When the House has received a petition which it should not have received, that is a waver of any objection.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN (Halifax).

The irregularity does not seem very serious, but at the same time I would like to remind my right hon. friend that if the rules laid down by him on several occasions were carried out, this report should not be sent back because it does not show on its face the exact grounds on which the Bill was not reported.

In the Public Accounts Committee, to which my hon. friend refers, the minority framed a report on which they wanted the opinion of the House. But the promoter of a private Bill has no standing in a committee and no voice in framing its report.

Mr. BORDEN (Halifax) :

But there is usually some one present representing the promoter, who could have had a minority report made, just as one might have been made in the Public Accounts Committee, and if the rule which the right hon. gentleman laid down were carried out in this case, the report should not be sent back. I also agree with my hon. friend from Provencher (Mr. La Riviere) that

Sir WILFRID LAURIER.

this is a case in which the greatest possible care should be taken to see that the notices were properly published. It relates to a subject on which people are more or less sensitive. At the same time, if the defect is only what has been mentioned by my hon. friend from Alberta, it does not seem very serious, and I would be rather inclined to agree that the report be sent back to the committee, ana if there be any difficulty about the petition, that can be dealt with when the Bill comes before the House later.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN (Halifax).

I understand that there is some arrangement for taking up the Bill of my hon. friend from Lincoln (Mr. Lancaster) to-morrow and this motion will prevent that being done.

I am not aware of any such arrangement, but it may have been made between the whips. However, I think we might very well give this Bill precedence next Monday.

Mr. E. A. LANCASTER (Lincoln and Niagara).

Several members on both sides have asked me not to bring it up on Monday as some of them, who take great interest in the measure, cannot then be here. That is why we arranged with the government whip that it should be taken up to-morrow, not expecting this motion. Why not let the taking of Wednesdays by the government begin a week from to-morrow.

Mr. W. F. MACLEAN (East York).

Why should the government ask to take Wednesdays at all. They have not brought down any measure of public importance this session, whereas there are some very important public Bills introduced by private members, and some consideration should be given us. Outside the supplies I do not see any government proposal of any kind whatever on the Order paper. On the other hand, there is a number of important Bills on Public Bills and Orders, and we should have a couple of days to discuss them. I have one of some importance that I intend to have discussed.

My hon. friend had a good opportunity yesterday if he had been in the House. I do not think he should treat with such levity the measure of the government. We are asking the House to vote some $40,000,000, which is somewhat important.

Mr. MACLEAN.

That is the question.

I should have thought that my hon. friend in his anxiety to vote that money and go home, would have been prepared to support the motion to' take to-morrow and make it a government day. If Monday is convenient, it will be easy to arrange to have the Bill of my hon. friend from Lincoln taken up on that day.

Mr. LANCASTER.

As far as I am personally concerned, it would suit me, but I am expressing the views of gentlemen on both sides. The Bill which I am promoting is in no sense a party question, and gentlemen on both sides, who take great interest in it, have urged me not to bring it up on Monday. It will also not come up in the same order ou Monday as on Wednesday. On Wednesday it will be sure to be reached after private Bills after eight o'clock, but on Monday the House might adjourn at 11 o'clock or 12 o'clock without discussing this Bill at all. Motions have to give way on Wednesday after six o'clock and, in the ordinary course my Bill would come up on Wednesday evening. It was on taking that into account that we made an arrangement which we thought would be suitable and satisfactory to everybody and which we would never have made had we supposed the government would take this Wednesday, and repudiate the whip's agreement.