SENTENCE OF DEATH

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 95, 17 January 1924, Page 7

SENTENCE OF DEATH

BALDWIN GOVERNMENT’S FATE LIBERALS TO SUPPORT LABOUR ATTACK OPENING OF MOMENTOUS SESSION The Baldwin Government is expected to be defeated next Monday night. Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Asquith have cemented a tactic agreement under which the Liberals will support the Labour no-confidence amendment to the Ad-dress-in-Reply. The. proceedings opened breezily on Tuesday when a premature division was only avoided by the Prime Minister’s withdrawal of a motion to make certain appointment- '

By Telegraph—Press Association. -Oopybiqht.

London, January 15. Ths intense interest taken in the opening of what is regarded as a most momentous Parliament is shown by the fact that the first member of the House of Commons arrived at 5 o’clock in the morning, and also bv the great crowds in the vicinity of the Mall and Whitehall, who effusively cheered Their Majesties and the Prince of Wales as they drove' to St. Stephens. There wore briliant scenes and crowded houses. Mr. Asquith had recovered, and sat next to Mr, MacDonald on th© Front Opposition Bench. The proceedings in the House of Commons opened breezily. The Labour members, supported bv Liberals, opposed Mr. Baldwin’s motion to appoint two Conservatives, Mr. James Hopo, and Captain Fitzroy, deputy speaker and deputy chairman of the Ways and Moans committee respectively. Mr. MacDonald said that it was impossible to pass the motion without a division, which would lie regrettable, as there would be difficulties enough otherwise for this Parliament. He suggested that during the debate on the Address-in-Beoly these posts should be left unfilled. Mr. John Ward protested against party arrangements behind the scenes as being responsible for Mr. MacDonald’s attitude. Mr. Jack Jones shouted, amidst laughter, that he believed in the spoils x going to the victors. Mr. Baldwin withdrew the motion, pending the result of the debate on the Address.—Reuter. THE KING'S SPEECH LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS HOME AND FOREIGN QUESTIONS London, January 15. The King’s Speech at the opening of Parliament declared that relations with foreign Powers werq friendly, and expressed satisfaction in recording definite progress in the solution of questions which had hitherto blocked the pathway of mutual understanding and retarded the recovery of the world. His Majesty proceeded \ “A Bill will be introduced to give effect to the Lausanne Treaty, and, as soon as it is passed, the treaty will be ratified and a new era of peaceful relations with Turkey will open. “An Anglo-American agreement with regard to the illicit importation of liquor into the United States is on the eve of conclusion, and should furt 1 " strengthen the happy relations of the two countries. “It will continue to be jny object to support hy every means in mv power the steady growth of the influence of the League of Nations. “The recent murders on the Northwest frontier of India have caused me much concern. I earnestly trust that the criminals will be punished and 'more satisfactory relations established on the frontier soon. IMPERIAL CO-OPERATION. “The recent Imperial Conference marked very definite progress in Imperial co-oporation. More particularly ft was found possible without departure from fiscal system of this country to meet the wishes of the Dominions bv a substantial extension of the principle of Imperial preference established hy the conference in 1917. find enforced since 1919. Proposals to give effect to the conclusions of both conferences will be submitted .to vou. I welcome the opportunity offered by the British Emniro Exhibition to incease the knowledge, of the varied re B.mrces of the Empire and stimulate inter-imperial trade.” UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM. The speech expressed the gravest concern in regard to unemployment, and urged that, in view of the country’s non-acceptance of recent proposals, which, in the judgment of Ministers. would materially contribute to the solution of the problem, the House of Commons should Im? invited to assent:—Cl) To the extension and amendment of trade facilities and export credit schemes ; (2) to the proposal of the Economic Conference for epeditIng and assisting the execution of certain public enterprises in the Empire by the grant,of financial aid from the public funds; and (3) to the extension of contributions towards the cost of public utility works undertaken by local authorities or statutory and private corporations. The House of Commons was asked to assist by providing work in the shinbuilding industry by the immediate construction of cruisers and auxiliary craft in anticipation of the naval programme ; that steps be taken. to develop the existing system of juvenile unemployment centres and to provide for increased facilities in general and technical education. OTHER PROPOSALS. Ministers propose, the Speech continued. to summon a conference, repreBentiiig all interested in agriculture and all political parties, with the object of arriving at an agreed policy by which the acreage of arable land may be maintained and regular employment at an adequate wage be secured for the agricultural worker.

Bills will be introduced to improve the position of pre-war pensioners and to deal with the discouragement to thrift involved in the present system by means of a.limitation to the grant of old-age pensions. The Speech, inter alia, mentions Bills to amend the Factory Acts, and a proposal to increase activity under sections of the Housing Act, enabling workers to become owners of their homes. Measures are proposed to complete land purchase in North Ireland, and a guarantee of principal and interest on Hie ‘iinnds issued by the Government of the Irish Free State under the Land Act recently passed there. Obligation to alleviate the hardship caused by the former disturbances in Ireland is recognised. Proposals will bo submitted for the expansion of the Roval Air Force in connection with home defence. —Reuter. LABOUR AMENDMENT London, January 15. The Labour amendment to the to be moved bv Mr. J. R. Clvnes, is as follows:—“It is our duty respectfully to submit to Your Majesty that Your Majesty’s advisers have not the confidence of this House.” . The date on which it will be moved has not been fixed. —Reuter. SENTENCE OF DEATH LIBERALS TO SUPPORT THE LABOUR AMENDMENT (Rec. January 16, 10.55 p.m.) London, January 15. The division ousting the Government is expected on Monday night. Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Asquith have cemented a tacit agreement under which the Liberals will support the Labour amendment to the address. Lobby opinion agrees that the Labour Party is wise to frame its amendment in such a way that the Liberals can freely vote for it. It is noteworthy that Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Llovd George uttered the sentence of death, but without exultation. There were no flaming phrases or high pitched war whoops. Mr. Baldwin also preferred to leave the hard hitting for the no-confidence debate. The most important part of Air. MacDonald’s speech, apart from the terms of the no-confidence motion, was a passage dealing w‘th the Imnerial Conference. He said that Ire regretted that the movers of the address had associated himself w’th the claim that if the Dominion Premiers met our Government in conference this Parliament was under an obligation to accent the cnnterenrc’s recommendations. Mr. MaoD-.nnVl de<inr : he<l Ibis ns subversive of Bri*- : sb ri"hte of se’f government. In tlie King’s Sneech a verv interesting attempt had been made to implv that the pledges which the Government gave the Dom-ninns at the Conference were given. without n departure from the existing fiscal system of th’s counter. “It is a tricky sort of expression.” bo said. “I nm not go’ng in for log chopping, but if Ministers are going to extend a small beginning which was never accepted as a svstem. but a>t an exception to a system, the extension of on extension becomes a new svstem. We nre all onnosod to a. tax on food and when food has been always taxed for revenue nurnoses that is the only justification' alleged. Then one nice day | romething preens in and we lav this down —where food is already taxed—for revenue, that part which comes from the Domhrons may be subject to a rem’ssion of tn ration for Dominion purposes.”—Aus -N T Gehle Assn. London, January 15. In the House of Commons Mr. MacDonald asked that the proposals of tlie Imperial Conference be submitted to a free vote of the Commons.— Router. . I IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS THE LIBERALS “RECKLESS GAMBLE” (Rec. January 16, 7.50 p.m.) London, January 16. In the House of Lords, Viscount Grey said that the effect of the political situation on foreign affairs was lamentable. It could only be bettered if the three party system remained by an arrangement by which the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs would take the leaders of the other two parties into his confidence, so that he could say that on the general lines of his policy the country was behind him. Tho King might find himself in a position in which a Prime Minister with a minority in the House of Commons mglit advise a dissolution, and the House of Commons bv a large majority might pass an address praying the King to withhold a dissolution. All parties should find a way to prevent the King being placed in such an invidious position.. Earl Curzon said that if a Labour Government pursued a foreign policy consistent with the dignity and. inter-

ests of the country, there would be no fractious opposition from the Conservatives, but if tho violent proposals of Labour were submitted to Parliament the House of Lords would remember that it was their duty to conserve the principles which lay at the root good government and society itself. Viscount Haldane asked» their lordships not to be alarmed at tho prospect of a Labour Government. There was no fear of revolutionary laws being passed. Earl Birkenhead asked the House mot to accept Viscount Haldane’s smooth and easy assurances'. No more reckless gamble was ever undertaken bv the Liberal leaders than their proposed action in the present crisis. TV this decision tho Liberals had sounded their knell of doom. The House agreed to the Address-in-Reply speech.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' ROYAL HOUSEHOLD VACANCIES TO BE FILLED London, January 15. “The Tinies,” in a leader, says:— “Wh6n Mr. MacDonald is summoned to form a Government ho will have to consider' how certain offices in the Royal Household are to be filled. The simplest and best solution of the problem seems for him to leave the filling of these posts to tho .unfettered personal choice of the King. The old reason why this choice could not be left to the Crown no longer exists. There was a time when household appointments were used as a means of recruiting the King’s friends in Parliament, when those who held them were sometimes employed in intrigue against the King’s Ministers. All dangers and. abuses of that kind are long past. Tlie King would choose whom he thought host fitted for the posts.' and future Ministries would be relieved from the temptation of assigning them to nbc’-hiinters and using them for strengthening nnrtv interests. Should Mr. MacDonald think proper te make the change, it is hoped that no successor of his would find it desirable to reverse so natural a reform.” — “The Times.” CITY OF LONDON SEAT (Rec. January 16, 5.5 p.m.) London, January 15. The Conservative Association . has unanimously adopted Sir Vansittort Bowater as Conservative candidate for the City of London by-election caused by the elevation of Sir Frederick Bainbury to the Peerage—Reuter.