Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16. 1910. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9627, 16 March 1910, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16. 1910. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

That tho passing or rejection of the Budget should be dependent upou the passage of tho Veto Bill seems to us to create an intolerable situation. The Budget is a practical question of immediate and pressing urgency ; the veto is a constitutional matter of which it may be said in the first place that it may well be considered after the iiuaucial arrangements for tho year have beeu "straightened out," aud iv the secoud place that it would be iv the highest degree unseemly and undesirable that a great constitutional question should bo discussed by a brawliug and excited House in a hasty niauuor. And it is intolerable that iv the British House of Commons the leader of a secession movement such as that championed by Mr Redmond should hold the key of rhe situation, ludeed it is a situation that we feel sure will, tend to harden up the Unionists aud materially reduce the Liberal strength. Much as we desire to see legislation passed to relieve the strain and stress of unemployment, to better the condition of the worker, and above all to promote aud stimulate national industries,wo still deprecate violent hands being laid upou the Constitution. That the House of Lords needs reforming, that the predominance of the hereditary priuciple is out of harmony with the spirit of the age we are satisfied, and we hope to see these things set right. We should be pleased to see the Government of Mr Asquith permitted to carry out these reforms. But we cannot forget, aud no silly suggestion of uuprogressiveness or conservatism will prevent our reminding our readers that constitutional changes with us have been the product of much deliberation and thought. Had it not been so, the Kingdom would not have expanded to its present Imperial proportions ; Great Britain would uot have passed through so mauy crises aud emerged from them stronger each timo; she would uot to-day be the Mother of Nations, all of which are clothed with the same constitutional government. To make a constitutional question a party bludgeon is r.uspeakable, aud we do not believe Englishmen will submit to it.