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ifPremier Whitney Introduces I Skeleton Measure. In moving th> address in reply to the speech from the throne Mr. McKeown, TWO NEW MEMBERS SPEAK IN HOUSE THE REDISTRIBUTION BILL. Two Political Leaders Will Get To-- gether Gefore Anpything of Gov»-- ernment's Intention About Redis-- tribution is Disclosed--Debate on Address is Commenced. Though the Provincial Legislature was supposed to have commenced its real business yesterday afternoon, practical-- ty nothing was done beyond opening the debate on the address in reply to the speech from the throne. _ Two speakers only were heard--Mr. C. R. McKheown, M.P.P. for Dufferin, and Mr. A. E. Donovan, M.P.P. for Brockville, both of them new members. _ These spceches were somewhat brief, and, while much of the field of Provincial politics was touched upon, the references to the Pro-- vincial surplus were especially marked. The exact amount of this surplus has not been made known officially, but Mr. Donovan intimated that it was over balf a million dollars. _ The general impression, however, concerning the sur-- plus is that the figures will mount to nearly $600,000. _ Before the House ad-- journed Premier Whituey introduced a skeleton redistribution bill, which was read for the first time. -- The bill in its present form makes no disclosure of the Government's intention with regard to redistribution, none of the important schedules being presented. _ Mr. Whitney announced his intention of conferring with the leader of the Opposition, Hon. A,. (G. MacKay, regarding the procedure to be adopted before the bill is pro-- sented to the House in its complete form. The debate was adjourned on motion of Mr. C:-- N. Smith, Sault Ste. Marie. It is probable, howoever, that when the Legislature meets to--day, and following the tradition of purely formal business, there will be a further adjournment un-- til Tuesday. 1t is understood that a number of members on both sides of the House are desirous of taking part in the debate, DBevastating Ground--hogs. Intimation of Surplus of Ovex' Half a Million The House went into Committee of Supply, when Hon, Col. Matheson moved : that $690,000 be apportioned for interim supplies. This amount, he said, was | larger than usual because of the amounts devoted towards the superannuation of | school teachers. | Two Maiden Speeches. , _A number of petitions were also hand-- ed in--asking for the repeal of the three-- fifths clause with respect to local op-- tion. Numerous other ones of minor importance wore also read. Petitions were received from the county of Elgin asking that the Govern-- ment should grant a bounty jfor the killing of ground--hogs. 'The petition set forth that ground--hogs had increased in such numbers that the damage eaused by them was considerable. \TO, FR ; _ Abolition of the Central Prison, and | the purchase of four or five hundred "acres of land, within reasonable dis-- | tance of Toronto, on which a Provin-- | clal Reformatory shall be established, { are the chief recommendations contain-- "ed in the report, made public yesterday, | of the special committee of the Legis-- lature appointed last session to inquire into the conditions of prison labor. The committee also recommend that "in-- stead of having the two years' sen-- 'tence arbit.raril{ fixed as the boundary line between the Central Prison and it-he penitentiary it would be much bet-- ter were the Provincial institution de-- voted solely to first offenders, regard-- less of the length of the term for which they are committed." The committee | further suggest "an early conference | with the Federal authorities in order who was received with loud applause from the Government benches, made a touching reference to the death of his predecessor, Dr. F. W. Lewis. -- Refer-- ring to the Whitney Administration, he stated that the members were not daunted in the effort for honest govern-- ment by corporations and anxious capit-- alists, though at the same time encour-- agement had always been given private investment and private capital. During the thirty years of the previous Admin-- istration the greatest asset of the Pro-- vince, the waters at Niagara Falls, had rolled on to the sea unnoticed. He not-- ed with pleasure in the speech from the throne that the liquor license act was to be given further consideration. He felt that in the years to come Ontario would be noted for its universal so-- briety . Will Have a Surplus. Continuing, Mr. McKeown said that once more a surplus would be report-- ed, a surplus not secured by sacrifices of mineral or timber wealth, but by honest business methods. He also de-- voted a few sentences of eulogy to what the Government had done so far for the care and healing of the insance. 'The Minister of Agriculture had also done much in trying to secure more farm labor for the Province. _ Certain ly, he added, the great need of the country was population, but he thought it would be better to bring British im-- migrants here than the offscouring of Europe. Mr. McKeown favored the set-- ting of a minimum salary for school teachers, and he did not think a mini mum of $300 too high. The Govern-- ment, in order to encourage the better payment of teachers, he pointed out. paid $40 towards a salary of $400 and $80 towards one of $500 for the rural school. A Little Boast. Mr. Donovan also received his share of applause upon rising. Mr. Donovan claimed that three Cabinets as good as the Ross Cabinet could be selected from the men now supporting the present Government. The Whitney Administra-- tion, he said, had found public support because of business management, ifair dealing and economy. "I have reason to believe," said Mr. Donovan, "that when , the _ Provincial Treasurer makes his budget speech hc will be able to tell you that he has several hundred thousand dollars _ in hard. cold cash as a surplus. (Ap-- plause}. I will even make a guess that this surplus is over half a million." (Ap-- plause.) Good Administration. Referring to the temperance question. the speaker said even the liquor men of the Province would admit that the law was well administered. He gave it as his opinion that the license reduction question in Toronto should have been referred to the people. There had to be fair play on both sides, he stated, though he believed that in ten years practically all the rural districts would have local option, and the Government would stand behind the people when the latter said they wanted any-- thing. The adjournment of the House was moved by Mr. C. N. Smith, Sault Ste. Marie. M Conditions of Prison Labor. to secure a more rational arrangement for the custody of first offenders and the adoption of the indeterminate sen-- tence and parole systems." (They fur-- ther recommend the abolition of what are known as the public account, con-- tract and piece price systems of em-- ployment." Rational Treatment. ~A further clause suggests that in the equipment of industrial departments re-- gard should be had for the de-- velopment of the mechanical taste and manual dexterity of the inmates of the institution rather than the specializa-- tion of labor and rapid production of goods by machinery. The substitution of ordinary clothing of uniform style and color for the striped suit and the abolition of the dark cell are also recommended . Other recommendations are the introduction of a sys tem of technical education, instruction in elementary subjects with a view to the adoption of a more advanced curriculum, -- calisthenics and military exercises to improve inmates' physical condition, "thus paving the way for their moral adjustment, but that any-- thing in the nature of a public display be prohibited." _ The establishment of a branch institution to be located in northern Ontario is suggested. Conditions Out of Harmony. In conclusion, and as their reason for condemning the existing Central Prison, the committee state : Mr. Hendrie {on Tussday next)--Bill to amend the railway act ; bill to am-- end the railway and municipal board act. Mr. Monteith (on Tuesday next)--Bill to amend the act respecting agricultural societies ; hill --.to amend the act--respecting -- horticultural _ socie-- ties ; _ bill to amend the factories act; bill to amend the shops act. * end the municpal drainage act. Mr, Matheson (on Tuesday next})--Bill respecting municipal securities ; {on Monday next}), bill to supplement the revenues of the Crown in the Province of Ontiario ; bill respecting the consoli-- dated revenue fund ; bill respecting the raising of loans authorized by the Legis-- lature ; bill to provide for avditing the public accounts of the Province. Dr. Pyne (on Tuesday next)--Bill to amend the public sehool act ; bill to amend the Education Department act. The majority of thege bills are the "From the information which they have been enabled to gather and the experi-- ence of those who for mauny years have been actively identified with prison ad-- ministration, your committee are fmpeil-- ed to the conclusion that a reorganiza-- tion of the Provincial institution is desirable. The physical conditions at the Central Prison are now out of har-- mouy with the requirements and pur-- poses of the institution. Following are the notices of motion as handed out yesterday :-- Mr. Brower (on Monday .nexm/t')';-y to amend the municipal act ; bill to amend the assessment act ; bill to am-- end the municipal drainage act. existing laws as revised by the Judges entrusted with the revision of the statutes. _ The amendment which it is proposed should be made in the Rail-- way and Municipal Board act is to en-- able the Ontario Railway Board to cer-- tify, when necessary, that money by-- laws passed by municipalities: are in order. Mr. A. B. McCoig {(West Kent) bas given notice of the following ques tions :--{(1) Have the Government decid-- ed to grant fishing licenses to fishermen on the River Thames this year? (2) If not, is it the intention of the Gov-- ernment to make any provision for granting licenses to fish in Lake &t. Clair to those fishermen deprived of licenses on the River Thames * "The first conclusion that has forced itself upon your committee is that the present property should be disposed of, a large tract of land purchased and a new institution erected thereon. This change would permit the inauguration of the farm system on a large scale." Notices of Motion,