BRITISH POLITICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8387, 25 March 1907, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL. LONDON, March 22. In the House of Commons, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Prime Minister, said the Government was opposed to the Channel Tunnel, on the gx*ound that even if military dangers were amply guarded against, there would still be a feeling of insecurity in the country calculated to lead to constant demands for fresh expenditure on defence. There was no prospect of commercial advantage from the tunnel sufficient to compensate for these evils. Mr Balfour, Leader of the Opposition, expressed great satisfaction with the declaration of the Government. In the House of Lords, the Earl of Crewe, Lord President of the Council, announced that the Government was opposed to the Channel tunnel scheme. METRIC WEIGHTS AND MEASURES BILL. Received March 24, 4.54 p.m. LONDON, March 23. In the House of Commons the Compulsory Metric Weights and Measures Bill was negatived by 150 i to 118. Mr D. Lloyd-George, President of the Board of Trade, emphasised the danger of an alteration of the present system when the bulk of our trade is with non-Metric countries. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE. Received March 24, 4.54 p.m. LONDON, March 23. A petition against enfranchisement, signed by 37,000 women in Great Britain and Ireland, has been presented to the House of Commons. THE IRISH PARTY. i Received March 24, 4.54 p.m. LONDON, March 23. Mr William O'Brien, Nationalist member for Cork City, in a letter to his constituents, declares that he will hot participate in the present session of Parliament. The Irish party had now accepted devolution and the University Bills, which, but for their opposition they might have had in 1904. His own position having been triumphantly vindicated, and he and his libellers now occupying common ground, he did not desire to engage in a controversy before the English Parliament which would enable his libellers to attribute to him any untoward consequence of their own follies, THE NEW HEBRIDES. Received March 24,4.54 p.m. - LONDON, March 23. Mr Winston Churchill stated in the House of Commons that the Government had asked France whether it was not possible to check the importation of French gin and other prohibited goods into the New Hebrides.