North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1912. THE ROW IN THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

North Otago Times, 16 November 1912, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1912. THE ROW IN THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Primarily all the Turkish l atrocities that have taken place have been due to the Turk being a follower of Mahomet and to those he .Mftjil tjilojigihty to 1 one .form or another of the various Christian beliefs, And the row in the British Parliament is due to much the same thing. 'Apparently ordinary politics are not in it in the vehemence with which they are discussed by the rival politicians, In Imperii politics tjie lion will sometimes lie down with the lamb, and members that tfte difference between Liberal atid Conservative is the difference that exists between tweedledum and twe'edledee; but let the North and South of Ireland come within hailing 'distance of each other and the air is full of missies if Home Rule is mentioned, It is this feeling of religious antipathy that has grown and developed on both sides that ..was the cause of the row in the British House of Parliament on Thursday. Every Catholic is a -home ruler, and he has the support of a considerable number of Protestants, but the bulk of the latter are undoubtedly against him. This feeiI ing has mixed Itself up with tha politics of the British 'Parliament, and we see what it means in a Donnybrook that should have satisfled a New South Wales politician,, whose Speaker has to be protected by a police escort when be 'moves, about, and who may yet 'have to hide the preeiousness of bis person inside a boiler-plate armor. It is not often that the British Houpe of Oommonß loses its dignity, and Pflmee dowp into the gutter to toll

and' tumble about, but it was there on Thursday. Mr Asqjtith's Government was caught napping the other <lay, and- was defeated on a snap 'division on one of the most important clauses jn the Home Rulo Bill. The clause provided for the amount that is to he devoted from the Imperial exchequer towards 'the financial support of Ireland (during. a period of years-till it jrets on its feet under Home Rule. " Without this support the condition of Ireland would admittedly foe such that it could not maintain its. financial equilibrium, unless the people wero heavily taxed for the purpose of making up the anticipated shortage. When to Labor is added the .votes of the Nationalists Mr Asquith has a big majority in the House, and .he intends to make use of that majority to rescind the amendment carried by' Sir P. G. Banbury. What he intends to do is evidently against Parliamentary practice, but Parliamentary practice is not always above the suspicion of having been instituted '"by someone who was a shingle short, However, precedent is not to ha lightly trusted aside, and Thursday's row was due to Mr Asquith's determjwatiio'ii to make use of his teg majority in overthrowing the previous resolution of the House. Jf it is true that when a matter of substance is determined .one way during a session it shall not be determined another way during the same session, then Mr Asqjiith is doing Bomot'lriiigi that the rules laid down for his guidance tell him he should not do. It appears to be 'a stupid rule, 'but the fact that it is l stupid does not dispose of it in the manner proposed by Mr Asquith. It would mean' the same thing that if Ni7am Pacha, the Turk, were de- : feated by Dimetrieff, the Bulgarian, he must not thini'fi o! making good his reverse ' 'before a long period had elapsed. Mr Asquith is asked to find a constitutional means of getting out of his difficulty, and the Unionists say ha intends to , make one ifcy trampling all the others out of existence.. The row is not over yet, for both sides are at hay. ' '