BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 327, 1 March 1910, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICAL CRISIS

A "FATEFUL DAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT. A PREDICTION REITERATED. By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright Received" 28, 9.35 p.m. ; London, February 2S. Mr. E. S. Montagu, in a speech to his •onstituents, said the result of the general election, despite the revelation of local loyalty, was a bitter disappointment to those anticipating that this Parliament would terminate the veto. He was quite certain that Parliament would give no mandate to reform the Lords, and equally certain that no Radical could excuse the aTtack on the •hereditary system. An early general Section was inevitable. The Liberals' chance lay in submitting to the people at that election both the principles and details of its House of Lords' scheme.

THE REDMOND-ITES ONE IDEA.

Received 23, 11 p.m. London, February 28

"Several newspapers declare it is - n Jttpen secret that there are acute differences of opinion in the Cabinet, especially concerning, tactics. Indications are that the plan now favored is 'o ppiit the attack on trie House of Lords into two parts-. Firstly, to take it by itself, and by means of a. resolution to legislate for the abolition of the Lords' r%'ht to reject a money Bill; then, at a. later date, to combine the limitation m the veto upon general legislation with the reform of the Lords.

The consensus of opinion is that tojday will dp a fateful one for the Go /vernment.

It is apparent that the Redmond-ites Trill discuss Mr. Asquith's proposals exclusively from the standpoint of how far these promote or indefinitely postpone Home Rule. Mr. Dillon, at Manchester, taunted the Liberal leaders with most disastrous timidity. He declared that their majority was sufficient to carry a measure arising on a'dominant issue before electorates, and described the words in 'the King's Speech, '"in the opinion of jny advisers," as unprecedented, inasmuch as they implied that the King did not share his advisers' opinions, thus throwing away the whole basic principle of the Constitution. The Times' Parliamentary correspondent says Mr. Dillon's speech is construed into a desire on the part of the Nationalists to involve the Crown in r constitutional struggle, and anv such •attemnt might alienate Liberal sympathies.