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Observers agreed that the suggested amendment of the bill would only | throw the railway and telephone com-- | panies back into the group of big | corporations, which must pay their | taxes to the two systems on a fixed _ Very patiently and very quietly, the | Liberals listened into the early morn-- ' ing while every Conservative member but one golt up and presented the arguments against the bill. The lob-- bies, though, were seething. And, ' although the Premier said nothing ' when the amendment reopening the | debate was brought down, it was re-- ! ported that he was ready to put his : followers on a two--shift basis and | steam--roller tactics today. An indefinite sitting of the Legis-- lature loomed up at 3.30 this (Thursday) morning after Wilfrid _ Heighington, Toronto, had brought in an amendment to hoist the school , tax changes until after a general election, _ The Premier announced he would let the debate run on in-- definitely, while Liberals declared an agreement to limit debate had been ' broken by the Tories. The Toronto M.P.P. was apparently referring to the clause which names 'the CP.R. and Bell Telephone Com-- 'pany as corporations which must di-- ivide their taxes between the separate and public schools on the basis of a municipality's school assessment. W "Will the C.P.R. clause be with-- drawn?" Premier Hepburn was asked a few minutes after his private mem-- ber had hinted such action might be taken. The C.P.R.--Bell Telephone clau:e had been under heavy fire on the previous evening when Leopold Mac-- aulay quostioned its legal strength. "If it is withdrawn it does not affect the principle," was the answer "The clause is only declaratory." 'The Government benches ignored his suggestion, and a few minutes later Colonel W H. Price had taken up the | Elimination of their names from the act, it was reported, will tend to strengthen it when it is attacked in the courts. Hear All Tories But One. At midnight a counter--suggestion that the House should adjourn over Easter so the members could talk the bill over with their constituents was made by G. C. Elgie (Cons., Toronto-- Wocsdbine). The Tory member pre-- dicted the members would find On-- tario in rebellion. Government plans to slightly modify the School Act as it is put through the Legislature were spilled in the House last night as the bill pounded on to-- ward second reading. Indefinite Sitting of Legislature Seen at 3.15 This Morning -- C.P.R. Clause May Be Dropped The hint was dropped by Colonel Fraser Hunter, Toronto M.P.P. He had heard, he told the Legislature, that one clause might be withdrawn. House Deadlocked; Tory Moves Hoist Until Election Held | _ The reference was to the anti--school | bill wires which flooded the Parlia-- ment Buildings during the day. Or-- | ganizations opposed to the measure were reported to be bringing all pos-- sible pressure to bear on the mom-- bers for their ridings. cudge!s for the Opposition--making it improbable there would be a division before the early hours of the morning. "I know it is the desire of members to bring ths debate to a close as soon as possible," the Premicr said at 10 o'clock. He was asking William Duck-- worth to return his courtesy of the previous cvening when he pe>rmitted the Toronto Tory M.P.P. to adjourn the debate. Instecad of permitting ths Opposi-- tion to round off the debate without interruption, the Liberals put up Colonel Fraser Hunter to speak for the bill a few minutes after the an-- nouncement that a division was likely. "The place for all children is in a national school. Let them go to school together," he said. "Let them play tog:ther--then it will take a lot of talking outside &o tell them that any-- thing's wrong." Galleries packed to the tall win-- dows on both sides of the Chamber heard the Promier's hint of a division in the course of the night's sitting and of an Xaster prorogation. "In a few hours it's my responsibil-- ity to asdvise his Honor the Lieuten-- ant--Governor in regard to a proroga-- ticn tomorrow. But if the honorable member continues we will have to con-- tinue over Easter." Galeries Are Jammed. "I am going to vote in favor of sup-- porting this law of the land and the Dominicn of Canada. If my constitu-- ents think I am wrong--I must vo'e according to my conscience. If :imy constituents think I am wrong thuey certainly have the liberty of getting another man," he said. The Colonel spoke of German sol-- diers and French soldiers praying lO the same God in their different tongues. "That's the spirit of toler-- ance. I appeal to you as a reasonable man--everybody knows I'm not a politician--when the days of intoler-- ance are dead and worn out why don't you get on the band--wagon?" he said Common school made for religious tolerance, Colonel Price said. '"'This bill is an honest and fearless attempt to do right and as far as is humanly possible in these days to render justice under the laws which are the props of our society. The back benchers are absolutely under no Libcral Party compulsion to vote for the bill," he said. The Liberal benches poundsd their desks. "You can't say I took orders from a whip or any one else, (Mora applause.) % "Canada and separate schools are absolutely synonymous. At Confeder-- ation we made a compact. I say we will not break that compact, as de-- manded by specics of telegrams--I don't know how many I got today--by partisan organizations," he said. Hunter Is Definite. "Without the separate school com-- promise," said the Toronto M.P.P., "there would be no Canada, there would be no Canada and the abolition of the compact must mean the elimi-- nation of Canada from the comity of nations." As many rumors as telegrams flew around the Parliameont Builldings. Both parties went to private dinners during a more than ordinarily long dinner recess. Business was not dis-- cussed at either Tory or Grit banquets, it was stated later. Colonel Fraser Hunter made no secret of his intention to vote for the bill on\ Branding the bill as "blank--cheque legislation," and the separate schools as "auxiliaries to the Catholic Church." whose primary purpose was to teach sectarian religion, G. C. Elgic, member for Toronto--Wondbine, led the Oppo-- 'smon attack of the evening. | _ Supporting him was William Duck-- | worth, Dovercourt Tory, who professed | to see strife and expense ahead for the | people of the Province if the bill went through, because, he said, it would be |thc signal for widespread Catholic ; efforts to 'set up new separate schools !to duplicate the public institutions. -- Ask for Opinions. "The Prime Minister has fostered this bill. And who has spcken in favor of it? Whom have we heard? 'Have we heard the opinions of the | rank and file of the Liberal mem-- ' bers? "Blank--Cheque" "This Government," said Mr. Elgie, "has drawn a line of cleavage and it must take the responsibility, And there is every indication that he has failed in the purpose he sought to achieve. "We have a right to learn what those back--benchers think of the bill. The Minister of Education has spoken and since then we have heard nothing." The Government, he said, ought at least to have awaited the expected revision of the British North America Act, or an official judicial judgment of the act as it now stood. "Again we are being asked to sign a blank cheque," complained Mr. Elgie. "I wonder if the people of Ontario realize that this bill wil cost the public school supporters a sum! which neither the Premier nor his Minister of Education is able to esti-- mate--although they did admit that it would mean a heavy loss in some of the smaller municipalities." "This piece of legislation," said Mr. Elgie, "tends to divide the people of |\ Ontario into two hostile camps, and| bodes ill for any legislator who does not taks a decisive stand. It puts every member of this House on tbe' spot." Whatever might be claimed for separate schools, he declared, the fact remained that they were "auxiliaries to the Roman Catholic Church, de-- signed to inculcate and extend the tsaching of that Church." s "In view of that fact," he asked, "how far were the people of the Prov-- ince justifiecd in extending financial assistance to a set of schools whose primary purpose was to teach sec-- tarian religion?" Vicious, Says Duckworth. Mr. Duckworth's address was fea-- tured by the charge that Roman Catholic "agitators" had some years ago forced upon the unwilling Pro-- testant and Catholic citizens of Mid-- land an unwanted separate school, and that two prominent Midland men were virtually excommunicated be-- cause they opposed their priest, Rev. Father Castex in his advocacy of the school. This, Mr. Duckworth claimed, was a sample of the foisting of unneces-- sary separate schools upon the people of Ontario, that would follow the granting of more funds to Catholic schools. The Catholics penalized by their clergy were Thomas Nottingham and Richard McCormack, Mr. Duckworth told the House. He went on to say that now under a new priest, Father Kehoe, the Catholics of Midland were obliged to ask the Midland Council for $2,000 to carry on. "I stand," Mr. Duckworth told the House, "for one flag and for one school system for all creeds and nationali-- ties. "This school tax divisioh bill is one of the most vicious that has ever been introduced into this House," proceeded the Dovercourt Tory. "It increases the taxes on the municipalities and causes bad feeling between two religious sects. "Gang of Agitators." "Mr. Croll has stated many times on the floor of this House that the mu-- nicipalities cannot stand any more tax burdens, and yet this Government brings along a bill that will raise the