Mr. MEIGHEN:

At the request of the leader of the Opposition, the Bill was not taken out of committee. If, therefore, it is understood that we go on with the third reading to-day, I certainly shall not ask the committee to go on now, against the pro, tests of hon. gentlemen opposite.

Mr. CARVELL:

I would like to put myself on record as the member for South Renfrew did. I would have no objection to the Bill being read this afternoon if it were understood that the vote, if there be one, be not taken until after eight o'clock. Some hon. gentlemen, not knowing that the matter was to come up, having received no intimation in that regard, have some very important business affairs to attend to in Montreal to-morrow afternoon, but will be back here at eight o'clock. I know that the Government cannot meet the wishes

and convenience of every member, but to my knowledge these gentlemen have gone away, having, as I say, received no intimation whatever that this Bill was coming up. It would be only fair, therefore, to put off the vote, if there is one, until after eight o'clock.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

I see no objection to that.

Mr. MIDDLEBRO:

It is only fair to say that at eleven o'clock on Wednesday morning I informed the chief Whip on the other side that the Bill would be taken out of committee on Wednesday in order that we might have the third reading on Thursday. If there is no objection to taking the Bill up in committee and having the third reading to-day, that is satisfactory.

Mr. GRAHAM:

Personally speaking-the leader of the Opposition may take objection, I do not know-I may say that if the Whips made an arrangement that the Bill be brought in on Wednesday, that arrangement was not kept.

Mr. MIDDLEBRO:

That the Bill be taken up in committee at this sitting, so that we would be within the rules.

Mr. GRAHAM:

I leave it to the Chief Whip himself whether sitting until twelve o'clock on another Bill would be complying with that arrangement.

Mr. W. S. MIDDLEBRO:

The agreement was the we should 'have the third reading at the next sitting of the House.

Mr. ' GRAHAM: A man may write a

letter and if you do not reply and state your objections, it is taken for granted that you agree with him. The hon. member for North 'Grey has said that we could have the third reading. For myself I would prefer it that way, but the leader of the Opposition and other hon. gentlemen who are not now present might take some other view. When the Prime Minister was asked last night what business would be taken up on Wednesday he said: "The Railway Bill, and any other Bills on the Order Paper, and then Supply," which would indicate that he had not the Conscription Bill in his mind.

Mr. MIDDLEBRO:

One of the reasons

for desiring to go on with the third reading now is that otherwise it would have to be postponed probably until next Tuesday in order to fake a vote.

Mr. GRAHAM:

I protest again. It is

absolutely unfair, and as far as I am concerned I shall take no part in the discussion. I have supported this Bill at every stage and propose to support it, and I do not think I am entitled to treatment of this kind fr.om the Government.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

I stated on behalf of the Government that I did not feel like pressing this over the protest of hon. gentleman opposite, but in view of the arrangement made by the whips I say that hon. gentlemen should undertake that no objection will be raised at the next sitting of the House on the technicality that we did not give notice of the third reading coming up. It could be no more than a technicality, because xthe Bill would have been reported the other evening but for the request made on 'behalf of the leader of the Opposition. The Bill has been reprinted, and is in the hands of the. hon. members of this House, and I do not think, it is asking too much to go on with it. However, we are ready to defer to the wishes of hon. gentlemen opposite, even in the face of an arrangement that has been made; I stated that plainly before the . Speaker left the Chair. But I think we should have an understanding clear and definite that we will not be held up at the next sitting of the House and asked to defer the third reading until next Tuesday. Surely that is not unreasonable.

Mr. CARVELL:

I am in the same position as my hon. friend from South Renfrew. I have given the Government all possible assistance in the passage of this Bill. I had not the slightest intimation that it was coming up to-day. We went into committee on the Railway Bill at three o'clock, and I think the hon. member for South Renfrew and I have given the Government every possible assistance in getting it passed. There are no two members in this House, except the Minister of Railways and Canals and the hon. member for Lamb-ton (Mr. J. E. Armstrong) who have sat here so continuously since three o'clock as the hon. member for South Renfrew and myself, and in view of that, and our atti-

tude towards this Bill, I do not think it is fair to ask us to bind people who are not here.

Progress reported.

On motion of Hon. Mr. Reid, the House adjourned at 12.20 a.m., Thursday.

Thursday, July 19, 1917.