1. Is the government aware that there is and has been for some time past a vacancy on the Montreal Harbour Board ?

2. What is the reason of the delay in making the board complete by filling said vacancy ?

3. Has the position been offered to any one ?

4. When will said nomination be made ?

The government is aware that there was a vacancy, but that vacancy exists no longer. It has been filled by the appointment of Mr. W. E. Doran.

That, commencing with Monday next, and until the end of the session, the House shall meet on that day, and on each subsequent sitting day, at eleven (11) o'clock in the morning; that, in addition to the usual intermission at six (6) o'clock, p.m., there shall be also an intermission every day from one (1) to three (3) o'clock, p.m., and that government Orders shall have precedence at ail such sittings. Members having still the right to ask questions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN (Halifax).

I do not know whether the right hon. gentleman has come to any conclusion about the Bill which was introduced by the hon. member for St. Antoine, Montreal, (Mr. Roddick),

I know that Dr. Roddick is very anxious to have this Bill discussed in this House, and if possible to have it go to the Senate. If this motion carries I do not see that there will be any opportunity to do that. There Is another matter ; what time will this leave for private Bills ?

It was my intention to leave Monday for private Bills, and I suppose we can understand it in that way, that on Monday we shall have private Bills, then questions, and then government orders.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

I suppose that if the House understands the motion in that way, it will not be necessary to modify it. There is another matter which I should like to mention to the right hou. gentleman, and that is that I do not think1 there has been any meeting of the Committee on Public Accounts during the present week, owing to the absence of the chairman. While the engagements of the chairman elsewhere are no doubt entitled to great respect, it. would be a simple matter, if he is obliged to leave Ottawa on any other business, to arrange with some other member to act in his absence.

I

Mr. SPEAKER.

may say that the chairman, before leaving spoke to me, saying that he had consulted some of the leading members of the Public Accounts Committee, and they had told him that they did not wish a meeting of the committee this week, but that if they did, they would notify us. So that it is not on account of his absence that there has been no meeting.

Hon. Mr. HAGGART.

He is entirely mistaken.

I am only stating what the chairman told me. He mentioned especially that he had asked the hon. member for Hamilton (Mr. Barker) if he wanted a meeting of the committee this week, and that hon. gentleman had told him that he did not, but that if he should want a meeting, he would notify us.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax).

I can only say that when I was asked what meetings we would want this week, the memorandum I sent back stated that we would want a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. I do not know whether the chairman received that message. I do not think you can arrange such matters by negotiation without consulting every member of the Committee on Public Accounts. x know that one member spoke , to me on the subject who did very much desire to have a meeting. When the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee feels compelled to leave Ottawa for the space of a week or thereabouts, an arrangement should be made for some member to act in his place. I had this same complaint to make last session, and what I said then, I repeat now, that there is no excuse for meetings of a committee being iput off on account of the absence of the chairman. I do not object to the chairman going away if he has business to take him away, but I do object to his paralyzing by his absence the meetings of the committee by neglecting the very simple precaution of having some one act as chairman in his absence. 1 am not finding fault with The chairman so much as with the system, and I will continue to find fault with it so long as it continues.

I fear that I may be somewhat to blame in this matter. I quite agree with the leader of the opposition, that there is no reason whatever why there should not be meetings of the committee in the absence of the chairman; and in this case there must have been some misunderstanding between some of the members of the committee and the clerk, because when the chairman left he mentioned to me personally that an .intimation would be made to the clerk if any of the members wanted a meeting, and he asked me if I would be kind enough to attend to it for him, and see that a meeting was called. The naming of a chairman to preside at the meetings is a

matter simply in the hands of the committee; that has often occurred. In this case if there has not been ai meeting, it is certainly because of some misunderstanding, and is not the fault of the chairmau. If any member Intimates to the clerk of the committee that he wants a meeting, the committee will be called at once.

Mr. 0. F. McISAAC (Antigonish). The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee requested me to state on his behalf, in case this question was brought up in the House, that before he left he had gone to the hon. member for Hamilton and told him that he would be absent for a few days, but that if he wished a meeting to be called this week, a meeting would be called, and another member would be appointed to act as chairman in his iDlace; but the hon. member for Hamilton expressly told him that he did not wish a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee to be called this week; and that is why a meeting has not been called.

Mr. T. S. SPROTJLE (East Grey).

If this motion passes, it will be impossible for the committee to meet unless it has permission to meet during the sittings of the House. I think the motion should be followed by another to allow all committees to meet during the sittings of the House.