BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 26, 25 July 1911, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS

ONE WEEK'S GRACE. ALLOWED TO THE LORDS. OR NEW PEERS WILL BE CREATED. Received 24, 10.45 p.m. By Cable.—Prew Association. —Copyright. London, July 24. It is understood that Mr. Asquith will adjourn consideration of the House of Lords' amendments to the Veto Bill for a week in order to give time to secure assurance that the Bill will pass unamended; otherwise the Government will 'specially create new peers to pass the measure. UNIONISTS DEMORALISED. EFFECT OF THE PREMIER'S ANNOUNCEMENT. Received 24, 1030 pjn. London, July 24. Lord Chas. Beresford, in a letter to the newspapers, declares that Mr. Asquith's letter temporarily demoralised the Unionists. Forcing the exercise of the Royal prerogative must result in the paralysis " of the,, Party's, fighting strength. He adds that the Duke of Wellington, in the face of a superior force, retired into winter quarters. LORD CURZON'S PREDICTION. Received 24, 11.20 p.m. London, July 24. Lord Curzon, in a letter to the Times, contraverts the assertion that unless the .Unionists force the creation of peers they will be convicted of craven and despicable surrender. There will be, he says, no surrender in refraining from pressing resistance when resistance is futile. A year or two hence the very men who were now shouting loudly would, he opines, be denouncing the strategy which robbed the Unionists of effective resistance. He adds that Mr. Balfour heartily concurs with Lord Lansdowne's advice to the peers, and the great majority of Unionists support it.

THE UNIONISTS' POLICY. Received 24, 10.15 p.m. London, July 24. Two thousand have applied for tickets to hear Mr. Balfour's speech to his con-i stituents at his hotel in Camion street, London, to-nforrow. His declaration of policy is eagerly awaited. PRESS VIEWS. Received 24, 10.45 p.m. London, July 24. The Daily Mail says that nothing will be gained by further opposition. The Chronicle hopes the Bill will pass without the creation of peers. The Nationalist newspapers of Dublin applaud Mr. Asqnith's coup d'etat. The Dublin Times and the Irish Times believe that the Loros should yield to the force arraigned against them. The Ulster Unionist papers favor a fighting policy. London, July 23. The dissentient Unionists are organising a public dinner to Lord Halsbury on Wednesday in recognition of his determination to insist on the amendments to the Parliament Bill as the last safeguard of the Constitution. Lord Selborne will preside. Mr. Austen Chamberlain, Lord Hugh Cecil, Lords De Broke. Lovat and Salisbury, and Messrs. Wvndham, Carson and F. E. Smith are supporting the fighting policy.

The Standard, Globe, Pall Mall Gazette and the Sheffield Telegraph strongly urge a fighting policy. The Graphic, Glasgow Herald, Western Morning News, Liverpool Courier and Yorkshire Post deprecate dying in the last ditch. The Observer says that surrender would demoralise the whole Unionist organisation of the country and destroy all faith in its leadership and prospects. The Observer states that Mr. Joseph Chamberlain advises Unionists to fight to the end.

The Spectator insists that it would be deplorable to force the Government to create four hundred peers, and that a dissolution would mean ruin to the Unionists. Mr. Carson, on behalf of the Irish Unionist members, informed Lord Lansdowne that the disgrace and ignominy of surrender would far outweigh the temporary advantage of two years' delay to Home Rule. BY-ELECTION. London, July 23! In the by-election for West Somerset, which was rendered necessary by the elevation of Sir A. F. Acland-Hood to the peerage, the voting was Bowles (Conservative) 5025, Hon. Dudley Ward (Liberal) 4421. fAt last election Sir A. F. Acland Hood was elected unopposed.]