1262 COMMONS DEBATES. APRIL 15,
NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES ACT AMENDMENT.
Mr. DEWDNEY moved for leave to introduce Bill (No. 136)
to consolidate and amend the North-West Territories Acts.
He said: This Bill preposes to consolidate the three Acts
on our Statute-book in reference to the North West Territories, chapter 50 of the
Revised Statutes, the short Act
passed in 1887, and the Act of last Session constituting the
Legislative Assembly for the Territories. The Bill is
substantially for the consolidation of the present law, and
proposes to give enlarged powers to the Legislative
Assembly. That is the principal amendment. There is
also an amendment giving the Legislative Assembly power
to deal with the question of the sale of liquor to the same
extent as the Local Houses in other Provinces, and retaining
until the new Legislature meets, the present liquor law.
Mr. LAURIER. I protest most emphatically against the
introduction of such a Bill at this period. The hon. gentleman cannot expect the House
now to go into the subject of
consolidation. If there are urgent amendments required in
the North-West Territories, I am not prepared to say that
we should not grant these amendments, but it is impossible
at this late period to give the Bill the hen. gentleman proposes to introduce, the
attention it requires, and, as far as
this side of the House is concerned, we will not consent to
legislation of this kind at present.
Mr. DAVIN. From the explanation given by the hon.
Minister of the Interior, it seems to me that the amendments
are so simple and so obviously needed—
Mr. LAURIER. I say nothing as to the amendments,
but the hon. gentleman said he was going to consolidate the
whole legislation. This is what I object to. As to the
amendments, we shall deal with them when they are brought
down; but my hon. friend must admit that it is impossible
at this time of the Session to take up an Act consolidating
the whole legislation of the North-West Territories.
Mr. DAVIN. I cannot agree with my hon. friend, because the amendments, after all, as I understand
them, are
of such a nature that the consolidation will not be an elaborate affair. The North-West
Territories Acts which require
consolidation are not numerous, and I hope that the leader
of the Opposition will not take an attitude so hostile to the
interests of the North West as he has suggested it is his intention to take.
Mr. MILLS (Bothwell). If the Government had any important legislation to present in regard
to the North West
Territories, it ought to have been before the House a long
time ago. We have been in Session two and a half months.
The hon. gentleman expected to bring the Session to a close
within the week, and, at the last week, he proposes to introduce a Bill for the first
time. Surely the officers of the
hon. gentleman's department, if the legislation were necessary, must have informed
him of its necessity long ago;
and if they failed in their duty in that respect the measure
can stand over until another Session. It is a most monstrous
proceeding that would not be tolerated by the strongest
Government that ever sat in England—the introduction, at
the last moment of a Session, of a measure for the consideration of the House. I have
called the attention of the House
over and over again, to the fact that during the last, fifty
years every important measure of an English Administration, whether Tory or Reform,
was introduced the first
1889.
COMMONS DEBATES. 1263
month of the Session, although their Sessions last seven
months. Yet the hon. gentleman proposes, the last week
of the Session, to introduce a measure for the first time.
Such a proceeding is intolerable. The hon. gentleman treats
the House as if its business were simply to record whatever
the Government chooses to submit to it, without any serious
consideration. I do not believe hon. gentlemen on this side
are prepared to so interpret their duties.
Mr. MACDOWALL. I should be sorry to see this Bill
withdrawn. There are certain matters that need attention,
and although the hon. gentleman who has just spoken may
not have a long time to look over the Bill before it comes
up for discussion, still, with his knowledge of the country,
he will be ready promptly to grasp the questions touched
upon, and I am sure it will be a great benefit to the North- West that the Bill should
he proceeded with.
Sir RICHARD CARTWRIGHT. Whether a benefit or
not, it was the duty of the Government to inform themselves that this was an important
measure, and to bring it
down at the proper time. I do not think it is possible that
sufficient consideration can be given to the Bill, unless the
Government are prepared to keep the House sitting for a
very much longer time than now anticipated; and, in any
case, the practice of bringing down a Government Bill four
days before the time the Government declare it was their
desire to adjourn is a practice which cannot be defended on
any precedent or ground whatever, except that of extreme
urgency, in which case we would not desire to fetter the
hands of the Government.
Sir JOHN THOMPSON. It is not usual to oppose a
Bill on the first reading; and I think my hon. friends
opposite have been unduly alarmed at the word "consolidation" which my hon. colleague
used in presenting this Bill.
The fact is that the amendments he proposes to make in
the North-West Territories Act are few and simple. He
stated them. I think, as being only three. It will be
desirable to have the three Acts relating to the North-West
Territories—not the whole legislation, as the hon. gentleman
for Quebec (Mr. Laurier) has said, relating to the North- West—consolidated, as they
would be by passing this
Bill, because that would avoid an incoherent kind of
legislation which it would be very difficult for the North
West Legislature to administer. But, as I have said, the
amendments are very simple, and I think, when the Bill is
printed and laid before hon. gentlemen, they will not find
it so formidable or requiring so much attention as the word
" consolidation "seems to lead them to imagine. I do
not think we are open to the reproach of delaying this Bill
until within the last four days of the Session. There is
not, on either side, the slightest idea that the House will
close before the end of next week at the earliest, and, if the
task of consolidating these three Statutes is too formidable
a one, it may be thought desirable that legislation should be
confined to the amendment of the Acts at this Session. I
think, however, that the Bill should be new advanced a
stage, and laid before the House, so that it may see whether
it is of such a formidable character as is supposed.
Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first time.
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