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Premiér Ferguson, to borrow Mr. Sinclair'« phraseology, had *"'steam up." His coai supply seemed un-- iimited, and he burned all he had. lfe charged*the Iiberal Leader with starting «he whole "balliots business" for poiitical capital, and with side-- stepping it once he had © "dissemi-- nated its odor" about the Province, He charged him with acting "child-- ish"; with offering contempt to the Legislature and to the committee; vwiith making '"nebulous, loose, irre-- sponsible" statements he was not prepared to substantiate:; and with the atiitude of mind of one who once the Bible was put in his hands and was asked to swear would "turn tail and run away" from his respon-- sibilities to the people. if not to his party or to the Legislature, 1 Jail for refusal to give evidence," This stand of Mr. Sinclair's was taken yvesterday in the face of Pre-- mier Ferguson's declaration -- that "the honorable member will go into the witness box if there is any ma-- chinery in the law to compel him to": even after the ameadment, as brought down to the House, indi-- cated in effect that none might be execused from testifying at the in-- quiry if the committee willed; and, generally speaking, following -- the hottest verbal "scrap'"' the two party leaders have ever staged before the Assemblv--a serap in which, at times, tempers wore clean through,. faces whitened, jaws set, and voices broke under the stress of eroass--flanr battle, and from which the '"slim" galleries of the afternoon got their "kick" of a lifetime. Premier in Angry Mood. Liberal Leader William E. N. Sin-- clair will attend the hbearing, de. iermined, as he told the House yes-- terday, that the committee "will not make a fool out of me," and pre-- pared "to sit in until every ballot is counted. unless I'm sent down to jall for refilSal thn #iva avilaan.as 15 To expedite the\inquiry, the On-- tario Legislature, in record time yes-- terday, put through and obtained lHoyal assent to an amendment to the Election Act whereby all bal-- lot papers from the South Ottawa electoral district, now in possession of the Clerk of the Crown in Chan-- cery, will be subject today to the scrutiny of the Committee on Privi-- leges and Elections, by which the probe will be made. "NOT ON TRIAL," SAYS SINCLAIR 66 Investigation into the mystery of the 19 ~»wandering ballots," pre-- sumably from the Provincial elec-- tion held Dec. 1, 1926, in the elec-- toral district of South Ottawas, will open officially at Queen's Park this morning, ow NEZ V s 4 a y, .p e .: AF $ / B o t "The ho a e a es urlous South -- Ontar "stated that ] look at least e o those used i: Uer ln C a lr S | election. I poi eec the committe applied withit + an order from # # the ballots--t n in the hands O a O S Appellate Di the Judge wo egislature Passes Act T hat tnas's noewspa pe: No One Is Excused [soecs ns From _ Lestifying--"I'll Be There Unless I'm Sent to Jail for Refusal," Says Liberal Chief son, to Which Liberal Leader Retorts T hat Committee "Will Not Make Fool Out of Me" 'ou Must Give Evi-- dence," Declares F ergu-- ibout the Province. with acting "'childa-- 1g contempt to the to the committee; borrow Mr. had. '"'steam seemed -- un-- all he had. Leader with The drama of the afternoon start-- ed off mildly, with Attorney--General Price introducing the Government's i11 to amend the Election Act. Smil-- ingly Col. Price told the calm and peacefu! Legislature: "This provides 'mr an amendment to enable the House by its direction to inspect bal-- 'lots in the ballot boxes in the hands 'of the Cierk of the Crown in Chan-- Icory." | Opportunity for the inspection of |various documents in connection with an celection was given under one 'section of the act, he explained., but under the next section it is clearly lset out that no person shall be al-- r]owed to inspect ballots in the cus-- tody of the Clerk of the Crown in 'Chancery except under _ an order from the Supreme Court. The order might be made on application to a Judge, this authority being -- satis-- fied by affidavit or other evidence on oath that inspection was required for prosecution, protest of the elec-- tion or petition. then marched This rnin tion. Starts Throughout the hour and a half of battling over the "ballots" issue, Op-- position and Government members sat as if--electrified. There was a visible sigh of relief when the air cleared and when his Honor the T4eutenant--Governor, William -- D. Ross, marched up the aisle of the Chamber, quiet, unruffied--a sort of '"peace ship after the storm"--and heard from the lips of Clerk Lewis the pronouncement that Royal as-- sent had heen given to the bill, and then marched out agzain. y present, and will be on h: the some 20,000 ballots se this electoral district at the tion, and returned, cither unused, will be bared fo begins witnes fileep _ Hour--and--a--Malf-- Battle. *'"WThis committee"--Mr, Ferguson launched his most withering blast-- "would not be functioning as it should if it did not. subpoena Mr. Sinclair as the first witness, put him in the witness box, and lay the proper foundation of the inquiry." Sinclair Talks Back While 'the Prime Minister had a wallop in either hand, Mr. Sinclair was not averse to "trading" them with him. He reiterated denial that he could have brought the "ballots business" before the House in any other way than he had done. He accused the Prime Minister of de-- livering a ~tirade" at the second reading of the bill, when only the principle of the legislation should have been spoken to. He said that the Prime Minister had given him & "pretty spanking" because he, the Prime Minister, was jealous of the newspaper -- publicity his debate 1 for South "Of Quietlyv. M aU 0O Cl M. Scot *) in he had done. He 'rime Minister of de-- ade" at the second again, » committee inquiry clock sharp. Two 'ott. Returning Of-- Ottawa.' and his summoned to be s sent out to the last elec-- ther used. or l for inspec-- nd when it out to last elec-- "I don't like to set up my legal 'opinion against a counsel as emi-- nent as the Attorney--General," said \ Mr. Sinclair, rising, "but I feel that I have good grounds to stand on in law as to why I did not adopt what I consider to be a foolish pro-- | cedure--an application for exami-- | nation of the ballots. I was not : derelict in my duty. I was not pre-- imred to swear an affidavit with a | view to prosecution, I could name | no offender. I could not say it was for the purpose of upsetting an elec-- tion, for the time limit had passed." Mr. Speaker--I reserve my ruling on the point raised. The House laughed loudly. Mr, Ferguson--All right, Mr. Sp_eag.ke;', you may rule. Opposition benches banged their support, A few voices cried "Or-- der!t" Mr. Sinclair--I ask your ruling, Mr. Speaker. [----*The honorable member_ for South Ontario," _ he _ continued, "stated that he had 19 ballots that look at least As if they resemble those used in the South Ottawa eclection. I pointed out to him before the committee that he could have applied within the year and received an order from the Judge to examine the ballots--the ballots being placed in the hands of the Registrar of the Appellate Division, and I feel that the Judge would have given him the order necessary. As that time has gone by--though he notified us on Oct, 25--we are, as indicated by the Mr. Sinclair--I object, Mr. Speak-- er. There is no such word as con-- tempt, It is unparliamentary. Privileges and Elections he will be able to give a little more informa-- tion than he was able to-- give last Friday morning," the Attorney--Gen-- eral added. Then, concluding, he proposed "to advance the bill for second read-- ing." Col. Price--Nearly ten months after the clection,. Mr. Sinclair--Y¥Yes. And I have no more information than I had. Tha information is in the box con-- taining the returns at Ottawa. Col. Price----Are you prepared to give more information before the committee? Mr. Ssinclair----I can't give what I haven't got. I won't go as far as some might, J don't want the impression to go from this House that I didn't do my duty. I wasn't anxious to have to pay any costs of an application. I don't belong to a party as rich as that to which my honorable friend helongs, to go to a source to get the costs. Col. Price--I thought you -- had rich friends at Ottawa. "I hope that when my learned friend reaches the Committee on ii1eua cannot treat this House or this committee with contempt. (Ap-- plause.) Prime Minister, introducing a bill to the House which will enable this House to inspect the ballot boxes, This amendment is a general one that will apply not only to this elec-- tion, but to any election in the future. Wants More Information,. Col. Price--How long did you have the ballots in your possession? Writes Same Day. Mr. Sinclair--Not more than a day or so, I believe. I wrote the sAme day to Mr. Dymond (Chief Election Officer). f Mr. Sinclair--At any rate, 1 am not criticizing the bill. It gets my hearty support. Col, Price----Are you prepared to give more information before the committse tomorrow? Mr. Sinclaivr--No I don't. To Proceed With Inquairy, Mr. Ferguson--I want to say, right here and now, that this Government has no intention of jetting the matter drop. (Applause.) My honorable Mr. Sinclair--I bhave already told you I cannot give what I haven't got Mr. Ferguson--Now that he's spread the news around--now that he's disseminated the odor through--;| out the Province he prefers to back| away from it and let it drop. I