BRITISH POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1270, 27 October 1911, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

A LIVELY DEBATE. By Telesrapu-Press Association-Oopyriglit ; (Rec. October 2G, 10 p.m.) London, October 2G. Tho Government's proposals for tho application of the closure on tho Insurance- Bill debate were adopted by tho Houso of Commons, after tho eighteen days to be granted had been extended to twenty. ' 'The Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith, defended tho closure, and said that unless the measure was passed this year the 5 benefits proposed would be delayed a year. , It was impossible to legislate largo and ' complicated measures without a tiincs table. Tho closure, ho belioved, would be beneficial if it became part of the normal procedure. Mr. Balfour, Leader of the Opposition, . condemned tho use of tho guillotine as robbing tho debate of elasticity. It would . do no harm to delay the Bill over Christmas. Tho Bill was tho most complicated of the last hundred years. Tho curbing of discussion would bo outrageous. He accused the Government of attempting to destroy the Houso of Commons after compassing tho destruction of the House s of Lords. Mr. William O'Brien, Independent Nationalist, said a judgment threatened the e Nationalists, as Homo Rule would bo 9 impaired if the Insurance Bill were not r passed speedily. ' Mr. Redmond, the Nationalist leader, denied that compulsion had been put on tho Nationalists. They would propose amendments which tho Government would undoubtedly accept. (Ironical cheers.) He accused Mr. Balfour of wisliing to delay the Bill in order to destroy nest session's programme.