GOVERNMENT ANXIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15663, 17 July 1914, Page 7

GOVERNMENT ANXIETY.

CONFIDENTIAL CIRCULAR.

APPEAL TO LIBERALS,

SENSATIONAL RUMOUR.

SURRENDER TO ULSTER, By Telegraph— Association—Copyright. (Received July 16, 10 p.m.) London, July 16. The Chief Liberal Whip, Mr. Percy Illingworth, has confidentially circularised the Liberal members, stating that the fate of Bills under the Parliament Act is at stako. Any diminution of the Government majority held in the House of Commons would encourage the Opposition.

Mr. lllingworth adds that the constituencies demand that no Liberal should do anything by speech or action at this supremo moment which would weaken the Promier, when everything is at stake for which generations of Liberals have laboured.

Many Liberals havo protested against tho circular on tho ground of its speaking for a minority. Tho Unionist critics comme.nt on the oircular,, stating that it exhibits the anxiety, amounting almost to distress, with which tho Government is approaching tho crisis of its fortunes.

In tho House of Commons yesterday Mr. Asquith announced that ho proposed to put down the consideration of the Home Rule Amending Bill provisionally for Monday next. Tho Pall Mall Gazette is responsible for tho statement that tho Government intends to abandon the Homo Rule Amending Bill, withdraw the troops from Ulster, and allow tho provisional Government to keep order, collect tho taxes, and remit them to Whitehall, whence they will bo disbursed proportionately between Ulster and Dublin.

One hundred and fifty thousand rounds of ammunition consigned to Belfast were soized at Stockton-on-Tees to-day.