Hon. C. J. DOHERTY (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 110, to amend the Dominion Elections Act. He said: This is one of the Bills which was reported by the select special Committee appointed to consider the advisability of amending the Dominion Elections Act and the Dominion Controverted Elections Act. In this Bill, they propose first to repeal certain provisions in force in Saskatchewan and Alberta which permit a voter presenting himself at the polls after the lists have been completed to vote by simply swearing as to his qualifications. The same provision holds good in the Yukon, and it is not proposed to alter it as regards that territory. In the view of the committee, the conditions which justify it have ceased to exist in the two provinces mentioned. The next provision of the Bill is to make an amendment with regard to deferred elections. The change effected by "the Redistribution Act in certain constituencies altered the names of those constituencies as they appear in the present Act, making the provision to defer the election no longer applicable. The Bill does not purpose to provide for deferred elections in the entire portion of the constituencies that have been composed of parts of those constituencies in which they were previously permissible, but only in these new constituencies where conditions require it. There is also an amendment to make provision with regard to cases where a candidate may die after nomination, to assimilate the condition prevailing in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan to that prevailing in the rest of the country. There is a provision to prolong the hours of polling from eight to six instead of from nine to five, and a provision requiring employers to give an extra hour over and above the noon hour to their employees to enable them to vote, without making any deduction in their pay. There is also a provision - for correcting an error in the French version of one of the sections of the Act as it now stands. Furthermore, the schedule containing the nomination paper is proposed to be amended so as to require the candidate nominated to insert in the * nomination paper an address at which all processes or papers with regard to the election, or any contestation of the election, may be served upon him. Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first time.

Hon. C. J. DOHERTY (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 109, to amend the Dominion Controverted Elections Act. He said: Dealing with the provisions which this Bill proposes to make as a whole, I may say their purpose is to simplify the procedure in controverted elections and to expedite the trial. There are provisions with regard to the proof of qualification of the petitioner, which make the production of the list upon which a man figures as an elector in the district conclusive proof of his qualification. The forms of the petition and the counter petition are modified so as to make them more simple, while at the same time giving more specific information to the party against whom the petition is brought or the counter petition is made of the nature of the charges intended to be covered by it. There is a provision with regard to deposits for the purpose of making the receipt for a deposit conclusive evidence of the making of it. There is also a modification of the present requirements of advertising the petition, for the purpose of simplifying it. The delays for service and the delays for answer are also proposed to be shortened, and a delay of fifteen days is fixed, after which a day may be fixed for trial. There is a provision that, if neither of the parties choose to have a day fixed for the trial, the court, after the expiry of thirty days, after notification and application by the clerk, may fix a day upon which the parties shall be bound to proceed to trial. Inasmuch as preliminary objections are entirely done away with, of necessity the appeal from any judgment on such objections disappears; therefore the provision in the Act for appeal to the Supreme Court is amended by striking out any appeal from judgment on preliminary objections. Then there is a provision that petitions shall not abate or be dismissed or withdrawn upon .the death, inability, or withdrawal of the petitioner, and provision is made to enable the proceedings to be taken up and carried on. There is an amendment with regard to prosecutions under the provisions which subject parties to prosecution for offences against the Dominion Elections Act otherwise than by contestation, requiring that any witness that the trial judge indicates as being necessary or useful witnesses on such prosecution shall be summoned, as well as all other witnesses considered [DOT] necessary by the prosecuting attorney.

Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first time.

On the Orders of the Day being called:

The House in Committee of Supply, Mr. Blain in the Chair. Charges of management-printing, advertising, inspection, express charges, etc., $42,000.