BRITISH POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 March 1922, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE MONTAGU INCIDENT. debate in the commons. speech by ex-minister. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received March 16, 5.5 p.m. London, March 15. The Montagu incident was raised in the House of Commons to-day. Mr. T. P. O’Connor, moving the adjournment, said Mr. Montagu was fanatical on the subject of Moslem opinion in India. After the motion was seconded Mr. Montagu rose and the House filled. He complained that Mr. Chamberlain did not include the word regret when announcing his resignation. He repeated the arguments used in his speech to his constituents.

Replying to Lord Curzon’s speech, Mr. Montagu urged that India was a member of the League of Nations, and it was folly to suggest that the great dependency, which was a party to the original treaty, should not be allowed to express its views regarding the treaty’s modification. It was not true that India was dictating to the people of Britain or the Government. Mr. Montagu said that India was entitled to a predominant share in making the treaty with Turkey, because no other country played so great a part in Turkey’s defeat. Mr. Chamberlain said Mr. Lloyd George knew nothing until he saw the document in the London papers, and he regarded it as a national misfortune. There could be no rule regarding what matters should be brought before Cabinet; that must be left to the discretion of Ministers, who must stand or fall by the use of that discretion. Mr. Asquith said an important thing was that the Government had now discovered that there was such a thing as Cabinet responsibility. The moral of the incident was that the sooner we returned to the old straight way, where politicians were divided by real differences of conviction, the better. The motion was withdrawn.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. THE PRIME MINISTER. RESIGNATION RUMORED. London, March 15. The Central News states that the general belief in the lobby is that Mr. Lloyd George will resign directly he returns to London, and that a Conservative Government, including Mr. Churchill, will carry on till a dissolution.