THE BRITISH CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1067, 4 March 1911, Page 5

THE BRITISH CRISIS.

MAJORITY OF 125 FOR VETO BILL MR. BALFOUR ACCUSES LIBERALS OF FRAUD ON HOME RULE. SENSATION IN PARLIAMENT. PRIME MINISTER DENIES UNIONIST CHARGES Br Tclenraph—Press Association—CoDjrlffht (Rec. March 3, 11.40 p.m.) London, March 3. The debate on the motion fcr the second reading of tho Parliament Bill was concluded to-day after notable speeches had been delivered by Mr, Balfour and Mr. Asquith. < The Bill was read a second time by a majortiy of 125 votes, the figures being as follow:— For the- Bill 368 Against the Bill 243 Majority for Bill •• 125 The majority supporting the Government was made up thus• Liberals 252 Nationalists 72 O'Brienites ;. 6 Labour Members 38 .368 Forty-two members paired, and seventeen did not vote on the division.

CLOSING SPEECHES. MR. BALFOUR'S ACCUSATION. ' THE HEREDITY PRINCIPLE. (Rec. March 3, 11.40 p.ni.) London, March 3. Mr. Balfour, Leader of. the Opposition, in the "course of his closing speech in tho second-reading debato on the Parliament Bill, said that, though a democratic form of government was the only possible one for a community liko that of Great Britain, it would be folly for any reformer of tho Second Chamber to start with the assumption that they had nothing to do with tho heredity principle. They had inherited it; let it bo their servant, but no longer their master. The common bond of the Erapiro was based on heredity, and in dealing with' tho House of Lords they should utiliso tho principle wisely, although not to tho extent it now prevailed. Otherwiso it was impossible to avoid a Second Chamber rivalling tho first. Let tho constitutional check apply to Liberals and Unionists alike, only let it not bo a sham. The party system tended to work out into something liko a rough equality between tho two opposing camps, and it was of immense advantage and absolutely necessary ito".the'stability of. .tho Administration." * " UJ A Hand-to-Mouth Cavornment. . : Mr. Balfour proceeded to .declare that ho would rather hrivo a bad Government'in office with some sort of security of 1 ' teriUre-^-evon' 1 though only a brief one —than the buying from day to day of tho support of this or that, little section by administrativo concessions. Tho Government was not to bo trusted to approach tho amendment of tho Constitution impartially, becauso it was not independent. It was coerced by the Irish. Otherwiso the Bill would never havo appeared'in its present shape. Tho Government proposed after an interval, and when tho' country was without an efficient Second Chamber, to make a groat change in the Constitution. This would bo carried without tho safeguards of the constitutional system of check and supervision, 'which prevented aberration on tho part of the representative body. Charge of Fraud. "The result," continued Mr. Balfour, "will probably be disastrous to tho country, and certainly discreditable to yourselves. You arc doing what you are not entitled to do—using power derived ■by tho transfer of a relatively fow votes at tho general election from oho side to the other to make fundamental changes in tho Constitution. You aro openly saying that you force them upon tho Upper House by coercion, as you imposed them upon the country, by fraud." Prolonged Uproar. Prolonged uproar here broke out, mingled with cries of "Withdraw!' ' Mr. Balfour, amid Opposition cheers, declined to withdraw. Tho Speaker (Mr. Lowther) was therefore appealed to, and ruled that the use of tho word "fraud," when applied to a party, was permissible. Numerous interruptions occurred when Mr. Balfour attempted to continue his speech, and he concluded after ho had uttered only a few words more.

MR. ASQUITH IN REPLY.

NO DEVIATION IN POLICY. AN ENSLAVED AND FETTERED HOUSE.

The debate was finally closed by Mr. Asquith, who opened his speech by declaring that they now knew that the Tory anxiety to reform the Houso of Lords was to make, it, however composed, stronger against tho representatives of tho people. Replying to the charge of fraud, and of advocting a scheme which they did not believe to ho just, Mr. Asquith said tho Bill originated in the late Mr. Henry Campbcll-Bnunerman's resolution of 1907, when tho Liberals had a majority over all parties, and sinco then they had not deviated a hair sbreadth from their original proposals. Constitutional Cheeks. In referring to tho hereditary principle, the Prime Minister said it was because it had enslaved and fettered tho House of Commons that they meant to carry the Bill. Constitutional checks were aboundantly provided. In his view, tho House of Commons must predominate in legislation. The functions of the Second Chamber should bo exclusively those of consultation and revision. It'must bo a small body, not resting on a hereditary basis, and it must, in composition and attitude, not bo governed by partisanship nor tempered by panic. Such a body was not easily to be created. None of tho Opposition s schemes satisfied the aforementioned conditions, hut nil perpetuated the predominance of one side. The Opposition

asked them to hold their hands till a vast and hitherto crude and formless change in the Constitution had been thought out, and, meanwhile, to see all their legislation blocked by the veto of the House of Lords. A Plain Mandate. "It is not on such an errand," concluded Mr. Asquith, "that wo have been sent here. The electorates have plainly reiterated their command, and our paramount duty is to pass the Bill." UNIONIST OLIVE BRANCH. THE FIRST RESPONSE. (Rec. March 3, 10.25 p.m.) London, March 3. The "Pall Mall Gazette" (Unionist), in quoting the remark of 3lr. Runci-' man, President of the Board of Education, that it would bo timo to parley when tho Opposition proposed a Second Chamber which would add to, and not take away from, the representative character of Parliamentary institutions, and not thwart, hut give effect to, the will of the people, says the statement is interesting as the first responsive signal to tho Unionist, invitation to settle the question on an agreed basis.