her had either to confine himself simply to stating facts, or to move a motion in the proper way, which would enable other mem bers to address the House. The SIM JAKE It said the honourable member would mt be in ordf>r in introducing debateable matter into an explanation unless he concluded by moving a motion. He must confine himself strictly to making an explanation. Air FIS'I understood the honourable member to be stating his reasons for giving certain advice to His Honour.— (Laughter.) | The SPEAKER : The honouiable member's statement of the position is totally jn error. The honourable member at the head of the Govern ment said he conceived the position of matters to be «o and so. Mr TOI.MJE presumed he might be permitted to refer to expressions which had been used in that House. He would not detain the House by going into debateable 'natter. He would simply 1 refer to th ; circumstances which led to tho Go vernment giving His Houour the advice they did. CoiiMjquent upou the negotiations which had taken place, the Government found that the position of parties wa-> of such a nature that it would be almost impossible to unite them. As far as the Government could make out, the posi tion of parties was this : The Government had a compact body of some 17 members supporting them. There wore about 12membeis who might be said to be itrong supporters of the honourable member for the Taieri — (laughter)— and about 1. "5 or l(i mem >ers who had no lidding at all. — (Ke ncwetl lav: liter.) ! Mr PvEID : I hold that this is debateable mad- I ter. — (Lav ;hter.) The SPLAKEI? said he had already ruled that the course pursued by the honourable member at the head of the Government was out of order. After so no further discussion — several honour able members suggesting that Mr Tolmie should move a formal motion — Mr TOJjjVIIE went on to say that in the opinion of the Gorer.iment it was impossible, in the present state ot parties, for aii3'one to form a strung administration. Consequently they had reluctantly— although, at the same time, with a desire that the country should benefit by it — recommended His Honour to prorogue the Council, with a view to the General Government granting a dissolution. 