VEHEMENT SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12683, 22 December 1906, Page 9

VEHEMENT SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

MR BALFOUR BLAMED. CONSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES NOT EXHAUSTED. (Received December 21st, 10.17 p.m.) LONDON, December 21. In the House of Commons, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, addressing a crowded and excited House, in a vehement Bpeech announced the demise of the Education Bill. He accused Mr Balfour of being chiefly responsible for the failure to bring about a settlement* and ridiculed the House of Lords' mock heroics respecting the House of Commons' unconstitutional procedure. He declared that it was impossible to yield to the Lords without perpetuating and extending the very system the Bill was designed to remove. ' The Government's aim was to secure a national and not a denominational system of education. He warnetTtfae Lords that the resources <m the Constitution were not exhausted, and that a way must and would be found to give effect to the people's will. (Tremendous cheers.) Mr Birrell denounced Mr Balfour as the wrecker of the Bill, and declared that the country would never tolerate denominational education. Mr Long and Mr Wyndham declared that Mr Balfour had not acted independently, but as the leader of the Unionist party. The prorogation takes place to-day. FEEDING SCHOOL CHILDREN. The House of Lords passed the School Children's Meals Bill, after exempting Scotland from its operations. A RADICAL SUGGESTION. (Received December 22nd, 12.55 a.m.) LONDON, December 21. The "Daily News" advocates large measures for giving agricultural labourers easy access to the land, and the relief of rates by the taxation of urban land Values, in order to challenge the House of Lords and prepare the constituencies for an early appeal.