BRITISH POLITICS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 810, 5 March 1910, Page 3

BRITISH POLITICS.

London, March 2

Unionist papers jeeringly ask what is to become of the Budget, and protest against the Government’s refusal to adopt Mr Austen Chamberlain’s suggestion to pass the income tax resolutions forthwith.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Austen Chamberlain stated it may be May or June before last years taxes are collected.

Mr Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, replied that the chaos was due to unprecedented action by the Lords. The Government scheme had to be considered as a whole ; therefore it was impossible to introduce the resolutions earlier. The House of Commons has empowered the Treasury to extend its borrowing from March till the end of September, and to transfer ,£6,300,000 of the sinking fund to the financial service of the year. Three and a-half million of this actually formed part of Mr LloydGeorge’s Budget. Mr Maurice Healy (younger brother of Mr Tim. Healey, Nationalist M.P. for North Louth) stood as an Independent Nationalist for North-East Cork, and was elected unopposed.

THE IRISH SPLIT

London, March 3

The newly-elected Independent Nationalist Member tor NorthEast Cork, Mr Maurice Healy, in a speech to his constituents, said that Mr Redmond, Leader of the Nationalists, was armed with a cracked blunderbuss. He was ready to vote against the Government when every regular opposition would refrain from doing so, but he was careful in other circumstances about firing his cracked weapon.

Mr Wm. O’Brien taunted Mr Redmond with resting on an academical (resolution which the Lords would light their pipes with. The Redmondites and the Radicals would then return to the electorates and would meet with a sounder drubbing than before. Mr Redmond, in acknowledging American contributions to the Nationalist party fund, predicts a general election before many weeks.

LORDS’ POLICY,

London, March 3

Unionist Leaders in the House of Lords intend to introduce proposals regarding reform of the House, in the first place by declaratory resolutions. In the House of Commons the Supplementary Estimates, which amount to ,£689,100, were agreed to after a short discussion between Mr A. H. Lee, Admiral Lord Charles Beresfoid, and Mr M’Keuua, First Lord of the Admiralty.

BACK TO THK BAND

London, March 3

A deputation waited on Mr John Burns, President of the Local Government Board, and on Karl Carrington, President of the Board of Agriculture, on the subject of farm colonies.

The deputation urged the selection of unemployed persons having an aptitude for agricultural work, the training of them, and, after a successful trial, the settling of ihem and their families for two years on small holdings connected with a labour colony. Mr Burns gave a sympathetic reply. Dr Paton, of Nottingham, the originator of the deputation, suggested that a portion of the development fund, to be established under the Act passed by the Government last year, should be applied to the establishment of a farm colony. Karl Carrington considered it important that, if men having agricultural experience were drifting to the towns, they should be enabled to return to the country. London, March 3.

In the House of Commons, during an angry criticism of the Government for borrowing, Mr Finlay, a Unionist, accused them of wanton perversity. He declared that only the Government’s allies would oppose the income lax resolution. Mr H. Bottomley said borrowing from debtors was the apothesis of business inaptitude.

The Hon. McKenna : We are not going to adopt the course mapped by the House ot Lords. Lord Hugh Cecil; The Government ought not to refuse a resolution for the collection of the income tax out of pique and temper because the new House is against the Government on the Budget.

Sir W. S. Robson denied that the resolution would compel people to pay income tax before the Budget was passed.

Mr Lloyd-George considered the House of Commons would disapprove of taking the income tax apart, from the other measures of the Budget. The Unionist newspapers protest against this view and urge the Government to straighten out its disordered finance-