Mr. ROCHE:

I am afraid that will take a long time. There are several dozens of them. The Orders in Council were laid upon the table of the House, in accordance with the provisions of the statute during the first fortnight of the session, and, as a irulte, it is a formal matter to have Parliament approve of them.

If I were to enter into an explanation of every Order in Council passed, I am afraid that we should not have much time for any other work. *

Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

I have heard long discussions upon some of these Orders in Council in times past. I am quite prepared to believe that they are all right, but I should like to know what they refer to. For instance, the following Orders in Council are referred to in my hon. friend's motion:

Orders in Council which have been published in the Canada Gazette, between 1st January, 1916, and the 31st December, 1916, in accordance with the provisions of section 77 of "The Dominion Lands Act," chapter 20, 7-8 Edward VII.

I am sure that no member of the House except the minister himself knows what these Orders in Council are about. If my hon. friend will tell us in a general way what they are, we shall be satisfied.

Mr. ROCHE:

I agree that unless members of the House had looked up the Orders in Council as they were laid upon the Table, they would not be acquainted with them. I shall give an explanation of some of them.

P.C. 3093. Order in Council, 6th January, 1916. This order applies to Dominion lands within the railway belt mainland, in the province of British Columbia. Provision has been made by previous orders of the 17th of October, 1914, and the 19th of June, 1915, for reckoning as residence spent on a homestead the time of an entrant on active

military service, who made entry prior to enlistment, and for the issue of patent to such homesteader if disabled, or to his legal representative in the event of death.

This order provides that in case of an entry made after enlistment, or date of recall to the colours, that such entry may be protected during the continuance of military service, and for three months after discharge.

Similar provisions to the above have been passed under the authority of the Dominion Lands Act. The Dominion Lands Act does not apply to the railway belt in the province of British Columbia, which is governed by regulations passed by the Governor in Council, under authority of chapter 56, R.S.C.

P.C. 217. Order in Council, 4th February, 1916. This order applies to Dominion lands within the railway belt mainland, in the province of British Columbia. This order may be divided into two parts.

1. It extends to Dominion lands in the railway belt, British Columbia, the provisions of Order in Council of the 26'th August, 1908, which provides that homestead entries taken up under the Dominion lands Act may be made by proxy.

2. It provides that proxy entries made for Dominion lands in the railway belt, by any person serving with the forces of Great Britain or any of her Allies, is to have the same standing as if it had bean made in person.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

What about

the Orders in Council with respect to the Forest Reserves and Park Act?

Mr. ROCHE:

This Order in Council covers a number of amendments in the details of the forest reserve regulations which were found to be necessary after they had been in operation for a little over two years. The amendments make better provision for dealing with fire, provide for making more clear certain portions of the provisions of the regulations in regard to timber permits, for extending for not more than one year the time of a timber sale where it is considered in the public interest, to make clearer some of the provisions in regard to grazing, and to provide specially for cases where cattle graze for part of a season on the forest reserve and for the remainder of the season on lands outside, for slight amendments to the hay permit regulations so as to prevent confusion with the regulations on Dominion lands outside of the forest reserves, and for -extending the right to a permit for a period not to exceed five

years where improvement of the meadow is made by the permittee by drainage or otherwise; for altering the regulations in regard to fishing so as to make them more fully in agreement with the general fishery regulations.

Some regulations are also made by Order in Council in regard to Dominion lands adjacent to waterfalls on the Winnipeg river. Some time ago we changed the Dominion Lands Act so that in the future lands adjacent to water-powers should be leased, not sold. This Order in Council refers to ' mines and minerals under sudh lands adjacent to water-powers.

Mr. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Kamouraska):

I wish to call the attention of the Government to the following letter which has been circulated in connection with the Military Service Act. The letter is in French; I shall lead the English translation:

(Translation.)

Ottawa, September 11th, 1917.

Dear sir:-

I htve the pleasure to inform you that the regulations made under the Military Law exempt the farmers, their families and industrials in good faith.

I have at last succeeded to win my point, and it is only justice.

You can without any fear, whatever, present jour unm ivied sons to the Tribunals. Instructions are given according to what I now tell jou.

I hope the farmers will do their utmost for the largest production of all that is necessary to feed the populations.

With my best wishes, believe me,

Yours truly,

J. H. Rainville.

This letter has been sent by the Deputy Speaker of the House to a large number of farmers in Quebec province, especially in the county of Chambly-Vercheres. I wish to know from the Government whether the statements contained in this letter are true, whether regulations have been made along the line indicated therein and whether the Deputy Speaker of the House has been authorized to make known these regulations before they have been communicated to Parliament.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

I did not follow very carefully the reading of the letter as my hon. friend gave it. My impression is that the regulations have not yet been

fully completed. Doubtless the hon. gentleman who wrote the letter is giving his impression of what the regulations may be. However, I shall look at the letter as it appears in Hansard and, if necessary, speak again on the subject.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

Is it the intention of the Government to pass regulations exempting any particular classes of British subjects from military service?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

The proposed

regulations will come to us from the Military Service Council, with the approval of the Central Appeal Judge. They have not yet been presented to the Government; therefore I do not know whether any such regulation as my right hon. friend suggests is to be submitted to us.

Mr. L. A. LAPOINTE (Montreal, St. James):

I desire to ask the Secretary of State (Hon. Arthur Meighen) if it is the intention of the Government to have electoral lists printed according to law? I quote section 15 of the Dominion Elections Act:

It shall be the duty of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, immediately upon receipt by him of any such certiflil copy of a list of voters, to cause it to he printed by the King's Printer, and he shall thereafter retain such certified copy of record in his office.

The electoral list for the city of Montreal, which was revised in January, lias been sent by the registrar of the city of Montreal to the clerk of the Crown in Chancery. The list, which is to be the basis of the list that would be used according to the new Act is in force and should have been printed-

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order.

Mr. L. A. LAPOINTE:

I will explain.

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order. The hon. member is not in order in proceeding to make any argument. If he chooses to ask a question, that is permissible. I feel like allowing more latitude now, because there is a possibility that this session may terminate some day; otherwise I would insist upon this and similar questions going on the Order Paper.

Mr. L. A. LAPOINTE:

I want to make my point very clear. In view of section 16 which says:

Immediately after printing such list, the King's Printer shall send by registered mail twenty copies thereof to the sitting member for

the electoral district to which the list belongs, and twenty copies to the defeated candidate at the last Dominion election therein.

Is the Government going to provide-

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order. The hon. member can put a simple question which will embrace the whole matter