Hon. H. H. STEVENS (Vancouver Centre):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of privilege, but my object is more to set at rest a question of procedure. However, I raise it on a question of privilege in order that I may be within the rules of the house.

Yesterday the right hon. Prime Minister (Mr. Mackenzie King) intimated that I had departed from the usual practice of parliament in not having given him notice of an amendment that I proposed to make, and which I subsequently did make. I will not quote his words; I do not think he will dispute my interpretation. I had hoped to have the exact reference from Bourinot, but I am not able to place my finger on it at the moment-

Mr. CAHILL:

Beauchesne will do.

Mr. STEVENS:

-but the fact is that

Bourinot declares, as I think do all the other authorities, that no notice of an amendment is required; that it has been the custom in the House of Commons of Canada when it is proposed to move an amendment virtually constituting a motion of want of confidence in the government itself, on going into committee of supply, for instance, to give notice thereof to the government within a reasonable time.

I may say from my own experience of the practice followed by this house that it has been usual to hand a copy of such amendment to the opposing party or the government as the case may be, an hour or two before the house meets. But in the case of a private member's motion, as was the motion which we were discussing, with the amendment thereto, it has never been the practice in this house or in the house at Westminster to give notice of such amendments. I wish to say to the right hon. gentleman and to the house that I should certainly feel very much grieved if it could be justly said that I had been guilty of a breach of the practices of parliament.

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

I hope my hon. friend

will not take too seriously any remarks I may have made yesterday. He had, to use his own terms, referred to the delivering of a bit of a lecture to his side of the house and I reminded him of what hon. members know

(Mr. Heaps.3

to be the case, that where there is a question that involves government policy, and the opposition expect the government to make an immediate pronouncement, the general practice is to have the government favoured in advance with a copy of the motion to be made. I said that my hon. friend, who usually is a model of courtesy, had evidently unintentionally overlooked that customary procedure. That was the extent of my criticism of him; and I would say to him now that if again he wishes the government, on the spur of the moment, to accept some amendment which is being introduced to the house for the purpose, to use his own words, of bringing us all together so that there can be absolute unanimity, I hope he will follow the practice of letting us know a little in advance what his objective is, so that we may be in a position to meet him at the moment and not be obliged to search statutes and consult authorities before being in a position to give him a final answer.

Mr. E. J. GARLAND (Bow River):

Would the government be willing to table the application of the Beauharnois company for the approval of its plans in connection with what is known as the Beauharnois project

Hon. J. C. ELLIOTT (Minister of Public Works):

What is referred to by my hon.

friend is included* I think, in an order of the house which was made some time ago. I will look into the matter; I am sure there is no objection.

Mr. GARLAND (Bow River):

Will the

minister let me know?

Mr. ELLIOTT:

Yes.

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

Is there any truth in the report that the government of Ontario is negotiating with the government with reference to old age pensions in that province?

Hon. PETER HEENAN (Minister of Labour):

So far the only question asked by

the government of Ontario is whether, in the event of their adopting a certain system of administration it would coincide with the federal act; that is to say, whether they would be entitled to fifty per cent if they put into effect a certain system of administration.

Mr. THOMAS CANTLEY (Pictou):

Is

the Minister of Mines (Mr. Stewart) prepared to answer the question I asked last week in regard to the importation of Russian coal?

Hon. CHARLES STEWART (Minister of Mines):

I have made inquiries as to when an answer will be forthcoming and I am promised it for to-morrow.