LIBERAL DEFEAT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1596, 13 November 1912, Page 7

LIBERAL DEFEAT.

HOME RULE AMENDMENT. OPPOSITION MAJORITY OP TWENTY-TWO. SNATCH VOTE IN COMMONS, ; By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, November 11. Tko Government to-day suffered a defeat by a snatch vote on the Home Rule Bill, the Opposition'carrying an amendment to the financial clauses by a majority of 22. . Twelve members of the Irish Nationalist party and 20 Labour members Were absent When the division Was taken. f ho amendment was moved by Sir Frederick Banbury, Unionist, member for'the City Of London. It dealt with the reso-. lution of the Ways and Means Commit* teo on the subject of the Imperial contribution to tha' Irish Parliament, and was in the direction of. limiting the contribution to ,£2,500,000 annually. The mover explained that lie wished to prevent the English taxpayer from being compelled to ■ provide money for a Government in which, he did not store. The voting was as follows.:*-'- ' Fof the amendment 228 - Against ~..., 2"06 Majority for 22 : ' The result of the division, which was. ,a snap one, surprised the Government.: The Unionists wildly cheered the result, and there were shouts of "Resign!" The House' adjourned, on the motion of the Prime Minister. • • It was later announced that the Government had decided to continue in office. OFFICIAL STATEMENT. CLAUSE TO BE RESUBMITTED, (Rec. November 12, 11.20. p.m.) London, November 1-2. An official statement has been issued , concerning yesterday's" defeat. It is explained that tho Government does pot regard the vote as involving any modification in its programme, and takes steps to' ascertain tho real .opinion of the House, The division was on a motion which had not even been put on tho Order Paper, ■: but was communicated in : manuscript without notice, and it Overthrew a ieso-< lution adopted in the Committee stage on the Bill on Thursday. The statement adds that the Premier in ■ his recent speech at Ladyhank intimated' that he would hot allow his course to bo . affected, by a snap division. The Government majorities since have seldom been : below' a. hundred. ' ' The Cabinet sat for twb hours last , night, and. Will meet again to-day., . Mr.;Asquitli will to-day .move the rejec--titiu of • tlife resolution as amended by Sir Jfrederiek Banbury's motion. /UNIONIST REJOICINGS. EARLY DEFEAT OF LIBERALS PREDICTED. .'■' (Req. November 12, 11.20 p'..m.) 1 -,-"'.. London,.November 12. 1 .. Sir Robert Fitilay' (Unionist), in; speaking at Bethnal Green, referred to the }lin- : .isterial defeat on the Home' Rule Bill, ; and said the Government had fared badly on a. crucial question. Before the •-. division the Postmaster-General., Mr, Sato* 1 -Uel, had declared that .wets it conceivable '. that the hiot.ioii couid-bo.-c.arric^'St\w ; o.j.il'd knock tho bottom'out of tho- Bill. Sir . Robert I'inlay added that ho kbpqd that ' Mr. Samuel's -statement ■ . prove '■' .riglit. ' .1 Lord Robert Cecil. (Unionist), in spenk- ' .ing.at Bermoudsey, said the Government's .defeat was its death-blow. Viscount Peel (Unionist),, in a speech .after the Taunton by-election, pfedi&ted that the Government Would continue for soma weeks longer a broken and disore'd- '< ited existence, its prestige was gone, and ■ its doom was already threatening. POSITION VERY DIFFICULT. COMPLICATED PROCEDURE. (Rec, November 13, 0.85 a.ni.) London, November 12-. : "The Times," in an article quoting. Sir T„ Erskine 'May's "Parliamentary Prac* ' ■ tree,", shows that the Government must . propose another financial resolution differing from its original proposals, a'ud that it will also bs necessary to revise or discharge the closure' resolution allotting yes- . terday for the'commencement,of, the icci),-' . sideration of Clause 14 of'the Bill:,.;' ■, . The closure resol,u'tjp,n-.ns it stands does not afford an opportunity to mend the. financial resolution. The Government, "The Times" declares, is placed in.a position, of unparalleled difficulty. ; THE CABINET'S PROGRAMME, : CAN IT BE; CARRIED THROUGH? ■ Tho British" political situation from tihe Opposition point of' view was well dctscnted by a."writer in the "Daily- Mail" of October 3:- '■'„''■ ' Parliament (stated tho "Daily Mail").; meets on Monday, and the first business wjli be to closure discussion on t'ho Homo Rule Bill and force it through the House of Commons at.express, speed with as little,; : debate as)possible. '.Only one clause has' been debated, and the. w'holo of tho remaining Bill will bo driven through by the power of tit© machine majority. . :■ That is the programme. But can it be : carried out? . '•■• ■',' Such a drastic- process is only possible for a powerful..Government .with a solid majority ill full agreement with itself. But Mr, Asquith does not ipOsse.ss such a. following, and it is doubtful -if. 'he commands a unanimous Cabinet. Tho signs of disintegf atkh are becoming daily mbre manifest. Mr. Lloyd-George's meteoric influence is a serious factor not only iti. the country .but in Downing Street. _ It lis recognised that his Insurance Act is the : direct cause of. the loss of.so many .byelections, and that the failure to hold two Manchester seats and Midlothian has sef i* ously' depreciated tho ifeputation of. the Ministry. His new propaganda for a fresh, attack on property, in laud is causing serious disquiet at headquarters. The plan of the campaign has- not been.disclosed, but an indication of its trend may be gained from tho character of the Chancellor's ' colleagues and advisers—Mr. Outhwaito and Mr, Homnierde. Sir Edward Grey, - That leaves out several very important colleagues of tho Chancellor* But in viow of tho very firm note which characterised the Prime Minister's .and Lord Hnldane's disclaimers of any. sympathy with 6ingle-tax ideas, it is doubtful if they will bo found to be enthusiastic followers of any scheme which Mr. Outh--waiWaii'd Mr. Henimerde may devise for a fresh assault on property. Sir Edward Grey's character and recoi'd hardly fit him for such a cam- 1 paign, and, indeed, in other respects he is already suspect by the so-called "new Liberalism." His foreign.policy has made ■him tho target of many attacks by the less instructed type of Radicals, and their latest complaint against him is that he has not succeeded in setting up a model democracy in Persia.. Sir Edward Grey's position in the Government has become increasingly difficult, rind there arc rumours that he is growing Weary of it. Mr, Churchill's Bombshell, Mr. Churchill's frank declaration with jesa-rd to -Ulster ban bjei tlie.flaueo. ot.

■ ■ ■■■"■ — *r~~ serious disquiet among his colleagues and tho Liberal party generally—destroying as it did the main part of their case for tho present Home Eulo Bill. Tlio Ulster difficulty, indeed, is tho parninumit trouble of tho Government, They cannot solvo it. They aro bound to Mr. Redmond to pass a Homo Rulo Bill through, the House of Commons and yet. they, cannot drive such a largo and iihportant' community as Ulster cut of tho union against its wdl'l. They would gladly find it solution, and try to place upon tlio Opposition the task of suggesting on*. But that is not the duty of tho Opposition; and the "wit of man" has hitherto failed to discover tho way out of tho impasse, Upoil Ulster tho Homo Rule Bill will break down, and the Government are well a-Waro of tlio fact. Tho series' of by*lectiohs have broken up the solidarity of the Liberal-Labour ' alliance, and the results of tlio disagree- ■ nient "between those two wings of Mr. Asqtilth's followers' may Jjeeome more evident as the session progresses, lite one tie they have in common is their promise to Mr. Redmond to support Ilomo Rule. The demands of the Socialists.on the Government are likely to becomO more exigent as timo passes, and a. break-, fag-point'-may soon be. reached.'.lt was tho oomplaint of the; Moderate Liberals . that there, w too much truckling to. Labour which compelled the .Whips: to put up a candidate at(llahley and Crewe;:. and it was the ahiiojM'ce of the more ' ardent Socialists that the Labour party in. the House was too tame that induced the Labour leaders to fight these seats and Midlothian against, the .Liberals, .