June 5th, 1936

With Robert Cecil making his rounds between Rideau Hall, the Confederation House (where the Imperial Federation is being held), and Casa Loma in Toronto (the residence of the exiled royal family), it seems that the King's recent appointment has made political headway as Bill C-5 has finally left committee in the House of Commons, with the ten member Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs unanimously voting for the Bill's passage. Following its introduction onto the House floor, most members voted in favor of the bill, with the bill being sent to the Senate later that day. While some members voted no on Bill C-5, it was mostly done because the Bill did not go far enough and restrict the Governor-General's ability to appoint Senators.

With the bill being submitted to the Senate for scrutiny and ultimate passage, many in Canada wondered about the fate of the bill. While Governor-General John Buchan had stated that a Royal veto would not be forthcoming, the voting record of the Senate did not inspire much confidence. When a similar reform bill was submitted to the Senate in 1931, its failure to pass helped cause the collapse of the Bennett government and ever since, tensions between the British Exiles and the Canadians slowly rose. However, a repeat of 1931 was not forthcoming and through seemingly hard lobbying by both Mackenzie King and Robert Cecil behind the scenes, the Senate narrowly voted the bill into law by a vote of 56-49. With C-5 having been passed by the Senate and the House, Governor-General Buchan signed it into law today.