Mr. Speaker:

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

31st March, 1952

Sir:

I have the honour to inform you that the Honourable Patrick Kerwin, a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, acting as Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General, will proceed to the Senate chamber on Tuesday, the 1st April, at five o'clock, p.m., for the purpose of giving royal assent to certain bills.

I have the honour to be, sir,

Your obedient servant,

J. F. Delaute,

Assistant Secretary to the Governor General

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

That on Wednesday, April 2, 1952, and every Wednesday thereafter to the end of the session, government notices of motions and government orders shall have precedence over all other business except introduction of bills, questions by members and notices of motions for the production of papers.

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

I am

not going to press this point very strongly, but yesterday was a private members' day and by unanimous consent it was given over

to government business. It has been suggested to me that one more Wednesday afternoon might be given to private members and that this motion might be deferred for one week. As I say, I am not strongly pressing the point, but I make the suggestion to the Prime Minister on behalf of those who have suggested that this might be done.

Mr. St. Laurent:

Under ordinary circumstances I should be very happy to comply with the suggestion so graciously offered by the hon. member, but since the beginning of the session endeavours have been made to have two debates, one on external affairs, which I hope may be concluded some time today, and immediately following that another debate on defence. It was hoped that it would be possible to start this second debate on defence, which I understand all hon. members wish to have, tomorrow when without unanimous consent we can move to go into committee of supply and have the debate on that motion. I am sorry it does not happen to be convenient to comply with the hon. member's request. Perhaps we might consider suspending this order a week from Wednesday, or try to make it up in some other way that would satisfy hon. members.

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence) moved

that the house go into committee at the next sitting to consider the following resolution:

That it is expedient to introduce a bill to amend the National Defence Act to effect certain changes respecting the discipline and administration of the forces; to provide that persons who commit grave breaches of the Geneva conventions of 1949 may be tried out of Canada by court martial; to amend the Defence Services Pension Act to provide that the total emolument, by way of salary and pension, payable to a pensioner who is employed as a civil servant may be adjusted in accordance with current rates of pay and allowances of the forces and to provide that members of the forces who are otherwise eligible for pension may be permitted to count periods of full-time reserve service of a continuous duration of six months or more for the purpose of determining the amount of pension; to amend the Civil Service Superannuation Act to enable a person who served overseas with the Royal Canadian Navy during the second world war otherwise than at sea to count such service for the purooses of the Civil Service Superannuation Act

Inquiries of the Ministry notwithstanding that the time for election to count such service has expired; and to amend the Senate and House of Commons Act to make the provision respecting the eligibility of servicemen to sit as members of the House of Commons consistent with the provisions of the Canada Elections Act.

He said; His Excellency the Governor General, having been made acquainted with the subject matter of this resolution, recommends it to the consideration of the house.