BRITISH POLITICS.

West Coast Times, 23 March 1910, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

LATEST CABLES

THE VETO PROPOSALS. GOVERNMENT SUBMIT THEIR RESOLUTIONS. itxß press association, —copyright ] LONDON, March 22. In the House of Commons Mr Asquith detailed the resolutions. First it is expedient that the Lords should be disabled by law from rejecting or amending an ymoney bills, and these were defined as bills which the Speaker considers contain only provisions dealing with the imposition of taxes, repeal, remission or alteration and regulation of taxation; also charges on the Consolidated Fund for money by Parliament; also the supply and appropriation and control or regulation of public money; also raising and guaranteeing of repayment of loans, or matters incidental to these subjects. The second resolution provides that it is expedient that the Lords’ power respecting Bills other than money Bills be legally restricted, .so that when a Bill has passed the Commons three successive sessions and been sent to the Lords at least a month before the end of the session and rejected by them ir. each session, it shall become law without the Lords consent upon the Royal assent, provided that at least two years shall elapse between the first introduction to the Commons and the date when it passes the Commons the third time. Bills shall ho treated as rejected, if not passed by the Lords without amendment or with only amendments agreed to by both Houses. The third resolution limits the duration of Parliament to five years. The Daily News states that the resolutions have created profound satisfaction throughout the country and that they are not complicated by the questions of a second chamber reform. The Chronicle says that any serious disunion would be fatal and the passage of the Budget is essential. The Times complains that the resolutions are making the Speaker the sole judge of tacking the resolutions, which are shadcless and objectionable, on to a quinquennial rather than a septennial Parliament. Radical lobby opinion criticises the provision whereby two years elapse between the first introduction and the third rejection. This will have the effect of sterilising the closing years’ of the Parliament’s existence.

GOVERNMENT INTEND TO PASS THE BUDGET. LONDON, March 21. Many questions have been asked in tlii! Commons upon various phases of the financial position, but Mr Asquith has refused all information, except that at present Government do not intend to have two budgets rolled into one and they still intend to pass the budget before the spring recess. LONDON, March 22. Those who anticipate a change of Government shortly, involving the Premier’s leaving the official residence in Downing Street, notice that his former residence in Cavendish Square is being cleaned and prepared for occupation. The newspapers of both parties refer to the eager preparations for an election which some now anticipate in April. Ministerialists are hopeful that a modus vivemli will he arranged. The junior Imperial Constitutional League has been formed with Viscount Castlereagh as President. There are already fifty branches and the mfovoment is still spreading. The Bank of England in view of the Government’s decision not t)> secuio legislative sanction for the collection of income tax, has informed the London County Council that it intends to refund the amount deducted upon the application of owners of stock. The announcement refers to 74) million London stock whereon income tax totals £120,0011 sterling. The Council hitherto held this at the Government’s disposal but the Treasury never applied for it. Hens. Lloyd-George and Birrell, the Master of Elibank, and Messrs Redmond and Dillon had an hour’s conference. The result is unknown.

The newspapers report O’Brien and Healey recently paid a visit to Hon. Lloyd George. O’Brien writes that there is good reason to hope that the extra spirit duties and burdens on the land and the proposed general re-valuation will he dropped, otherwise the budget and its authors and accomplices are doomed. Keir Hardie, speaking at Merthyr Tydvil, described Mr Asquith’s speech at Oxford as another belly full of east wind. He said he believed Goveinment was riding for a fall. The Star asks why the Premier and Mr Redmond do not come to an area ngoment immediately. The Westminster Gazette is unsympathetic towards any arrangement with the Nationalists.

The Lords agreed in the committee stage to two of Rosebery’s resolutions. A lively discussion followed Lord Killanin’s proposal to limit the application of the third resolution to future peerages. Lords Rosebery, Northumberland and Laiisdowiie urged that Killanin should withdraw his resolution on the ground that the amendment would he open to the criticism that the peers desired to preserve their own interests. Lord Killanin agreed to the withdrawal and the debate adjourned.