The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News,Morning News and The Echo. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1910. THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 48, 25 February 1910, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1910. THE POLITICAL CRISIS.

For the. cause that lacks assistance. For the wrong that needs resistance. For the future in the distance, A.nd the good that we can do.

The political situation at Home just now is full of striking surprises; and the sudden, emergence of Tariff Reform as a decisive factor in the parliamentary struggle is not the less dramatic because it is somewhat unexpected. While the election campaign was in progress, everybody understood that the fiscal question would play a large part in the contests at the polls. But when the actual voting began, the interest in. the fate of the Budget and the Lords became so keen thai most people, far the moment, lost 6ight of Tariff Reform altogether. Now it has come to the front once more, through, the medium of Mr. Austen Chamberlain's amendment to the Addrcss-ln-Reply; and many of our readers may be astonished to learn that the division is likely to he a close one. For this is a question on which the Liberals themselves are by no means of one mind; and Mr. Asquith cannot depend upon wholehearted support from either Labour members or Nationalists in defence of Free Trade. On the other hand, the great majority of the Unionists, since Mr. Balfour pifblicly adopted the Chamberlain progranome, have made up their minds to vote for Tariff Iteform as a party measure; and as the Liberals and Unionists are very eveniy balanced in the new House, it is by no means easy to forecast the xesiilt of a division ou this particular question. Conceivably it may mean a defeat for the Government, which nearly all colonial Liberals, Tariff Reformers though most of us are, would sincerely regret. But this is only one of several contingencies which at any moment might precipitate a dangerous struggle In the new Parliament, and may conceivably lead to another appeal to the electors before the country lias had time to settle down and recover itself from the distracting ordeal through which it has jnst passed. Apart from Tariff Reform and the the House of Lords supplies the most highly controversial topic of the hour; and if the expected crisis is not reached by way of Mr. Lloyd George's financial .proposals or Mr Austin Chamberlain's fiscal amendment to the it will certainly develop with great rapidity as soon as Parliament begins to discuss the powers and; constitution of the Upper House. A remarkable notice of motion, we maj point out, has just been, tabled to the effect that as Parliament has received no mandate from the electors to reform the Lords, this question should not even be discussed by th« Lower House. Thie strikes us as a palpable perversion of fact, for while it is impossible to contend that the reform of the Upper House was submitted to the electors as a single definite issue, it is equally undeniable that the project of limiting the powers of the Lords was brought prominently before the country, and played a very important part in the election contests. It is not at all likely that the Houso of Commons will be content merely to evade the question, as suggested by Sir J, Dalziel. But though the reform of the Lords and their power of veto must certainly be discussed by the Lower House, it 13 not by any means easy to see how iMr. Asquith is going to deal with this question in such a, Tvay as to satisfy either his friends or his opponents. Sir Edward Grey appears to have suggested on elective Second Chamber; and Colonel Seely is apparently inspired by tho same idea. But not even ■the moderate Radicals, represented by Sir Charles Dilke, are prepared to accept such a suggestion, while the Labour members indignantly repudiate any such scheme. They contend that the consti'Lulion of 'the Upper House, is infinitely less important to tlio people than its powers, and that nothing short of a limitation of the Veto will meet their views, unless it be the complete abolition of the Kevising Chambex. Beset by difficulties on every hand, Mr. Asquith is indeed in a dangerous and unenviable position, and the result of tho first trial of strength between Government and Opposition in tho new Parliament will be awaited with eager interest throughout the Empire.