Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
I do not think that the rule to which my right hon. friend refers applies to the case in question, but I will give it consideration.
Mr. MARCIL:
Will the correspondence between the Prime Minister and the late ex-Minister of Militia, which brought about the latter's resignation, be brought down?
Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
It can be brought down.
Mr. MARCIL:
It has not yet been brought down.
Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
It has not.
Hon. FRANK COCHRANE (Minister of Railways and Canals) moved the second reading of Bill No. 13, to consolidate and amend the Railway Act. Motion agreed to. Hon. FRANK COCHRANE moved that the Bill be referred to a special committee composed of Messrs. Ames, Armstrong (Lambton), Bennett (Calgary), Blain, Cochrane, Carvell, Orothers, Cromwell, Donaldson, Fowler, Graham, Green, Lapointe, Lemieux, Macdonell, Maclean (York), McCurdy, Meighen, Murphy, Nesbitt, Oliver, Pugsley, Rainville, Reid, Sinclair and Turriff. t
Mr. LEMIEUX:
Is it the intention to convene the committee during the recess, and if so what arrangements are being made in that regard? Shall we meet in the minister's office, or where?
Mr. COCHRANE:
I think it would be a good plan to meet say a week before the 19th of April, so that the matter would be fresh in our minds when the House resumes. We will undertake to call the committee together a week before that date.
Sir HERBERT AMES:
Who will undertake to call it?
Mr. COCHRANE:
I will.
Mr. GERMAN:
Will the minister state what this committee is to do?
Mr. COCHRANE:
It will go over the Bill, and approve, or disapprove, of the clauses and consider any representations made by the railway companies or other people with
reference to it. It will consider the whole matter.
Mr. GERMAN:
The minister does not suggest that the report of that committee will be binding on this House?
Mr. COCHRANE:
No.
Mr. OLIVER:
If the committee is expected to meet during the adjournment, it would not be possible for me to attend, and, therefore, if it is intended to take serious action during that period I shall have to ask to be released from the committee.
Mr. GRAHAM:
I do not think that that would be a good reason for the hon. gentleman's retirement from the committee. I am rather inclined to think that there will be difficulty in getting the. committee convened. It may be easy to call the members together, but many are called, and few may come. As I understand it, this Bill is referred to a* special committee instead of being referred directly to the House. That committee, of course, will have to bring its report to the House to be dealt with by the Committee of the Whole in the usual way.
Sir ROBERT BORDEN:
There may be
difficulty in accomplishing a large amount of work upon this Bill, but possibly spme-thing can be done by such of the members of the committee as can assemble from time to time during adjournment. Of course, on account of the very great distance at which many hon. gentlemen reside, it would be impossible, I .suppose, to do more than fix a certain date at which the Bill might be taken up for a week or ten days. It might be impossible to have the committee meet at certain intervals, because the journey which some of the members would be called upon to undertake is too great, and the inconvenience also would be too great. Possibly the hon. member for Edmonton (Mr. Oliver) might be able to accede to the suggestion of the hon. Minister of Railways and Canals that there should be a meeting say a week before the House re-assembles.
Mr. OLIVER:
I do not wish to disturb
the arrangements; I only wish to make it clear that I would not be able to attend during the recess, and therefore, if there was an urgent reason for convening the full committee it would be better to release me, and appoint some other member.