Sir HENRY DRAYTON:
I desire to table lertain orders in council, P.'C. 1042, 1043, 1044. 1045, 1046 and 1047, asked for yesterday Dy the right hon. leader of the opposition (Mr. Mackenzie King).
Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Quebec East):
I rise to a question of privilege, Mr. Speaker, on a matter which vitally affects the rights of this House. My hon. friend who is leading the House has just tabled six orders in council, which I am going to read. The first is P.C. 1042, which is as follows:
29th June, 1926. The Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen, the Prime Minister, advise that a Commission do issue appointing the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen, a Member of the King's Privy Council for Canada, to be Secretary of State for External Affairs and President of the Privy Council- E. J. Lemaire, Clerk of the Privy Council. P.C. 1043 reads as follows:
29th June, 1926. The Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen, the Prime Minister, submit for Your Excellency's pleasure that Mr. William Anderson-Black, be a member of the King's Privy Council for Canada. E. J. Lemaire, Clerk of the Privy Council. P.C. 1044 reads as follows:
29th June, 1926. The Committee of the Privy Council, on therecommendation of the Right Honourable ArthurMeighen, the Prime Minister, advise that the Honourable Sir Henry L. Drayton, a Member of the King's-Privy Council for Canada be Acting Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Railways and Canals- E. J. Lemaire, Clerk of the Privy Council. P.C. 1045 reads as follows:
29th June, 1926. The Committee of the Privy Council, on therecommendation of the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen, the Prime Minister, advise that the Honourable Hugh Guthrie, a Member of the King's Privy Council for Canada, be Acting Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of National Defence. E. J. Lemaire, Clerk of the Privy Council. P.C. 1046 reads as follows:
29th June, 1926. The Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen, the Prime Minister, advise that the Honourable Henry Herbert Stevens, a Member of the King's Privy Council for Canada,, be Acting Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Commerce, Customs and Excise and Interior and Acting Superintendent General of Indian Affairs and Acting Minister of Mines. E. J. Lemaire, Clerk of the Privy Council.. P.C. 1047 reads as follows:
29th June, 1926. The Committee of the Privy Council, on the-recommendation of the Right Honourable Arthur Meighen, the Prime Minister, advise that the Honourable R. J. Manion, a Member of the King's Privy-Council for Canada be Acting Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment and Acting Minister in charge of the Department of Health, Acting Postmaster General, Immigration and Colonization and Labour. That the Honourable Sir George Perley, a Member of the King's Privy Council for Canada, be Acting Secretary of State and Acting Minister of Public Works. Supply-Formation oj Ministry That the Honourable William Anderson Black, a Member of the King's Privy Council for Canada, be Acting Minister of Marine and Fisheries. E. J. Lemaire, Clerk of the Privy Council. I agree with my hon. friend the acting leader of the House that these are unusual times and unusual conditions-
Sir HENRY DRAYTON (Leader of the House):
Will my hon. friend allow me one moment, just on the question of order? I am quite content that this matter should be discussed but I think it should be discussed under some appropriate heading, and that we should not have it under every heading. We had a long discussion lasting for some three hours last night while in committee of Supply;
I did not think it was in order at all, but hon. gentlemen were very anxious to discuss it and the government certainly has not the slightest intention of preventing that discussion. But 1 think my hon. friend will agree that we should have some understanding as to when this question shall be finally discussed. My hon. friend says he is rising to a question of privilege, but he has not yet defined that question.
Mr. LAPOINTE:
You are preventing me.
Sir HENRY DRAYTON:
I would have
thought the proper place for this discussion would have been on the orders of the day.
Mr. LAPOINTE:
My hon. friend is quite wrong; a question of privilege can be raised at any time, especially on motions.