BRITISH POLITICS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9124, 18 April 1908, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

HOME RULE AGITATION,

Per Press Association. —Copyright London, April 10.

Mr Redmond, speaking at Dublin, .appealed Fd the Irish to make a strong, willing, consistent and combative movement simultaneously in Parliament, in and in the English constitutencies in order to .•compel, the Government to make Home Rule one of the foremost issues of the next General Election. Mr R.edmoud pro tested against the word “alliance” being applied to the .relations between the Liberal and Irish parties; the Irish remain a party of independent opposition. They allied themselves to no one uuless“ou a basis of the acceptance of full Home Rule. On their merits the Irish ought to oppose most of the Government’s chief Bills, especially the Education and Licensing Bills. It was clearly to Ireland’s interest to hasten a dissolution. It was clearly impossible to ask the Irishmen of Manchester to support Mr Churchill. He urged a really powerful land agitation in the autumn or winter. Then Irish questions would bo kept to the front with a vengeance.

The Pall Mall Gazette states that Sir Antony Macdonald, Under-Secre-tary for Ireland, finding with his curtailed powers that the Irish task is hopeless, is making the best terms he can with the Treasury regarding his retirement. It is understood that his successor is Mr Dougherty, who is now his,subordiuate. BYE-ELECTIONS.' London, April 17.__ The- election for the Manchester seat is being fought with terrific energy. Mr Hicks created much dissatisfaction in the Tarriffite ranks by evading questions and declining to make tariff reform one of the issues of the •election. He declares that the real .issue is the condemnation of the Government. The Executive of the Free Trade League, consisting of ,Unionise Free .Traders and Liberals, electors to vote for free trade, which is Mr Churchill’s chief plank. Mr Winston Churchill, speaking at Manchester, said he was convinced that free trade would enable the •Government to find money for social reforms and a reasonable and prudent scheme of old age pensions. This year’s surplus would amount to four and three-quarters millions. The increase in taxation every year amounted to nearly two millions. In future, without injury to our credit or adding £to taxation, it would be possible to.obtain year for useful, purposes of social reform.

The Earl of Kerry (Unionist) son of Lord Lansdowue, was .'elected for West Derbyshire unopposed. LORD TWEEDMOUTH. Lord Tweedinouth, addressing the Britannia Naval College Cadets, explained that his relinquishment of the Admiralty, was not due to any maladministration, but was made purely for political reasons, Mr Asquith rightly desiring that the two great spending departments—War Office and the Admiralty—should ■have their heads in the House of Commons. A NEW LORD. Received April IS, 9 a.m. London, April 17. Mr Edmund Robertson, Parlia'mentary Secretary - to the Admiralty, <in Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman’s •Ministry, has been created a baron.