Hon. J. A. ROBB (Acting Minister of Finance):

Subsection 2 of section 63 of the Soldier Settlement Act, 1919, provides that regulations made under the authority of that act shall be presented to parliament within, fifteen days after the meeting thereof. In accordance with this provision I beg to lay on the table two regulations made under the act.

Hon. J. A. ROBB (Acting Minister of Finance):

On behalf of the Minister of Finance (Mr. Fielding), and for the information of the House, I beg to lay on the table a copy of a convention of commerce between Canada and the Netherlands signed at Ottawa on the Uth day of July, 1924. In connection with this convention, Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, seconded by the Minister of Militia and Defence (Mr. Macdonald, Pictou) that one thousand copies be printed forthwith, and that rule 74, in relation thereto, be suspended.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

I beg to present the report of the special committee appointed to prepare

and report with all convenient speed, lists of members to compose the select standing committees of the House, under rule 10. I move that the House concur in the said report.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

I am afraid I cannot

concur in it now.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

It may stand

as a notice of motion.

Mr. SPEAKER:

Stands, as notice of motion.

Mr. CALDWELL:

Explain.

Mr. LAPOINTE:

This is merely a notice of motion; when the resolution comes up for discussion explanations will be in order.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

In view of the promise I made last evening, I should like to make a statement with respect to the depositors of the Home Bank:

On July 17, 1924, this House unanimously adopted the report of the committee on Banking and Commerce with respect to the losses sustained by the depositors of the Home Bank of Canada. The concluding paragraph of the said report is as follows:

Your committee consider that the facts brought out in the interim report submitted by Mr. Chief Justice McKeown, and the evidence therein referred to, establish that the depositors of the Home Bank have a moral claim in equity for compensation by the country on account of any loss they may suffer by reason of the failure of the Home Bank.

In the circumstances, the government has decided to introduce, this session, a measure recognizing, with respect to the depositors of the Home Bank, "the moral claim in equity for compensation", as referred to in this paragraph of the report. The proposed legislation will be brought down in due course.

Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Leader of the Opposition):

I wish to make an observ-

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ation with reference to the first sentence of the Prime Minister's statement, and I make it without regard at all to what the attitude of the opposition may be towards the measure. The reference was to the "unanimous" adoption of a report. There were many reports adopted in this way hastily last session against my vigorous protest, and I stated at the time on more than one occasion that I did not consider such adoption as in any way binding the House to the terms of the report. That is the position I take still. In this connection I want to ask whether the amount which the government proposes to give is to be in the supplementary estimates, and also why it is not in the main estimates.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

The bill which will be introduced will indicate the amount; there is no reason why the estimate should be given before the bill is presented.