BRITISH POLITICS.

Southland Times, Issue 14581, 23 November 1910, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

SPEECH BY THE CHANCELLOR A SCENE IN THE LOEDS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, Nov. 22. Received Nov. 23, 12.12 am. Mr Lloyd George, addressing 5000 people at Mile End, claimed a due sense of his responsibility as a Cabinet Mlnisterter in declaring that they could trust the Government not to provoke a wanton election or an election with the certainty of a final decisive majority. Rejection of the Budget of 1909 had precipitated the present crisis. Money was needed for defence and for the great sell ernes of social reform. The Government proposed to tax great Incomes and fortunes and tiie luxuries of all classes. The Lords had demanded that great wealth should he spared its luxuries free, and that the burdens should he Imposed on the bread and meat of the people. The Government had answered

"No.” The Lords then said: “Out with the Budget!” The Government now asked the people to say; "Out with the House of Lords!” After insisting on the complete financial success of the Budget, Mr Lloyd George remarked concerning the statement that dissolution had been decided on at Mr Redmond’s dictation, that the Tories must always have a bogey, and that this time it was a gilt edged bogey framed with American dollars. Since when had the aristocracy started despising American dollars. Many a, noble house which had been tottering to its fall had had its foundations pinned up with American dollars. Mr Redmond was on the whole a stern critic of the Budget, It was a British measure, a Britisli demand, and its rejection was an Insult to British democracy, which resented it. The Lords’ schemes for their own reform were shams. What was wanted was a Parliament which attended to the country’s business and enabled justice to be as easy of access to the grey homes of the people as to the palaces of the mighty.

IN THE BOBDS. LONDON, Nov. 21. Received 22, G. 40 p.m. In the House of Lords Earl Crewe moved the second reading of the Veto Bill. Lord Roberts withdrew his defence motion. Lord Crewe stating that he was unable to discuss it at the present juncture. ~ Lord Lansdowne gave notice of his intention to move on Wednesday motions dealing with the deadlock between the two Houses. The motions favour a referendum pri matters of great gravity, the Lords foregoing the right to reject or amend purely financial and money bills, the question of tacking to be settled by a joint Committee of both Houses, the Speaker having a easting vote. Received November 23, 1.25 a.m. The Lords, after a remarkable sitting, came to a sudden, dramatic and angry close. Lord Crewe, in a moderate speech, argued that the Parliament Bill 'offered no risk of hurried legislation. He complained that it had unfairly been described as a single-chambered proposal, and lie commended the Bill as one restoring a reasonable measure of freedom to the chosen representatives of a free nation. Lord Lansdowne, in securing an adjournment until to-morrow, emphasised the statement that, had there been free discussion and the possibility of amendment. many peers would have supported the second reading. He proposed that the House on Wednesday discuss the resolutions that he was now tabling with a view of completing the Lords’s own scheme of reform, whereof the first Parliament was embodied in Lord Rosebery’s resolutions. Lord Crewe enquired whether the resolutions would be moved as an amendment to the motion for the second reading of the Bill. Lord Lansdowne: "AH I propose is to adjourn the discussion.’’ Lord Crewe again asked for a statement of Intentions. Lord Salisbury replied that it was intolerable that the House of Peers should he restricted to “Aye” or “No.” If they were not allowed to submit alternative proposals and references to the Bill in detail after the second reading they would do so before the rest of the country was misled.

Lord Beauchamp said that the Opposition had asked for the Bill and had then run away.

ADVICE TO UNIONISTS,

LONDON, November 21. The “Times” recommends the Lords to pass their own resolutions dealing with reform and thus frustrate the action of the Liberals in suppressing discussion. The “Spectator” urges Conservative concentration and the subordination of everything to reform of the Lords, and recommend.-; (ho Lords to pass the Veto Bill intact, with a clause providing for a referendum before it comes into operation. “A CHANGED WOBXiI'.” LONDON, November 22. Received November 22. 10.30 p.m. Mr Bonar Law, at North-West Manchester, advocated reform of the Lords enabling the constitution gradually to meet the changed conditions of a changed world. Unionists preferred reform to revolution. Me was not. an extreme, tariff reformer, but lie was in earnest and he desired any necessary change to be as little revolutionary as possible. TAKIEP KEPOKM, LONDON, November 22. Mr Austen Chambenam, in a letter to Mr candidate for North Bucks, states that the maximum duty on wheat proposed by tariff reformers is sixpence per cwt or two shillings per quarter on foreign grain only. He adds that home-grown and colonial grain will be free and that the figures named will not be exceeded. It is desirable to encourage the importation or whole grain instead of flour, so as to enable milling to be done here and to give farmers the offal to feed stock. The duty on flour should be proportional and somewhat higher than that on wheat. PAYMENT OP MEM3F.ES,

In the House of Commons. Mr Asquith, in reply to a question, said he was not prepared to state the amount of members’ salaries. THE SUPPHAGETTES. LONDON, November 21. Suffragettes are disappointed at their dismissal: they had expected imprisonment. Militant tactics have been suspended pending the Premier’s announcement of the fate of the Conciliation Bill. Meanwhile pickets outside the House of Commons make peaceful protest. AN AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT. LONDON, Nov. 22. Received Nov. 23, J. 15 a.m. It is stated on high authority that the Government would have been willing to accept amendment, of the Parliament Bill so as to make it operative during the present Parliament. THE OSBORNE JUDGMENT. LONDON, Nov. 22. Mr Asquilh received a deputation from (lie Trade Union Political Freedom League, which is against reversal of the Osborne judgment, and promised to submit its arguments to his colleagues before he came to a decision. LETTER PROM IES CHAMBERLAIN. LONDON, Nov. 22. Mr Chamberlain in a letter to the West Birmingham Unionist Association emphasized two issues, firstly, the second Chamber, secondly, tariff reform. He added that on the issues raised depend the prosperity of the country, the welfare of the people and the Union of the Empire. WORKING MEN UNIONISTS. LONDON, Nov. 21. The Unionist Working Men's candidates include Mr Hen Dent (Macclesfield), Cr Campbell (Stockport), Mr will Ripon (Norwich), Mr Tom Smith (Hyde), Aldeman Walker (Attercliffe), and Mr Bagley (Radcliffo). TOEING- TEE LINE. LONDON, Nov. 21. Mr Michael Joyce, M.P., for Limerick City, at a meeting held at Whitechapel ■in the anniversary of the execution of the Manchester “martyrs.” said that Mr Asquith's speech on Friday indicated that the Liberal Parly had toed the line like men.