IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9789, 4 March 1910, Page 1

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

THE IRISH PARTY. United Press Association—By Electrie Telegraph—Copyright. juoNDON, March 3. Mr Maurice Healy, in a speech to his constituents, said that Mr Redmond, armed with a cracked blunderbuss, was ready to vote against the Government when every regular Oppositionist would refrain, but was careful under other circumstances to fire his cracked weapon. Mr O'Brien taunted Mr Redmond with resting on an academical resolution which the Lords would light their pipes with. The Redmondites and Radicals would then return to the electorates and meet a sounder drubbing than before. Mr Redmond, in acknowledging American contributions to the party fund, predicts a general election before many weeks. THE SUPPLEMENTARY ESTIMATES. The Supplementary Estimates, amounting to £689,100, including £45,700 for preliminary work on four contingent Dreadnoughts, which will be laid down on April 1, were agreed to after a short discussion between Mr Lee, Lord Charles Beresford and Mr M'Kenna. REFORM OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS. The Unionist leaders in the House of Lords intend to introduce proposals regarding the reform of the House, firstly by declaratory resolutions. NAVY ESTIMATES. It is now stated that the Navy Estimates total forty-one millions.

ELECTION PERSONAL NOTES. MEMBERS AND CANDIDATES CONNECTED WITH AUSTRALASIA. HOW THEY FARED. Y. [Fkom Oub Corbespondknt.] *«'.*■' LONDON, January 21. 'ln the host of candidates in general election this week were several Australians and New Zealanders, and quite a number of politicians who have visited the colonies or who are connected in ono ( way or another with them. Their fate at the poll so far as the election has gone is traced in the notes which follow. Mr E. G. Jellicoe, the ex-Wellington barrister, sustained a crushing defeat in the Walton division of Liverpool. Standing as an Independent Liberal, ho polled only 481 votes against 6627 cast ;fi>r Mr F. E. Smith, the Unionist, and 6513 for Mr L. Joseph, the official Liberal candidate Mr Arthur Fell, who was born in New Zealand in 1850, has been returned for Great Yarmouth, the seat which he won in 1906. His majority was 461 over tho Liberal candidate. Captain E. S. Grogan, who married a New Zealand girl, stood as Unionist candidate for Newcastle-under-Lyme, and 1 was defeated by Mr Josiah Wedgwood (Liberal) by 1368 votes. Captain Grogan is a "noted traveller and explorer. Winchester and Cambridge prepared him for his African experiwhich included the second Matabele war. He has travelled the Dark Continent from end to end, and his wanderings have also included Australasia, the" South Pacific, and North and Sfpytii America. His captaincy is of t&e Royal Munster Fusiliers, and he is one of th£ keenest and most enthusiastic Fellows of the Royal Zoological Society. Sir John Gcrst, who visited. New Zealand in 1906 aa British Commissioner at the Christchurch International Exhibition, stood, for Preston as a Liberal. There were five candidates for two seats, and Sir John was fourth on the list with 6281 votes, the two Unionists capturing both seats with 9526 and 9160 respectively. Mr Will Crooks, a repent visitor, arrived from New Zealand only tho night before the poll at Woolwich, and next day saw his defeat. He poiled 8420 votes against 8715 for his Unionist opponent, Major W. A. Adam, an officer in the Irish Lancers, and one of the defenders of Ladysmith in the Boer war. Major Adam contested Woolwich unsuccessfully against Mr Crooks in 1906. This week he had his revenge. Mr Richard Jebb, who visited New Zealand a year or two ago, and afterwards wrote " Studies in Colonial Nationalism," stood for Marylebone East as an Independent Unionist and was badly beaten, polling only 702. Mr J. Boyton, the official Unionist candidate, won the seat with 3134 votes. The best-known new member of the new Parliament is undoubtedly Lord Charles Berosford, who, with his colleague, Mr Falle, has wrested the two Portsmouth seats from the Liberals by overwhelming majorities. One of the Liberal candidates attributed his defeat to the "overwhelming personality" of Lord Charles. Lord Charles will be an invaluable acquisition to the Strong Navy Party in the House of Commons, as will Mr A. H. Burgoyne, who has won the Radical stronghold of North Kensington. Mr Burgoyne, who is a member of the well-known Australian wine firm, is an ardent tariff reformer, and fought King's Lynn against Mr | Bowles and Mr Bella irs at the general election of 1906. The defeat of Sir George Doughty at j Grimsby was ono of the heaviest blows that the Tariff Reform Party received at tho election. Sir George is not a colonial himself, but he is, I have heard him express it, "the next best thing " —for he is married to a colonial. He made the acquaintance of Miss Eugenia Stone, of the Sydney " Bulletin," during a voyage to England, and they were married soon afterwards. Sir George Doughty is regarded as one of the most effective platform speakers that the Tariff Reform Party possesses. Mr J. Ramsay Macdonald, the wellknown Labour leader, who visited New Zealand and Australia a year or two ago, has again been returned for Leicester, polling 14,337 votes. The other Leicester seat was won by a Liberal with 14,643 votes. The two Unionist candidates were severely defeated, the Liberal majority being increased by 20a5.

Among the new members of Parliament who have visited Australasia is Mr J. K. Foster, Unionist member for Coventry. Mr Foster, whose hobby is big game shooting, has travelled extensively. The Right Hon A. Lyttelton, an exColonial Secretary, who has kept wickets in. his time for England against Australia, scored an easy win over his Liberal opponent in St George's, Hanover Square, his majority being 3914. In such a strong Tory electorate his victory was a foregone conclusion. Sir C. Kinloch Cooke, editor of the " Empire Review," is now a member of Parliament, Devonport having returned him as a Unionist. He has travelled extensively in the colonies, though not, I believe, as far as Australia and New Zealand. Sir Gilbert Parker, the well-known author and publicist, is a colonial member of the now House. He was born in Canada, and in his youth worked as a journalist in Australia. Sir Gilbert ia

returned as Unionist member for Gravesend, his old seat. Another result of interest to the colonies is that of the Abercromby Division of Liverpool, where Colonel Seely, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, was defeated by Colonel R. G. W. Chaloner (Unionist). The latter is the brother of Mr Walter Long, his name having been changed by letters patent under the will of the late Admiral Chaloner in 1883. He is still in the prime of his life—he was born in 1856—and belongs to Guisborough, Yorkshire. Among his other military service, ho was at the front at Afghanistan, and subsequently commanded the Ist Battalion Imperial Yeomanry in South Africa. Prior to the South African war, he sat in Parliament from 1895 to 1900 for the Westbury Division of Wiltshire. A number of Australians have been taking an active part in the present elections. Mr J. W. Molden, who was a forceful and well-informed speaker on fiscal matters in Victoria, has been very much in request on Liberal platforms, and has done most valuable woik for his side in several divisions, including that of Horsham, where Earl Winterton. J J|3 Conservative candidate, has also ha<l the assistance of an Australian, Mr Hogg. Mr H. L. Outhwaito (Victoria), who has been writing special articles on the land Question, which have attracted much attention in the "Daily News," and whose, lecturing on political subjects has been of good service to the Liberal Party, was one of the few Australian candidates at the present elections, contesting the Horsham division against Earl Winterton. Polling there takes place next week (January 25). Mr Onthwaite has a difficult task before him in tackling a country member who resides in the division.

Sir Albert Spieer. who visited Australia and New Zealand quite recently, has regained the seat in Hackney (Central) which ho won in 1906 for the Liberals. Mr A. A. Lynch, Nationalist member for West Clare, returned unopposed, is th't- "Colonel" Lynch who took the field with the Boers and was subsequently sentenced to death for high treason. Ho was elected for Galwiiy during the war, but was of course unable to take his seat, and he wag returned for West Clare at a by-election last year. The Hon Harry Lawson, who played a prominent part in the Imperial Press Conference held last year, has been returned for Mile End as a Unionist. Mr Lawson is the son and heir of Lord Burnham, proprietor of the "Daily Telegraph." He sat in Parliament from 1885 to 1894, and from 1905 to 1906. Mr Keir Hardie, the veteran Labour leader, who visited Australia and Now Zealand a year or two ago, is in againas one of the two members for Merthyr Tydvil, his old constituency. "Mr Willie Redmond, Nationalist member for Clare East, has travelled in Australasia. He is, of course, the younger brother of the Irish leader, Mr John Redmond. Mr J. Henniker Heaton, returned once more for Canterbury as a Unionist, Is. known throughout the Empire as the pioneer of Imperial penny postage and the champion of cheap cablegrams. Mr Heaton married an Australian and is a land-owner and part proprietor of newspapers in Australia. Sir W. 0. Chaytor, who was defeated as Unionist candidate for Bishop Auckland, is a relative of the well-known New Zealand family of that name. Another new member related to a New Zealand family is Sir William Anson, member for Oxford University, whose brother, Mr F. A. Anson, married the daughter of the late Mr J. F. Roberta, of Akaroa. and still resides in the dominion.