THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 161, 8 July 1895, Page 5

THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

THE LIBERAL PROGRAMME;

STATEMENT BY LOr^l) 'SALISBURY

Losdon, July 7

Lord Roseeery, replying to taunts, said the Radicals, gloried: in being Imperialist", and he hoped that the Marquis of Salisbury would confirm the British withdrawal' from Chitral. The Liberals, he said, remained pledged to Home Rule, Disestablishmontof the Scotch and Welsh Churches, local option, and one-man-one-vote, but reform of the House of Lords wpuld be the primary question ab the elections. ; He said: there was nothing in the life or' the death of the lute Government requiring" defence. It had passed great measures, arranged greab Acts, and bad lefo.a jbighty surplus. Business, he argued, was reviving, and the people : were contented.: The resistance, of the House of Lords was the tap-root of all political questionSy . aqd:iJha was not prepared to retire from any of the pledges given to the electors, 'including Home' Rule. He hoped tha Marquis of Salifbury would support the late Government's demands for reform in Armenia. ;

In the House of Lords 'the, Marquis .of Salisbury referred to the statement of Lord Kosebery, that the Lords had manacled the Liberals,, and retorted that if they were clothed and in their right mind they .would soon find the manacles removed.- By persisting in autonomy for' Ireland, and the Disestablishment of the Scotch and \Velsh Churchee, sterile conflicts preventing useful legislation, would end in a perpetual conflict, and would be little short of civil war.

The " Saturday Review " states .that several provincial Tory papers are complaining that there are too many friends of Mr Chamberlain Vjn the Ministry, especially Messrs Austen Chamberlain, Jesse Collinf>B, aud Powell Williams.. The Imperial Defence Committee in the Cabinet consists of the Duke of Devonshire, the Hon. A. J. Balfour, the Hon. Joseph Chambeilain, 'thia Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord George Hamilton, the Hon. G. J.Goschen and-Sir Michael Hicks-Beacb.

Mr Gerald Balfour, Secretary for Ireland, proposes to introduce a Bill to amend the Irish.Land Act of 1881. , . .Mr Chamberlain, spea&ing in London, said the povornmenb would deal with the immigration of foreign paupers, and also the importation of foreign pri9on-made gOOds,. ■■;' . .;■■..