BRITISH POLITICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3566, 18 July 1922, Page 19

BRITISH POLITICS.

HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM. LONDON, July 11. Lord Crawford, in the House of Lords, submitted the reform resolutions, which will be taken on Tuesday. They provide that the House of Lords shall be composed, in addition to peers of the blood royal, lords spiritual, and law lords, of members elected either directly or indirectly from outside hereditary peers by their fellow-peers, other members to be nominated by the Crown. The reconstituted House will consist of 350 members. Another resolution provides that while the House of Lords shall not amend or reject money Bills, the decision whether a Bill is a money Bill or not shall be referred to a joint standing committee of both Houses, consisting of seven members from each House. The Speaker of the House of Commons shall be the Chairman. The number of peers to be nominated by the Grown is to be fixed by statute. WIRELESS REGULATIONS. LONDON, July 10. In the House of Commons, Mr Baldwin (President of the Board of Trade) pror mised to inquire into cases of wireless inefficiency. This was suggested by a question by Mr Murray Macdonald that at least five vessels which were within range of the steamer Egypt when she sank missed the S.O.S. signals, and that 19 others were not “watching” at the time of the disaster. Mr Baldwin stated that 27 cases of alleged inefficiency had been reported since the adoption of the regulation regarding watchers, at present there was not sufficient evidence available to justify an amendment of the regulations. BRITISH SHIPPING REGISTER. LONDON, July 12. In the House of Commons, Sir* J. F. Flannery asked the Government to legislate to prevent ships from sailing under the British flag unless they are officered and manned by Britishers. This was in view of the number of such vessels which were owned and manned by foreigners, and were insured by British underwriters, being recently lost in circumstances suggesting international scuttling and stranding. Mr Baldwin (President of the Board of Trade) said that he had read reports of such cases, bat insistence on complete British manning would drive the vessels from the British register, and thus it would not be of national advantage. CONFERRING OF HONOURS. LONDON, July 13. Three hundred members of the * House of Commons have signed a motion, which will be debated on Monday, requiring the Government to appoint a committee of seven members of the House of Commons to join with a committee of the House of Lords to consider the present method of submitting names of persons for Honours for consideration by the King, and to report on changes desirable* in order to secure that such Honours shall only be given as a reward for public services. July 14. The Marquis of Lincolnshire, in writing to the Eastern Counties Liberal Federation on the Lords’ reform proposal, said : “Half the members of the House of Lords are asked to pole-axo themselves, which is not an easy thing to do. Does anyone think the House of Lords would agree voluntarily to knock half its number on the head?’.’ COTTON GROWING. LONDON, July 11. In the House of Commons, the Empire Cotton-growing Corporation Bill was read a first time. It provides for a levy of 6d on spinners for every 5001 b of cotton, the money to go to the funds of the corporation. TWO NEW CAPITAL SHIPS. LONDON, July 12. Lord Lee (First Lord of the Admiralty) announced in the House of Lords that the Government is proceeding with the construction of the two capital ships sanctioned under the Washington Agreement. It is possible to build them so that they will be reasonably proof against any attack. The cost would be £8,000,000 each. CRITICISM OF THE BUDGET. LONDON, July 14. On the third reading of the finance Bill, Mr Asquith said the Budget was

founded on conjecture and hope. -Although since the armistice nearly £l, lOC ,000,000 of war assets had been realised, ndne had gone towards reducing the debt. Instead the money had been treated as revenue. Colonel Wedgwood (Labour) sc id the Labour Party opposed the Budget on the ground that it benefited the rich at the expense of the poor. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir Robert Horne), in defending the Budget, said that Mr Asquith’s gloomy prognostications so far had been entirely falsified. Great Britain’s credit and the value of her currency stood higher than at any time since. 1914. He reminded the House that the Government had been obliged to meet war cheques in excess of the war assets. The request from America to consider the funding of our debt to her was one which would be completely met. The country’s floating debt had been reduced by £409,000,000 since July, 1921. Of this, £71,000,000 had been paid since March last. THE DIEHARDS. LONDON, July 15. The Conservative group, usually known as the “Diehards,” in Doth Houses elected Lord Salisbury as leader.