The Dominion. MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1910. THE BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1003, 19 December 1910, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1910. THE BRITISH POLITICAL SITUATION.

The position of the British Gov-' ernment and its allies has substantially improved during the past' week, and the latest figure's available at the time of' writing point to an almost exact reproduction of tho. result of tho January election. With 6 seats to go, the Government's composite majority is 122, so that in order to retain'its January major- % °lit will be necessary for the alhes 'td add only 4 more to their total. It is quite . clear that the final result will differ from 'the January verdict, if it differs at all, in a quite negligible degree. We suggested some time ago that the outcome of the fight would be, and ought to _ be, a further conference, and this is an opinion that appears to be gaining ground. The main point in dispute, of - course, is the interpretation that is to be given to the reproduction of the result obtained in January, and it is manifest that there is.no hope that the politicians can agree upon what is after all a point of temperament and natural inclination. The Unionists will claim that nothing but a very great increase in the .strength of tho Government's forces could bo regarded as a command that the Parliament, Bill should pass. Mr. Asquith's ' request for '..'greater emphasis" in the verdict of tho electorate is a recognition in advance of the soundness of the Unionists' position in. this respect. Although tho result of the 1900 election has been cited by the Liberals as a leading case, we shall be surprised if we hear very much more of it. With a majority of 136 at the dissolution the Unionists came back with a majority of 134. The Unionists had gone to the country on no particular point of policy; they sought only, for a general verdict as to the public's confidence in the Government, and got it. Mb. Asquith can quite rightly claim, as, indeed, ,we were, told on Saturday- he lias claimed, that he has received a command to remain in office, but. he cannot rightly claim any more: The opinion is sure to grow that a repetition of tho old majority is really a command to the Government to settle its difficulties by some other means than that for which a very heavy, majority is necessary, and was requested. The Nationalists, of course, are not. concerned about the House of Lords excepting as an obstacle to Home Rule, and any constitutional view must read their votes as votes, not for the unicameral government desired by the British Radicals, but only for the establishment of an Irish Parliament. Without their votes the Government will have a majority of less than 50 out of 577 members, and the Unionists will be able to claim with confidence that the powers...of the Second Chamber must not be destroyed unless that British majority- is greatly increased on a direct appeal to the country. It is worth noting, by tho way, that Mr. M'Nab ; who assisted in the January campaign on behalf of tho Liberals, declares that tho Parliament Bill does propose to' establish singlechamber government. Mb. M'Nab is of course fallible, like the rest of us, but his opinion is'plainly the only one that any honest person can hold on what is, after all, simply a matter of fact. The position of Mb. Asquith . is extremely difficult —as near political stalemate as can be imagined. Mb. Redmond would be quite satisfied, if he could obtain Home Rule, to pack his traps and leave tho House of Lords alone; and it. is quite possible that a Home -Rule Bill would be accepted by the

Lords. But that would not suit Mn. Asquitii, for tho failure, of his campaign against the Peers would be manifest; he needs the Nationalists to help him play tho Radicals' game. That the Lords will accept the Parliament Bill is out of the question, and the. very serious consequences that must follow cither its rejection or its amendment by the addition of a referendum clause may. have a sobering effect upon all parties. The only way out of a very difficult situation, unless a Home Rule Bill precedes the Parliament Bill, appears to ho through a'conference upon the Irish question, and 'such a conference is the largest of the probabilities of the situation.