Mr. MONK.

Then, if my hon. friend (Hon. Mr. Frdfontaine) will allow me, he did not state that a committee of the cabinet would be named to investigate the just claims of those who asked for a revision of the tariff.

I said that whatever remedy would be applied, if it was not found satisfactory, it might be found possible for the government to proceed in the same way as they proceeded in 1897, and I said that without making any announcement on m.v responsibility or on the responsibility of the government. I was not authorized to do so. It could not be inferred from what I said that it was the laid down programme of the government to do one thing or the other. I was very guarded in everything I said and I do not understand how my hon. friend on the other side should take offence at anything I have said or the way 1 have said it.

Mr. MONK.

I take no offence at all.

As regards the trans-continental line, I repeated generalities. 1 said that everybody admitted that a second transcontinental line was necessary. Everybody seemed to have that opinion and of course if a transcontinental line was built it stood to reason the government would have to consider the claims of any company that would construct that line in the same liberal way as other lines had been constructed in the past. I did not go any further than these announcements, and these announcements were no secrets. They were known all over the country since the speech from the Throne was delivered at the opening of this session, and I do not see that there is any reason for making such a fuss about them.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

The announcement in the Montreal ' Herald ' is, that the hon. gentleman made a ringing speech.

I did.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

The hon. gentleman's speech to-night does not seem to have very much ring about it. Perhaps he can suggest to the House what portion of his explanation may be regarded as ringing; I did not notice it. This paper is either stating a fact or it is not. It states that it was announced by the hon. gentleman that Sir William Van Horne, president, and Messrs. John Bertram of Toronto and H. Kennedy of Quebec were to form this commission. The hon. gentleman either announced that or he did not.

If the hon. leader of the opposition will allow me, I did not state anything else than what I have stated just now. I stated that from the reports in the papers the following names had been mentioned, and that if these gentlemen were to be the commission, I supposed they would offer a guarantee to the people of Canada so as to inspire confidence.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

The report is not that.

Of course, I was not the reporter.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

This is a newspaper which is supporting the hon. gentleman-at least, it is supporting him now, and I thought probably it would have a correct version of what he said. It does not put it as the hon. gentleman does. It says that the commission is to be composed of these gentlemen. I gather from the hon. gentleman that he made no such statement- that the version given by this newspaper is incorrect in that regard. .

It may be an error in translation.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

An error in translation-yes. The hon. gentleman does, however, make one very jmportant announcement to-night which I think might well have been made to parliament in the speech from the Throne. He not only announced in Montreal, but he announces here to-night, that the government does propose to give assistance to another transcontinental railway. I understood the hon. gentleman to say that distinctly to-night.

I must say it in French.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

The hon. gentleman referred to other railways that have been built across the continent, and he stated in my hearing, as 'Hansard' tomorrow will show, that a transcontinental

road is to receive the same assistance as other railways have received in the past.

Due consideration.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

No, the same assistance. Whatever the hon. gentleman intended to say, I know what he did say, and that is that the government had come to a conclusion with regard to that.

Due consideration.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

My hon. friend the Postmaster General is coming to the assistance of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, and is interpolating a phrase which was not used by that hon. gentleman at all.

I think the hon. gentleman is in error. He is using an expression which I did not hear the Minister of Marine and Fisheries use. 1 did not hear him say that the government intended to extend the same liberal consideration to the new road as had been extended to other roads. I heard him make no such statement.