Hon. R. J. MANION (Minister of Railways and Canals):
Mr. Speaker, yesterday an hon. member asked about the report on the Mafe-king cut-off. To-day I wish to table the report made by the engineers with regard to the building of the Mafeking cut-off.
Mr. BEAUBIEN:
The line is not completed as yet, is it?
Mr. MANION:
No, it is not completed.
Hon. HUGH GUTHRIE (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 7 to amend the criminal code (summary trials).
Explain.
Mr. GUTHRIE:
This is a very simple
amendment which is proposed. In 1930 section 774 of the criminal code was amended and a special clause was inserted with regard to the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This is the section of the code which permits the trial of certain offences before stipendiary magistrates. The same section was amended last session, but in that amendment the change made in the previous year was omitted through some oversight. The Attorney General of Manitoba and the Attorney General of Saskatchewan have directed our attention to that omission and have asked to have the section restored as it was in the amendment of 1930. That is the whole object of the bill.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
Hon. HUGH GUTHRIE (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 11 to amend the criminal code.
Explain.
Mr. GUTHRIE:
This amendment is drawn with the idea of preventing the conveyance of prohibited articles by freight, by express or by ship. Such articles are now prohibited from transportation under the Post Office Act, but the Post Office Department points out that they are now sent largely by express,
and the object of the amendment is to make it an offence to send prohibited articles by express where they are not allowed to go by mail. The amendment relates chiefly to gambling devices and lottery tickets.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
Hon. HUGH GUTHRIE (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 8 to amend the Juvenile Delinquents Act.
Explain.
Mr. GUTHRIE:
The amendment to the
Juvenile Delinquents Act is also very simple. It arises from the fact that the section as it is now in the statute provides that it is an offence for anyone to contribute, promote or procure a child to become a delinquent, but it has been held by certain magistrates in certain courts that while a man may do all in his power to procure a youth to become a delinquent, if that youth does not actually become a delinquent the man is not punishable. At the request of the province of Manitoba, endorsed by six other provinces and by nearly all the childrens' aid societies in the country, it is proposed now to insert a clause providing that it shall not be a valid defence to a prosecution under this section that notwithstanding the conduct of the accused the child did not in fact become a juvenile delinquent.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.
Hon. HUGH GUTHRIE (Minister of Justice) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 9 to amend the Judges Act. Some-hon. MEMBERS: Explain.
Mr. GUTHRIE:
This refers to allowances
made to judges of superior and county courts by way of travelling expenses. It is provided that only in cases where it is ordered by the attorney general of the province shall the judges be entitled to receive travelling expenses for holding courts in districts other than their own.
Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.