IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2862, 20 January 1909, Page 26

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

SPEECH BY MR CHURCHILL. LONDON, Januaiy 1A Mr Win ■'ton Chmchill. .^pepking at Birmingham, said he le^retted that the gieat home of militant Radicalism li.kl fallen into t'n'j »np of a narrow minded .•-et of Liberal Unionist politician-- without a single gtneiou-. piinciple of th-e Government. He did not deny that recent bye-elections Ind involved a -ensible reaction of feeling of an «nfavomable character, but lie said that Mich tlsciion-, weir insuflicient to deflect the Government's policy one hair's-bieadth. The Groveinment would only dissolve at a time which was most advantageous to the general interest of the progressive cause. He lidiculed the air of solemn humbug with which Lord Lan<-dovino habitually invested the proceedings of the Hoii=e of Lord-, and <=;>id that an effective and faileaclnng lefoim of the House of Lords must be the i.-suo at the igeneral election. Whatever tl.o icsuk was no Liberal (.■overrun frit would at any futuie time a^imie ofiice without secuvhig guarantees tint the ii-foriu vould be carried out. After claiming that the Government hi-1 done Miuch legislatively and that it w^- abe to do mujh more, Mr Chuichill (h;'H?n>.cd the House of Lords to force a ■diwjluticn by rejecting the next Budget if it rca'ly d-c-.-iied a cpeedy appeal to tlie countiy. Personally he would be quite content to «cc the battle fought as speedily a= pj--ible upon the plain and simple issue of aihiocratic mle against

representative government, between a le version to Protection and the maintenance of Freetrade, between a tax on bread and a tax on — well, never mind what. This statement was greeted with, laughter. January 16. The Spectator ?ays that for brazen political impudence, flagrant paradox, and unblushing sophistry Mr Winston Ci urchiU's Birmingham speech would be haid to beat. A BYE-ELECTION. LONDON, January 17. Mr F. A. Ne^deigate (taiiff reformer) wa«. elected unopposed for Tamworth, vice Sir P. A. Muntz (Unionist), deceased.