THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 323, 24 February 1910, Page 5

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.

LORD ROSEBERY'S SPEECH. By Cable.—Pre6s Association.—Copyright London, February 22. Lord Rosebery deprecated any delay. Throughout the elections Unionists candidates broke their shins against Peers of a hereditary character. The Government's Veto Bill would reach tiie House some time before midwinter. Without awaiting this leisurely progres's the Lords should place their own scheme of reform before the country. The real issue was not the veto, but the constitution of the second chamber. THE TIMES ON THE SITUATION. " A SHEER WASTE OF TIME." MR. REDMOND'S SUPPORT INDISPENSABLE. London, February 22. The Times says tlje Government resolutions will be a sheer waste of time. They will bind no one, and are presumably intended as a sop to keep impatient people quiet. The Daily News declares that Jlr. Redmond cannot be blamed for believing that " guarantees" meant guarantees from the Crown. He took this meaning In company with every journalist, every politician and every ordinary citizen. It was unfortunate that Mn Asquith did not take an earlier opportunity to correct the general misapprehension. Mr. BedmonS's' support is indispensable and his advice is intrinsically sound. The Morning Leader says the Government had weighted its proposals with provisions for reconstruction of the House of Lords which surprised many ol Its supporters. The scheme may be courageous, but would be neither swift nor decisive.

POSSIBILITY OF A DISSOLUTION.

FISCAL REFORM. London, February 22. In the House of Commons Mr. H. Belloc gave notice of an amendment regretting that the King's Speech did not contain any reference to a guarantee that the Veto Bill would become law if it passed the House of Commons. Mr. Austen Chamberlain gave notice, on behalf of the Opposition, of a fiscal amendment, regretting that the Government had failed to recognise the gravity of the state of trade and unemployment, and emphasising a new fiscal reform to promote the growth and stability of the home trade, negotiate for the mitigation of foreign tariffs, and develop trade by preference within the Empire. The Nationalists have issued a strong appeal for funds in view of the possibility of a dissolution before Easter. At Mr. Laurence Hardy's instance the House of Commons agreed to the usual ■sessional order so as to allow Peers, ■unless they are Lieutenants of Counties, to take part in elections of Commoners. This is the outcome of the Duke of Norfolk's csise.

THE REDMONDITES AND THE LABOR PARTY.

London, February 22.

A meeting of the Redmondites' decided, considering the supreme importance of the veto question, to refrain from complicating the issue by moving an amendment to the Address on the balloting for bills. Mr. Barnes states that the Labor party desired to see the Budget passed. It suggests that the Government should •produce the Veto Bill before Easter, instead of moving a motion that will form the foundation of the veto, and that it should press for an assurance of supply or a second Budget Which would follow the Veto Bill.

TWO MEMBERS RESIGN. London, February 22. Mr. Holland Sir B. W. Foster have resigned their respective seats at Rotherham and Ekeston in favor of Mr. J. A. Peasfe and Lieutenant-Colonel Seely. A SECOND CONTEST. London, February 22. Mr. Simmons will contest the election for the St. George (Tower Hamlets) seat with Mr. Wedgewood Benn, who has accepted Ministerial rank. THE NATIONALISTS AND THE GOVERNMENT. London. February 22. The Pall Mall Gazette says Messrs. Redmond, Dillon, and O'Connor will not overthrow the Government if they can possibly avoid it. Negotiations with the Cabinet have not closed, and it will be very odd if between now and Easter Blich practised hands do not propound some new plan of campaign. HOUSE OF LORDS REFORM BILL. Received February 23, 10.40 p.m. London, February 23. Lord Curzon lias twice postponed his rectorial address at the Glasgow University. The students by 533 votes to 306 censured him, despite his explanation that the postponement was due to argent political duties'. Lord Curzon has resigned the rectorship. It is understood he is preparing a House of Lords Reform Bill on behalf of the Unionists. SCOTCH MEMBERS' VIEWS. RADICALS PLACE THE VETO FIRST. Received February 23. 10.40 p.m. London, February 23. A meeting of Scottish members yesterday expressed a strong feeling in favor of more drastic action on the part of the Government. Many of the Radicals are in favor of severing the question of the veto from that of the Lords' constitution, leavh« the latter for future consideration. MR. KEIR HARDIE ON THE LORDS. NOT RE-CONSTITUTION. BUT DESTRUCTION. Received February 23. 10.40 p.m. London, February 23. Mr. Keir Hardie emphatically protests against anv re-constitution of the House of Lords, saying the Government was sent back not to re-constitute, but to destroy it.

[ "SAVE IRELAND FROM THE | BUDGET." MR. O'BRIEN DISAPPOINTED. A MINISTERIAL UTTERANCE. Received February 24, 12.5 a.m. London, February 23. In the House of Commons the debate on the Address-in-Reply was continued. Mr. O'Brien declared that he at first hoped that Mr. Redmond had crossed the rubicon and intended to save Ire land from the Budget, but before he finished he scrambled back to safe Ministerial ground. Ireland only got a shadowy postobit for Home Rule on the death of the Lords. The Budget was' a more serious obstacle to Home Rule than the Lords' veto. Mr. Churchill, speaking after a prolonged Cabinet meeting, deprecated using the Budget as a financial lever to force a constitutional change. The loss of the Budget would be a terrible vindication of the Lords' action. The Ministers had diseuss'ed the policy of refusing to meet Parliament, and had concluded that this would be neither wise nor courageous. The House must wait patiently for the Government proposals. When these were introduced the Government would stake its whole existence upon carrying them into law. Mr. Belloc declared that the omission of the guarantee from the King's Speech made the whole thing a piece of party Bham.

Mr. Keir Hardie asked for an explanation of the proposed increase in naval expenditure, adding that the Government had evidently yielded to the clamor of the " yellow press." Refusal to vote supply would be drastic and revolutionary. but the Lords had created the revolution. Mr. E. G. Hemmerde declared that if the Albert Hall pledge was not the Ministers' policy they had to get their support from others. Messrs H. Dalziel, Wedgewood, Pine, Plckerskiil, Joseph and Martin echoed Mr. Redmond's complaints, alleging that ■their constituents had been deceived. Sir Albert Spicer said the action of the Lords had spread the idea among the of t"he dominions overseas .that Britain was decadent .and that .they could do better in many cases by dealing with fiJTeisrn countries. He had fought the election upon the Alb-vt Hall speech, and could not honestly face liis constituents Tf Mr. Churchill's policy were adopted.