BRITISH POLITICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1592, 24 October 1905, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

REPLY TO AN AUSTRALIAN STATESMAN.

Bjj telegraph, Press Abs’ii, Copyright Received 9.02 p.ui., Oct. 28. London, Oct. 23. Lord Rosebery, speaking at Edinburgh, controverted Mr Wise's reooiit Edinburgh speech. Ho described it as airing the flyblown fallacies of protection. Ho asked whether it was consistent with the dignity of an ox-Ministor of the Grown to come 13,000 miles to stigmatiso one of the great political parties as having no'policy but one of stagnation and drift, wholly out of sympathy with imperial aspirations. 1 am inclined to think that when our old friend, Sic Henry Campbell-Bannerman, returns from his well-earned honday to take command of the Liberal fortress, the last epithet applicable to the party will be that of being stagnant.” Lord Rosebery proceeded to chaliongo Mr Wiso to prove by a plebiscite in his state that tbo colonies ere as be sayßin enthusiastic sympathy with the Tory party. The banner on one side would be that ot the Liberal party, with freedom of trade and freedom of the Empire ; the banne of the Tory party would be on the other side, with Chinese labor. If Australians responded, as Mr Wise anticipated, we know thoy put their hands’ strength in the war and fought so efficiently iD South Africa, not to restore to Britain her paramount interests, but to introduce into i South Africa Chinese labor, not one iota whereof would be allowed to ° e ‘ own preoincta. He hoped the Libera, party when it resumes power would earn eßtly strive to do more than it heretofore had done to win the confidence of oote; Britainß of the Empire. He added : “ Thi Empire has been built up ouly In Liberulism.” Mr Balfour declined the Poplar muni cipslhy’s request for an autumn session It would be useless until the oommisaioi on the Poor Law roportad.