BRITISH POLITICS.

West Coast Times, 17 March 1910, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

LATEST CABLES

(PBB PBKS3 ASSOCIATION. —COP TRICOT J

LONDON, March 15,

Sir E. (Iroy in a speech at a Liberal banquet in the city in referring to the Lords, said if it was left to the other side to reform them the Liberals would be courting disaster, death and damnation. The solution would be an elective chamber, elected not necessarily simultaneously with the Commons and not in the same area. The Government will re-impose the budget taxes. Bv that they stood or fell.

During his speech in the Lords, Lord Roseberry referred to Sir G. Reid, the High Commissioner for Australia, as a man of infinite ability, popularity and geniality. No bettor choice for the position could possibly have been made. H|e asked bow could Sir G. Reid possibly justify to Australians the abolition of the Second Chamber in Great Britain, when Australia took care to secure a strong and efficient Senate upon the institution of Federation in 1900. The colonies, he added, had always taken care to secure a strong Second Chamber.

There is much comment in the newspapers on Lord Roseberry’s statement that he deprecated the election of Peers by popular vote. This would only give a feeble understudy of the House of Commons and multiply the horrors of a general election, but the Lords would be increased in dignity by association with corporations and countjv councils formed into elective bodies upon the French basis of representation, provided in this way they should form no considerable proportion of the Upper House. In the Commons Mr McKenna said the Admiralty intended to make greater use of oil fuel and had taken steps to 'Secure supplies from independent sources. A BILL AFFECTING WOMEN. Chas. McLarcn’s so-called women’s charter was road a first time in the Commons. It consists of nine Bills, including the enfranchisement of women and entitling them to divorce on the ground of men’s unfaithiifnlcss. It also grants wives a sum equivalent to the aggregate of wages earned as housekeepers in the event of the husband’s death. All educational facilities are to be shared by both sexes equally. Provision is made for supplying midwives and the establishment of creches modelled on the German system introduced by Postalozzi and Froobel. Houses and milk for infants are to be provided by municipalities .