Mr. H. B. MORPHY, acting chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, presented the third report of said committee, as follows : Your committee ask leave to submit to the House the evidence taken in respect to the contract for supplies purchased from Mr. E. Powell, and to express their opinion that the contracts for such supplies do not appear to have been so worded as to fully protect the public interests. Your committee therefore recommend that the evidence adduced and all papers bonnec.ted therewith be referred by the House to the Department of Justice for any further investigation, if necessary, for the recovery of any moneys overpaid, the holding back of any moneys not yet paid over, and the taking of such further action as may be warranted by the facts. And your committee herewith transmit the evidence taken and all papers which came under their view, in connection with the contract with Mr. E. Powell.
Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
Sir WILFRID LAURIER:
Motion agreed to.
Mr. LANCASTER:
I beg to move.:
That owing to the advanced period of the session, Rule 28a, paragraph a, subsection 3 of Rule 89, subsection 1 of Rule 103, and Rules 114 and 115 relating to Private Bills be suspended for the remainder of this session, in accordance with the recommendation contained in the tenth report of the Select Standing Committee on Railways, Canals and Telegraph Lines.
I might say in support of the motion that this was moved yesterday by the hon. member for North Ontario (Mr Samuel Sharpe), chairman of the Committee on Miscellaneous Private Bills, and recommanded both by that committee and the Committee on Railways, Canals, and Telegraph Lines. I could read the rules we are suspending, but it is sufficient. I think, to say that they are those which *make it necessary to go through formalities which entail delay, and if we are going to prorogue at the time contemplated, we would not be able to put these Bills through unless the motion is carried.
Sir WILFRID LAURIER:
How many
Bills are there?
Mr. LANCASTER:
There are two or
three for the Railway Committee, and I understand there are a number for the Miscellaneous Private Bills Committee.
Mr. SPEAKER:
The rules to be suspended by this motion are: 28A, in reference to Bills originating in the Senate being placed on the Order Paper for first reading, which sometimes causes a delay of one or two days; rule 89, subsection 3, which says that when any rule is suspended in reference to a Bill the fee for such suspension is $100, and as the parties promoting the Bills are not in fault, it was thought a hardship to impose this fine; rule 103, subsection 1, which says that the committee cannot consider-a Bill originating in the Senate until notice has been posted up twenty-four hours; rule 114, which says that Senate amendments to Private Bills, if important, must be sent to the Standing Committee before second reading; and rule 115, which says that no motion for the suspension of a rule applying to Private Bills
shall be entertained unless recommended by the Committee on Standing Orders or some other committee.
Sir WILFRID LAURIER:
I understand
from your statement, Mr. Speaker, that if there is any fault it is not the fault of the persons applying for the Bills, who in all cases have made due diligence.
Mr. SPEAKER:
Yes.
Sir WILFRID LAURIER:
In such circumstances the motion should pass.
Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
One of the main considerations for the rules of the House is, that due public notice should be given in respect to all these applications, and, as 1 understand it, this motion does not cut down in any way the notice which is required to be given.
Mr. LANCASTER:
That is not affected
by this motion.
Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
The motion relates merely to the procedure of the House and the suspension of some rules which involve delay.
Mr. LANCASTER:
Yes, as between the
two Hhuses.
Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
I think the
motion might very well pass at the present time, inasmuch as the persons who have these Bills before Parliament have not been guilty of any default.