Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to

inform the House that I have received a message from His Excellency the Governor General, signed by his own hand, reading as follows:

I have received with great pleasure the Address you have voted in reply to my Speech at the opening of parliament, and thank you for it sincerely.

Byno or Vimy.

Government House, Ottawa,

18th March, 1920

Mr. SPEAKER:

I have reoeived a message from His Excellency the Governor General which reads as follows:

Members of the House of Commons:

I have the honour to thank you for the resolution of the House of Commons forwarding an Address to His Most Excellent Majesty the King expressing the deep regret and -heartfelt sorrow of the Senate and [Mr Meighen.]

Commons of Canada at the demise of Her Majesty the Queen Mother. I have forwarded this Address to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs in order that it may be duly laid at the foot of the Throne.

Byng of Vimy.

Government House, Ottawa,

19th March, 1920.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of the Hon. Charles Avery Dunning for the electoral district of Regina.

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

That the names of Messrs. Chabot and Parent be substituted for those of Messrs. Jenkins and Jones on the select standing committee on Miscellaneous Private Bills.

That the names of Messrs. Lapierre, Evantuxel, Hanson and Ryerson be substituted for those of Messrs. Robichaud, McLean (Melfort), Maybee and Grimmer on the seleot standing committee on Banking and Commerce.

That the name of Mr. McLean (Melfort) be substituted for that of Mr. Goodison on the select standing committee on Mines, Forests and Waters.

That the name of Mr. Lapierre be substituted for that of Mr. Euler on the select standing committee on Railways, Canals and Telegraph lines.

That the names of Messrs. Chabot and Evanturel be substituted for those of Messrs. Black (Yukon) and Duff on the select standing committee on Standing Orders.

That the name of Mr. Lapierre be substituted for that of Mr. Duff on the select standing committee of Public Accounts.

That the name of Mr. Lapierre .be substituted for t int of Mr. Euler on the select standing committee on Printing.

Mr. JEAN FRANCOIS POULIOT (Tem-iscouata):

I rise to a question of privilege.

I refer to an article published in the Montreal Gazette some time ago. On the 10th March instant, there appeared in that paper a quotation from a speech delivered in Montreal by "the man on the street"-I mean Sparks street, namely Mr. R. P. Sparks, who repeated the same thing in Toronto. More-

Questions

over, I see that in the same article Mr. Theodore Morgan voiced the opinion that the statement should be printed in pamphlet form and distributed throughout the country-"Sherwin Williams paint covers the world 1" In his speech Mr. Sparks said:

All the organized bands of crooks that are living at the expense of the taxpayers of Canada hope that it will be a fiasco.

He means the customs probe.

A whole group of corrupt customs officers who are taking bribes hope that it will be a fiasco. American prison contractors who are shipping thousands of dozens of goods here, I am sure, are hoping it will be a fiasco. If Mr. Pouliot does hope so, he has got lots of company.

In explanation of those things let me refer to a former article in the same paper, the Montreal Gazette, on March 8. It is a resume of a speech I made at Montreal at the Reform Club on March 6. I wish to quote this extract from that resume:

The member for Temiscouata did not go deeply into the subject of the customs inquiry, but advised his listeners to spread counter-propaganda against the "odious attacks of Mr. Stevens," which he claimed are being distributed throughout the country in pamphlet form.

This is the point. I only said then that the Tory propaganda in connection with the customs probe would be a failure and an immense fiasco. I have nothing to say about the result of the customs probe, except that Mr. Sparks' nonsense may make of it a fiasco.

Mr; MEIGHEN: I rise to a point of order. I have not detected in anything quoted by the hon. gentleman any subject matter of a question of privilege. Certainly, even if there were, the remarks which he is making are away beyond his right as a member at this time.

Mr. POULIOT:

I think I have a right to explain my position on such a question of privilege and moreover I have just a word to say-

Mr. MEIGHEN:

Mr. Speaker, I ask for your ruling. I should have risen, I think, on many other occasions similar to this. If this is permitted, there might be no end to orders of the day.

Mr. SPEAKER:

The hon. gentleman states that he rises to a question of privilege respecting certain statements made by Mr. Sparks in commenting upon a speech delivered by the hon. member himself at the Reform Club. He has indicated the remarks he

made after having quoted from the Montreal Gazette, and I suppose he is coming now to the remarks made by Mr. Sparks and wishes to deny certain statements attributed to that gentleman.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

The point is this. He came some time ago to the only reference to himself which was contained in these words:

If Mr. Pouliot does hope so he has got lots of company.

He is at liberty to deny those words or the implication of them, but he cannot go into a dissertation of this kind.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I hope the hon. gentleman will state briefly the question of privilege-what he would like to deny before the House.

Mr. POULIOT:

I wiii say why Mr. Sparks said that.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

That is not privilege at all.