Mr. HUME CRONYN (London) presented the first report of the Special Committee appointed to consider questions relating to pensions, insurance, and the reestablishment of returned soldiers, as follows: Tour committee recommend that their Quorum be reduced from thirteen to seven members. All of which is respectfully submitted. [DOT]
Mr. CRONYN:
By leave of the House
I would move that the report of the Special Committee apointed to consider questions relating to pensions, insurance, and the reestablishment of returned soldiers presented this day, be concurred in.
Motion agreed to.
Fourth Annual Report of the Editorial Committee on Governmental Publications dated 1st March, 1921-Right Hon. Sir George Foster.
On the Orders of the Day:
Hon. RODOLPHE LEMIEUX (Maison-neuve) :
I would like to ask the right hon.
the Prime Minister on behalf of a large number of people who are interested in the matter, if it is the intention of the Government to give the usual bonus to the Civil Service this year.
Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister) :
The matter is under consideration, and I expect that a decision will be reached by the end of this week or the beginning of next.
On the Orders of the Day:
Hon. CHARLES MURPHY (Russell):
For the purpose of asking a question, I
desire to bring to the notice of the right hon. the Prime Minister a report which appears in this morning's paper of a speech delivered yesterday before the Canadian Club at Vancouver by Captain Adams of the H.M.C.S. Aurora, in which, when referring to the ships of the Canadian squadron, he is alleged to have said:
Although these small ships were very good in their way, what the Dominion required was a striking force in time of war.
And later, that
England to-day is paying $17 a head of population for the maintenance of the great navy which protects us. It is time that Canada stepped in the breach and assumed her fair share of this burden.
I would now ask the right hon. gentleman if Captain Adams, when speaking as he is alleged to have spoken, did so with the knowledge or authority of the Government and if not, will the Government bring to the attention of Captain Adams the fact that the question of Canada's naval requirements is one to be determined by the representatives of the Canadian people, and not by one of their employees even though he be the captain of a ship.
Mr. SPEAKER:
The hon. gentleman is perhaps in order in submitting his question, because it is one of public import, but he is not in order in making an argument under the guise of a question, which he did in the latter portion of his remarks.
Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister) :
I must admit that I have
never had the alleged speech drawn to my attention until this moment, nor did I know until the hon. gentleman arose that we had a captain in our service by the name of Captain Adams. I do not know whether I should assume that Captain Adams is aware that the laws of Canada are made by the representatives of the Canadian people, but if I have any reason to believe that he does not know that, we will take occasion to inform him.
On the Orders of the Day:
Hon. W. S. FIELDING (Shelburne and Queen's) :
I should like to draw the
attention of the Government, and particularly of the Minister of Militia and Defence, to a despatch in the Montreal Gazette of yesterday, upon which I shall put a question to the hon. gentleman. The despatch is concerning an incident at Windsor, Ontario, where an official of the Canadian Government is reported to have made
a statement which may be regarded as an interference with freedom of speech and a just cause of offence to a neighbouring people. I shall not read the whole speech, but very briefly it is to the effect that the Ontario Referendum Committee had arranged to hold a meeting in a Government building, the armouries, that it was contemplated that among the speakers at that meeting would be an American gentleman sometimes known as "Pussyfoot" Johnson, and that the Commanding Officer of the Militia who was in charge of the building refused to issue a permit on the ground that this gentleman was coming. The Commanding Officer is reported to have said:
The Referendum Committee is welcome to use the armouries for meetings, as it has in the past, but} I will not countenance bringing foreign agitators from the United States to Canada. We have trouble enough without that. England did not want Johnson, and Canada does not want him. Canadian or English speakers will be welcome.
Without comment, I desire to ask my hon. friend the Minister of Militia and Defence whether he is aware of the facts of the case, and whether it is the intention of the Government to uphold this official in his refusal to allow a public meeting to be held in the armouries.
Hon. HUGH GUTHRIE (Minister of Militia and Defence):
In answer to my hon. friend's question I may say that yesterday morning a gentleman named the Rev. Mr. Oaten called at the Department of Militia and Defence and requested the privilege of using the Armoury building at Windsor for the purpose of a meeting under the auspices of the Dominion Alliance, and I at once gave instructions by wire to the headquarters of the Military District at London, in which district the city of Windsor is, to grant permission for the use of the Armoury upon the usual terms-the usual terms being that the buildings are not required at that particular time for military purposes, that a fee of $10 is charged, and that a patrol from the local fire brigade will be maintained during the meeting to protect the property.
Mr. MURPHY:
During a temperance meeting?