Mr. BERGERON.

I wish to ask the government if the translation of the report and evidence of the Royal Commission on the Civil Service is proceeding, and if instructions have been given to have it translated as soon as possible?

Mr. FIELDING.

No instructions have been given. It was presumed that the usual course would be followed of translating all public documents promptly. I am not aware of any difficulty in the way, but it was not a matter about which we thought it necessary to give any instructions.

Mr. BERGERON.

In case the work of translation is not going on, will my hon. friend be kind enough to see that it is proceeded with as soon as possible?

Mr. FIELDING.

Now that the hon. gentleman has called attention to the matter, I have no doubt that the officers of the House will attend to it.

Mr. BRODEUR.

I was informed the other day by one of the officers of the House that the translation was being proceeded with.

Mr. MONK.

I would like to ask the government if any draft of the convention signed at Washington between the British government and the United States government was submitted to this government before it was signed?

Sir WILFRID LAURIER.

Yes. The correspondence will be brought down as soon as we are in a position to bring it.

Mr. R. L. BORDEN.

Might I ask the Prime Minister whether he has received any reply to the telegram which was dispatched yesterday to the British embassy at Washington?

Sir WILFRID LAURIER.

I have received no answer yet.

Mr. NORTHRUP.

Before the orders of the day are called, I wish to inquire if the Mr. Perron who has been appointed a counsel to appear before Mr. Justice Cassels in the investigation of the Department of Marine and Fisheries is the Mr. Perron who is a partner in the firm of Prefontaine, Archer, Perron & Taschereau, of which the late Mr. PrC-fontaine, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, was the head ?

Mr. BRODEUR.

I understand that Mr. Perron was for a very short time in partnership with Mr. Prefontaine several years ago, before he became a minister.

Mr. NORTHRUP.

Might I inquire if it has come under the consideration of the government that it might be advisable that some counsel should be appointed to appear before the commission on behalf of the people of Canada?

Sir WILFRID LAURIER.

I will take that into consideration, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. BENNETT.

I wish to ask the Min-1 ister of Public Works if he will to-day lay on the table of the House the order in council he referred to about a week ago in reference to dredging contracts and also the report of the chief engineer which he also promised on that occasion to bring, down?

Mr. PTJGSLEY.

I gave my hon. friend the information as to this yesterday. I stated that when the matter was previously before the House, I had said that the question of extending the time for the completion of certain contracts was under consideration. I also said that since the matter had come before the House I had come to the conclusion not to extend the time, but to ask for new tenders, and under these circumstances I did not think it was proper or at all material to lay on the table of the House an order in council which had been cancelled.

Mr. BENNETT.

On that point I would appeal to the Speaker as to whether it is not clearly laid down in the rules of the House that, the minister having stated that there was an order in council and having based an argument upon it, that order in council must be laid on the table. The rule will be found at page 461 of Bourinot.

Mr. SPEAKER.

I think that rule should have been invoked at the time the discussion took place.