great pity it was not done this year when these grave difficulties at first appeared. For my part I think the civil servants should all be paid regularly and I would have raised no objection to that. The estimates have been made up in this form for years and I will admit for the benefit of my friend from Vercheres (Mr. Geoffrion) they were made up in that way before his party came to power, if he thinks that is any reason why we should check all progress. I regret very much that we are not in a position to vote the salaries of the civil servants as they should be voted, without difficulty, and I attribute that to the careless way in which the estimates are made up. When these difficulties first arose a division of the estimates should have been made so that the salaries of the civil servants would have been voted.

Mr. MONK.

Mr. FIELDING.

If the hon. gentleman is so zealous for these civil servants why has he been opposing this vote for the last half hour?

Mr. FOSTER.

That remark is childish.

Mr. MONK.

I am surprised at the Minister of Finance making such a statement.

Mr. FIELDING.

My hon. friend from Montreal (Mr. Monk) professes zeal for the passage of the civil service estimates, but on the other hand he has been delaying them.

Mr. FOSTER.

Does the Minister of Finance in this age think he can induce people to believe that we are to pass estimates without the fair and reasonable questioning on them that we have had to-night?

Mr. FIELDING.

The estimates have been held up all day.

Mr. FOSTER.

Here is $190,000 being voted and we have spent 25 minutes asking proper questions, and the Minister of Finance rises in a temper to lecture us because we have dared in the face of his high mightiness to ask for information with reference to these inordinate galloping promotions. If the Minister of Finance takes that line he is most foolish.

Mr. FIELDING.

I am responsible for what I said and not for what the hon. gentleman attributes to me. The hon. member for Jacques Cartier was indulging in sympathy for the civil servants who did not get their money, and I pointed out that the reason for that was because hon. gentleman opposite had been delaying these estimates, not for to-night, but for weeks and months.

Mr. FOSTER.

And I have to state to the Minister of Finance that I pleaded with him and with his chief to take up these civil government estimates three weeks ago but he stuck up the Minister of Public Works before the civil servants and the opposition and voted hundreds of thousands of dollars for public works which are not necessary at the present time. That is what was done and that is what is on record on ' Hansard.' The minister has been playing to the gallery long enough. He is played out, perfectly played out. Small boys in debating societies play that sort of game ; the Minister of Finance ought to have wisdom enough not to play it.

Mr. FIELDING.

I shall not undertake to speak of what took place between the leaders; I only speak of that which I know, and when the hon. gentleman says he offered to give the civil government estimates, I venture to say that the hon. gentleman is mistaken.

Mr. FOSTER.

I venture to say that he is right, and * Hansard ' will prove it.

Mr. FIELDING.

' Hansard ' will prove nothing except constant obstruction. If the hon. gentleman wants to give the civil service estimates, why does he not give them, instead of spending all day on a matter that has no bearing on the business of the House ? The hon. gentleman must remember that the civil service is not confined to civil government at Ottawa but is scattered all over Canada.

Mr. FOSTER.

And if the Prime Minister and his first lieutenant had shown ordinary political diligence, they would have had their large measures down before the sixth or seventh month of the session, and they would have had the estimates which they do not have now, from that very speeding of the business which they might well have done. The Minister of the Interior has all his civil government, now, including the Indian Department?

Mr. OLIVER.

Yes.

Some resolutions reported.

Mr. FIELDING moved the adjournment of the House.

Mr. FOSTER.

What is the business for to-morrow ?

Mr. FIELDING.

Supply, with the estimates of the Minister of the Interior.

Mr. FOSTER.

When are we going to have the Civil Service Bill explained ?

Mr. FIELDING.

I cannot give my hon. friend any definite statement.