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th 'Frialam March 26th AMENDING CLA USES , ARE NO 7. DEF EA'l ED, Attorney-General Nickle __ Dispel: Erroneous Im- pression of Vote in Pri. . . vate Bills Committee, and Explains That Only One Section' Eliminated Belief that the Lewis bill to amend the Church Union Bill had been defeated yesterday morning by the Private Bills Committee of the . Legislature was dispelled at the 5 afternoon session of the House, i when Attorney-General W. F. Nickle read a statement clarifying what he termed "the misunderstanding as to the legal effect of the vote taken by the committee." "Whatever conception the mem- bers may have had of the effect of the vote which was taken," the statement ran, "the records of the committee show, and the fact is, ' that the vote was on Section One and that the section was eliminated ' :from the bill, thus leaving the re- l mainder of the bill open for further ', consideration by the committee at a later date. The bill will have further consideration on Tuesday, March 30. at 10.30 o'cioek." First Clause Only Beaten. The Lewis bill, which would have given congregations whose vote had - been found by the Church Property Commission to be irregular the op- portunity to revote on the question of entering the United Church of Canada or not, was defeated-on the first tilituse-by a committee vote of 22-21. . . Measure Eplained, The bill was Sponsored by A. C. Lewis, Conservative member for Northeast Toronto "A," who explain- ed in brief the provisions of the measure, contending that it aimed . at the elimination of hardships now existing. Ir L. McCarthy, K.C., on be- half of the NoTt:onctitiirur,' Presby- terians, claimed that the legislation of last year-in so far as irregulari- ties were concerned-had not work- ed out very effectively. "Votes," he said, "were taken in which the bal- lots were signed. and such votes were held to be irregular and invalid. That was the same as if no vote had been taken, and therefore automa- tically the congregation passed into the United Church. What We now ask is that such congregations be given a chance to take a vote in or- d.er to give them a chance to vote _ themselves out. In the case of a vote by signed ballot." Mr. McCarth) asserted. "the vote is invalid. and there is no provision in the act for a new vote." G. W. Mason, ICC., counsel for the United Church, disagreed with Mr. McCarthy. quoting from the act to show that the Anti-Unionists had agreed with the Unionists to accept either secret or signed balloting. Mr. Mason admitted that two members of the Property Commission. ex- clusut of the Chairman. had held Signed ballots to be "irregular," but he maintained that where a cottgre- gation in no uncertain terms had ex-, . pressed its wish it was unfair to um set the vote on a "technicality."