Straits of the Balfour Government.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7844, 23 May 1904, Page 8

Straits of the Balfour Government.

A Letter from a Member of the

House of Commons.

Apropos the bad time the Balfour Governmens is having in the House of Commons, a Wellington correspondent has ascertained that Sir Joseph Ward has lately received from a leading and experienced member of tbe Houso of Commons a letter, which throwi soma interesting light on ihesubjecr. The letter which is dated April 4, saya :—"Politic .1 matters are in a very disturbed state. 1 have always been a strong Chamberlainite. A year age, politics were very dull and uninteresting in England. There was no question to interest the best House of Commons for ten years I mean it contains a large number of welleo upped, weUmformed, and highly, educated young fellow than ever recorded. Now, thanks to Mr Chamberberlain, there is a great revulsion, and the political atmosphere is full of electrical energy. Through the defection of strong men, our front bench is rather weak. The advent of Lyttelton is, however, a'vvelutifn. He has already taken the leading place after Balfour, for he has shown himself very masterful and very strong, and has a manner of bluntly telling facts and giving commonsense explanations, which the Houso of Commons likes above everything. If we escape defeat over the Budget and the question; of licensed victuallers' compensation for closing their pubs, we will not dissolve until April of next year. Then it is certain the Opposiiion will have a majority of about one, or we will have one (so close is it calculated). Then the Irish will hold the balance. A second general election will rapidly follow within the year. This is certain. We are now fighting for time. Twenty-five per cent, of the votes east against us are not on free trade, but on education and Chinese cheap labour."