IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 24

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

LONDON, May 8. Mr Wyndham, in a strenuous speech, moved the 1 ejection of the Education Bill. Sir H. H. Fowler intimated that \he Government would adhere . to the two fundamental principles of public control and abolition of tests. The debate was adjourned. Mr Keir Hardie protested against the exclusion of the Labour party from membership of the committee set up to inquire into the housing of the working classes. Mr G. Whitley, Secretary of the Treasury, replied that the favoured treatment previously given to the Labourites Tvho sat in Opposition was now given to the labourites on the Government side. He added that it was not intended to sacrifice the interests of the latter Labourites in order to placate the Labourites who sat opposite to them. The Premier (Sir H. Canrpbell-Banner-man), replying to Air J. B. Lonsdale (U.), said it was not intended to dissolve Parliament after abolishing plural voting, which was not a reform of the first magnitude. May 9. The Colonial Marriages Bill has been introduced into the House of Commons by Lord Elgin and read a first time. , v ,„, - In the House of Commons Mr Winston Churchill, in' Answering *Mr Ashley, said that the Government did not see any reason for disallowing the New Zealand Maori Land Settlement Act of 1905. It did not infringe the Treaty of Waitangi, which gave no satisfaction whatever to the Maoris. The Standing Committee on the Workmen's Compensation Bill has decided against the Government's proposal to reduce from seven to three days the period during which the employer shall not be liable for injury to his workmen. The transfer of the most important functions of the Central Conservative Association to the National Union of Conservatives Association is regarded as a fresh victory for Mr Chamberlain and the Tariff Reformers. Speaking during the Education Bill debate, Mr Lloyd-George declared that the Democracj- had come to the conclusion that clericalism was its enemy, and that the old sectarian differences between Protestants had become largely artificial. It was the State's business to train and discipline the children's consciences on the basis of Christian morality. The debate on the Education Bill created the impression that Mr Birrell will make the three-fourth clause mandatory upon the authorities, instead of permissive. May 10. In the House of Commons Mr Henry Vivian's (L.) strong resolution favouring a reduction in armaments was accepted by Sir Edward Grey, who expressed the hope that it would influence other Parliaments. The motion was adopted without dissent, on Sir E. Grey's declaration that Great Britain would take the initiative at The Hague Conference, though what it was able to do at The Hague depended on the response of other nations. During the discussion on the Education Bill Mr Bryce (Secretary for Ireland) admitted that the Catholics had a special case and were entitled to some concession. He added,, in general terms, that -the Government approached the question with an open mind, and would send the bill to the committee to consider any amendments in conformity with its main principles. Mr Chamberlain said that if the Government yielded the Catholics' claims they would be retaining tests and abolishing popular control. Any concessions made to them could not be withheld from others. The principle of State control of religious instruction was opposed to every Free Church principle. Mr Chamberlain added that the only proper settlement of the difficulty was the parental choice of religious teaching, and the State to allow the teachers, without tests, to volunteer to give that teaching without the State paying for It. May 11. In the House of Commons the Education Bill was read a second time by 410 votes to 204. The opposition included four Labourites and 78 Nationalists. Mr T. H. Sloan (Independent Conservative) voted with the Government, and 14 Irish Unionists abstained from voting. Mr Asquith repeated a statement to the effect that the Government was willing to listen to a reasonable amendment in Committee regarding matters of detail. The Times save that the bill inflicts a graver religious disability than any it pretends to remove. The Government does not show the least sign of realising this, but the principle of complete popular control is in a pailous case. The principle of no tests is now interpreted as allowing the authorities to satisfy themselves that the teachers undertaking religious teaching are qualified to give it. The Government will also finally find it impossible to disqualify teachers giving the religious teaching which they desire to ' give, and generally to limit all other facilities in favour of a single type. A committee has been appointed, with Lord Esher as chairman, to inquire as to the best means to organise the auxiliary forces into a territorial army in accordance with Mr Haldane's speech of March 8. In the House of Lords Baron Ellen- . borough said that the Board of Trade j principle was in substantial agreement with most of the recommendations of the Federal Commission on the Navigation BilL S"m.e of them merely sunjjlemeated .

the proposals before the Imperial P-arlia-nient. Should the Commonwealth agreo , to a conference, as proposed by the Imperial" Government, the Board of Trade would be ' enabled to consider what result legislation on the lines of the commission's finding would have on the shipping and commerco of Biitain. After the Labourites had received a reluctant assent from Mr ' Herbert Gladstone, the Standing Committee eliminated .' the clause in the Workmen's Compensation Bill providing 'that'' it should nbt applywhere the number of employees did not exceed five. In the House of Commons a bill was introduced by Sir J. T. Brunner with the object of reducing the hours of labour in coal mines' to eight per day by the year 1909. The bill was read a second time on tho understanding that .the Government would appoint a committee to inquire into the economic effects of the measure. j ' , May 12. 1 The Rev. Dr Ingram (Bishop of Loudon}, in addressing a great mass meeting of churchmen in the Albert "Hall, said that the Education Bill was unfair. It practically confiscated the purpose for which, , church schools were built, and if it gave Q, separate favoured treatment to the Roman Catholic Church that would be its crowning unfairness to Anglicans. .Unless the bill was drastically altered it would be^ fought from Parliament to Parliament until justice was done.