LORDS' REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 751, 25 February 1910, Page 5

LORDS' REFORM.

RADICALS' DISQUST. MIXED .ISSUES. GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO GAIN TIME. (Rcc. Febniary 24, 10.15 p.m.) By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright

London, February 24.- ; The Treasury paid on an average 2| per. centum for four million; Treasury bills.sold yesterday, though the market rate for March bills was If.

It is rumoured that the Bank of England tendered at the ..last moment to prevent failure of the issue. - The poor price caused tho rate, for three months' bilid to. rise from : 2 5-16. to 2}. ■ }'■' '-' ; '■■ ■

The "Daily Telegraph" (Unionist) pro-, tests against the Government's intention, as indicated," by Lprd:.Crewe, to take the. whole.of. the balance of the Sinking Fund (of. tho-National Debt), which;is esti-; mated at.ten■'millions, in.order to make up the expected deficiency in the Budget. CABINET. CAN MINISTRY'S LOST CREDIT BE .■:;■■■-■'■;-.;'.;■ recovered?;; j CLOUDING THE ISSUE WITH .:■■ ■■ v ,- : ' '■■-. ■ By TeleErapli—Press \,.'-ir. i ' .'l'LondonV. February 23. : ■•: Forty members resolved to .urge: Mr. ■Asquith to take energetic action 'with regard, to veto, butVnot to blend the veto ■ .question with that of reform of the, Lords.'. ■'. ■, ! ;.-.

■ "The Times"' states that. it - is. generally, recognised, that;the political crisis will now: simmer ; , for some weeks, while financial business'■ will'v be. proceeded; with...--..

Tho Nationalists; anth. Labour parties hope tho .Government■•''■will;; , modify its plans : to the •' extent'' of introducing a veto measure ■ during the next two weeks, bnt {bis is impossible, because'; the members of' the Government are not. agreed upon their proposals.; ; : :'-!-:; t r ;' :: ■"'■'■■'. ■■'■"■'; : ■' ' Th'e ; Radicals, after ■.Tuesday's debate, were/greatly/ They felt that the Government-hadlost credit, and could; hardly: recover'if;.; : '" ■: : ■< :

MR.' REDMOND'S FORCING: OF THE ;•■-'■-), : : -.;v ISSUE.-:;;';" ■■', ; ; -;.' , : ' : ':. ;""; ■; : .DUBLIN■ sotpqet.^ '■: ■; :};■ :;. . •".'•, ■;'■;. ■~:.. ' London, February .23. ■•■ The Lord Mayor of Dublin,, the High Sheriff, and the Dublin .Central. Council of. the Irish. League,' commend Mr. -J. E. '■ Eedmond'a courageous: ■ action,' and 'offer..to.supply funds : if he forces a general' election.:-,/!-, :;; /'■:'''■-' '■:■ ■[■:'■.

UNIONIST LEADER. NO COMPROMISE As! TO EiUDGET;;;/^''.:^';v ; f ;----o^LpßDS.' : '■-./; "A/'■■•■'■'"■ • BUT NO TJNDXTE HINDEKING OF" i ..::'■:THE /GOVERNMENT.:? ' ."■;. ]/' ■'..■ :: : '. London,; February -23. ; •! Mr. Balfour, speaking, at a luncheon to .Tlnionists' who won. seats/ at'the- lato ■ election,-- agreed 'with h Mr.' Asqnith :.that. the 'King's. Government must .bo.,carried; pn f slt-was not/.he said.Vthe iTlmonists'" dutyv.to'-'make .■■ tho ..Government's .task 1 : more, difficult,- and /they) did ; not' intend to throw -unnecessary; difficulties'; i& : ,the :way;of dealing ;\rith,impending problems of .finance; but no compromise : was 'pofr- ■ sible ..• regarding '-"the /Budget. and., the' .Lords. ',■/■■:■:" :••-■;. -/■/'"".,■.:'.■':.■:;-:. : ; \

[In connection , with the' Unionißt"attitude to,'the Budget and the : Lords, it is. interesting to.comparo.witn Mr.-Sal-four's remarks;,the cabled statement -of. Lord Lansdowne : (Unionist Leader of the Peers) in tho Address-in-Reply; debate in the House of Lords. The cablegram, published ■ on. Wednesday,; is 'as follows: ■ "The Unionist Leader; Lord • Lansdowne, tendered the Government'his respectful admiration' for .:.disregarding,: extremists' counsels regarding the 'House Yof; Lords. He said he'had not changed his opinion of.; the; Budget,' but if. it; - found favour Lords would be prepared' to expedite its passage. He, expressed willingness to reform the House' of : Lords if. it were shown to be necessary; He did not want a.-eham 1 and ..tawdry ■ Second : . If the..Government refused' to. co-operate , in such reform, the House of Lords would, at the proper time, consider its own proposals.'T : ' /;; ;■:■••:■■.-■ -,';

.inter-dependent; a ministerial , mixer of issues. . (Rec. February '21, 9.35 p.m.) . .'..', ;;.'. '^London/'February. 24. ': Speaking ■ at, "Ilkflston,. - : Lieut.-Colonel Seely. (Under-Secretary for the Colonies, but just now, without a seatinihe 'Houee): said that - the, policies -of ; abolishing the hereditary principle -in- the House, of Lords, and; of limiting the. veto of that .Chamber, .were inter-dependent. ...There ought to.be fewer members in the Upper ■House , and, they; should, allbo elected ; on a , ; basis as democratic: as that; of/the. House.of Commons.''■'■V^ , : , .'•-.-■'■ j■'

'These principles, he pointed out, had been .followed .in the ..most recent Con-, stitatibns formed Jβ the British Empire, and deadlocks'had been thus avoided. It was noteworthy that a large, proportion of: the members of. the 'Australian Senate 'were Labour members.. . :

Lieut.-Colonel:. Seely's speech . hae aroused strong opposition in Radical cir-. cles..-. '.: ■. ,'-. -.; ■ . ■'■ :' .'• : ' ... '■■:

RADICAL OPPONENTS OF REFORM OF LORDS. ■ A HOSTILE AMENDMENT. (Rco. Fobruary 24, 9.35 p.m.) London, February 24. According to lobby reports, Sir Edward Grey, Secretary for Foreign Affairs; is preparing a scheme for an elective Second Chamber.

-"Not A Single Supporter." t Sir Chas. Dilke, a Liberal Eadical, pnblicly' stated in the lobby that elective elements would make the House of Lords infinitely worse. The Government wonld not have a single supporter in reforming the House of Lords. . ...

A Eadical deputation met'Mr.Asquith, Prime Minister," who would not disclose the Government's plan. ,'-' : '■, • ■' : '.'.'

The Scottish Liberals, at a fntnro meeting, urged the Cabinet to adhere,to the veto resolution: of ,the preceding Prime Minister, tho late Sir H. Campbell-Ban-nerman.... ..... ■ . ...

[Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman's mo- : tion, passed by the House of Commons was as,follows: "That in order to give effect to the will of the people, as expressed by. -their. elected 'representatives, it is necessary that the power of the other House to alfer or reject Bills passed by this House' should be so restricted by law as to securp that within tio limit of a ; single Parliament tho final decision of the Commons shall prevail." The details of the machinery,by which tho late Prime Minister proposed to give effect to the abovo are set out in The Dominion of January 18.] .-. '..' •■ . ,-:.

Liberal Revolt Finds Expression. ' In the House Sir J. H. Dalziol (Liberal member for Kiitcaldio Burghs) gave no-

tdee of the following. amendment to the Address-in-Reply: ~ ■

"That inasmuch as the elector- . ate has given no mandate for re- . form of the , Houso of Lords, the . House of, Commons declines to -. grant facilities for the discussion ~. of a resolution having this object... : ..in view." , -.. An important debate is expected to take place;'on this resolution. The Government will move on Monday to take all the "time of the Houso until Easter.." ~ . "-,- .■■' .: :

TARIFFITE INTERPELLATION. .;. FISCAL AMENDMENT.,. -.. London, February 23. Mr.. Austen Chamberlain (ex-Unionist Chancellor of. the Exchequer) to-day resumed the debate on the Addrcss-in-Keply by moving his fiscal amendment to the Address: ■ ; . . -..'•:

, '"But humbly . repruaent ■ to your Majestythat this Honso' views with anxiety tho state of the trade and. employment in , this : country, and the failure of- your Majesty's Ministers to recognise, the nature and gravity of the situation, and regrets that there is no mention in your Majesty's gracious Speech of. any proposals for enlarging the market for.British and Irish .produce and .] increasing the,demand for labour by ai reform of our fiscal, system, whioh would promote tho growth!■ and stability of dur.homr trade,; provide means, for negotiating, for the , mitigation of foreign tariffs, and develop our oversea trade, through .the establishment of a system of natural preference between 'the differont portions of the Empire." ■ ■'.'." ' ■; -..'-....

■ DIVISION MAY. BE CLOSE. OmiENITES, WILL VOTE AGAINST ,'.". --V ■ GOVERNMENT.'■ >;■ , ";, -- : ; .'REDMONDITES NEUTRAL.'. :.\ , .;'V.:(Eec- February,.24,'9.3s pirn.) ■.' ■;'-' ,; :.':, , ■: . ■'■'. London, Fobruary 24.V;. There is a possibility of a close division on the.'Chamberlain amendment .to-day. '.-. The Rediioadite':Nationalists. : (7l) : :..will abstain froni voting, and the, O'Brienite Nationalists (11) iwill , support the; Opposition. . 1. , -' ■;■:'■".'.r ,; '; ; ; ; '; ■ ■" ■-,"■'.■; ;;;

>: the ;banged door again. , MINISTER'TALKS FOOD TAX 'mu V. . :V V .V B.EPLY.- ; ■;..,:■';:: >'•'.'•'' ■'-.'■ ..-'■"'■ (Eec. February..24, 11.10 p.m.);r''.';■'■ : ,■''■..-;■■ London, February 24. w.lnmovinghis amendment in the House, of Commons, Mr. Austen Chamberlain declared that Britain- had; ibanged'/'tho door-in, the, faces, of. the self-governing Dominions :nnd' L had refused:fiscal negotiations, with them;- Other countries' had boon loss: squeamish. : If Britain. refused tho advances of ..the .. Dominions, ; ,they would be .irresistibly: drawn into .treaties 1 that they could-not make with Britain;.

' Mr. Buxton;'President of the. Board of Trade, said .'the' Government appreciated; the. colonial offers of preference, -but: the/ .position! was _ The colonies 'pro•posed a rebate in our favour, and .at the , same time': 'asked- that -the. food '■■'of.;! the people 'of the TJnited Eingdom; should.bo'taxed.:;.' .'.'■''!:..-. ;;■.'.'...;■■•'■;', -. :: : .'.■. ; '-. i :.';.■; \l