Mr. ROSS.

I did not vote because I am paired with Mr. Foster.

On section 208-inspection divisions.

Mr. WM. ROSS (Victoria).

I said that I had sense enough of my own inability to fill that position, and that I would not accept it if it were offered to me ; and that, I think, would have been the proper course for my hon. friend to pursue. . . . My idea of a commission would he one composed of men trained all their lifetime to the business of fishermen.

tatives from his own province, of his lack of qualification to be on that commission. There is another incident to which I wish to refer in connection with Col. Tucker to show the ability of that lion, gentleman and the great interest he has taken in the fishermen. Down at Grand harbour, Grand Manan, where they made a flying visit-in fact they came in one afternoon, called some of the citizens together and said they were going to leave that evening, and the citizens advised them that if that was the way they were doing business, they had better go at once, whereupon they decided to remain over a day- one of the most profound questions he asked, one that he said should be embalmed in ' Hansard ' or in his report was as to how many scales there were on a herring. It Is a most remarkable thing that no one had ever determined this number or put it on record, and this gallant colonel at last inquires for that information, which would be of so much advantage to the public.

But, Sir, this commission was appointed in 1903 and they showed exceeding activity that fall-it is perfectly marvellous what activity they showed There was some little reason for it, if you will remember that the first meetings of this commission were almost coincident with an expected election. If the Grand Trunk Pacific had not held up the government in 1903 for a better bargain we would certainly have had an election that year, but there seemed to be some trouble, some hitch, they did not put the money into it, I believe the first time. The commission made some few excursions down around the islands, but they suddenly called them off as soon as they found there was to be no election. I shall take their report and look it over. The Order in Council was passed on November 14, 1903. The scope of the inquiry as stated was to look into the dog-fish question and the lobster and sardine fisheries. They starteS out at once for the Magdalen islands, but on ithat trip Mr. A. C. Copp, was not with them as the report says. He was probably preparing for the election at home. Having completed their investigations at the Magdalen islands, they proceeded to North Head, Grand Manan, in the

county of Charlotte. They reached that point on December 8th and held a meeting. The next meeting was at Grand Harbour on the 9th. Just fancy going over all the fishing interests there and not even having an opportunity of going over to examine the fisheries at all in these great tidal waters, inquiring of the fishermen here and there their opinion in regard to the fisheries.

On the evening of the 9th

And that is rather peculiar.

-a delegation came over from Campobello

And not lawyers. This is the opinion of And they were supposed to go to Campo-

Mr. William Ross then one of the represen- hello

Mr. WM. ROSS (Victoria).

Mr. WM. ROSS (Victoria).

What I was going to remark was this. In the old times, before the change in the tariff was made, there were compound rates of duty-so much a pound or so much a square yard, and so much ad valorem on the same article.

Mr. WM. ROSS (Victoria).

But that is not what I rose about. We wasted the whole time of the sitting of Saturday night, and that is what we are doing now. At this time we should exercise some common sense and bring the session to an end. On Saturday night a man spoke on the Trent Valley canal from eight o'clock till eleven. Do you think the interest of the Trent Valley canal was promoted by that speech ? No, it was retarded. Now we are going back to give the history of the tariff, and we seem likely to do just as little to-night as we did Saturday night.