THE BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 682, 6 December 1909, Page 6

THE BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS.

The tone of Mr. Lloyd-George's latest speech,, reported. thiß morning; destroys the last hope that the forthcoming general election will be fought on any clear issue. Mji. Lloyd-George cannot really believe that Lord Ccrzon and Lord Milner are the anti-social pirates that he is proclaiming them to be, nor, probably, does he think that, the nationality' of Lord Rothschild makes it disgraceful in. the great.financier torefer to disturbances in- the money market, He liaa apparently determined that that is the kind of talk to win votes, and just.as he fold a, Daily Chronicle reporter that at Newcastle no : was going to . "out-Limehouse Limehouse," so he has resolved to make even his Newcastle speech 'appear tame land conservative. The/-"tactics -are:old, but ever now; One must feel grateful, that the election is only, a little distance away, and that therefore-.the, campaign of rancorous abuse- will not bo a, long one. Apart from the constitutional issue, the. struggle will become a conflict between the iiudget: and Tariff' Rcfqrm. For the present, however/ the politicians and the press are too busy witii the constitutional issue to pay. much attention' either to the economics of the new taxes or to the statistics of the Tariff Reformers. \ Mthough his formal motion affirmed, that the action of the Peers is "a breach of tho : Constitution," Mr. •.Aβ-' quith was as vague as the Constitution itself in the reasons; which he gave in defence of his proposition. . Any appeal to "custom, usage, and convention";in great constitutional matters has a sound basis, but custom is fixed only while the reasons for it are fixed, and custom must be varied when any new order is established. To the democracies of the oversqas■Empire the.principal fact is that nave at anyrate secured that the public shall give its verdict, and the Lords could hardly do a more democratic 'thing than that, i /'The presumption," as Mr. x As- : quith says; "is that the House ofvCommohs is freely, chosen ljy the people , , and represents'the. people's will."/ Bub it is j a presumption which may proporly be' challenged by the Lords—their ' very ex : I istenco raises. another ' presumption, that, the Commons cannot always be trusted to reflect thei popular will. Every disso-'i lution, every change of Government; isa proof that Governments may be out of touch-.with;tho people's'will. 1 ' As to 1 the election itself, 1 it is very probable that Mr." Lloyd-George's : rhetoric will go towards strengthening the prospects of tHs Labour-Socialists, , : : and ■■;,■ strengthening them at; the . expense: of the Liberals. There .is':littlo .doubt, in/ view', of' the'attitude, lately adopted by the-Spectator and some of the ,chief:iUnionist t Free-traders; that trie fiscal issue will riot: seriously split the Unionist party. .-.-. The Unionist' Freetraders: will probably/feel that any Unionist'majority must.be such a small .one that. Free-trade will! be- reasonably safe. The prospect of having two ; partios of al-; most 'equal "would mean that, the ■Labour 'member's: iuS.d/j' , ffie""Nationalists. may possibly be' able to exercise that; decisive pressure, with which the Jast' decade of 'Australian:''politics has: made its all'familiar. We have not yet received enough advice, by cable to make clear the general' character .)} of., colonial 'opinion; The .South African press seems to be unable to join the "melting-pot" / party. We, are glad to.note that at least one South. African newspaper, the. East London Dis■pately, takes: that view.of Lord■: Crewe's unfortunate references ''to- the -dominions which was expressed in these columns. It is'to be hoped that_tho Colonial: Secretary's attempt to. bring- the colonies into, trip'quarrel will not be heldvto give the Tariff •■ Reformers liberty to flourish the colonies once again. in the face' .of tho British people! ;^-': : " : "; ''','■'■'■■ ■". ,' ; ;