Rt. Hon. Sir ROBERT BORDEN (Prime Minister):

I beg to move, seconded by Sir Wilfrid Laurier:

That this House do accept the Mace presented in 1916 by Colonel the Rt. Hon Sir Charles Cheers Wakefield, then Lord Mayor of London, and by Sir George Alexander Touche, M.P., and Sir Samuel George Shead, then Sheriffs of London, and that the warm thanks of the House be conveyed by Mr. Speaker to the donors.

The House will remember that shortly after the fire which destroyed the Parliament Buildings we were in receipt of a communication from the then Lord Mayor and the Sheriffs of London in which they asked to be permitted to present a mace to this House to take the place of that which unfortunately had been destroyed in the fire. I consulted with my right hon. friend (Sir Wilfrid Laurier) at that time, and we agreed that the offer should be accepted. The mace has been prepared by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Company, Ltd., and during my recent visit to England it was presented to me in order that I might transmit it to Mr. Speaker and obtain the formal assent of the House to its acceptance. The mace is now on the Table, and McC.ea.]

hon. gentlemen have had an opportunity of examining it. I am sure they will all agree that it is a very beautiful piece of workmanship, and that the warm thanks of the House are due to Sir Charles Wakefield, Sir George Touche, and Sir Samuel Shead for their generous gift. This gift and its acceptance form a new link of association between the Parliament of Canada and the great city at the heart of our Empire.

I might perhaps with advantage place on Hansard a description of the design of the mace, which has been prepared by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Company:

The general design of the Mace is on similar lines to that used in the English House of Commons. The vase shaped head is divided into four panels by female figures with acanthus leaf terminals. These panels contain the following beautifully embossed emblems. The Arms of the Dominion of Canada, the Rose for England, the Harp for Ireland, and the Thistle for Scotland; above each emblem 'is the Royal Crown and the initials G. OR. are placed on either side. In the spaces above the figures is shown the Beaver executed in bold relief. The Head of the Mace is supported by four ornamental brackets and is surmounted by the Royal Crown, indicating the Royal Authority; beneath the arches where the cushion is usually placed, there is a raised circular space on which appears in relief the full blazon of the Royal Arms of Great Britain and Ireland. The Staff is divided at intervals by two spiral fluted knops, and the whole length is richly chased with the Rose, Shamrock, Thistle and the Maple Leaf. The massive foot of the Staff is decorated with Roses, Thistles and Fleur-de-lys, the plain space above bearing the following inscription:-

'This Mace replacing the original Mace of the House of Commons of the Dominion of Canada, destroyed by fire on February 17th, 1916, was presented by Colonel the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Cheers Wakefield, Lord Mayor of London, and the Sheriffs of London, George Alexander Touche, Esq., M.P., and Samuel George Shead, Esq., June, 1916.'

In its design and execution the Mace forms an emblem of authority well worthy of the great country for which it is intended.

It will be observed that the date of the destruction of the Parliament Buildings is incorrectly stated in the inscription. I am at a loss to know how this mistake could have occurred, but I have no doubt it can be easily rectified. The Lord Mayor of London placed the Council Chamber of the Guild Hall at the disposal of the donors for the purpose of presenting the mace, and he himself attended and presided over the ceremony. Each of the donors spoke and their expressions of goodwill to this country and of appreciation of the part which Canada is taking in the great struggle in which we are now engaged were all that any of us could desire. I am sure there will be a perfect unanimity of feeling in

the House in assenting to this resolution, and I trust that Mr. Speaker will convey in fitting terms to the donors the appreciation and thanks of the House, together with a copy of the resolution which I am now proposing.

Right hon. Sir WILFRID LAURIER: On Friday, we shall know exactly what my right hon. friend (Sir Robert Borden) has brought back from his visit to England. Yet even to-day we see and must acknowledge that he has not come back empty-handed, but on the contrary he has brought in this mace a very substantial evidence of the work he has accomplished on the other side of the water. This emblem and its presentation are evidences of our connection and growing relations with the Motherland. For my part, though I am a democrat to the hilt, I certainly appreciate all these evidences of our parliamentary history as it has come down to us through the ages. All these symbols and ceremonies have their uses. I-t may be that when a new member comes to this House, he may think it somewhat archaic when he sees the sergeant-at-arms with the mace preceding the Speaker, but when he becomes better acquainted with Parliament, he finds that each of these customs has its significance. One of England's historic personages called the mace a "bauble," and ordered it out of the Commons, but its restoration signified the restoration to England of constitutional government as it exists to-day. Parliamentary government has come from England to Canada, and this gift to us is an emblem of those parliamentary institutions which are so highly prized, especially now that we are under fire in the present world war.

1. Who is in charge of the Life Saving Station at Whitehead, N.S. ?

2. What are the names of the crew and the

coxswain?

3. Was the lifeboat in commission during the whole of the past year?

4. Was the lifeboat at that station out of commission at the time of the wreck of the dredge Cape Breton?

5. If so, who was responsible for it being out of commission?

6. What was the expenditure in connection with the lifesaving station at Whitehead during the year 1916?

1. John Phalen.

2. Coxswain, John Phalen. Crew, Samel Duncan, Levi McDuff, David Duncan, Albert Uloth, Canon H. Feltmate, Adam Fitzgerald. The above men comprised the staff during 1916.

3. Up to December 16th, 1916, when it was damaged.

4. The season being so far advanced when the lifeboat was damaged, and navigation being practically over, it was not practicable to have a new boat built and installed at Whitehead in time to be of any use in the current year. A search of the records of the station back to 1910 shews that the boat was not called out for the purpose of saving life during that time.

5. Answered by No. 4.

6. $311.11.

1. At what time was the English edition of the Auditor General's Report for the year ending March 31, 1916, ready for distribution?

2. At what time was the French edition of the same report ready for distribution?

1. April 19th, 1917.

2. The French edition of Volumes I. and III. of the Auditor General's Report for the year ended March 31st, 1916, was ready for distribution on May 5th, 1917. Volumes II. and IV. in French are not yet ready for distribution.

1. Was Harvey Turner of Jordan Falls. Shelburne County, N.S., appointed recruiting officer for R.C.N.V.S.?

2. If so, when was he so appointed and who recommended him for such appointment?

3. What qualifications did he possess for such appointment?

4. What rank was said Turner given?

5. (a) Was he attached to any ship? (b) If so, what ship?

6. How much was paid said Turner per day for his services as recruiting officer?

7. What amount, if any, was paid said Turner, respectively, for wages and expenses?

8. Were said Turner's services dispensed with?

9. If so, when and for what reason?

10. Is the Government aware as to whether or not the said Turner was induced to accept the position as such recruiting officer by representations made to him by Wendall H. Currie of Shelburne, president of the Shelburne County Conservative Association, and a defeated candidate at the provincial election in June, 1916? .

11. Was said Currie authorized to make such representations to said Turner?

12. Is the Government aware as to whether or not said Turner while in the constituency of Shelburne-Queen's in his capacity of recruit-

ing officer made it a practice to say in public places that he was recruiting for Canada's Tin-pot Navy?

13. How many recruits for the Navy were recruited as the result of Turner's appointment?

1. Yes.

2. On 12th January, 1917, upon the recommendation of Mr. B. T. Graham, Naval Recruiting Secretary, Halifax, who stated that Turner was well qualified for recruiting service.

3. Answered by No. 2.

4. Recruiting Petty Officer.

5. (a) Yes; (b) H.M.C.S. "Niobe."

6. $2 per day.

7. Wages to 31st March, $158; travelling expenses, $45.87.

8. Yes. .

9. Turner's services being utilized for recruiting only, he was no longer required after the 31st March, orders having been given to close the recruiting office at Halifax on that date.

10. No information in the Department of the Naval Service.

11. Not by the Department of the Naval Service.

12. No information in the Department of the Naval Service.

13. From the method of registering recruits at the various recruiting *ffices, it cannot be ascertained to what agency their entry is attributable.

1. Was the Government steamer Laval put in dry dock last year?

2. If so, what was the cost of the repairs undergone by the Laval when in dry dock?

3. Why was this steamer put in dry dock?

1. Yes.

2. $13,550.17.

3. To repair damage to hull.

1. Is the Government aware as to whether or not one Edward Levi Baugh was convicted in the Court of General Sessions at Toronto, of conspiracy to defraud and of other offences in connection with the Colonel Stimson case, on the 14th February last?

2. If so, was he sentenced to a term of imprisonment and to what term?

3. If so sentenced, has the said Baugh been released from custody?

4. If so released, was the opinion of the (a) trial judge, (b) of the Crown or Police Authorities obtained as to the advisability of allowing his release, having regard to the serious character of the offence committed and the expenditure of large sums of money in obtaining his conviction?

5. Was any Medical opinion obtained as to his physical condition and from whom, and If from more than one physician, on what dates and what were the respective reports of each physician?

6. Has the said Baugh been released on parole and is he bound to report to the Police or to any other Authorities? If not, why not?

7. Was application made for his release? If so, by whom, and was it in'writing? If in writing, will the correspondence be produced?

8. Has the said Baugh made restitution of any part of the sum out of which he was alleged to have been proved, upon two trials at Toronto, to have defrauded Colonel George A-Stimson?

9. Was any provision made for such restitution before his release and discharge was ordered, or has any undertaking been given by him to that effect?

10. Was the Minister of Justice personally consulted in the matter and did he order Baugh's release?

11. If not, who was acting as Minister of Justice at the time, and who was responsible for his release?