DRAMATIC SCENES.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1922, Page 5

DRAMATIC SCENES.

EXCITEMENT AT CARLTON.

SETBACK TO UNIONISTS. BONAR LAW ACCLAIMED, tiy Telegraph,--Press Assn. —Copyright. Received October 21, 12.30 a.m. London, Oct. 19. Coalition died under dramatic circumstances. A big crowd gathered in Pall Mall and the public fully appreciated the significance of the meetings. Thouseynds watched Cabinet Ministers arriving at the Carlton Club, one conspicuous group, cheering Mr. Bonar Law and booing Mr. Chamberlain, who turned in astonishment on hearing the cry “traitor” as he left his car. There were also several cries of “Judas” when Lord Birkenhead appeared.

There was a sensational incident inside the blub over the exclusion of Conservative Peers and Independent Conservative members of the House of Commons.‘The aged Lord Chaplin, whom two policemen lifted from a taxicab, mounted the steps of the club with the aid of two sticks and sought admission .to the meeting, but he was refused. Mr. J. M. Erskine, an Independent Conservative, angrily attempted to force his way into the meeting, but Captain King (junior whip) barred the entrance. Admiral Sueter was similarly barred. Mr. Chamberlain presided and he had Lord Balfour, Sir Robert Home and Lord Lee on his right and Lord Birkenhead, Mr. S. Baldwin and Mr. Bonar Law on his left. Mr. Chamberlain received a generous reception, but was obviously ill at ease. He spoke for twenty minutes and his arguments generally were far from telling. There was excitement when Mr. Baldwin’s speech showed the strength of the Conservative feeling against the Coalition. Sir Henry Craig, who followed Mr. Baldwin, was also hostile. THE CLIMAX. The real climax* of the meeting was provided by the speeches by Mr. Bonar Law and Colonel Leslie Wilson, the chief Coalition-Unionist, while astonishment was caused when the latter announced that he would only serve a Conservative Premier. The cordiality of the reception accorded Mr. Bonar Law was in marked contrast to the luke-warm cheering .following Mr. Chamberlain’s speech. Mr. Bonar Law spoke for fifteen minutes, and there was a hurricane of applause when he declared in favour of ending the* Coalition and announced his intention of voting for Mr. Pretyman’s resolution that the party should go to the polls as Conservatives with their own policy.

Before the motion was put Mr. Chamberlain rose and intimated to the meeting that they must understand the motion would be regarded as a vote of censure, and the Unionist Ministers could not continue in office. Every member was given a card, on which he recorded his vote. When the figures were announced, cheers were heard from Pall Mall, where a crowd was awaiting the result of the meeting. Mr. Chamberlain and his associates seemed staggered by the overwhelming nature of the defeat. There is little doubt that the result of the Newport election was largely responsible for the decisive vote. The Newport result was in-

terpreted by Conservative circles to mean that the Conservatives had an execellent chance of defeating Labor at the general ' election, if not hampered by Mr. Lloyd George’s past and the errors of the Coalition. PREMIER’S DECISION. Mr. Lloyd George heard the news from Sir Philip Sassoon, who was the first man to leave the Carlton. He jumped into a car and drove straight to Downing Street. From Pall Mall the interest shifted to Downing Street, where Mr. Lloyd George’s car was ready for any emergency. Directly after Sir Philip Sassoon’s visit, Mr. Lloyd George received Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Birkenhead, Sir L. Worthington Evans, Sir Robert Horne, and Colonel Leslie Wilson, who handed in their resignations. Mr. Lloyd George called a Cabinet meeting for three o’clock, and announced his intention of resigning,, which Cabinet approved. Mr. Lloyd George then had a consultation with some Liberal friends until four o’clock, when he went to Buckinghanf Palace. The Liberal Ministers met in the evening and passed a resolution recording their appreciation of the courage of Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Balfour and others who supported the principles of national unity.