Mr. SPEAKER:

Some hon. members

having inquired whether the staff of the house would be given a holiday tomorrow, I have prepared the following statement.

There is no doubt that the staff of the House of Commons is entitled to a holiday tomorrow, but I have to consider the convenience of the members who intend to do some work in the building on that day. Such offices as the library, reading room and the post office, which are open on Sundays during the session, can hardly be closed. Mails will come regularly and will have to be sorted. Members preparing public statements might need to consult authorities or read newspapers. Apart from that all the clerical branches will be closed. As no doubt a great number of visitors will come into the building, we shall have to keep the constables and guides on duty. A couple of messengers will also have to work. The main dining room will be open until after luncheon, and the cafeteria will do business as usual. All the other members of the staff of the House of Commons, except the cleaners who will be employed from 6.30 to 8.30 and 9 a.m., will be on holiday. I am, however, in the hands of the house, and if hon. members decide that all the offices, except the constables, be closed, I will act accordingly.

Agreed.

On the orders of the day:

Mr. M. J. COLDWELL (Rosetown-Biggar):

Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the Chair? I think you asked for the guidance of the house with regard to holidays tomorrow for the House of Commons staff. I am seated a long way from you and I did not hear all that was said. I should just like to say that I hope Your Honour will give as wide an interpretation as is possible to the suggestion that, was made.

Visiting Forces

Mr. T. L. CHURCH (Broadview):

I desire to move, seconded by the hon. member for Victoria, Ont. (Mr. Hodgson), the adjournment of the house to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely

(1) the proposed dissolution and scuttling of the British empire by giving up the empire defences and the military bases in the Mediterranean, Suez and in the middle east to the United States as a United States responsibility, and withdrawing the empire defences of these bases to East Africa;

(2) The abandonment of the Suez canal and India and the situation in Palestine; inasmuch as on this 75th day of the session this house has not had any opportunity of discussing these very important matters which relate very materially to the future defence of this country as a member of the British commonwealth of nations.

Mr. SPEAKER:

As the hon. member

knows, it is possible to accept a motion for the adjournment of the house when an hon. member has no other opportunity to discuss the matter which he believes to be of urgent importance. Since we have now before the house the debate on the budget it is possible for hon. members to discuss the questions which the hon. member for Broadview believes to be of urgent importance. Therefore I see no reason to accept the motion to adjourn the house to afford the hon. gentleman an opportunity to discuss this matter.

Mr. CHURCH:

With great respect to your ruling, Mr. Speaker, I say we have had no opportunity to discuss this matter this session. The empire is being given away every day, and we do nothing about it. A member has always had the right to refer to the urgency of a matter he seeks to bring up at this stage. This is the 75th day of the session, and we have not had a chance to discuss these things. The ruling given before by Mr. Speaker Black on the question of urgency was only an opinion, which is not binding on the house now.

Mr. SPEAKER:

Motions.

Mr. CHURCH:

I wish to appeal from your ruling, Mr. Speaker. There has been no

opportunity to discuss these matters. I have been here a long time, but I have never seen this ruling given before.

Mr. GORDON GRAYDON (Peel):

Yesterday the hon. member for Broadview (Mr. Church) suggested that today we might recognize Empire day, which is the day before May 24. It seems to me this house might very well accept that suggestion. Therefore I suggest that we follow the precedent set by the Prime Minister (Mr. Mackenzie King) himself on May 23, 1944, when he asked the house to rise and sing God Save the King in recognition of a very great day in the annals of the empire.

(The members rose and sang God Save the King)

Mr. CHURCH:

Might I ask the minister what are visiting forces doing in this country? We are part of the British empire; what are they doing here without the consent of Britain and the dominions?

Mr. ST. LAURENT: These forces are visiting Canada as an autonomous unit of the commonwealth of British nations.

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

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