The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1905. THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 40, 16 February 1905, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1905. THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Wmr the catue that lock* uttUtmoe, for the wrong that need* reaUtmnee, Ft the future in the dittaitoe, A*d the good that we out *o.

The King's Speech seldom contains anything very sensational, and nothing at all startling or unexpected occurred at the opening of Parliament on Tuesday. Affairs in Europe, South Africa and the Far East were touched upon in a more or less optimistic fashion. The ratification of the Anglo-French Convention was mentioned with approval, and the settlement of the Tibetan difficulty was described as satisfactory. Of the proposals to be submitted to Parliament during the coming session the most noticeable are bills "to diminish anomalies in electoral areas," and to settle the much-debated Scotch Church question. The Aliens Immigration Bill has often been promised before, and the other measures included in the Ministerial forecast are not likely to make or to mar either a Liberal or a Conservative Government. On the whole, the King's Speech was more remarkable for what it omitted than for what it included, and it is on this side that it has been most vigorously criticised by the Opposition.

It has been for some time past understood that the Opposition intended to move several important amendments to the Addsess -in-Reply. These amendments are to deal with the fiscal question, Army reform and the alleged excessive naval and military expenditure. It will be interesting to see what success the Government will have if any of these proposals are pressed to a division; and Mr Asquith has already led the way with a motion to the effect that the fiscal question should be submitted to the people without any further procrastination. From the point of view 'of either Protectiopist or Free Trader, it appears to us that the Opposition has a fair case against Mr Balfour on this question; for the utterances of the Premier on fiscal policy have been frequently indefinite and inconsistent. Mr Balfour is pi*ohably convinced of the soundness of Mr Chamberlain's fiscal principles, but either because he has not yet developed "fixed convictions" on the subject, or because he dare not break definitely with the Free Trade Unionists, he has displayed even more dialectical subtlety than usual in discussing or evading the chief points at issue. In the Upper House Lord Goschen and Earl Spencer have already shown that they intend to raise the whole question -withiout delay, and Sir Henry CampbellBannerman has challenged Mr Balfour to declare himself finally on this subject without further "metaphysical sophistication." It is clear that the Opposition means to force the Government to appeal to the country on this point as speedily as possible, ana there is nothing in the legislative programme sketched in the King's Speech that will be likely to distract the attention of Parliament or people from the great and all-pervad-ing question of Fair Trade, Free Trade or Retaliation.

But Mr Balfour is by no means anxious to appeal to th.c country yet. He ia defending the Government's record in detail and has endeavoured to strengthen his position by more or less effective replies to the Opposition attacks on Government policy in the Transval and Afghanistan. The Premier ridicules the idea that a Government with so large a working majority need put itself in tHe bands of the people; and he quote! Mr Gladstone as his authority for I>he statement that unfavourable by-elections should never decide a Government's , fate. As a matter of

fact the by-elections that have been held during the past two or three years in England have turned out by no means favourably for the Conservative administration. An analysis of the 38 contested elections that have been fought in England and Scotland since May, 1902, show that the liberal vote in the Constituencies has risen by 55,231, while the Conservative vote has decreased by 5182.QThe3e constituencies were represented before 1902 by 26 Conservatives and 10 Liberals; they are now held by 24 Liberals and 12 Conservatives. This may not be conclusive evidence as to the general debility of the Conservative party, but it at least shows that public opinion on such questions as the Education Acts, the Licensing Bill, and Chinese Labour in the Transvaal, not to mention Fiscal policy, has taken a very decisive turn against the Balfour administration.

It is probable that Mr Balfour will refuse to accept the Liberal challenge at the present juncture. But the Liberals themselves believe that the tide has turned in their favour and that as soon as they can force on a general election, they will come into office with, a majority that the most sanguine of the party already estimate at one hundred or more. In that case, we will be able to test the value of the Liberal boast that the ranks of the party can easily supply a Ministry more +.h<m equal in capacity, man for man to the present administration. Not long ago a forecast of the next Liberal Ministry published in a leading magazine created' some sensation in England. According to the proposals made by the writer, Earl Spencer is to be Premier, at least for a time, with Sir Charles Dilke as hie Foreign Secretary, and Mr Haldane

as Lord Chancellor. Sir Henry Camp-■bell-Banneraiaa. is to be satisfied with a peerage, and the .duties of the War; Office. The Chancellor of the Exchequer is to be Mr Fteteher Moulton, the eminent barrister: wLiJe Mr Asquith is First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons. With Sir Edward Grey as Colonial Secretary, Mr John Morley as President of the Council, Sir Henry Fowler as Secretary for. India, and Mr Bryee as President of the Board of Trade, the new Ministry certainly seems to be well equipped with both political and administrative ability; and it will be interesting to discover, when the critical moment arrives, how far the successes of the Liberal party at the polls will justify the high hopes already formed for them by many of the gentlemen whose names are included in this fictitious muster-roll.