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House of Commons, 26 August 1896, Canadian Confederation with Alberta and Saskatchewan

[COMMONS] 312

NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES ACT.

Mr. DAVIN moved for leave to introduce Bill (No. 7) to amend the Northwest Territories Act. He said : Mr. Speaker, this Bill is entirely on all tours with the Bill that I introduced last session, and covers precisely the same ground as the Bill that Mr. Martin, the late member for Winnipeg, introduced and which passed a second reading. Unfortunately that Bill did not pass into law. The object is to restore the franchise in the North-west Territories to the same position it was in before the legislation complained of so strongly by my hon. friend (Mr. Martin), and which did not allow the elector on going forward to the returning officer's desk to make an oath that he was a qualified voter, but which required that the name should be on the list two days before the election. The legislation which my hon. friend (Mr. Martin) and I myself sought to undo, never had my approval, and now, after a trial of 313 [AUGUST 28, 1896] the franchise as it exists under the obnoxious legislation, it is, I am persuaded, still more desirable that we should pass this Bill. The Bill, as I say, will be found to be precisely the same Bill as my hon. friend (Mr. Martin) introduced last session and which passed a second reading. How it came that we had no legislation in the matter, it would be hard to say.
The MINISTER OF MARINE AND FISHERIES (Mr. Davies). The Government opposed it.
Mr. DAVIN. Well, I do not know that they did oppose it.
The MINISTER OF MARINE AND FISHERIES. The Minister of the Interior did oppose it distinctly and emphatically.
Mr. DAVIN. It passed a second reading, anyway. I think it highly desirable that this Bill should pass into law.
Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first time.

Source:

Canada. House of Commons Debates, 1875-1949. Provided by the Library of Parliament.

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Selection of input documents and completion of metadata: Gordon Lyall.

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