Right Hon. R. L. BORDEN (Prime Minister) moved:

That a message be sent to the Senate to inform Their Honours that this House agrees to their request to appoint a special committee to meet with a similar special committee of the Senate to consider Senate Bill No. B 2, intituled 'an Act to consolidate and amend the Railway Act,' to take evidence, if necessary, and to hear parties interested, and that each^ such special committee report to their respective Houses, and also to inform Their Honours that Messrs. Ames, Armstrong (Lambton), Bennett (Calgary), Blain, Beland, Carvell, Crothers, Emmerson, Fowler, Graham, Green, Lancaster, Lemieux, Macdonell, Maclean (York), McCurdy, McKay, Meighen, Murphy, Nesbitt, Oliver, Perley, Rainville, Reid (Grenville), Sinclair, and Turriff will act as members of the said special committee.

Mr. GRAHAM:

Is it the serious intention of the Government to go on with this Bill this session? It is a very lengthy

and important Bill; there are over 100 amendments in it as well as some new sections; in fact, the railway law of Canada is to be entirely overhauled. From my knowledge of railway legislation, I think it would take this House a. month to handle this Bill, if we gave it the attention it ought to have.

Mr. BORDEN:

There is a good deal of force in what the hon. gentleman says as [DOT] to the importance of the Bill and the necessity for careful and perhaps lengthy consideration. It was hoped that the Bill might have been introduced at an earlier date in the session than that which eventually proved practicable. We would like to have the Bill passed this session, but we do not propose to make any attempt to force it through without due consideration and full deliberation. In any event, there is no harm in having the committee appointed and doing what can be done this session in that regard. .

Mr. GRAHAM:

In what position will the committee of the House of Commons be to examine this Bill, unless the Minister of Railways introduces the Bill?

Mr. BORDEN:

I inquired as to precedents with regard to the matter, and the information was conveyed to me, as emanating from the Speaker and the officers of the House, that it was not necessary to do that,, in view of the message from the Senate. There is no objection to introducing the Bill here if it should be desired. I am merely acting in accordance with what I understand to be the proper procedure a.s conveyed to me by the officers of the House.

Mr. OLIVER:

Would some person in

charge of this Bill explain what its purpose is?

Mr. BORDEN:

I am not very familiar

with the Bill. I was just looking over it. Sir Edmund Osier, in whose name the Bill stands, is absent through indisposition. There has been an institution in Canada, as my hon. friend knows, called the National Council of Women, which, as I understand, is designed to bring into co-operation various societies and associations of women throughout Canada for charitable, .benevolent and other purposes of a like character. I understand that the object of the Bill is merely to give a more efficient organization by the acquisition of corporate powers. I have looked over the Bill and it does not seem to contain anything of an objectionable character. Perhaps we can take it up clause by clause and have it read.

On section 5-constitution and standing orders:

Mr. NESBITT:

What does the Premier think of clause 5, by which we legalize the by-laws of the Council, although we know nothing about 'their by-laws?

Mr. BORDEN:

I am not familiar with the by-laws of the various local councils; but, inasmuch as the ladies in the various cities and towns of Canada carry on the affairs of these local councils under these by-laws and have done pretty good work,

I think we may safely assume that the by-laws are reasonable, and that if they are not reasonable they will be amended under the provisions of this Act.

Mr. GERMAN:

Is this the inauguration of female suffrage?

Mr. BORDEN:

I am not prepared to answer that, because I really do not know anything more about the Bill than my hon. friend; and, in the absence of Sir Edmund Osier, I thought I would like to help it along if I could.

,

.On section 9-acquisition of real property:

Mr. BORDEN:

That is the only other important section. It provides that the National Council may hold real estate to the amount of not more than $20,000, and any local council to an amount not exceeding $10,000.

Bill reported, read the third time, and passed.