BRITISH POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 167, 8 April 1908, Page 7

BRITISH POLITICS.

TliE OLD AND THE NEW. RIR. ASQUITH AND "THE LEFT.' MORE CATTLE-DRIVING. BT TELEGHArn —-FREBS ASSOCIATION —COFYRIGin> (Reo. April 7, 9.53 p.m.) - li „ London, April 7. During the last fow" days, Sir Henry f Campbell-Bannerman's health has been no worse. He takes an interest in current events. Parliament has adjourned till April 14. In the House of Lords, Lord Ripon (Lord Keeper of the Privy S6al) and Lord Lansdowne (for- the Opposition), and in the Houso of Comm'ons, Mr. Asquith, Mr. Balfour (Leader of the Opposition), and Mr. John t Redmond (Leader of the Nationalists), paid t warm tributes to Sir Henry Campbell-Ban-r nerman's character and services. ' 'The. retirement has evoked many public > expressions of sympathy, including a resolus tion unanimously passed by the Central Com- | mittee of tho Manchester Conservative Asso--5 ciation, expressing profound regret that the ■ state of health of the retiring Prime, Minister [ has necessitated his resignation, and an earnest hope that ho will bo long spared to J' enjoy in retirement the respect and esteem [ in which ho is held by all political parties. ! Mr.. Asquith has started for Biarritz, in obedience to the Royal Summons. SOCIALISM. MR. BIRRELL'S IRISH POLICY. London, April 6. The " Standard "i contrasts Sir H.' Camp-bell-Bannerman's and Mr. Asquitb's sympathies and methods, and concludes: "It will be necessary for Mr. Asquith to rely on the Centre, not'oh tho Left.". The "Telegraph" says—"The country expects Mr. Asquith to show greater firmness, and to yield less to the extreme Radicals tlian Sir 11. Campbell-Bannerman has done, and to bring the Irish policy more in accord with the elementary, principles of good government.". "A DESPERATE GONFLICT." ( CATTLE DRIVEN IN SPITE OF THE POLICE. i" . (Rcc. April 7, 11.28 p.m.) ' London, April 7. Several hundred cattlo wore driven from a farm at Elphin, County Roscommon, through the ranks of tho Constabulary, after a desperate. conflict between tho mob and the police. MR. ASQUITH AND MR. BIRRELL. : Tho "Standard's" comment is in key . with that made by it on March 11, when it declared that Mr. Asquith was trying- to indnco tho. Cabinet to break' away from Socialism. As 1 to the "Telegraph's" comment on bringing tho Irish policy more in accord with "the elementary principles of £ood government," the attitude of Jlr. Asquith to Mr. Birrell's administration. was stated by Mr. Asquith himself m the llouso of Commons, shortly 'after tho opening of' the present session, when ho was reported as saying:— ■i ir"^v. r= A, , ! (^a ' ,et ' indignantly • tho suggestion ■tnatfMr. . I Birrell was deliberately neglecting to enforce; tho' law in Ireland in order to make .out. ,tt..ca ? o'for-Home llule, and ho traversed the statement that Ireland was full of crime. ■That was-a caricature. No doubt there were disquioting features, hut the. language sometimes used wiw' a complete misdescription of what was taking, place. Answering the question why the Government declined to put the ' Crimes Act in force, ho reminded tho l llon.so that they had protested against that Act for 20 years, believing that it .was a violation of 1 constitutional principles to make U6e of special powers, outside the ordinary law, without the oxpress sanction.' of Parliament. In circumstances such as the' present no ! Chief Secretary, he' declared, would venture to ask Parliament for. exceptional powers; nor would they be granted. ; "Apart from cattle-driving there had been' very little crime. Cattle-driving the Government had nsver; palliated, and it was. not only a. criminal, but a stupid practice, becauso it ■was likely to strike n, blow afc a flourishing ' industry. The Government'were usinff all the. means which the ordinary law placed at their disposal, but they recognised that at tho samo time they should remedy social and economic grievances. Untenanted land was intended to come Within tho scope of tho Land Act. of 1003. It could b& purchased, but thero had been delay, and, thorcfore, tho land should be 'made availablo compulsorily." A Press Association .telegram received. last night states that Sir Joseph Ward, in his speech at Pembroke (Otago), referring to tho resignation, of Sir Henry Campbell-l3aiuier-man, .oppressed;tho hope that he would soon regain his best health.