The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1910. THE BRITISH SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 982, 24 November 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1910. THE BRITISH SITUATION.

The development of tho political situation in Great Britain is taking a shape that cannot but be depressing to those who realise that upon the honour and integrity of British statesmanship rest tho hopes of Imperial stability in tho future. So far as the tactics 'of the position are concernecl, there is good hope that a sharp check will bo applied to the Jacobinism that Mr. Asquith feels himself constrained, by his concern for the maintenance of Free-trade, to lead against the defenders of bicameral _ government. . But oven if, as is quite possible, and on the present showing, even likely, the Government sustains a reverse at the elections, thero is matter for concern in the readiness of Mr. Asquith to buy the support of the real foes of Liberalism in order to keep in office, and in the defilement by Mr. LloydGeorge of the traditions of British Ministerial office. Mr. LloydGeorge's famous Limehouse speech was a base appeal, not to the intelligence, but to tho lower passions and prejudices, of his light-headed audience, but that speech is almost sedate arid cautious by the sido of his extraordinary performance at Mile End. Probably nobody inside or outside England, and nobody in tho Mile End-audience, has doubted for a moment that it is at Mr. Redmond's dictation that a dissolution has been decided upon. Everybody, too, is woll aware that hundreds of thousands of Nationalist Irishmen" are heart and soul with Mr. Wilr, liaji O'Brien, Mr. Heai,y, Mr. E. Hugh O'Donnell, and many another sterling Irish leader, in loathing the gold of .Mr. Redmond's friend, Pat. Ford. Yet Mr. Lloyd-Georqe, knowing this, deliberately set out to counter this fact with a rancorous appeal, not this time to the mere prejudice, but to the coarseness of his audience. "Since when," ho asked, "had tho aristocracy started despising American dollars! Many a noble house tottering to -its fall had had its foundations pinned up with American dollars." It is not difficult to imagine with what disgust, the sharper' for having to be concealed,, this speech must have inspired tho colleagues who had hoard cho gospel of Liberalism proclaimed m earlier days by a- Gladstone and a Rosebery.

Nothing could well bo worse than this new theory'of statesmanship, but many people, remembering that overy_age has its Cleon, may regard as still more deplorable Mr. Asquith's touting for votes by abandoning the essential principles of genuine Liberalism. Mill condemnod_ tho payment, of members as.' certain to lead to tho appearance of adventurers "incessantly bidding to attract or retain the suffrages of the electors, by promising all things, honest or dishonest, possible or impossible, and rivalling each other in to tho meanest feelings and most ignorant prejudices of the vulgar part of the' crowd." Gladstone, like all the old Liberals, never tired of condemning State paternalism and assaults upon the security of property and lawful possessions. The very essence of Liberalism is its insistence upon freedom for the individual conscience. Yet on all these points Mb. Asquith is a backslider. Ho has promised the payment of mcmbors and the reversal of tho Osborne judgment, in order to keep the Socialist vote; he has agreed to abolish bi-cameral government in order to escape-destruction, at Mr. Redmond's hands.. In brief, ho has descended almost to that depth of bargaining for sectional support by selling the principles of Liberalism which has been reached by the Government of our own country—almost, but not quite. Could ho be induced to lay bare his secret thoughts, ho would probably say ho -was doing all this for the sake of Froe-trade; but what cause can really bo helped in tho long event by such means as these? In tho meantime tho House of Lords is proceeding to. discuss a scheme of its own for settling conflicts between the Houses in an orderly manner. The policy is manifestly fair and just in principle, and can be objected to only by those who are willing to establish "singleChamber government. It is proposed that the. Upper House shall be reconstituted, and that Bills other than money Bills should be arranged, in the event of a deadlock, by a joint sitting of the two Houses. Money Bills should be entirely free from amendment or rejection- by the Lords, and in the event, of disputes over "tagging," a settlement shall be effected through a joint Committee. Threatened on one hand by Labour,- and on the other by Mr. Redmond, the Government dares not give any consideration to this scheme. Mr. Asquith must obey his masters, Were the Unionist party to drop. Tariff Reform for the present, there could be no,doubt as to tho defeat of tho Government. Were the Free-traders holding moderate views relieved of any anxiety on the fiscal question, the fight at tho polls could bo coricentriited on the constitutional issue, and in that case the Jacobins would, be swept away.