Ontario Community Newspapers

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 18 Mar 1938, p. 1

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It reached a climax when Pre. mier Hepburn tlat1y told Mr. Henry. "You haven't much to think with." and the former Conservative Pre. mier. after apnealing to the Speaker for a ruling on what ho termed a blatant disregard of Parliamentary language rules. returned. "We have (ii' last got the Prime Minister down to the level where he belongs." Finally. he rharged. the closure of Government House was "only a cloud to cover up the Premier's teal purpose. He has never been In enthusiastic recogninr of the gubernatorial office. Hr ls seeking to belittle the office to which 1 refer." Mr. Henry then charRrd that the Premier, on the first ormstnn that Hon. A. E. Matthews. the present incumbent. was formally recog- nized. that Is at the nponing of the session. had tried to cut the num- ber of the Lieutenant-Governor's honorary aides "That is wholly untrue," tho Pre- mier snapped. "He had enough aides to officer an army." Mr. Henry claimed he had infor- mation that Premier Hepburn was informed from Ottawa that tho coro- mony had to go on and had revised his earlier instructions. "There was no Imimation from Ottawa. you will have to withdraw that," sald the Prrmier. He suggested they might haw come from "Civil Servant No. l," Chester Walters. Comptroller of Fi- nance. "whn supplies the figures for the Budget." The Conservative speaker persist- ed In the truth of his claim. "Just the state of your filthy mind. that's an." declared the Premier. "During the last campaign the Honorable the Prime Minister stated that Government House had cost 8120,000 annually. where did he get his fitturos? No one knows," con- tinued Mr. Henry. Mr. Henry. as the last speaker of the Conservative Opposition to de. bate on the address in reply to the Speech from the Throne. took the Government. and the Government Leader in particular. to task for closing Government House and for "belitt1intt" the office of the King's representative. The nuthreak was the first in a session which observers had stated had been freer of personal clashes since the Hepburn regime first as- sumed office m 1934. and was wit- nessed by a scattered audience in the galleries, attracted hy tho first night sitting of the present ses- ston. Office Belittled. Long-standing friction between Premier Hepburn and Hon. George s. Henry, former Conservative Lender. flared again last night in the Legislature. in a heated duel arising out of debate on the closing of Government House issue. VERBAL D U E L HEATED ANCIENT EEUD (lf LEADERS FLARES AGAIN "Haven't Much to Think With," Hepburn Raps af Henry The Premier declared Mr. Henry had made a definite eharge that. heads of departments sworn to secrecy In the affairs of their departments had given certain in- formation. He demanded that Mr. Henry either withdraw or name the department heads. "I am not making a charge." said the speak". "I mproly said that head: of departments say they an: not free to carry on their work tho way they used to hocttuse of the dictation of Civtl Son-ant No. 1." The Promier appealed to the Speaker and Mr. Henry again said he had not made a charge. "You haven't much to think with." said the Premier. Mr. Henry in turn appealed to the Speaker, and the Hon. Mr. Hipel asserted he hadn't heard the Premier's remark. "Is that a fitting remark for at Prime Minister? I ask him to with- draw it." said Mr. Henry. The Prom!" vlalmed his romark was not unparliamentary in that he was "oxpressing an opinion of tho gentleman's intelligence, and I am not going to withdraw." "I would point out to the Prime Minister that it is unfitting tor him in repeat a private talk that he had had with theiLieutonant- Governor. It was entirely unbecom- ing for him in ropes! a private con- Wrsation with a man whose mouth is rlosed." "We have at Inst got the Primo Minister on the levol where he be.. longs," Mr. Henry retorted. Mr. Henry said a retorenee was made in the Premier's Thrones Speerh Address. "What was the statement l'" "Citr tho ease," the Premier do- manded. "Something about an incumbent in office having to entertain un- der duress," and, ho added, after a dramatic pause. "t defy the Prime Minister to any who said it." "Yes, I will say it," declared Mr. Hepburn. It was W. D. Ross and he said it cost more than $30,000 a year to run it, too." Before Mr. Henry concluded his argument about Government House the Premier rose and read a mem- orandum in which the present Lieutenant-Governor accepted all responsibility for the "aides cur- tailment," of which Mr. Henry had made mention. and thanked the Pre- mier for his ro-operation in connec- tion with the sessional opening. "I think that should clear up the matter." said Mr. Hepburn, sending the memorandum mer to Mr. Henry, "and I would ask the ex- Leader of the Opposition to with- draw the charge he made." "What charge?" said Mr. Henry. "That I interfered with the Lieu- tenant-Governor's plans of the open- lng of the session." "About time." some Liberal back- bencher put In. "1 simply made a statement," Mr. Henry replied. "Mr. Speaker," said thr Premier, "t will ask you to ask the honors ttttle member to withdraw his charge." "I "made no charge." said Mr. Henry, "hut I accept the Premier's statement." Mach itl Diffrent. \PS l, CENSURE ON POWER i)lflflihflliil) House Votes Confidence After Henry Hurls More Charges SIM PSON ANSWERS Former Premier Avers Quebec Move Made in November S u p p o rt in q former Premier Henry's insistent demand for "the true story" behind the new Quebec power contracts. the Conservative Opposition. in the wind-up of the Throne Address debate in the Legis- lature last night. moved, but failed to carry. a straight want-of-confi- dence amendment deploring the failure of the Government to revoai. during the October election cam- paign, the Hydro policy it had pro- mulgated and carried through im- mediately after the smoke of battle had cleared away. The registered vote on which: thr- House defeated this amendment was 56---22. The main motion. the adoption of which paved the way. for Premier Hepburn's Budget presentation of this afternoon. "a: ca rr i e d unanimously. Opposition Leader Macaulay agreeing, because of its innocuous content. Cites Power Export Talk. In summing up a full hour of sharp criticism of the Government's conduct of the power question, Mr. Henry charged that Mr. Hepburn's presence in Ottawa in November. 1937, to talk export ot power with Prime Minister Mackenzie King did not jibe with recent declarations of Attorney-General Conant and Hy- dro Commissioners that nothing had ever been heard of a Beauharnois contract until December of that year. - "It Mr. Hepburn was in Ottawa. on some secret mission, to talk power export as was revealed after- ward," he said, "what power did he propose to export? Beauharnois. ot course. There isn't a doubt of it, and. what's more. he knows it." Simpson Replies. Against Mr. Henry. the Govern-, ment pitted Hon. Dr. L. J. Simpson, Minister of Education. in reported public recognition of his defeat of Provincial Conservative Leader Earl Rowe in Centre Simcoe. Dr. Simp- son met Mr. Henry's sizzling alle- gations about "broken promises," and "bosh and bluff," and "window- dressing," and "deliberate misrepre- sentation of fact," with the cool as- sertions that it was the Conserva- tive Party which had got the Prov; inee into the power mess in the first place; that the Liberals had made the best of a bad bargain: and had no apologies to offer for their Poli- cies or performance. - e ' _....: t hnnW une' UK k""'"'"""""' ."I a mquite content. and I know the Government is, too." said he, "to leave the verdict in the peopie's hands. I know what thmr answer will be: 'Carry on with your work. You are saving us money. You have done a splendid job.' " This close of the first stage ot the 1938 House deliberations extended a tew minutes past midnight. Things . _a__a_t, -o 63mg: 1cith the heat This close of the first SW1" tO lil'r 1938 House deliberations oyjentied a tow minutes past midnight. Things went electric at times with the heat with which Mr. Henry and Mr. Hep- burn matched tempers and tongues the Conserva- got the Prov- ess in the first rals had made gain: and had

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