Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Explain,

please.

Mr. GUTHRIE:

Mr. Speaker, this Bill

is intended to take the place of the three Bills which appear on the Order Paper and which at my request have to-day been withdrawn. At first it was thought proper to amend the three separate Acts, namely, the Dominion Controverted Elections Act,-the Corrupt Practices Inquiries Act, and

the Disfranchising Act. The amendments were all consequential amendments, consequent upon the passage of the Act last session known as the Dominion Elections Act. The House will remember that prior to the enactment of the Dominion Elections Act at the last session we had an offence under the former law known as the offence of "corrupting practice" or "corrupt practice". In the law passed past session we added an offence of irregularity, known as an "illegal practice", so that now we have these two irregularities in our layr, the "corrupt practice" and "illegal practice." The Dominion Controverted Elections Act, the Corrupt Practices Inquiries Act, and the Disfranchising Act, were drawn in reference to the law as it formerly stood, and as these Acts appear on the statute book to-day, they take no cognizance whatever of "illegal practices." The Chief Electoral Officer has prepared the Bill which I ask for leave to introduce, to meet this difficulty and to apply as an amendment to the three Acts which I have just specified.

Mr. J. F. JOHNSTON (Last Mountain) :

Mr. Speaker, I wish to ask a question based upon an interview given by the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, Mr. E. W. Beatty, in which he is reported to have said something in regard to immigration into this country, giving it as his opinion that the present regulations should be modified. I desire to ask the Government if it is their intention to bring down legislation at this session making the immigration laws less restrictive with regard to the nationality of immigrants coming into Canada.

Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister):

The Government has

no legislation under consideration on the subject at the present time. If any is to be brought down, announcement will be made in due course.

Mr. FRANK CAHILL (Pontiac):

I

wish to ask the Minister of Trade and Commerce (Sir George Foster) when the census commissioners for the county of Pontiac will be appointed.

The

census commissioners for the county of Pontiac have been appointed.

Mr. PIUS MICHAUD (Restigouche):

Is it the intention of the Government to submit soon to this House a report from the Minister of Finance (Sir Henry Drayton) of the information secured lately from all persons interested in every province in connection with the revision of the tariff?

Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister):

The Minister of Finance is not present to-day. I may say, however, that other committees of inquiry into the tariff have sat in the past and held inquiries, and to the best of my knowledge no formal report was ever submitted by them. The object of such commissions is to secure information upon which a tariff may be based.