IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 171, 6 December 1912, Page 5

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

THE WOMEN'S VOTE'.

By Cable—Prass Association—Copyright.

Lodon, December 4. i Sir John Simon, speaking at a suffrage meeting in London, said that the Prime Minister had promised he would not oppose an amendment to the Franchise Bill if it was approved by a deliberate decision of the House of Commons. If the Biil was thus amended, it would become a Government measure.

THE HOME RULE BILL. Received 5, 10.20 p.m. London, December 5. Clauses 29 to 32. inclusive, were suit lotined. to

Mr. Asquith agreed to specifically define the Lord Lieutenant's status.

An amendment seeking to compel Ireland to pay the Lord Lieutenant's salary and expenses, instead of contributing £•1000, was rejected. '

INDIA'S POSITION.

THE GUILLOTINE.

Received 5, 10.50 p.m. London, December 5. Lord Crewe, speaking at Cheltenham, deprecated Mr. Bonar Law's recent remark that Britain was entitled- to fair play on the Indian markets. -He warned the tariff reformers against the erection of an Imperial Zollverein, and asking India to take a place which compared with the self-governing colonies, eontrolling their own purse, would appear servile to India. Coupling such a proposal with the claim on India's gratitude for past services was a political indiscretion of the greatest magnitude. Referring to the guillotine, it was not an altogether undesirable weapon, but it was the only one the Government could usi' to pass measures for which the country had long waited.

THE LESSOX OF THE BALKANS.

BRITAIN'S UXPREPAREDNESS,

TARIFF REFORM.

Received 5. 10.50 p.m

London, December 5.

Lord Lansdowne, speaking at Alexandra Palace, said that a conspicuous feature of the Balkan struggle was the terrible character of the penalty following inefficiency and unprcparedness. Our two-Power standard had disappeared, and wc were also unprepared on land. The Territorials were fifty thousand short of establishment. The suddenness of the outburst in the Balkans afforded food for thought. The question of referring tariff reform to a referendum was conditional on submitting to Home Rule. The offer would not hold for all time.