IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 68, 13 November 1912, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

THE SNAP DIVISION

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, November 12. An official statement says that it Joes not regard the vote as requiring any modification of its programme. The division was on a motion not even put on the Order Paper, but communicated in manuscript without notice, and overthrew a resolution adopted in the committee stage on Thursday. The statement adds that the Prime Minister, in a recent speech at Ladybrook, intimated that he would not allow his course to he affected by a simp division. The Government, majorities since have seldom been below a hundred.

The Cabinet sat foi two hours, and will meet again to-day. Mr Asquith will to-day move the rejection of the resolution, as amended by Mr Banbury’s motion. Mr Finlay, speaking at Bethnal Gieen, said that the Government had fared badly on a critical question. Before the division the Postmaster declared that were it conceivable that the motion could he carried it would knock the bottom out of the Bill. Mr Finlay hoped that Mr Samuel’s statement would prove right.

Lord Robert Cecil, speaking at Bermondsey, said that the Government’s defeat was its death blow. ‘ t Viscount Peel, speaking at Taunton, predicted that the Government would continue for some weeks longer a. broken and discredited existence. V' Its prestige was gone, and its doom'Was already threatening. : , V :

The Agricultural Holdings Bill, entitling tenants to twelve months’ notice to quit upon the sale of ah estate, passed its committee stage in the House of Lords;

The Times, quoting Erskine and May, shows that the Government must propose another financial resolution differing from the original proposals. It is also necessary to revise or discharge the closure resolution allotting yesterday for the commencement of consideration of cause 14. The closure resolution as it stands does not afford an opportunity to amend the financial resolution. The Government is placed in a position of unparalleled difficulty.

The Government has decided to continue in office. . :

(Received 10.55 a.m.) London, November 12. Mr Asquith has given notice for to-morrow to rescind Mr Banbury’s

amendment. Mr Redmond has issued a statement to the effect that while not disguising .tv, the danger respecting, the' Banbury cident, he explains that the : absence* ’ 1 of many Liberals and Nationalists was . due to a false sense of security, which, , had been created by recent large majorities.

FOREIGN CONTROVERSIES. The Prime Minister, in reply to Sir J. Rees and Mr 0. Locker Lamason with reference to Mr Acland’s speech.' J on the American election, said thM*--*--though reference to controversial matters in foreign countries was better avoided, and he had so intimated to Mr Acland, he was sure- that Mr Acland had no intention of departing from the well established rule. A BY-ELECTION.

The Taunton by-election, caused by Mr Peel succeeding to the peerage, resulted in the election of A. G. Willis (Unionist) with 1882 votes; J. Schunck (Liberal) securing 1587 votes.