Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

The necessity

for making provision for a salary for the Secretary of State arises in this way-the Prime Minister has ceased to be President of the Privy Council, which position has filled for a number of years,

Sir SAM HUGHES:

I regret exceedingly to have to take the lead in asking the right hon. leader of the Government to speak a little louder. Gentlemen behind cannot hear, and I cannot hear.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

So far as the provision of a salary for the Secretary of State for External Affairs is concerned, the necessity arises owing to the Prime Minister having ceased to be President of the Privy Council. By statute it is provided that the Prime Minister shall be Secretary of State for External Affairs, but as he has received in the past a salary as President of the Council, no salary has ever been provided for the Secretary of State for External Affairs. When the present Government was formed in October last the Prime Minister relinquished the post of President of the Council and it was therefore necessary to make some provision for salary for the Secretary of State for External Affairs. A new ministry, that of Immigration and colonisation, has also been established, .and a ministry of Soldiers' Civil Re-Establishment, as well as a parliamentary secretaryship to the latter department. This resolution makes the usual provision for these salaries. It is not intended

to fill at present the parliamentary secretaryship of the Department of Militia and Defence which has been rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr., McCurdy, who has become Parliamentary Secretary of the Department of Soldiers.' Civil Re-Establishment. So far as the remainder of the resolution is concerned,, it makes provision during the present war for a salary to one or more ministers, not exceeding three, who are members of the King's Privy Council for Canada, and who may be named by the Governor in Council. It it provided that they shall be paid such salaries or remuneration as Parliament may provide and that they shall not by reason thereof be ineligible as members of the House of Commons or disqualified to sit or vote therein. This is intended to provide for a case like that of Mr. Maclean, who is Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Reconstruction and Development, but who does not otherwise preside over any department of the Government. It also provides for the case of Senator Robertson, who is a member of the committee and the chairman of a* very important sub-committee with respect to labour conditions. I may say that insofar as both these gentlemen are concerned, they have, during the period since they assumed these duties, been as actively engaged in the work of the administration as any other members of the Government-In addition to the duties which I have mentioned as devolving upon Mr. Maclean, he has, during the absence of Sir Thomas White, carried on the Work and assumed the responsibilities of the Department of Finance. However, it is in respect to his work as vice-chairman of the committee on reconstruction and development in the past year, in which he has been very actively engaged, that this proposed salary is intended to be provided.

Sir SAM HUGHES:

Are these gentlemen named as 'members of the Privy Council?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

Mr. Maclean and Senator Robertson are both members of the King's Privy Council for Canada. They were sworn in as such when they became members of the Government in October last.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

My right hon. friend has not mentioned who is to be the third minister.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN. There is no intention at present to appoint any third minister.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

That is only by way of precaution?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

By way of adequate precaution.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

We have no intention on this side to discuss the measure to-day, but I would like to h^ve more information than my right hon. friend has given me. Perhaps he cannot give it to-day. We would like to know what the number of the members of the administration will be, including the hon. member for Halifax (Mr. Maclean), the parliamentaiy secretaries, the Solicitor General and so on. I will not ask my right hon. friend to give that information to-day. I know that he is blessed with a good memory, but there are limits to his memory, and perhaps, in view of the numerous personnel of the Administration, his memory is not equal to the undertaking of giving me the particulars. In the meantime, instead of relying on his memory, he may perhaps look the matter up and, after consulting with his officers, he may be able to get a list of those who are now members of the Administration-

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

I am confident

that I can rely on my memory, but I can tell my right hon. friend that I shall certainly bring a list.

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

It might stand as an order for a return.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

Might I ask my right hon friend the Prime Minister if he could, for the information of the House, give the functions of the Committee on Development and Reconstruction, presided over by my hon. friend the Acting Minister of Finance (Mr. Maclean)?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

I laid the

Order in Council on the table of the House on Monday last and I shall furnish my hon. friend with a printed copy of it before the commencement of the session tomorrow.

Sir 'SAM HUGHES: Are these ministers to accept office without consulting the people or to go back for re-election in the constituencies which they represent?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

Under the Order in Council which is to be confirmed by legislation founded upon. this resolution, my hon. friend from Halifax (Mr. Maclean) was appointed to the position which he holds and was in the enjoyment of a salary before he was elected. I do not understand that it would be necessary for him to seek re-election.

Mr. CANNON:

May I ask the right hon., the leader of the Government if it is true that the Inland Revenue Department is to be merged with the Department of Customs?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

I shall make a statement with regard to that when the Bill comes up again.

Resolution reported, read a first and second time and concurred in.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN moved for leave to introduce Bill No-. 13 to amend the Salaries' Act' and the provisions for preserving the independence of Parliament.

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

This is a resolution that is to form the basis of a Bill to be introduced. Mos-t of the Bill to be introduced is similar to the one introduced last year and which was discussed in the House and distributed throughout the country. One or two additions are made to that. Probably any discussion which takes place upon it had better take place upon the Bill rather than upon the resolution.