May 7, 1928 (16th Parliament, 2nd Session)

Mr. RINFRET:

I thank my hon. friend
for the interjection, because this is also very helpful. On May 1 Mr. Justice Meredith wrote to Mr. McOlenahan, local registrar at Milton, Ontario, in which letter he informed Mr. McCIenahan that he was sending papers in reference to cases which were before the court, and in that letter he stated:

Disposal of Canteen Funds
You are no doubt aware of the fact that there has been a good deal of discussion over naturalization proceedings ever since the assizes at Milton two or three years ago when several eases had to be dealt with by me.
It has now reached the stage when I think it proper to deal with the cases that came before ihe at your last Autumn assizes;^ and I have accordingly filled in my decision in the papers in each case and am now sending to you by Canadian Pacific express all of the papers so that there need be no more delay in sending them to the Secretary of State.
With this letter I am sending to you a copy of my reasons for the decisions; be sure that it accompanies the papers always; unless some one chooses to have copies made and a copy sent with each set of papers. I thought one for the lot should do.
Hoping that all things are going on very well in Milton;
On May 4 Mr. McClenahan wrote to the Secretary of State as follows:
Dear Sir:
Enclosed find all papers re applications for naturalization herein which I received this morning. I am enclosing a letter containing his reasons.
This is not the proper time for any comment, I know, but I do say again that surely this report must be the result of the Canadian Press having been misinformed. Mr. Justice Meredith could not say he had written the Secretary of State without receiving a reply, because in the first place he did not write the Secretary of State; he wrote the Under-Secretary of State from whom he received a prompt reply. The copy of his memorandum which was sent to the Undersecretary of State previously was forwarded to me by the local registrar at Milton, two or three days after I made my speech in the House of Commons.