Document Information

Date: 1905-02-24
By: Canada (Parliament)
Citation: Canada, Senate Debates, 10th Parl, 1st Sess, 1905 at 66.
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66

PRINTING OF THE NORTHWEST PROVINCIAL AUTONOMY BILLS.

Hon. Mr. LANDRY—I should like to call the attention of the leader of this House to the fact that we are not provided yet with copies of the Bills respecting the new provinces in the Northwest.

Hon. Mr. SCOTT—Nobody has them; they are not in the Distribution Office. They have not been distributed, I presume. I do not think they are printed yet. There is some delay about defining the boundaries. The members on both sides of the House who represent the Northwest Territories and the Senators, I think, were invited to confer together and try and agree on a division. They had not agreed yesterday at all events, and I am not aware that the divisions have yet been defined. They may be, however, without my knowledge, because I do not know what they have done in the last few hours. They had not agreed yesterday.

Hon. Mr. LANDRY—As I understand, the Bill is not completed yet?

Hon. Mr. SCOTT—No.

Hon. Mr. LANDRY—So it should not have been presented to the House of Commons?

Hon. Mr. SCOTT—I fancy that it was only a skeleton that was presented there.

Hon. Mr. LANDRY—A skeleton?

Hon. Mr. SCOTT—Hon. gentlemen know that very often an hon. gentleman introduces a Bill in blank. There were some paragraphs of it settled and read no doubt.

Hon. Mr. LANDRY—The rule of the House of Commons says:—

No Bill may be introduced either in blank or in imperfect shape.

I suppose the premier is violating the rules ?

Hon. Mr. SCOTT—I cannot explain it. My hon. friend is aware that rules are sometimes broken.