IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 310, 5 December 1912, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

HOME RULE BILL. [PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT.] London, Dee. 4. There was a listless debate on clauses 27 and 28. The former was only briefly discussed and the latter was guillotined without discussion and passed. Sir Edward Carson’s amendment to clause 27 to secure that judges should be appointed by the King was negatived. Sir Rufus Isaacs said the Government had prepared an amendment to clause 29 to enable the Exchequer Board, in addition to the Lord Lieutenant and Secretary of State, to obtain the Privy Council’s decision whether any Irish legislation was ultra vires. AUSTRALIAN CABLE RATES. London, Dec. 4. The Hon. H. Samuel, PostmasterGeneral, in reply to Air. Harry Lawson, said the terminal charges in Australia prevented a larger reduction in cable rates. HARMFUL OPPORTUNISM. London, Dec. 4. Air. Balfour, addressing the City branch of the Primrose League, said the Government’s policy was more harmful to the Commons than to the Crown or the Lords. After buying the Irish and Welsh votes, they had now designed a franchise to mitigate the country’s verdict.

INDIAN LOAN SCANDAL. London, Dec. 4. Air. Stuart Samuel, M.P., gave evidence before the committee that the silver purchases were entirely conducted by his partner. Witness personally was not cognisant of the transaction. A ring existed in India to buy up silver. His firm was the only one unconnected with it, and therefore the India Office employed it to make secret purchases. PAYMENT OF TRADE MEMBERS London, Dec. 4. The committee on the Trades Unions Bill refused to accept the amendment which Sir R. Isaacs had adopted allowing trade unions to pay their members of Parliament. Sir R. Isaacs said that trade unions ought to be allowed to manage their own affairs. The Conservative members supported it on the ground that it would make the reversal of the payment of members easy.