BRITISH POLITICS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 8999, 23 January 1906, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

LIBERALS STILL KEEP AHEAD. PRESENT STATE OF THE PARTIKS. [PEESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received January 22, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, January 22. The state of the parties now is : — Liberals 253 Labor 41 Nationalists 77 Unionists 114 THE VOICE OF LABOR. (Received January 22, 11.7 p.m.) LONDON, January 22. Mr Mac Donald, Seoretary of Labor, said that Labor's , great immediate object was to get an understanding with the Labor democratic parties of the colonies in order to protect the Empire against the British jingo classes. "Our motto," he said, "should be the preservation of the Empire in the interests of peace and democratic justice all round." He proceeded to say that Mr Chamberlain's speech at Wellington appealed to the polled constituencies to fight a good rearguard action and enable their constituencies to collect therr scattered forces to prevent the defeat from becoming a rout. SPEECH BY MR ASQUITH. THE SOUTH AFRICAN QUESTION. • (Received January 22, 11.7 p.m.) LONDON, January 22. Mr Asquith, speaking °at Longbanic, Renfrewshire, said that the Government intended to give the Transvaal and the Orange Free Colony the earliest possible management of their internal affaire. "I{ we ieft the colonies) absolute fiscal freedom there would," he said, "be no risk of . serious friction, either between, the Motherland and the colonies, or between one i dependency and another." 1 THE FISCAL QUESTION; 1 (Received January 22, 9.46 p.m. ) • ! LONDON, January 22. Mr Austin Ctiamßerlain,' speaking at Worcester, said tariff reformers had fou-kl ■ their Mount Ararat at Birmingham, and would rest until the flood subsided, ohen people the country with Unionist ideas. FURTHER RETURNS. LONDON, January 22. Wishing to strike at the father through his 6on the Nationalists directed one j thousand Irish voters at Midlothian to vote I against Lord Dalmeny, son of Lord Rosebeiy. Revolutionists in Dublin South oppose Mr. Long and prefer to support the Nationalists. At Romford J. H. Bethel (Liberal) , secured 21,534. and Sinclair 12.670. Liberal Gains : — Stowmarket: Hardy. Knutsford : A. J. King. Reigate: Crodie. t Elected : Down East : Craig (Unionist) defeating \ [ Wood, a Russellitef. Launcestor: C. Marks. Liberals re-elected : Chippenham: Dickeon and Poynder. Banff; Black. Wansbeck : Fenwick. Saffron Walden: Joseph Pease. Forfar : John- Sinclair. Kincardine: Crombie. CAUSE OF LABOURITES' SUCCESSES. The Laborites attribute their success to systematic reorganisation afteT the Taff Vale judgment. , ' 1 1 PANIC IN A CHURCH. EIGHTEEN PEOPLE KILLED. [PBESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received January 23, 8.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, January 22. A cry of fine caused a panic in a colored Baptist congregation at Philadelphia. The staircase collapsed and eighteen were killed and forty injured. tewcw: r-^FBWB**^ I^*- — *<? — * SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS. ANXIETY AT JOHANNESBURG. j [PBESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received January 23, 8.56 a.m.) ; CAPETOWN, January 22. There ia anxiety at Johannesburg at ' the reported intention of the Government \ to alter the constitution and give the Boers greater power. A great public meeting is threatened.