Mr. BELAND:

Can the hon. member tell

us what would be done in Great Britain in similar circumstances where any oriental such as he describes had fought in the army? Would he be denied the right to vote?

Mt. BELAND:

My hon. friend says that

the Dominion franchise is based upon the provincial franchise'. In Quebec the provincial franchise does not extend to women the right to vote, but in a Dominion election the women in the province of Quebec all vote, so that I think the principle is not adhered to in regard to the province of Quebec in that respect.

Mr. BELAND:

The primary qualification

of a man who can vote in a Dominion election is that he must be a British subject. My hon. friend has said-and I speak with all due deference; I respect his opinion-that the provincial franchise prevents orientals from voting. That may be so. I am not quarrelling at all with the provincial franchise. But what obtains in this parliament is the Dominion franchise. Moreover, my hon. friend has said: This will not cause any ill-feeling or

friction in Japan. I am certain that with his keen intelligence and his deep understanding of international matters, he will admit with us all that any such movement or action on the part of the Canadian parliament, calculated to deprive former Japanese subjects who have become British subjects and who have fought in the Canadian army under the British flag, of the privilege to exercise their franchise, is likely to develop in Japan a very strong sentiment and to bring about friction which would be utterly undesirable. What I think should be done is, at least, that public recognition be given through parliament to those men who, regardless of their origin or race, fought under the British flag, if they live in Canada and if they are Canadians in the proper sense of the word. The consequences which would attach to an action of this parliament in compliance with the hon. member's amendment are very considerable and serious, and I would think the returned men generally throughout Canada would interpret any such action on the part of parliament as a reflection upon them all individually. That may be pretty strong language, but I am inclined to believe it is warranted by the circumstances should they develop as my hon. friend wants them to develop. Under the circumstances, I would beg hon. members not to support my hon. friend's amendment.

Mr. BELAND:

I must say, in the first

place, that I regret extremely that I have to differ with my hon. friend (Mr. Neill) in his intention that the orientals who have thought proper to join the colours and fight the battles of Canada and the empire should be denied the exercise of the Canadian franchise.

Mr. BELAND:

I am not at liberty to

express a definite opinion upon that point.

fMr. NeiU.] .

I am willing to believe, since they have lived in Canada, and many of them, I understand, were naturalized British subjects, that they were fighting the battles of Canada and of the British Empire. However that may be, I have no brief to defend particularly the orientals in Canada. I know that in certain parts of this country there exists a very strong sentiment that our immigration laws should be so framed as to preclude oriental immigration entirely. It has been admitted by the previous speaker (Mr. Neill) that in point of numbers, their right to vote could not be considered serious. In answer to a question which was put to him he said that probably not two hundred orientals would be affected by his amendment, should it pass this committee and the House. I agree with him that in point of numbers it is not a serious matter. On the question of principle I do not agree with him at all. because the real principle which is involved in his amendment is the depriving of the right to vote naturalized British subjects who have shared in the battles of Canada and the British Empire. I say it is proper that these men should exercise the right to vote in a Dominion election.

Representing in the government the returned men more particularly, I would really feel it a slur upon the men who have shared in the Canadian Expeditionary Force if at any moment it was proclaimed not only throughout Canada but throughout the British Empire and the world that in this country men were found good enough to go to the front and expose their lives for the sake of the country, but that when they came back here they were denied the most precious privilege that can be bestowed upon a Canadian citizen, that of the exercise of the franchise.