BRITISH PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3000, 10 February 1917, Page 9

BRITISH PARLIAMENT IN SESSION

"THIS IS THE VERY CRISIS OB OUR FATE" (Rec. February .9, 5.55. p.m.)' London, February 8. In the House of Commons Air. Bonar Law (Chancellor of tlio Exchequer) announced that a credit voto would be brought down on Monday. He moved to confine the session to Government Bills. ' - Several members protested, and urged that consideration be given to the women's franchise question, and tlie. stato of Ireland, wliicb, it was alleged, was becoming critical. V Mr. Bonar Law: " "This is. tho very . crisis of our fate.' We must not occupy tho time of the House with controversial .subjects."''. The motion was carried without division. Mr. Bonar Law announced that ho would introduce a Bill to deprive enemy Princes of their British titles. Food Production. Mr. Prothero (Minister of Agriculture), outlining the food production scheme, said it was proposed to; use ... German prisoners in agriculture. Ha hoped to get GO,OOO women, and.the equivalent of 35,000 men. It might bp necessary to ration animals on their Food basis in the same way as the food for tiuman beings. ' • GREAT ORDEAL AT HAND London, February 8. - In the House of Lords the Lord . Chancellor read tho King.'s Speech. Lord Stanhope, in moving the - Ad-dress-in-Reply, said that the enemy, troops, urged forward by tlurPrussian jackboot, trod under foot every •divjno and human law. The Belgians, Armenians, and Serbians cried out against their murderous tyranny. The • war had aroused in the Empire a r.pirit' of grim determination never before witnessed in.the history of the race. Lord Rathcreedan seconded the Ad-dress-in-Reply. "* The Marquis of Crewe said that our superiority on tho West front justified the most sanguine hope of larger operations in the spring. The Imperial Conference. Lord Curzon (Lord President of the Council) stated that six peers had been ' killed in the war, 120 sons of peers, and sixty-two heirs, threatening the Sx- - tinction of eight peerage. This was like a House in mourning. Tho Imperial Conference was not intended for the purpose of constructing a brandnew Empire constitution. Nevertheless, it was a great test, and a- step iorward in Empire revolution: namely, the recognition of our relations with the Dominions on a basis of equality. ! We would hear the. Dominions' views on constitutional and other subjects, . but though there would not be sufficient time to frame a new constitution, this would be the first Conference leading to - a new Empire constitution. The Dominions had been invited not as a corn- . plimentary recognition of their part in tho war, but they were brought over for the purpose of helping in the prosecution of the war and setKenient of peace. Tho Conference had been summoned with three' objects: To arrange : for increased vigour in carrying on the war, to .discuss peace terms, and to \ discuss after-tlie-war questions, such ■ as demobilisation.