Millbrook Reporter in Millbrook, Ontario

Prolonged budget debates and railway policy clash in Parliament

The Senate and House of Commons continued the budget debate with the Committee of Supply examining 861,688 for Senate salaries and 200,000 for voters list revisions. Sir John Thompson, addressing Dr. Landerkin, forecast saving about 25,000 per revision under the Electoral Franchise Act. Much discussion followed on railways and canals, including the Intercolonial, Cornwall canal costs, and proposed changes to duties on coal, eggs, rice, and iron products. A key debate contrasted free homestead aims with public lands sales to settlers, amid attacks on government land grants to railways. The session featured tense exchanges on wage provisions for public works, with calls to ensure current local wages and debates over sweating and underbidding, concluding with continued consideration of the Northwest Territories Act and irrigation measures.