SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 19

SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

l CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE HOL'SE OF ', LORDS.

The Piinie Minister (ttn Henry Camp ! bell-Bannerman) said the Government h.id lullowed Unionist piecedents m 1897 and 1902 in not referring to the Colonial Conference. He fully realised the serious nature of the tdi,k which it was int-tnded to ask the House in due time to undertake against the House of Lords. For 20 years the Lords had been quiescent ami ready to accept whatever a Unionist i Government ofter-ed them. The House ot Lords had been called a watch-dog ; but after 20 years' somnolence there now came a period of ferocity. The Lords bad becoms unblushingly aggressive. Tlie Leader of the Opposition had always ready men, not elected, but born to suppoit him. He was aware he was opening an enoimous question, but the Government would not shrink. He was not sine tho pioblem ! was not easier of solution than many thought. Anyhow settled it must be, for ' the present state of tmngs was dangerous 1 and demoralising. Like every self- ' governing colony, the liish were entitled to the management of their own affairs. ' That was the larger policy he had pre- ' vioudy retried to. X "might not be 1 reasonable nor deniable to give a'l at , ' once, but the Government hoped to remove * the obviously objectionable features of the S present system in siuh a way as to leave 1 the larger policy open. The New Hebrides ' question had been discussed, rediscussed, 1 and rediscussed again with the colonies ' for five years, and no new policy had been ] sprung on them. The Government had to * make the best possible fight with a friendly foreign Power, and at the last they had to * tell the colonies, "We wiil protect your ' interests as far as we can, but there will * have to come a point when you will have l to take what you can get." Regarding A indentured labour, the Prime Minister T said : "We secured the best terms we ' r could get for the protection of the natives." J The Government intended to proceed further with the reform of the procedure of the House of Commons. HOME RULE, ifr Redmond said the Government wafi fi

pledged to deal with the Irish problem this session on lines leading to complete selfgovernment.