THE LIBERAL SPLIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 15

THE LIBERAL SPLIT.

LORD ROSEBERY LEAVES THS PARTY. A REMARKABLE LETTER. A SPEECH BY LORD ROSEBERY. PROBABLE FORMATION OF A NEW PARTY. THE ASQUITH BANQUET. LONDON, July 17. A remarkable letter has been received by the City Liberal Club from Lord Rosebery, declaring that he would never voluntarily re-enter party politics. The cleavage of the party was permanent, not glossable by phrases. The evolution of Imperial feeling produced irreconcilable divergencies. It was not possible to conduct a party on the principle o) Issachar. Liberals would only become a power when their minds were made up on Imperial questions. The whole Empire had rallied over the war. The Liberals took an impossible attitude ol neutrality. An open mind spelt impotence. "The Daily i\ews urges the Liberals not to listen to Lord Ro?ebery's wreck ing counsels. Strong appeals are being made to Lord Rosebery to promote a National Liberal party. Sir Edward Grey, speaking at Peterborough, declared that Lord Rosebery ought to return -to the arena of politics. July 20. Lord Rosebery, speaking at the City Liberal Club, described Mr Labouchere's meeting at the Queen's Hall as a lunatic reform club. He said the proceedings were a piece of organised hypocrisy. Lord Rosebery, in his speech, justified the opportuneness of his letter. The schism in the Liberal party was traceable far less to Irish thau Imperial questions, and dated from the murder of General Gordon. Could any party aspiring to the confidence of the people maintain an open mind on a question which stabbed at the very heart of the Enrpire ? If sound on the question of Empire, the Liberals would be able to proceed with domestic reform, for which the country was ripe. He hoped for such a party of reform freed from entangling alliances, and purged from all anti-national elements, comprising some of the Unionists. Meanwhile, owing to divisions, he still preferred to plough the furrow alone • but before he reached the end of the furvow he possibly would not be alone. The speech was received with enthusiastic cheers. Both the letter and the speech have caused a tremendous sen sation. The Liberals believe Lord Rcsebery contemplates establishing a Democratic Imperialist party. Mr Asquith, at the banquet tendered to him, made a comparatively tame speech, being still under the influence of a possible compi*omise. The speech was chiefly restricted to generalisations. He declared that the Imperialists were able to hold their own equally easily inside or outside a Liberal party which recognised an Empire worth living and dying for.