BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 848, 21 June 1910, Page 4

BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

Although the extreme British Radicals arc openly hostile to the conference on the constitutional crisis, the two main parties continue to appear animated by a genuine desire for a peaceful settlement. That a real and lasting peace will result it is impossible to believe. Although Me. Asquitii may personally be ready, as an Englishman and as a Liberal, to see ample room for a working compromise suitable to both parties, yet as the head of a Liberal party dependent for its existence on the support of special factions he is bound to consider the needs of his party and may even consider himself bound to place his party interests first. What would be a satisfactory compromise from the Unionist point of view would probably be intolerable to the Labour party and the'Eedmonditcs. These never have admitted, and never will admit, any concession that ' will leave the Second Chamber with any real power to force an appeal to the people. It has been suggested that the Unionists and the House of Lords will be, perfectly content to. accept the Parliament Bill 'if there is added to it, or if the Lords arc permitted to add to it, a clausc providing that' it shall not come into operation until a referendum has been taken to dccidc whether or not it shall become law. The Badicals, however, arc strongly opposed to the principle of the referendum: they fear that "the will of the people," which they claim as their permanent sanction and of.which they-profess to be the agents, is a thing better to talk about than to test. At all events they appear to dread it. The Nationalists, arc also aware. that a ftferendum would probably turn against the Parliament Bill and against Home Rule. Should the Conference, a notable point in connection with'which is the omission of Sin Edward Grey from the Government's representation, not break up without achieving anything Mr. Asquitii will bo obliged to go back to a House with an announcement that would be liable to turn the Kedmohdites and the Labour party against him. Knowing this, the Unionists are ccrtain to insist on substantial concessions. They seem to stand to win in any event, so far ,as winning means the holding of a fresh election. The .idea of swamping the Second Chamber with new peers may now be taken as finally discredited and quite impossible of realisation. Yet it seems to be the only alternative to such concessions as, by breaking up the Liberal majority, will force an election. In essentials the situation is exactly where it was when the session opened.