AYLESWORTH (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill (No. 156) to amend the Yukon Act, Revised Statutes, 1906, chapter 63. He said: The

object of this Bill is simply to permit a member of the bar of the Yukon territory to be appointed as a judge in the territorial court, in case there may be any vacancy.

Motion agreed, and Bill read the first time.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN (Halifax).

I desire to ask the Prime Minister (Sir Wilfrid Laurier) whether his attention has been directed to a statement in the press, that the government of the United States have repeatedly applied to this government for a statement of its position with regard to Hecate strait, British Columbia. I have observed it in several journals lately. If the right hon. gentleman will refer to the [DOT] Toronto ' Globe ' for April 23, he will see that to which I allude. I will read only a portion which is material to my inquiry.

It was said by the department-

That is, the State Department of the United States.

-at that time that this government had on three occasions within the last few years asked the British ambassador at Washington to obtain from his government a definition of the status of Hecate Strait. No reply was ever received by the State Department.

Within the past three or four weeks, that statement has appeared in the press of the country on several occasions-that is, that the United States government have asked for a reply on at least three occasions from the British ambassador-and I assume that the British ambassador would consult with this government-and has been unable up to the present time to obtain any reply whatever. The matter is of some interest to British Columbia, as I understand from members from that province, therefore I thought it well to bring it to the attention of the Prime Minister.

There is some correspondence going on at this moment on this subject, but what is the nature of it I am unable to state now.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN (Halifax).

Saturday's issue of the Canada ' Gazette,' con-

tains a statement, I understand, of disallowance of an Act of the Ontario legislature. Would the premier (Sir Wilfrid Laurier) have any objection to bring down the order in council?

Sir WILFRID LAURIER (Prime Minister).

Not at all.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN (Halifax).

May I ask the Minister of Railways and Canals, (Mr. Graham) whether he would be good enough, when the debate comes up on the Grand Trunk Pacific Loan Bill, to give me information with regard to the pusher grades on the National Transcontinental Railway between Quebec and Moncton? In speaking on this subject, as the hon. gentleman will remember, I allowed to the National Transcontinental Railway a saving, I think, of twenty-nine miles over the Intercolonial Railway between these two points. It has been represented to me that I rather understated the case from my point of view, that although there had been this saving in distance, it is accomplished only by means of heavier grades, and that for heavy traffic, certain portions of the road will have to be operated by what are called 'pushers.' It is in connection with that that I would like the hon. gentleman to give the information when the subject comes up again.

Hon. GEO. P. GRAHAM (Minister of Railways and Canals).

I will get it.

Mr. LENNOX.

What has the Minister of Agriculture to say with reference to this Bill?

Mr. FISHER.

This seems to be one of the ordinary Bills for the extension of a patent which has lapsed through negligence.

Mr. LENNOX.

How long is the lapse?

Mr. FISHER.

I cannot say. The gentleman in charge of the Bill or the chairman of the Private Bills Committee may be able to.

Mr. LENNOX.

We should know something about it. The other night we had a Bill where the lapse has extended three years and a satisfactory explanation was forthcoming. There may be a satisfactory explanation of this Bill or there may not.

Mr. RANKIN.

I understand that this patent lapsed through a misapprehension on the part of the patentee. After getting his patent some six years ago he had a reissue, there having been some changes or Mr. R. L. BORDEN.

improvements; and thinking his six years dated from the reissue he did not apply for the patent in time. The patent thus lapsed through a misunderstanding.

Mr. FISHER.

I have no objection to it going through.