IMPERIAL POLITICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 200, 21 February 1912, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS

THE CENSURE MOTION.

By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, February 19.

Mr. F. E. Smith moved an amendment to the Address-in-Reply, censuring the Government for proceeding with great constitutional changes before carrying out the pledge to reform the House of Lords. He .said the country had been persuaded to agree to the Parliament Act because a reformed House of Lords had been promised. The whole of the electioneering had been against the hereditary principle, and this was dishonest unless reforms followed. Mr. Ellis Griffiths succeeds Mr. Masterman as Under-Secretary at the Home Office.

HOME RULE AND REFORM OF THE LORDS. GOVERNMENT CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY. AN EFFECTIVE REPLY. Received 20, 10.40 p.m. London, February 20. In the House of Commons Mr. F. E. Smith quoted the Premier's declaration, made in 1910, that the reform of the House of Lords would be dealt with at the earliest possible date. They understood this to mean the present session. Ministers never warned the country that the reform of the House would be postponed until the Home Rule Bill had passed. He did not believe lv.ore than a fragment of the Government supporters would follow the Premier. -On*- measure whereon the suspension of the constitutional power of the House of Lords should not be used was Home Rule, but the whole conspiracy was made for that purpose.

Sir John Simon (Solicitor-General) said Mr. Smith had not proved that the Government, in giving Home Rule priority over the reconstitution of the House of Lords, was breaking their pledges or perpetrating injustice. He also assumed that the Government would have greater difficulty in carrying Home Rule in the House of Lords reformed on Liberal lines. Whatever the future composition of the House of Lords, they would never regain their unlimited veto, nor wfJuld the proposed constitution make it more bitterly opposed to Home Rule than at present.

Mr. Bonar Law asked: Will there be no method under the reform of the Chamber to enable an appeal to be made to the people?

Sir John Simon asked Mr. Bonar Law whether, if the Unionists were returned to power, would they repeal the Parliament Act? *

Mr. Bonar Law replied that there would be no repeal without simultaneous reform of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, too.

Sir John Simon declared that throughout last election members of the Opposition had prophesied that if the Parliament Bill was once passed the Radical Government, if faithful to its pledges, would carry Home Rule. After prophesying the thing, they now pretended that a monstrous fraud was being perpetrated. The. Opposition further emphasised this knowledged in seeking to graft an amendment on to the Parliament Bill excluding Home Rule from itj scope. For a quarter of a century the Liberal Party had been the Home Rule Party. For a quarter of a century the Opposition claimed the name of "Unionists" and denounced the Liberals as "Separatists." The debate was adjourned.