When the Treasurer gets an innings he is astonished at Oamaru. He regrets very much the speech of Oamaru. He defends the Chair man against Oamaru, pointing out that Mr Speaker has ruled the point exactly in the sante manner. The Chairman was quite right; it was very wrong and very unfair to threaten him in-that way for doing his duty. Coming to Mr Pirani he tackles the " gag." Six hours for a Bill of seven clauses. Where is the gag ? Such free, he might almost say fierce, speaking he has never heard in that House, nor such exhaustive discussion. Where is the gag ? He ridicules the idea of the gag absolutely, protests that hon members because they cannot get their way in everything should deliberately kill an importantj very useful and very necessary measure. But he thinks that Mr Pirani having made his protest by moving his amendment, should withdraw his amendment; he calls upon him to withdraw it. He has a word or two to say to Sir Robert. The Bill was blocked by this point of order — was it? Why, sir, the Bill had been debated for five hours before this point was raised. It was blocked for other reasons.
