BRITISH POLITICS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 26 November 1908, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE LICENSING BILL AND THE LOEDS. PEESB COMMENTS AND ADVICE. ' (Received Nov. 26, 8 30 a m ) LONDON, Wednesday. The "Mall" and ''Standard" sug gest that Mr Asqiuth is secretly glad that the Licensing Act is dead. The "Chronicle" and tho "Daily News" loudly protest against fhe Unionist peers'^action, and revive Mr Lloyd ,Geoxge J a* threatß of high h cense duties. "Thft Tunes" urged Mr Asqiuth to withdraw tire confiscatory proposals, to pursue moderation, as in the Edu cation Bill, and to adopt minor regulative and administrative provisions. The -paper adds that the Lords may then willingly join in. quickening the operation of Mr Balfour's Act The "Westminster Gazette" says that tho Government must advance on an alternative line oi taxation which will automatically reduce public houses and secure the nation's rights in thv liquor monopoly. The "Pall Mall Gazette" declares that the Lords "-stand as the champions of public opinion against a. do tested measure which the nominal representatives of the United Kingdom are trying to f^orce up&g, the community. '* ' The "Daily News" declares that ii is possible to raise £7,000,000 yearly by increasing liquor taxaton. to the American level. -• The "Daily Chronicle" advocates a tax of a penny in the £on land values yielding £22,500,000 a year. In the Hous^, of Commons a Bill was introducecT'by Mr W. M. Field (Nationalist) providing methods for identifying all imported meat, whether fresh or frozen, and thereby ensuring -that it shalTnot be sold as native pro 'duce. "» The Bill was read a first time. "" Mr Buxton," Postmaster General, speaking at Ilford, said that what ever might happen to Government "*■ 'nii&sures, the House of Lords would not dictate to the Government when ii shonld dissolve Parliament .