The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 21 Feb 1928, p. 2

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Mr. Ferguson--Not a bit of it. My honorable friend got all the publicity he desired-- Mr. Sinclair--And it made you sore, Mr. Ferguson--Not a bit, for I knew that you were going to tumble into this hole. * "Well," retorted Mr. Ferguson, *"when I read that my honorable friend goes before the committee and refuses to tell anything that he knows, then I say I have a dqifferent attitude. I say that my honorable friend is playing miserable party polities." "And You Also." Mr, Sinclair--Is he the only one doing it? Aren't you doing it right now * The Premier held that it was Mr. Sinclair's duty to have informed the Attorney--General of the situation, and Mr. Price would have assisted him in getting the necessary court order, "I don't propose," he con-- tinued, "to let my honorable friend '@* any other member get up in this (. .ouse and insinuate or suggest, for an apparently political motive, that there was any wrongdoing in an election conducted by this Govern-- ment, and then back away from any responsibility," Mr,. Sinclair, he went on, could have got the neces-- «ary court order and the support of the Attorney--General, if the Attor-- ney--General had been consulted, would have been given, even to a settlement of the costs, Mr. Sinclair, protesting, -- argued that he had done what he could in writing the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery. "I hope you'll try and be fair,'" he told the Premier. -- "You withheld your remarks the other day, But now you've got your steam upn.'" Mr. Speaker--I'm not prepared to sgay whether the word "childish" is gnparliamentary or not, I will take ie matter under my consideration. Mr. Sinclair, white and breathless, subsided, while Government sup-- porters applauded. o 9x -- 3 _-- _Premier Ferguson--Well, T'H say that my honorable friend acts as I would expect a child to act. That's not unparliamentary. But, to con-- tinue: My honorable friend produces ballots, which, he says, somebody has sent him. He is a lawyer. He must know that this is all pure hear-- say--not a proper foundation for an inquiry of any kind, The first step is to produce the ballots, then tell where he got them, then produce the person who found them, then ascer-- tain the circumstances . ascertain whether these are genuine ballots at all or not, My honorable friend is not going to gide--step this issue. In the interests of the good name of this Province, it devolves on me to see that this inquiry is conducted in a proper way, My honorable friend is not doing his duty as a member of this House, when he produces cer-- tain papers he alleges to be ballots. and says they were sent to him, and refuses to say wha the man was who sent them. If that is not treating this House in a most contemptuous way, Td like to know what is. Attorney--General's Aid. Mr. Ferguson, still bristling, re-- turned to the attack. "The other day," he said, "I suggested to the honorable member that he go before the committee and give them all the information in his power. I have since read the report of the com-- mittee and find that he took the position that he was not c«alled upon to give any information, Whken I hear the honorable member refuse to tell anything <cand refuse to be a wit-- | ness I say be will go into the wit-- |\ pess box if there is any machinery in the law to compel him to." The Prime Minister tried to wave the Liberal Leader down. The lat-- ter stuck to his feet. '"You're not the Speaker," he flung across the floor. Mr. Ferguson--Yes, he gets before the committee and declines to give vidence. Mr. Sinclair--1T told you all I know, Mr. Ferguson--Mr. Speaker, it's almost childish for any one to make such a statement, Objects to Word Used,. Mr. Sinclair--Mr. Speaker, I object to that word, childish. I submit that it is not Parliamentary. Government benches whammed loudly. Must Give Evidence, Says Premioer, the neces-- support of the Attor-- consulted, even to a "I hope," he added, "that my hon-- orable friend will reconsider his at-- titude, and if not for himself or his party, at least on behalf of the gen-- eral public, will give the committee all the assistance he can, and tell from whom the ballots . came-- whether from a garbage heap, a nrinting shop or a ballot box. It is important that we should . know that." Premier's attitude. The -- Promier protested the Liberal Leader's pro-- test. Province there's going to be at least honesty in this Administration," the Premier declared, "whether at an election or not." To Push Bill Through. Continuing, Mr. Ferguson stated that the House would go on to deal with the bill in its further legis-- lative stages, and that he had been trying to get the Lieutenant--Gover-- nor to come to Queen's Park and give assent to the bAl. Mr Ferguson--You just wait. The bill will go through and you'll have ample opportunity, Mr. Sinclair--I want a ruling. M.. Speaker--You've interrupted. Mr. Sinclair----1 will again. Mr, Speaker--You will not. Mr. Sinclair--I1 have a right. Mr. Speaker--You've butted in two or three times--if you will pardon that language. The committee, the Premier con-- tinued, would not be functioning if it did not subpoena Mr. Sinclair as the first witness, put him in the wit-- ness stand, ard "lay the foundation of the inquiry."' The committee, he declaf¥ed, "should see to it," that this was done. The committee, he con-- tinued, would at any rate investi-- gate every ballot in every box whether the Liberal Leader gave evidence or not. "As long as this Government is in charge of public affairs in this Mr. Ferguson ---- My --honorable friend is just as much subject to the committese as [ am or any other member, _ When he takes the oath and says that he doesn't know any -- thing more, then the committee wil} decide, Th e '.'b."fl' Y saday mmakmube® c iL. Mr Speaker--T will not allow fur-- ther interruptions, not only in this, but in further debates. Mr. Sinclair--Is the Premier jus-- tified in going as far afield as he has and attacking me? This is the s~cond reading of the bill, I thought he was confined to speaking on the principle. Mr. Speaker--T cannot see that the Prime Minister is not right in every-- thing so far. Mr. Speaker--1T cannot see that the: Prime Minister is not right in every-- thing so far. l Mr. Sinclaivr----I may say that that| helps the rest of us out a whole lot; from now on. } Mr. Ferguson continued. The Lib--; eral Leader, said he, had made] '"'nebulous, loose, irresponsible state-- ments which today he is not pre--| pared to substantiate." } Emphasizes Inquiry. Mr. Sinclair--Are you speaking in favor of or against the bill? Mr, SBinclair--Oh, anything goes here. "I am telling him," the Premier continued, "that this is too serious a mautter to allow him or any one else to trifle with or to make political partisan capital. There is going to be an investigation to the fullest ex-- tent whether my honorable frlendl takes part in it or not, Having made' these charges, created this impres--; sion, I say that my honorable friend | is not playing his part as a mem-- ber of this House, as a Leader of his ; great pnarty, or as a citizen of this| Province when he declines to assist tha+ committee." Mr. Sinclair--Come down and see me run away. I won't lie. Committee to Decide. Mr. Ferguson--I may be there. But I have no doubt from the atti-- tude that you've taken today that when you're to take the Book in your hand, and take the oath, you'll run away. Mr. -- Sinclair--Are you -- coming down to make me go into the box ? Continuing, the" Premier stated that Mr. Sinclair should go into the witness stand in committee and tell what he knew. TAbheral Leoader nrotes{ted the %Aaq, Sion." -- "I have The Premier, said the Liberal Leader, was delivering his "tirade" as a means of "satisfying himself"' "It is purely to get publicity," he declared. _ Mr. Sinclair noted that the story of his production of the ballots in the House had been broad-- cast through the Province. YThat," he added, "is what's making the Premier sore." ( "It might be thought," ho went! on, '"that this bill relateq only to| me, and the ballots in my > nagzaace. | whines 38 Mr. Ferguson interjected the re-- | mark that it had to be proved that | '"'the alleged ballots are ballots." _ _ The second reading was proposed | by the Speaker and carried. The | House went into committee to con-- |sider the measure further, and came to a clause providing that no one be 'immune from 'giving evidence on \any grounds, and that subpoenas | could be issued for any witness. Thumbscrews and Stake. He couldv. gaid he remarks with his file Col. Price explained that the amendment was not drafted on any instructions from the Prime Min-- ister or himsel{. '"We knew noth-- ing of it," he stated. "It was dratt-- ed by the Chief Election Oficer.'" Mr. Sinclair--There is nothing on which J can give evidence, and I don't intend that any committee is going to make a fool out of me. I am not on trial, though the Premier is trying to assert that I am. the one to be tried,. If I had wanted to plav party polities I would have allowed a& year to elapsoc--the ballots to be destroved--and then I'd have got up and produced the nineteen ballots. Instead, I wrote the only official I could write. Mr. Sinclair was on his feet again. declaring "the thumbscrews and the stake are to be applied to every per-- son. No one is to be excused from giving evidence. I see the cunning work of the Government's drafts-- men--after the tirade just detiver-- ed." The Government, said he, was to be commended for introducing its bill, throwing open the doors for an inquiry as wide as possible. But why bombard the Liberal Leader at this time in the House? The committee might be the place for the Premier to drop his bharrage, but his tactics in the House were "a little unfair." "It is unfair,'" gaid he, "for the Leader of the Government to antici-- pate any refusal on the part of any member of the House." "I beg to differ," retorted Mr. Belanger. "HMe communicated with the proper officials." Mr. Foerguson--HJe wrote and ask-- ed that the ballots be not destroyed. He said nothing of nineteen ballots. Mr. Sinclair--May I --make a statement here., The files will show that I said, "I have in my possession evidence of irregularities in the South Ottawa election." Mr.-- Belanger thought that this commiunication should have resulted i1 action by the Government au-- thorities. At least it was not "up to" Mr. Sinclair to go farther than he had done. The Tiberal Leader had found a corpse outside its graveyard. It was the business of the Govern-- ment to solve the mystery,. "For Political Purposes." "All this talk this afternoon." said the member for Russell, "has been for political purposes." "If," ke went on, "the honorable member from South Ontario had withheld all he knew--and then sprang it at the present time as a surprise--* Then Aurelien Belanger (Liberal, Russell) took a hand in the discus-- gion. HMe thought that the Premier might have spoken "with better grace." , PS i4 e "He did,"" shouted Government members. Differ From Government. KX T 5. 1 Mmisgivings," he continued, my posses--|

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