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.
Motion agreed to, and Bill read the first
time.
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