BRITISH ELECTIONS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 203, 6 December 1910, Page 5

BRITISH ELECTIONS

THROUGH CONTINENTAL SPECTACLES. LIBERALS AND THE "IRISH EMBRACE." By Cable—Prow Association—Copyright. Received 5, 9.20 p.m. Berlin, December 4. The Frankfurter Zeitung regards the' referendum as a stage in the constitutional evolution where the representative system has reached its highest development. Vienna, December 4. The Neue Freie Press is very doubtful whether the Liberals are strong enough to escape the Irish embrace and win that independent majority which they scarcely possessed before. LETTER FROM LLOYD-GEORGE. THE SURRENDER OF THE LORDS. Received 5, 10.30 p.m. London, December 5. Mr. Lloyd-George, in a letter to candidates, describes the Unionist pro--1 gramme as a makeshift, and adds .that the Lords, in proposing it, advertised their surrender. ••' THE LD3ERALS' "GREAT SCHEME." Sffi EDWARD GREY OX HOME RULE. Received' 5, 10.35 p.m. London, December 5. Sir Edward Grey, at Alynwack, said Home Rule was part of a great scheme, including the reform of the House of Commons, redistribution of seats, one man one vote, and local power in all parts of the Kingdom. HOW THE NEWSPAPERS SEE IT. ALL SEEM SATISFIED. THE MINISTRY CONDEMNED TO IMPOTENCE.

Received 5, 11.15 p.m. London, December 5. Unionist newspapers consider the polling encouraging. The Standard argues that the Ministry is already condemned to impotence. LIBERAL ORGANS' VIEWS. CRUSHING BLOW TO UNIONISTS. DECLINE LX THE TORY VOTE. Received 5, 11.15 pan. r. London, December 5. The Daily Chronicle declares that a crushing blow has been dealt to the hopes of the pro-peer, food-taxing party. London has given a magnificent lead to the country by the discouragement of the Tariffites at the Balfour referendum trick, and' announced that the tariff was not the issue of the election. This was shown by the fall of the Tory vote at Birmingham in the aggregate from 20,682 to 15,981, and the increase in the Liberal vote, which nearly captured West Bromwich. The decrease in the Tory vote in London was 15,596, as compared with the Liberal decrease of 5873. The poll throughout the country was 384,740 against, and 306,389 for the peers. The Tory majority at Gloucester was four; and at West Bromwich five. The cause of free trade and a free House of Commons are already safe.

PEERS? HOPES SHATTERED. AN ALLEGORICAL ILLUSTRATION. Received 5, 11.15 p.m. London, December 6. The Daily News states that any hope of the Peers' party that they would be victorious has been shattered. The Duke of Norfolk remarked on Saturday, "It is not a question of 'peers versus tie people,' but 'peers and the people against the Commoners.'" The Daily News says this is suggesting that it is not a question of the wolf versus Red Riding Hood, but the wolf and Red Riding Hood! against the watchdog. The Duke's remark is an admission that the wolf is trying to kill the watch-dog, but Red Riding Hood realises that we can safely leave it to her which she will side with. WILLIAM REDMOND'S THEATRICALS. FLYING THE "STARS AND STRIPES/' Received 5, 11.15 p.m. London, December 5. Mr. William Redmond was given an ovation by his Cork supporters. He spoke from a brake, with the American "Stars and Stripes" on Ms right. A FRANTIC APPEAL. WHAT LORD TENNYSON SEES IN HOME RULE. Received 5, 10.30 p.m. London, December 15. Lord Tennyson, who is prevented by illness from actively participating in the elections, sent a message earnestly begging Non-Conformists in the Isle of Wight not to desert their fellow NonConformists in Ireland, but vote against Home Rule, which means the breaking up of the constitution and the dismemberment of the Empire. LORD ROSEBERY'S VIEWS. | London, December 4. Lord Rosebery, addressing an enthusiastic audience of 4000 at Edinburgh, said the Parties seemed to have changed their platforms, as the Unionists were also and moderate, while the Liberals were resorting to single-chamber Government. The Conservatives had come round to his views on the hereditary, question, and the man who never changed his opinions was an ass. The Lords question might have been settled but for the Government maintaining its hereditary and irresponsible character to suit themselves. What tot or tittle of reform had the w*r*ls?- It '**£ mere cant for ftem to

denounce what the Government alone was keeping in existence. Whatever the result of this election it could not settle constitutional questions. A NATIONAL INSULT. London, December 4. Lord Ampthill, speaking at Finsbury, referring to the offer of an American music-hall manager to Mr. Lloyd-George, said there was a time when such an insult to a Minister of the Crown would have been regarded as a national insult. THE UNIONIST IDEA. DEVELOPING WITH THE TIMES. London, December 4. Mr. Austen Chamberlain, speaking at Newcastle, said that the Unionists proposed that in the matters of pure finance the Commons should have, besides the last, the only word. LETTER FROM LORD CHANCELLOR. London, December 4. Lord Loreburn, in a letter, contends that the referendum implies that direct questions shall be put to the electorate over the head of the representatives. It will be possible to secure an assent to a* general principle underlying, any such question while the electors differ altogether on the details.

MR. ASQUITH OX THE TORIES. TWITS THEM WITH INCONSISTENCY. London, December 4. Mr. Asquith, addressing a meeting of 5000 at Newcastle, said it was strange ihow the Unionists had suddenly shifted their ground and changed the cut of their uniform. The Liberals stood where they did in January, for free trade and a free House of Commons. It was difficult to keep pace with thleir opponents' bewildering series of twists, gyrations and somersaults. The Tories had discovered it was unsafe to fight the election on tariff reform and the House of Lords, hence they were disguising one and side-tracking the other. The referendum was meant to prevent Liberals, when in the majority, carrying any great scheme of legislation without fresh reference to the people. That was a parody and caricature on Democracy. The tariffites had already waited seven years, like Jacob, and were likely to wait another seven. A voice: They will never get Rachel. Mr. Asquith rejoined: "Rachel will no longer be in the first flush of her youth when they get her," Meanwhile the notion that the people required special protection against their chosen representatives was the most fanatical ever conceived. The Liberal and Radical Association at Bowe have urged members to support Mr. Landsbury. Mr. Lloyd-George is suffering from a cold, and has lost his voice. The appearance of Mr. Winston Churchill at Lincoln was the signal for pandemonium among the crowd. Mr. Churchill was twice refused a hearing. There were several ugly rushes and free fights before he departed. The Unionist candidate, Sir Robert Filmer, was struck in the face. He returned the blow. The representation of the city remains unchanged.

LINCOLN. C. H. Roberts (L.). fair R. Filmer (U.). (Figures not given.) [January. 1910: Roberts (L.) 5402, Filmer 3236, Seeley (Unionist and Free Trader) 2129.] In Salford South, the figures in January last were: Hilaire Belloc 3952 (not 3592), and Barlow 3636 (not 363). PROBABLE RESULT OF THE POLLING. a new Zealand" journalist's impressions. Mr! J. L. Kelly, who arrived in Christchurch last week, after spending a few years in England and Scotland, had a good deal to say in regard to politics, social life, and 'other subjects, when he was interviewed by a Times reporter. He said that there was a very strong feeling in favor of tariff reform. Nearly all people with whom toe convened had a good grip of the subject, and evidently were deeply interested in it As far as the House of Lords was concerned, he concluded, from the impressions he received at the last general election, that there was not a strong feeling apaiiut that branch of the Legislature There was some feeling at the beo-inning of the campaign, when wealthy peers reduced their expenditure and declined! to continue subscriptions, but much of that, apparently, was forgotten | when the election was held. He expected that the same thing would be noted at the coming campaign. He be-; lieved that unless the Liberals worked up the country they would not be able to carry their proposals. The Daily Mail and other members of the Associated Press had an enormous circulation, and appealed to the working classes. The middle classes would probably prove themselves to be strongly Liberal, but it was thought that the workers would be captured, to a large extent, by tariff reform. The Labor Party which Mr John Burns had represented was almosfc extinct, and the working classes now seemed to place their faith m Social.™.--His own impression, which perhaps was guided considerably by his opinions, *as that tariff reform would be earned. Church disestablishment was another element in the struggle. That question would probably catch many votes for the Liberals. The Church of England exercised extraordinary influence throughout England. It was an active and wonderful electioneering force, outside of the pulpit and the church building, The vicar of the parish, for instance was often practically the squire of the district, and the whole weight of his influence was on the Conservative side. It was a condition of local cricket clubs, football clubs brass bands and other associations that members must have been confirmed in the Church of England. In some places, also, residents boycotted dissenting tradespeople. The result was that the dissenters were combining and were creatin.2 a feeling in favor of the Liberals. His observations, had induced him to form an opinion that the Church of England, the Conservative element and the tariff reform, in conjunction, would carry the day. Apart from politics, one of the most noticeable phases of national life observed by Mr. Kelly was tlie dissatisfaction with conditions in England. He said that evidence of this was found in the continued outflow of the best of the

farming and artisan classes. People with enterprise and a little money wished to get out of England. Aliens, on the other hand, flowed in. The latest influx, apparently, was represented by Poles, many of whom, with turbulent and uncontrolled passions, had begun to work in the coal mines. England's attitude towards the foreigner was brought under Mr. Kelly's notice at a place at which he stayed in London. There were two French girls in the same house. They were attending free classes at night, established solely to teach foreigners the English language. In that way, he said, England encouraged people from other lands to enter into competition with her own workers, who paid rates to give facilities to their rivals. Italians seemed to roam the Unite! Kingdom from end to end. Even in the wilds of Scotland, they had their fruit-stands and ice-cream stands, and their hawkers' equipments. The presence of the foreigners caused no comment. The Englishman was utterly devoid of fear in that respect, and looked upon the invasion with the magnificent indifference ,bred by over-weening confidence. "Poor devils," he said, "let them all come in. This is Merrie England, the friend of the world, and we'll find room for them here."