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The bill, when at second--read-- ing stage, was characterized by Liberal Leader W. E. N. Sinclair as a "terrible" piece of legislation, and by Progressive Leader Harry C. Nixon as "damnable." It provided for a levy of one--half cent on every gallon of fuel oil consumed in the Province of Ontario, would compel all house-- holders with oil--burning furnaces to keep a set of books and records for inspection at all times, and would em-- power inspectors and other authorized persons to enter one's home and search and interrogate without a war-- rant. Not Listed or Printed. The bill came into the House with-- out order paper listing, unprinted and uncirculated, and was given second reading--on & registered vote of 63--18 --despite the stubborn argument of Mr. Nixon immediately rose to pro-- test. "Already this session," said he, "we have had an instance of the Fed-- eral Government making our laws, and now it's British Columbia that is doing :it. What are things coming to in this House? What's the use of this Government having a large and expensive staff of highly trained legal advisers? I think for the Gov-- crnment to have brought down such a bill, under such circumstances, is an insult to the House." Assurance was furnished Mr. Sin-- clair by Mr. Dunlop, during the argu-- ment, that the proposed tax certainly would not apply to coal oil, which is miuch used as fuel in farming commu-- nities. "T'll admit it's not very well draft-- ed," said he, "but it's no fault of curs." H. Price rose to explain that the measur® as originally drafted was a copy of the act in force in British Columbia. Opposition gibes at the Government in connection with the bill and its make--up reached such a point at one stage that Attorney--General William ing record. Te es ge~ Five hundred dollars penalty re-- duced to one hundred. Provision for further fining for each day's continuance of default on part of consumer entirely struck out. Made in British Columbia. Clause empowering collectors to enter homes and search and question occupants without warrant struck out entirely Clause penalizing any persoen for failure or refusal to answer collector's questions struck out entirely. Onus on fuel--oil consumer to keep a book and a record reduced to keep-- in the drastic revision that was effected in the act before it went on to third reading, the Opposition scored the following triumphs: Vigorous battle which the Opposi-- tion groups in the Legislature, under the .leadership of William E. N. Sin-- clair, K.C., and Hon. Harry C. Nixon, waged yestorday afternoon against the principic of the Government's "high--handed" fuel oil tax act was crowned with victory last night when the measure reached committee stage, where Provincial Treasurer Dunlop, under further fire from the Liberal and Progressive benchoes, capitulated to the extent of seeing his bill liter-- ally "cut to pieces." TWO DIVISIONS FORCED Tories Don't Applaud Even mfi"&l When They Outvote __| tated by F | (-9uld nc oeS watch a Sweeping Powers Modified After Opposition Protests FUEL OL TAXATION I$ "CUT TO PIECES" . UNDER CRITICISN "Except by unanimous consent of the House, no bill shall be read the second time until it has been printed and distributed, and it has been sub-- l;sequent,ly marked on the order paper \ of the day--thus printed (signifying }t,ha.t, it has been printed and dis-- \ tributed)." the Opposition chieftains and not-- withstanding House Rule No. 52, which reads as follows: print, Mr. Speaker, regaraless of what ' i3 done." A | House winding up in a fow hours, | coupled with the fact that typewrit«= | ten copies of the measure had becn | {urnished the two Opposition heads | prior to second reading, 'he felt that, i undor the circumstances, and not-- withstanding the tochnicality in-- volved, his ruling throuzshout the sittation had bsen the right one. "Well, thore are the rules," said Mr. Sinclair, by way of parting shot. In the lengthy discussion which : preceded the flare--up, Mr. Sinclair charged that there was no adequate ' definition under the bill of the words, | "fuel cil," that its application wou'd | necessarily be extended to the tractor-- using farmer, and that, as far as he esuld see it, it represenced simply an-- cthcr eare of "@& nics--'~oking apols | hanging within easy pea'ch--a'll resdy In the furcre that attended the de-- bete on second reading and the sub-- sequent division, a strained atmo-- sphere developed in which Mr. Sin-- clair attempted to stay the reading, was overruled by the Speaker, Hon. T. Ashmore Kidd, appealed from the latter's ruling, was turned down by the overwhelming Tory predominance en the benches, and had to content himsolf with an exasperated toss aside of his House rules and an equally exasperated: "Well, it's here in plain In the division (on the principle of the legislaticn) which was precipi-- tated by Hon. Mr. Nixon, because he could not sit idly by, h> said, and watch any Governmeont try to foist such "high--handed busincss'" on the good people of the Provinc:, the House voted on straizht party lines, although several prominent 'Tory members are reported to have prev-- iously filsd to the corridors rather than remain within the Chamber and go against the dictates of their con-- solences Would Not Have Left. Mr. Sinclair's attempted stey of second reading, on the ground that no "unanimous consent" to the meas-- ure had been secured by Provincial Treasurer Dunlop, its sponsor, wes countered vigorously -- by Premier Henry with the statement that unani-- mous consent had bseen secured on first reading This counter drow {from Mr. Sinclair, and Mr. Nixon, as woll, the declaration that they had been out of the Housse nsar the close of the morning sitting when the bill had come in; that the Prime Minister had given his undertaking to them, prev-- ious to their leavetak:ng of the House, that nothing important would be launched in their absence; and that, had thoy realized that while away the Governmert would not only "bury the Millar bill," but introduce the '"FPuel Oil Tax" Act as well, they certainly would not have left. for the Treasurer's plucking." From Mr. Nixon the Government had a blistering chalionge to find a clause in the old O.T.A., of which they were so critical, he said, that would compare for high--handedness and downright "persecution" with any one of several clauses in the Fuel Oil Act. Mr. Henry admitted the correctness of their claims, but held fast to the attitude that once the divisicn had been called, second reading had bsen given, and Mr. Sinclair's demand for & stay was belated. Mr. Sin--lair challenged the Prime Minister's stand and waved his House rules in supsort of his argum>nt. Jeers and taunts were hurled at the Opposition from some sections of the Conservative benches, but, for the most part, the Tories sat sileont with strained com-- plexions, When the vote was an-- nounced, not a singlse clap of hands or thump of benches went up from the Government raniz--and--file. Mr. Speaker's Explan:tion. Mr. Speaker then volunteered an explanation that, had a simllar situ-- ation arissn on Wedn:sday, he would have been compolled under the rules (and Mr. Sinclair was right. he ad-- mitted, in his interprcetation of them) to have put the bill over for twenty-- four hours, in crder that it might be printed and circulated. But, with the May,. 2 5 Under the act another set of licenses} --more revenue--would be cstabushed,', | he said. Everybody with an oil--burn-- | ing furnace would have to keep books. Wwhy? .--} 4 is f "To help us enforce the law," re-- plied Hon. Mr. Dunlop. Ned onl "And, if a man doesn't keep books," said Mr. Nixon, "he is liable to a fint of $500, and if h> Ikzseps using oil after being found cut hs can be' penalized an additicnal $500 a day for ; every day he uses it. What a lovely | situaticn that has been created. The| Government must feel proud of it-i self." Mr. Sinclair thon prosscsfed to draw a picture of inspectors rushing into & house where a gallon of fuel oil may have been suspected to be in keeping, angd putting the housecholder or persons present through a stiff examination. "What a beautiful picture that pre-- sents!" said he. "Only one word in my opinion characterizes this proposed law--that's 'terrible.'" "Damnable!" clicked Mr. Nixon.