Mr. Speaker:

Does anyone doubt that the amendment is in order? If not, and if the house wants the question put now, I will do so.

Mr. Speaker:

The question before the house is that this bill be now read a third time. Is it the pleasure of the house to adopt the motion?

On division.

Motion agreed to on division.

Mr. Speaker:

Mr. St. Laurent moves, seconded by Mr. Howe, that Bill No. 1 do now pass and that the title be as on the order paper.

Mr. Knowles:

On division.

Bill passed on division.

Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, though we agreed to sit without interruption until eleven o'clock I think it might perhaps be the desire of all hon. members that you do now leave the chair to return possibly at nine-thirty. We shall have some information at that time as to whether or not we are to be summoned to the other place. If that meets with the consent of hon. members, we shall follow that course. As announced last night, of course, when we come together again at nine-thirty the address of His Excellency the Governor General on the opening of parliament will be the subject for discussion.

Mr. Drew:

Mr. Speaker, before we rise it might perhaps help in considering what is to be done in the debate on the speech from the throne if we were told at what point the Minister of National Defence (Mr. Claxton) will be presenting his report, and whether that is to be dealt with by motion or what the procedure will be for the consideration of the military matters that will be before us.

Mr. St. Laurent:

My understanding is that the traditional procedure is that the leader of the opposition is recognized after the mover and seconder have spoken, and if at that time he preferred to adjourn the debate no objection would be raised by this side. We shall endeavour to do whatever seems most appropriate to suit the convenience of all hon. members.

Mr. Drew:

Mr. Speaker, it would appear to me that I did not make myself sufficiently clear. I was asking what course is going to be followed in presenting to the house the report of the Minister of National Defence.

1 ask particularly whether, following the presentation of his report, we shall be dealing with it by motion for approval or some such procedure. I ask that question because it would clearly have a bearing on the course to be followed during the debate on the speech from the throne.

Mr. St. Laurent:

Might it be possible for me to have a word with the leaders of the various groups as to what they would prefer to have done in that connection? When we return at nine-thirty I hope it will have been possible to ascertain what would appear to them to be the course most likely to expedite the consideration of the other matters for which this session has been called.

Mr. Knowles:

The likelihood is that tonight there will be-

Sit down.

Mr. Speaker:

Order. The member for Winnipeg North Centre should be allowed to ask his question.

Mr. Knowles:

Is it clear that the likelihood is that when we come back at nine-thirty tonight there will be only the two speeches, namely those of the mover and seconder of the address?

Mr. St. Laurent:

That is something which I should like to discuss with the leader of the opposition and the leaders of the other groups, or whoever may be representing them in the conference which we can have at once.

Mr. Speaker:

With the unanimous consent of the house I do now leave the chair until nine-thirty o'clock this evening.