CABLE NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 194, 18 June 1903, Page 2

CABLE NEWS

7 KLEOTBIO XBtKOKAPH—OOPXBI9PI. FISCAL UNITYDEBATE H THE HOUSE OK LOBDB. PEE PSESB ASSOCIATIOa. LoKDOK, Juoo 16. Vwcount Goschen, in the House of Lords, in asking that the correspondence with Germany in relation to 'aoida be lid on the table, vympathised with Mr Uhamfcerlaio'a objeot, bun deecibid big scheme as gambling with the people's food. He anitned* vtrted on Mr Seddon's impetuousnees. Boh s;des in Great Britain should be • q-iilly five to discuss the ia«ue. He dJod that the icquiry ought to be impartial, and the (jovorcment should no: put to the departments tbey consulted leading qufstiono, nor ask * mandate bt fore the result of the inquiiy was known. Lord Lansdowne reassured Visoount ©o>chen on those* pain's. The sole objeot of the inquiry was to assertain the tnr.b, and nobody was committed to Mr Chamberlain's plan, wbich was only tbe basis of the discussion. Lord Lansdowne asked that Germany, in tbe course of negotiations which were still proceeding, phioly intimated that if the other colonies followed Canada's example, the Motherland would pro* bably lose the most favoured treatment. He hoped that Britain would be able to adapt her treaties to tbe requirements of the colonics, sad as Britain had hardened her heart in the case of sugar, i>, was possible to deal in * similar spirit with similar aggressions in other indus' rie?. The present helplessness was almost intolerable, Lord B.lfour, of Burleigh, said ha was not opposed to an icquiry, bat bt esp'oted little result from i\ The Duke of Devonshire averred that the burden of proving the cat e for fhoal changes lay wi-.h Mr Chamberlain and his colleagues. He did not object to an inquiry, but the great question wu the economic effeot of a tax on food, and other charges on internal, equally with exeroal, trade and industry, " You cannot," he argued, "solve that by counting votes." If lie knew thai every worker in On Motherland and all the coloniea were prepared to j in in the experiment, he would not participate in it unless he was convinced in his heart and consoi noe that expert men could justify, on sound economical ground", tbat the ehinge would b ncflt the great mas? of the people ss well as the more favoured of the workers. If the ohange led to the diminution of foreign and borne trade, starvation, hardship, and discontent wool! be engendered at home. There wou'd be oo swiftar means cf the dissolution of the Empire. If it was made clear that t;be Cabinet undertook the icquiry with in open mind, hs personally believed bat in the result of tbe inquiry therer . might be fund some modification of *n arrangement cucultted to m ko a more unassailable system founded oa the essential principle of free trade. Lords Spencer and B'astey cup* ported the present fisoil policy. The Eiil of Jersey believed that a prtfmnthl taiff would not be bins* ficial to the Motherland or the colonies. It would have been better to inquire fiwt and formukte a policy afterwards. The debite has ended. The speeches by Viscount Gosohen and tbe Duke of Devonshite gratified the freetraders, but tbat of Lord Linsdowne distp* > pointed them, us they considered tbat his views, from an international stand* > point, are c.rtain to carry weight in i the country.

GERUANT3 THBKAt,

Loxdov, Juno 18. The newspapers sharply comment on Lord L msdowne'e revelation that G»* many notified that probtbly Britain would ba excluded from moat favoured treatment if she accepted farther colonial preference. Id the House of Commons, Mr Bonar Law, PailUmentary Seoretary of the Board of Trade, in reply to i question, stated thtt the only countries in which tte imports from Britain did not receive compete and most favoured treatment were the United States, Portuga l , and certainly the South American Republics. Oi.pi Toyh, June I§. Sir Gordon Sprigg, in moving tke •doption of the Customs Convection io 'he Legislative Assembly, alluded to the question of preference to Britain. Se stated that personally he was.* freetrader, hut tbe consolidation of the Empire was greater than free trade. MxiSodub, June 17. Mr Irvine (Premier of Victoria) states thtt Mr Deakin (Federal At* tomey Gecerai) wa* not warranted in informing the British Auttralaiian that all the State Governments were favour* able to a preferential polioy. The Victorian Government had not «x----preesed an opinion either way.

AN EXPLANATION. Receive 117,11.17 p.m. London, June 16. Mr Balfour, replying to Mr Macefield regarding Sir fl. Hanson's reference to the Government's policy, taid the Coloiil Offico cent no til-gram, nut Lord Salisbury sent a despatch in 1897 denouncing the Berlin-German reaties, and instructed the Ambassador to declare that the step was in* tended to remove the barrier against the British Empire's internal fissal arrangement, as it was inconsistent with the close ties tf commeroial inter* course which would be consolidated between the Mothtsrlatd and tbe Colo- • iee. Ftfsibly Sir H. Rawcon had that in view,

K p yiog further, Mr BUfour mU he hod iiO reason to ask Sir H. Rawaen what deolarathn'he referred to.