Sir WILFRID LAURIER.

There has been no official negotiation of that character going on. There may have been some informal negotiations.

Mr. CROTHERS.

I desire to call the attention of the Prime Minister to a question of mine which he answered yesterday. I asked whether Mr. Allard had been connected with the government contracts directly or indirectly on January 22. The Prime Minister gave an answer in the present tense, that the government is not aware that Mr. Allard is interested in any contract directly or indirectly. Of course he might have been interested last Saturday and not yesterday. I would like my right hon. friend to answer the question as it is worded, if he is prepared to do so. I Mr. FOSTER.

would like to have the answer a little more definite if possible. Was he interested on January 22 and has the Prime Minister sufficient information to enable him to say unequivocally that he had not on that day any such interest.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER.

I have no information whatever. It is quite possible, I do not know, that Mr. Allard or any body else may have had contracts with different branches of the government, but it would take some time for the government to find out. If my hon. friend (Mr. Crothers) will tell me he has reason to believe that Mr. Allard has a contract with a particular department I would have investigations made immediately, so as to satisfy what I suppose is a very legitimate curiosity.

Mr. CROTHERS.

I have some information, but it is not sufficiently definite in my mind for me to state it as a fact to the right hon. gentleman. If I get in a position to do so, I will give my right hon. friend the information and we will get the answer unequivocally.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER.

When my hon. friend has it sufficiently definite in his own mind, if he will let me know I will try and give a definite answer.

Mr. BRADBURY.

I have asked several times for the instructions to Chief Justice Howell with reference to the surrender of the St. Peter's reserve. A return wa3 brought down yesterday and I presume the Minister of the Interior thought that included the instructions to Mr. Judge Howell. It does not and I- would like to know if the minister has those instructions.

Mr. OLIVER.

The hon. gentleman asked for the instructions to Mr. Howell some time ago, and why they were not included in a return asked for from the Interior Department. The instructions were not issued from the Interior Department, but from the Governor in Council. However, the instructions were placed on the table by myself yesterday, and I stated to the House that they were the instructions and were in response to the hon. gentleman's inquiry.

Mr. BRADBURY.

Am I to understand that these are the only instructions which Chief Justice Howell received?

Mr. OLIVER.

The instructions laid upon the table yesterday are the only instructions that the chief justice received.

Mr. BRADBURY.

I desire to call the attention of the minister to the fact that about two weeks ago an order of the House was

issued for a return showing some accounts of George Tracy in relation to St. Peter's Indian reserve. That has not been brought down. I understand that it is a small return and will take only about a day to copy.

Mr. OLIVER.

That will be laid upon the table on Monday.

Mr. GRAHAM.

Since the introduction of this Bill I had a conference with the men interested, who are still in the employ of the railway, and who, as representatives of the association, meet to discuss its affairs periodically. They had several amendments to suggest; and, after discussing all these propositions for some days, it was decided that those propositions, together with the provisions of this Bill, should be referred to competent authorities to see what would be the result to the fund before further action should be taken. I agreed to that. Under these circumstances, I move that the order for the third reading of this Bill be discharged, and the Bill withdrawn.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN.

Is it proposed to withdraw the Bill altogether, and, when the decision of the competent authority to which it has been referred is received, to introduce it again? Generally speaking, how will the matter stand after the withdrawal?

Mr: GRAHAM. If I get the information and it will warrant me in introducing the Bill suggested, it might be possible to do it this session. The difficulty arises from the many intricacies that were developed as we discussed the matter.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN.

It is quite uncertain at present what will be done?

Mr. GRAHAM.

Yes.

Motion agreed to and Bill withdrawn.