A GENERAL ELECTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11755, 20 July 1916, Page 6

A GENERAL ELECTION.

Bv Telegraph—-Press Association—Copyright. (Received July 20, 1.35 p.m.) LONDON, July 19. In the House of Commons, Mr IT. L. Samuel moved the appointment of a Registration Committee to report on tho preparation' of a now electoral register, including the troops, at a. cost of £390.000. It woulcl necessitate 20 000 canvassers." He deprecated a. ceneral election in war time, and said that it was unlikely that Germany t woyld grant an. armistice to enable British troops to vote. Sir Edward Carson protested against tho opera bouffo manner of Mr Samuel. Ho deprecated the belief that a genera.!' election v."ar, impossible in war time. Tho question of giving soldiers a vote had been solved in Australia rnd Canada, and the proposed committee was a farce. j Colonel Churchill described the speech as one long sheer. Mr Asquith said that in view of criticisms, lie would withdraw the motion. Ho denied that the Government \mt\ decided to delegate to the committee to decide whether- a general election was desirable. In September, when the present Parliament ended, he promised that the Government would consider tho matter, and if possible bring concrete proposals before the House.