IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10640, 18 April 1906, Page 4

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

f (Per Sierra at Auckland.) LONDON, March 28. It has been practically determined not to attempt to introduce a larger programme for Irish legislation during the present session of Parliament, hut it is expected rlr.it the Government will introduce legislation for Ireland early iu next .session. Sir Anthony Patrick MacDon. ucll, Under-Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who obtained fame last year owing to his advocacy of a so-called-''devolution'' plan, is engaged in formulating a reform 6clieme. 'lhe features of the plan are closely guarded within the Ministry, and it is expected that months will elapse before Ministers will engage in formal conference on the subject with the Irish Nationalists. It is considered that the Government made a tactical mistake in coming into serious conflict, not only with the Labor party, but with a- huge majority of its Liberal supporters, over the introduction of the Tiade Disputes Bill. This is avowedly due to the differences of opinion among Ministers themselves, a strong ma. jority being against a complete concession to the Labor views, and the compromise adopted apparently pleases nobody. The incident is a subject of regret ou the part of the Liberal newspapers, because they say it has already become known that the Government will yield by leaving the question to the decision of the House, and that the result of this will be a great loss of prestige to the Government. Besides, it is almost certain to meet with opposition in the House ol Lords, which will send the Bill back to the House of Commons shorn of the clause granting immunity to trade unions and possibly of other important features.