BRITISH POLITICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5731, 28 October 1905, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

SPEECH BY LORD ROSEBERY

ISSUES AT THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION.

AN EMPHATIC ADDRESS. LONDON, October 30,

Lord Rosebery, speaking at Stourbridge, said bo would placo the question of education as an issue at the next election. Ho called for a frank and clear declaration from the Liberal loaders regarding the future of Ireland. Tho Liberal leaders must cither declare Home Rule outside the compass of the possibilities of tho next Parliament or they must make it tho supremo question at tlio elections. Any middle policy of placing Homo Rule in tho position of a reliquary, and only exhibiting it occasionally, like saints’ relics, would not earn sympathy or success in Britain.

In emphasising the need of efficiency in administration and tho need of a swinging majority to restore the real power and authority of tho House of Commons! Lord Rosebery urged that it would bo the first duty ot tho Liberals . to overhaul very thoroughly tho national expenditure. He believed that when tho colonies meditated on Britain's enormous expenditure they would think once, twice, or thrice before they would ask Britain to play fiscal tricks or tax tho food of tho pooplo on which so heavy an encumbrance rested.

“They might,” ho added, “find in 190 G a decrepit Government or a Government so new that it would have insufficiently mastered tho questions tor discussion, but whenever tho colonics came to ns iu conference—-and tho date rested with, tho wishes of the colonics—they could rest assured of a hearty welcome and an unrestrained hearing.” Lord Rosebery concluded by uttering a note of warning in regard to foreign relations, though he was glad for the sake of continuity of the present policy that tho Opposition leaders had supported tho agreement with Franco.