IMPERIAL POLITICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5557, 7 April 1905, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

CABLE NEWS.

UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION- —BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—COPYRIGHT.

A BY-ELECTION. GOVERNMENT DEFEAT. SENSATION IN PARLIAMENTARY CIRCLES. (Received April 6. 9.48 p.m.) LONDON, April 6. The by election for the Brighton scat in the House of Commons, necessitated by Mr G W. E. Loder accepting appointment as Junior Lord of the Treasury, in succession to Mr Ailwyn Fellowes, resulted as follows: — Mr E Viliiers (Liberal) ... 8209 Mr Loder (Conservative) ... 7392 Liberal majority ... 817 Tho defeat of Mr Loder has caused a termondous sensation in Parliamentary circles. In returning thanks to tho assembled crowd for his election, Mr Viliiers said tho result was no more than ho expected. for he believed in tho commonsense of Englishmen. He looked upon the result of the election as Brighton’s protest against tho Government, not as a personal matter. Mr Loder was as popular as ever - , but tire Government had sunk in public estimation. Mr Loder attributes his defeat largely to the Church Association turning over many votes on .religious questions associated with the Education Bill, and considers it also due to tho Chinese labour in tho Transvaal, and to the fiscal agitation. Sir Edward Clarke declares that tho result is chiefly due to the Churchmen’s Protestant party. Tho newspapers are unanimous in the opinion that the result of tho Brighton election is the worst blow the Government has yet received. Mr Gerald W. B. Loder has represented Brighton in the Conservative interest since 1889, when he defeated Sir- Robert Peel (a Gladstone Liberal) by 2507 votes. In 1892. be was again at the top of the poll, with a majority of 2359 over Sir W. T. Marriott (Conservative) and Mr F. W, Maude (Gladstone Liberal). In 1895 Mr Loder and Mr Wentworth (also a Conservative) were elected, tho Radical candidate (Sir J. Ewart) being _ defeated by 2408 votes. Mr John Kenslt (Conservative) —and famous for his advocacy of anti-Bitnalism, in connection with which he met a tragic death, being stabbed with a chisel during a riot—was a candidate for Brighton, but was beaten by Messrs Loder and Wentworth, Mr Loder again being placed at the top of tho poll. Mr Loder, who is forty-four years of age, belongs to a rich and clever family. lie man-led in 1890 the eldest daughter of the Duke of St. Albans. THE COMING ELECTION. DIR GLADSTONE’S ADVICE TO' THE LIBERALS. “ BE READY.” LONDON, April 6. Mr Herbert Gladstone, Liberal member for Leeds, has written to the Liberal agents of Lancashire and Cheshire that, the general election must come soon. Tho members of the Government, he says, merely to save their political skins, have adopted the oow'ardly and humiliating practice of absenting themselves when inconvenient questions arise. Mr Gladstone declares there is no precedent for such astonishing action. They dare not face the issues before them, even in the House of Commons, where they continue to crouch, not daring to face the storm which their misdoings and shortcomings have raised from one end of the country to tho other. “ This cannot last,” says Mr Gladstone, “so I say to you, ‘Be ready.’” THE SILENT POLICY. MINISTERS’ ABSENCE DURING FISCAL DEBATES. (Received April 6, 10.26 p.m.) LONDON, April 0. Replying in the House of Commons to a question by Mr James Bryce (Liberal member for Aberdeen and a former Liberal Minister), regarding the absence of Ministers during debates on motions regarding tb© fiscal question, Mr Balfour (the Prime Minister) said continuous debates on matters not immediately imminent brought Parliamentary proceedings into some ridicule. (Ministerial cheers.) He would have nothing more to do with them. (Further cheering.) "• Mr Bryoe: I will not ask more questions. lam perfectly satisfied with the existing state of things. THE ARMY ESTIMATES. ADVERSE CRITICISM. LONDON, April 5. In the House of Commons during the Army Estimates debate in Committee of Supply, there was much adverse criticism, inter alia, cm the proposed elimination of forty thousand volunteers. Mr H. O. Amold-Forster, Secretary of State for War, justified the general proposals in connection , with India’s requirements. ' It was proposed, with a view to ensuring an adequate reserve, to reduce the army, by reducing, not the units, but the establishments and cost of the units. H© declared that the volunteer force could advantageously be consolidate© and concentrated. He hoped to place it on a footing of unprecedented efficiency and contentment. In the voting on the Estimates the Government secured a majority of 43 vote. TAXATION OF FOOD. MOTION CARRIED BY DEFAULT. LONDON, April 5. The Government treated a motion by Sir J. F Lees© condemning taxation on food, which was carried unanimously, like previous propositions on the fiscal question, the Ministerialists abstaining from voting.