Hon. N. A. McLARTY (Secretary of State):

The hon. member for York South was kind enough to advise me of his intention to ask this question, and in answer I should like to read a memorandum prepared by the chief electoral officer with regard to voting by those in the merchant marine. This reads:

By clause (c) of subparagraph 1 of paragraph 5 of the Canadian war service voting regulations, 1944, merchant seamen engaged in coastwise or foreign service are entitled to vote at the next general election as war service electors under the special voting procedure prescribed by the regulations.

Paragraph 36 of the regulations prescribe that these merchant seamen may cast their votes before any commissioned officer of the naval, military or air forces of Canada specially designated for the purpose of taking the votes of war sendee electors.

War service electors will vote during the twelve week days prior to polling day at the next general election.

Several voting places will be established for the taking of the votes of war service electors at Halifax, Saint John, Quebec, Montreal,. Vancouver and Victoria, where these merchant seamen may cast their votes upon satisfactory proof of their identity and of their qualifications as war service electors, during the voting period of twelve week days.

Furthermore, these merchant seamen will be able to vote as war service electors in large ports in the United1 Kingdom and other allied countries.

Mr. McLARTY:

I am afraid, no matter

how willing the hon. member for Parkdale may be to expedite the matter, once the order is passed by the house-and I point out we are now in committee-no member moving a resolution asking for a return, without consent of the house, would have any right to vary that order. I presume the ordinary procedure is to put a question on the order paper. I do not think we could accept the willingness of .the hon. member for Parkdale, no matter how great it might be, and treat that as an abrogation of the order the house itself has passed.

Mr. McLARTY:

The question was not

limited to correspondence. It refers to information.

Hon. N. A. McLARTY (Secretary of State):

I think that the hon. member for Parkdale raised on Friday last the question addressed to the parliamentary assistant, and I had an inquiry made as to the information with regard to General Pearkes. My hon. friend's question, as he worded it on Friday, rather implied that the question which was made an order for a return referred to General Pearkes alone, but actually it dealt not only with General Pearkes but with all his officers in the Pacific command. Under those circumstances I think the hon. member and the house will realize that it involves looking over a large number of files, not only here but at headquarters of the Pacific command. It was the wording of the question itself that makes that imperative and I presume has delayed1 the return to the order of the house.

Mr. McLARTY:

No.