retorting
that it was the "victims"--by which apparently she meant the wives
of Mr. MACQUISTEN'S _proteges_--who ought to have the last word.
She herself had it in the series of incredulous "Oh's!"--uttered
_crescendo_ on a rising scale and accompanied by appropriate
gesture--with which she received Mr. MACQUISTEN'S confident assertion
that the working-men's clubs are the enemies of "the Trade."

Supplementary Estimates produced a good deal of miscellaneous
information. On the Vote for Road Transport Colonel MILDMAY attacked
the system of tar-spraying and told a melancholy story of a cow that
skidded with fatal results. He was backed up by Sir F. BANBURY, who
said that he had found the ideal pavement in soft wood and awakened
memories of an ancient jest by suggesting that something might be done
if he and the MINISTER OF TRANSPORT were to put their heads together.

_Tuesday, December 21st._--Sir WILLIAM DAVISON thundered against the
Home Office for not taking steps to prevent the desecration of the
Nelson Column by the delivery of seditious speeches. Sir JOHN BAIRD
explained that it was impossible to know beforehand what sort of
speech was going to be delivered. But his critic would have none of
this paltry excuse. "Did not the regulations provide," he boomed,
"that the objects of the meetings must be specified?" Fortunately for
the Minister, who had nearly been blown off the Treasury Bench, Mr.
HOGGE came to the rescue. "Is it not a fact," he inquired, "that the
monument was erected to a man who turned a blind eye to orders?"

The strange case of Lord ROTHERMERE and the Committee on Public
Accounts was further investigated. The Committee had reported that a
certain stationery contract for the Air Ministry had been extravagant
and improper. The AIR MINISTER at the time was the noble Lord who has
lately been so eloquent about "squander-mania," but he has since, in
a letter to the Press, declared that he never signed or initialled
the order. Lieut.-Colonel ARCHER-SHEE and Mr. ORMSBY-GORE sought the
opinion of the Treasury on the transaction, and Mr. BALDWIN replied
that it was certainly usual for a Minister to be held responsible for
his expenditure, and that if subordinate officials were thrown over by
their chiefs it would be bad for the Service.

The Lords' amendments to the Commons' amendments to the Lords'
amendments to the Government of Ireland Bill were agreed to. Sir L.
WORTHINGTON-EVANS thought to improve th