BRITISH POLITICS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9138, 6 May 1908, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

licensing bill,

Press Association —Copyright. London, May o,

Lord Robert Cecil presented a London petition, bearing 600.000 gjgnatures, covering nine miles of paper, against the Licensing Bill; John Wilson a petition one mile and one-third in length, with 169,510 jj e thodists’ signatures in favour of the Bill. Received May 6, 8.15 a.m. London, May 5.

In the House of Commons, Mr oaV e’s amendment was rejected by a majority of 250. The Licensing Bill was read a second time by 394 to 198, and referred jo a Committee of the whole House. slr Asquith denied that the imposition of a time limit was confiscajory, and remarked fthat supposing {h e’chancellor of the Exchequer proposed an ascending scale of license duties it would not ha called confiscation. He was not proposing to take the'monopoly value in that way step by step, but allowed 15 years notice including the year granted for reassessment of licensed premises. IRISH UNDER SECRETARY. Mr Birrell informed Mr Lonsdale that Sir J. B. Dougherty would succeed Sir Antohy Mac Donnell as Under-Secretary for Ireland. THE ROUT OF CHURCHILL. BEATEN BY a SUFFRAGETTE. A pertinacious Irish suffragette, with a handbill pursued Mr Churchill, preventing him addressing several workmen’s v meetings. She demanded an apology for his insulting references to Suffragettes in connection with the Feckham election. SUB-LICENSING BILL. The majority for the second ing of the Licensing Bill was composed of 133 Liberals, ol Labour, 3 Nationalists, and 7 Unionists. Many Liberals openly declare that tie Lords will reject the Bill unless drastic amendments are made in Committee. BY-ELECTION. The Roman Catholic Bishops of Birmingham are warmly supporting MrAxnery, Unionist candidate-for Wolverhampton, on the ground of bis opposition to the Education Bill.