Right Hon. R. B. BENNETT (Prime Minister) moved:
That the name of Mr. Humphrey Mitchell be substituted for that of Mr. Henri Bourassa on the joint committee on the restaurant.
Motion agreed to.
Bill No. 11, respecting Prudential Trust Company Limited.-Mr. Bell (St. Antoine). Bill No. 12, respecting patents on certain inventions of which Duplate Safety Glass Company of Canada, Limited, is entitled to the benefit. Mr. Lawson.
On the orders of the day:
Mr. EUSEBE ROBERGE (Megantic) (Translation):
Mr. Speaker, I beg to lay on the table of the house a petition from the municipality of Plessisville which reads as follows:
At a general meeting of the municipal council of Plessisville, held on the 5th day of February, 1934, under the chairmanship of His Worship Mayor Eudore Fournier, and at which were present the following councillors:
Mr. SPEAKER (Text):
Will the hon. member state just what the petition is?
Mr. ROBERGE (Translation):
Mr. Speaker, petitions are circulated in the counties on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, requesting the government to levy a tax of 20 cents per pound on leaf tobacco, sold directly, or indirectly by dealers to consumers. The petition of the municipality of Plessisville protests against such a taxation. I beg to lay also on the table of the house two more petitions bearing on the same subject, one from St. Anastasie de Nelson, Megantic county, The other from St. Methode d'Adstoek, Beauce county.
On the orders of the day: Mr. ERRICK F. WILLTS (Souris): Mr. Speaker, on a question of privilege. Hansard of Friday, February 9, at page 440, reports the hon. member for Macdonald (Mr. Weir) as using the following words with regard to myself: He knows his statement is fallacious and misleading to the highest degree. I refer Your Honour to standing order 41 and for your reference I quote paragraph 297 of Beauchesne's Parliamentary Rules and Forms, as follows: The imputation of bad motives, or motives different from those acknowledged, misrepresenting the language of another, or accusing him, in his turn, of misrepresentation, charging him with falsehood or deceit; or contemptuous or insulting language of any kind; all these are unparliamentary and call for prompt interference. I submit that the words used by the hon. member for Macdonald come directly under that part of paragraph 297 which states, " the imputation of bad motives, or motives different from those acknowledged, misrepresenting the language of another," and I ask therefore that the statement be withdrawn and that it be expunged from Hansard.
Mr. SPEAKER:
Without doubt the words, " he knows his statement is fallacious and misleading to the highest degree " are unparliamentary. It is not unparliamentary to contradict a statement made by another hon. member when an hon. member disagrees with him but it is not parliamentary to accuse another hon. member of wilfully making an incorrect statement. I ask the hon. member
Unemployment Relief
for Macdonald (Mr. Weir) to withdraw these words and I ask the house to consent to their being struck out of the record.
Mr. W. G. WEIR (Macdonald):
Mr. Speaker, I readily acquiesce in your request but I hardly think that my words were misplaced in any sense at the time.
Mr. WILLIS:
Mr. Speaker, I should like
to know if that is a withdrawal?
Do you want him to go down on his knees?
Mr. SPEAKER:
I think the hon. member should make an unequivocal withdrawal.
Mr. WEIR (Macdonald):
I do.