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~ Mr, LAUDER claimed that the rates of insurance gm too high,. 'gte gfcragc rate was 1} per cent,. for three years, but Buch buildings as the Normal School should pot pay uw higher rate than 75 cents per cent. for that time, He approved the idea of the Province being its own insurer, but if it was decided to continue the present system, hoe thought the rates should be ceduced. Mr, WOOD said it would appear strange if this was the case that first--class com-- panies should go on charging this high rate. The Housoe could not expect to insure pub-- lic buildings, occupicd by many people at all times,at the sams rate as isolated private property . Mr. WOOD said he could not staio at once the names of the companies, but he was bringing down & return of all the in-- surauces held by the Government, which Wwould coutain the information asked for. Mr. 8COTT thought this a favourable opportunity to ask for information con. cerning the amount of $4,000 voted last year for expenses re Northern and West. ern Boundary, 'The entry appeared in this year's estimates, _ apparently, only only to show what was voted last year. By the return brought down a few days ago it appeared that Hon, D. Mills had received about $3,400 for services and expenses in sonnection with this matter, which he thought open to question on account of Mr, Mills being at that time a member of the Doiminion Parliameat, Other items also appeared which required explaunation. Mr. SCOTT sard as the insurance com-- panics had to pay for agents' commissions, running expenses, &¢., to the Province could tarry the risk for much less than the pre-- Bent cost, as they could save these ex-- penses . AMr. LAUDER wished to know in what companies the buildings at the Central Prison destroyed by the late fire had been insured. \_Mr, CREIGHTON also favoured this sug. kestion, saying he understood that large khipowners aud other wealthy firms found it cheaper to stand an occasional loss than to pay hceavy amounts for insurance. , Mr. WHITE was glad to agree with for-- mer speakers. 'The fire at the Central Prison was exceptional, and could not be 'ur.ged as an argument against the position taken. Mr. MOWA'T explained that Mr, Mills had been engaged on account of his special kaowledgo of the subject, «had made trips to Washington, where ho spent ubout _ three weeks, and to other Mr. MEREDITH thought there was con-- 'idorable force in what the hon,. member ¥or Muskoke had suggested. No doubt if the idea were carried out the Province woulgg able to make up any loss that tnifht occur. : Mr. HARDY said his hon. friend had hever considered the immense loss that would accrue to the Province if the Parlia-- nent buiidings were to burn down. past: a sum greater than it could possibly mow lose by any tire, and was quite able to Kebuild if any public building should hap-- pen to be qestroyed. ' -%/lr. MEREDITE asked an explanation bf the item. "Mr, WOOD said that he would explain tho items connccted with his Department, nd doubtless his colleagues would do the mo. _ 'The amount asked for Insurance Public Buildings, $11,315, was the same last year, and additional information ®rould be brought down with the supple-- anentary estimates. Mr. MILLER took exception to the sys= tem of Government insuring the Provincial jpublic buildings, 'The Province had paid for insurance during a number of years a:)d d mo, l) fn t« On the item for Miscellancous, $76,-- N53 89, The House went into Committece of Bupply. k THIRD PARLIAMENT--FOURTH SESSION 'DNTARIC LEGISLATURE. | Aiter recess, Lxemsrativ® Asssuroy, Monday, Feb, 24, sSUPPLY, Mr, MOWAT did not see why a member of the Domimon House should not be em-- ployed by the Ontario Government where it was thought his services would be of _ value, and _ thought this quite consistent with the attitude of the Keform party. _ Hon, Eaward Blake, when he made his speech in favour of the perfect independence of the two Houses, was at the same time a member of both Houses, Hon. Sandfield Macdonald, while Premier of Onutario, had not infrequently employed gentiemen who were members of the Dominion House as Crown counsel, &¢c., so that if hon, gentlemen did not like the conduct of the Government they must also object to the system pursued by their friends. His hon, friend from North Renirew had stated that the Quebec judges had al.. ready settled the matter, but this decigion was one of the difficaltiecs Ontario had to overcome, for the boundary as laid down by them was much more circumscribed thau that which was atterwards secured. Ths securing of the northern boundary was really the greatest difficulty in the way of the Province, but this had at length been overcome, and the territorial extent of the Province almost doubled. Mr. MEREDITH said it would not be desirable to employ members of this House in this connection, on the ground that it would influence them unduly, and the same prinuciple applied to members of the Dominion House. _ He trustea the day would not be far distant when such ap-- pointments as this would be made im-- possible. Mr. BETHUNE said he thought not sufficient credit had been given to the Attorney--General for his share in this arbitration, (Cheers,.) Fecling the weight of the question, he had devoted himself to it most assiduously,instead of leaving it for hissubordinates, as many meun in his position would have done. lHe (Mr. Bethune) bad no doubt that a great measure of the success was due to the Attorney--General's long and close attention to the question. As to the claim of gentiemen opposite that this was a contest between the Dominion and the Province, he contended that it was to the interest of the Dominion that Onta. rio should get the additional territory, for she would have the responsibility of its government taken off her hands, and would h'avo a guarantee that the affairs of the tor. ritory would be well administered. 1t was to the advantage of the whole Dominion to enlarge the old Pro.-- vinces rather than make new ones, He had often thought that Manitoba oughs to be enlarged as soon as possible. (Hear, hear.) 7 Mr., MEREDITH did not exactly under-- Mr, DEACON spoke to the same effect. He thought the arbitration had been ren-- dered much more easy to the Province by the fact that the Lower Canada Judges had decided upon the question some years pre-- viously . Mr, MORRIS thought that the question Ot the appointment ot Mr. Mills was not a personal one at all, The fact was that in this arbitration, which was really between the Dominion and the Province, a member of the Dominion House had been employed in the interests of the Province, which he ; maintained was a principle contrary to the | professions of the Reform party, and hedid ; not understand on what grounds hon. gen-- | LQlemen opposite could justily it. | Province. If the case had been Eak'«;n b;-' fore the Privy Council it would have cost $150,000. places, and on his return had made the most elaborate report that had ever ap-- peared upon this subject, 'The fact that Mr. Mills was a member of the Dominion House did not make it improper for him to undertake this work, The charge ot $3,400 was, as would be seen, a very small charge KFor the services rendered. -- Col, Scoble bad been employed to proceed to London and Paris, where it was deemed that valuable information was to be had, whicn could not be obtained except by au accredited agent, Col. Scoble was familiar with both languages, and nad fother quali-- fications which fitted him peculiarly for the position to which he had been ap-- pointed. He bad succeeded in securing from old records and maps some informa-- tion upon the affair which was of much use to the Province in the arbitration. The amount of the whole expense was very small in consideration of the addition of territory which had been secured to the