BRITISH POLITICS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 25 November 1908, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE ENGLISH LICENSING BILL. THE HOUSE OF LORDS. It is expected that the English Licensing BUI will receive rough treatment at the hands of .the House of Lords, despite the threat made by iur Birrell in a recent speech, to the effect that the Peers would b;i treading on very dangerous ground if they rejected the -'Bill. - From reiterated declaration by the Prime Minister, it would (wrote Mr H. W. Lucy in the "Sydney Telegraph" recently) appear to be a rightful conclusion that rejection of the Licensing Bill by the House of Lords will be folowed by immediate dissolution. More than once Mr Asquith has emphatically declared that the political fortunes of himself and his Jilinistery are inextricably bound up with the fate of the measure. That is in obvious, inevitable fact. But he has never mentioned a specific time when he would bring the matter to an issue. In this respect bis habit differs , significantly from that of his predecessor in the Premiership. Sir Henry Qanmbell-Bannerman was definite in his frequent threat of dissolution if the Lords persisted in flouting the will 01 the majority in the Commons. When, at the close of the session of last year, the Lords threw out the two Scottish Land Bills, C.-8., amid enthusiastic cheers from his audience, announced that in the following session they would be -re-intrtodticed in precisely the same form, and that, if the Lords again rejected them, the country would forthwith be apealed to to decide which is to be the predonftnant partner in "the legislative firm. The | Bills were duly brought in again early this year, and the Lords persisted in rejecting them. But a new Premier was enthroned in Downing-street, and not only did nothin ghappen, nothing was threatened.