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Nixon Al it is underst official liaisc liaison officer between Meéessts. nd Hepburn,. and is aiding in t Hydro attack which these dors will bring to bear on the svornment during the current m taken on the role of eate he has evidently represented him-- self to be to the Commission." _ Mr. Henry's speech of reply--a | scrappy answer that unmistakably rcused the enthusiasm of his sup-- porters--took the line of argument! that the Government had sought toJ apposint a Commissioner who would . have a Commission divorced from poli-- . tics--that no Commission had been appointed because of what he (Mr. Nixon) or his friend, who had "not thus far dared to come into the house" (Mr. Hepburn), had said through the press from public plat-- forms. Recalling the Gregory Com-- mission (an appointment of the for-- mer Drury Administration), which, he said, had worked twenty months and "cost enough," the Prime Minis-- ter sharply asserted: "I think that it is with considerable hardihood that my honorable friend (Mr. Nixon) stands up this afternoon to suggest anything that would extend the life of the Commission or prolong its in-- quiry beyond the bare bringing out of the facts in a clear manner by a legally trained Commissioner--a learn-- ed Judgs--and a counsel whom he consults to bring out the facts." _ . Production of an exchange of let-- counsei: Gqucticua Fivli. EIdily . Nixon. Progressive LeadJer, "'"No," roplied Mr. Henry. "The matter resis with the Commission." "'"The Prime Minister reiterated his assurance that the exvenses of any counsol appointsd by the Commission would be borne by the Government.' The Commissioner's Reply. "The following is the Commissioner's reply to my lelter: _ _ _ _ _ _/ _ "*'My dear Mr. Nixon: I have your letter of Feb. 4. I have not yet received my Commission, nor any definite instructions from the Government. I am writing to the Premier to ascertain exactly what au-- thority I am supposed to have in the matter of ccunsel. I do not know how far I am at liberty to go in pled% nig the cradit of the Government this matter.' Second Letter. 1932 "In view of this letter, may I ask the Premier if he wishes to revise his answer to my quesiion? FPollowing cur interview with the Commissioner, I came to the House, received his let-- ter from the postoffice, which reacs: . --*'The Supreme Court of Ontario (Hon. Mr. Justicse Middleton). § "'Dear Mr. Nixon: I have now re-- ceived my Commission and authority from the Government to retain coun-- sel to conduct the inquiry directed to be made. Under this I feel that the responsibility of naming counsel devolved entirely upon me, and I have | appointesd W. N. Tilley, K.C., having his assurance that there is nothing to prevent his conducting a thorough and searching inquiry into the mat-- ters referred to. So far as I can at the present time see, there is no necessity for having morse than one counsel appointed by the Commis-- sicn. Mr. Tillsey will arrange for any assistance that he may find neces-- sary. It is my intention to investi-- gate the payment to Mr. Aird in the first place, and I hope that I may be able to make a very early report with respect to it. The sittings will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 10 o'clock, at Osgoode Hall.' Mr. Nixon's Reply. "And I replied as follows: '"'Toronto, Feb. 13, 1932. "'Dear Mr. Jusiice Middleton: ""This will acknowledgo receipt of your leiter of Feb. 12, advising me of the recoipt of your Commission in re-- gerd to the investigation into the mat-- ters referred to you pertaining to the Hydro--Electric Power Commission. " 'Your letter confirms the attitude taken by you when Mr. Hepburn and I visited you this morning for the purpose cof representing to you the iinportance of cppointing competent ecunsel to represent those who have beer responsibie in bringing about an investigaticn into the allegsod mal-- agminictration of the affairs of the Hydro--Electric Power Commission. "<'The future of the Hydro--Electric power é~velopment in Ontario depends on public confidence, and I respect-- fully suggost that the public will not be satisfied with an inquiry at which both sides~ are not repressnted by " 'Osgoode Hall, Toronto, 2, Feb. 12, 1932. _ %Our 1 taken by ; I visited purpose c iunportanc ecunsel to boer respo investigati naministra Hydro--Ele th "'Osgocde Hall, Toronto 2, Feb. 5, M n I noto what you say in regard to Tillby's "assurance that there is ing to prevent his conducting a ough and searching inquiry into matters referred to," byt I believe 1>" queried Hon. Harry missionsr| who will have a Commis-- sion divofced from politics," Mr. Henry continued, to the appla'use of the Con-- servative| members. "I will tell my honorablé friend from Brant, and the citizen who has not thus far dared come intp this House-- Mr. Nikon--He'll be here. --'"that no Commissioner was aAap-- pointed ecause he or his friend said something. i "We lrave passed over what you have said in public meetings, and we have no knowledge that the Commis-- sion did issue because of any criti-- cism on your behalf. I am fairly ambitious, but I never expect to have the ambition of being able to satisfy the Leader and his co--Leader, with whom hel is now almost afraid to go in double hhrness." . _ Nee ns it s n C We o manner [by a legally trained Com-- missionos--a learned Judge--and & counsel ¢hom he consulted to bring out the Zacts. _ sls Mr. Henry--My honorable friend does not want to harness--up with him--anyway, in double harness. Mr. Nixon--Don't worry about that. Mr. Henry--I'm not worrying. I am just wondering whether you are going to seek to co--operate with a man who has not dared to come into this House and to make the state-- ments here that he makes on the back sidelines. "V'?V;}; Ti}émgwc;)d friends; very good friends,"' Mr. Nixon interpolated. Leaders Twitted. "We desire," the Premier concluded, "to establish a non--patrtisan Commis-- sion, bringing out the facts on the two questions which have been sub-- mitted; and I think, with all defer-- ence to the Commissioner and to the rules of the House, that the matter should be left as it stands. We all know it is not fitting for these ques-- tions to be brought out when they Bluntly Mr. Sinclair expressed the belief that, had he gone along to see 'the Commission, he would have been well received, and that his long stand-- ing in the Legislature, his record as a sublic man, and his standing before 'he Bar as "a lawyer of some reputa-- ion" might have secured from the ~ommission what Messrs. Nixon and Tepburn had been unable to get. "If I had been heard with this "For the time being, at least, the elected group in this House is the Liberal group, and I submit it should have been consulted." Bliunt in Criticism. are subject to inquiry." Mr. Sinclair Speaks. Mr. Sinclair agreed with the Prime Minister--to the applause of Con-- servative benchers--that the matter with which Mr. Nixon had been dea'!-- ing was) "sub judice," and one with Mr. Sinclair took Mr. Nixon to task for approaching Mr. Jusiice Middleton without consulting him. '"My honor-- able friend certainly made no effort to get in touch with the Liberal group of this House before he went on his expedition to Osgoode Hall," he said. "I do not propose to criticize the Commission or anything of that kind," he added. "I have my own views, but I can't discuss them in this House." which they had to deal "rather deli-- cately" if the dignity of the House were to be maintained. %,