BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 December 1923, Page 2

BRITISH ELECTIONS.

[Reuters Telegrams.] GOVERNMENT TO MEET PA RLI AM ENT. LONDON. Dec, 11. The Government has decided to meet Barliameut. In The Orkney and Shetland election, Sir It. C. Hamilton (Liberal) retained his seat by defeating Boothhy the Conservative. CABINET MEETS. s LONDON, Dec. 11. Cabinet met at noon anil sat till 1.30. The only absentees were Lord Robert. Cecil and Lord Noyar. No official announcement wots made, but it is understood that Air Baldwin will carry on. he having received assurances of support lrom all his Ministerial colleagues and members of the party generally. MR CHURCHILL'S EVIDENCE. LONDON. Dec. 11. Mrs Churchill and a number of welldressed women were present. Churchill, cross-examined, said that he did not agree with the suggestion bv Counsel, All’ Hayes, that his explanation as to why he went to the Admiralty shortly after the Jutland Battle, was untrue.

Mr Hayes suggested that owing to Churchill's blunders in the war there was great loss of life, so, therefore, tlie publication of the alleged libel was in tin* public benefit. Mr Churchill agreed that it would he most important that- he should bo punished if such foul charges wore true. He went to Antwerp with the authority of Lord Kitchener and Earl Grey. The l.Gt naval authorities a .Wed that the: Dardanelles could have been rushed. The stakes at the Dardanelles were a gamble, not ot human lives, hut of old battleships. Th whole object was to save lives by avoiding the terrible frontal attacks in France, lie firmly believed that he was right in trying to carry out Uie scheme. He admitted that he made fifteen thousand front his book, “The World Crisis.” UNIONIST OPINION. LONDON, Dec. 12. q'lßs bulk cl the Unionist l’art.v approve of tbc Cabinet's decision to meet Barliameut. folowiiig the precedent of Lord Salisbury in 1892. the chief dissentient being Air Austen Chamberlain. M r Baldwin lias altered bis origiifaj. impulse to resign, after a- threatened protest by many members against M C Baldwin advising the King to summons Mr Ram-ay MacDonald. Tim “Dailv Express” says:—“The Conservative Batty must row undergo the humiliation oi being deleated in the | louse ~f Commons, but afterwards ii should decline all arrangements which would niiiTiitaiu it. at Downing Street amid the growing contempt and anger of the country. Ii can then reorganise, and get ready - for the next light and for a return t-o power with an independent majority.

Mil IiAUIWIN’S QUEST. LONDON. December 11. Tiie:v is much speculation over Air Baldwin’s having a half-hour interview with Mr Asquith to-night. It is presumed that the Premier discussed the possibility of the Government abandoning all contentions legislation when i’arliaineiil resumes, and instead of proi ceding with supply, particularly the* Aim\ and Navy votes, and in return tli" government receiving temporary Liberal support. LONDON. December 12. Tile “Daily Herald” describes the Cabinet's decision to remain as a- party manoeuvre at the expense of unemployment., designed to gain time for further negotiations with the Liberals, with a view to keeping Labour out. MR ASQUITH’S ATTITUDE. LONDON, December 11. The “Daily Chronicle” denies that Mr Asquith is willing to give his support to reconstruct the Conservative Ministry. No Liberals, it says, could acquics. e in an intrigue to rob Labour ol its legitimate opportunity. LABOUR. CONFERS] LONDON. December 12. .Meetings of the National Executive of the. Labour Baity and of the Council of the Trades Union Congress will ho held this week. LONDON. December 11. The ‘ Daily Telegraph” says it has good grounds for stating that, ii Labour is given tli" chance of office, it will make a hid fur bilioial support. Labour. it says, is prepared to submit programme from which the capital levy and its nationalisation projects. ■are temporarily excluded. 'lbis advanced radical programme would serve until Labour judged Hie moment to he propitious for an appeal to the country on flic full socialist- programme. TARIFF POLICY. V.ON DON, December 11. There arc differences ol opinion in the Conservative Bai ty regarding protect ion. Some strongly favour retaining the tariff as an integral part ot the Unionist programme. Others hols that the verdict ef the country must be accepted for the present. 3he proposals regarding Imperial preference, agreed upon at the Economic Conference. however, are regarded as in a totally different category. It is held that the Government is in honour hound •*( to include them in the King’s speech in January. BARI .LAMENT TO MEET ON •TAN. Bth. [0 ectf.rs Telegrams.] iPecnived this dav at 0.2 J a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 12. ft- is officially announced from Downing Street, that after careful ij msidcraiiou of constitutional precedents and their hearing upon the situation which inis arisen out of the general election, Cabinet- has decided unanimously that it is their constitutional dutv to meet Parliament at the earliest possible moment. Barliameut will therefore re-assemhle as already provided for Jan. Bth. *