No financial terms were arranged between the Dominion of Canada and the province of Nova Scotia between the dates mentioned. There were general readjustments in 1873 and 1884 of the debt accounts of the various provinces, but they had no special relation to Nova Scotia.

3. The sum now at the credit of Nova Scotia in the debt account is $1,056,111.12.

Mr. LEMIEUX asked :

Is it the intention of the government to take part in the St. Louis International Exhibition in 1904 ? If so, will the Canadian commissioners be simply attaches to the British commission, as in Paris in 1900 ; or will they be given all the lights and privileges of an independent national commission, such as were granted to Canada at the Philadelphia International Exhibition of 1876 ?

It is the intention of the government to take part in the St. Louis International Exhibition in 1904.

The Canadian commissioner or commissioners who may be appointed will not be attaches to the British commission, but will be independent of it. The rights and privileges of the Canadian commission have not yet been determined.

That a Select Committee, composed of Messrs. Charlton, Casgrain, Russell, Barker, Demers (St. John and Iberville), Northrup, Thompson (Haldimand), and Ingram, and the mover, be appointed to consider the state of the laws respecting Dominion elections ; with power to report from time to time. And that the order respecting Bill No. 3, intituled : ' An Act to amend the Dominion Elections Act, 1900,' be discharged ; and that the said Bill be referred to the said committee.

He said : Mr. Speaker, at an earlier stage in the session a discussion arose on the election law in connection with a Bill introduced by the hon. member for North Norfolk (Mr. Charlton). In the course of that discussion I ventured to suggest that if any good could be accomplished in the way of improving the election law, it might be possible to bring it about by the appointment of a committee representing both sides of the House which would study the subject and which would probably then be able to make a report to the House. That suggestion found general favour, and after consultation with the hon. leader of the opposition (Mr. Borden, Halifax) I placed this motion on the notice paper. I am by no means too confident that we can reform all the evils which are sometimes mentioned in connection with elections. I am afraid that some of them lie more deeply than legislation, and that in respect to some of them we would have to reform human nature before we could entirely remove them. However, I think that no harm could possibly result but that some good may come of the study of this question by a joint committee in the manner suggested. Therefore without further words, i beg to move that a committee be appointed for the purpose named. I move the motion which stands in my name.

Mr. HUGHES (Victoria).

Would the hon. Minister of Finance (Hon. Mr. Fielding) be good enough to tell us whether this inquiry will involve the duty of looking into the conduct of elections, the actions of officers connected with elections and offences committed during elections ?

I do not understand that the committee will undertake to look into any election that is past.

Mr. HUGHES (Victoria).

I mean the law.

Yes, anything which will help to improve the election law would, I think, come under the view of the committee.

Mr. HUGHES (Victoria).

The point I wish to make is this : At the present time only the deputy returning officer is allowed to place his initial upon, or to touch the ballot which is handed to the voter. It was my intention to bring in a Bill to deal with this subject, but when I saw that another lion, member had a Bill before the House, I thought that I would have an opportunity to offer an amendment. I think that not only the deputy returning officer should initial the ballot, but that the agent of the candidate should also be allowed to place any distinctive mark he chooses in proper form on the stub of the ballot, so that it may be identified. Would that point be eligible to be brought before the committee ?

Yes. in my judgment, it would. That is our intention.

Mr. BELL.

I presume the intention of this motion is to lay before this committee all the laws at present relating to the conduct of Dominion elections, and those that are intended to deal with irregularities at elections. It will, I presume, involve the introduction of a new Bill, although I observe that Bill No. 3, introduced by the hon. member for North Norfolk (Mr. Charlton), is referred to a special committee for consideration. I would suppose that the intention is to review all the legislation * now in existence in Canada in reference to the conducting of elections and in reference to irregularities or wrongs done at elections, with the view of introducing a Bill that will cover the ground and probably of substituting some more efficient legislation than that which we now have.

That would be our desire, and certainly all these matters will come within the authority of the committee, and if they should be able to reach a conclusion that would, I should think, be in the shape of a Bill to be submitted to the House. Certainly what the hon. member for Pictou (Mr. Bell) has suggested would come within the scope of the inquiry.

Mr. INGRAM.

I suppose that would include the Election Act as well as the Controverted Elections Act.

I do not see why we should not include both.

Mr. BELL.

And no doubt it would also include the introduction of some measures which are altogether new-for instance, compulsory voting.