HOME RULE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10753, 28 April 1911, Page 4

HOME RULE.

THE VETO BILL. [By ELEcrmo Telegraph— Copyright.] (Peb Pbess Association.) Received April 27, at 11.5 p.m. London, April 27. The Times forecasts that the Veto Bill will be read a second time in the House of Lords before the Coronation. Unionist amendments will be proposed after the Coronation with a view of excluding Home Rule from the operation of the Bill. Moderate Liberals hope' if these matters are discussed after the Coronation a reasonable spirit will be displayed. One of the mast curious features of the situation is the lack of interest or excitement in the eountry reported by members of the House of Commons on both sides, who have been recently in touch with their constituencies. The explanation is that the altering of the constitutional machinery affects the electorates only indirectly, and interest- will be aroused only by measures passed through the altered machinery. Received April 27, at 9.30 p.m. London, April. 27. In the House of Commons Mr Asquith informed Mr N. Craig that he was unable to undertake the reform of the House of Lords before introducing the Home Rule Bill.

THE REFERENDUM DEFEATED London, April 27.

In the Veto debate Mr G. Cave's amendment providing that after a Bill had been passed three times in the House of Commons and rejected by the House of Lords, it be submitted to a. referendum, was negatived by 286 to 164.; Sir H. Samuel declared that unless constantly used it would become intolerable.

Mr Balfonr emphasised that it should only be used on great and" rare occasions. The referendum was the more necessary because the party system was getting more rigid. Mr Asquith declared that the referendum amendment was more revolutionary than anything which had been submitted to the House. He deprecated casting upon the people the burden of deciding what their representatives were sent to decide.

FINANCIAL SIDE OF HOME RULE. • London, April 27. Lord Macdonnell, at the Galway College inquiry, declared that, the financial relations were important, inasmuch as a lasting agreement was possible only by an inquiry prosecuted with justice and a full knowledge of the facts.' The Government had begun to consider the principles of devolution and Home Rujg, and if a settlement of the Home Rule question was desirable, the completion of the land question was equally so. Three courses were possible: the Government might await the rehabilitation of British credit or share with the selling landlords the depreciation of the three per centum stocks, or, as he preferred repeat the offer embodied in the Bill of 1909 to pay cash, provided the landlords accepted the principle of compulsion.