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FEBRuARy 9 _.-" Asked to Table Letter, ~ _ ~~ N --"Why don't you table the letter?" demanded George Henry (Con. East York). "I will, but I am not obliged to do it now," answered Mr. Conant. "I believe we should have it be-- fore us now before we go ahead," said Colonel Drew. "The letter doesn't add or detract one iota from the report," declared the Attorney--General with some Nee in romemmnmnmemmats | heat. % |\ _ _"It's no use for the honorable Drew ASkS Why HO Dld |\ Minister to get so touchy," ob-- served Colonel Drew. NO"' CO".'C* Sf'*Qmen* ; "Surely the Leader of the Op-- Law Socwfy in Favor position doesn't rule this House?" . 'exclaimed Mr. Conant. 1 Colonel Drew cautioned the At-- REFERS TO LETTER torney--General against getting "his blood pressure up over what he considers a trivial matter." If the The bill to abolish the grand jury Attorney--General had a letter ask-- system, and its sponsor, Attorney-- :'"K 'l]imldml correct misir(\'fqrmbatfion. s e shou ave corrected it before Generfl. Confn't. encountered .'"" the report was sent out to the mem-- Opposition criticism in the Legisia-- _ | pers, claimed Coloncl Drew. ture yesterday. Although the entire The AlTtorney--General withdrew session was taken up with the hchinfi adnowspaper ant(ii the ?g'posi- heuet tion Leader commented on I1s as amend'n'merzet:theDJuroxs. Act, Con-- he proceeded to attack the bill. :lervam'eh Aa ;r lrlew-smll had the Charge Protested. .9or o '..n. * ' CSE adjot.nrncd Colonel Drew aroused a chorus of without giving it second reading. protest when he charged the bill Immediately _ Attorney -- General twas an "encroachment of fascism in Conant finished a ninety--minute out-- _ | this Legislature." Liberal members line of the jury system in Canada | called upon the Speaker to demand and other countries, Coloncl Drew | this be retracted, but Speaker Clark arose and launched his attack. He _ |upheld the right of a member to ex-- singled out the Attorney--General as | press his opinion of a piece of pro-- the subject of his criticism, demand-- _ | posed legislation. He was inter-- ing to know why Mr. Conant had 'FUPlt'd a short time later when he not corrected the impression that 'df'('lart'd: "This House has already the Law Society of Upper Canada | passed a piece of legislation that is favored the abolition of grand juries. |as iniquitous as any passed in a Pointing to a copy of the Barlow 'Nazi State." (Me referred to the report on the administration of Succession Duty Act amendments.) justice, Colonel Drew declared that ! The chief objection made by enclosed with the report was a Colonel Drew to the bill before the copy of a letter from Mr. Barlow, House was that it removed the pro-- stating that the Law Society agreed tection given the individual and al-- with his recommendations. lowed the Attorney--General or any "Is it true the Attorney--General officer he might instruct to prefer has a letter from the society asking an indictment. that this be corrected?" queried f § Colonel Drew. Admits Letter Incorrect. | "There was some misunderstand-- o m n n e l e k e ing," replied Mr. Conant. "The benchers of the Law Society set up a committee to confer with Mr. Barlow, and some of them may have expressed views in favor of the recommendation, but it is true that the official committee did not do so. The letter to which my hon-- %, s a orable friend refers is an incorrect Private Bills Committee of the 7: Lane." Legislature heard lengthy argument "This seems to me to be a matter yesterday for and against abolm_on 'of considerable importance," de-- of the 50 cents per month service | clared Colonel Drew. "We are asked charge levied on all gas mete'rs b:l 1 to adopt certain legislation, and it the Consun:uers Gas Company, an I is given added strength by a letter it was decided to postpone action | which says it has been approved by until the next meeting of the com--: the Law Society of Upper Canada. mittee. | $ The Attorney--General has in his Members of the Toronto House-' possession a letter which the socicty wives' Association, who have been | wrote him, asking that this wrong waging a determined fight to have | statement be corrected." the meter charge abolished. mled| "I don't remember the exact con-- the committee room. They present--| tents, but I will be glad to table ed a brief outlining their posmon.i the letter and my honorable friend C. M. Colquhoun, City Solicitor, pre--| can make what he likes of it," re-- sented the case for those favoring | torted Mr. Conant. removal of the charge, and E. J.i «__Colonel Drew refused to let the Tucker represented the Consumers' _ matter arop and scored "the casual Gas Company. \ | way" in which the Attorney--Gen-- Hon. Eric Cross, Minister of Mu--| eral treated it. He declared the nicipal Affairs, said at the close of | Attorney--General had recommended the discussion that he did not think bills to the Legislature which the the committee should be asked to Law Society approved. It did not ibili f set-- ' ' 3 shoulder the responsibility o M Neera Oe eUt int one day he ting a rate schedule for any com-- should attach considerable impor-- pany. No suggestion had been made tance to a society which was the as to what should take the place governing body, and another day to of the meter charge. He asked that forget the contents of a letter he i il the the matter be laid over until t had received from the society ask-- t meetin | ing that a false impression be cor-- next n & ' rected, said Colonel Drew.