The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1910. THE BRITISH CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1910. THE BRITISH CRISIS.

£'THE;-.totVdiyisi,on ; in'.tte' : new;-Bfi-'. Itish" 1 .; Parliainentj. which has "been ; awaited wifcli .very great interest, is recorded; in/bur cable!:'..news ;^; this morning.;' -1t...' tdot'^lacej:' not. upon any ...of .the 'issues .which have been most: prominently before the' public during the ■ past : week,;but , -upon ;Me.' : , &.V&W. ;. Chambeelain's. •'.'.Tariff : ■'Eβ-. form amendment;to;the Address-in-, ißeply;-:; The "Government;;: has- sue--oeeded;in defeating-the; amendment,; but: in .circumstances which snake ;it.almost certain-.that' the.ydoom, of ':■ the. Liberal-party;is.sealed/: The actual .majbritiy against 1 the amehdment was 31,," but;; |he , : ;EEDM6NDrrES;'■•;:and' 'O'BitiENrrES ;.abstained! from 'voting/: Amongst'; the'i Nationalists; there, are few, if: any,;c6nyinced and -ardent ; - Frek-traders y . and';; there'.-' •is ":.■ ; little doubt that;if the Nationalists ' had' voted ; the'.Government Mould have; been-defeated. 1 ' This' disastrous ;yote wiil dpmplete;' the : destruction ,of the Government's.'credit,;and. will be received by ;the; Eadicals ,'as: the ■ death-blow:-to-,their. hopes. '■•• Threatened ? by the Nationalists and' by -ita., own friends on the, one hand and by a majority, againßt them l oh the ' issue- it is. impossible any longer ;to believe- that' - the:. ..Government:can carry , on; the, -busineES- of the coun-; try for ) very ; -long.;. .Wβ must 'leave; I for .another occasion the discussion of the. presontlpositiohlof,the Tariff. Reform movement. .The immediate interest ;of-. the ;yote liesin its bear: ing upon 'the ..Government's ..diffioul-. ties-with vthe Nationalists. , ' .■'....:;

: There- is rid ,sign ; , as yet -that"the ,Goverriment..'is',any; nearer:'an .arrangement : respecting the Budget and the --veto which will satisfy, the extremists. ■ Nor,. of course,- ,;is ■ it any ; nearer:fo;a chance of success in obtaining', the ;'Eoyal' cooperation that is necessary for the passage of the :only measure- that will, be .accepted by the Labourand National!ist.parties. The reference-.;in, the King's Speech to the: Government's intentions respecting, the Lords;was sufficiently vague to allow; the Prime' Minister room for another of his famous "explanations", of his meaning.: He obviously/had in mind a measure in; which there would be united a reform of the ' Constit ution of- the Upper Houee and a rostric-

tion of itsjpowers. . Already, however, His friends have closed, the door against; this way of escape. Forty of his supporters, we were told yesterday, have resolved to urge the Prime Minister "not to, blend the veto question with that of the reform of the Lords," and strong opposition has been aroused in Labour circles by Colonel Seely's declaration that "the policies of abolishing the hereditary-principle in the House of Lords, and of limiting the veto: of. that Chamber, were inter-dependent." Sir' ' Charles DiLKE, the most prominent of the unofficial extremists in the -Liberal party, has stated that elective elements would make the House of Lords infinitely worsej and that the Government would not have a single supporter for any scheme.;of reform. Finally, Sir J. , H. Dalziel, a prominent Liberal, has given ..notice.; to move an amendment affirming that "inasmuch Vas' the' electorate has given no mandate for reform of the House of Lords,. the House of Commons declines to', grant facilities for the discussion, of a resolution having this object in!view." This amendment must be .carried : unless; ■', a very unlikely event, the' Unionists ■ find it advantageous to allow, 'the 'Government to bring on its .8i11....,';,

.As. before, Me.', Eedmond 'completely dominates the situation. His party's; silence; on Me;-.'Chambbk-lain's; amendment accord with its attitude (in,' the late' ■ Parliament. He now; knows-'for-certain that "he can : notronly turn out the, present. Govornment;',on, the fiscal issue,. but that he possesses ah-effective'weapon to .use' in' : :;bargaining .with -any .Unionist,. .that ..comes into:: power iwith a , majority of less than 70. He|;is -therefore..in-,the 'position of being able'' to . pick and choose; to -decide .between -.-a Liberal that is 'powerless' ■. to grant' more i;than. the Unionists will allow - 'and,, .a: Unionist;.' .Go yernmen t to whose chief, policy the. support.of the Irish ..vote, is necessary.i : For the present he; is content to .withhold- his hand,'' for Vlthere is nothing .to 'he gained'by. ; turning the Government out .■'while,i|negotiations;-; are•■'.still ■worth'conducting. '.'He" has-'no thing to ■ lose by marking.;time,. and everything: to' , gain'by.' -the' "increasing clearness with which both, the : great: parties' will , ! realise ■< the' strength.- of his position. ; . The G.overnmenf'iis. obviously, v'^Uite-'unrepresentative,' upon the whole, of. the}, public opin-. :ipn of. the-'Kingdom,'; for. if ;it were ~i t. would : jO , be:- in: difficulties over every-one. : , of-the. ■ ;.upon wHich 'it : werit : .to ' the 'country .That Me; : ;:AsQuirH - hasi;n6t ; ;resighecl, ! ; is surprising,- but .although- -he v.must jhaye good' reasons; fof;,remaining;in ■office ,iii-the ; extraordinary difficulties, .it; is impossible .'to speculate with any-profit, as to.what those •re'as6ns r .niay' ; 'bei;.".- , '-- : V'".-:"''- : ;.':■; ■■■-■■'■"'■ 1 ; '-i'-.'i