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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 28, 27 July 1911, Page 5

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THE UPROARIOUS PROCEEDINGS. DUE TO A SMALL BODY. MR. ASQUITH USES THE PRESS. f LORDS' AMENDMENTS DERIDED. By o>*le.—Press AssocMiw.—Copyright London, July 25. pVf' Aaquith, on entering the House M Commons, was wildly cheered, Mr. EaTfcrar receiving Ministerial "boohoos." Lord Hugh Ceeil, on putting a question, was greeted with an uproar which lasted five minutes. A comparatively small body was responsible for the disorders in the House •f Commons. The majority of Unionists In the lobby strongly deprecated and condemned personal discourtesy to Mr. Asquith.

The notes for Mr. Asquith's speech were afterwards circulated to the press.

Mr. Asquith declared that the Government had not been indisposed to accept safeguarding amendments, but the Lords' amendments substituted a measure already rejected by the electorate. He derided Lord Lansdowne's amendment to clause 2, giving a joint committee of the two Houses power to exclude Bills raising issues of great gravity; such an amendment amounted to rejection. He concluded by detailing the precedent of 1832, and argued that the advice given to the Crown, which the Crown had accepted, was warranted by constitutional principles. There was nothing derogatory or humiliating in a great party admitting defeat. " They have only to convince their fellow countrymen that they are Tight and we arc wrong, and they can repeal the Bill if they believe the chance of a satisfactory issue may thereby be improved." LORD LANSDOWNE'S ADVICE. PACIFIC MEASURES. London, July 25. Lord Lansdowne has sent a circular to the Opposition peers asking whether they are prepared to support .his policy. It is estimated that 130 peers opposed to Lord Lansdowne's policy and members of the House of Commons attended the Halsbury banquet. Lord Londonderry supports Lord Lansdowne, as otherwise the respite of two years- would be lost which would be used to fight Home Rule. The Hon. Alfred Lyttclton, in a letter to the Times, says it is surely madness to start a contest which is destined to be long and stubborn by conceding to their opponents a majority in the Second Chamber reinforcing their majority in the House of Commons. PRESS CRITICISM. London, July 25. The Daily Telegraph says that the scene in the House of Commons looked like an organised insult to Mr. Asquith. The Times says that it is lamentable to find Lord Hugh Cecil the ringleader in Parliamentary rowdyism. The Daily Mail says Mr. Asquith has destroyed at a Wow the balance of forces which made the British Constitution the admiration of the worid. He exploited the worst section of the nation in order to set up a dictatorship. THE KING IN TOWN. London, July 85. Owing to the crisis the K'.ng will remain in town. THE INSURANCE BILL. London, July 25. Mr. Llovd-Oeorge is amendin.tr the Insurance Bin*" in the direction of preventing a sick person who has been distrained upon from being ejected if a doctor certifies that life would thereby be endangered. LORD LANSDOWNE'S SUPPORTERS. THE CREATION OF PEERS. Received 27. 1.5 a.m. London. July 26. The Dukes of Argyll and Norfolk and Lords Ripon. Minto. Alverston, Balfour of Burleigh. North and Cliff, have intimated their intention to support Lord Lansdowne. The promoters state that the Hal - burv banquet is not a demonstration against Mr. Balfour. The speakers at the banquet include Lord Milner. The Times remarks that the Unionists are mistaken in believing that the Ministry's powers in regard to the creation of peers is restricted. Cabinet favors the creation of 350 peers if the Royal prerogative is resorted to. "AN ABASED AND STRTCKEN HOUSE." LORD ROSEBERY'S COUNSEL. Received 26. 3.5 p.m. London, July 26. Lord Rosebery. in a letter to the Times, savs that personally he is uninterested in the amendments to the Parliament Bill. "The parties being what they are. it is impossible for the Government, which is determined to make a great change, to accept the amendments, and impossible for the Opposition to enforce them. Fighting to the end merely means the creation of a vast number of peers. Abased and stricken fts the House of Lords is. further humiliation is possible. To humiliation will lie added n consummation of importance, the Lords being compelled to watch with folded arms the passing of every measure the Government may choose to impose. This is all the leadpts of a forlorn hope can achieve. Let them rather resolve that when the swing of the pendulum places them in power their first woTk will be the construction

of a strong .-iTiii titicii'!!t Second Chamber. They will not have to wait long. When the country is faced wiLli the nuked despotism of a single-chamber Government, it cannot fail to make an effort to be free."

"AN UNSCRUPULOUS, REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT." THE HOUSE OF LORDS POWERLESS. "A GRAVE AND ALARMING SITUATION." MR. BALFOUR'S ADVICE TO THE LORDS. EFFECTIVE FIGHTING IMPOSSIBLE. Received 26, 11 p.m. London, July 26. Mr. Balfour, writing to Lord Newton, said: "I do not desire to interfere with affairs in the Upper House, but think the majority of the Lords should support Lord Lansdowne. I agree with the advice Lord Lansdowne has given to his friends. With Lord Lansdowne I stand, and with Lord Lansdowne I era ready, if need be, to fall. The present situation is a grave and alarming one. not only because we are in the power of an unscrupulous, revolutionary Government, but because the real character of the peril is obscured by a controversy concerning the tactics. The crime of the Government is that by gross misuse of the King's prerogative, they have made the Second Chamber powerless." They imitated Cromwell without his excuse of genius. Fighting in any effective sense was impossible. The action of those refusing to follow Lord Lansdowne did not resemble any serious military operation. While it would be a misfortune if the present crisis left the House of Lords weaker than the Parliament Bill makes it, it would be an irreparable tragedy if it left the Unionists a divided ParTy. THE KING'S DOINGS. Received 26, 11.30 p.m. London, July 26. The King has cancelled his Goodwood visit entirely. The King received. Lord St. Aldwyn in audience. I [ RESTRICTIONS ON THE KING. ; ROYAL POWER OF TO-DAY. In view of the audience granted to the Opposition leaders by the King, the I following extract from an article in the j Fortnightly Review is interesting. It points out how severely the Kingship has been abridged, how many are the things which the King can't do. how power has passed from the King i<> the people and their elected represent Ves. Here are a few of the things v. iilch the King cannot do to-day:— j "The Royal power falls under three heads, in all of which the King is restricted, and has, for the most part, lost independent action.

"(1) The choice of Ministers through whom the Royal power is exercised. Here the King must defer to the wish of the House of Commons. "(2) The determination of policy. The Council and Privy Council used to do this. Now it is in the hands of the Cabinet.

"(31 Administrative action: the carrying out of what fis determined upon. These powers have passed to various Government Departments, such as the Homo Office, which act in the name of the King. "But the King exercises great influence. He has the right to be informed by Ministers, and can give advice. He can help by experience. Professor Dicey defines the prerogative as 'the discretionary authority of the executive,' and he explains that to mean everything which the King or his servants can do without the authority of an Act of Parliament. PRIME MINISTER'S POWER.

"The Prime Minister is the chief means of communication between the Cabinet and the Crown. He presents the Cabinet minutes to the King, who is entitled to be told about everything that is going to be done; and tol'd in good time, so that the Ministry can listen to the opinion of His Majesty. '•On the other hand, the Sovereign must not seek or take advice from any other than his Cabinet Ministers in matters of State without making it known to the Cabinet. The Duke of Wellington when in Opposition wrote to AVilliam TV. pointing out the danger of the arming of political societies. AVilliam IV. replied to the letter without consulting Cabinet, and the Ministry remonstrated with the King. "Nor shall the Sovereign give a public expression of opinion on a matter of •State without being advised bv his Ministers. The Sailor King violated this duty also by making a speech in the 1 nvy Council reviling one of his Ministers, and this also led to a remonstrance. The King must support his Ministers loyally in their policy."

THE PARNELL INCIDENT.

THE SCENE RECALLED.

On February 3, 1881, when Mr. Gladstone's resolution respecting "urgency" wa.s about to be brought forward, Mr. ParneJl rose to ask whether Mr. Michael Davitt had been arrested that day and was informed by Sir AV. V. Ha'rcourt that the person named had been arrested for breach of the conditions of his ticket-of-leave. The Speaker then called upon Mr. Gladstone, who commenced his address; when Mr. Dillon (M.P. for Tipperaryt interrupted, and was named by the Speaker, according to the rule of February, 1880, for disregarding the authority of the Chair. His suspension for the sitting was then voted by 305 to 33; but Mr. Dillon declined to leave the House at the summons of the Sergcant-at-.\:-is, until that official had" been joined by five messengers, when the member for Tipperary left, declaring that iie yielded to force only. Air. Glad"stonc pgain commenced his address, when Mr. Paruell moved "that the right honorable "ent.lcni.in be no further heard," and in.- ; =tcd upon his motion being put: until he was ;:t, length named by the Speaker, and suspi -ulcd by 405 to 7, the Home Rule member* refusing to join in the division. Mr. Parncll was then removed, as Mr. Dillon had been before him; and Ah. Gladstone was about, to resume what lie termed "the unfortunate sentence that had been bisected and trisected." when Ah". Fincgan rose to move that he be no longer heard, and was suspended after the same formalities as before. The Home Rule members again declining to take part in the division, after being cautioned by the Speaker, were then named as disregarding his authority, and their suspension was voted bv 410 to 6. The names being read by a list furnished by one of the tellers (Lord R. Grosvenor), twenty-

eight numbers '.>>.• •■.'. '■. ■->■>; vi !.'• '■■- moved ;'. u.n lim house; r.iid Mr. Gladstone, being still interrupted as before, four nioi'o members were suspended, making, with the three originally removed, a total of thirty-five. Mr. Gladstone's resolution was then proceeded with.