IMPERIAL POLITICS

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 19

IMPERIAL POLITICS

IRISH LAND BILL. LONDON, August 24. In th© House of Commons yesterday consideration was given to the Irish Land ; Purchase Bill. There was a tfcin House. j Part lof the bill, dealing with finance, ' j wag passed in committee in July. Yesterday was the fourth day allotted to the bill, the intention being to paes it by ' to-night under the application of the j guillotine Part 11, containing 26 clauses, ' , relates to the land purchase itself. The i consideration of Part 111, relating to th© I new Congested Districts Board, will begin j to-morrow, and the committee stages will conclude on Friday The Government has been strongly criticised for limiting the discussion to eight days, as compared with the 33 days allotted to Mr Gladstone's act of 1881. -Mr Birrell was accused of avoiding an effective debate by carefully selecting j Fridays for the first three discussions, and ; choceing the fourth week in August for the remaining five. Clause 14, whereon the debate opened yesterday, empowered the commissioners to • dispense , with the zones of prices • system ,in connection with Toluntary sales by enabling them, if deemed necessary, to inquire as to th© security for an advance ami the equity of 'price. Mr Dillon said he MgTetted that the . zpne system had' not -been, abolished alto-, 1 gefcber. " ' Mr Wyndhani argued that the clause was a breach of the agreement arrived at [ by the Land Conference, whereon the act of- 1903 was founded. The -Nationalists did not deny that they j wer9 parties to the agreement,' but they j declared that experience had caused them j to modify their views. I Another.- oLa-U£ts which' *was sharply debated enables -the ootnmi&sion&xs, after ■ j satisfying prior claims, to sell the ]and to . i any person to whom they think the purchasm money should be advanced, j Clauses 14, 15, and 16 were carried at j half-past 7 after the closure had been ! applied, and clauses 17 to 33 were agreed to three hours later. J The Times, commentinig on the debate on the Irish Land Bill, says that in three f hours following the first fall of the guillo- . tine the House was asked to legislate at . the rate of five clauses an hour, or one every 12 minutes August 25. In the House of Commons the debate on the Irish Land Purchase Bill was continued yesterday. Thw most important clauses, including those empowering the State's Ccmmiasionerß to compuLwwily acquire estates or untenamted land, were carried under tlie application of the guillotine, without discussion. August 26. In the House of Commons yesterday a further batch of Land Bill clauses was carried according to the closure timetable. The chief discussion related to the incorporation of the reconstituted Congested J Districts Board. The Unionists sirenuj ously but vainly resisted the introduction J of the elective element, which, they con- | tended, would soon be under the guidance I of a league. They added that the distribution of land in the face of conflicting claims of congests and landless required cool heads, undisturbed by local pressure. •Mr T. W. Russell and Mr Birrell replied that the elected members had proved a tower of strength to the Department of Agricult/ure, and the present problem was only solvable with the support of popular opinion. August 28. ' In the House of Commons the Irish Land Bill was taken through committee. AMERICAN BEEF TRUSI. LONDON, August 24. In the House of Commons Mr C. W. Bowerman (Labour) asked Mr Winston Churcliill, in view of the American beef companies increasing their capital by £11,300,000 to control the Argentine cattle and beef markets, and the report of the departmental committee on meat combinations, what steps the Government proposed to take to prevent the control of the British beef and cattle markets falling into the hands of a foreign combination. I ; Mr H. J. Tennant, on behalf of the 1

President of the Board of Trade, replied 1 that the Government was aware of ' the points referred to, and that the matter" was receiving its earnest attention COST OF IRISH SERVICES. In the House of Commons Mr J, H. 1 ; Whitely, in reply to Mr R. Hazleton | (N.), estimated that Ireland's contribu- . tion to the revenue of the United King- ■ j dom for the current year would be in1 sufficient to meet the oost of purely Irish services by upwards of a million. LORD ROSEBERY AND THE PROTEST LEAGUE. LONDON, August 26. The Times says that it is understood that Lord Rcsebery has consented to address the Budget Protest League meeting at Glasgow. It is believed that an inference may be drawn from tins circum- ' stano9 as to Lord Rosebery's political future .THE LICENSING SCHEME. LONDON, August 27 •The Government's amended licensing I scheme considerably reduces the duties on {^hotels, restaurants, , and theatres. In ;'lieu \ eif licenses,- it makes " chibs pay 6d in the pomnd on all purchases, instead of.. 3d on the sales. " THE DEVELOPMENT BILL. ; -LONDON, August 27. In the House ai Commons Mr Lloyd- . George introduced a Development Bill to enable the Treasury to make grants and ] loans for 'aiding in the development of forestry, agriculture, add rural industries, and for the consta-ucticn and improve- ( nuent of harbouTss. Thare is also a clause for the development of fisheries. . The^ bill further constitutes road boards -^K^the construction of roads, which prin*ariij||iv,ilk., be oonfined to motor traffic, wheraKßthe' speed limit will not apply, or efc^t|i£ th&> improvement of existing roads. -•' ; •& "ELECTORAL BRIBERY. I^ LONDON, August^. The Development Bill provides £600,000 annually for road boards, allocated -^dfrom the petrol and motor taxes; alafKio-yea: „ £500,000 for the purposes already cal>fedj * many of whiioh are similar, to _those in ex'stsnoe in foreign countries. ""* ' *""* J "' '~~ i Unionist critics describe the bill as electoral bribery. TARIFF REFORM. LONDON, August 29. Mr Walter Long "addressed 10,000 Conservatives and Liberal Unionists at Mountain Ash. A resolution condemning tMe Budget and favouring tarift reform was [ carried by an overwhelming majority, THE BUDGET BATTLE. LONDON, August 29. Mr Runciman, Minister of Education, in the course of a speeoh at Rhye, said that the Budget was a g»od one, and that the j Governmefnt would introduce one equally I as good in 1910. THE COMING~STRUGGLE. LONDON, August 30. The Duke of Devonshire, addressing the Matlock * Unionist League, said that all their forces would shortly be required in one of the biggest political struggles known for a great many years — one striking at the Constitution of the country, and which they must make every preparation'to face, j