BRITISH POLITICS.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12768, 14 April 1910, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE BUDGET,

THE VETO DEBATE,

NEW UNIONIST ORGANISATION

[Press Association — Copyright.]

London, April 12. In the House, of Commons the Chancellor of the Exchequer informed Mr Fell that the Budget for 1910-11 would be introduced after the spring holidays. Mr Balfour has appointed a committee, with Sir Gilbert Parker as chairman, to draft a scheme reJating to a system of loans for the purchase of small holdings.

Mr Redmond's denial of concessions to Ireland in the Budget relates especially to the alleged offer to restore, land purchase oii the same terms as in the Act of 1903.

In the veto debate in the House of Commons, Mr W. H. Long dwelt on cases such as Irish Home Rule, wherein had Mr Asquith's scheme of compulsion of the House of Lords prevailed, Bills would have been, carried against the will and opinion of the people. He said that the resolution was inopportune and inadequate without House of Lords reform, and, as it stood, destructive, depriving the Lords of all useful power. Lord Rosebery, from the Peers' Gallery of the House of Commons, heard his son, the Hon. Neil Primrose's, maiden speech, which Mr Robert Gwyhn described as- exhibiting the value of heredity. Mr Primrose favoured serious reform of the House of Lords.

Mr Rowland Barron supported the resolution conditionally that it, was preliminary to early and drastic reconstruction of the House of Lords. .

Mr Herbert Samuel, PostmasterGeneral, contended , that until the Lords' powers were "abridged the Government would be unable to undertake the reconstitution of the Upper Chamber.

Mr F. E. Smith, Unionist M.P. for the Walton Division of Liverpool, and President of the Federation of the Lancashire and Cheshire Junior Unionist Association, is taking part in a movement to federate the Junior Unionist Associations as< a counterpoise to the activity of the Young Liberals.