Document Information

Date: 1864-06-28
By: Province of Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Province of Canada, Parliament, Scrapbook Debates, 8th Parl, 2nd Sess, 1864 at 220-221.
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LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

 TUESDAY, June 28th, 1864

 The Supply Bill

Alexander Galt [Sherbrooke, Minister of Finance], moved

The second reading of the “bill for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money required for certain expenses of the Civil Government and certain other expenses relating to the civil service from the end of 1863 to 30th June 1865.”

The hon. gentleman took occasion to say that he would repeat to the House what was stated in the Railway Committee in reply to a question from Mr. Dunkin, with regard to the future action of the Government in reference to postal matters, and the postal service appropriation. The statement he had made was as follows;

“Until next session, no money will be paid beyond the amount voted by Parliament; that any claim for arranges or short payments shall be submitted to Parliament before its liquidation; that the Government will, of course, as occasion may require, exercise the power conferred on them by-law, on their own responsibility, for the current postal service; but any continuous contract that may be made shall be laid before Parliament at its next session, before it shall be further obligatory on the Government.”

Luther Holton [Chateauguay] said that was a very clear and accurate repetition of the hon. Finance Minister’s [Alexander Galt] statement in the Railway Committee.

Some Hon. Members—Hear, hear.

Christopher Dunkin [Brome] said it was never intended by his bill to limit in any way the duties or powers of the Government in regard to the postal subsidy. All he wanted for the present was accorded by the assurance given by the Government.

Some Hon. Members—Hear, hear.

Christopher Dunkin [Brome]—Of course, whenever the question came up as to what the amount for postal service ought to be, it would be the business of the House and the Government to do their duty, and he, for one, should

• (p. 221 in the primary document)

be prepared to do strict and impartial justice towards the railway companies performing public service. While accepting the pledge of the Government in this matter for the present, of course at some future time he would be prepared to maintain his whole views on the subject. Now, however, he considered he did no more than his duty in dropping the bill.

Some Hon. Members—Hear, hear.

The motions for a second and third reading were carried.

The Adjournment

John A. Macdonald [Kingston, Attorney- General West] rose and said that the Upper House had adjourned until eleven o’clock on Thursday; and, as he (Mr. Macdonald) had already apprised His Excellency [Viscount Monck] that Parliament would be ready to receive him at one o’clock on that day, he therefore moved that the House do adjourn until eleven o’clock on Thursday next, on which day the House would be prorogued by His Excellency [Viscount Monck].

The motion was carried; and the House then, at a quarter to 2 p.m., adjourned.