ENGLISH POLITICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9204, 22 July 1901, Page 3

ENGLISH POLITICS.

SPEECH BY LORD ROSEBERY. Eleotrio Telegraph— Copyright United Pre.. Association.) . LONDON, July 20. Lord Rosebery, speaking at the City Liberal Club, described _dr Labouchere's meeting at Queen's Hall as a Lunatic Reform Club. He said the proceedings were a piece of organised hypocrisy. Lord Rosebery, in the course 'of hi?, speech, justified the opporttuaenes. of his. letter. The schism was partly traceable, but fax less to Irish than to Imperial questions, and dated from the murder of General Gordon. Could any party, he asked, aspiring to the confidence of the people, maintain an open mind on a question which stabbed at the heart of the Empire? If sound on questions of the Empire, the Liberals, he said, would be able to proceed with the domestic reform for which the country wafe ripe. He hoped for such party reforms, freed from entangling alliances, purged from all the anti-national elements comprising some of the Unionists. Meanwhile, owing to the divisions, he still preferred to plough his furrow alone, but before he reached the end of the furrow he would possibly not be alone. The speech was received with enthusiastic cheer.. Both the letter and speech have caused a tremendous sensation. The Liberals believe that Lord Rosebery contemplates establishing a democratic Imperialist party. The Asquith banquet was comparatively tame, the speakers being still under the influence of a possible compromise. The speeches were chiefly restricted to generalisations. Mr Asquith declared that the Imperialists were able to hold their own equally and easily inside and outside the Liberal party, which recognised that the Empire was worth living and dying for.