Mr. OLIVER:

I desire to ask the Minister of the Interior (Mr. Roche) what the position is with regard to the Hindu immigrants, who, I understand, arrived at Vancouver some days ago. I am told by the Prime Minister that the law will be enforced. What I am anxious to know is, will the clause of the immigration law which takes into the control of the Government, to the exclusion of the courts, the right to deal with immigrants, be acted upon?

Mr. ROGHiE: I have been out of the city for a couple of days. I asked this morning if anything new 'had arisen in connection with the Hindus, who, I believe, are about a mile outside the port of Vancouver and are undergoing a thorough examination by the officials of the department. The Order in Council passed some time ago prohibiting the immigration of labourers will, of course, be called into requisition .in this case, .and absolutely

acted upon and enforced. That is what the hon. gentleman refers to, is it not?

Mr. OLIVER:

No, I am referring to the provision of the Act which was ignored in the case of the sixteen Hindus which were admitted .some weeks or months ago-the provision which sets aside the authority of the courts until the immigrants have been passed by the officials of the Department of the Interior and have been officially Landed. Is the Government going to stand on that section of the Act?

Mr. ROCHE:

The Government are first going to utilize this Order in Council. Failing that, of course, as to those whom we cannot prohibit by that Order in Council, we will call into use the regulations amended in accordance with the decision of Chief Justice Hunter. There were defects in the old Order in 'Council. This has been remedied, and I think it will hold water even against the decision of the Chief Justice. We are going to stand by the immigration law in its fullness.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

I am asked by a correspondent who seems to be well informed to call the attention of the Minister of the Interior to the fact that a .large number of Hungarians and Russians have landed lately in Quebec, and instead of taking up farm work remain in the city; also that a large number of assisted immigrants are being sent to Canada by the Unemployment Committee of London, England, Is the Minister of the Interior aware of that fact?

Mr. ROCHE:

I am not aware of any association who :a.re bringing labourers to Canada at all. I am certain that all officials under the jurisdiction of the department, and steamship agencies a3 well, have been notified to adhere rigidly to the instructions that no immigrants coming to Canada should be encouraged except those of the agricultural class.

Mr. J. J. HUGHES:

Mr. Speaker, I wish to ask you or whoever has the power to answer, under what authority the Library

and the reading room were closed from early Sunday evening until this morning- closed all day yesterday. There are a great many holidays; we had one last week, we have had one this week, and shall probably have one next week. While these holidays are no inconvenience-probably the reverse, a decided advantage- to the members who live near Ottawa, to nearly all the members from Ontario and Quebec they are a great disadvantage to the members from the far East or West who are obliged to spend the whole session in Ottawa. On the holidays we have hitherto been allowed the privilege of the reading room and Library, but on this occasion even that was taken away from us. That seems to me a strange thing, and I ask under what authority it was done.

Mr. BORDEN:

As the hon. gentleman

knows, a joint committee of the Senate and House of Commons is concerned with matters relating to the Library. I am not aware what the practice is in regard to closing the Library during the session of Parliament, but I do not suppose that any departure from the usual custom has been made. My recollection is that on public holidays the Library is always closed.

Mr. HUGHES:

The reading room was

closed as well.

Mr. BORDEN:

Is that a departure from what has taken place in the past?

Mr. HUGHES:

So far as I recollect, it

is.

Mr. SPEAKER:

The Librarian drew my attention to the fact that yesterday was a public holiday and said that the custom was for the Library to close during public holidays, and requested me to consent to its being closed. He also mentioned that as this holiday immediately followed Sunday the great majority of the members had gone home and he did not think there would be anybody resorting to the Library, and asked permission to close it on Sunday. I said, if it was the custom, to carry out the custom. I had a request also with regard to the reading room, and was told that the custom was to 'dose it when the Library was closed. I gave instructions that the reading room was to be kept open from ten to four. I do not know by what misunderstanding it was closed.