If he were appointed to act temporarily ho had a right to be present; if not, he was a stranger in the House and had no right to be there. If the Government chose to say “ We have appointed him to act tempo rarily,” then the motion would, he appre hended, be withdrawn. The Premier pointed out that he could not say that he had been appointed, when Sir R. Stout himself admitted that the ap pointment must be made by Order-in- Council. Mr Buchanan resented the aspersion of the Premier that the Opposition were per secuting Colonel Fraser. Messrs Duthie and T. Mackenzie also spoke. The Minister for Lands said the only reason this matter was brought up was to delay business. Mr Bell also resented the Premier’s charge of persecution. From the Opposi tion benches not one single word had been said against the character of Colonel Fraser. He protested against the doc trine implied by the Premier on the pre vious day that all other things being equal the loaves and fishes belonged to his (the Premier’s) side of the House. Such a doc trine was disgusting and abhorrent,

Mr Allen denied the chai’ge against the Opposition of wasting time, pointing out the Premier had stated only the pre vious day that the House had put up a re cord in the progress of business. Captain Russell said he had taken this step, not because of party, but because he resented the autocratic temperament and despotic sway of the Premier. He assured the House that he would not lose any op portunity of resisting any invasion of the liberties of the House. The appointment of a Minister as Chief Commissioner of Railways would be no greater infringement of the Disqualification Act than the ap pointment of Colonel Fraser. Captain Russell’s motion was rejected by 45 votes to 16. The following is the division list: — Ayes, 16. —Allen, Bell, Buchanan, Duthie, Earnshaw, Fraser, Green, Lang, Massey, McGuire, Mitchelson, Newman, W. R. Russell, G. J. Smith, Stout, Wilson. Noes, 45. —Buddo, Buick, Cadman, Carn cross, Carnell, Carroll, Collins, Duncan, Flatman, Graham, Guinness, Hall, Hall- Jones, Harris, Houston, W. Hutchison, Joyce, J. W. Kelly, W. Kelly, Lawry, Mackintosh, Maslin, McGowan, J. McKen zie, R. McKenzie, McLachlan, McNab, Meredith, Millar, Mills, Montgomery, Morrison, O’Regan, Parata, Pere, Pinker ton, Pirani, Reeves, G. W. Russell, Seddon, E. M. 