CANDID UNIONIST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 675, 27 November 1909, Page 5

CANDID UNIONIST.

FOOD TAXES. LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH WARNS THE LORDS. SMALL VICTORY OR BIG DEFEAT. (By Telegraph—Proas Astoeicitlon—Copyright! London, November 25. ;., Continuing the debate in the fiouie of Lords on the Government's Finance - Bill, and the Unionist amendment declining . the House of Lords' consent till the Bill has been submitted to the judgment of the'people, Lord. St,- David s (formerly Mr. Wyndford Philipps, Liberal M.P. for Pembrokeshire) made .reference to Lord Rosebery's phrase—"ships were going westward carrying stocks' and bonds as ballast.. Lord St. David's said he admitted that many business men were afraid of the Budget. Could it be wondered'at, when responsible uicn jested about : bonds' being shipped as ballast? The remedy was to let the Budget pass. When people found that nothing happened, the bonds would bo shipped back. , ■ Lord Milner on Capital ' Investment. Lord Miluor deolared that his experience as chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue showed that it was an.utter impossibility .to secure the enactment of nil the complicated taxes included in the present Budget in a single year. . , , '. ..., _ , As illustrating the division of capital, Lord Milner ; said the'. proportion of. public, investments in Britain to the total was 40 per cent, in, 1901, and 31per cent, in 1805. Sinoe the present Govornmont came into power, the proportion each year had been 30m 25, and 26 per cent., and in this Budget year, only 10 I per cent. He severely condemned the death duties. ' : It would be possible, Lord Milner said in conclusion, to raise the whole amount required by import duties; without injury to business and employment —indeed,"with' benefit .to both. Tho Lords would not. bo justified in passing the Budget, without fthe 'consent of the peoplo.', :

Earl Carringtoti on Land Values. : ; ■ Earl; Carrington, President of the: Board; of'l Agriculture, and formerly Governor, of Now South Wales, declared that'Vthe value of land had advanced 25 to 40 per cent, dnca tho Liberals cain© into oßicc. . This was, testimony to public confidence in the Government's land legislation.' ; Opposition infceijoctiona suggested. that the improvement was due to a general rise in prices.'. Lord Carrington admitted this, but added that indulgent land legislation had had its share in: the result. Referring to th® fact th.it the land taxes exempt agricultural land, tho speaker said the Cabinot believed that it was wrong to tax land which prodncod the.people's food. , • ■ Tho Earl of Onslow (formerly Qovorhor of Now Zealand) opposed, and Lords Weardalo and Glontawo supported .the Budget, , Lord Curzon moved tho adjournment of tho debate.• "WALKING INTO A TRAP." NO RIGHT TO "FORCE A REFERENDUM."

A BISHOP FOR BUDGET. (Roc. November 26, 10 p.m.) - ■ London, Noveuibor'26. . i In the absence- of Lord Curzon " (through illness) .the debate in the House of Lords opened tamely. Boino" of".the ca.nt<; and theris were fewer spectators. King Manoel of Portugal! was present. • > ; Lord Ashbourne; (who '.was for twenty -years Unionist Lord Chancellor of ..Ireland) . said, that, for' the-, first ,timß:.in history; the. Budget; wont far i beyond :the provisions.; for. the 'year's- rev> enue. The House .of Lords had a right to bo sure that- the peoplo-knew the character of the Bill before they, passed it'.

A Unionist FresrF/ioder's View. • | ■ •Lord Balfour; oi Burleigh' (vrlio, for'the t»ke of' Free-trade, seceded ;from tho UnionisfcCab'' ihet in 1903) made a remarkable sp&eoh, characterised by manly sincerity and: frequently 'punctuated i with-Liberal. applause.. He objected to. the Bill becauso .Various taxes which, it proposed were,:unnecessary. to. tho. service of tho year. It was no answer to' say that tha State would be in possession of funds for, future. expenses; that: aggravated.the charge, l»: causa it tended to make the Executive more independent of Parliament'. • "In many, rospects the Budget was unjust and unfair as between men; For the first timo finance was founded on class,hatred and'jealousy. If ho objected, to the contents of the Budget, tie objected • still 'moro strongly to the, tone 'and tompor of some of tho speeches by.which it had . been recommended. There had been an increase in the. output, i of rotten eggs.' Party organisation had.. been■ raised to such perfection, that it. was crushing out the independence . of members of the House ,of Commons.: :V. .: •

Warning to the House of Lords., There never: was ' a time in the history of the country when r. 1 Sccond Chamber—strong,; trusted, and, in. the nature'' .of things somewhat: conservative-was. more necessary. Ho questioned whether, the' Lords were wise 'in making a new claim at this juncture. • .Proceeding,; lord'.Balfour of Burleigh, said: /; "Long usage has made the House of Commons ■supreme with the' Government of the day and in the control of finance matters. The two things go together, and are the .same in essence—a truth admitted by < every constitutional 1 lawyer.' ,

"If a system is established whereby i the House of Lords have a right to j . force a referendum, you destroy the control of the House of. Commons over . the Government, and make a moment' ■ous change in the Constitution. "If you win a victory, it can bo.at most temporary; the passago of Lord Lansdowne's resolution only > means a renewal of the conflict by which the House of Commons has attained Its present position. If you sre the result will be to prejudice the power; prestige, and usefulness of the House of Lords. ' ' ■ ; "I object to tactics which combine the defence of a Second Chamber with tho taxation of the people's food. I do not believe that.tariff reform will.', provide the needed revenue.; "Those who vote with Lord , Lansdowne," concluded Lord Balfour,, "will be walking into a trap. They will offend'the deepest conservative instincts of the country, and that feeling may be reflected at the polls."

Partisan Discrimination of Peers. Lord Lucas, Under-Secretary for War, stated that .tho Lords had killed eighteen Bills during the four! last Liberal Parliaments,' and not one Conservative' measure had been rejected. The House of Lords had now stepped into the political , arena, and were competing with tho House of Commons on party lines, : ■ Viscquut Ridley • ridiculed:, tho contents of "this poor man's Budget," since it taxed tho ■poor: man's great necessity,, employment. The Bishop of Hereford, Dr. Porcival, supported .the Bill because it was a 6ocial welfare Budget,; and was; basedon sound finance. Ho said it was impassible to oxpect 'an 'educated democracy to , remain > content. with survivals which: do ; riot 'represent. .the .present constitution of our, society., He;: protected, against the bloated estimates for..; military Varmamontr nil vntv Eaxejp.. •' wm

time l when arbitration 1 would Bupcrecdo competitive armaments, , . Ex-Colonial Governor's Opinion. Lord- Lamihgton (formerly '-Governor .'of. Queensland) stated that ho did not'sharo the alarm of Lord Balfour of Burleigh aB to the offect of the Unionist amendment on, the House .of Lords. ... If Mr. :-Gladstone, with all' his . prostigo and authority, failed in his attach on tho Second Chamber, it was unlikely that the . present Government would bring tho walls of the House about their oars. Dealing with Socialistic remedies for rural depopulation, Lord Laminglon said that settlements set up by Australian Governments in country, districts had : been, unsuccessful, though the conditions w6ro favourable.and the.land was given 'free." ' i WANTED-A sIcOND CHAMBER. NOT A ONE-PAETY PRIVILEGED BODY London, November 25, Sir Edward Grey, Secretary.' for Foreign Affairs, speaking at Trowbridge, 'Wiltshire, said the action of the Lords in regard to tile •Budget was not statesmanship, but tho tlirow of a gamblor.'who was playing for a stake. > ; He favoured a Second Chamber,, which, however, should be something which would reflect the opinion of the country.' The House of Lords only did this by accident. When the Conservatives were .in power itnvas a sleeping partner; when the Liberals held office it was not a Second Chamber, but an Opposition. . . ■ •, If good ; Liberal work -was to bo done,. said the; Minister, it : was essential that • some fair and reasonable means should be accepted by tho Lords.-whereby in case of a deadlock the opinions of the Commons should prevail, PRO-BUDGET PETITION FROM THE ■ ; CITY, . . London, November 25. Mr. Asquith, Prime Minister, in replying to a petition signed by two thousand City electors ; in favour ,of .the Budgets said he welcomed tho weighty memorial as strengthening the Government's, hands.in'maintaining in full force the supremaoy of tho Commons in . matters of finance. : ■ v LORD ROSEBERY'S "YES-NO," ' OPPONENTS LATJGH: FRIENDS LAMENT. i . London, November' 25. Commenting on the speech of Lord Rosebery . —m which he condemned tho Budget and approved the Unionist amendment, but said his utterances when Premier' in 1894-95 prevented , his voting for ; tho amendment—Opposition ; newspapers pay high tribute' to Lord Rosebory's eloqiionoe, but .rogrct that ho shrinks from action, whioh alone could givo effect to ' his protests. . ' ' The "Daily . Tolegraph" (Unionist) says the enjoyment of tho superb oratorical triumph , was marred by tho chilling thought of its' su- ' preine praotical futility. 1 1 The Chronicle" (Liboral) characterises it as a Tes-No" speech, and the picture of the i paralysis, of commercial enterprise aß> only ® scaremongoring. J ELECTION AHEAD. a MONET DIFFICULTIES DURING THE INTERVAL,

; London, November 25. It iB oxpeotod, if tlo Budget ia l not assented to by tho House of Lords, thai Parliament will bo prorogued at. thoi end-of next week/ and that tho general; election will take plaeo early in January.

"The Times" says tho Government is averse to tho adoption of any proposals concerning tho collection. 0 f taxes to'tide over the interregnum, lest it; should bd interpreted; as accepting, an alternative to tho Budget. ' The; deficit resulting from 1 • rejection will, "The Times" says, , continue until' the .''new Parliament assembles. . V : ,