IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 148, 9 November 1912, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

THE HOME RULE BILL. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. . London, November 7. On clause 13, providing 1 !or the retention of' Irish members at Westminster, tfr. F. Cassel moved to exclude all Irish members from the Imperial Parliament ■ntil there was no deficit in the Irish ■expenditure for three successive years. Mr. Asquith defended the retention, Baying that it was a necessary part of the general devolution, of which Irish Pome Rule was the first step. Mr. Redmond said that, pending the lompletion of the federal system, the anomaly of Irishmen at Westminster prast be endured. Mr. Balfour derided the idea of general devolution. Otherwise the Government would not have handed the Customs to Ireland.; The amendment was rejected by 315 ITttes to 213.

THE FINANCIAL ASPECT. : VIGOROUS CRITICISM. Received 8, 10.40 p.m. I London, November 8. The House of Commons has begun the discussion of Irish finance. It will occupy seven sittings. Mr. Herbert Samuel, in moving the resolutions, said the Irish deficit must be taken as the dominant factor. It was inconsistent with the essence of Home Rule that the deficit rests for all time on the British taxpayer, but the burden could not immediately be thrown on Ireland . Therefore it was necessary that nominal increments of revenue should go to the Imperial Exchequer until the ac-' oounts were balanced. The Bill did not give fiscal autonomy. In no federation did a province involve the central exchequer in an annual loss. Therefore Ireland was different from all federal precedents.

Mr. Austen Chamberlain said that the Government proposal broke every federal precedent. Because Ireland had a deficit it was granted greater powers than the local legislature of any federation. The financial scheme healed no old feuds, but opened new ones. Mr. William O'Brien said the proposal ■tripped the Irish of the control of fiveBixths of their own taxation. Mr. Lloyd George said that England was giving nothing not already given ,to Ireland. It was dishonest to assert that England was finding two millions to finance Home Rule. Mr. Bonar Law (leader of the Opposition) contrasted the action of New South Wales in sacrificing her system of freetrade Jo secure union with the action of England, who was sacrificing it not for union but for disintegration. The resolution was carried by 320 to 187, with the aid of the guillotine. A memorandum representing the views of seventy Liberal Commoners is being •irculated at Westminster. It opposes jslauses 15 and H 5, permitting the Irish Parliament to reduce or increase the Customs duties, and the giving of this power, it argues, is calculated to lead to the erection of Customs barriers, and urges the Government to leave the matter unfettered to the decision of the House. / v A RAILWAY BILL. ( x London, November 7. The Prime Minister, in the House of Commons, said that the Government was introducing a Railways Bill in 1913; meanwhile they were introducing a oneclause Bill this session, to fulfil a promise made during the strike.