Mr. SPEAKER:

It will require a motion.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to

inform the house that I have received the following communication:

Government House, Ottawa,

August 1, 1942.

Sir:

I have the honour to inform you that the Right Hon. Sir Lyman Poore Duff, Chief Justice of Canada, acting as deputy of His Excellency the Governor General, will proceed to the Senate chamber to-day, Saturday, the 1st August, at nine o'clock p.m., for the purpose of giving the royal assent to certain bills.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient servant,

F. L. C. Pereira, Assistant Secretary to the Governor General.

Mr. SPEAKER:

The hon. member was not present; nevertheless the estimates were

Committee to Revise Rules

brought in at a time when, as I understand it, he was within the precincts of the house. There was no effort made to have these estimates brought before the committee because of the fact that the hon. gentleman was not present. I was prepared then, and would have welcomed the opportunity, to discuss the administration of the house, rather than to have the hon. gentleman suggest that I endeavoured in any way to avoid such discussion. As a matter of fact I welcomed the criticism of the hon. gentleman. I did believe that hon. members were not fully aware and should be informed as to the administration of the house, because of general ideas with regard to its administration and the staff. I was hoping for an opportunity to bring these matters before the committee.

I say now definitely that no understanding was reached with anyone, neither with the minister who was leading the house at the time nor with any other hon. member, that these estimates should be discussed in the absence of the hon. member for Simcoe East.

Mr. SPEAKER:

It is a question of privilege.

Mr. SPEAKER:

In view of the criticism that has been offered with regard to the administration of the House of Commons, I had prepared a statement which I wished to place on Hansard, in order that hon. members and the country as well might know just how the administration of this house is conducted. There was no arrangement made, so far as I knew, with regard to the introduction of the Speaker's estimates in the committee. I was anxious to have them put through, because there are very many other matters that have to be attended to after that is done. I sat in the house yesterday waiting for an opportunity for these estimates to be called. I did not consult with the Minister of Mines and Resources, who was leading the house, nor did I consult or discuss with anyone as to the time when these estimates should be brought in. I quite admit that I indicated my desire to have these estimates brought in, but the hon. member for Simcoe East was in the house all evening. It may have been that at the moment these estimates were called he was not present-