BRITISH POLITICS

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 811, 12 February 1910, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS

London, February g

Mr Morton, Liberal Whip, speaking at West Islington, said : “In a fortnight the Budget will be passed, and we will be attacking the Lords’ veto. The Liberals have to face the task of curtailing corrupt practices at elections and putting an end to intimidation. Lord Onslow, in a letter to the Daily Mail, refers to Lord Rosebery’s Committee as showing a concensus of opinion that they should admit into the House of Lords a current of fresh air. Twenty out of twenty-one members of the Committee supported Lord Rosebery’s proposal for the representation of large urban communities and cities. Other information shows that an influential body of Peers is willing to reform the House of Lords and make it the strongest and most efficient Chamber possible under existing circumstances.

Mr Healy, in a letter to Mr Redmond, asks why he was not invited to the meeting of the Parliamentary parly and on what principle Mr Redmond selects its members. He accuses Mr Redmond of reckless criminal disruption of the party. As the Budget was not passed the Government finances are being maintained by short Treasury bills. Thirty-five millions are now outstanding and twenty-seven millions sterling of income tax is to be collected before the end of March.

IRELAND AND ENGLAND

EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH

Some remarkable speeches were made in England during the election campaign. The Daily Telegraph quotes from the Kilkenny Times the following speech by Major Mcßride, who attained such notoriety in connection with the Irish Brigade in South Africa. Speaking of the celebration in honour of the Manchester martyrs, after referring to the recent disturbances in the east, Major McBride said "The voice of young India is beginning to make itself heard, and felt. Not much longer can that fair, fertile land be used as a dumping ground for ignorant, insolent English officials. Young Ireland sends a message of hope and greeting to young India, and trusts the men of that country will never rest satisfied till India is a self-governing nation. (Cheers.) We have been told often enough we are a small, divided people, but this small people to their shame produced the Dublin Munster Fusiliers, the Connaught Rangers and other bands of mercenaries, who saved the British arms from humiliation and defeat in South Africa. I appeal earnestly to you to do all in your power to prevent your countrymen from joining the degraded British army. If you prevent men from enlisting you do nearly as good work as it you shot 500 on the field of battle. Also you are making the path smooth for the approaching conquest of England by Germany. Let your motto be ‘no recruits for England.’ No recruits for a cowardly nation, whose sons have ■never been able to win a battle by themselves. Some of our friends talk of the supremacy of the English navy. That navy has not been tested in modern times, and it is public property how bitterly the chiefs love one another. The wooden walls of 100 years ago are rotten to-day. Iron walls are now rusty old scrap iron. Steel walls at the present get run down by American liners, and cannot carry out the simple manoeuvres without ramming one another. Germany and America are fast gaining command, and to add to England’s troubles a flying machine will shortly be able to destroy the best ships afloat with little or no danger. Probably in the near future we may see soldiers Irom New York and Berlin sketching the ruins of St. Paul’s instead of Macauley’s New Zealander. You are all familiar with the old ballad ‘The French are on the Sea.’ Nowadays we know that the Germans are taking to the sea. We can only pray that they will not remain so long at sea as the French have. Should they land in Ireland they will be received with willing hearts and strong hands if England be their destination. I hope that they will find time to disembark 100000 rifles, a few score of cannon, with ammunition in this country, and twelve months later this land will be as free as God meant it to be.’’