BRITISH POLITICS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8747, 22 February 1907, Page 2

BRITISH POLITICS.

Debate on the Address. Por Press Association —Copyright. London, February 21. j In tho Commons Mr Hill’s amendment was negatived by 353 to 98. £ Mr Balfour, in supporting addressed himself practicallyjrtoTjthe £ ( points of thaamendment. fif| He said Government should enter The conference with, an open mind. He asked how did they mean to keep intact q the bonds uniting tbe Motherland and the colonies.? , A‘; zollvorein was impossible, and an , Imperial Council inpracticable. Meanwhile the colonies merely asked us to make 0 beginning with our present fiscal system. He believed that* fiscal and industrial necessities would compel usj to widen the basis of taxation . and utilise the proceeds in order to gain admittance to foreign markets, meet the needs of tho poorer classes, and secure a preferential basis and closer connection with the colonies. Sir Gilbert Parker urged a shilling registration tax on corn. This would give Australia and Canada all tho advan- 1 tage they needed. He declared that Mr 1 MacDonald’s statement that Australia 1 was going to prevent tho export of raw material was tho most monstrous travesty of labour principles ever heard of. If Australian labour people meant that, and ho did not believe they did, then the Australian’s doom was certain. Production of raw material was the only production which could possibly give work to workers. Mr Macdonald’s argument was absolutely contrary to all the principles of labour. They knew ns well , as anything that Australia should not put an export tax on anything she produced. Ho instanced tho United States under whose constitution it was impossible to do so, democracy knowing its whole salvation was dependant on the products of the soil. Australian wool commanded our markets and did not need preference, but Australian development lay in the direction of dairy products, and sooner or later tho Motherland would accept a policy of preference, no matter how small, as a basis of larger prosperity and a healthier condition of the trade of the Empire. Mr Lloyd George emphasied the value of foreign trade and warned tho House of tho danger of imperilling it by any thin cud of tho wodgo leading to protection. Ho said : the amendment had been introduced for tho purpose of converting Mr Balfour, whom he congratulates on his ingenuity in eluding tariff reformers’ snares. The Address Disposed Of. London, February 21. The amendment to tha address . proposed by Mr Will Thornes ro- [ gretting that the question of unem- . ploymeufc was not mentioned, was . rejected by 207 to 47, Mr Burns pro-' : testing against any attempt to add r another link to the pauperising 1 chain. ; The address was then agreed to. ; Irisfi Affairs. Mr Butqll, in reply to a question, ! stated that the Inspector-General of Constabulary reported that- up to January 31 there had been ton cases 0! serious boycotting in Ireland, and 38 minor cases or attempts at boycotting. Preferential Trade. Tho Times complains that Mr t daring himself opposed to high pro- , tactivo duties on foodstuffs, and by ’ not speaking clearly in relation to preference, exposed himself to the raillery of his opponents. Mr Lloyd George, speaking on Mr ' Hill’s amendment, denied that tho , colonies needed preference from Britain. ’ Woman’s Franchise Biii. 1 In tho House of Commons Sir 3 Charles Dilke introduced a Bill pro--3 viding for a single franchise at elections for men and women of full age, whether single or married. It also provides that there shall be no disqualification owing to sox or marriage when voting for members of Parliament or for the performance of any 1 other public function.