BRITISH POLITICS.

Mataura Ensign, 18 March 1910, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

I CABLE NEWS.

■I KLECTBIC TELEGRAPH COFTRIGUT. FSR 09TITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.

!the question of the hour. REFORM OF THE LORDS LONDON, March 17. Lord Curzou (ox-Viceroy ol India, ntinuing the debate in tile House ol irds on Lord Hosebery's inct'cr iphasised the footing of respect lerewith tin l House of Lords wai •w«l jn the colonies as a benigr jiisc t.'here the colonies' case was ited with experience, regarded symtlietically. and ju<ln<-<I with authorr. How much more, lie asked, wai is the case in an ancient and aristoitic country like India, throughout lich the Lords were regarded with ormons ven- ncion and respects' Ixirt. irzon add.u that one-fourth of ilk >u.;o snt as a result of their own norab!- 'ti'jtis. He had no symthy witi. iimlarlv-elected Se<om! am*" i, I\k lavoreil rooting the lUsf deep r in the democracy 1/ r.l Bur also supporting tlie dilution, advocis'ed limiting the veto. Earl Cromer (cx-High Commissioner Er> I't) said the House of Lords mid retain their powers intact. Uird Halsburv (ox-lxird High Chancel- ) severely criticised I<ord llos»-iiiT.v'i olution, but was willing that tli use should go into committee. Sari Crewe (Secretary of State f ! Colonies) and the Marquis of La".rne (Leader of the Opposit..m> con lied the debate to-day. t is understood the Lords will tnk resolutions in committee licxi we:>k »n they will adopt the first two, conTing tho third after Easter. LORD CURZON'S PROPOSALS. Received March 18, 9.45 a.m. LONDON, March 17. 'he newspapers interpret Lord Cur's proposals to mean (1) The nominin of an undisclosed number of peers the Government of the day; (2) the :tioi¥*of English peers should he conted on the same principle as the J h and Scottish peers are chosen; (3) t the county councils and great corations should' be formed into elegit colleges to select 84 representa•s to the Upper House. A MINISTER IN DISFAVOR. Received March 18, 8.45 a.m. LONDON, March 17. issatisfaction with the recent speech lir Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary) ncreasing. The Liberals complain S he has dispelled the hopes of adinij the difficulties with the Noralis ts. ir Kdward Grey's declaration that Government intends bo ..proceed i the reform of the House of LordE xtremcly distasteful to the Labor ty. r Kdward Grey, in a speech at a ■ral banquet in the City, said if the rm of the House of Lords was left he other sido the Liberals would be irting disaster, death and damna- ." The solution would be an elecChamber, elected not necessarily iltaneously with the House of Coms and not from the same area. The ■rnment, Sir Edward stated, was rmined to re-impose tho Budget s, as by them they would stand or SPRINGING A SURPRISE. Received March 18, 8.45 a.m. LONDON, March 17. le 'British Weekly' complains that Government intends to spring upor. nation a scheme for reforming the se of Lords and the introduction of Budget together with the certaintj lefeat and that the Cabinet is apntly determined not to approach Kiijtg on the matter, file enthusiasm of the Noncouformfor the Government is," the papei hides, "nearly worn out."

MINISTERS AND THE LORDS. I&ceivcd March 18. 8.45 a.m. LONDON, March 17. The 'Standard' (Conservative) state that Sir Edward Grey (Foreign Secretary), Mr Haldanc (Secretary lor War) Viscount Wolverhampton (President ol the Council), Mr McKenna (First of the Admiralty) and the Earl ol Crowe (Secretary for the Colonies) insist on combining the reform of the House of liOrds with the limitation ol the power of veto. . "A ROTTEN POLICY." Received March 18. 8.40 a.m. LONDON, March 17. Mr J. E. Redmond (leader of the Nationalists) speaking at Newcastle complained of the "rotten policy of the Government," and declared that Sii Edward Grey's speech on Monday showed that the Government proposed to relax its grip upon the Budget before the question of the veto was settled. THE MINISTRY'S IDEA. LONDON, March 17. The 'Times' Parliamentary correspondent itatcs that the Ministry favors a Second Chamber of 150, but the method of electing the senators is still under discussion. The present intention is that half the Senate should be elect' «1 for eight years and half for four. ELECTION IN A FEW WEEKS. LONDON, March 17. Mr J. E. Redmond (leader of the re-united Nationalists), speaking at Newcastle, said ho was perfectly sure there would be a general election in n f.'u weekfe AND LIBERALISM. LONDON, March 16. In electing Mr Gibbins, a magistrate, as a candidate in the Lilicra' interest for Mid-Glamorgan, the Liberals bitterly protester against the Master of Elibank advising them not to oppose the Labor Party. The Master of Elibank (chief whip) replied that the South Wales Miners' Federation repeatedly resolved to abstain from a contest while Messrs Thomas and Evans adhered to the general political programme of the federation. Dut whenever a vacancy occurred they contacted the seat against all comers.