Page 277 - Annuaire Statistique Québec - 1918

236 F]NANCES

PREPARING AND VO'l'ING BUDGET

The budget estünates arc prepared by the 1\Iinist~rs before each
Session of ParlinlI1cnt and submitted to the Execut'ive for its approv::lJ.
At a sitting of the Cabinet, the 1iinistcl's diseuss their forecasts; the·
!Provincial Treasurer plays the part of critie and proposes whatever
redLCtions he may think necessal'Y in view of the anticipated revenue..
The final decision, howevcr rests with the Cabinet. AUer the budget
has been decidcd upon, it i printed and a copy is distributed to the
Memben3 of Pmlimnent. The e;'timntes are studicd one by one Iby the
Legif'lativc Assemo~y) sitting as n com'llï,i'f((;r, on 8II.bsùiies, upon motion
of the Provincial Trcmmrer. The opposition ma.y make whatever
observations they see fit and thc }Iembers take part in the di~cus~ion~,
but they haye no l'ight to propot'.C IL measure caIling for an expenditure of
money Or for any clwnge in the a.ppropriatiun of credits, as t'hey have no
responsibility in the mùttrr. The rc:>ponsible l\linisters reply to aIl
critici~ms and give the necessary explanations. The Assembly may cut
down or strike out certain clauses, but in practice, for Ulany ycars, the
credits prcpared by the Execut·ilJe have been adopted without any modi-
fication. The authorization of the commitlee on subsid'ies is not suffi.-
cient to allow budget exp0.T'ses to be paid from the Consolidated Reyenue
Fund, the vote of th0 commÛlee on U'O-]jS and means is nlf'o required,
Cert[l,in estimates \vhich are known as IOtntut.ory are disbursemcnts
which have been autllürizcd once for aIl; the Assembly merely takes
note of them. Among cha.rges cf this kind are the interest on the
pu blie debt, the sinking fund, the salaries of the Speakers of the two
Bouses and of the permanent employees, the sessional indemnities of
the Members, certain subsidi for public instruction, ft portion of the
costs of the ndministration of justice, gmnts to ngri.culturc, expenditure
fol' the mnlntennnce of roud::; und sev~ al charges agaimt the revenue.
The total expenditure authoriz .d by S· ,tute fol' the budget. of the year
endi-.g on the ;lOth of Ju l 92,'w s 10,367,02S,] 3 ::md the estimates
to be voted [lmountcd to . 15,410,8 5.80.
The supp1cmentary hudget is voted in the saille manner as the
regnlar stimates 'for whatever amount may be found necessary and
which has not bccn ot :lerwise provided for.
A·latter eoneernin J' . e .~.nnua.l budgets is conta.ined at the beg-inning
of the 8tll.tute:o of ench Sion. Schedulr A contains the supple;ncntary
budget and Schedule the l'crulaI' esti1l1 {ltes for the following yenr.
The;'e st.ntements, howev ~r, merely contnill the :1Jllount voted during the
previolls Sesfüon. The stat.utory credits are not JUcntioned. The Provincial
TrcasUl'er's budget speech dea,ls with ID[l,ttcrs in conne< tion with the
suosidics. The Public :\ccounh., puoli:ôhcd by the Tren.surer give full
illfol'll1ation cOl1cprning the credits nt the CoverJlluent's disposaI for the
admini.:-:>tratiull of the Province. The Imdget it:,elf ihO\vever iB the official
docUfllcnt eontaining the clanfes submitted to the Legislature for it's
approval and prillted for the l\Œembers.