TREASURY BILL ISSUES.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12724, 21 February 1910, Page 3

TREASURY BILL ISSUES.

MR KEIR HARDIE INTERVIEWED EXTRAORDINARY SITUATION (Received Feb 20, 5 p.m.) London, Feb 19. The .Treasury *is issuing four .nillions worth of bills payable in a month. Recent issues have been- nirc millions at one month, and five <i:id a half millions at two months. Mr Keir Hardie, M.P., interviewed at Cummock, said he had an impression that tho recent guarantees concerning tho House of Lords had be«n obtained, inasmuch as Mr Asquith ha \ previously declared that otherwise 'he would not assume office. The impression was strengthened when the Cabinet vacancies were filled. He .learned on Thursday that the House of Commons would be asked to- pass the Budget first and trust to luck in dealing with the Lords. This, besides being bad policy,, was a breach of faith with the country on Mr Asquith's part. Mr Hardie argued that a resolution embodying the principles of the Veto Bill would suffice to make the House of Commons' passing the Budget dependent upon the House of Lords' acceptance of tho resolutions. Mr Herbert Samuel, speaking at the Eighty Club dinner, said tho Government's action regarding the' House of Lords would be swift,' courageous and decisive. The"Chronic!e" says the dominating feature of the situation is that nobody wants a dissolution. If Mr Balfour defeats the Government he must introduce a Budget immediately <nd dissolve. 'If Mr Redmond forces a defeat and a general election, he will lose seats to the O'Brienites and if the Labourites join Mr Redmond they will not improve their position in the country. The 'Chronicle' believes that everybody will prove more reasonable next week than now appears to be the case. The Master of Elibank has issued a whip on the business for Monday, adding that an important division is possible before the debate oa the address is reached. This is unusual and is not explained. "The Kmes" says if Mr Keir Hardio's motion that supplies be refused until the King consents to compel the House of Lords -to commit suicide is the idea of constitutional politics entertained by the Socialist Commoners the crisis has rendered a public service in bringing it to light. The Dublin Chamber of Commerce condemned the reintroduction of a Budget imposing \ipon Ireland undue taxation. Sir William Robson, speaking at Newcastle, replj'ing to the criticism that the Government was in a cleft stick, asked which party was not in a cleft stick. Hhe proceeded to discuss Mr Balfour's difficulties, and said that if the Government resigned and Mr Balfour was Biiinmoned to take office, the Opposition would be in a much more. embarassing position than the Govern ment.