BRITAIN'S AFTER-WAR PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2853, 18 August 1916, Page 5

BRITAIN'S AFTER-WAR PARLIAMENT

AND THE WAR SERVICE FRANCHISE

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE <

OF COMMONS

Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. (R-ec. August 17, G.lu p'tn.) London, August 16. In the House of Commons, on the second reading of tho Register Bill, Sir Edward Carson argued that if tho elections were held during tho war period tho Parliament so elected l would have the conduct of tho peace negotiations, and would frame tho after-war policy.; Men serving with tho colours, and <dso tho munition workors and the l soldiers serving at Home, would' bo disfranchised, and these, had a special claim for a voioo' 111 the peace terms and tho after-war policy. He insisted upon pressing for b Bill, or for legislative machinery, which would' enable them to vote. Ha saw 110 difficulty about the soldiers in tha field polling. Australia, New Zealand, and British Columbia had made arrangements for it. Sir John Simon advocated a simple adult suffrage for the Parliament of reconstruction.

Mr. Asquith (the Prime Minister) deprecated the reviving of futile, controversies when our armies were approaching tho victory. It was necessary to secure a hotter register without' delay, and to dtevoto their attention to working out a scheme upon which: to create tho Parliament, after thoAvar, adequate to the great responsibilities which would devolve upon it. Ho agreed that soldiers and sailors should ho consulted in tho composition of that Parliament, but that at present would bo impossible. The Government's new register was intended to continue only for the war period, and for a few transitional months after tho end of tho war. Several members supported Sir Edward Carson's suggestion that the Government should introduce a separate Bill, after the recess, to enable soldiers and sailors' claims to bo discussed. Mr. Bonar Law promised that the Government would not proceed) with the Bill further until the autumn session.' The Bill was read a second timo. The Bill for the prolongation of Parliament was also read a second time. Sir Edward Carson gave notice, of amendments to reduce the eight months' extension to six,' and also to provido that if tho general elections did occur on the old register, the life of tho new. Parliament would he two years only.