ASQUITH IN REPLY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 616, 20 September 1909, Page 7

ASQUITH IN REPLY

LORDS CHALLENGED. "A DIET OF BLOOD AND THUNDER." MUTILATION OR'REJECTION. "THAT WAY REVOLUTION LIES." (By Tolegtaph.-Prcss Assoclatlon.-OoDjrlehU ■ (Rec. September 19, 5.5 p.m.) London, September 18. . Mr. Asquith, the Prime Minister, received a tumultuous welcome from an audience of 10,000 people at Bingley. He likened the sensations of the reader of Lord Rosobery's speech to thoso of an over-«anguine explorer, who, having battled across parallels of ice and fog, roaches the North, Pole only to find nothing there, except that'the points of the compass had for the moment lost their meaning. He emphasised the fact that the'present gathering had met to declare that they were fixed and resolute in tho opinionCD That the interests of the State should bo met by an oquitabte distribution of the nation's wealth. (2) That the freoly-chosdn representatives of the people should hayb tho final voice in settling both tho measuro, the lncltion.ee, and the burden. ' 1 .After summarising the proposals of. the socalled revolutionary. Budget, he remarked : that the working classes as a body had not oomplained of their, share of the additional contribution to the acknowledged necessities of the State. The bulk of the well-to-do citizens were just as ready as their less fortunate fellow-subjects to play their part and do their fair share of patriotic' duty in meeting the State's needs.' . .' Burdens of Landowners.

Whatever might happen, in the hurlyburly of politics, nothing would disturb the personal affection between. Lord Rosebery and himself.,; Lord Rosebery. bewailed ; his hard fate and: extolled, the services of the owners of agricultural land. But.the : Budget's land, taxes .did not touch ' agricultural J land. Its.proposals by increasing the deduc-l tions under Schedule A left the owner .of agricultural land bettor, off than at present. Tho proposal was merely to tax land values! created by'the social development , of the country. Lord Rosebery himself, _ whilo Prime advocated tho taxation.-of ground values; He agreed with Lord Rosebery that the Government was making anew departure regarding the land. The depar- : ture was that for the first timo principles, the justico.of- which ■ wero admitted, by every impartial man who had studied the subject, .had been recognised and acted upon,by the ' responsible government! ■. : . ■ J •■;■■'■■■.- Inhuritance Duties; , . Lord Rosebery had discovered in the inheritance duties an intention .'to-wage implacable war against capital. The same'epithets were used ■'■ ng&inst' : Mr, Gladstone's ; Succession ■Duty i:i A"ct, : ;and' : Were, falsified ■'by. tho 'event.. The taxes wcre'tt very mbderato toll. l-Re-girding 'tho alleged depletion ' and so-called exploiiitiin of national capita!, ho contended that'the money taken in the shape of death duties did npt disappear. -It went.in sanitation, national defence, the preservation of order, and those, great schemes of'.social , reform whereon tho. Liberals wero bent. Nobody could say that: capital' so applied had notbeon so remuneratively employed as if it had beon left in the pockets of its previous owners, and transmitted 'to , their ohildrcn. • .■,-. . -."Infertile Generalisations.", ■

.■■What.was Lord Rosbbo'ry's.' alternative?-. Beyond -'a few singularly, iinfertile generalities,; Lord Rosebory had''nothing, to tell us. Tho tariff.reformers were grateful- for.'.' Lord Rosebory!s aid, but. disguised .their disappointment at'.his'lame and impotent conclusions. .They felt.that it was all very well-to , abuse, tho Budget and its iauthors;; "but," said: Mr".. Asquith, "neither- nations nor individuals- ca-u livo on a diet of blood , and thtmder. iYouVcannot fill a deficit by denuncia* -.tioni" (■';■■■'.-/■• '•■■!•-.-■■'■''.'■'. -■'''' '.'.-:.:'; ■•■.■: '■•'.'■ ■■Mr.. Asquith.went on to argue- that t-ariS. reform had proved no practical alternative to the Budget ; proposals ae a reyenue-produe-ing Scheme. If any. euch alternative .policy existed it ought to como out in the open! ■ Mr. Balfour, on-his last visit to.Birmingham, administered to long-suffering tariff reformers a dosj'of soothing syrup, which hid kept them more or loss'quiet. •■■■'..' ".; . A Challenge to the Lords. i. Tho most important part of Mr.-Asquith's speech was reserved for tho last five minutes. was a. direct'.challenge ,, to tho'Houso of Lords. '.'.'-, ■' •■'. ■ •.■... : \- ■' •., ■" •.-••"..:,

.'Speaking solemnly and slowly, he declared:— ■.. ■'•' --.' '-.< ~-'.".' : ■-■•; ..-..;■.■■

"If the Houso of Lords destroy the Budget, whether by mutilation or rejection, that indeed would be.tho most formidable revolution since the Long Par , 1 llament. It-was settled long ago that the Houso of Commons has an absolute,' I unquestionable, and decisive voice in I matters of finance. The Lords aro Im- ! potent, and the Commons supreme. If I that issue is raised that way revolution lies. It would involve Issues far wider . and deeper than the right of the House of Lords to mcddlo In finance. But If It is raised, the Liberal party Is anxious and eager to accept the ohallenge." PRESS COMMENTB. LORDS AND COMMONS. Commenting on the epoech, "Tho Times" states:—"Mr. Asquith's defence in its conclusion is almost trivial. The opposition -to the Budget is provoked far loss by what it takes than its' ways of taking it, and the avowals of intention and design by* Mr. Asquith's colleagues. Thcso avowals he always ignored, and wo can easily beliovo they are far from commanding his personal approval. Ho must be well aware that th« Houso of Lords' right to reject tho Budget is beyond question. "Tho Times" further states that it 'is practically certain tb,afc if the "Lords reject the Finance Bill tho Government will accelerate the revision of tho Electoral Register to November instead of January, and the general election will bo held about the end of .November. Tho "Daily Hail" states that tho speech is "humdrum," and quotes May'g stntemont that tho Houso of Lords has a legal right ro withhold its assent to any Bill they dia ■ approve of. ~'..'■ '. ■ '' ' Tho "Chroniclo" says: '.'Mr. main thesis is that tho Budget is not revolutionist, but its. rejection by the Houso of Lords would bo." .■■'.'• ■.-•■:. Tl\o "Daily News" remarke: "The Liberals are prepared to take advantage of the revolutionary'policy said to be contemplated by the House of Lords by limiting the hereditary right of veto, and so remove the greatest stumbling-block in the path of national advancement," . . The "Telegraph" .says: \"The speech is quite futile u.KO. effort to coerce tho Home of I*lde,l \"'- ■'•■■.' ' .". ■ '