The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Py mm T e o .f ; wderress | | (oe_sda\\, M arch 2 n d * \ -- | "It is not my desire to embarrass | with the Government. Then in 1894 ' Bolt From Blue' ¢ 4j lyou or your Gt?vernment in anty w;ly. ! it was found that the Hon. E. H. i 0 18 or to retard by any action of min®| Bronson. a member of the Govern-- ,The announcement Cabinet the progress that your Government| ment, had incurred disqualification ' withdrawal from t}IlJe 51' tme is making in re--establishing 131'03'i because he was interested financially p ¢ 1 egislature perity and confidence in the minds in a license to cut timber. _ The P was mdde 111 the gIt came of the people, and a realization of Government of Sir Oliver Mowat f yesterday afternoon. the necessity of responsible govern-- initiated legislation to remove dis-- like a bolt from the blue. The ment, and, as I cannot undertake to qualification and to continue Mr. Pri Minister broached the discontinue the business relations of Bronson in his seat. A few years rime ints e the Lyons Fuel and Supply Co., Ltd.. _ afterward it was found that some of 5 matter by tellmg the members with its established customers, I beg, the supporters of the Government that he had something of S$!t, to tender herewith my resigna~ came under disqualification because, ( a s k tion as Minister of Lands and For-- being proprietors of newspapers, ' extreme importance to bring to _ ests in your Goverlnment. Male fx- they had accepted _ Government i j press to you my sincere appreciation' money for advertising. This dis-- their attention. He then read of the confidence you have placed ability was removed by special leg-- a letter from Mr. LyonsHtender- lt? me by appointlngdme to the posit-- islation. Again in 1914 it appear-- * is tion. e con-- on, and I have endeavored to re-- ed that members who in their lr.lg his reSlg;%;l.On' Ivy to th ciprocate by serving loyally and effi--. professional capacity rendered serv-- tinued to read his reply to the _ ciently, Yours very truly, R ice to the Dominion Government' Minister, and then read a state-- ; (Sgd.) "James Lyons." thereby _ incurred disqualm&ationdf t..f | -- + iinmedia ected ment giving t.O th'e Hou.se and !'l'llc Priute Minisicr's Moply. ;rvl;xe'e rfn}:?:flrime:r?)b;r for Gt:gw?ile and the public his views in the In reply, Mr. Ferguson had writ--' the then Leader of the Opposition, matter | ten: N, W,. Rowell. In both these cases * a "*Dear Mr. Lyons: 1 aim _ in relief was afforded by amending Remains as Private Member. receipts of your leiter of to--| legislation. As recently as last ses. alaa i# y ttih .'s day's date tendering your resig-- sion the member for West Hastings Mr. L:.m}:\_lnllr)}\e(l \\1thw'1 state-- nation as Minister of Lands and le: --~d with surprise that he had ment explaining his stand. This he Forests in the present Government. in o ved disqualification because a > suppilemented by some remarks. He "In accepting your resignation, I pu. iase of goods had been made declared that he would not leave desire to express the deepest regret from:, his place of business for Gov-- t the House before the end of the that your splendid ability as an ad-- ernment nurvnoses. The same situ-- session. HMHe hoped in the near ministrator will no longer be avail-- |ation was revealed with regard to the future to show the House that he ab'l'e to th? Province. ; (Hnn. F. C. Biggs through a sale of had administered his department to f I --thoroughly 'appremat.e your pr?nert',v to the (:lmiernment. and'm make a creditable showing for the \iew'ot _t'ne situation and your qc- both cases remedial legislation was aAdt t §4 o termination that no-- opportunity |enacted. I think it will be recog-- Government; that his every effort shall be given to those opposed to ; nized that it never was the inten--| had been on behaif of the Govern-- this Administration to cast reflec-- :+ tion of the Legislature that any of; ment, and that the members "who tion upon yourself and upon the ; these exceptions should conflict with. commenced this propaganda'"' would Government. the principle of Parliamentary in-- f realize the truth of his statements "I have the utmost confidence in |dependence. but rather that they > your integrity, and refuse to believe |;should make the principle workable Mr. Lyons to the Premier. that you, at any time, or in any way, |}and applicable to modern conditions | Mr,. Lyons's letter to the Premier, ; made use of your position as a Min-- |of business. The desire of all who . | dated March 1. read as follows: : ister of the Crown to further your ! have the .nuh.hc interest at heart will ¢ _ _"Dear Mr. Ferguson: The numer-- ; personal interests, either through| 'be to maintain the high standing of ous questions placed upon the order | your connection with the Lyons Fuel: | our Parliamentary institutions and | paper recently making inquiries of |and Supply Company, or in any| to avoid in every way the possibility | a general character in reference to | other manner. The fact that the| of reproach or even suspicion | business relations between the Lyons | customers of your business are to be: against anvy member of this House, l;}-'uel andNSul'mly Co... Ltd., of which j largely founorl in }\'orthern Ontari.oA Above Shadow of Suspicion. |I am a shareholder, and President, among the various business organi-- |and customers that the Lyons Fuel zations who are more or less de--| '"The determination of this Gov-- |and Supply Co.. Ltd., may be doing pendent upon or have some relations: ernment has always been, not only ; | business with are evidently placed with the Government has rendered that there shall be no wrongdolnz-', |there with the idea of establishing your position as head of a depart.. but that nothing shall be permitted ;in the minds of the public, by infer-- ment whose activities have chiefly that can 'be so construed as to cre-- | ence, that the position of Minister to do with the North country a most Aate suspicion or shake public con-- | of Lands and Forests that I occupy delicate and difficult one, and lends fidence in the integrity of the Gov is being used to the advantage of itself to those who may desire, ornment or any of its members. (I 2 | the Lyons Fuel and Supply Co., Ltd. through innuendo or contortion, to is Of the utmos; importance that ""'May I point out to you, Sir, that miglead the public and discredit . jpuple moan & § : the Lyons Fuel and Supply Co., Ltd., yourself and the Administration. 1gll;abdig". :n'.n.u;;,?éfi,dn. pe:Aabove the was established in a small way in "While I regret that these circum-- "There is a tendency today with | July, 1913, I being in direct charge stances have arisen, may I say that | a ceriain element of the public and . | from its inception until 1923. The I fully concur in the conclqsion you a section of the press, by suggestion : business commenced as a general have reached and the action you and misrepresentation and allega-- |fuel business, and has been increas-- have taken. 'tion. without foundation, from mo-- ed and enlarged from year to year "The cordial relationship that has |tives best known to themselves. to as conditions and circumstances always existed bhetween yourself and cast discredit upon, and even vilify, would permit, until it is recognized the other members of the Govern-- those engaged in the public service. now as a general wholesale and re-- ment will increase our regret that |It is most deplorable, but none the tail fuel and builders' supply busi-- you are no longer to be associated | less true, that this condition restrains ness, with business relations extend-- with us. Yours very truly, G. How. |many public--spirited, outstanding ing from the Atlantic to the Pacific, ard Ferguson." . ! business men from entering public but trading particularly in Northern y k | Hlife and giving the Province and| Ontario with mining companies, Mr. Ferguson's Statement. | ithe country the benefit of theirl lu}nnfiff.r{g_-z'on1panies, pl;.hfl)' and Stating that he had prepared a| lablht." and training. t paper companles, municipal corpor-- st&lztemlee!;t tsaonétil:; })l;e}l;(es ':'&l;l(sl it;xetfig | ConfideMce in Lyons's Integrity, ; : : s > ' % m sunders f f l #4 + » » a m itions, and the general public uatter. Mr. Ferguson then read the Th th? 'CaTe or; Mn,. Lyqn:f'l de Stopped Sales to Government. following: | sire to say that I have every con-- exy 3 , hog is 3% as i s fidence in his integrity. Owing to You will recall that last year, The vrinciple of the independ-- the very nature of his private busi-- $ when the question of the advisability ence of Parliament is one of the . , .. anyd the constiiuency which it : of members of the Legislature who most firmlyv established and most im-- serves, and hpon wi'\ich it depends 'were shareholders in joint stock portant safeguards of our represen-- | ror. ;s existence, the OpDOrtunity ' \ companies doing business with the fative institutions. _ Originally 48-- jgnrrorded for the creation of 8Sug-- Government was _ discussed, _ I serted as a protection against °@M-- piocjon, There are three features of willingly stated on the floor of the croachments by the Crown, it has fn;is relationship that I would like House that, as far as I was concern-- been continued as a check upon, +o graw to the attention of the ed, ~I would undertake to see Governments representing the @AUu--| fjouse, & that no further business was trans-- thority of the Crown. It is designed| "Firstly--A greaf deal of public acted by the Lyons Fuel and Supply to ensure that Governments will not work, in the way of road construc-- * Co., Ltd., with the Government while by the distribution of favors exer--| pon and oiherwise, is carried on 1 was a member of the House, and cise undue influence over legisla--| pnger the immediate direction Of I notified the Lyons Fuel and Supply , tors. The principle comes to Uus| ine Northern Development Branch. Co., Ltd., accordingly. | with the sanction of long--establish--| | gngineers are in charge of these "You will appreciate the fact that, ed usage and is necessary to uphold | !varioua works. From time to time ' where a well--established business| 'the honor, the dignity and the @AUu--| ' supplies are required by them, and has been built up through years of | thority of Par'liamem. Yet it has| | while they may be within the, law effort with large industrial concerns, | | been found in actual practice that| and justified in a legal seflfli in to discontinue such a business would the rule cannot be rigidly entorced[ | purchasing from the Lyons Fuel f bring disastrous results, and you will without some reasonable modifica--| jana Supply Company, where its also realize, I hope, that to comply tions. For this reason we have in} | prices are lowest, yet, with the head ® with the unprecedented requests the law the provision that a mem--| | of this company as a Minister of and submit to the public the busi-- ber of the Legislature shall not be| | the Crown, it is not only a danger-- f ness transactions of any established disqualified by reason of being a| | ous, but a highly improper practice. | business with its customers would be! shareholder in' an incorporated com-l |\ _--*When the matter came up. in ! just as disastrous. ° : | pany which has business relations! | the House a year ago Mr. Lyons | gave to his firm instructions that -- ' no further goods must be sold by & | his company for use on these works,: ! and I understand that these instruc--| \? o | tions have been carried out. 1 d + 4 f:A% .' ':',4 WE wl e e