IMPERIAL POLITICS

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 24

IMPERIAL POLITICS

THE BUDGET f LONDON, August 18. Mr Lloyd-George informed Mr Montgomery that brick, clay was a mineral ' which it was not proposed to exempt from the operation of the Financial Bill. * „ Mr Asquith is well satisfied with, tliej progress of the Finance Bill owing to the winnowing powers enabling the Chairman lof Committees to shear away pages of I amendments. Mr Asquith will assume ', I charge of the bill when the licensing clause is reached. . The House of Commons sat for 18 hours, rising at 8.45 a.m. Mr Churchill's ap- J pearance in slippers, pyjamas, and an ! overcoat caused much merriment and Opposition protests. j August 19. ! An amendment to the Finance Bill has! been agreed to allowing an appeal to the High Court from the referees' decisions in connection with land taxation. SEVERAL BILLS DROPPED. LONDON, August 22. Mr Asquith has dropped many bills, including that of Welsh Church Difiestab- | lishmemt, and he is not sanguine about j any fresh development on behalf of the ' bill. There are indications that the I House will sit through September THE OPIUM" TRADE. LONDON, August 23. Sir E. Grey, in reply to a Scottish memorial presented by Mr Price, M.P., said that the Government believed that the steps which had been taken in connection

with the opium traffic were best calculated to assist the Chinese Government in securing that decrease of the growth' and consumption of opium in China which would beep pace with the decrease in the imports from India.