Mr. GARDINER:

Explain.

Mr. LAPOINTE:

Under the law the

Exchequer court in Canada is a court of admiralty and as suc'h has within Canada all the jurisdiction, powers and authority conferred by the Admiralty Act of 1890. The Privy Council in recent cases has decided that this should not apply to the changes which have been made giving additional powers to the High Court of Admiralty since 1890. This bill is to give to the Admiralty court all the powers which courts of the same class have in England.

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

Mr. GUTHRIE:

Explain.

Mr. LAPOINTE:

By this bill the spring

sittings of the court, which, as the law stands at the present time, are fixed for the first Tuesday in May, will be advanced to the

Dominion Elections Act

fourth Tuesday in April. This is done because it will be more convenient for the judges and, I believe, also for the lawyers.

There is another somewhat important amendment by which it is intended to confer upon the court discretionary power in special cases to receive evidence in addition to that which is embodied in the stated case. The Privy Council in England and the High Court of Appeal in England have such powers and it has happened in a Canadian case that the supreme court here had no authority or discretion to allow the filing of a plan while, When the case was before the Privy Council, the Privy Council allowed the filing of that plan. This is for the purpose of giving the supreme court the same discretionary power as the Privy Council has in that matter.

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

Explain.

Mr. BANCROFT:

This bill seeks to amend paragraph (c) of section 29 of the Dominion Elections Act, which reads as follows:

(c) Who has ordinarily resided in Canada for at least twelve months and in the electoral district wherein such person seeks to vote for at least two months immediately preceding the issue of the writ of election.

As the election writs are usually issued about two months before election day, the present act disfranchises all persons Who change their places of residence dluring four months immediately preceding the date of an election. Clergymen changing pastorates usually do so during July or August, school teachers begin their duties about September 1, and students in the higher institutions about October 1. Every federal election since 1896 has been held during the fall months. All clergymen, teachers and students, who in following their respective duties, change their place of residence within four months preceding the date of an election are disfranchised under the present act.

This amendment exempts clergymen, teachers and students from paragraph (c) of section 29, provided that they can satisfy the registrar that they are othewise qualified to have their names placed on the voters' list. This amendment affects approximately 12,000 clergymen, 63,000 teachers and 75,000 students.

i.Mr. Lapointe.l

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

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

May I have unanimous consent to place on the table a return?

Mr. SPEAKER:

By unanimous consent.

Mr. ROBB:

On the 3rd February the hon. member for Halton (Mr. Anderson) asked for a statement showing the revenues and expenditures of the Farmers Bank. I now place on the table a statement supplied to me by the liquidator.

Mr. H. B. ADSHEAD (East Calgary):

I

would like to ask the Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment whether any payments have 'been made since last session in regard to the burial of indigent soldiers, as was promised by the Prime Minister on the last day of the session?

Mr. SPEAKER:

This question will serve

as a notice.