Mr. LAURENCE moved :

That section 2 ,be amended by adding thereto the following words : And the said Midland division is hereby declared to be a work for the general advantage of Canada.

Motion .agreed to.

Bill reported, read the third time, and passed.

Mr. LAURENCE.

It would not necessarily follow that every hon. member would accept the assurance of the hon. Minister of Justice (Mr. Fitzpatrick) even if he gave it. Of course, I admit it ought to command a great deal of respect but it might happen that there would be very serious objections to the Bill even then. However, that is outside of the question. This Bill was sufficiently discussed, it seems to me, in the Railway 'Committee, and I think the decision was arrived at and was correctly arrived at that this legislature could deal with a proposition of this kind. The Dominion Atlantic has a charter from this legislature. The Midland has a charter from the province of Nova Scotia. There are concurrently going through the two legislatures Bills to effect not the amalgamation so much as the actual purchase of the franchise, property and rights of the smaller corporation by the greater, and it seems to me that between the two legislatures there ought to be no loophole or lapse. It seems to me that the purpose of the legislation ought to be accomplished, that is to turn over the property, assets and franchise of the provincial company to the Dominion chartered company. I do not quite appreciate myself the objection that is made, to tell you the truth, Mr. Speaker. I have not quite become seized of the point that my hon. friend (Mr. Henderson) makes against this legislation.

Mr. LAURENCE.

No, the point made by the hon. member for Halton (Mr. Henderson). I quite appreciate the point of the hon. leader of the opposition, and I think it is provided for in a subsequent section.

Mr. LAURENCE.

It seems to me that the purchase effects that result. It is all Dominion Atlantic property and all subject to the Dominion Atlantic charter.

Mr. LAURENCE.

Any doubt about it can easily be removed, but it seems to me that it would stand in the same position as an additional mile that might be built by the Dominion Atlantic. The moment it is built it becomes a part of the Dominion Atlantic line. Surely there is no distinction between building a mile and buying a mile.