PREFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 17 July 1907, Page 2

PREFERENCE.

CENSURE DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. Received ICtli, 11.32 pm. London, July 10. In the Hone of Commons the Hon. A. Lyttclton moved the vote of censure as proposed by him on June 28th, as follows: 'That the House regrets that the Government' declined the invitation unanimously preferred by the Prime Ministers of the self-governing colonies to consider Invariably any form of colonial preference, or a measure of closer commercial union of the Empire on a preferenti/il basis." He complained that the Colonial Premiers' proposals met with unqualified rejection at the hands of the Government. . He congratulated Mr LloydGeorge on scattering to the winds at the Conference the argument that n commercial tie was a sordid bond. Mr Lyttclton insisted that preference would stimulate intercourse with the colonies,

remove many difficulties in the foreign policy, promote consistency and coherence by transforming divergent into common interests, and also increase the power of the colonies to bear the burden of Empire. Mr E. B. Soares then moved his amendment to Mr Lyttelton's motion, as follows: ' "Th'at the permanent unity of the Empire will not be secured through a system of preferential duties based on protective taxation on

food." Mr Winston Churchill said it was curious to censure the Government for keeping "their election promises. Really, the motion was only a cry of petulant vexation. It was idle to discuss preference without definite proposals showing the subjects contemplated taxing. He asked did the Opposition adhere to the protective duties enumerated by Mr Chamberlain in 1903. Tf preference were given on existing dutiable articles, how would the gap in the revenue be filled

up. Such a system of preference would introduce the vicious feature of discrimination between one class of products and another. A fiscal revolution, involving tnxes on the necessaries of He, would he certain to create an anticolonial party in Britain. Mr Balfour declared that nobody desired a protective on food. If Colonial preference were returned the valuable Colonial concessions already granted would he largey increased. They would be very rash to slam the door in the face o? the colonies, and it would be wiser to make some immediate sacrifice, though he did not believe any was required. Since it was imperative to bro'iden the basis of taxation, new taxes should be used for the purpose of giving colonial preference. Mr Asquith categorically asked Mr Balfour would he tax corn, meat, wool and butter, and added, since no answer was forthcoming that he would leave the matter there.

Mr Lyttelton's motion was rejected by '404 to 111, and Mr Soare T s amendment chivied without division, the Lib. era Is loudly cheering.