HOME RULE CRISIS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1599, 16 November 1912, Page 5

HOME RULE CRISIS.

UNIONIST JUBILATION. POLICY OF NEXT CABINET OUTLINED, GREAT MEETING IN LONDON. By Tclecrapli—Pross Association —Copyrigiit (Roe. November 15, 10.10 p.m.) London, November 15. A great Unionist demonstration attended by ten. thousand persons has been held in the Albert Hall. Mr. Bonar Law, Leader of the Opposition, was given an ovation lasting five '.minutes when he appeared on the platform. A party of Ulstermen produced what was described as the largest Union Jack in the world, and stretched it tho full length of the platform. Lord Lansdowne, Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords, made an important announcement of policy, and, remarked that if the Unionists win the general election they will be free to undertake tariff reform and enter into reciprocal arrangements with tho Dominions without further to the • constituencies, Tariff reform had been their foremost plank, ond there must be a free bargain with the Dominions. Eaeh side would doubtless think most of all/of its own- people, but both would think of the Empire. If the Dominions asked them in return for the substantial advantage they wero prepared ttf grant Great Britain, to grant them a moderate duty on foreign wheat sufficient to bring to the Motherland's- markets unlimited supplies from all Canada and Australia, the Unionists would examine the proposal undeterred by the cry against the taxation of food. The Unionist party was. prepared to give a twofold undertaking: firstly, to fix the precise limits of such taxes, and not to exceed the limits without the people's further authorisation; and, secondly, to devote any revenue from such taxes to the alleviation of the workers' burdens. Thus the party would make good Mr. Balfour's assuranoe that colonial reciprocity would not affect the workers' cost of living. MR. BONAR LAWS SPEECH. WRECKING OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Bonar Law, after fully concurring with Lord Lansdowne with regard to tariff reform being the party's first constructive plank, declared that the party's immediate duty was to get rid of the present Ministers. Quoting Lecky's statement that a Government of gamblers and adventurers was the worst possible Government, Jfr. ' Bonar Law . applied it to Mr. Asquith ; amid loud cries of "Traitors!" It was a Government which if allowed to caTry out its programme would , lead the country headlong to rain., Its one constructive, effort, the. parliament Act, was •a, machine of destruction-, but would prove a boomerang, wounding its wielders. The Government was responsible for Wednesday's scene. He did not regret : Wednesday's disturbance, for had the Government's resolution been carried, the House of Commons would have been , destroyed, and the Opposition would have had to 6hara the responsibility for that destruction.. The audience at this stage sprang to their feet and cheered, hooting the Premier's name, some freely using the forbidden, word "Traitor!" Mr. Bouar Law added that he would bo .'glad if, through tho Speaker, a layout Was found, enabling the resumption of tho discussion,' overt under the present truncated Parliamentary forms, but that would not terminate the crisis. (Cheers.) The Unionists would try to wreok Home Rule- in tho House of Commons, but if it became law they would not try'; they would then surely wreck it. (Cheers.) Tho Unionists insisted that the Bill should bo submitted to the electorate. They would thus try to avert a calamitygreater, than the degradation of the House of Commons, namely, civil war within the United Kingdom. ANOTHER SCENE IN THE HOUSE. BILL OBJECTED TO. i -' London, ■ November 14. There was another uproar in the House of Commons, this time when tho House was in,, Committee on the Trade Unions Bill, Unionists contending that Mr. As-' cjuith had given a preoedent in trying to rescind decisions already reaohed. There wore disorderly scenes. BANBURY AMENDMENT, ADJOURNMENT UNTIL MONDAY, London, November Is. The' House of Commons' was crowded to-day. After questions had been answered, the Speaker suggested that as the Premier's proposals to rescind the Banbury amendment to the Home Rule Bill had aroused strong filing on tho part of the .Opposition, it was possible that if the House had more • time another solution might be found more in accordanoo with precedents, Mr. Asquitli acoepted the suggestion, and the House adjourned till Monday, Mr. M'Neill apologised for throwing a book at Mr. Churchill. The ecology Wfts accepted. THE HOUSE OF LORDS. UNIONIST POLICY. London, November 14. ' The Unionist Congress adopted Lord Selborne's motion pledging. itself to Secure the repeal of tho Parliament Aet, to restore the Second Chamber on the lines of the overseas Parliaments' Second Chambers, also to accept the referendum as a means of settling disputes between j the Chamberß.