Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 149, to amend the Dominion Elections Act -single alternative vote.
Explain.
Mr. LAPOINTE:
The purpose of this bill
is to make in the Dominion Elections Act the necessary amendments to provide for the single alternative vote in single member constituencies where three or more candidates have been nominated.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
Why is this amendment
to the Dominion Elections Act separate from the other amendments?
Mr. LAPOINTE:
I do not know of any
special reason except that last year I was entrusted with the duty of introducing this bill and the government, perhaps, thought I would not take it well if it was taken away from me.
Mr. IRVINE:
Does the minister make
provision for proportional representation in this bill?
Mr. LAPOINTE:
No.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Minister of Justice) moved the first reading of Bill No. 146, from the Senate, to amend the Bankruptcy Act. He said: The main purpose of this bill, which has already passed the Senate, is to carry out the recommendation of the Banking and Commerce committee last year by inserting an amendment which has been [Mr. Copp.l strongly urged, especially by my hon. friends from Saskatchewan and Alberta, to provide for the administration of estates of insolvent farmers by a government officer who shall be paid by the province rather than out of the estate; also that insolvent farmers shall be able to obtain their discharge notwithstanding the fact that they have not kept books or that they have carried on farming after they knew themselves to be insolvent. The other amendments are on mere questions of procedure and changes have been suggested by judges and officers dealing with the Bankruptcy Act.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
Will the minister explain how this parliament can enable a province to do anything?
Mr. LAPOINTE:
This question was considered last year by the Banking and Commerce committee, and if my right hon. friend will read the amendments I think he will find that we have the power.
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this act, if the Lieutenant Governor in Council of any province authorizes any officer of the provincial government to act as custodian and trustee under this act, the official receiver shall, in the case of any assignment by a person engaged solely in farming or the tillage of the soil, appoint such officer as custodian.
(2) Any officer so appointed to the office of custodian by the official receiver shall thereupon, in addition to such office, be and be deemed to be the authorized trustee as if appointed under subsection (1) of section 15 of this act, and shall continue to be the authorized trustee until properly removed under subsection (2) of the said section 15.
(3) In case any such provincial officer is appointed custodian and trustee, he shall not be entitled under this act to be paid any remuneration as custodian or trustee nor any of the costs enumerated as costs of custodian in part III of the general rules.
This is really a special provision but I do not think that this parliament is relinquishing any one of its powers; we are merely empowering the official receiver to appoint the provincial officer designated1 by the provincial government.
Mr. GARLAND (Bow River):
Does this
bill stand now in the same form as when it was introduced in t'he Senate in the first instance?
Mr. LAPOINTE:
I think so.
Mr. GARLAND (Bow River):
Were any
amendments moved to the original bill in the Senate?
Mr. LAPOINTE:
I do not know; I received the bill from the Senate only to-day. So far as I can see however there is no material change although there may be some difference somewhere in the phraseology.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
Railway Act ,
On the Orders of the Day: