IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10684, 3 February 1913, Page 2

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

——«- DECADENCE OF PARLIAMENT. BITTER SPEECH BY AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN. United Prces Association—By Elcclrie Telegraph—Copyrights (Received February 3, 10 &.m.) LONDON, February 2. Mr Austen Chamberlain. speakiYlft a$ Birmingham, commented on tlib rioration of Hid House of Commons- ' He Bald that the closure made it in? possible for members to exercise any real pressure on Ministers. The benches remained empty and the debates were unreal. The lessened respect for Parliament threatened danger to representative institutions. There- was a growing inclination to question the sanctity of the law. TRADE UNION BILL. A VIOLENT SPEECH. - During the debate on tho Trade Union Bill in the Houße of Commons, Mr A. Clement Edwards/ Labour menj,ber for East Glamorgan, violently attacked ViscountAVolmer and Earl Winterton for betraying trade union interests. . , Lord Robert Cecil described Mr Edwards's conduct as tactics of a kind that would make politicians stink in the nostrils of honest men. No prudent man could: accept Mr 'Edwards's statement without verifying the source from which it wast supposed to be drawn.' INSURANCE. The Supplementary Estimates include £1,825,000 for special grants for insurance.