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

I desire to lay upon the table of the house emergency orders in council which have been recently passed:

No. 2512, respecting trading with the enemy and treatment of enemy property.

No. 2580, respecting the appointment of Mr. Oswald Mayrand as a member of the censorship coordination committee.

No. 2581, respecting the franking of correspondence for the censorship coordination committee.

No. 2584, in respect to members of the public service who join the defence forces.

No. 2586, further trading with the enemy regulations.

No. 2590, respecting aircraft registration.

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

I should like to take

advantage of the earliest moment possible to give to the house a statement of what has taken place since we adjourned on Saturday evening last.

On the orders of the day on Saturday I made the following statement:

I should like to make clear to the house the procedure which the government have in mind as to giving effect to the decision of parliament regarding Canadian participation in the war.

The adoption of the address in reply to the speech from the throne will be considered as approving not only the speech from the throne but approving the government's policy which I set out yesterday of immediate participation in the war.

If the address in reply to the speech from the throne is approved the government will

Proposed Legislation

therefore immediately take steps for the issue of a formal proclamation declaring the existence of a state of war between Canada and the German Reich.

On Saturday afternoon a telegram was sent to the Canadian High Commissioner in London requesting him to hold himself in readiness to make a submission to the king.

The address in reply to the speech from the throne was adopted by the House of Commons on Saturday evening just prior to the adjournment of the house ait 10.25. It had previously been adopted by the Senate.

The cabinet met immediately after the adjournment of the house, and a report was made to council recommending that on the advice of the King's Privy Council for Canada a petition should be submitted to His Majesty the King with a view to the authorization ' by him of the issue of a proclamation forthwith to be published in the Canada Gazette to the following effect:

Declaring that a state of war with the German Reich exists and has existed in Canada as and from the tenth day of September, 1939.

The committee of the privy council concurred in the recommendation and it received the approval of His Excellency the Governor General.

The Canadian High Commissioner was immediately instructed by telegram to submit to His Majesty the petition of the King's Privy Council for Canada that His Majesty would approve the issuing of a proclamation in his name embodying the declaration set forth in the order in council. It was added that a formal submission in writing would follow.

At 11.15 a.m. on September 10, that is yesterday, the Secretary of State for External Affairs was informed by the high commissioner that His Majesty had given his approval to the submission. A special issue of the Canada Gazette was published at 12.40 noon containing the proclamation as duly signed.

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

On Saturday evening, prior to adjournment, I promised the house that I would take the earliest opportunity to make an announcement with regard to the further legislation to be brought down by the government. The measures to which the house will be asked to give consideration are as follows:

A bill to amend the Combines Investigation Act will be introduced by the Minister of Labour (Mr. Rogers). Notice of the introduction of this bill appears on the order paper now before the house.

A resolution in respect to the war appropriation bill will be introduced by the Minister of National Revenue (Mr. Ilsley). As hon. members are aware, it has not been possible for the Minister of Finance (Mr. Ralston) to take a seat in this house at the present time. The Minister of National Revenue has been acting as Minister of Finance for some time past, and he will present to the house the different measures that would have been presented by the Minister of Finance himself had it been possible for the minister himself to be present. As hon. members are aware, the resolution preceding the war appropriation bill appears on to-day's order paper. As announced at the time of adj oumment on Saturday, the house will be asked immediately to pass the war appropriation bill through its several stages.

A bill to incorporate the Canadian Patriotic Fund, introduced at the afternoon sitting on Saturday, will be presented to the house for second reading by the Minister of Pensions and National Health (Mr. Power), and passed through its remaining stages.

The Minister of Labour will ask the house to pass through its remaining stages the bill to amend the Combines Investigation Act he is introducing to-day.

When these measures have been disposed of the Minister of National Revenue, acting for the Minister of Finance, will introduce the minister's budget. The house will resolve itself into committee of ways and means to consider the budget, which will be brought down by the Minister of National Revenue.

A bill to provide for the regulation of war charities will be introduced by the acting Secretary of State (Mr. Lapointe).

A bill respecting a department of munitions and supply will be introduced by myself, as Prime Minister, and related to this measure will be a bill to amend the Salaries Act.

It is possible that it may be necessary or advisable to introduce one or two other measures before parliament prorogues. I should like therefore to reserve to myself this right and shall endeavour to notify the house of any such intended legislation at the earliest moment.

In reference to the legislation which is being presented to the house, may I conclude with this statement. For over a week Great Britain and France, and for a longer time Poland, at a sacrifice of human life which has been hourly increasing, have been striving with all their power to resist further aggression on the part of a ruthless foe who is seeking not only to destroy those countries, but to occasion chaos throughout the world. Now that it

Combines Investigation Act

has been, formally proclaimed that a state of war also exists between Canada and Germany, I hope I shall not be accused of trying to limit any hon. member's freedom of discussion, or any other freedom, if I venture to ask that the government be given, as speedily as may be possible, the authority it requires to proceed in the most expeditious and effective manner with the organization of Canada's war effort.

Mr. MANION:

Are we on the orders of

the day?

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

No. My hon. friend will notice that the orders of the day do not come until later-not until after a consideration of the resolution respecting the war appropriation bill. I took advantage of the order for motions to make a public statement, but I would say to my hon. friend and to other hon. members of the house that I hope they will feel free to do as I have done and proceed immediately if they have anything they wish to say that otherwise they might have intended to say on the orders of the day.

Hon. R. J. MANION (Leader of the Opposition) :

I wished to ask the Prime Minister

(Mr. Mackenzie King) just one question, which he need not answer unless he wishes to do so. The story is abroad that Sir Herbert Marler has resigned. Is the Prime Minister in a position to make a statement in that connection?

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

In reply to my hon.

friend I regret very deeply to have to inform the house that Sir Herbert Marler has been critically ill for some time. A week or two ago, it was hoped that his health might be restored, but unfortunately thus far it does not seem to have improved. Upon Sir Herbert Marler's behalf, Lady Marler tendered his resignation to me, and I have accepted it. Immediate steps are being taken for the appointment of a successor to Washington. I am not at liberty at the moment to say whom the government intend to appoint, as it is essential to have his majesty's approval of the recommendation before any appointment is made.

Mr. MANION:

Perhaps I might be permitted to utter just one sentence. I have known Sir Herbert Marler for many years; I think he came into this house in the same

year that I entered it. I want to say that I personally, and I think our whole party, had a very high opinion of him, and that we are terribly sorry the condition of his health has required his resignation.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

I thank my hon. friend for what he has just said. It adds to the pathos of the situation that in view of his illness Sir Herbert has not been informed of the fact that Canada is at war or that his resignation has been accepted. On behalf of the government I should like to say, following what my hon. friend has said, that I doubt if there are any Canadians who have given their time and service to their country more wholeheartedly than Sir Herbert Marler has done in the positions he has held, as a member of this house, as a minister of the crown, as our representative in Japan and as the representative of Canada at Washington.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

I am told that *this bill has not been distributed as yet; it might therefore stand and be proceeded with later to-day.

War Appropriation Bill