IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12899, 9 February 1906, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

THE COERCION. ACT.

United Press Electric' ; Telegraph—Copyright. ' . LONDON. February .7. - • The Rationalists-'interpret the revocation proclamation as ii prelude to a repeal of the Coercion Act. A^nmber. of 'Metropolitan members of the House of Commons'are collecting data '.?ie:w to", inducing the Admiralty to {dace 'contracts for'cruisers at Thames ironworks, in the interests of unemployed mechanics. .v.!--- • THE TARTY LEADERSHIP. ' - ; K«c«fe4£•&•>' Febnuuy' l ßt-h."! . i _ ... . LONDON, February- 8. . Mr -Chamberlain lias.-written to Viscount iudley repudiating under any circumstances being a candidate for t-he Unionist leadership; first, because" of his close friendship ; for Mr Balfour;. secondly, because ifc -was agreed that-' the leader. of a .partv seventenths -."of which were Conservatives ought, to be a, Conservative. Ifc was untrue that any ultimatum had been- presented to Mr Balfour. He only desired the party ta meet and frankly discuss their future policy.. • _ .. . * - ; The different-sections held three views regarding tkriff reform. "Those desiring that it should be dropped for the present as an active policy forgot that if the ques-tion-were shelved all the enthusiasm that! had been aroused -would be damped down, and the work of educating the country stopped. Such a position was entirely inconsistent with Mr Balfour's statement that .tariff reform was to be the first item eQnstructive poUcy «f the "Unionists; and that commercial union with the colonies was the most important and. urgent branch of tariff reform. : • The second suggestion was.: that, while impressing tariff refonn at-present, . the tile, basis ■ of the hialf-sheet of oootepaper programme. It was unrecognised that the -advanced tariff reformers thought jihe : party ought to frankly admit the probability havinfr to place a moderate duty on foreign corn in return for a substantial coloniel preference for British manufactures. Mr Balfour while not objecting to the principle of such duty, yet did not. protest against the fras ! fooders statement that under no circum- ! stances would they assent to a dutr on corn. The tariff reformers also believed tibat effechve retaliation was impossible SSP?+I f tariff " Mr denied that an attempt had been made +IL f n i partj ' dec,inin ? to accept League I>rogra!amie of tbe Tariff Reform

Mr Chamberlain said that it was dishonest to pretend that the free-fooders were in the same boat as the tariff reformers and retahationists. Personnllv. he believed that the great majority of Unionist? were perfectly ready to accept Mr Balfour'sS 1 leadership.' Probablv 'the m»p w , , COn \ e ;l , declaration from Mr Balfour clearly showing that tariff reform was not to be dropped, and indicating , an d iinmistakeable proijraninifi ior the future which all would be able to heartily support. Tf the majoritr of the party favoured, the views of the 'freefooders or desired that th* whole (im>vtion should be left in abevance. the tariff rPTormers must reconsider thfir posit i-n Without separating from the partv or the ceneral leadership.' tW mill's verv ,'ro perly constitute" a Pa.lh.mentarv 'group, i-tkuig advantage of all opnortunities of eiuorcing their views in the House of Commons and in the count iv. The tariff re-

formers cannot put aside principles to » u ,j the exigencies of jKirty wirepuller*. while ready to work with their I'niom.M d leagues. for common object,., thtv "accept a 'policy of inaction and invsiitjc-i. tion regarding the main object- df their political life. He was* honosilv tbat in the acceptance of a full of tanflf reform lies the l«ssi | ln|>c . j„ r future succes* of the pattv .md the ciu»e