BRITISH POLITICS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 314, 23 November 1910, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE GENERAL ELECTION. By Telegraph. —Press Association.—Copynj-in, London, Monday. The dissolution of Parliament will be announced on Monday. 28th November. The elections will begin on Saturday, 3rd December. The latest borough elections will be concluded by December Bth and the latest country elections (excluding Orkney and Shetland) by December 17th. The Government's critics complain that there is no justification for a dissolution, as the House of Lords have never seen the Bill which they are accused of refusing tc adopt. Contrary to precedent the Government is using the expiring register (voters' roll), when by waiting a few weeks longer they could have had a better and more representative register. BONAR LAW ON THE LORDS.

Received November 22, 10.30 p.m. London. Yesterday. Mr Bonar Law, Unionist M.P., speaking at North-West Manchester, advocated a reform of the House of Lords, enabling its constitution to gradually meet the changed conditions of a changed world. Optimists preferred reform to revolution. He was not an extreme tairff reformer, but was in earnest, and desired any necessary change to be as little revolutionary as possible. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN SPEAKS. DUTY ON FOREIGN WHEAT. COLONIAL TO ENTER FREE. Received November 22, 10.30 p.m. London, Yesterday. Mr Austen Chamberlain, M.P., in a letter to Mr Bernard, Unionist candidate for North Bucks, states that the maximum duty on wheat proposed by tariff reformers is sixpence a cwt., or two shillings a quarter on foreign wheat only. He added they propose that home grown and colonial wheat shall be free and the figures named should not be exceeded. It was desirable to encourage the importation of whole grain, instead of "flour, to enable the milling to be done here, and give farmers the offals to feed stock. The duty on flour should be proportional and somewhat higher than that on wheat. THE "TIMES'" VIEW. "PASS YOUR OWN RESOLUTIONS." "SPECTATOR" SAYS PASS THE

VETO BILL. Received November 22, 6.40 p.m. London, Yesterday. The "Times" recommends the Lords to pass their own resolutions dealing with reform, thus frustrating the action of the Liberals in suppressing discussion. The "Spectator" urges conservative concentration, subordinating everything to the reform of the Lords. It recommends the Lords to pass the Veto Bill intact, with a clause providing for a referendum before it comes into operation.

TRUE INWARDNESS OF SITUATION. MR. REDMOND'S FEARS. Received November 23, 9.15 a.m. London, Yesterday. The '"'Times" says that the country will do well to remember that the true inwardness of the situation is to be found, not in the neatly exressed generalities of Mr Asquith, but in appeals to the primitive instincts by Mr Lloyd-George. All this fiery haste to rush into a general election is due to Mr Redmond's fears that he will never again catch the English parties so evenly matched. LORDS REMARKABLE WORK. MORE IN 5 DAYS THAN 50 YEARS. London, Yesterday. The "Westminster Gazette" considers that the House of Lords has done more in five days to undermine the old order than in the previous fifty years, thus proving the justification of the Government's policy. The landowners' scheme calls for a definition of the proportion in which each House shall meet in a joint sitting and the definition of other questions of great gravity. The new Earl Spencer has a weakness for very high collars, and at one political meeting he was addressing, an ill-mannered member of the audi ence shouted., "Tell us 'off you get ; into them collars." Without a mo- : ment's hesitation the new Earl re- ' plied, "friend, you are much mis- | taken if you think I shall lose a single ! vote by your being rude." After the ! meeting the interrupter expressed his ! regret and said, "I have always voted j 'blue' before, but you shall have my vote this time."