Hon. George A. Drew (Leader of the Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, I ask leave,

seconded by Mr. Diefenbaker, under standing

order 26 to move the adjournment of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the subordination by the government of the office of chairman of the committee of the whole to serve the partisan interests of the government.

Mr. Speaker:

The Leader of the Opposition has submitted a statement of what he considers a matter of urgent public importance in which he refers to the subordination by the government of the office of chairman of the committee of the whole to serve the partisan interests of the government. This motion could not in any shape or form be construed as not being a reflection on the holder of the office of chairman of the committee of the whole, and it is doing by indirection what must be done in a direct manner. Citation 432 of Beauchesne, third edition, reads as follows:

If a member wishes at any time to call in question the conduct of the chairman in the execution of his duties, the proper course is to give notice of a motion to that effect in due course.

Citation 225 of Beauchesne, third edition, is to the following effect:

Certain matters cannot be debated save upon a substantive motion which can be dealt with by amendment or by distinct vote of the house, such as the conduct of the Governor General, the Speaker or Deputy Speaker, members of either house of parliament or judges. These questions cannot therefore be discussed by way of amendment nor upon a motion for adjournment by way of standing order 31.

That is now standing order 26.

For the same reason, no charges of personal character can be raised save upon a distinct and substantive motion to that effect.

The corresponding paragraphs in Bourinot pertaining to the same subject are to be found at page 397 and page 177. Although I am not called upon to give advice, perhaps I could say to the Leader of the Opposition that with respect to a matter such as the one contemplated in his motion the procedure is to put a notice of motion on the order paper and as soon as the 48 hours' notice as required by standing order 41 has been spent the matter is placed upon routine proceedings under "motions" and must be dealt with as soon as routine motions are called. It is a debatable motion. I would therefore submit that the proper way in which to deal with the matter would be to follow the course which is indicated must be followed.

July 6 98.21

July 21 65.65

July 22 28.50

July 26 972.00

August 10 53.28

September 13 121.01

October 7 20.44

October 27 12.92

November 7 33.55

November 7 10.03

November 8 172.35

Questions

November 9 8.02

November 16 13.95

1956: January 5 120.34

February 16 12.92

February 23 20,000.00

February 24 2,525.00

March 5 101.20

March 6 1,349.60

March 13 179.20

March 13 2,522.75

* As amended.