Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Explain.

Mr. GUTHRIE:

The Bankruptcy Act that was passed last session will come into force on the first of July next under a proclamation in that behalf which was issued, I think, in the month of January. It is now intended to amend the Act. I think there are about twenty amendments proposed. They are not very radical in their nature but it is thought that they will simplify the Act and make it more workable. I will take the opportunity when the Bill comes to its second reading or is in the committee stage to more fully explain the nature of these amendments.

Motion agreed to and Bill read the first time.

Hon. MACKENZIE KING (leader of the Opposition):

May I ask the right hon. the Acting Prime Minister (Sir George Foster) if the rumour is correct that we are to be disappointed in our expectation that the Budiget will come down to-morrow. If it is not coming down to-morrow, can he inform us when we may expect it?

Rt. Hon. Sir GEORGE FOSTER (Acting Prime Minister):

I do not know whether

my hon. friend is disappointed or not but circumstances have intervened which make it undesirable that the Budget Speech should be delivered to-morrow as was anticipated. One of the considerations in the matter is the pleasurable circumstance that the Prime Minister of the Dominion (Right Hon. Sir Robert Borden) is expected to take his place in the House to-morrow, and on account of his return just previous to the time that the Budget was to have been delivered it was not considered advisable to go on with the Budget without giving the Prime Minister an opportunity of looking over it. Secondly, we shall not sit on Thursday but shall sit on Friday. The Budget might have been delivered on Thursday if we had sat on that day, and it does not seem advisable to start the debate on Friday. The Budget will, however, be delivered on Monday next which must not be, for that week, considered as a dies non, as it very frequently is. It being Budget day I hope all the members will make it a point to be in their places.

Hon. W. S. FIELDING:

Monday is not usually Budget day. While I must not say that there has been no such case I have no recollection of a Budget ever having been delivered on Monday. It is usually considered desirable that the Budget should be delivered on a day when there is a pretty good attendance. Of course my right hon. friend will say that there should be a good attendance every day. Perhaps Monday is being chosen for some special reaspn that my right hon. friend has not given. He informs us that we are to have the pleasure of the presence of the right hon. the Prime Minister (Sir Robert Borden) and he immediately proceeds to say that is the reason why we should not have the Budget on Wednesday, implying that it will not be a pleasant thing and that he does not want to mix a pleasant and an unpleasant thing. I think my hon. friend might take into consideration the fact that Monday is not a Budget day, and it would be a wise thing to say Tuesday. If, however, the Government insists on Monday, we will have to agree to it.

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

I do not know upon what grounds my hon. friend says that Monday is not a Budget day.

Mr. BUREAU:

Custom.

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

Monday has as many hours in it as any other day, and after the rest of Sunday it ought to be a good day for the Budget.

Mr. BUREAU:

The shock would be too great.