HOME RULE AND THE LORDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14923, 22 February 1912, Page 7

HOME RULE AND THE LORDS

THE CENSURE* MOTION IiOST

ELECTIVE SECOND CHAMBER. THE PRECEDENCE DISPUTE. I GOVERNMENT'S MAJORITY 93. By Telegraph.— Association.— Copyright (Received, February 21, 9.45 p.m.) London, February 21. In the House of Commons to-day the debate was continued on the official Opposition amendment -to the Address-in-Reply, censuring the Government for proceeding to make great constitutional changes before carrying out its pledges to reform tke House of Lords. .... Emphasising the point that the Government, '* while not opposing a reformed second chamber, was giving Home Rule priority to reform of tho House of Lords, I Mr. Austen Chamberlain reminded the Liberals that when they had a majority in 1906 independent of the Irish party, the Cabinet bound itself not to present Home Rule in that Parliament. The Prime Minister, Mr. : Asquith, replied that the only definite statement regarding the time at which the reform of the House of Lords would be presented, was that the Government would carry it cut during the present Parliament. Everybody knew that the first use of the Parliament Act would be to carry Home Rule. The proper time to reconstitute the House of Lords would be after Ireland had been given freedom to deal with her own affairs on lines which were in the main adaptable to the other parts of the United Kingdom. It would be expedient to delay reform of the Lords until they knew the form that this constitutional development in Ireland would ! take. Then they would be better able to deal with the problem of the second chamber. In conclusion the Prime Minister appealed to the House to develop a system of self-government in Ireland on broad democratic lines. Mr. Bonar Law (Unionist Leader), declared that the granting of Home Rule to Ireland would bo fraught with danger. Two great democratic powers would not work side by side, without friction, and the country's interests might in wartime be fatally endangered. He intended to maintain in Parliament the charges he made in his speech at the Albert Hall, and the .additional charge that public meetings in connection with the Insurance Bill were paid for by public money. The Liberals during a-quarter of a century had never taken up Home Rule except when they were dependent upon the Irish vote. Mr. Alex. Ure (Liberal) said that the question raised was whether a second chamber should have power to force an appeal to the country. The Government had declared that the House of Commons must be supreme, and would in duo time pass a measure establishing a second chamber on an elective basis. The censure motion was negatived the voting being: Against the motion ... 324 For the motion. ... 231 Majority against ... 93 Sixty Irish Nationalists, also the Labour party, voted with the Government. Two Liberals abstained from voting. There were 37 pairs. After the 1906 election, at which the fiscal issue loomed largely, Mr. Asquith was reported as saying that to utilise a majority secured for free-trade, in order ,^ ri H ? mo Rulo > would be a piece of political dishonesty. Two general elecil^S?Jl la T? occurred since then. In the 1906 Parliament the Liberals had one of the largest majorities on record. Now they depend on the Irish Nationalist and Labour votes.