IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8573, 15 March 1906, Page 1

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

£ V THE FISCAL DEBATE. | IK ACRIMONIOUS DISCUSSION. f T^[E CLOSURE APPLIED. '? - - United 'Pres* Awooiation— By Electric •f- ' Telcgtaph*-Copyiight. .; j ■ • LONDON; March 14. | Mr Keir Hardie opposed the amende %tednt 4 . equally the statement that free &;,trade,was the cole issue at the election.. % He protested that the debate was abtime which might have been profitably spent in redeeming some of ,-;'. tho promises on the strength of which £ the Government won so handsomely the ; elections. !• Mr Wyndham moved that after the • word "'proposal" the resolution should i ? ; conclude as follows: — "Involving arti- ! ficial protection against legitimate oomV petition^ but is prepared to consider '■' any scheme framed to secure more t equal ternis of competition for British f trade and closer commercial union with Iv the. colonies, or for the purposes of xe'v renue." He contended that the free (' traders tolerated a protective system ,y'_: in India, where the duty was lowered ■v for the benefit of Manchester, yet ;they v objected to make changes in Britain enabling the Motherland to'eecnro ad- ; .vantages in the colonies. The present g |y«tem was: doomed. They must have ' Visyetem' giving fair returns for workers | at home, while* festering the organic >:\i evolution of the!; Empire abroad. j} ■■■'■ SV _ Henry G&mpbell-Bannterman imf .ihediately, amid 'cries of "gag " and : secured the closure by 471 ;^'to- : l^:,':;' *:'■/,/ 'l ■ •/ , . V" -Sir. Jw^iteoh's motion was carried by |yt74it6 d&J ; '",'.■.■'.. '£ :■■]•_ The Hon C. Sttfart-Wortley ? 6 anjendf ■ jrient to omit all gratuitous* reference to ; 'free trade was negatived • after, an . tcfimonious debate. V ~ The Speaker declared Sir W. S. Rob- , v >ori guilty of irrelevancy. Sir W. S. Rob,C eon's, remark. \tae that the Chinese ; -labour pictures understated the truth, K and blight to have represented China;V iricn at the block suffering tho lash, the, being laid there by the. hand ? iiHf an English governor.