BUBGET AND VETO.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 772, 22 March 1910, Page 7

BUBGET AND VETO.

MR. REDMOND ON THE SITUATION PROFOUNDLY DISSATISFIED. " LET THEM STEW IN THEIR OWN JUICE." CONCESSIONS TO IRELAND. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Rec. March 21, 10.10 p.m.) London, March 21. Mr. Redmond, speaking at Liverpool, stated that he was profoundly dissatisfied with the situation. "The Tories," he said, "want the financial chaos regularised before they roturn to office. I say 'let them Btew in their own juice'until we know what we aro going to do with the Lords' veto." The whisky duties, he declared, brought no revenue. It was quite possible to exempt the small owners in Ireland from the new death-duties and stamp duties, and the small Irish breweries from the license taxes. Irish land muet be exempted from valuation. Such concessions would not affect the character of the Budget as a great Democratic measure.

He was glad to reciprocate the conciliatory tone of Mr. Asquith's speech and to'consult with the Government regarding the Budget and the veto; but the Nationalists intended to stand to their pledges. ANOTHER IRISH OPINION. "MYSTERY AND EVASION." London, March 20. The "Irish Independent" (published in Dublin) complains that ■ Mr. Asquith's speech continues the mystery and evasion, and says:—"Before- a mutual understanding is possible the Nationalists must know what the.Premier means." "DRIFTINC TO DISASTER." A LABOUR MEMBER'S VIEWS. (Rec. March. 21, 10.55 p.m.) London, March 21. Mr. G. N. Barnes (Labour), speaking at Torquay, declared that to submit the B ( udget to the House of Commons before tho House of Lords had finally dis-'

posed of the veto resolutions would mean drifting to disaster. There was no prospect of the Liberals obtaining a large majority. REFERENDUM SUCGESTED. . INSTEAD OF ANOTHER ELECTION. (Rec. March 21, 9.30 p.m.) London, March 21. Mr. Percy Alden has organised an extensively-signed momorial of Liberal and Labour, members of the House of Commons, urging Mr. Asquith to resort to a referendum in order to avoid the disorganisation of business and. the heavy expense that. would be entailed by another election. SPEECH BY MR. HALDANE. "THE SUPREME ULTIMATE SAFE- ...-.: GUARD." (Rec. March 22, 0.30 a.m.) l" ~'••■•• London, March 21.:

Mr. Haldane (Secretary for War), addressing the Eighty Club, denied a rumour as to his probable resignation.

He said tho veto must be taken first, but the Liberals would make a profound mistake if. they separated the veto from''reform.' If the Liberals failed to reconstitute the House of Lords upon a : basis the Conservatives would do so, and then repeal tho veto resolutions. Tho selfreform proposals of the House, of Lords appeared to contemplate depriving the. Crown of the power to create additional Peers. Until now this had been the, supremo ultimate safeguard of the House of Commons. . ■ . Mr. Haldane suggested that the Sec-, ond Chamber should .represent great constituencies in order that' no one would be able :to seek election unless he was a man of mark. ' MR. ASQUITH AND HIS ALLIES. LABOUR AND IRISH ATTITUDE. The latest London papers state that both Mr. Asquith's allies—the Labour and the orthodox Nationalist parties— held meetings in, Newport (Monmouth) and Dublin on February■ 9, and- each decided that, whatever, policy Mr. Asquith might adopt, they were, going to have, a perfectly free hand. The attitude of the Irish members toward the Budget is.clearly defined. Tho Independent Nationalists, led by Mr. William O'Brien, are • pledged : to vote against financial proposals that put an extra-burden 0f'£2,000,000 a year on Ireland. What Mr. John Redmond intends to do was shown in a speech which he delivered in Dublin on February 10. He called upon Mr. Asquith to "stick to his guns." He reminded the Prime Minister of his pledge not to take office until the Government were given assurances to be able to , curb. the veto of the House of Lords. 1 '■':

Mr. Redmond's Threat. Mr. John • Redmond, in his speech at Dublin, said that the great issue, at the election was not the Budget or land reform. It was Homo Rulo for Ireland. The voto of the Lords stood against Homo Rule, and the result of the election had been to return, a majority of over 120 against the Lords' veto and in favour of Homo Rule, and even if Ireland were not reckoned at all there would be a purely British majority of sixty-two against the Lords and in favour of Home Rule. • The pledge that decided the' Irish party to support the Liberal party was _ the Prime Minister's plediro that neither he nor his colleagues would ever assume or retain office again unless they wore given assurances that they would be able to curb and limit the veto of tho Lords. (Applause.) He had always regarded Mr. Asquith as a man of his word. It was inconceivable that in this matter Mr. Asquith should now waver. (A voice: "Don't let him," and loud applause.) "To do so," said Mr. Redmond, "wouid, in my judgment, be to wreck the Liberal party and to drive them for the next twenty years into the wilderness, and I won't insult him by suggesting that he has any such intention. (Loud applause.) "If Mr. Asquith is not in a position to say that he has such guarantees as aro necessary to enable him to pass a Veto Bill this year and proposes to pass tho Budget into law and adjourn the veto question, I say that is the policy that Ireland cannot and will not approve." (Enthusiastic and prolonged applause, tho whole company rising to their feet.) . In conclusion, Mr. Redmond said that he would subordinate ever}' other question, even tho Budget, to tho one question of Home Rulo. If Homo Rulo were to bo put aside, then ho would fight tho Budget. Labour Party's Policy. Mr. Kcir Hardio, as chairman of the Labour Party's Conference which met at NowDort (Mon.V on February 9, com-

plained that the Irish vote in English constituencies had been handed over to the Liberals. '

"Every section o! the press," he' went on, "is interesting itself in speculating as to what, tho policy of the party is to be in the new Parliament, where relatively to the Government forces we are a much more potent force than we were in the last Parliament. Two sets of peoplo are, I confidently assert, doomed . to disappointment— those who hope to see our ranks rent by internal discord, and those who hope to see us bring about our own undoing by entering into some agreement or ■understanding with the Government. At all costs and hazards we must maintain our complete freedom of action, both in tho House of Commons and in the constituencies.

"Nor do the outlines of Liberal policy towards the House of Lords, in so far as thoy have been disclosed, inspire us with overmuch confidence in their intentions. The policy of the Labour party on the House of Lords was declared on June 10,.-1907,' by its resolution inviting tho Houso of Commons to sweep the House of Lords inco oblivion. Give us n people completely enfranchised, with all property qualifications and sex barriers removed, elections air on one day, and that day a public holiday, election expenses pa:d from public funds, and drastic prohibition of all forms of political corruption, and then leave the Parliament so elected free, without let or hindrance from within or without to legislate as the will of the people may require.' The discussion upon the House or Lords was initiated by Mr. Pocock, delegate from Battersea. His.resolution described the existence of a nonelected Chamber in a democratic system of government as an anachronism, and declared, therefore, that the House of Lords ought to be abolished. The House of Lords, he said, was a resting place for broken-down politicians. They wanted ( ifc abolished before Baron Burns of Battersea got there. , . Mr. Henderson promised the conference that if a Bill dealing with the House of Lords were introduced during the early days of the new Parliament a special conference should he held to examine its proposals and decide upon the policy to be pursued.