BRITISH POLITICS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 10 June 1907, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

I\\'y.i:ir.u Pucxi, AtViTMHiim.- Co:rHIHAI.j THi; IMI'/ KIAL PAttLIAHK.NT. 'I IIH liOCHKOFLCIUW. NAVAL COW lI.IfJUTIOKS. I.OMjON, fafor'lay. Ppeakine at llie cnferenve of 'lie Natiou'il Libeial Fc tr-rati.-jj _,t Piyrnout'i, Mr T. Shaw, K.C., Lord Adr<>cnte for Scotknd, in fifcrri-if v> lhe 110-i e of Lords. fniiJ tti<: ilie wan last, •ind it would be thu people's itruzvle for the masury of th-3 Coinimii!-. Sir > 11. C. Bannerman'a scheme would leave no beating about tJTfe bush. In t!ie evening meeting at the Drill i Hall. Sir If. C. Ilannerman, address-in" , a gathering of six thousand, declared tliat tlio harmony ot Ihe Liberal Party, ) both inside and outside tbe House, was I perfect, and never so great as at present ! It hail gained rathsr than lost in in- ' tensity. 'J be Lords bad been responsible for an enormous waste of time, And the ! succespi'on of blows by the Lords at the . authority of Hie Com moni-, though directed against particular measures, were '■. pa) tof a ganeral scheme for disc;edil- - ing any Liberal Government. The very existence of Liberalism as a power in ' the Slate depended on the struggle wheraon the Government was embarking. ' Sir H. C. BaDnerman added that if self-respecting Liberalism, with the ' country behind it, was unable to enforce ' its policy it had better go down in ' asserting its right3 than linger as the ' shadow of a Government. The Lords had abused tbeir powers within tbe Consirulion. and the Liberals in assigning them tbeir proper place vyere defending the Constitution, which the Lords are straining. Tho time for compromising, temporising, and expostulating had goce, and the Lords mnstbetolS that the people must be masters in their own house.. According _to accepted constitutional doctrine the last word ani ultimate supremacy rested with the Commons. The " Times " declares tbat tbe Government's {.lan, apparently, was in nowise to attempt to secure an expression of the permanent intentions of the people. Its plan was tbe putting of the , party majority of the Commons in a position of supremacy. This was nevor intended, and it would fundamentally alter the Constitution and' defeat the Government's professed objects. Reuler's correspondent at Capetown stat- s that it is understood that the Admiralty has agreed to naval coatri. buttons by the Cape and Natal being spent locally, a portion of tbe qpntfibntions to bo devoted to the upkeep of ships provided by the Admiralty, and the rest spent oa fniprovettent of the -defence and the establishment of n nncleus of a Colonial navy compored rf submarines or destroyers. Local legislation is to settle the arrangements and provide for tho service of volunteers anywhere abroad. Di Smartt, tho Cape Commissioner of Works, announces Ibat tbe Cape and Natal henceforth will act conjointly as if tho volunteers of th& two colonies wero a federal force.