BRITISH POLITICS.

West Coast Times, 19 March 1910, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

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THE SUPREMACY OF THE NAVY. REFORM OF THE LORDS. LONDON, March 17. A vote of £7,389,000 for wages for the Navy was agreed to. Mr Leo, in answering Mr Murray McDonald, member for Falkirk, said the two power standard was impossible if friendly nations were excluded from the computations on which a two power standard was based, because the others would expect to bo excluded.

Sir Charles Dilkc discussed the treatment meted out to Mr Mulliner and declined to inform Air McKenna whether lie believed the allegations were true. Mr McKenna after a sharp passage with Sir C. Dilke declared the accusations against the Admiralty were baseless.

Replying to some Liberals regarding Britain adhering to the right to capture enemies goods at sea Mr McKenna stated that if we deprive ourselves of power of offence we would still be compelled to maintain a supreme navy to protect us against invasion, but if assured that in the event of our abandoning that right, others would reduce their navies upon the understanding that ours remains supreme, Government would lie willing to consider the proposals. Mr Redmond at Newcastle complained of the rotten policy of Government. He declared Sir E. Grey’s speech on Monday showed that Government proposed to relax their grip upon the Budget before the Veto was settled. The Associated Chambers of Commerce discussed tariff reform, fifty-one chambers voting for, and twelve were against or neutral. Dissatisfaction with Sir E. Grey’s speech is increasing. The Liberals complain that he has dispelled their hopes of adjusting the difficulties with the Nationalists. Sir E. Grey’s declaration that the Government intend to proceed with the reform of the House of Lords is extremely distasteful to the Labour Partv,

The Standard states that Sir E. Grey Hons. Haldane, Wolverhampton, McKenna and Lord Crewe insist on combining reform with a limitation of the Lords power of veto. The British Weekly complains that Government intend to spring upon the nation a scheme for reforming the lands add the introduction of the Budget, together with the certainty of defeat and that they are apparently determined not to approach the enthusiasm of the Nonconformists for the Government is ncarlv worn out.

The newspaper interpret Lord Curzon’s proposal to moan, firstly the nomination of an undisclosed number of Beers by the Government of the day ; secondly, that the election of English Beers should be conducted on the same principle as the Irish and Scottish Boers are chosen ; thirdly, that County Councils and great corporations should bo formed into electoral colleges to select eighty-four representatives to the appeal house.

On Monday the Commons confirmed lie votm for the personnel of the Navy. Mr McKenna said the New Zealand cruisers would be an essential part of the Motherland’s Navy, and would be manned by the Motherland, except as far as New Zealand was able to supply men. Australia would man the Australian ships, and their pay would come from Australia. Lord Courtney discussed Lord Rosebery’s resolution from the standpoint i f the divergency between the two Houses. He incidentally criticised he Commons as not being true to the Council of tlie Nation as owing to the absence of representations some great elements were absent therein just as groat elements were absent from the lairds. He concluded by detailing a scheme of representation in the Lords including representation of Capital, Labour, and the Nationalists. Lord Lansdowne loped that Lord Rosebery would submit an ultimate scheme of continuity, keeping the right side of the line between reform and revolution. If new blood was introduced the old traditions should be retained. He would greatly regret any aleration in the name of the House, a name whereof no one had reason to be ashamed. He trusted the reform would be on an equitable and reasonable basis, and not excluding the heredity principle, which, the country’s recent verdict was not in wholesale condemnation.. He remarked that one of the picturesque but unpractical suggestions favoured including the represen-

tatives of the oversea dominions. He did not think the Dominions would part with the best men for the purpose of attending the House, nor be grateful for the amount of representation granted, which would necessarily be small.

Lord Crewe, in the Lords, said was not oposed to the resolutions hut the primary, urgent question concerned in tin relations of the two Houses. What was unpopular, be said was not the hereditary principle but the uncontrolled exercise of hereditary power. He added that the Commons must have a proportionate right regarding any reform of tho Lords.

The resolution was then agreed to and tie House went into committee and adjourned..

The Times says the Government’s present plan for electing a second Chamber is to subdivide Britain ami lieland into seveniy-five enormous constituencies each returning two mem hers—a senior for eight years, and a .junior for four years.