IMPERIAL POLITICS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2545, 22 August 1893, Page 1

IMPERIAL POLITICS.

London, August 17

In the House of Commons Mr Chamberlain informed the Government that the Opposition are preparing a number of fresh amendments to block the reporting of the Home Rule Bill.

The Home Secretary denies the statement which was published in United Ireland, that Gallagher, the dynamiter, has been released.

The Standard announces that the Opposition have determined to render an autumn session impossible.

August 19

The Government intend to apply the closure to the report stage of the Home Rule Bill, which is expected finally to leave the House of Commons by the end of August. Consideration of supply will occupy September. Mr Gladstone has announced that the closure will be applied to the Home Rule Bill on August 25th. Mr Chamberlain has given notice of an amendment, protesting against the conversion of the House of Commons into a mere voting machine.

In the House of Commons to-day, an amendment to the Home Rule Bill, forbidding the Irish Parliament to give preference to any trade or industry was rejected. Mr Morloy, Chief Secretary for Ireland, accepted an amendment to the Bill forbidding the Irish to raise, as heretofore, public revenue for religious purposes. An amendment moved with a view to preventing f e Irish legislature levying a tax to endow a denominational University was rejected. The motion for the third reading of the Bill has boon made the Order of the Day for Monday, 28th instant Mr Mun fella, President of the Board of Trade, replying to a question in the House of Commons, declined to introduce at present a Bill to compel the marking of imported meat. . Mr Campbell Bannerman, Secretary of War, replying to a question in the House of Commons, admitted that Sir Frederick Abel and P rofessor Dewar, members of the Explosive Coramtttee, had sold the secret of the patent cordite powder to a foreign factory. Lieutenant-Colonel Waring, member for Down (North), will present to Her Majesty the resolutions passed by the Orange Lodges in New Zealand, protesting against Home Rule for Ireland. The new form of closure proposed to be introduced by the Premier respecting the further stages of the Home Rule Bill excludes the putting of any amendments except those expressly sanctioned by the (iovernment. Both the Times and the Standard denounce this step as an arrogant violation of the liberty of speech, and state that such a course has never been equalled since the time of Cromwell.

Mr Chamberlain’s amendment to the motion for the enforcement of closure declares the latter to be the depription of the constitutional right to discuss a policy which seriously affects British interests, and that the motion being dictated by party expediency, the House calls on the Government to withdraw the resolutions and dissolve.

There are still thirty-six clauses not discussed, and the debate on Mr Chamberlain’s amendment is expected to last ten days. A portion of the latter’s amendment demanding a dissolution is irregular, and has been struck out. Another great fight is expected on the third reading of the Bill.