A POWERFUL SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 5

A POWERFUL SPEECH.

FOLLOWED BY DRAMATIC SILENCE. LABOUR INTERPOSES. (Eec. February 22, ILS p.m.) ■ London, February 22. In the House of Commons, Mr. P. H. Illingworth, member for Shipley division of•y.orkshir'e, ■ and . Mr, C. E. . Price, Liberal! : member.. for Edinburgh Central, moved and seconded the. Address-in-Beply,

THE OPPOSITION CAUTIOUS. Mr. Balfour, Leader of tho Opposition, said, he heard;with pleasure .that a substantial increase in the cost .of the" Navy .wasproposed. Ho hoped.. that, the ■■ Government would bo prepared to faco the situation, and to .do; what: was necessary for the naval defence of' tho 'Empire..:.'"

; The r'eferonce. to the House '>f■ Lords, added Mr . Balfour, was highly ambiguous. It seemed to embody two different policies forced 1 into .the framework of one ungrammatical sentence.-.The group system in Parliament ,* was '' responsible for the difficulties. in securing a direct -.mandate from tho country, It was'unreasonable that a Parliament :olect6d ! for such -' a diversity of, reasons as the present' should chum ' a mandate to alter the - Constitution.'-.' ;

PRIME MINISTER EXPLAINS. The. Prime.Minister, Mr. Asquitb, followed. Ho explained that ho did not intend to convey in his Albert Hall speech that, the Liberal. Ministry , would not meet' the House of Commons unless it had previously secured a guarantee-regarding the exercise' of tho Royal prerogative. , ' . "I have," lie said, "received: no- such guarantees. I have not asked for them. It is Ministers', duty' to keep tho Sovereign outside of party. If occasion should arise, I will not hesitate' to tender such advice to the Crown as the exigencies of the situation'render necessary." Mr. Asquitb continued: • "To ask in advance for an indefinite exercise of the Royal prerogative regarding a. measure nit even submitted to the House of Commons is a request ! which no constitutional, statesman could pro- . - perly make, and which no Sovereign could be expected to grant," (Opposition cheers,) , "If tho machinery of Government has not come to a standstill; an Act must bo passed redeeming the. war loan of 1900, and twenty-ono, millions of Treasury Bills must be'paid before the end, of March. The' Army and Navy, the Civil, Service, and old ago pensions will como : to a standstill on April 1 unless supply is voted.- • ■ . "The Government proposes-a ' short adjournment for Easter, but will dispose of the Budget and the veto resolution beforo the middle of April.. The latter will not be submitted to the House of Lords, but will be an authority for the . Government in framing the Veto - Bi »" • ' NATIONALIST ATTACK. Mr, John Redmond, Leader of the Irish Rationalists, was listened to by the Houso with absorbed attention.. Ho declared that tho Nationalists were allied with no British party,- and were "prbpared to accept the good . Government of Ireland from any party. He added: . .' -Tho Nationalists supported the. Goverpment at tho elections heart and soul, bolieying tliaij Mr. Asquith's pledge regarding the abolition of the House of Lords' veto was tantamount to a pledge to gTaiit Home Rule. Wo understood thq Albert Hall speech to mean that- Mt. Asquith would not assume tlio'responsi- . bility of government unless he co>'Jd rely_

■on the Royal prerogative to enable , him to pass the' Veto Bill this year. ,' . . ; "Every Minister repeated, in substance that pledge. ' Mr; Lloyd-George said, the same thing at the National Liberal Club. , "It Is all very fine for Mr. Asquith to say that ho meant something,else,.but it was upon ..... tho value of this pledge, in con- • junction with Home Rule, that wo supported tho Government. "The King's Speech, is am- . biguous. 'It suggests a scheme of altering the House of Lords'whole constitution. That is not what wo want. We want the veto . ■ limited, (Loud Nationalist and Labour cheers.) -■ . . ."It is: ,imperative that; the Government's' veto resolutions should immediately proceed. If i the House .of Comnions approves, ' and the House of' Lords rejects, . thorn, the Government will then be iii a position to ask tho Sovereign .for guarantees. If the ' Government are refused thoso i guarantees; they should freo themI selves immediately from the re- ■ | sponsibilities l of government." Mr. Redmond'continued: "The; financial orisis is .a great weapon. . You- would throw' it away directly you pass the. Budget,' and would then trust to luok or another election to get tho Veto Bill. - "Wo in Ireland are not going to throw away 'that,weapon, if the .Budget .'is passed first, the House ,of Commons', will "settle down.to a humdrum discussion:of the veto, proposal, which it. .the Lords , will reject. ■. An election follows, and the Government will be displaced by a. wearied ,and disheartened, electorate, i; "Lot Ministers give assurances ; that they will carry the veto this year, and the Nationalists will :. vote ■ for tho Budget, ■ We are not . S"ing to pay this price for nothing. Don't lot. Mr.' Asquith -J > wait until he is Icickod to his con- . stituonts by the Lords." ".' .There was a dramatic'silence when Miv Redmond finished. Xo spoakcr aroso. : LABOUR POSTPONES THE ISSUE. •Mr.. Barnes, chairman- of 'the l Labour party, 'hastily" conferred with' 'his :colleagues, and.then moved the. adjournment of the House. to . enable Labour members to discuss the situation. The House, then' adjourned. The 'result of the Labour meeting' .will ■ not W disolosed ;until Mr.; Barnes ,speaks in the House to-day.