The New York herald., 1920-01-18
CANADIAN PARLIAMENTvS NEXT.
SESSION PROMISES TO BE OF
MORE THAN USUAL IMPORTANCE
New Federal Franchise Act pected to Raise Controversial
Quetions, While Premier Bo rden's Absence Because of
Illness Leads to Efforts to Avoid Disturbing Issues

OTTAWA. Ontario. Saturday.-Ths Can.
adam Parliament has been summoned foi
regular session beginning on February
2s. and the gathering promises to be ot
unwonted interest and OF considerable
political Importance A somewhat un-
likely but by no means impossible de-
velopment Of the session Is dissolution and
n general election. owing to the peculiarly
unsettled conditions which now obtain.
The demand for an election Is. IN parts of
tho country, rather clamorous.
The coming session will be the first to
be held In the new elaborate buildings Of
Parliament. replacing those destroyed by
fire in the winter OF 1916. They are not yet
completed, but on the side occupied by the
House OF Commons work is sufficiently
advanced TO permit OF the quarters being
occupied, lacking only some of the decora-
tive effects. The buildings. which are on
the same plan but larger than the old,
are a splendid example of Gothic archi-
lecture, with an Interior finish in stone
something like marble, and producing a
very rich effect. The ultimate cost will
be about $1,000 .oo0 Two-thirds of that
amount has been spent already. ,t
So far as the government now plans, the
legislative programme. save in one in
stance may not be controversial. 1t is
we'll understood that there will be no
revision Of the tariff. the insistent demand
that something be done in that direction
being met by promised scientific inquiry.
This will occur. however. only after the
session is concluded, so. as regards this
year, things will remain pretty much as
they are now. The naval policy also seems
likely to be deferred, for, while a. Canadian
navy is recommended by Admiral Jellicoe
the feeling is that there is no particular
urgency, with peace finally promulgated
and the League of Nations, supposed to
start on its work.
New Franchise Legislation.
subject which will be legislated on,
however, Is that OF a new federal fran
chise act prescribing the qualification of
voters Heretofore the lists of each prov
ince have been used in federal elections.
but uniformity is now desired Women as
well as men may nov vote In Dominion
elections, but in some provinces woman
suffrage is not yet adopted, and this is a
reason for uniform Dominion franchise.
In wartime naturalized aliens OF enemy
nationality were disfranchised and whether
or not this should be continued is very
contentious matter. 1t affects many thou
sands Of voters, in the West, particularly.
Some of the war veterans and the Con-
servative party, generally speaking, are
against restoring the franchise, while the
argument on the other side is that. with
peace, war conditions should be obliterated
and every Canadian. naturalized or other
wise. should be restored to the full priv
,leges of citizenship. The Cabinet is url-
derstood to be divided on the question and
a final decision remains to be reached.
The Liberals will oppose any departure
from the provincial lists. and, especially,
any disfranchisement apart from military
deserters. -
Interest attaches more to the poliucai
situation than to the actual legislation
which may be brought down. AS noted
in recent correspondence, Sir hooert
Borden. the Premier. has had to 80 away
for his health and is now en- route 10
South Africa with Lord Jellicoe. be mao
decided to retire, but pressure was sue
cessfully exerted to induce him TO oeler
his decision. The impression deepens tnat
the Premier will not come back to pupilc
,;fs .rd ca In the coming weeks the ques-
tion of succession Is bound to loom large
; Tbere Ia a Union government ana q
r1n;o, marty Sir Robert Borden can hoio
thenn together; grave doubts exist "netner
any one else can do So The SonserNaelVS
r,niouists view with dtsfavor the ascen-
dency Of a Liberal Juionist ana vice
versa. Considerable distrust and intrigue
are indicated.
Hope to Avoid Pitfalls
The party managers nope W Se- :.
tentatively with Sir George Foster as act
tr- Premier and TO avoid any pitfalls tlll
the Parliamentary term expires at.the end
Of 1ae2. There is considerable outside un-
rest, however, and this. with the none
too strong cohesive force of the unionist
party, readily suggests the posslplllty OF d
break up. especially II continued i'll health
forces Sir Robert Borden o'carry out his
intention to retire. The session of Parlla~
ment and the atmosphere surrounding IL
will 20 far to determine the fate of the
government and the developments that
may be expected.
Reciprocity with the United States was
proclaimed a dead issue In many quarters
after the Laurier government went down
70 defeat on IL in 1911. but the subject is
coming back TO life and virility, and now
seems bound to be a decided factor in the
next campaign. The United Farm
ers Of Canada have nailed 1t 10 the mast
head, and at a great convention last week