§ MR. FIELDTo ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Criminal Code of 1892 of Canada imposed five years imprisonment and 500 dollars fine on persons making bargains in fictitious goods, wares, or merchandise in Canada or elsewhere with the intent to make gain or profit by the rise or fall in prices, and that this Act received the assent of the Governor-General in 1892, while the despatch leaving the code to its operation was dated March, 1903, and was signed by Lord Ripon; and whether he can explain the omission regarding this legislation from the Blue-book recently issued on the subject of future and option gambling.
(Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) The Blue-book includes on page 10 the full text of the Minute of the Canadian Privy Council, furnished in reply to the despatch addressed to the Canadian Government at the instance of the hon. Member, as to the nature and effect of any legislation in force in Canada prohibiting or restricting gambling in option and future contracts as regards foodstuffs. I can only assume that the brevity of the reference to Sections 201 and 202 of the Criminal Code arises from the fact that, as stated in the Minute, no prosecutions have ever been instituted under these sections.