Mr. Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):

I rise on a question of privilege,

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of acknowledging publicly that an error of which I complained in this house on May 18 has been corrected. The error appeared in a recent issue of the Ensign and had to do with Quebec and Newfoundland divorce cases. I did not ask the Ensign to make the correction, but that newspaper has done so on its own initiative. I desire to acknowledge that fact and to express my thanks. The correction appears on page 2 of the issue dated June 2, and I might be permitted to quote the last sentence, which reads:

Actually, Knowles wants the federal exchequer court to handle divorces from these provinces.

I thank the Ensign for setting the matter right.

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

Yesterday I undertook to confer

with you, Mr. Speaker, as to the most convenient procedure to be followed to set up a committee to deal with the matter of an amplification system for this house. I should like to report to the house that after conferring with Your Honour, with the leader of the official opposition (Mr. Drew), the leader of the C.C.F. party (Mr. Coldwell) and the leader of the Social Credit party (Mr. Low) we find that the most convenient and expeditious way might be to set up a small striking committee to confer with Your Honour for the purpose of reporting a list of members to constitute that committee. I have prepared a motion of which I will give notice, which would read as follows:

That a special committee consisting of Messrs. Weir, Tremblay, Casselman, Knowles and Shaw be appointed to confer with Mr. Speaker, and with his assistance to prepare and report a list of members

to compose a select committee of the house to consider with Mr. Speaker the matter of an amplification system for this house, with power to send for persons and papers and report from time to time its findings and recommendations to the house.

I think that would be the most expeditious way of getting a committee set up and started at its work. Since this is noncontroversial, some time would be saved if I could have unanimous consent to make this motion now, seconded by the leader of the opposition.

Agreed.

Mr. Speaker:

Is it the pleasure of the house to adopt the motion?

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence):

Yesterday the hon. member for

Calgary East (Mr. Harkness) asked why for the last two or three months the list of army promotions, retirements, transfers and so on has not appeared in the Canada Gazette. Publication of these lists has been held up during the last couple of months in order to arrive at a uniform system for the three services in view of the enactment of the National Defence Act and the proposed bringing into force of a complete new set of regulations for the three services. We have been working toward arriving at a uniform system of publication for the three services. That has now been worked out, and it is expected that the first list on a common basis will be issued shortly.

Mr. W. G. Weir (Portage-Neepawa) moved:

That the name of Mr. Macdonald (Edmonton East) be substituted for that of Mr. Decore on the special committee on the Dominion Elections Act.

That the name of Mr. Macdonald (Edmonton East) be substituted for that of Mr. Decore on the standing committee on public accounts.

That the name of Mr. Laing be substituted for that of Mr. Cannon on the standing committee on railways, canals and telegraph lines.

Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform the house that I have received the following communication:

Ottawa, May 31, 1951

Sir:

I have the honour to inform you that the Honourable Patrick Kerwin, judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, acting as Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General, will proceed to the Senate chamber on Thursday, the 31st May, at 5.45 p.m., for the purpose of giving the royal assent to certain bills.

I have the honour to be, sir,

Your obedient servant,

J. F. Delaute,

Assistant Secretary to the Governor General