Mr. CARVELL:

I was paired with the

hon. member for York, N.B. (Mr. McLeod). Had I voted, I should have voted for the amendment.

Mr. DOUGLAS:

I was paired .with the

hon. member for Yale-Cariboo (Mr. Burrell). Had I voted, I should have voted for the amendment.

Mr. McCOIG:

I was paired with the

hon. member for West Elgin (Mr. Crothers). Had I voted, I should have voted for the amendment.

Mr. G. C. WILSON:

I was paired with the hon. member for Laval (Mr. C. A. Wilson). Had I voted, I should have voted against the amendment.

Mr. CODERRE:

1. What are the names of all persons employed by the National Transcontinental railway at the following stations: Escourt, St. BleuthSre, Pelletier, Picard, Lapointe, Lipp6e, Hawkins and Holliday?

2. What is tlhe salary of each of such persons?

3. What is the nature of their respective duties?

4. Who recommended the said persons?

Mr. COCHRANE:

1. How many appointments have been made to the Civil Service as .packers and sorters subsequent to October 12, 1912?

2. What proportion of these were males and what proportion females?

3. How many appointments have been made to the Civil Service as packers and sorters prior to October 12, 1912?

4. "What proportion of these were males and what proportion females?

Mr. J. D. REID:

I wish to move that this question be changed to an order for a return. It will take some time to have the information brought down, for the reason that question No. 3 as it reads will go back to Confederation. I do not think that was the intention. I think the hon. gentleman should name a period from, say, 1896 to 1912. However, if die wishes to go further back we will get the information, but it will take some time.

Question stands as order for a return.

1. Is the Government aware of the publication of a letter from Mr. Henri Bourassa, director of Le Devoir newspaper, in the issue of

that paper of the 31st December, 1914, and containing the following declaration : .

" Reply of the Director of the Devoir.

''You have no faint idea of the amount and nature of graft, corruption and debauchery connected with that contingent, destined to go and fight the battles of honour and liberty. Had we published one-twentieth portion of what came to us from most reliable sources of information, we could have been hanged and quartered many days ago. Whether this will ever come out in full light is doubtful. The Tory grafters were careful enough to take some of their Liberal opponents in partnership, so that nothing would transpire in Parliament"?

2. Has the Government considered it necessary to take steps to ascertain the exactness of this declaration?

3. If it has had no knowledge of It before this question was asked, does the Government consider the declarations made in the above quoted letter sufficiently grave to engage its attention?

1. No.

2 and 3. Wherever allegations or charges of a definite character' have been brought to the attention of the Prime Minister, he has instructed the Department of Justice to make any necessary investigation, and for that purpose to utilize _all means at the disposal of the Government. The Department of Justice has been further authorized and directed in such cases to prosecute to the utmost limit of the law all persons who appear upon reasonable information to have been concerned in an attempt to defraud

the Government. If any information of a sufficiently definite character is brought to the attention of the Government by the gentleman mentioned, the same course will be pursued.