BRITISH POLITICS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 809, 8 February 1910, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

London, Feb. 5. The newspapers reveal sharp differences of opinion in the ranks of the Liberals concerning the tactics to be adopted regarding the House of Lords,

The Daily Chronicle (Liberal), in a two-column leading article, urges the folly of sectional divisions and personal rivalries, and shows that Mr Asquith, on December 2nd, stated that the first act of the new Government would be to re-impose the Budget. The Chronicle adds :

‘‘No other legislation, except insurance against unemployment, should be attempted until the House of Lords’ veto has been abolished. The creation of hundreds of hereditary peers would be distasteful to democrats.

‘‘The strategic danger is of the Liberals submitting a scheme which is capable of being represented as virtual abolition of the House of Lords. Mr Balfour, Leader of the Opposition, will then submit a scheme for a reformed Chamber, and the choice of the electors will be doubtful,” The Times maintains that if Mr Asquith contemplated an heroic step, he should have gone to the King directly the result of the election was known. Nevertheless, the time has come for a real change in the Second Chamber, and a basis for deliberation exists in the report of Lord Rosebery’s Committee of Peers.

The Labour Leader, a new paper, says that Labour Members are opposed to the reform of the House of Lords, and demand its abolition. VETO OR BUDGET FIRST? London, February 5. Discussing the political situation, the Liberal papers, Manchester Guardian, Daily News, Nottingham Express, and Yorkshire Observer, demand that the Government should deal with the Lords before re-introducing the Budget. The Daily Chronicle (quoted in the foregoing message) dissents from this view. Mr Wm, O’Brien, chief of the Independent Nationalists (eleven of whom figure among the Nationalist total of 82), says that the Nationalists will require the Irish part of tire Budget to be reconstructed from top to bottom. INTERESTING COMPARISONS. The following figures show the precise majorities obtained at general elections in the United Kingdom between 1532 and 1906. L. signifies Liberals, C. means Conservatives, and —since 1886— U. stands for Unionists (Conservatives and Liberal-Unionists: —

IS32 300 (L.) 1868 100 (ly.) !«35 108 (L.) To, 4 - 'C.) 1837 40 (L.) l88o 175 (ly.) 1841 79 (C.) I885 170 CL.) 1S47 2(L.) l8S6 118 (U.) I852 8 (C.) I892 40 (L.) 1857 9.2 (LO 189.5, 152 CU.) 1S59. 40 (L.) 1900 134 (U.) 1865 60 (L.) 1906 356 (L.)