IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 30, 5 February 1904, Page 3

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

COMMENT ON TIIK KPF.ECII FROM THE 'I'IIHONE. PARIS. Fell. :i. 'l'lte French piv.s.i is pleased with King Edwaid's I act Iu I comments on the Anglo-French r;ippivi'lMiß-nt and states that such declarations will assist tin- progressive development of coidial relations. THE A DDRESK-) X-ItEPLY. LONDON, Feb. 3. The Earl of Fitzwiilliam moved the Actdi«vs-in-Re])ly in the House of Lords. The Duke of Hamilton seconded. The Marquis erf Lan.idowne (Secretary lor Foreign Afl'airs). replying to Earl Spencer's criticism, denied that *'ivat Britain l;ad in any way actively intervene! in the i^rave quarrel ill the Far East. She was intimately concerned in the preservation of peace, hut, her g'ood ollices had not been invited, ilie Government's authorised lisi-al policy was one of negotiation and retaliation. The Government was at present not prepared to deal with the question of an extension of the policy as Mr Chamberlain proposed. fn the House of C<mimom« Sir H. Caiiipbell-Hajimormaii, Leader of the Opposition, will reserve his fiscal criticisms in detail until Mr Morle.v intrciduccs his amendment to the Address-in-Heply. The Right Hon. Austen Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, replied that the question before the country was not the production of a plan, but whether there should he a reformed tariff. The Government asked the House to accept the principle that the fiscal policy needed absolute reform. The lfight Hon. John Morley's amenidment to the Atklres-s-in-Reply, which will not be moved until the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour (Prime Minister) has recovered,-*sets forth that the conflicting declarations of Ministers impair the effective deliberations ol' Parliament, declares that the lemoval of protective duties had conduced to a vast extension of trade and commerce and the public welfare, and believes that while social improvements are urgent, any return to protection, particularly fn regard to food, woulid be deeply injurious to national strength, contentment, and well-being. A SIuN OF WEAKNESS. (Received Feb. 4, 10.27 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 4. The omission from the King's speech of any reference to fiscal reform is construed in Germanv as a sign of weakness in the Government.