NATIONAL SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 144, 15 July 1909, Page 2

NATIONAL SERVICE.

LOUD ROBERTS' BILL. REJECTED BY THE LORDS. ty Cable—Press Association.—Copyrigut I Received July 14, 11.40 p.m. I L London, July 14. ] Lord Roberts' National Service Hill loes not provide machinery. It is rather * i recoiinaisaiicu in favor of the prinfples lie hits from time to time eiiunei- l ucd. During the discussion Lord KoUirts liimself described the Territorials is a grand organisation and well ac- i signed, and his object was to lill m the [rame-work which that structure afforded. Thus the country would nu longer liu dependent upon a force whose serious training was deferred until after the declaration of war. He auueu: "In this latter respect our military policy ia wilful gambling with the country s safety." ,'flie Duke of Norfolk supported the Bill, and begged the Lords to take the lead in this subject. The Duke of Northumberland moved an amendment in favor of trusting to the present military advisers. Lord Lansdowne emphasised the overwhelming reasons for giving Mr. Haldane's sciieme a fair trial, adding that opinion was not yet ripe for compulsion. Tlie Earl of Crewe (Minister for tne Colonies) strongly opposed the Bill. The amendment was carried by i 23 to 103. Tlie minority included Lords C'urzon, Milner, Newton, Raglan, Ellenborough, Blythe, Havershaiu and Portsmouth, and the Bishop of Oxford; and tlie majority included the front benches, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Peterborough, Lords Alverstone and Cromer, and the Dukes of Devonshire and Marlborough. The Times dwells upon the growth of feeling in favor of the principle of the Bill, as exemplified, by the attitude of I the independent peers and the signiflI cantly narrow majority.